Good morning.  I just wanted to take this time to thank you for the opportunities that I have been given while here.  First I was given the opportunity to work with the youth, and now I am privileged to be working with the adults as well.  Now I realize that my age may be a little younger than what you are use to, but as we are talking about age, that is what I want to speak about this morning.  Before I get started, I would just want to pray.

To start things off I have an illustration that will set the scene for our topic this morning. 

A young and homeless teenager who had become a serious drunk was miraculously converted at a Bowery mission.  Prior to his conversion, Joe had existence in gang related activities.  But following his conversion to a new life with God, everything changed.  Joe became the most caring person that anyone who is associated with the mission had ever known.  Joe spent his days and nights hanging out at the mission doing whatever needed to be done.  There was never any task that was too lowly for Joe to take on.  There was never anything that he was asked to do that he considered beneath him.  Whether it was cleaning up the vomit left by some violently sick alcoholic or scrubbing the toilets after some careless men left the restroom a filthy mess, Joe did what was asked with a soft smile on his face and with a seeming gratitude for the chance to help.  He could be counted on to feed feeble men who wandered into the mission off the streets, and to undress and tuck into bed men who were too out of it to take care of themselves.

One evening, when the director of the mission was delivering his evening evangelistic message to the usual crowd of still sullen men with drooped heads, there was one man who looked up, came down to aisle to the alter and knelt to pray. 

Crying out for God to help him change.  The repentant drunk kept shouting, “Oh God, make me like Joe!  Make me like Joe! Make me like Joe!”  The director of the mission leaned over and said to the man, Son, I think it would be better if you prayed make me like Jesus.

The man looked at the director with a quizzical expression on his face and asked, “Is he like Joe?”

A teenager, even with a bad past had the power to lead someone in a positive way.  One of the verses from today will be found in I Timothy chapter 4 verse 12.  Here it says, “1”

Joe was one of those guys that after he found out about Jesus was setting examples for the rest of the people that he came in contact with.

Dwight L. Moody was the founder of Moody Bible college and he was once asked, “How many converts did you have last night?”  Moody answered, “Two and a half.”  The other person said, “Two adults and a child?”  “No,” Moody replied, “Two children and one adult, you see a child converted is an entire life converted.”

Dwight Moody had a respect for youth.  He realized that they are the future, and it is they who will carry throughout their entire lives what they learn when they are still young.  Moody was at a very young age when he began his ministry to others, and he supports the idea of young leaders preparing for the future.

For our scripture today that is what we will hear about, a young leader.  If you will turn with me to Jeremiah 1:4-8.  Here we read about Jeremiah’s youthful start as a leader.  Here in Jeremiah 1:4-8 it says, “2”

The first thing that I think is important to notice in this scripture is that after the Lord told Jeremiah that He had already made him a prophet before he was born, that Jeremiah said, “Ah, Lord God!”  Was Jeremiah excited about what he had just heard?  Was his reply of “Ah” a sign of relief?  If you were to look up the word “Ah” in a Hebrew dictionary, it would say that Jeremiah didn’t say “Ah”, but rather he said it like this, “Awww.”  It was a sigh of pain and agony.  In a concordance I was looking and found that he word youth when used in the Bible is referring to the ages of about 7-14, so Jeremiah at this time was probably a teenager.

Now teenagers can probably understand that response.  How many of you teens, when your parents ask you to do something difficult, respond with, “Awww mom, or Awww dad?”  Jeremiah was saying “Awww to his heavenly father about his new taks.”

But look at how God responded to Jeremiah.  In verses 7 He said, “Do not say ‘I am a youth”.”  In verse 8 He says, “Do not be afraid.”  In similar wording Paul said in I Timothy 4:12, “1”

Do not let the fact that you are young hinder you from following the Lord, and adults, do not hinder the youth for doing what God wants them to do, even if they are young.

Just as the Lord called Jeremiah to do His will, we are called too.  No matter what age or what the calling may be, we all have been called by God to do something. 

Now that was the Old Testament.  Let us now turn to the New Testament.  If you will turn with me to Luke 2:39-52.  Here in these verses we read about Jesus in his youth.  In Luke 2:39-52 it says, “3”

A man came rushing up to a ferry, breathless after running at an extremely fast pace, but he got there as the gateman shut the door in his face.  A bystander remarked, you didn’t run fast enough.  The disappointed man answered, I ran fast enough, but I just didn’t start on time.

Jesus is the exception to this story.  Jesus began at a very young age to teach and to tell people about His father.  Here in these verses we see Jesus question an authority.  Several passages imply that the questioner is approaching an authority higher than himself.  On feast days and Sabbaths the temple Sanhedrin informally received questions and stated their traditions and on such an occasion was when the youthful Jesus put questions to the temple elders.

Through research it is believed that at this time Jesus was on his first visit to Jerusalem.  This would mean that his age would be 12, which is younger than some of the youth here in our church.

Now back to the scripture.  After the feast was over, Mary and Joseph began the trip back home, to Nazareth.  Now remember that back then they walked, and for long journeys they usually went in very large groups for safety and companionship.  On these trips it was common for the adults to be grouped together and the children to be grouped together so that they could play and do other things.  It would have been a three-day walk back to Nazareth, and it was on the first night that Mary and Joseph realized that Jesus was not with the group.  As they traveled back to look for him they found him in the temple. 

Ultimately this 12 year old would grow up and become the greatest teacher the Jews had ever known, carrying out his Father’s business.  He had a divine mission in life to become the savior to all of the earth.

Do you realize that you have a divine mission as well?  You are not here to work, pay bills, raise kids, socialize, work more, pay more bills, and die.  You have a greater call than that.  Your purpose may not be as in depth as Christ’s purpose, but it is still an important part of God’s plan.

Now back to Jesus, he went to the temple and sought out the teachers.  He was so intent that he forgot his family and became lost in the process.  His parents would later reprimand him, but he was focused on listening to the teachers and entering into their discussions as much as possible. 

The teachers were very impressed with this young man.  Not only did he have a fine understanding of the scripture and doctrine for a boy his age, but he also was passionate about his faith.

It was at this time that Jesus began to realize his calling and one year later at the age of 13 began his ministry.  Even at such a young age Jesus was able to successfully minister to even the teachers and leaders of the Sanhedrin.  In the Bible there is recorded many times that God has used young people to do things for Him.

In Genesis 37:2 we read of Joseph saving the Israelites in the time of the famine at the age of 17.

We have the story of David defeating Goliath.  Already we discussed Jeremiah and what God gave him to do in his youth.

These and many more instances God has used young people in doing his will. 

To bring us to a close I want to take a final look at I Timothy 4:12.  Here once again it says, “1”

Paul was warning Timothy that because he had no long record of credibility, he would have to earn the respect of his people.  Paul wanted Timothy to be an example, and the word example means “pattern” or “model”. 

By doing this he would gain the respect of his people.  Now I can see how Timothy was feeling.  Now, in a new position, I in my youth must earn the respect of you.  I must set an example in the same five ways that Timothy did.

He was to be an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.  It is my prayer that we can all do that and earn the respect of all those around us.  No matter where you are in life, weather youth or adult, God has a calling for you and in order to achieve that you must earn respect of others and do what it is that God has for you.

At this time we offer a change to make a decision.  If you have not accepted Christ as Lord and wish to be baptized then come up and talk with someone about that decision.  Perhaps there are some things in your life that you want to change, then this time is for you.  Maybe there is just something that you want to have prayer for, we would be glad to sit down and go to the Father with you.  If you have any of these then wont you come as we sing.