Be Committed to Church
“let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25 NLT)
All the graduates, Congratulations!
I commend you for all your accomplishment. We want to thank you for your faithfulness to this Church and to our EM group. May God lead and bless you as you are closing one chapter in your life and opening another new one.
I you let me, I would offer a special recognition to JongHyun and Connie graduating from college because it is no longer a easy matter for any Christian to graduate college as Christian.
A lot of surveys and researches have been done in terms of how many percentage of
high school Christian graduates entering college remain Christian by the time they graduate college. Since many studies have been done, there are some variance in their analysis:
some say only 50 percent maintain their faith, others say only 30% and still others only 10%
What makes the situation worse is the religious trend among teenagers who tend to shy away from organized religion especially Christianity in ever increasing rate. It’s almost scary.
Just last week, a week ago last Sunday, I read fox news report, what they call "11 million multiple surveys". Two facts as conclusion: younger americans less likely to say religion is important in their lives; Today's teenagers are the least religious group of the last six decades
Now then how can we fight back against the tide, such ungodly trend. Christian researchers identified several common factors among those who finish college years as strong believers.
• My parents were still married to each other and both attended church (prior to 18).
• Being trained in the church and At least one adult from church made a significant investment in me personally and spiritually (between 15 and 18).
• The pastor's sermons were relevant to my life (prior to 18).
Concerning the parents’ role there is nothing you can do about, but, I would like to share with you what you can do to stand strong in your faith in spite of Hostile environment against Christianity, that is, why it is important to commit yourself to church gathering. This would apply more to those in college and going into college than the rest of us, but it would apply to all of us one way or another..
1. Why do you have to commit yourself to Church meeting? Because, you may continuously learn what you believe and why you believe.
“if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.” 1 Peter 3:15
If you someone asks you about your faith and hope, are you ready to give him or her the answer? Can you honestly say you know what you believe and why you believe?
One of the primary reasons why there are so many Drop-out Christians is because the professors.
“Tobin’s findings echo the results of an earlier survey of college faculty summarized in the March, 2005 issue of the Washington Post. The article revealed that 72 percent of professors and instructors in colleges across the U.S. are liberal. That’s a marked increase from just 20 years ago, when those who identified themselves as liberal was only 39 percent.”
If this trend went as it had been for last few decades earlier, then it could be even 90% of all the professors are liberals.
Those professors would deny or even ridicule whatever you stand for as Christian: they don’t believe in personal God; they would deny creation; they would deny Bible as phony; they wouldn’t recognize superior intrinsic value of human being in comparison to animals; they would support abortion; they would call Christians hate group. Thus, you will be challenged intellectually or even ridiculed one way or another about what you believe and why you believe.
But, let’s fact the fact. I don’t mean to ridicule them at all, but they are so insisting ape is their ancestor; they may claim to have purpose, but they don’t have one because they believe they exist by chance or accident; they may say love, their love is groundless since they don’t believe in the personal God; they don’t believe in absolute morality; they don’t see the meaning of life not human intrinsic value. They don’t have a future: they don’t know their destination.
Please, have a confidence in God. Because of God, you can offer them real hope, meaning, and future. It is very unfortunate many young people abandon their faith and many are in danger of doing the same. If you are prepared, you can help them.
"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ."
How can we demolish an argument, we must have a better argument! This means we Christians must think well and learn and be prepared. That’s why It is very important for you to commit to church gathering because you have to continuously learn and encourage..
2. To experience and practice personal caring
It is true many young people leave their faith because they newly learned significant disagreements with their theological upbringing or out of some sense of rebellion. However, more often, many students left their faith simply because they lose track of the church and stop seeing it as important to their life.
Who is responsible? I think both parties are responsible, they lose track of the church and church lose track of them.
Why do you have to dedicate yourself to church? Because we are family of God, that’s our nature. God wants us to practice family love. In fact you can separate loving God and loving his people, church. If you are follower of Christ, don’t let your other interests and demands in your life become your priority over church relationship
Why do you have to be committed to gathering as church?
Because we all need not only factual knowledge of truth, but also loving and caring and encouragement from others: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Heb 3:12-13)
We may not even realize that we are tempted day by day and we are hardened by sin’s deceitfulness, but that’s what we are, turning away from the living God unless we encourage one another. That’s why we need each other to overcome temptation and to stand as strong Christian...
3. To Help others
“My brothers, I myself am convinced about you that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)
As I observe you, th eyoung adults and college group, I am so encouraged because you are not simply attending meeting, but you are actually caring, helping and serving younger ones as big brothers and sisters. Often I envy the younger ones in EM thinking “I wish I had such older brothers and sisters who cared when I was youth.” Indeed, my life could have been better and happier if I had ones who cared like you guys do. That’s so beautiful to see and that is exactly how we as church family should function. Can I beg you please to keep doing what you guys have been doing?
In fact, this is another reason why I want you going to college to be committed to Church so that you may not just come to listen and learn but also teach and help others.
5 years ago this Sunday we started all age group Sunday School. Our goal was so that more people may be involved in teaching others. For those in college and entering college, please make your aim high. You goal is not simply surviving as Christian, but staying strong, growing and helping Christians.
In summary let me repeat, why you have to commit to the church.
So that you may learn the word of God
So that you may have encouragement from other brothers and sisters
So that you may help others
Again be committed to Church, not neglecting its gathering
