BibleSponge

(Parts 5 and 6 to this series have been inspired by and borrowed from a message preached February 2006 by Voddie Baucham entitled, “The Centrality of the Home”.  You can listen to it here.)

Here’s possibly the strongest argument against YM in the way that it is commonly presented in several churches across the land.  Please keep in mind this does not apply to all  youth ministry programs, but most.

In its current form, youth ministry today commonly goes directly against God’s will by pointing youth away from the 5th commandment and the context in which it was given.

What?  Did you get that?  How in the world could a ministry go against God’s Word and what does it have to do with the 5th commandment?

In Deuteronomy 5:16 we get the 5th commandment.  That is the first of the horizontal commandments.  In other words, it was the first command given to the community of faith, as opposed to the first four commandments that are vertical, or between an individual and God.  We’ll see it referenced in Ephesians 6:2-3. 

Now, let’s look at this in the NT.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)

At first glance, this looks like nothing more than an instruction for youth to obey their parents.  However, if you take this in context, it begins to take a different tone.  To take this in context, due to end of paragraphs and a borrowed verb, we have to go all the way back to Ephesians 5:15-21 to get Ephesians 6:1-4 in context.

In this we get three contrasts, three commands and then three applicable contexts.

Three Contrasts

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, (Ephesians 5:15-18)

Paul tells us three contrasts:

1 – walk not as unwise but as wise
2 – don’t be foolish, but understand the will of the Lord
3 – don’t get drunk with wine, be filled with the Spirit

Attached to the third contrast are the following three commands.

Three Commands

speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. (Ephesians 5:19-21)

Paul tells us three commands:

1 – addressing each other in psalms and hymns…singing
2 – giving thanks always and everything to the Lord
3 – submitting to one another out of reverence to Christ

Attached to the third command, you get three contexts.

Three Contexts

The three contexts are in the next several verses. He gives us this in the contexts of:

1 – Wives and Husbands
2 - Children and Parents
3 – Slaves and Masters

So we have three commands and three applications in which to apply them.  So how does this apply to youth?  What in the wide world of sports does this have to do with youth ministry?

Based on the breakdown above, I think you could make the case that:

• if you want to see a youth that is Spirit-filled, I’ll show you one that is worshipful (#1)
• if you want to see a youth that is Spirit-filled, I’ll show you one that is joyfully thankful (#2)
• If you want to see a youth that is Spirit-filled, I’ll show you one that understands proper Biblical submission (#3)

#1 and #2 can are the easy ones.  #3 is where we get into trouble today with youth ministry.  Why?  Simple.  The focus is applied in the wrong areas.

Here’s a snippet from “The Centrality Of The Home” (listen to complete message here) referring to Ephesians 6:1 after understanding it in context from Ephesians 5:21 …

Here is what he’s [Paul] saying in verse 1.  Show me a child who is not submissive to their parents’ authority, and I’ll show you a child that is not yielding to the Spirit of God.  Which means if we want to lead children towards being Spirit-filled, we don’t lead them toward the youth pastor, we lead them toward mom and dad.  Because the measure of their yielding to the Spirit of God is whether or not when their parents say something they do what they’re told, when they’re told and with a respectful attitude.  That’s what obedience is. (Voddie Baucham, “The Centrality of The Home”.  Feb. 2006) 

So do we get rid of youth pastors and youth programs?  Absolutely not.  They are a key asset to ministry when their approach is lined up with the Word.  However, the common approach of the last three decades has fallen victim to popularity contests, obsessions with full parking lots, heavy on entertainment and light on theology, and an outright refusal to give parents the tools to help them disciple their children.

Youth ministries that rob parents of their spiritual authority over their children and/or fail to “equip the saints” (Ephesians 4:12) are the most threatening recent trend to the vitality of future Christian generations.

How are they robbing parents of spiritual authority over their youth?  Here’s the most common blunders:

• Lack of effort towards equipping parents to disciple their children
• Refusal to hold parents accountable for discipling and evangelizing their children
• Allowing parents to use the youth ministry as a scapegoat for their biblical parental responsibilities
• Realizing there is a problem and just piling on more parents and labeling it family ministry

Perhaps the biggest blunder is refusing to admit that there is a problem in our current approach and failing to repent and seek a new direction from God.  One that is based more on Biblical truth than cultural trends.

JS