The Call
Everything on The Consider Podcast and website has to do with the call for all men and women to repent. Such is an offer of mercy for those willing to follow Jesus by hating their life and picking up their cross. After all, even the demons believe in God, but they are terrified. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder. James 2:19
Teenage Years
Audiobook
Text Teenage Years
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6:3)
An eye-catching bumper sticker says, “Hire a teenager while they still know it all.” This really describes this stage in life. Teenagers think they are something and that they know everything. In the same way, Christian “teenagers,” believers who have been at it for a little while, gain a little experience, a little Bible knowledge and deceive themselves. Many never outgrow this stage, and many preachers and Bible college professors are nothing more than overgrown teenagers in the name of Jesus.
Teenagers are still nothing in terms of the world, but they think they are ready to take on the world. The teenage years are the most dangerous time for us as we grow up. In most cases, those years set the stage for the rest of our lives. Unless God can win us with His grace, our sins are set into our personalities and our course for eternity is laid. At age thirteen, the natural rebellion in mankind begins to seek independence. Young children that at one time listened to their parents refuse to do so any longer. What marks a teenager? They think they are wiser and smarter than they really are. This happened to the twelve apostles.
They followed Jesus for quite some time. They preached, worked, and listened to Jesus. They started out falling at his feet in humility but soon began to give Jesus advice and suggested ways He should do things. For example, they did not have the faith to cast out demons yet suggested they call fire down from heaven. Did they ask Jesus to call down the fire? No, they asked if “they” could call down fire. Like any teenager, the apostles thought they had power and wisdom.
When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven to destroy them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them (Luke 9:54–55)
Like any wounded teenager, when someone upsets them, they vent their full wrath. Many in the church never outgrow this self-assuredness and pride and refuse to let the cross do its maturing work. They remain smart, wise, and full of Biblical wisdom so when Jesus seeks to rebuke and correct, they become indigent and shut their ears to the voice of God. Or when God seeks to communicate what His will is for the hour or day, their wisdom and advice silence Him. We know from experience that when a teenager becomes overbearing there is only one of two reactions parents can take, either rebuke and lay down the law or to just turn silent. In the same way, God often resorts to the Law and more often just becomes silent until we are ready to listen. It is a dreadful matter when God stops talking to us because of our stubbornness. For all we are left with is our spiritual voice that mocks the things of God. If teenagers are well-known for anything, it is refusing advice and not listening. How many in the church are also known for this?
“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly, they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. (Zechariah 7:11)
If you want to grow past this stage, then you must once again learn from your mistakes. Again, the more correction you are willing to take, the quicker you will gain ears that can hear. The more you let the humility of Christ live in you, the quicker you will gain ears to hear.
It is one of the hardest things to admit our mistakes and sins because pride blinds us to who we really are. Impurity marks this time. Like a teenager, we have some life skills, some logic, and some knowledge, but there is still much of self that must be put to death. Unfortunately when God points out the impurity in our lives, we can only see the noble reasons and excuses. Of course, this is an impossible situation. Impurity can never last with purity and purity can never tolerate impurity. One will overcome the other. Therefore, God will often press in harder with the cross during this teenage time and the temptation to rebel and leave will be great. At this stage the Christian seeks to do God’s will but also attempts at the same to do it their way or to get something out of the situation. Since no “impure” person will go to heaven, we must fully confess our wisdom and desires as sin when attempting to obey the voice of God.
During this time in our walk, we tend to learn to hear God from the times we misinterpret His voice. Early in our marriage, we were house parents for a group home of mentally disabled men. We saw many of them give their hearts to God and tremendous changes occurred in their lives. Soon, however, Church and State issues arose. This led us to believe that God wanted us to open up our own Christian-based group home. After many blunders and even losing money on down payments on facilities, we realized that we didn’t know what God was after all. Our pure and noble reasons had to be exposed for what they were—frustration over the situation in the group home circuits. We wanted those people to know Christ, but in our own way and timing, not God’s.
For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person— such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. (Ephesians 5:5–7)
As stated before, impurity cannot co-exist with purity. This is why Paul stated we are not to be “partners with” the impure.
When it comes to having ears to hear God, testing the messages we have is paramount to purity. Paul laid down the rule in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 to “test everything.” Yes, it takes a lot of work to test everything all day long. Indeed, it requires a lot of effort to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, but it’s worth it to hear the voice of God.2 How do we test everything? By way of the cross.
With guidance and power from the Holy Spirit, begin to ask yourself, “Where is my flesh in all of this?” Or, to put another way, “Where is the cross of Christ in this?” Just as Jesus always carried His cross and headed toward the cross, so we, too, when it comes to hearing and obeying God, know that He always heads us toward Calvary. Any voice that takes us away from the cross is either our voice or the voice of the world and Satan. The Spirit will always want the opposite of what you want.3 God will never give you what you want until you have been crucified and no longer live.4 Yes, He will fulfill the “desires of your heart,”5 but only after your desires match His holiness. There will always be groaning and battle while you walk this earth.6 The voice of God will always direct you in ways you do not want to go. If you attend a church or employ a pastor where this conflict is not present, you follow a lie.
Many times, we may have heard God clearly but still have a lot of self to deny and crucify. I might, for example, hear from God to go do something today, but my flesh sneaks into the situation and I want to do it my way or for some personal enjoyment. Like Judas, whom Jesus put in charge of the money bag but from time to time helped himself to the money,7 we take from the Lord. In order to mature past the teenage years, we must prepare our- selves for a baptism of fire that will purify us of stubbornness and selfishness. Unless you are willing to rejoice in this, you will never gain ears to hear.
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Matthew 3:11)
Chapter 8 Teenage years
- List some behaviors common to teens. Compare these traits to your spiritual walk with God.
- What impure motives lie in your heart? Take them before God and ask Him to purify them.
- In what ways can you test everything, especially your motives?
Ears to Hear: Chapter 9 | [Continue to Next Chapter →]
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The Salt Shaker Christian bookstore, because of persecution by Washington State Authorities, was destroyed and ran out of the town of Enumclaw. Just part of the proof that Sound Doctrine Church was walking the narrow road with Jesus.
For you, brothers became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men. 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15
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