Scripture
“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
MATTHEW 7:12
Context
One of my favorite all-time memories in youth ministry came in the summer of 2019…
The sun had risen. The apple juice had been watered down to 50% of its original potency in the kitchen (standard procedure for cost effectiveness and glucose level regulation). The craft room was filled with the last broken bits of macaroni art for that day’s craft (“just grab whatever is left and make it today’s craft – make it happen”). Everyone had at least a little bit of glitter on them by this point (there is no escaping it).
It was… the last day of VBS at First Baptist Church of Woodway. Hearts and minds were ready for the message. It was… “Salvation Day.”
“Salvation Day” was the day that the Good News was shared, often for the very first time, to the 1,000+ kids at our VBS. (All joking aside, this was a special day that I looked forward to greatly each year that I volunteered.)
However, this year was special because I was asked to give the slightly more “grown up” Salvation Day gospel message to our 6th graders, the oldest kids of the bunch. (They were a bit too old for the explanation we gave to the kindergarteners and first graders, so we separated them off and tried to give a more detailed gospel message presentation that hammered home the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice and suffering on the cross as well as, of course, His victory over death and sin in a more mature framing.)
This was a lot of pressure for me. I don’t know if you’ve tried to keep a room full of 12-year-old’s attention on the most important topic of all-time recently, but it is not easy. Requires some skill and thought. They don’t really like to pay attention. And you’ve got an awfully small window of time to be able to get your message across.
For this reason, I always employ a very specific tactic when I speak to a group of middle schoolers to hold their attention: Ask them a question and allow them to answer it out loud about every 2-3 minutes.
“Who here plays football?”
“Who in here has a little brother or a little sister?”
“Anybody here grow any fruit at home?
Then? Absolute chaos. Answers everywhere. Everyone is involved. Shouting and screaming. Everyone knows what we are talking about. We are all talking about the same thing. Then? BOOM. “Everybody quiet down! 3, 2, 1!” Then? BOOM. I IMMEDIATELY relate something from the passage we are going over to the question I just asked the group before they have a chance to forget it.
“Well the fruits of the spirit are kind of like that fruit tree at your house. The TREE grows the fruit, not you. If you want fruit you have to go to the TREE. If you want the fruits of the spirit you have to be filled with the HOLY SPIRIT. Not more of yourself.”
It may be chaotic. But my goal is for them to remember the lesson, make it “sticky” by attaching it to something they know and were involved with in conversation… and try to put together that we should constantly be learning from God as our lives unfold, like one long rolling parable. That’s the intention anyways…
The problem is that the gospel message is awfully serious and deserves those moments of impact to land with their due care.
“We are all sinners.”
“God is perfect and unfortunately cannot be around sin because it is against His nature.”
“Because we are all sinners, we are all guilty before a perfect God… And when someone is guilty, just like in court, a price has to be paid. And in our case, when the gavel hits the sound block, our sentence is announced… and the payment due for our sin is death.”
“So we are so off the mark that only God could save us. BUT. We are so deeply loved that he DID.”
“So sent His Son as a baby on a sabotage mission to live the perfect life we could not and die the death we deserved to save you and me from our rightful place – eternal separation from God.”
“And he did die that death, willingly because He loves you more than you could know.”
All of that and alot more is what I was trying to land with these 12-year-olds… That is a heavy lift. I hadn’t asked about choir practice or Fortnite to grab their attention in minutes. I might be losing them soon…
So after I finish unpacking the gospel message, I wanted to grab everyone’s attention again, quickly. To make sure I didn’t lose them. We had just finished discussing what all Christ had done for us, and I wanted to make the point that now Christians can live lives that are set apart and different from the world because of what God has done for us. Makes sense.
So I ask, “Who here knows the Golden Rule?”
Trying to get some participation back in the room. Thought I would throw everyone a soft ball, ask everyone the simplest and most straight forward lesson in The Bible. And move on by wrapping up the gospel message that it is there for you and that you can start a new life of walking with God and loving others. Simple enough.
40 little hands shot up all across the room. Everyone knew the Golden Rule and couldn’t wait to contribute to the lesson.
“Great! They are still listening!,” I thought.
I looked for a new face to include and let answer my question. Wanted to loop someone new into the conversation and give the chance for some new participation. My eyes settled on a sturdy fella with a mohawk on the back row. Perfect.
“You,” I pointed at him. “What is the Golden Rule? Tell everyone.”
I kid you not. He said…
“… Keep your friends close but your enemies closer…”
Totally serious.
My response, barely holding back hysterical laughter…
“Umm, does anyone have the NIV translation on that?”
Sturdy mohawk fella in the back row had confused one of Jesus’ most succinct and important lessons with the teachings of fictional Italian mobster and brutal gangster, Don Corleone.
Thank goodness he came to VBS that year…
Application
There are lots of misconceptions on who Jesus was and what He taught.
Have you confused Jesus’ teachings with Don Corleone’s?
No. I’m not a 6th grader, you say.
Ok – not Don Corleone. What about someone/something else? Have you confused Jesus’ teachings with someone/something else?
- Have you confused Jesus’ teachings with something else you heard in a movie/show, perhaps? Have you diluted Jesus to good morals and Ted Lasso optimism?
- Have you confused Jesus’ teachings with something you hear about in the news/culture? Have you contemporized the timeless teachings of Jesus with the timely trends of today?
- Or maybe you’ve confused Jesus’ teachings with someone else’s teachings who claims to know Jesus but may or may not?
Are your ideas about Jesus formed from sitting at His feet, observing His life and feasting on His teachings? Or are they formed from somewhere/someone else?
The best way to walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus and live like Jesus… to be a “Christian” (translated “little Christ”) is to… Look at Jesus and only Jesus. Look at the way He walked, the way He talked and the way He lived. Him and only Him.
Many people and things claim Jesus for their cause, but be careful… It is best to look at the life of Jesus himself, and make that judgement for yourself. You only know what Jesus taught and lived by if you study Him closely.
Something to Chew On:
- Where have your ideas of Jesus come from? What He cares about? What He thinks about? What opinions He holds? What He values?
- Would it be of benefit to you and your faith to come back to the basics and simply study the person of Jesus and let it influence the way you live your life?
GreatValue Proverb:
Don’t confuse Jesus’ teachings with Don Corleone’s.
Wow! I’m so glad you have your Jesus roots in your youth that carry on thru present day so that you convey to everyone that they can have a Christ filled life. Your story on getting the attention of our youth to hear the gospel was well thought out. I too am thankful for my child hood church and it’s teaching of salvation by Christ as a youth. Because when I was an adult and life got hard and I tried to cope with wrong living, I knew Whom to turn to ~ Jesus !