Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”A week ago I gave my testimony to a youth group. When I am asked to give my testimony, I am always a little nervous because I have to refrain from giving details of my past life, as people can get caught up in the enticement of the sin I committed. During my talks on my testimony I tend to just give enough of a highlight to give people an idea of what I was like as a non-believer. It was not a pretty picture to say the least, but that aspect is for another time.
As I prayed and thought about it, I talked about my testimony, but I did so in light of where Christianity in my opinion, and again I say in my opinion, is at today. I think especially within the youth group scenario. With that in mind, below is the challenge that God gave to me for them, for me, and now I am giving to whoever is reading this right now as a follower of Jesus Christ.
I just heard an interview of Bishop Spong who said that he believed that the Bible was to only be taken symbolically, and that no one educated believes in the major claims of the virgin birth, resurrection, and even a literal Heaven anymore. What was shocking is this interview was given by a leader who says he is a Christian, though I would challenge that since he also does not believe in most of the core beliefs of Christianity. What upset me most, is that he never challenged Spong on any of the very mistaken claims he made and even supported the belief that there is probably no literal Heaven. The Emergent movement is one of the major areas I was thinking about when preparing for my testimony and challenge of the youth, because these guys are very popular among the youth because they write well, make cool videos, dress sharp, and speak eloquently for the most part. But what they write is pretty much worthless dribble lined with sugar so you don’t realize you have taken the poison until it is too late.
Why didn’t Mr. Pagitt defend the core beliefs with Spong,
or at least say he disagreed. He did neither. As I say many times, silence is a form of agreeance. 1 Pet. 3:15 says, ABut sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.@ He could have given easy answers for the truth of the resurrection, virgin birth and Heaven. Why not also give him names of prominent Evangelical believers that do believe those beliefs, and also others out there as well. How about Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Dr. Norman Geisler, Ravi Zacharias, Dr. J.P. Moreland, Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Montgomery Ward, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and Dr. Francis Beckwith, just to name a few off the top of my head. All well respected theologians, philosophers and academics. Even Christopher Hitchens, a stringent atheist knows what Christians are to believe as a foundation.
As I prayed and thought about it, I talked about my testimony, but I did so in light of where Christianity in my opinion, and again I say in my opinion, is at today. I think especially within the youth group scenario. With that in mind, below is the challenge that God gave to me for them, for me, and now I am giving to whoever is reading this right now as a follower of Jesus Christ.
I just heard an interview of Bishop Spong who said that he believed that the Bible was to only be taken symbolically, and that no one educated believes in the major claims of the virgin birth, resurrection, and even a literal Heaven anymore. What was shocking is this interview was given by a leader who says he is a Christian, though I would challenge that since he also does not believe in most of the core beliefs of Christianity. What upset me most, is that he never challenged Spong on any of the very mistaken claims he made and even supported the belief that there is probably no literal Heaven. The Emergent movement is one of the major areas I was thinking about when preparing for my testimony and challenge of the youth, because these guys are very popular among the youth because they write well, make cool videos, dress sharp, and speak eloquently for the most part. But what they write is pretty much worthless dribble lined with sugar so you don’t realize you have taken the poison until it is too late.
Why didn’t Mr. Pagitt defend the core beliefs with Spong,
or at least say he disagreed. He did neither. As I say many times, silence is a form of agreeance. 1 Pet. 3:15 says, ABut sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear.@ He could have given easy answers for the truth of the resurrection, virgin birth and Heaven. Why not also give him names of prominent Evangelical believers that do believe those beliefs, and also others out there as well. How about Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell, Dr. Norman Geisler, Ravi Zacharias, Dr. J.P. Moreland, Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Montgomery Ward, Dr. Peter Kreeft, and Dr. Francis Beckwith, just to name a few off the top of my head. All well respected theologians, philosophers and academics. Even Christopher Hitchens, a stringent atheist knows what Christians are to believe as a foundation. When interviewed by a self proclaimed liberal Christian, Marilyn Sewell, Hitchens said, “I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian.” I would say he gets it better then most Emergent Church people.
Pagitt did not fulfill Jude 3:22, as it says ABeloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. As believers today we need to be contending for the faith, and if you do a study on the word “contend,” then you will find it is used in the form of being in a war. Our youth are in a battle today, and not just from the world, but from inside our very own system, as many are trying to have them move toward a very liberal, or not Christian at all, form of faith.
We are to hold fast to the Bible as told to us in Titus 1:9, Aholding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. This will give us the ability to see these people in disguise and also strengthen our faith that is based on evidence that is unseen (Heb. 11:1). Today many cannot defend, explain, or answer contradictions to the Christian beliefs.
We are allowing our youth to use these men and women as an excuse for their weak understanding of Scripture and lack of ability to be able to defend or have confidence in what they believe. How do you have confidence in something you don’t know or understand? How do you deepen your faith if you don’t know the One you are following?
Today we need to train our youth to stand up for Christ so it is easier for someone else to do so. Let’s be their excuse so they can be the excuse for their peers not to sin or fall into the snares of wrong belief, instead of being the excuse to sin. “Hey look their Christian and they do it, so why can’t I?” “They look cool and it sounds good, so why isn’t true?” We need to train them to be able to see the truth and to be able to defend with confidence what they believe.
We have the answers to the questions above that were posed by Spong and now many times by the Emergent Church movement. It does take time to read, research and find the answer in Scripture and utilize those before us who have already walked through the fire of trials.
My challenge to the young adults today Don’t be those church group kids that believe it because it was a recent best seller in the Christian market, as Brian McClaren’s books or Rob Bell’s. If you don’t believe it then stop pretending. Walk what you believe. I and most would personally respect you more for it. But if you do believe then walk it. Follow what the verses given above say about being able to answer questions and defend your faith. Be bold, Jesus Christ died for you so that you could have Heaven. Is that worth a little teasing from friends because you are Bible Thumper? Or maybe some friends stop talking to you and instead about you?
Someone is watching you. What excuse are you giving them? That you stand up for Christ and will be there for them? Or are you the one that does one thing on Sunday and during youth groups and is another person outside of here? Again, that is weak and what I would call a
chicken. If you believe then walk, and if you don’t then don’t, but be real.
I am going to end with a lyric from a song that is not from a Christian group, but he certainly also gets the point like Christopher Hitchens. Again, this person is not a Christian, but he knows that if you choose to follow then you follow. Why is it today some who are not Christians seem to understand better then those that claim to be believers?
“Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve”—Nine Inch Nails.
Pagitt did not fulfill Jude 3:22, as it says ABeloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. And on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh. As believers today we need to be contending for the faith, and if you do a study on the word “contend,” then you will find it is used in the form of being in a war. Our youth are in a battle today, and not just from the world, but from inside our very own system, as many are trying to have them move toward a very liberal, or not Christian at all, form of faith.We are to hold fast to the Bible as told to us in Titus 1:9, Aholding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. This will give us the ability to see these people in disguise and also strengthen our faith that is based on evidence that is unseen (Heb. 11:1). Today many cannot defend, explain, or answer contradictions to the Christian beliefs.
We are allowing our youth to use these men and women as an excuse for their weak understanding of Scripture and lack of ability to be able to defend or have confidence in what they believe. How do you have confidence in something you don’t know or understand? How do you deepen your faith if you don’t know the One you are following?
Today we need to train our youth to stand up for Christ so it is easier for someone else to do so. Let’s be their excuse so they can be the excuse for their peers not to sin or fall into the snares of wrong belief, instead of being the excuse to sin. “Hey look their Christian and they do it, so why can’t I?” “They look cool and it sounds good, so why isn’t true?” We need to train them to be able to see the truth and to be able to defend with confidence what they believe.
We have the answers to the questions above that were posed by Spong and now many times by the Emergent Church movement. It does take time to read, research and find the answer in Scripture and utilize those before us who have already walked through the fire of trials.
My challenge to the young adults today Don’t be those church group kids that believe it because it was a recent best seller in the Christian market, as Brian McClaren’s books or Rob Bell’s. If you don’t believe it then stop pretending. Walk what you believe. I and most would personally respect you more for it. But if you do believe then walk it. Follow what the verses given above say about being able to answer questions and defend your faith. Be bold, Jesus Christ died for you so that you could have Heaven. Is that worth a little teasing from friends because you are Bible Thumper? Or maybe some friends stop talking to you and instead about you?
Someone is watching you. What excuse are you giving them? That you stand up for Christ and will be there for them? Or are you the one that does one thing on Sunday and during youth groups and is another person outside of here? Again, that is weak and what I would call a
chicken. If you believe then walk, and if you don’t then don’t, but be real.I am going to end with a lyric from a song that is not from a Christian group, but he certainly also gets the point like Christopher Hitchens. Again, this person is not a Christian, but he knows that if you choose to follow then you follow. Why is it today some who are not Christians seem to understand better then those that claim to be believers?
“Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve”—Nine Inch Nails.
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