Last night Bailey and I went to the Juvenile Camp a few miles from here, where we have been going every Thursday to build relationships so that we can have an audience when we return on Sunday. We have been teaching through the Bible chronologically and are just now beginning to see some growth. Tonight we were especially encouraged as some of them started to understand their sinful position, and their separation from God. Please pray for these six guys who are beginning to have their eyes opened.
Last night we reviewed Noah and the flood, taught about the “Tower of Babel” which shows how man once again decided to come to God in his own way and how sin continued to infest the world. We showed how the sickness of sin was prevalent and that the people were acting just as Satan wanted them to, “they wanted to be like God.” We ended a little early and opened the time up for discussion.
For the next forty minutes the questions came at us like a flood. They were still seeing sin as individual offenses toward God that could just be overlooked by God’s love. As we reviewed the past stories it became clear to most of them that the sin is the sickness and the individual sins are the symptoms of a disease that has separated them from a just God.
We talked about what had to happen for sin to be paid for and how man is helpless to save himself. We told how the way that God provided would become clear as they continue to read about God’s plans through Abraham and Sarah and they will see that God alone provided the promised redeemer. Salvation is because of what God alone has done. We simply stop trusting in our way and trust God’s way…just like Noah trusted God’s way and was saved from judgment.
One of the guys, who didn’t take his eyes off of Brian the whole time, said, “So what do I do to pay for my sins, do I have to kill a bird or something?” He was serious! It was evidence that he understood that something had to take his place if he was to be accepted by God. We reminded him that God provided and accepted one sacrifice once for everyone. Those sacrifices that happened before Jesus came were just in anticipation of the coming redeemer. He doesn’t have to do anything but trust that God’s way is the only way. I wish you could have seen the look on his face as it began to sink in that God would do this for him.
In honor of their dinner schedule, we tried to leave on time, but they told us to sit back down! They weren’t finished with their questions. We stayed late and answered all we could, but left them hungry for more. It was so encouraging to see God start turning lights on as these 15-17 year old guys begin to include a Holy, Just and Loving God in their world view.