WHO CARES? PART 5- CARING FOR CREATION, CATALYST Youth- October 25, 2019

This week we wrapped up our “WHO CARES?” series by talking about the importance of caring for creation. Environmental issues have been BIG in the news lately. It was a main issue throughout the recent election and most of us have also probably seen Greta Thunberg in the news—she’s a 16-year-old environmental activist who is passionately demanding that we all change our lifestyles in order to save the planet from disaster! It's good that we're talking about caring for our environment.

But, it there’s been a downside to all of this talk about the environment, it's that it’s a constant stream of horror stories about what will happen if we don’t make drastic changes! There are some people who claim that IT’S ALREADY TOO LATE! That our kids or grandkids are doomed! How’s that for an encouraging word? A recent study by Barna Research and World Vision polled 15,369 18- to 35-year-olds across 25 countries and found that only 34% of them were optimistic about the future. 2/3 of young people are terrified of the future. They say that it looks bleak and hopeless. They don’t feel that there’s anything to look forward to. They are without hope! Is there a reason to hope? Are there any reasons not to fear? Tonight we looked at what the Bible has to say.

1. GOD MADE THIS WORLD FOR US

Right on page one of the Bible we’re reminded that WE aren’t here because of some weird cosmic accident that somehow created a world that perfectly sustains life and created plants, animals and people from NOTHING! Believing that it's all a result of an accident takes A LOT of faith.

Genesis 1:1, 31 says, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…God saw all that He had made, and it was very good”.

John 1:3 says, "Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

These verses remind us that our world has been CUSTOM-DESIGNED by a CREATOR. That God enabled this world to sustain life and to be an enjoyable place for us to live! The Bible says that observing our world and how it works naturally points us to a Creator.

Job 12:7-11 says, “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of the LORD has done this? In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind”.

This isn’t saying that animals will LITERALLY take us to school and teach us stuff or that the earth has a mouth--- but it’s saying that by scientifically examining animals, the earth, plant life and all of the things we find in nature, the intricacy of those things lets us know that they couldn't have all appeared out of nothing by complete accident, but rather, “the hand of the LORD has done this.” All of science points us to God! We can understand and see his signature in EVERYTHING that he’s made!

2. GOD WANTS US TO CARE FOR CREATION

Genesis 1:26-28 says that God made human beings and told us to be fruitful and multiply- to fill the earth and GOVERN it. To REIGN over the fish, birds, and animals.

The words "GOVERN" or “REIGN” carry with them some negative connotations. They carry the meaning to "DOMINATE", to "TREAD DOWN", to "BE FORCEFUL" or they can simply mean "TO RULE OVER". This is why there are some Christians who believe that it's ok to just plunder the earth and do whatever we want- they feel that the Bible gives us the license to do it! The problem with this, however, is that those same words are used to describe God's LORDSHIP over us...and it's a REALLY positive thing. For example, in Psalm 72 it says that God will REIGN over the earth…that he will RULE over humanity and creation…and it describes what it'll be like-- that the world under God's rule will flourish, be at peace, where anyone in need will be taken care of, and where everything wrong with the world will be made right again.  "Ruling" over the earth doesn't mean abusing it, it means being GOOD rulers! Loving caretakers of it!

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him”.

Have you ever lent something out to a friend, and when they returned it, it was broken or ruined? This verse says that the earth and EVERYTHING in it (including people) belongs to God-- so we need to make sure that we take care of it and treat this world (and everyTHING and everyONE in it) with love and respect! Sadly, over history, we’ve shown that we DON’T CARE—people have made a mess of the environment, people have mistreated animals, and human beings constantly do TERRIBLE things to other human beings! Which leads us to my next point…

3. SIN RUINS EVERYTHING

“Sin” is a fancy Bible world that refers to our choices to go our own way instead of God’s way. The Bible says we all have a SIN PROBLEM—we’ve all made choices to walk away from God and reject what He wants for us…in small ways and big ways….and it usually ends up hurting ourselves, our relationship with God, and hurts others too! But here’s the good news—God offers us love and forgiveness--- he offers to do what we can’t do—to clean us up and wipe away our sin--to make us brand new!

The Bible tells us that God created a perfect world for us…but that it’s because of our choices (our sin) that not only are WE messed up, but our WORLD is messed up! We’ve corrupted it! We’ve PHYSICALLY and SPIRITUALLY polluted it!

Romans 8:20-21 says, “Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time”.

This is saying that just like we long for God to one day make everything wrong with this world right again- that we want justice and peace, the Bible is saying that CREATION ITSELF IS GROANING IN PAIN and looking forward to that too!

What's even more interesting is that there are passages in the Bible that directly suggest that part of the problems with our world and environment are a result of our rejecting God. For example, in Solomon's day, there were plagues, famines and natural disasters happening...and God said that it was because the people had turned away from Him! Thankfully, he makes a pretty amazing promise:

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 1 Chronicles 7:14

God promises to actually HEAL OUR LAND if we turn towards him and walk away from our sin—that THE LAND will actually experience God’s blessing if we are spiritually healthy!

4. GOD HAS FUTURE/ETERNAL PLANS FOR THE EARTH

Revelation 21:1-4 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.”

A lot of times we think of “heaven” as living on clouds and playing harps for all of eternity…but in reality, God promises that he will RENEW the earth and we’ll live on it FOREVER with no sin, so sadness, no death! The Bible tells us that everything that’s wrong with US and our WORLD will one day be made right BY GOD. That doesn’t mean that it’s ok for us to make a mess of this world because God will clean it up in the end-- that's a kind of irresponsible way of looking at things. How we treat creation matters, because it belongs to Him and he has entrusted it to us, but we can also trust that God is in control!

5. DON’T FEAR

When we are driven to fear about the future, when we hear horror stories about what life will be like if we don’t change, we don’t have to let fear and hopelessness overwhelm us. For people who don’t know or follow God, fear is the default. They don’t believe that there’s a God who cares about them or is looking out for them! But the Bible reminds us that GOD IS IN CONTROL, THAT HE’S IN CHARGE, and that we can TRUST HIM with our future.

-Job 12:10 says, “In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind." 

-Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

-Psalm 46:1-2 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea”.

-Psalm 56:3 says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you”.

In Mark 4:39-41 it tells us about a time when Jesus was on a boat with his disciples in the middle of a huge storm that had them terrified! “Jesus rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” 

God has power over the wind and the waves! God has power over our climate! God is the LORD of all creation! We don’t need to be filled with fear and hopelessness for our future…but we can trust that God is (and will be) with us. We can have hope!

Fear shouldn’t be the thing that motivates us to care for creation…what should motivate us is that we LOVE GOD and want to care for the world he’s entrusted to us! One of the ways we can WORSHIP GOD (showing that we love him and think he’s important to us) is by CARING for His creation! (That includes our planet, animals, AND people!)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR HOME:

1. What are some changes (perhaps even simple changes) that your family can make to show care for God's creation?

2. Ask your teen: Can you explain some reasons why caring for creation is important for Christians? How does your faith in God affect/change how you see environmental issues?

3. Take the time to thank God for everything that he's created and ask him to help your family care for what he's entrusted to us.

WHO CARES? Part 4- CATALYST Youth, October 18, 2019

This week, we continued our series, "WHO CARES?" by talking about being generous with our money! While, for a lot of our teens, money is still pretty hard to come by…one day they’ll have some…and if no one teaches them what to do with it or how to use it responsibly NOW, they might make some bad choices when their wallets are slightly more full.

While a lot of people today have problems saving money and spend more than they make, people have an even tougher time being GENEROUS with it…because money can be used to buy so many shiny things! There’s a lot of temptation to keep it for ourselves, to spend it on own wants and needs… and it doesn’t get easier!

A 2018 study (Basic and Applied Social Psychology) tells us that the more money a person has, the LESS likely they are to be generous with it! Statistically, people who earn less give a greater percentage! WHY? Because you start to LOVE IT and want more of it and want nicer things, and want to upgrade your life…and eventually, you become SCROOGE! The Bible offers a lot of warnings about money.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 says, “Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness”!

In Matthew 6:24, Jesus said that money can easily become our God--- where we serve it and are consumed by it—where it takes over our life!

Tonight we looked at a few things the Bible says about money and generosity...

1. PLAN TO GIVE

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give”.

It’s really important that you plan what you’re going to do with your money. Us grownups might call that “MAKING A BUDGET”. In KIDZONE we recently talked about the importance of “GIVE, SAVE, SPEND”

You need to plan out how much you should spend, otherwise you’ll be in debt and become a SLAVE to credit card companies for spending too much! You also need to plan how much you should save! Saving is important so that you have money for big purchases, for schooling, for emergencies, and for your retirement. Here, the Bible says  that we also have to plan how much we’re going to give.

A lot of people will ask you for your money, and there’s A BILLION WORTHY CAUSES everywhere you turn—so it’s important that you decide on what things are most important to you and to plan to give regularly towards those things.

2. GIVE CHEERULLY

2 Corinthians 9:7 continues… “Don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

A recent poll said this is why Canadians give:
• 89 % give because they have compassion for those in need
• 85% give because they personally believe in a cause and want to help
• 79% give because it makes a difference in their community
• 61% give because they are moved by the CAUSE. 
• 29%  say they give because of their faith
• 23% give because there’s an income tax credit 

Those are a lot of compelling reasons! When we give as people of faith, it's a way we thank God for all that He's blessed us with. Giving is a way we worship God! It tells him that He's important to us and that we value the things that He values! It shows that we trust him to take care of us and to provide for us! 

3. THE BIBLE MODELS SACRIFICIAL GIVING

Acts 2 is probably one of the coolest chapters in the Bible. It tells us about what the first group of Jesus followers (the first church) did on a regular basis and WHY the church grew from a handful of people to over 2 BILLION Christians in the world today (that’s ¼ of the world’s population).

Acts 2:44 says "All the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need". 

That’s pretty counter-cultural. People usually buy property as an investment, so one day they’ll own it and be able to retire or to pass it on to their kids. People today also LOVE stuff and possessions and are never really satisfied with what they have. We always want more. Companies call us CONSUMERS—(which means we eat and eat and are never satisfied). But here, these Christians MADE PERSONAL SACRIFICES to be a help to others in need. Instead of getting more possessions, they actually sold stuff they had in order to help others! They were SELFLESS instead of SELFISH.

What does that mean practically today? It means thinking of ways that we could give something up for ourselves to be a benefit to others.

Some creative examples:

• Instead of buying brand name clothes, get more affordable clothes and give the money you would have spent away.
• Instead of upgrading a perfectly good tech advice, wait and give some of that money
• Instead of eating out, decide instead to give the money you would have spent towards a charity or cause that's important to you.
• Instead of buying a drink/coffee each day, pool that money together to sponsor a child through World Vision or Compassion Canada!

4. GOD BLESSES THOSE WHO ARE GENEROUS WITH THEIR MONEY

“And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others. As the Scriptures say, “They share freely and give generously to the poor. Their good deeds will be remembered forever.” For God is the one who provides seed for the farmer and then bread to eat. In the same way, he will provide and increase your resources and then produce a great harvest of generosity in you.” (2 Corinthians 9:7-10)

This says that when we are generous, God will BLESS us…He will TAKE CARE OF US! It actually says that we will have EVERYTHING WE NEED and we’ll have left over to share with others! I should mention that this isn’t some magical formula where if we give $1000, God will give us back $10,000. When we start to give because we want the reward, it means we’re giving for the wrong reason—our hearts aren’t in the right place. This also doesn't say that God will give us EVERYTHING WE WANT...but everything we NEED. There's a big difference there. When we give cheerfully as worship to God, He will take care of us and we'll find ourselves even more able and willing to be even more generous!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR HOME:

1. Discuss with your teens ways that your family is generous with money. What are some important needs you regularly give towards? Why? Have you experienced God's blessing/provision in your life? Can you give your teens some examples?

2. Discuss some of the creative ways you might give up something for yourselves so that you can give to others. (Listed above under #3). Are one of those things something that your family could try? What should you do with that money you saved? Do you have any other creative ideas?

3. Pray together and ask God to increase your willingness and ability to be generous! Thank God for all the ways He's provided for you and pray that He will continue to bless you and your family as you practice generosity.