The Right Youth Group III: The Individual

Review: The Right Message and the Right Members

We're continuing our series on being the right youth group. In the first week, we focused on having the right message: "Pay close attention to the things that you have heard lest you drift away from them." Last week, we looked at the types of people in the right youth group—those who are members and those who are not. The key difference is love for God demonstrated through serving His people. You can tell how much someone loves God by how they treat His people. This is a central theme in 1 John: fellowship with God is inseparable from fellowship with other Christians. Sinners lack fellowship with God and show it by abandoning fellowship with His people.

The remarkable difference between the right youth group and the wrong one is a focus on serving and loving each other to show love for God. We all have needs, especially our sin. The primary way we serve is by helping each other with sin and physical needs like food, clothing, and shelter—essentials God often provides through His people.

Getting Personal: Examining the Individual

Now we get personal. We've discussed groups: apostates who fall away and the faithful who trust God and serve one another. Today, we examine individuals to see if you are contributing to or detracting from the right youth group. We'll look at Hebrews 3:12-13.

Hebrews 3:12-13
Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

These are warning passages urging self-examination. Is there an evil, unbelieving heart in you that could lead you to abandon the faith—not because Christianity failed, but because your heart was unbelieving all along? We'll explore this through three points: the possibility, the problem, and the solution.

1. The Possibility

The text warns of a real possibility: someone in the right youth group could have an evil, unbelieving heart—hardened, stubborn, resistant to Scripture. Why warn "take care, brothers" unless it's possible for unbelievers to be among us, undetected?

It's not obvious. People can attend church pretending to be Christians, or be forced to come, especially in youth groups. Churches have sinners, and genuine ones recognize and address problems rather than hide them. Be watchful: someone may not be who they pretend to be.

Christianity isn't like picking a school, spouse, job, or religion. It's not a side hobby. True Christians are transformed by God, living as Christians fully. Early Christians in Acts 2 devoted themselves daily to apostles' teaching, temple worship, and house fellowship, excited about their new life. They couldn't get enough. Today, we complain about long sermons, skip church easily, and prioritize work, movies, sports over gathering with believers.

The first Christians lived as if they didn't belong to the world, doing activities with other Christians in community. Strong community attracts—like Mormonism, despite its heretical doctrines (e.g., God as an exalted man from another planet, humans becoming gods). People join for community without true salvation. It's possible to want Christian benefits without Christ, or hear the gospel but not respond.

2. The Problem

The problems are an evil heart and an unbelieving heart, leading to falling away, plus hardening by sin's deceitfulness.

Biblically, "evil" means worthless or pointless, not just blatantly wicked like Hitler. There's no neutral—everything not benefiting salvation is evil. Consistent worthless activities (e.g., wasting time) are evil. Romans says all have sinned and become worthless. Atheism sees life as pointless cosmic goop. Only in Christ do we gain transcendent worth—God's love for His Son imputed to us.

An unbelieving heart doesn't trust God or Christ's crucifixion for sins. Unbelievers reject it: "Not for me," "Not real," or "I don't want it." They want community without the Savior. Scripture shows hypocrites who look Christian outwardly but lack inner faith—like the barren fig tree Jesus cursed.

Sin deceives, promising fulfillment but delivering ruin. It hardens hearts, convincing us some sins aren't bad or we're not sinful. People reject the Bible because it exposes sin (John 3:20). They value sin over Jesus—what you enjoy most reveals your heart: sin or Christ?

3. The Solution

Take care by exhorting one another every day, as long as it is called "today," so none are hardened by sin's deceitfulness. "Exhort" means calling for help—coming alongside to lift up, strongly encouraging toward right belief and action.

This aligns with loving God by serving His people. Don't expel potential unbelievers; encourage them. Be involved daily in each other's lives for repentance and gospel holiness—not just convenient times or gatherings, but every day.

The promise: daily exhortation prevents hardening. Sin offends God and brings misery; recognizing it gives advantage. In the right youth group, assume everyone needs gospel help with sin. Get involved purposefully—everyone gets cared for when all focus on serving others.