A young man in his mid-twenties who was raised in a Christian home now claims to be an atheist. He explained, “What I learned in my biology classes in college made a lot more sense to me than the invisible sky Santa I was taught about in Sunday School.”
The church is losing an alarming number of youth to the secular worldview. Many of those who defect from the faith do so because they are persuaded by liberal college professors that the Bible is an outdated book of myths, inaccuracies and contradictions.
Youth are also influenced by unbelieving personalities in the media. Bill Nye, (“the science guy”) pleads with his young viewers to disregard their parent’s teaching about creation. According to Nye a belief in Intelligent Design ignores science and prevents progress. Bill Maher, HBO talk show host, ridicules anyone who believes the Bible as ignorant, often comparing them to children who believe in fairy tales. To atheists, the universe is the result of random chance even though they can’t explain how nothing became matter, matter became life nor how life became increasingly complex.
The intensifying assault on Biblical truth, combined with the seductive temptations of the flesh, has produced an epidemic of spiritual apostasy in the lives of far too many who grew up in church. College students conclude if we are here by accident then there is no accountability to a Supreme Being and no need to restrain our carnal nature. As Fyodor Dostoyevsky, the 19th century Russian philosopher reasoned, ‘If there is no God, anything goes!”
Youth leaders in today’s church can no longer be content with just entertaining teenagers for an hour or relating 15-minute Bible stories each week. That’s not enough! We are sending naïve eighteen year olds into a vicious spiritual battlefield, with very little defensive armor or effective weaponry. In the wake of so many casualties, church leaders must become more intentional about equipping youth so they can, “…contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude 3)
Simon Peter wrote, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” (1 Peter 3:15-16)
That’s one of the primary reasons that several local preachers led by Rich Hoyer, minister of the Lyndon Christian Church, and Ben Hedgspeth, minister of the Shively Christian Church are sponsoring an Apologetics Conference this summer. The conference is scheduled to be held at the Shively Christian Church on Saturday, June 18 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The featured speakers, Drs. Paul Copan and Michael Licona will illustrate how archeology confirms the truth of the Bible. (More specific details will be made available in coming weeks.)
That conference is a good idea! But you know who usually shows up at those types of conferences? A handful of older believers who want their mature faith reaffirmed. That’s fine. But the people who should attend are high school and college students who desperately need their adolescent faith strengthened. Youth leaders could serve their students well by bringing them to this seminar and others like it. Core leaders need to be challenged to spend a few hours in training so they can give sound reasons for their confidence in God’s Word.
We can all benefit from learning about the plethora of archeological discoveries that confirm the Bible is reliable. Eric Metaxes, popular evangelical speaker and best-selling author, reported on one of the more recent finds. In an article entitled, “Archaeologists Find Pool of Siloam, Confirm Gospel of John Accurate”, Metaxas related that recent digs in the city of Jerusalem have uncovered a large ancient pool which is spoken of in the New Testament.
In the ninth chapter of John, Jesus tells a blind man to go wash in the Pool of Siloam, promising he would be healed. He went to the pool and washed and immediately was given sight.
Metaxes writes, “For years, some scholars have doubted the historical accuracy of that account because there was no evidence of such a pool. …But it was not until a decade ago that archaeologists found what they are certain is the ancient pool of Siloam.
“Like so many such finds, it was discovered almost by accident. During construction work to repair a water pipe near the Temple Mount, Israeli archaeologists Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron found ‘two ancient stone steps.’ According to Biblical Archaeology Review, ‘Further excavation revealed that they were part of a monumental pool from the Second Temple period, the period in which Jesus lived.’ The pool was trapezoidal in shape and 225 feet long.”
Simon Peter assures us, “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16)
Peter added, “”Above all you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
If today’s youth are going to stand firm in the Christian faith they need to be trained to trust the Bible, which the Apostle Paul assures us was, “God-breathed.” (2 Tim 3:16) The Scriptures teach that God is not an imaginary “sky Santa” but the very real Creator of the Universe before whom we will all one day stand, either as the Judge of our sins or the Savior of our souls. That’s why Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17)
Follow @BobRussellKY on Twitter
