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Advice for Younger People
November 16, 2019

Last week we reviewed why the Bible is relevant in the modern world. Sometimes, younger people see the Bible as a book that gets in the way of their life without realizing some of the fantastic advice it contains. Today's Bible study is joined by a companion sermon and sermon transcript. As a modern, relevant book, the Bible is useful in giving information for us in our life. And the information we can use in our life applies whether we are an older person, middle-aged person, a person just starting out as an adult, or a child. Sometimes a younger person can be thrust into a much larger area of responsibility than they may think they are ready for. Typically, the first major area of responsibility that people get that they may not feel they are ready for is parenthood. They have a child, and all it takes is a biological act to make a child; it’s totally different to be a parent. So, when people become parents, they tend to realize they have to fill pretty big shoes really quickly with not a whole lot of experience. There’s a Biblical account of a person who had to fill pretty big shoes. There came a point in the life of Moses, and that will come to all of us, where Moses got old and he died. And, the leader who replaced him was a younger man by the name of Joshua.

Joshua 1:1-9
Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

There are many bits of wisdom given to us within the Book of Proverbs. When we respect people, we decide one way for one person, and another way for another person, we show bias. God has no bias in how He works in our life. God does not look at people of color any differently than He looks at people who may be of a different skin color. God looks at everyone exactly the same and holds everyone up to the same standard. As we share our thoughts with other people, we have to be very careful that we do not regard with righteousness any act of evil. That’s gotten a lot of political people in trouble by simply referring to acts of evil as somehow being righteous. When you give people the answer they want to hear, they will love you. What’s important is not that you respect the answer you want to hear, but that as you are going through life, you can accommodate and work with the answer you need to hear. There’s a difference between the two. When we think about what we need to do to get ready in our line of work whatever it may be, we can easily be distracted by life. We turn to the left; we turn to the right and get our eyes off the work that needs to be done. We can get distracted. And that works even with our chosen career. We can easily get to a point where we no longer are viable in our career. If we get our priorities out of order, life can be more challenging. Don’t be a person who is known as lying and learn how to make peace with your neighbors. Your neighbors and you live next to each other for mutual benefit and safety. We do not need to seek revenge on other people. Taking vengeance is the role of God when vengeance needs to be taken. So, if you feel you have been wronged, take it prayerfully to God, you do not need to take action yourself. Taking action yourself in an act of vengeance will almost likely get you in trouble with law enforcement authorities, and that’s a whole other mess to deal with that you don’t need to deal with. Younger people, and even many older people look for the easy way to do something. The easy way to do something is not always the best way. The best way to do something is always going to be the best way to do something. So, focus on the best way to do something that needs to be done, rather than just an easy way out, because the easy way out will lead to this life of poverty.

Proverbs 24:23-34
These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment. He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him: But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them. Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer. Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house. Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

A good exercise for younger people, or people of any age, is to consider what you would like people to think of after you’ve died. What would they say at your funeral, what would be written on your tombstone? That’s how people will remember you. When you’re dead, you’ll no longer have the opportunity to go back and challenge people’s accounts of who you are. They will solely have control over that dialog. The time to remember how you want people to remember you after you’ve died is not when you are old and nearing death, it’s now, the present time. Whether you’re young, or young in spirit as an older person, now is the time to remember how you would like to be remembered. We are to respect God in reverent awe with His plan of salvation, that He has given us knowledge of His plan of salvation at this point when He is not working with very many people. What we do openly, what happens behind the doors of our house when we close the front door, close the blinds, all of that will be brought into judgment.

Ecclesiastes 12:1-14
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

We know we live in a world that doesn’t legitimately honor God. It pursues the physical and material existence we know in the world. Whether you’re a young person or an older person who is youthful in spirit we must all recognize that beyond this physical life that will one day come to an end, is eternal salvation and our place in the Kingdom of God.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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