Preparing the Body of Christ Series: Part 6 The Doors of Opportunity are Opening…Are You Ready?

After thirty years of ministry Paul was in the process of passing the baton to the likes of Timothy. Paul’s instruction to Timothy was not only based on the importance of running a church. Throughout 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy, Paul is reminding Timothy of his worldview, that with which he had been equipped earlier as he served as a travel companion/disciple.

“All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them great numbers of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” 2 Timothy 3:16-4:4

The importance of Paul’s letter’s, was to be equipped with the knowledge of the Gospel, so that in the time and hour Timothy needed to speak, he would do it accurately with the anointing and power of God! It is the responsibility of the teacher/leader to equip each student with the confidence to speak with a worldview that is based on heart knowledge, rather than head knowledge. We have so many young people who graduate from high school, enter the university system, and come back home questioning the existence of God. Christian young people who have grown up in the church, yet they cannot adequately explain what they believe. Why? I believe it stems from the lack of knowing one’s worldview. We have classes that train students to be great leaders. We have opportunities that give the tools for a young person to impact another’s life. We share biblical knowledge about sex, money, family, friendships, and the list can go on. Yet when it comes to theology/worldviews, it is rarely talked about. Our worldview creates our values and our values create our behavior. If we send out young people from our youth groups with all the knowledge in dealing with social issues but yet no knowledge of their worldview, we send out weak young people with a weak foundation! No wonder nearly 75% of young people will deny their faith by the time they graduate college. No wonder the church looks like the world when it comes to social issues. When you have a body of believers who does not know their worldview, their values will be filled with uncertainty of what is right and wrong. When the areas of right and wrong are questioned, then the actions of the body of believers will result in chaos. Biblical truth and the knowledge of one’s worldview must work together. One cannot work without the other.

As I have said my last good bye’s at many graduations, I cannot help but to think if I had done a good job. For in the ministry of young people, only time will tell. When Paul wrote his letter to Timothy he must of thought, "only time will tell". Paul instructed Timothy with a passion to know God in a very real way. He challenged Timothy to know his worldview during a time in which the thinking of Aristotle, Plato and Socrates were the foundation of his society. It is that passion and challenge that must fuel the fire within us. A fire that reaches this next generation with the love, hope, power and anointing of almighty God! I hope that this last series has given you something to think about. I hope that it has equipped and challenged you. Now what you believe! Study God’s Word and build the foundation you stand! I believe God is stirring the pot of believers as the battle of ideas comes to a head. Those whose foundation is strong will rise and be a light to a culture, yet those whose foundation is weak will wavier in their beliefs. The doors of opportunity are opening…are you ready?

Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God. Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” -Paul (2 Corinthians 2:17-3:1-3)

His call. His gift to you. Your purpose. Irrevocable.