Sermon Tone Analysis

Info

Today is the start of a series we are going to be doing for the next 3 week

Series - “Reach Series”

Many young adults are leaving the church

Why is this happening, and what do we need to do to reach generation

What is God’s heart for the

Recent poll from NBC and WSJ

Poll had to do with a shift in values that is taking place in the millennial camp

3 things were in rapid decline

Patriotism

Religion

Having children

Focus in on religion

Ages 55-91 - 67% said religion was important

Ages 39-54 - 52%

Ages 18-38 - Only 30% felt religion was important

80% felt tolerance was important

But I want to point out two of the top

64% felt self-fulfillment was important

One poll showed 59% of millennials have left the church

There has been a rapid growth in the “none” movement, meaning that they don’t want to identify or affiliate with any specific religion

The reasons given for this shift are endless

Rejecting science

Lack of authenticity

Lack of talk on controversial issues

Hypocritical lives

Lack of discipleship

Nobodies listening

Don’t feel appreciated

Want to feel valued

Christian association with right wing politics

The most “cause” driven generation in history doesn’t identify with the most “cause” driven institution of all time (which is the church)

Some say Christians lives don’t exemplify sacrifice

That we know the Christian lingo, but don’t live lives of obedience and a sacrifice, but that we demand others do

There are a bevy of reasons why young adults are leaving

Truth

Truth does not adapt.

Humility

Humility is not to water down truth to better agree with someone else.

Humility is not saying we are both equally right, even though mutually exclusive.

Humility is to say that we as the Church don’t have all the answers.

There will be questions you have til the day you die!

Richard John Neuhaus (Newhouse) said this: “Few things have contributed so powerfully to the unbelief of the modern and postmodern world as the pretension of Christians to know more than we do....If Christians exhibited more intellectual patience, modesty, curiosity, and sense of adventure, there would be few atheists in the world, both of the rationalist and postmodern varieties.”