Why Young People Don'T Like Jesus
E.A. Johnston explains that young people reject Jesus today because they see a powerless image of Him and hypocrisy in the church, urging a genuine revival and authentic faith among adults to draw youth back.
In this topical sermon, E.A. Johnston addresses the troubling trend of young people leaving the church and rejecting Jesus. He identifies the root causes as a powerless portrayal of Jesus and hypocrisy among church adults. Johnston calls for a genuine revival and authentic faith among adults to inspire youth to embrace Christ. This message challenges churches to reflect on their spiritual authenticity and commitment.
Full Transcript
I look around today at the number of young people who have left the church, and the numbers are staggering. Many congregations are dying off. Ones that are there are gray-headed, but there's few young people there.
It seems that young people today don't like Jesus. They like the Kardashians. They like Drake, but they don't like Jesus.
Jesus has no hold on them, and they have no interest in Jesus. Of the young kids that are still in some churches, they are there mainly and merely for social reasons, or they feel like they still have to go because of their parents. Why is it we have a generation today that isn't independent of religion of any kind? They don't want to have anything to do with religion or your Jesus.
I believe the answer, friends, to this dilemma is twofold. I believe young people today don't like Jesus because, number one, the Jesus they hear about from the majority of churches is an impotent little fellow that you can take or leave whenever you want to. That if you want to go to heaven, you can go there anytime you want to and when you are good and ready.
That the little Jesus they have heard about is nothing more than a little beggar who stands knocking at the door of your heart, much like an insurance salesman would stand knocking at your door with his hat in his hand, hoping you will let him in. Young people today are not impressed by this pitiful figure of a little Jesus who wants to be your pal. Secondly, our young people today became disenchanted with religion.
Once they got old enough to see right through it, they saw that the whole religious thing was nothing more than a sham, that most church folk were fakes and hypocrites and they want reality and they can't find it in church. But the main reason why our young people today don't like Jesus is because of us, their parents. They saw right through us when they got old enough to realize our own hypocrisy, that we told them to do as I say but not do as I do, that in church we were one person and at home quite altogether different.
The young kids today don't want to have anything to do with religion or our so-called Jesus because there is no reality of God in our lives. I don't blame them. If I was a young person today, I wouldn't want to go to church either.
I can be entertained elsewhere. I believe the church is to blame for losing our young folks today. Instead of teaching them about God, we give them pizza parties and movie nights at church in an effort to occupy them and in the process we fail to lead them to the Christ of the Bible.
The only two things that will get the young people to God is a Holy Ghost revival from God and the adults in church must get hungry enough for God that they are willing to let loose of this world and get on their faces in humility and prayer and return to God themselves. When the kids see the parents on fire for Christ and the reality of God in their personal lives, then the young people will be drawn to God through us. But if the adults keep playing with marbles at church, the kids will stay away.
Who in their right mind would want to play marbles with a 200 pound baby? Let us pray.
Sermon Outline
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I
- Observation of declining youth attendance in church
- Young people prefer worldly idols over Jesus
- Lack of genuine interest in Jesus among youth
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II
- The powerless image of Jesus presented in many churches
- Jesus portrayed as a harmless figure easily ignored
- Youth are unimpressed by this depiction
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III
- Disenchantment with religion due to hypocrisy
- Youth see church members as fake and hypocritical
- Desire for reality and authenticity in faith
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IV
- Responsibility of adults for youth's rejection of Jesus
- Need for genuine revival and adult hunger for God
- Authentic faith in adults will draw youth back
Key Quotes
“The Jesus they hear about from the majority of churches is an impotent little fellow that you can take or leave whenever you want to.” — E.A. Johnston
“Young people today don't want to have anything to do with religion or our so-called Jesus because there is no reality of God in our lives.” — E.A. Johnston
“The only two things that will get the young people to God is a Holy Ghost revival from God and the adults in church must get hungry enough for God.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Church adults should pursue a deeper, authentic relationship with God to serve as a genuine example for youth.
- Avoid relying on entertainment to keep young people in church; focus on teaching the true power of Jesus.
- Pray fervently for a Holy Ghost revival that can transform both adults and youth in the church.