Just what does it mean to be God-fearing? This was what our amiable guest speaker, Funmi Ajegumo did justice to with the Youth Shine Outreach training program yesterday.
The theme of the program was, How to be a God-fearing Youth. I am bringing you the full transcript of the teaching on the blog today.
Related: How to keep faith in God during hard times
What does it mean to be God-fearing? A definition
A God-fearing person or Christian or youth is one who loves God and His Word passionately. They don’t just love God and His Word, they complete the love cycle or stages by doing or obeying His Word or commandments or instructions.
You don’t really love God if you don’t obey or do His Word or commandments. The last stage of the love cycle or stages is doing or obeying.
Related: Can you check out some of our Christian personal development ebooks at huge discounts
Transcript of the How to be a God-fearing Youth program
This is the full transcript of the How to be a God-fearing Youth program at the Youth Shine Outreach online group.
Shall we use one or two minutes to appreciate the Ancient of days for who He is and for His love towards us.
Shall we pray
This morning, we considering a crucial topic which is:
Practical and Biblical tips on how to be a God-fearing youth in our today’s world.
Introduction
Youths like and want to explore their world and stay relevant. This is very okay but hear God’s verdict about it, “Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass”. Psalm 37:5
Hence, to be successful in life, you must acknowledge and know God.
If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
Deuteronomy 28:1
I trust we should know or have heard about the hymn title “I want to be like Jesus”
Each stanza of this hymn is a message on how we can influence our world positively.
Try to get the hymn to sing and digest each stanza
To enjoy life, you must know God and to know God you must be a Christian.
Huuuuum, you say…
Yes, a Christian…
But, I’m a Christian…
Really!
Did you know that you are not a Christian by going to a place of worship (church), or been engaged in church a activities, or born by clergy parents or even bearing Bible name?
You are a Christian only when you’ve had personal encounter with Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Saviour.
If you are a Christian, you must live a life that is different from what is seen in the world.
How, you ask…
The difference between a Christian and a non-christian is the gift of life from the Lord Jesus the day a person believed, John 3:16
As many that received Christ have been given adoption as God’s children John 1:12.
Note: Youth is an experience that may shape an individual’s level of dependency, which can be marked in various ways according to different cultural perspectives.
Today, we’re looking at biblical perspectives: guidelines for becoming a God-fearing youth in our world today.
To live as youth who fears God, you must:
* Know your identity in Christ.
Humankind was created in God’s image and to reflect some of God’s attributes, our identity in Christ is a function of our relationship with Him.
Jobs and careers are major areas where youths searching for their identities, also the search tends towards financial success and status, relationship, appearance, grades, and reputation to provide a sense of identity.
Unfortunately, any or all of these may feel like solid foundations, but none of them are permanent. Any of them could change without warning. If you base your identity on things like success, wealth, power, physical appearance, and so on, you are setting yourself up for great disappointment.
God, however, is unchanging. He is reliable. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If you find your identity in Him, you will never ultimately be let down because He has proven time and time again to be trustworthy.
It is important that as you define your identity, you have the understanding of who God is, what He says about Himself, and what He says about you. Your identity can be defined by who God is making you to be in His image.
*Spending time with God in reading and studying the scriptures II Tim 2:15
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”.
The above are some guidelines to living as a Christian in this corrupt society/world. I give more and you can as well share how God has been helping you to cope with the present days’ challenges.
*Seeking for God’s guidance on any/all issue/issues
*Obedience to God’s instructions always
*Praying at all times”
Now, my next point is more of our life style wherever we find ourselves.
Living an examplary life style among your mates/peers just like the following youths in the Bible:
*Abel
*Joseph
*Daniel
*The three Hebrew boys/guys/youths
*Esther
*Mary
*The eleven Apostles
*Jesus Christ
Abel Gen. 4:4 He was a young hardworking Christian who without prior example of a person offering a sacrifice, made up his mind to offer the best of his flock to God.
What sacrifice are you offering to God and humanity? Is it to fulfill all righteousness or to glorify God?
Joseph Gen. 39:1-10: a father’s favorite handsome guy who despite being disowned by his elder brothers and sold to be a slave, determined to fear God even when there was no monitoring.
He didn’t get attracted to temptation which wanted him to sin against God as to have benefits from his master’s wife.
Many youths are falling for temptations (e.g. cheating, examination malpractice, false/fake certification, age, fornication) because of material and temporary benefits.
Youths flee all appearance of evil anywhere including social media temptations and sins
Daniel Daniel 1:8 a brilliant, bold and brave guy who found himself in a strange nation where they didn’t know the Living God or had any thing representing Him, refused to contaminate/defile himself with the portion of delicacies of the king.
Many youths are glutons, anything goes: eat whatever because you don’t want to offend people or because of Daniel Daniel 1:8 a brilliant, bold and brave guy who found himself in a strange nation where they didn’t know the Living God or had any thing representing Him, refused to contaminate/defile himself?
He rejected the delicacies of the king, was contented.
Many youths are glutons, anything goes eat whatever because of pleasing others or because of covertiousness.
Three Hebrew guys/boys/youths Daniel 3:12-18 they were young but knew God intemately and could defend their God without fear because of so much faith they had in Him, even at a point of death sentence.
How is your trust in God, won’t you deny Christ so as to live?
Rounding up for now,
I present to you the ultimate and perfect example, Jesus Christ.
Our Lord Jesus Christ is an epitome of righteousness in His then world, remember, He lived among people who never cherished Him, yet He was going about doing good.
He was obedient to His earthly parents, he worked in furniture workshop.
He demonstrated humility, always looking for ways to do kingdom’s business.
In conclusion, no matter what your past holds, the present and future can impact the kingdom of God in various ways just like lady Rahab, lady Mary Magdalene, who despite their past as harlots with wayward lifestyle, accepted the offer of grace and rejected the old ways to follow path of righteousness.
In case you are yet to give to life to Master of the universe, Jesus Christ, come to Him today.
You have given your life to Him but yet to be light to the dark world and salt to the tasteless world, rededicate your life to Christ as to make you what He want you to be.
The pleasure is mine, thanks for giving me the opportunity to meet these God’s generals.
End of transcript.
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