Sermon Central
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Fear Of Acceptance Series
Contributed by Alexander Clark on Nov 10, 2012 (message contributor)
Summary: Being afraid of your peers can be hard, don’t be. Let his grace show on your face.
Intro:
Halloween is this week and it’s all about dressing up and being somebody. This week I felt we needed to talk about this. Do you feel every day is Halloween for you? You wake up and put on your clothes and are somebody you’re not? Well Peter was like this, He showed a little faith when he experimented his faith, but then he still doubted and denied Jesus. I feel a lot of the time we as Teens do this as well.
RELATE: Peter
Jesus had this disciple named Peter, and we don’t know a great deal about Peter however in Matt. 14 we read about when Jesus was walking on water and Jesus called Peter to “come”. Peter stepped out of the boat but then saw the wind and was afraid. Jesus asks him “You of little faith, why did you doubt? (Peter has the ability to do some really awesome things.)
We continue to read later that Jesus predicts that Peter will deny him 3 times. Later says in V.35 that Peter says he will die with him.
Most students in the United States feel that Church doesn’t have all the answers, and I’ll agree, but Jesus does.
BARNA GROUP:
Overall, the research uncovered six significant themes why nearly three out of every five young Christians (59%) disconnect either permanently or for an extended period of time from church life after age 15.
a. 1 main reason I feel teens get this way is because being a Christ follower isn’t cool.
b. After the age of 15 you get your license a job and you really start to encounter the world, how do you plan to continue your walk with God, and conquer the people that want to pull you down?
FEAR OF ACCEPTANCE
I. Most teens use their actions to be accepted
a. Sex (42% of girls and 43% of boys) < H/S
b. Smoking (30%) < H/S
c. Sexting (1 of 3 have between the ages of 14-19)
d. Bullying (30% of teens are bullied Nationwide)
We don’t do these things to experience them we do them to gossip about them.
II. Let’s face it, being accepted is a desire, we want to walk into the cafeteria and everyone yells at you to sit with them at their table or cut in front of line. This is what we face today am I right?
III. Jesus knows that there will be times where people will ask us our beliefs. We must stand up for the Gospel!
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
a. If you won’t stand up for the Gospel, who will?
Don’t be afraid of those who hurt you!
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
What does v.27 tell us about how we are to live?
Close
We are not supposed to give up on God, when we face trouble is usually the times we can draw closer to God. This Halloween think about who I am not just on Halloween but who do I see every day, someone that represents the cross or just another teen statistic.
Prayer
