Youth Prayer Service
As you can give money, of course, it takes income to help.
Select one of those groups and commit to pray for one of those groups can actually with your parent's permission enter some information there and commit to pray for one of those groups of people and if you'll do that along with having the scripture as you're reading through it, I think it will create a picture for you to help you understand. There are people in the world who don't know the truth that I'm reading every day that I walk by every day that I in fact neglect everyday. Okay, so you'll see that as you go. All right, we'll get to that more at the end first John chapter 2. I'm going to read a few verses once again, I will break this down pretty quickly. And then the end of commitment time is going to wrap up with you. Hopefully saying I make a commitment to read the Bible for 21 days in a row K. 21 days in a row
Will that be a new record for a Navy if you're being honest with 21 days in a row be a record? Okay, okay. It's awesome. Awesome, but it's also there were going to set a new record for you. Okay first John chapter 2 verse 1 Will read until I run out of breath or my voice leaves and 1 through 7 my little children. I am writing these things to you that you may not send and if anyone sins we have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ the righteous and he himself as a propitiation clear. I should tell you that word before propitiation for our sins. It's a tough one and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world and by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his Commandments the one who says I have come to know him and does not keep his Commandments is a liar. Well, he didn't soften that blow and he didn't pull the punch there and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps the word in him. The love of God has truly been perfected by this. We know that we are in him. Okay, whoever keeps his word in him. The love of God has truly been perfected. We say it again in whoever keeps his word and him the love of God has truly been perfect Source break these this passage down a little bit. Remember last week. We read first John chapter one. We talked about how through Christ were calling to fellowship with the church body with God the father in with Christ the son right or called into that fellowship, and I just want to remind you. that this place for us it's this building will call the Vault but this church that you're a part of in this group of students you come together with every week on Sundays and Wednesdays should be Should be some of the closest and most intimate and deepest relationships that you have because you come together saying I worship Christ alongside you and encourage you in that and I worship Christ together our hearts craft him together. Now, is that the case? Possibly not. It's a work-in-progress. It's always a work in progress is always a fight to maintain that Fellowship here and show us the direction and praying for you from last week this some of your deepest closest with it. Most intimate relationships would be here with one another growing in Christ together right now. Let's look at what John says this week in Chapter 2 is my little children. I'm writing you so that you do not send. So first thing we have the reason why he's riding I like when Writers do that for a simply right? Here's the reason why I'm writing you writing you my little children. So, you know since first thing the reason He's saying I'm riding you so you don't send specifically. By denying your own sin sing. I haven't send or there's something going on during this time that he John was writing called gnosticism. Does anyone know what the gnostics believe or thought? We talked about it before but it's been a while. Yeah.
Do I. Gnostics gnosticism we get the word with the root word is conosco gnostics. We get to work Knowledge from it knowledge to the gnostics. I'm going to make it very simple for you. There's some more details to it. You can look up gnostics believe simply. The flesh was evil. The soul was good. Okay, it was like this dichotomy. The flesh is evil. The soul is good and the way that you come to Salvation or being saved as you gain more knowledge or understanding for the soul gnosticism we get that work from it. So they're saying it was becoming a part of the church and why John is writing this letter saying you need to be aware of this you saying it's not about knowledge. It's about Christ. It's about knowing Christ. We can say that right we live in a day where information is worship. Don't we? We live in a day where information is worshipped by know this I can look this information up. I can find facts quickly, but those don't lead us to a walk with Christ for salvation. That's what he saying here. I'm writing this thing so you don't send by worshiping or idolizing knowledge or information. But coming to this place where you worship those kind of things there were some who were coming out of in these gnostics were telling them that he's also writing so that they don't send generally speaking saying listen. There's this one specific 10. I'm writing about that you're dealing with steer clear of that. But there's also writing generally speaking so that you don't send you don't reject the god you worship for something else other things other choices. Also something that we have to deal with in the time that we live in as well, right? Are we free from sin yet? Then that would be awesome. Wouldn't it be wonderful, so he's riding these things. The reason is so that you don't send so that brings up a question and I'll ask it to you and then we'll see. Can you today walk free from sin?
Can you walk without spin today? Can somebody tell me why fill me in? Some said no, some said I saw a head nod like this.
Too many bad things that you see today so things that you see cause you to sin.
Okay.
Matthew
Okay. What else has got a response?
Okay, our sinful nature, right? We still have this fleshly sinful nature. Do we have to deal with until we enter into eternity right or the Lord returns one of the two right door still stuck with that. So can you walk free from sin or my question to you is why would he say I'm writing this to you so that you do not send.
Yeah.
Okay, who's have an option we have I still have a choice and here's what I want to point out to you. Did if we rely completely and totally upon ourselves to walk free from sin, then that's in fact what we won't walk free from sin.
It's calling us into a deeper more intimate Reliance upon Christ. Our Salvation will see that just a minute. It's calling us deeper into knowing him and walking with him and I'll illustrate this way for you. I remember and Seminary our professor had this crazy Professor who he would like coming to the class and just put his chair on his desk and just set up there for the whole class. And then at the end he would use it as some type of illustration or he would sit at the back of the class and lecture from there just really odd one day. He walks in with his big like glass vat of black stuff. Just black like Sprite maybe a gallon size that a black stuff is like this is coffee and some I was like, I don't want any coffee and he says this represents you all in sin that school got a gross. I don't know. I can never mind and wants coffee like just the darkness use that as an illustration. He said he picks up from understand. She has a big ol other vet or picture of milk, right? They just started pouring the milk and he says this represents price. I've told you this before empiric somebody for some milk and you know, what happens when you pour milk into coffee. You don't like you hit it and there's like this cloud of whiteness starts going and You Begin stirring it and what happens to the darkness it becomes lighter, right? And he said he didn't have enough milk and he didn't want to waste it in fact, but you just kept pouring that milk in their kept snoring and it became lighter and lighter and lighter and lighter. He said I can pour more milk in here and just keep pouring in because I have an infinite infinite supply of milk. I just poured until everything overflows out here in all is left is milk. The class I was in a spiritual discipline. So you saying I'm calling you to be disciplined to follow Christ in such a way that he feels you so much that the nastiness of you leaves out and all that's left of him.
Is that clears black coffee to you? Who is calling us here?
To reject sell for Christ so that we walk free from sin. So is it possible I say in fact, yes it is but not when its Reliance upon ourselves when its Reliance upon Christ, okay.
That's a tough place to be that's a hard place to be in the world. We live in cuz we've created so many things that we trust rather than crisis dig deeper a little bit now we get the response. If anyone you see that there and if anyone sins notice who is writing to his my little children, he's writing to Believers those who have already followers of Christ who say writing to your house and he says if any one of you believer sins, you have to know already that we have an advocate. We have someone you know, what an advocate is someone who speaks on your behalf of someone who stands and represents you someone who takes your place we have this Advocate who stands in the the Greek word my voice going here paraclete. Not like the running shoes or track shoes pair of cleats softball shoes paraclete know it's a paraclete is an advocate someone who stands in who are one who's called to help one who comes along side of in time of need when it comes along beside you to listen he saying I'm calling you not to send but he knows us because we're Jordan said we have this nature that saying this is but if you do you have someone who will stand beside you an advocate for you look up here that's important. Yes, I'm one who stand beside you. They call out for you and speak for you on your behalf. So that's why I can say confidently before you it's not about you trying harder to reject sin. It's about you leaning into Christ more because he's the one speaking for you.
Why do we worship him? That's another message there, but we worship this one who advocates for us. Now I told you a story. I don't know. I guess I'm my I need to get some new illustrations cuz I'm find myself saying all the time until your story before when I was in college. I worked at a pharmacy and deliver medication mainly to elderly people when there is one lady. I always delivered to her name was mrs. Carey and my brother a motor yard. We just try to take care of her. She's a widow lady. So we did what we could for one day. My grandmother was sick. I took my grandmother to the hospital. My grandmother has find my it was going to stay with her. I was going home for the night. I'm leaving out of the hospital and I hear out of like this is off to the side over hear someone scream out. Richard like it over like the nurses station was over there and all I see is mrs. Carries head just screaming out for me like one hand kind of race. Can you help me knows about what her voice sounded like so I might walk over there but scary what's going on are you doing she's in a wheelchair? She should have been here all day. I fell this morning Angels brought me to the hospital. I get 5 a.m. This is 10:30 at night is my my daughter is out of town. I have no one to take me home. But no way to get home. Can you give me a ride home?
I'll be honest with you. I was like, I'm ready to get home myself. But I couldn't leave her right. So what it is I said I'll take her it was a little bit of a challenge because the hospital wanted to know why a 20 year old guy that wasn't related was going to take this 75 year old woman, but we got that worked out after talking to the daughter. I got her home got her in her home was leaving Richard. Can you stay with me until my son gets here? Yeah, I'll stay here with spaghetti. So the next morning sun shows up. I leave everything's fine. What's the point of that silly story? Mrs. Carey had no one no one no one to speak on her behalf and to take her back to her home, right? Johnson here. Listen you might send You don't have anyone to speak on your behalf. You try mrs. Carey tried all day long to get someone to give her a ride home. Will you call out to Christ? He's the one who stands before you says I'll come along beside you and I'll deliver you walk with me walk with me. See that Jesus is a helper of those who are in fellowship with these persons are by definition. We saw that a little bit now, we need to understand also that we need an advocate. So what's the 1st? The reason we saw that in the response Penny one says we have an advocate and then we have the implication of that response. Do we need an advocate? Just as orphans and widows need a voice and he didn't want someone to speak on their behalf. That's James 1:27 visit orphans and widows in their distress.
We also need someone to speak for us speak on our behalf, right?
Why do orphans and widows need someone to speak on their behalf in right now?
Or through question when you weren't ready for it, sorry. Halle why he was your man orphans and widows? Why do they need someone to speak on their behalf?
Okay.
Okay. Why might that be?
Structure of the family in scripture is talk to us. Is that the mail the man the husband is the head of the household right? So widows are without husbands. And orphans are without father's right, so I don't have someone to speak for them. So just using that kind of has an illustration here for you and I who are
Fatherless we need someone to speak for us or orphaned. Uni crisis week for us. All right. Can we say that it? Can we see that pretty clearly? All right.
Now the next thing we see is that he himself married on down just a little bit and he himself forced to is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for those of the whole world is our Advocate with the father in this is the end of us one Jesus Christ the righteous. So here's a really cool thing. Not only do we have the one speaking before us Jesus the high priest standing before the father you speaking on behalf of you and I who are Christians but he's also the one who made the payment ultimately force and he was a propitiation read that what Hardware do Odell, right? For our sins not for our sins only but for all those of the whole world. For our sins and all of the for the sins of the whole world. So really want to drive in on this point. Like why? Is the we worship Jesus is not only does he speak for you, but he died for you.
And here's the crazy thing about it in my mind is it he died first?
He sees how you interact and behave towards him. And he still says come to me right I'll speak for you advocate for you. All those who place their faith in me and follow after me right pretty significant Supreme appreciation to see you know, I wrote these notes in there so I could share with you a little bit up the sacrifice which satisfies the just wrath of God verse in as it up as it's applied to Christ in his death. He absorbed the just wrath of God toward us for our sin. Okay, so that's like it's really crazy. Simple example is if Luke was running up here at me. Arm talk back ready to punch Matthew. His brother said you can't punch the youth guy like that and Matthew steps in the way of that and absorbs at full on to the forehead. Punch in the face, right he absorbed. I know it's crazy of you crazy picture duck. Like this is the hearts but Matthew would absorb that blow that Luke was bringing towards me right on my behalf. Matthew step in front. The raft that was coming loose girls the rat that was coming on you because of your sin. Was absorbed by the son Jesus.
I don't think Matthew would take that much for me probably. right Thank you. Okay, you might be onto something by appreciate that. Right? Most of us wouldn't do that. Most of us wouldn't let wouldn't take a punch much less take death for someone right and yet this one who were called to worship. It called to follow after he he took the blow for us and now he speaks for us. He speaks for us. It's what I want to say to you tonight is this should drive us into his word in a much deeper way.
Should drive us into knowing him and watch the boys should drive us down 2 verse 5. Whoever keeps his word in him. The love of God is truly been perfected by this. We know that we are in him. By this we know you were in him. I heard one time a pastor. He was telling the story. He had been accused of using Christianity.
He'd been accused of using Christianity as a crutch. Somebody said listen, all you're doing is just using the story of Jesus as some type of crutches to get through life when you said at first I was offended by that you said became angry, but he said I thought about it for a little while. And you said I realize that that's absolutely true.
And when I explained you said I realize it's true because because of my sin nature because I have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. He's at my legs. Both of them are broken. I was crippled. I was lame. and Jesus came and he said in this picture or that person he became a crunchy prop me up. He brought me up to where I'm functioning are my legs still scarred or my leg still broke. And yeah, but I'm functioning now working now heading in the direction. I should be going said it isn't interesting picture, but then he went on to say, you know, if your legs are broken. And you got crutches. I don't know how you use crutches and both your legs are broken up being a wheelchair. Right? Both your legs are broken. You're the wheelchair. Are you going to leave the wheelchair at home? Jace is going to so we're going to be near me that guy we have to give you a ride to work everyday cuz you're like crawling under.
I'm not right. Most of you aren't
I'm going to leave that at home in every week. We gather together as Christians. We say Christ the one who sustains us Christ who advocated for a price you saved us price. You took the blow for us. He's good for Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings with the rest of the week. Not so much.
It's not not so much.
It's all to do tonight is challenge, you know, read a lot about your generation, and they say that teens today can't handle a challenge that may be true. But that doesn't keep me from trying right I want to challenge you. I want to challenge you to be in the word got to work for 21 days in a row without stopping holding each other accountable for that. Alright, holding each other accountable for that task that goal not so that at the end you can say I read the Bible for 21 days in a row. If that's all we get that's the only thing we come to at the end that we missed the point.
21 days in a row driving into this one. We read about Jesus who advocates for you and speaks on your behalf cries out for you and literally took the punch for you. Although is much deeper than upon which greater than a punch. So if you look at that packet, I only gave you seven days this week K the next Wednesday. I'll give you seven more cuz I know what happens. You lose all 21 days then I'm out. so 7 days you have those there together. We're going to read through the Gospel of John Zorn 2 chapter 1. And it'll direct you on how to read so we get through the last you 21 days. It breaks a versus up in the 21 Day. Okay. So how do we hold one another accountable?
How do we hold one another accountable for driving into the word setting the word this week? We have to interact with someone another and some way over the scripture. I thought about technology I thought about phone calls. I thought about meeting everyday those things seem like they would not be possible or you wouldn't follow through apps. You guys have all use different apps and you don't use the same one. So one thing that you all do is the world uses the World Wide Web the internet at some point, right? So what I've done On our been going to pull this up for us. I hope we have a website are the church you may or may not be aware of that. I don't know. But that's what it looks like on the screen there and Ben's going to navigate for us because technology allows us to do that. But we actually on this pay on this thing have a youth page so been go up there to connect. So if you'll follow this on your phone or your tablet or your you don't have a laptop with you, but she's got to connect hover over Ministries for a second.
There you go, and then down to student Ministry letter of a ketchup. You're doing it. Hopefully you can remember and then click that one then you will. That brings up this fancy page some of your pictures on there. You didn't even know your parents sign the waiver. So you have no kitty you they did really? Okay scroll down a little ways Ben. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Keep going. Wow. So you'll see right here a picture of day one, which is probably hopefully the one they won that you're holding their right? So every day, I'll put the new one up there. So day one that's tomorrow the 17th day to be the 18th a 3lb 19th New Albany in the spot in my challenge to your my request to you. Is it you work through that worksheet the questions they have after you read the scripture and then been scroll down a little more look-at-me look-at-me touchscreen touch this button right here been touch screen and scroll down again touch screen not be so awesome. Right and then just leave a comment right there. You can be anything from in John 1 this stood out to me to I read it today. Yeah, okay, but why am I doing that is giving you a place to interact that no one else. The no one else no one else people can see it's visible. But all the comments will come through there and they'll populate in that area.
Ben
So I'd like you everyday to go there and keep track some way. Ideally you're expressing something to eat that the Lord showed you as you study the scripture, okay? Why they're just because the general place so we can all access from our homes without coming back together and discussing it. Okay, generally speaking we can meet there. So if you take the challenge tonight 21 days believe that their number two, The number to request I have you tonight.
Check out the seed company website. and find the group of people somewhere on the planet there many listed you can scroll through her for a long time that you're going to commit to pray for. For the 21 days that's homework for tonight. You need to find it tonight. Okay. Now you guys are lost on your phones look up here. I lost you at your often internet land the back up here.
Okay, will you work on it after?
You'll figure it out. It's the three bars push it it'll give you an option. Right? So the seed company check that out find one that you'll commit to pray for. Pray for that group for the 21 days that we're together. All right. We're we're reading this. We're about out of time. I want to give you one last resource. This internet-based that I would say was useful to you been next one. So many times you'll say to me. I don't read the scripture because it's hard and my voice is going away is hard or I don't understand or have questions. Whatever one I say to you. Look out for a second about lost you. I'm sorry.
I'm always up for questions and comments. And any thing that you need information from for me. Text me email. You don't email text email. Whatever Waite missing will email me. I'm over for that. But here's another resource is called look inside you can it has a lot of questions that you might generally asked and they don't have answers for you through video, but our throats so by directing you to scripture. Okay and helping you kind of understand something so many questions look inside you can find it there and we'll go. All right. Look inside the Bible now, I would like to ask you. If you would stand up.
Just lightly gently softly put your hand on the shoulder of the person to the right or left of you. You can wrap your arms around them if they're open to that. I am not.
All right. Let's pray for each other. I'll pray out loud. You pray silently in here. Listen to this what I specifically want you to pray for.
Specifically I'd like you to pray for that person on your right and left that they would be committed and hungry for God's word over the next 21 days. Can you do that? seriously commitment longing desire for the next 21 days. So it's pray silently then I'll close in prayer.
Laura thanks for our time together tonight. I think you for that your word and in.
The praise you for our advocacy your advocacy for us speaking up for us speaking on our behalf took the blow for us. I want to know more about you or know you more. Uno you in a deeper and more meaningful way and I pray that for the students over the next 21 days It wouldn't just be about checking off a box that they read something but it would be about your word being brought to life in their life. That the darkness The Remains and then would be pushed out by your light and pray that would happen for many of them over the next 21 days and that this will become a real relationship a binding agreement that they have with you. They meet with you and grow with you and I pray this will start something tremendous with them. We're calling it a word revolution a revolution with you the truth and the life pray that over the students this week pray that we hunger for your word is in Jesus name. I pray amen. They got to rain here tonight. Thanks to pay attention. Thanks for listening. Have a good week and
Bye.