The Right Message
Becoming the Right Youth Group
We want to be the right youth group. Consider the alternative: the wrong youth group. No one is interested in attending the wrong youth group. By "right," we mean a youth group that is for you and for God. It functions the way a youth group is supposed to exist.
People can come in, feel welcomed, interact with others, yet feel uncomfortable because we preach against sin. Then they get encouraged and comfortable again because we preach Jesus Christ.
We don't want a youth group people attend just because their parents make them. We want one people long for—a place they feel emptiness without. The right youth group glorifies God and enjoys Him forever. That is your reason for existence. God created you, saved you, and brought you into right relationship with Him not just to save you from sin, but so you would enjoy God eternally.
This youth group will maintain that reality in each of our lives. We won't settle for mediocre. We want youth who excel in the Christian faith—masters of theology and doctrine at this age. Don't think you're too young to master biblical truth and enhance your enjoyment of God.
> "Do not say, 'I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak." (Jeremiah 1:7)
As a youth, you can revolutionize your heritage, family dynamics, and home situation by recognizing your purpose: glorifying God and enjoying Him forever. That's the youth group that makes a difference, impacts lives through the preaching of God's Word.
Normally, life prioritizes school, family, activities, with truth and youth group as hobbies if they fit. What if we never blinked at choosing extracurriculars or church? We choose truth. Sports can't compare to what church offers.
The Words of Eternal Life
In John 6, Jesus fed 5,000, preached the gospel and truth about Himself, and everyone but the 12 disciples walked away. He asked them, "Do you want to go away as well?" They replied, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."
That's the consideration for Friday nights: youth group with the words of eternal life, or something without? In America, you'll struggle choosing between instant, temporary enjoyment and eternal value.
In Acts 2, the early church met daily in the temple and homes, devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching, prayer, breaking of bread, and fellowship. We meet far less, but our meetings can be significantly qualitative because the Word of Jesus Christ is preached.
A Warning Against Drifting
The way we become the right youth group starts with a warning, especially from Hebrews' warning passages. We must take seriously the words of eternal life.
> Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard, while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will. (Hebrews 2:1-4)
This passage warns what happens when we don't pay attention to the words of eternal life. If we heed it, we'll become the right youth group.
1. Focused on Jesus
The right youth group is focused on Jesus. Hebrews 2:1 says, "Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard." The "therefore" connects to chapter 1: God spoke to us by His Son, Jesus, who made propitiation for our sins.
Propitiation means turning away wrath. God was angry at your sin, but Jesus died to atone for it all—your wrongs and failures. God is no longer angry.
Hebrews 1 establishes Jesus is better than everything, including angels—a key issue for the original audience. In our context, Jesus is better than everything. So the right youth group focuses on Jesus.
2. Focused on the Message of Jesus
We must pay attention to what we've heard—Jesus' message. Paying attention is a battle, especially for youth amid distractions like phones and entertainment.
The secular and demonic worlds vie for your attention. I'm in a severe battle for it when preaching. But if you know Jesus is far greater than anything, it won't be hard to keep you.
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Don't come as spectators. The right youth group refreshes, encourages, equips, convicts, and sends you out with marching orders.
We must fear drifting away—like an unanchored boat heading for rocks and shipwreck. Doing nothing guarantees drifting to destruction. But the message is proven: declared by the Lord, attested by hearers, confirmed by God with signs, wonders, miracles, and the Holy Spirit.
The right youth group talks about judgment of sin, confronts it directly.
3. Focused on the Right Message
The right youth group focuses on the right message—the same reliable one confirmed from the first century, presented infallibly in God's Word.
Questions for the Right Youth Group
Ask yourself these:
- Does your youth group focus on the superiority of Jesus to all other things? Or just occasionally mention Him as a good friend for hugs?
- Does it warn about the dangers of sin and falling away from Jesus? Does it treat all sin as serious—lying, anger, rudeness—not just big ones? Does it call you to forgive?
- Does it reassure you it has the right message by pointing to the Bible, matching what it says to first-century truth?
These are what we'll strive for in this series on the right youth group.
