Being Sent

I know many of you are bummed we are finishing up with youth group for the season. First of all, this is not the end just a change for a couple months. I will see what we can do to have a couple of nights throughout the summer where we can get together and have some fun!

8th Graders, I am sad to see you go but know you are in good hands upstairs with Brian. Here is the deal, I do not want you to think that because many of you will be confirmed in a couple of weeks you no longer should be at youth group.

This is exactly where you need to be, you need to be around other Christians, and continue to study Scripture, to learn more about Jesus, and to follow Jesus. Listen, all of you will be faced with many temptations this summer, let alone next year.

How you decide to handle those temptations matter, and what you believe about Scripture will affect the way you respond. I know there are some of you who have friends in some other youth groups that are saying troubling things about Scripture and what the Bible Says. ---Handouts - What does the Bible say about....

2 Timothy 3:14 CSB

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,

Tonight I have a couple of quick thoughts for you.

Tonight I have a couple of quick thoughts for you.

First: I want you to look at this summer as a summer on mission.

You have a couple of missions.

1: Prayer - commit to pray for your family, friends, and those who make your life hard every day. Journal or at least make a quick note a couple times a week about who and why, and the result

2: Be Active - commit to being active in your walk with Jesus. Come to the spontaneous events. I will use the church email, Instagram, and the texting app to let you know. Come to the summer beach party, sign up for Muuuce, and I hope to see you at Lake Beauty this year.

3: Read Scripture - But Chad I never know where to start. When I read it I don’t understand it, or it just doesn’t impact my life.

I hear you, I know how you feel. I was once there too, then I realized something. I realized God speaks through Scripture to me. I realized when I am reading his word He shows up.

You have been taught, and you are not too young to share the truth of the Gospel with others. You will have incredible opportunities to share your faith. To share your story...

When you are reading God’s word I want you to copy the verses that stand out to you. The ones that impact you when you read them.

There are people, some who will even say they go to church all of the time, that will try and tell you you cannot trust scripture, or that people just somehow decided what to call Scripture.

First I want you to know this:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 CSB

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:14 CSB

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You know those who taught you,

Therefore, all of scripture is beneficial to us, we can trust it to be God’s word and it has authority over our lives.

Real quick about how we got the Bible: There have been councils of people who came together to agree on what to include in the Bible. However, they only used books that were already in circulation and God’s word.

For example: in the NT - Matthew through Philemon and 1 Peter - one of my favorite books of the Bible BTW- and 1 John are widely used in the practices of the church from the earliest times.

How do we know? We have lists of books used by the Christian Fathers for teaching and preaching. The books of the OT, many of them were already understood to be God’s word hundreds of years before Jesus came to us. The writings of Moses were already known for thousands of years.

How do we know this - archaeological discoveries. when we find ancient villages we also find many artifacts, to include Scripture. Not to mention the meticulous preservation of the text, or scrolls. The Jewish people were extremely dedicated to preserving and recording God’s word and records of God’s people.

So we know that the Bible was recognized as authoritative over the lives of believers for as long as they have existed.

When it comes to the NT - the ancient church fathers also had a discussion over the documents used. As the church began to grow they recognized the need to have God’s word available to the church leaders. it wasn’t like they could just order a book, the process of copying is painstaking.

During this time there were also other books in circulation that were similar to books concerning beliefs today. Oh and people were also as self-absorbed then as they are today. There were some people who would write a book concerning Jesus and lie about who wrote it so people would accept it.

It didn’t happen a lot but it did happen. So there was a point when the church leaders did come together to address various conceptions of God and the books used to talk about God. They did not write anything , but they came together to authenticate - to ensure the real books were being used and distributed.

When I was growing up I collected baseball cards, and getting autographs was a normal thing. In fact, some of the autographs were worth a bunch of money. ---Brett Saberhagen Card ---- Well there were people out there who would forge signatures, or forge cards and try and fool collectors. People do this with all sorts of things to include antiques, and paintings, and whatever else is deemed valuable.

So in the era of the early church we should not be shocked by this. so they came together to figure out what was true and what was fake. Not one person, but hundreds of people.

Do you think it is difficult to get hundreds of people to agree on anything? No easy task

They used 3 basic criteria. (Circle Chart)

They were concerned about the consistency of the message or the RULE OF FAITH, the origins ensuring they could confirm the writing is associated with an Apostle (APOSTOLIC), and finally the consistently accepted and used by the CHURCH.

That is what we know to be the Bible today! Therefore we know we can trust the Bible and what it tells us. We can trust the English translations are consistent with the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic writings.

We know the Bible to be perfect for life, faith, and practice. Meaning you can trust it to reveal God to you, to guide your life, and your worship.

You guys understand authority way better than adults do by the way, and you don’t even realize it. How many of you think you can do whatever you want whenever you want.

Seriously…Most of you recognize there are limitations to what you are allowed to do. I am not even talking about what Scripture allows, I am talking about the people who have authority over you. Teachers, Parents, Guardians, Laws, Grandparents, who else.

You get it, but you understand authority as a list of rules to follow, or a list of things you can or cannot do.

I am challenging you to rethink authority from a Scriptural standpoint. See this is where relying on God’s word is so amazing - it is not another list of things to do or not to do!

Everything is flipped. Instead, Scripture tells us that you who are in Christ are a new creation, that you are the product of a new mind and heart.

Romans 12:1–2 CSB

Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Not because you must but because it is simply who you are. How many of you have to try not to cheat on a test in school?

How many of you have to try really hard not to lie constantly?

How about fighting, how many of you have to try really hard not to punch someone in the face?

How about this, how many have to try really hard not to rob a bank?

Why not? Is it because your parents say don’t, the laws will arrest you, or your afraid of death. No you don’t do it because of the expectations placed on you. Do you feel somehow like you cannot truly be yourself if you don’t do those things?

Here is the deal. When you enter into a relationship with Jesus he promises to change you from the inside out. You will start to notice things change. You will start to swear less, to look at porn less, to be mean to people less. Not because there is a list of rules to follow but because Jesus calls you to live a life free from these things, and He gives you the ability to do it!!!

So leave hear confident in the one who gives you strength.

Ephesians 4:14 CSB

Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

Philippians 4:13 CSB

I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

This is not just a nice verse Steph Curry puts on his shoes. He realizes it is the power of Jesus in him that allows him to be the person he is, not just the basketball player. That is just a platform. No - it is Jesus that enables him to be a man of God.

Know that you are no alone this summer. - Jesus goes with you as he is in you and you are in Him!

Next year we will begin with a series called what does the Bible say about… I want to know what you are wanting to know. I will study the requests this summer, so I need your help. In your small groups fill out these cards and turn them in to your leaders. I know every single one of you wants to know what the Bible says about something. So I should get back 100 or so cards.