Now that question has rang through my head and heart even harder. To see teens get inspired to follow hard after their maker at conferences, camps, concerts, and other events, but then to eventually succomb to temptation, fear, persecution, loneliness or what have you into a self loathing pull of self compromise and mediocrity. Intense nights of Bible study and deep prayer into the throne room of God are replaced with mindless parties and the occasional thought of I wonder if God is watching? Deep rich committments to save themselves for marriage are easily forgotten months later on their bed when no one else is home or in the backseat of their significant other's car.
I constantly ask myself the questions, 'Why is it like this? Why is a contradicted faith becoming the norm more then the exception? Well through experience and study I believe that I have found part of the reason that nearly 88% of graduating Christian high school seniors this year will never walk back into church. My reasons though long are short and comprehensive enough to help you the reader understand the crisis in the church today as we know it. Hopefully together we can understand why so many Christians who loved Jesus so much in high school are leaving him behind when they graduate.
(1.) Emotionally driven instead of devotionally driven. I'm sure you've been at a service where a speaker gives a heartwrenching story or maybe just some captivating thought that brings the crowd to tears. The alter call is given and drones of crying teens run to the alter to ask for forgiveness. These teens rush to Christ because of their emotions not because of a devotion and thanksgiving for what he has done for them on the cross. As you all know, teens are very experience driven, they seem to live similar experiences out by what has happened to them before. Thus, when these teens came to Jesus, it was done through their emotions, their feelings as per se. So, how will they live thier Christian walk? Tada, by those same emotions and feelings.
The story of Jesus fills their heart with warm fuzzies but when those same emotions fade away and reality hits them straight in the face again they are sorely awaken and wonder why they don't "feel" God anymore. Perhaps he has left them, maybe it was just an emotional rush the person wonders, or I guess religion just isn't for me. As it says in the parable of the sower, this person had no real roots in Jesus, just skin deep enough to hold on for a while, and when temptation and trials hit them they blow over like a tumbleweed.
(2.) Man centered theology. Jesus said that he would not come back until the whole world had heard his gospel. Thanks to current technology Jesus soon arrival is coming quicker then our grandfathers could have ever imagined it coming. Satellites and air waves beam the gospel message with the power of thousands of missionaries. Missionaries, pastors, and evangelists fill our air waves more then ever before with entire networks devoted to the gospel message. Due to people's hectic schedules, hatred for the church, or no desire to fellowship with other believers, many who consider themselves part of the faithful get their spiritual fill via pastor so and so on the tube. Many of these pastors present the gospel, however, the gospel has been stretched from a Jesus centered gospel where everything is about him, into a man centered gospel where Jesus has become the servant and we sit on the throne. We hear such things as "accept' Jesus almost like he is a lost puppy dog looking for a new home. Or, let Jesus into your life today and he will bless you so much you won't have room for it. (By the way... Where is accept Jesus into your heart and you'll be saved found in the Bible?)
Problem, the numerous times I've read the Bible cover to cover where did I miss the name it and claim it, prosperity and wealth doctrine that so many preach today. It must be in the book of Illusions, chapter 78. Haha, teens, adults, read your Bible. The first thing that Paul promises to new believers was a million dollars if they simply claimed it in Jesus name. NO!!!!!!! He told them after giving Christ their life that they would be persecuted. Did Paul live a glamorous life! No, he wrote 2/3 of the New Testament from inside Jails. Pastor Danny Fisher always said that when Paul went into a town he didnt go check out the hotels he went instead to the prison to see what his living quarters would look like for the next week.
Anyways, so many come to Jesus once again not because of love but because Jesus has become the newewst get rich quick scheme. Thus, it has to be all about them, and if God doesnt deliver health, wealth, and prosperity then their gone faster then you can say "in Jesus name."
3. Jesus the test drive. All the time you see offers on t.v that say, "try it for 30 days, and if you don't like send it back with a full refund." To our generation, everything has to be tested and approved before we will take it. No longer can we take the words of a man as honest and sincere. People will spend endless hours test driving cars before finally buying one. I believe we have turned Jesus into a try before you it buy it deal much like marriage. Huh you ask, know anyone who is living together, well in theory they are test driving marriage before they fully invest into it. A couple I once did pre-marital counselling with defending their living together saying, "Now c'mon Phil, you wouldn't buy a car before you test drove it." Well of course I wouldnt buy a car before I test drove it, that's common sense, but I wouldnt give chance to screw up something so precious as marriage. You see, those who live together before getting married are 66% more likely to get a divorce then those who live seperately before getting wed. That alone should blow this whole stupid test driving Jesus theory out of the water, but it doesnt kiddos, it just doesnt.
A lot, and I mean a lot, of teens look at all of their prospective choices in life during high school and somehow they wonder upon Jesus and decide to take him for a spin. They feel contentment, peace, forgiveness, and ready to take on the world. They graduate and think that they are gonna take their radical life transforming faith on the road with them to college and save their whole dorm. Well what happens? They arrive at campus and experience "freedom" like never before. No one telling them to go to bed, no one making sure they do homework, and the such. Well these freedoms also spill over into uncontrolled and unmonitored parties, alcohol and drug abuse, and free sex with who ever was available at the time. So, they park Jesus in the driveway and head on over to Satan's used and abused cars and take college life for a drive. Yeah, its shaky and often uncontrollable, it smells bad, leaks horribly, and gets horrible mileage, it still seems like such a bargain and we would be a fool for passing it up. So, we take it out for a spin try some marijuana which leads to other drugs. We try some beer which leads to getting waisted every Friday night or so we think. We start dating people we know aren't Christians, but man are they hott and know how to kiss. Which leads to I didnt know sex was that great, God my youth pastor was such a drag telling me it would be better to wait.
Jesus gets left alone while college is driven around until we finally leave. After the college lifestyle has totally drained us we have totally forgotten about Jesus collecting dust and rust. As we look back we say, "Yeah Jesus was cool in high school, but college life was the best thing ever!"
People, their are numerous other reasons to look at the vast amount of people wondering away from Christ, but I hope these three main factors help you understand the problem today as it exists. Teens, today as you read this I want you to examine your own faith. Is it based on a undying love for God, or are you on conditional terms with Christ only if he does what you want. Did you cling to Jesus because you love him or because you want all the blessings that he has to offer. Are you test driving Jesus until something better comes along, or is Jesus the real thing to you that you know you could never walk away from? Make sure he is real and relevant in your life today.
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