There is a very encouraging trend among believers today, that there are some strong youths being raised up for Christ in these last days. Young men and women who are truly passionate about the LORD and willing to truly place Jesus first in their lives. This is an amazing thing that God is doing among these young people.
Along with this encouraging thing however, is an equally disturbing trend among the more experienced generation of believers, many of whom are actually disregarding, dismissing and rejecting these young men and women. Today we are going to be looking at what the Bible says about this apparent divide, and how God encourages both the young and old together in Christ.
Firstly please allow me to make clear that this is not going to be a doctrinal debate. When I speak of the younger generation, I am not speaking of certain individuals who are preaching a doctrine apart from the Gospel. I am speaking only of those who are genuinely called by God, and are experiencing scorning, scoffing and ridiculing by the older generation. Also the terms “younger” and “older” can also be less-experienced and more-experienced and not just referring to physical age. It should be no secret that the Bible does not support such rejection of the younger ones, but in-fact encourages the younger men and women to grow in Christ all the more. This is made abundantly clear in 1st Timothy 4:10-16:
“For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, specially of those that believe.
These things command and teach.
Let no man despise your youth; but be you an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.
Neglect not the gift that is in you, which was given you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
Meditate on these things; give yourself wholly to them; that your profiting may appear to all.
Take heed to yourself, and to the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this you shall both save yourself, and them that hear you.”
We see here that God says to let no-one despise you because of your youth. Notice that in this case here, these young people were not being rejected for Christ per se, but because they were young and inexperienced. What these older people failed to realize though, is that the wisdom of God is not measured with advancing years. God’s wisdom is a divine outpouring and not tied-together with age.
His wisdom does not come from experience, but from His Word and divine teaching from His Spirit.
God can speak just as wisely through a young person as through an aged one, and in many cases He has a much more willing and open vessel in the younger than in the older!
Now notice how a scorned and rejected young person is to respond to such behavior; not by fighting against it or by arguing with the older people, but by displaying exemplary character and conduct. In-essence prove them wrong! The younger ones are instructed and encouraged to continue on in Christ Jesus all the more and not allow the older ones to stop you from what God has called you to do.
There have been several instances where a younger person in Christ has been given a word of wisdom, but was hesitant to speak it because of the intimidation factor of the scornful retort of the older one. When the younger person finally stated what God had given them, it was met with a reply such as: “You are out of line and unqualified because you haven’t lived through what I have lived through. You have no experience.”
Basically the older more-experienced person, shot down the younger one and completely ignored what God was saying through the younger one. Words can not express how deeply destructive and out-rightly saddening such a thing is. If pastors take this view then church attendance will drop to nearly zero because the pastor himself would be unqualified to lead anyone that he can not personally identify with from his own experience. Forget about counseling as well. Jesus would be out, because He never was in a romantic relationship, He was never addicted to drugs or alcohol, and to make matters worse, He died around the young age of 33, so He was too young to have much experience.
My friends, we are not called to preach our personal experiences, nor are we to be qualified before we are called. In-fact God specializes in using unqualified people, and He loves to personally qualify them as well! Furthermore, this is the message from God to all of the young men and women who He has called. It is found in Jeremiah 1:5-10:
“Before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child.
But the LORD said to me, Say not, I am a child: for you shall go to all that I shall send you, and whatever I command you you shall speak.
Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with you to deliver you, said the LORD.
Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said to me, Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.”
God does not want the most experienced person, in-fact, He often-times chooses the least experienced, and most honest and willing to allow Him to lead them.
It is important to remember that the enemy will use everything he can to prevent God’s Word from reaching people. And if he is allowed to discredit a young up-and-coming minister while, at the same time hardening a heart of an older person, then absolutely he will.
Younger people: I would encourage you today to receive the Word of God for you. God values you, and even if they don’t listen, you are still conducting yourself the proper way. Hear the words of God spoken to you, and do not allow yourself to be intimidated by the older more-experienced people. Respect your elders in Christ, but do not ever feel innately inferior to them. Your focus should be on Jesus, and not on any other person, including yourself.
Older people: I would encourage you to recognize that God can operate in anyone or anything regardless of age or experience. Godly wisdom is not acquired through age or experience, but through the power of the Holy Spirit via Jesus Christ. To dismiss what God is using them to speak is akin to dismissing God Himself. It is the job of the leaders, elders and more-experienced people in the church to bring up future generations. And we should be rejoicing whenever God uses a younger one to help spread His words, not dismissive, or prideful.
Regardless of which category you are in today, there is a message from God to you. A body that attacks itself is ultimately sick and weak, unable to function, and a kingdom divided against itself can not stand. A body that destroys its younger new members is destroying the regenerating and refreshing work of the Holy Spirit. Notice the words of Jesus in Matthew 18:6:
“But whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.”
Jesus here is pronouncing a strong warning against those who offend the little ones which believe. These are not unbelievers as many are led to think, but younger believers. Jesus is protective of the future generation of believers, and the more mature leaders should be encouraging and helping to raise up the younger ones instead of dismissing and rejecting them.
The bottom-line is that God can use whoever He wants regardless of age, and the blessing of a God-given word of wisdom is not exclusive to a particular age-group, nor to any experience level.
Experience is worldly wisdom, but God’s wisdom is given to all who are willing, with no preconditions of age or experience level. All throughout the Bible God has used inexperienced and unqualified people to spread His Word and carry out His plans, and He has not changed from that method. In-fact, the day we start qualifying ourselves with mere human experience is the day we are truly disqualified from God’s grace – having fallen back to self works!
So let’s start believing that God is still God and recognizing that as believers we are all His vessels from the youngest to the oldest, and that He can honor any and all of His people by giving us potent and timely Words of Wisdom.