Hope in a Hopeless World — Shane Idleman

Good evening, everyone. A lot of people here tonight. And as you know, we are getting ready to Launch the kids back here at the church junior high in high school. Is anyone happy for that or do you like the homes?

Okay. And in doing so we also want to meet some of the parents or grandparents and say hello put a name with the face so. Afterwards, we want to just leave a little bit of time for fellowship. Get to know some of the newer couples and if you don't know or most of you know pastor Abram, correct?

And his wife Erica over here in the front and Leila you're here, too. All right, so you guys can introduce yourselves to them as well. He's the associate pastor here and it works with the kids along with Phil and Carrie and it's just a good group of people.

So they're up here and Abrams over here and Erica. So make sure to find them afterwards and my heart tonight was to speak to the youth. Junior high in high school, and they also wrote down a lot of questions.

I didn't realize it'd be two pages of questions. You guys have a lot of questions and if you have questions about what's going on our nation as of Tonight and with the election yesterday, maybe you can jot that down and hand it To pastor Abram and we can help you answer those questions as well.

Hope in a Hopeless World and the Influence of Media

But what I want to do specifically is give kids hope in a hopeless world. Anyone feeling hopeless out there you look at the news and you have something Today that I didn't have when I was growing up that is called the media.

I had to go out and climb trees and ride bikes and When I was 12, I think Atari just came out. Do you know what Atari is first video games were this little this little ball? Bounces and you can knock out bricks and and I was even my mom said get off of that thing even back then and now.

It's just crazy, but not to mention Twitter Facebook Instagram tick-tock. All those things that can really engulf us and we're we start looking for likes. Right how many people comment on my post how many people like my post how many people share my post?

And then there's a form of online bullying right where people can make Comments that make make you feel bad. I still get that too. I get a lot of online bullying. With you know with how many people follow our ministry, but the good outweighs the bad.

So what I want to do though is meet you one-on-one my wife and myself will answer some of the questions that came in right. Afterwards, but I want to just briefly offer hope in a hopeless world to you guys.

And here's what you need to know. I Was not fortunate to be plugged into a church at your age. I was running from God and we sometimes think as a teenager or even a junior high. Well, God can't use me.

I don't know what I'm doing. I don't know really what the Bible says. I'm still young. But when we look at the Scriptures, we see that God used young people. Daniel was young the three Hebrew boys were young.

Anyone want to guess how old Mary was when she had Jesus in her 20s? No, we don't know so I'm not gonna tell you but I would estimate. Yeah, probably 16, you know a young a young girl and we see also in the life of Josiah King David.

How old was he when he killed Goliath or Goliath? I'm getting Samson and Delilah confused. David Goliath, you know. He was a young boy could use the sling well, and so God will use you. But there is a formula to that you have to be a willing Vessel wanting to be used by God and when I was your age, I didn't want to be used by God.

I was running from God. So there's hope in that as well. If you feel distant tonight, if you feel that you don't know God we want to offer that hope. We want to give you assurance because no matter what's happening in the world.

If you are grounded to the anchor and you have that relationship. You will weather the storm successfully because you're grounded to the right source but if we're trusting in our friends or on social media or on Listening to or the music today and letting that influence us.

Right that can really lead us astray. I mean you might want to not let Lady Gaga invest in to you. I don't know. She's still popular 50 cent. Did I say it right this time? Instead of cents 50 cent and I don't know the popular ones.

Billy something that it was you know, it's just but that will influence you and When that that area of media is in darkness and in demonic that will influence you. It will pull you away from God. And so we have to be very careful what influences us.

Josiah’s Example of Seeking God

But I don't know how many of you remember last week when I spoke about Josiah King Josiah Guess what age he was when he became a king eight eight. Now there's no eight-year-olds. I know of it should be ruling a kingdom.

But what happened in in Israel's history what they would do in the Old Testament is when a king would die. His next the next heir the son would be appointed whether he's eight or not. So they would he was eight years old.

But then priest there would mentor him and guide him and help him make right decisions. But then around 12 years old or so as he got older the Bible records something interesting that I want to share With you.

Here's the difference maker. Here's the key. Here's what I'm trying to get to and as I often say you might not hear me say this. But it will apply tonight if you don't like what I'm saying. It's because you need to hear what I'm saying.

Often sometimes we don't like that conviction the Holy Spirit, but in 2nd Chronicles 34 It says in the eighth year of his reign. So that probably means he was then 16 eight years after his reign while he was still young he began To seek the Lord.

He began to seek the God of his father's and that word there I've shared it before seek is there's a responsibility on our part that God is looking for those who will seek him if You seek me with some of your heart.

You will find me. Does that sound right? No, it's even the kids. No, if you seek me with all of your heart with all of your strength, but Shane, how can I do that? That seems impossible and it is in my strength.

I do not seek God with all my heart. I cannot do it as a pastor. I will fall short. But if I fall in the right direction God I want to seek you with all of my heart with all of my strength with all of my mind with all of my Soul.

Lord help me and you fall forward and you get back up and you keep pressing in and pressing He. God doesn't say Shane. You're not perfect yet. He says oh, there's a heart that's seeking me and when he seeks me He will find me and you'll know the principles and the character of God.

You'll know the right way to choose the right decision to make and I know at your age. You're probably wondering what is God's will do you ask that ever? What is God's will for my life? What am I going to be an astronaut or a policeman?

Am I supposed to get married am I not. The best way to know God's will is to know his heart. To know his nature to know how he thinks and it's revealed to us in his word. But the media gives us opposing views.

They say this. God's Word says this they say this. God's Word says this and that's why there are so many kids now struggling with suicidal thoughts. Struggling with depression because they're gravitating towards the darkness and the darkness is never fulfilling it never fills that gap.

It never fills that void. It never gives you peace and contentment. It is hell-bent on destroying you and your soul. That's the truth. The enemy goes about the Bible says the enemy the the enemy of your soul.

The devil goes about as a gentle dove. Seeking whom he can land on the devil goes about as a roaring lion the highest Figure there the Bible could use the highest Beast the king of the jungle right the beast that will devour it.

The devil goes about as a roaring lion. Looking for who he can devour but the eyes of the Lord Go to and fro throughout the whole earth to show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are Seeking him whose hearts are loyal to him.

So here's the thing both are looking for you who find you. The devil is looking for you and me. He'd love to take me down. But God is also looking for those who are hearts are loyal to him and who you who find you is the one you're seeking after.

So he began to seek the God of his father's and Then because he was seeking God he began to purge purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places. Astaroth and poles and idols and what what would happen is they gave themselves up over to false gods.

So they would worship gods. They would make these poles and there would be this Astaroth goddess or this bail and they would go and they would worship these things and so he purged he removed this Idolatry from the land and that has to happen in your own life as well as you're seeking God you begin to purge.

Remove those things that are pulling you away from him so sometimes you have to disconnect those Relationships that are dragging you down that are pulling you down and when I talk to young adults Teenagers they say but Shane he's a friend.

Well, they're not a friend if they're taking you in the wrong direction if they're pulling you away from God. That's actually a friendship. You don't want to be a part of if you're not strong enough to be the difference maker.

Unequal Yoking and Purging Harmful Influences

Now the Bible also talks about being equally yoked and we do use that for marriage. Which you know, you want to be equally yoked meaning at the same beliefs the same love for the Lord. But I believe that falls into all areas.

It can fall into business partnerships. It can fall into do not be an equally yoked with unbelievers. In other words, you want to go to church if your friend is wanting to pull out the Ouija board. That's not good.

You're wanting to serve God. This one's wanting you to stumble you're wanting to wait till marriage. This one's wanting you to become sexually active. This this one's wanting you to to go to church and spend time with God or you're wanting to and this person wants you to Hide and tell your parents one thing.

Yeah, just tell your mom you're going over to my house. You know what? That means that means get into the dad's whiskey cabinet or do something. We shouldn't be doing see these this constant tension here of who to serve.

But if you set your heart to seek God and you begin to purge those things that pull you away. Amen adults boy, that's a that's a good word for us to as well the things that are that are drawing us away from God.

So this is where this is where it all begins guys. It all begins right here. How do you spend your time and who is influencing you? So hope well Shane, what does this have to do with hope? Everything to do with hope because hope.

Well, let me tell you the difference. You would you do you think hope and happiness are the same thing. Happiness do your emotions ever go like this? Excited then down excited then depressed. Happiness comes from a word happenstance and it means what's happening to us so depending on what political party you are, some of your parents are probably not too happy tonight and Others are why because it's what's happening to them.

Or parents are in a good mood or you're in a good mood. You just got a raise at work some money came in life's going good. Your little brother and sister are not bothering you. There's a special on fortnight and you can play till 3 in the morning and all your friends are on you're happy things are happening to you.

But that falls flat on its face when you go through life. Because you have to have the joy of the Lord knowing God. I trust you no matter what I go through I have a relationship with you. No matter what happens.

My hope is in you and you alone. I'm resting in your sovereignty not in the election. I'm resting in what you're going to do with me and trusting in you even if I have to go through hell as long as I'm anchored to heaven.

I can get through this. I have great hope in who you are so what you're allowing to influence you either increases that hope for God or Decreases it it pulls you away and the pull of the media right now is depressing and There's no hope and and that's why kids are beginning to Really want really waking up to this fact that there is nothing in this life.

I am hopeless now. I'm bullied on Facebook or I'm bullied. Maybe that's adults. I'm dating myself, right? What's one the kid that you guys use Instagram tik-tok? Tik-tok. Tik-tok tik-tok tik-tok.

Let's make a quick tik-tok video real quick. But though I just seen some things there's like it's like just dark and wicked sometimes. It's just evil and those things begin to influence you and then there's no hope because you lose that hope.

So, how do you spend your time and what influences you just like Josiah? He spent his time Seeking the Lord. So if I were you even though you might not feel like it even though it might be difficult. The church has times where you can do that.

Tell your mom or your dad I want to get to early morning worship at 6 a .m. On Wednesday or Sunday. I want to go. Yes, it's gonna be hard to get up, but I want to go. I want to go to prayer meetings. I want to seek God.

I want to put on worship instead of ungodly music. I want to hang around godly people who influence me instead of those who pull me down. I want to watch movies. They're gonna build me up spiritually not all these dark and demonic movies these horror movies the witchcraft the occult.

It will lead to depression and hopelessness. Because it's the evil. It's evil. It's dark. So like Josiah begin to seek the Lord with all your heart and focus on joy and hope not on happiness. Not on what's happening to you and then there's a great verse.

Peace, Diligence, and Growth in 2 Peter

I want to share with you in 2nd Peter 1 5. But let me give you the context. Peter says Peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God. See the more You know God there more peace that follows the closer you draw to God the more peace you have.

The the did them the more distant you get away from God the less peace you have. So Peter says let peace be multiplied to you. You've been given great and precious promises. See the more you're in God's Word you realize these great and precious promises.

Did you know you've been given promises if you know who Jesus Christ is you have the promise of heaven? You have the promise that the Holy Spirit is going to lead you and Direct you and encourage you and get you through the hardships.

You have the promises of knowing that God's Word will speak to you and direct you. You have the promises of allowing God To lead you and have that relationship with you. Is that incredible to have a relationship with God to lead you?

So that's the context. And then 2nd Peter says this. For this very reason then if you want this peace of God. If you want this peace of God give all diligence. Give all diligence. Don't worry I'm gonna break these down.

Giving all diligence add to your faith. Virtue add to virtue. Knowledge add to knowledge. Self-control add to self-control. Perseverance add to perseverance. Godliness add to godliness. Brotherly kindness and a brotherly kindness add that add to that love.

I'm already tired. Just reading it Shane. That's that checklist is way above me. I'm not gonna be able to do that. Well, guess what? It's not a long checklist. They all flow together. You're adding to it you're adding to this and Then he says for these things if these things are yours and you abound you will neither be barren nor unfruitful.

And the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, so you will know God you will not be barren or unfruitful. You will bear fruit for he who lacks these things. If you lack these things you'll be short-sighted.

Even blind like groping around in the dark double-minded in all your ways unstable. Do you ever feel like that? That's how we feel when we're not grounded in God's Word. So he says here. Here's the list.

Add diligence to your life. Diligence, okay. I'm gonna talk about some unpopular things. Because what what we want is three hours in front of the computer screen. Mom, make me a sandwich. Bring me Doritos.

Let me just lay in my room all day. Don't want to do anything. We create a society. For a lack of a better word that is we become lazy. Diligence is the opposite of that. The definition is careful and persistent work or effort.

So they say yes add to your faith if you know Jesus add to that diligence. It's going to take work. Pursuing God takes work. Anything you do in life worth having takes work. So you have to add diligence to your life.

I'm going to work hard and I'm gonna seek God and though there might not be fruit right then the fruit comes later. Have you ever planted a seed outside and saw nothing for a while? Did you give up? No, of course not why because you know, the seed is growing same thing with that diligence.

Okay, I'm gonna be persistent in my pursuit of God and then to that I'm going to add virtue. What is a virtue? It's a very high moral standard. Your your friends will make fun of you if you hold to a higher high virtue at a high moral standard.

I don't do things like that because I'm a Christian. I'm set apart for God. I can't live like that because I want that relationship with God. So to your your diligence. You add a high moral standard and then to that you add Knowledge, which is getting to know God through his word.

So see it just flows like a river flows. I'm diligent. I'm seeking God. I have high morals. I'm learning and growing in my faith and then add to that self-control. Did you know you can't say no. You can say no.

Except for me when chocolates in the house. I Do not have good self-control, especially if it's cold and dark and you can dip in peanut butter. I'm already set myself up for failure tonight. But there is self-control see a Christian doesn't have to live a defeated life.

I mean, I always give in. I always blow it. I always give into this. I just can't you can say no by the power of the Holy Spirit. You can't say no to things. So as you're growing your faith, you're seeking God you're applying self-discipline.

You have a high moral standard you're being you're being filled with the peace of God. It begins to abound in your life because what you're filled with comes out the joy of the Lord and then he said add perseverance.

You're gonna need that these days. Perseverance keep going despite setbacks. You keep going despite setbacks parents to amen. You might need this part more than the kids you keep going despite Setbacks.

In other words if I'm trying to get to that door and I keep getting knocked down no matter what happens I'm getting to that door the narrow brought the narrow road that leads to salvation following Christ persevering and You need to know this today if you lived in China and you're a Christian.

This would be a little bit different you'd be you'd understand what could happen. But in America, there could be a time especially in your age where as you stand up for your faith more persecution could come.

It was Christianity is not a feel-good. It's not a feel-good. I don't call it religion because to me it's not a religion. It's a relationship with God, but it's not a feel-good type of thing. It's not like your best life now and you're gonna make a lot of money and Jesus is your homeboy.

They still use that term. I'm dating myself again. All right. So Jesus is he's your best friend. He's just gonna get me through life. He's gonna give me what I want. No, it's not about that. It's dying to self.

It's carrying your cross and but as you do these things there is joy unspeakable. Because you're right where you need to be. But I think we need to develop perseverance despite setbacks. You will you will finish and something that is really shifted.

I've seen this in the last probably 10 or 20 years is keeping our word. You know persevering even when hey, I said it I'll do it a man's word used to mean a lot today. It's like I don't care. I know I said it but and part of perseverance is keeping your word and and I'm going to finish this.

I'm gonna finish my homework. Even when I don't feel like I committed to it. I'm gonna do the chores. I'm gonna do these things. I'm I'm gonna persevere and when you have all these things and then he says add Godliness, this is a little bit different than virtue because virtue is a very high moral standard.

Think of Jesus Christ and we're to pursue that. But godliness is a everyday decisions. It's a good response. It's a he's a godly person. They make good choices and it can of course be linked to virtue but and so you can see how this all pictures now Peter saying if you want peace if you want to be multiplied you want To know God add diligence to your life get up tomorrow morning and read the Word of God.

Even if you're tired set aside some time for prayer prayer. Yes, your flesh doesn't like it. You've got to tell your flesh. Come on. You're going with me to a prayer. Yeah, I'm not going with you. I'm not staying in the bed.

If I don't have to I'm gonna be diligent. I'm gonna have a high moral standard. I'm gonna want to know God and and you begin to apply these things and then he says as obedient children. Now that you're obedient children not conforming yourself to the former lusts means you don't go back to what you used to go back to.

What God pulled you from and delivered you from you don't go back to those formal to that that formal or former Lust meaning that former sin go back to the old lifestyle. That's why the Bible talks about the old man and the new man.

The old man is who we were when we did not know Jesus Christ. And then the new man is this new relationship we've have now in God, but guess what the old man keeps doing. Jane come back. No come back.

No, I don't want to come back. Leave me alone. Come back. I don't want to come back. And so he says he said do not go back to those old ways. Keep that keep that path going as obedient children, but be holy because he who called you is holy.

Because it is written be holy for I am the Lord. One good thing about holiness what that means is you're gonna look different. So you don't want to watch the same movies that your friends watch. You don't want to get high like they want to you don't want to do these things because there's you look different.

You're labeled. You're a you're a child of God the son or daughter of God. You're holy. You're different and from that guess what holiness leads to hope. When I'm holy when I'm set apart when I'm doing God's will I'm filled with hope when I'm out of God's will I'm filled with depression and then Philippians 1 6 being confident of this being confident of this that he who began a good work and you will carry it out to Completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

You need to know this if Jesus Christ has begun a good work in you a real genuine work by the Spirit. You're a true believer in Jesus Christ that work will be completed. It's not up to you obedience is in submission.

But God will complete the work that he began in you and that gets you through a lot because Lord I'm not doing good. Now. I've made some bad bad decisions. This isn't working out. I Can't see the end result here.

I'm having I'm struggling with depression. I don't know it feels like I've blown it. I don't know if I can get back on track. God is going to complete that work that he began in you as long as we obey and we get back on the right track.

And then I love Romans 5 5 and hope does not put us to shame. In other words, if you hope in God. You will never be put to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us and when you have the Holy Spirit when you're full of the Holy Spirit guess what flows out?

Hope. Hope in a hopeless world. So all these things they get they go together getting back into God's work giving your life again to God. Seeking God with all your heart putting away the old thing the old sin being holy being set apart.

Yes, it's difficult. But at least I have peace. Yes, it's challenging. But at least I have peace. Yes, it's it's a battle. But at least I have hope because I know the direction I'm going and God can get you through.

Knowing God as the Source of Hope

And then before we do the Q &A, I just want to. There's a little catchphrase out there. That's really really important and I just want to ask just just for a minute of your time. If you guys are looking at your phones, just don't for a minute.

Okay, don't text you don't need to look at things. This is important. If you know Christ, you know, hope and I'm spelling it this way No God no hope. If you know him if you have the relationship, but guess what the other one is.

If you don't know God if there's no God. There's no hope and I'll show you guys straight tonight. A lot of kids Come to youth group. They come to church because their parents made them or They go to Christian school or they do a devotional with their parents or they might have worship music on.

But they've never themselves Repented of their sin and asked Jesus Christ to save them Jesus. I need to know you. I need to know you. I need to have a relationship with you and from that will flow the hope.

And I've seen so many people they think that just being a Christian you ask them. Well, I'm a good person. That doesn't matter. I Go to church, I'm here tonight. That doesn't matter. Well, my parents are Christians, can I kind of go can I can just go into heaven with them.

All the things I said, I own a Bible. I study the Bible. I read the Bible sometimes but do you know Jesus Christ? Do you truly have that relationship with him if you were to die? Do you know? Yes, I will be with God.

I know Jesus if not think about that tonight. I want you to make that decision. Make that decision. We'll just pray in just a minute. Just make that decision shake. I've been playing games with God. I've been sitting in youth groups smirking and making fun and poking fun and thinking I'm mr Tough guy, but you need to come to repentance tonight because there is no guarantee of even tomorrow.

Where our nation is going where the world is going Christ is going to be your only anchor. There's not going to be anyone else to trust and not our parents not our stock market and you don't know what that is yet.

But yeah, but not in in your retire retirement. But not in your money not there's no there's gonna be nothing else to trust in except in Christ in Christ alone. Do you truly know him? Because it involves this I'm repenting of my sin.

I'm a sinner before God. I'm repenting of that Lord, I need Jesus Christ. I need to know God. I need to know Jesus really know him. Because Jesus says said many will come to me in that day and say we did all these things in your name.

And he says to them. Can you imagine Jesus telling you this? Depart from me. I don't know you. Whoa? Now he knows who they are. Right, of course. But he doesn't know them and that he doesn't have a relationship with them.

They never repented of their sin and embraced him as their Lord and their Savior and say God I need to be saved because of your son save me tonight. That's what salvation is guys I don't know of anything more important than this.

This isn't we're not playing games. We're talking about the souls of men and women. So I'm just gonna do a closing prayer Tonight and if you need to do that God knows your heart. It's not in the in saying perfect words.

It's not in saying a perfect prayer. It's it God sees your heart. So Lord as I close out this message tonight for these kids, I pray the Holy Spirit you would show them. Show them if they don't have a relationship with you.

Show them if they're just playing games. Show them if they're just trusting in the wrong things and just in being a good person show them. They need you and I pray that deep repentance happens tonight.

If that's you you just say Lord. I'm repenting tonight. I'm giving my life to you tonight. I'm seeking you with all of my heart. No more games. No more playing around. I need to know who you are. I'm committing my life to you tonight.

And God will hear that prayer in Jesus name. Amen. Yeah, and if you did that, I would love to meet you afterwards pastor Abram would love to meet you as well. Let us know you did that. We'd love to baptize you at some point.

It's it's the most important decision you can make so now we're gonna just move this over and get right to a lot of the questions that you've been asking about God and having a relationship with him the first one I think one of the most popular ones was how did you get through a task?

Doing Unwanted Tasks as Service to the Lord

You did not feel like doing. Anyone relate to that one? Here's what is important. You have to remember that when we do things and I have to do tasks I don't want to do all the time, especially as you get older that increases is.

You're doing it unto the Lord. So even from cleaning the house. I try to impress with all my kids taking out the trash. Chore charts, I'm thank God from the chore charts. My mom gave me because you know, it gave me more discipline.

So we if you're doing it unto the Lord and what you have to remember is you want to do the best job possible. My dad taught me at a young age that you want to over deliver and under promise. Over deliver means you do more than it's expected and you under promise in other words.

You don't build all this up and then don't do very much you do you do more than what's expected? You want to do things? Well, and you want to do it unto the Lord would be the might my short answer to that.

Any comments on that one? Okay. You can start with this one. Why did you turn to Christ and for you? Is it a gray glory? Altar call.

Check your phones. I Did because I just came to a moment of realizing that Life was pointless without him that I couldn't do. Turn this way a little bit. Life is hard. I mean it just is if you haven't figured that out yet You will at some point and I was just tired of trying to do it on my own and I came to The end of myself and realized that I needed a Savior and he was gracious to be right there when I needed it.

You can add to that if you want. I want you to feel rushed I don't know. Okay. Why did I turn to Jesus? My situation is different. God basically spanked me. I was 29 years old and it's very prideful and making a lot of money and God just began to remove everything out of my life that I trusted in and The long the short version is he the prodigal son came home I was eating with the pigs not literally if you know what that means should read the prodigal son story, but just depression despair.

Confusion life's not working out and just finally cried out to God. And that's when everything really shifted for me. I think I knew him at 12 years old. But then I really drifted from him in my 20s and so he I believe that verse I read he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

So sometimes he might use health issues to draw you back. Sometimes he might use difficulty. So if you're struggling with depression and fear and anxiety Don't don't take it to the enemy and don't don't try to hide from God actually take it to the Lord and let that Let that drive you more deeper with the relationship with him that you might have.

Anxiety, Depression, and Seeking Help

Number three, how can someone not be anxious? Is it okay to be anxious as a Christian? You want me to open you close it or yeah, let's do that. Okay. How can someone not be anxious well anxiety Is they know is a it's it's a reaction often, right?

Because you're anxious about something. What's going on our nation right now is creating a lot of anxiety for people other things. So it's a Uncertainty, it's really it's it's it's it's based in fear fear and uncertainty, so I'm anxious about something happening and How can a person not be anxious.

What everything I just said tonight really would help because the Word of God calms you down. And it makes you The peace of God's Word and you start read the Psalms read the book of Psalms start just reading that every a little bit every night.

And I will talk about this because I think it's important. It's where I was kind of have some expertise when I was younger is in the area of nutrition. So if you guys are eating tons of Doritos and monster drinks and energy drinks that those things actually will really increase Anxiety and stress levels because of caffeine.