The spirit of a young man is an amazing thing. Young men are the key to the future health of churches within the SBC. Daniel and his comrades were examples of the power and stamina and allegiance needed to make a difference in a heathen land. The king who overthrew Judah's king was no dummy. He handpicked the best young men to show his prowess. (see Daniel 1:3-4) Nebuchadnezar wanted:
"Children in who was no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans." Daniel 1:4
Anyone who thinks the youth in our churches today have no significance, need only consider this passage. There are those who know all too well that the way to build a kingdom, to secure it, and ensure its longevity, you must set aside and teach them "the learning and tongue of the Chaldeans". You must have young men who speak the same language. You must have young men who are turned on to your cause. You must have young men who will stand and deliver:
You must have young men who are "well-favored" among their peers and have the respect of the older generations. You must have young men who are "skillful in all wisdom" and show common sense and are not prone to silliness. You must have young men who are "cunning in knowledge and understanding science " and who are the brightest among their age group. You must have young men who have the "ability", courage and tenacity and boldness, "to stand in the king's palace". Why?
Because they are the ones who will carry on the kingdom work when men grow old. And they are the ones most prone to rise up against you if you do not acknowledge that they are a part of something great in the kingdom of God. They are the ones who will not be satisfied with a pat on the head, to be set apart for the end of the race--to grab the baton and finish it. They don't want to wait. They are eager. They want to run now. And you need to "teach" them the Truth they need to know--the language and the deeper things...before someone else teaches them the language of the "Chaldeans".
You need to teach them before the formidable king feeds them the dainties and the meat, and plows them with his finest wine. Otherwise...
When you are old, there will be no one to carry on. The old will pass away and the tried and true will be no more. It will become irrelevant. It will become obsolete. It will become a forgotten language. It will have been handed over to those antsy youth who sought to be relevant in the kingdom without waiting years to own their own plot of land.
The enemy seeks to rob us of our young people. He cares not who he uses to accomplish his deceitful plans. He still seeks to appeal to their flesh, their ego, their pride. He plays to their insecurities and maleable minds. He still wants to plow them with fermented wine, feed their egos, encourage their pride and appeal to their baser instincts of sexuality and gude them in a new Solomon Song. He still wants to build his kingdom from those who are young and restless--those who do not want to wait, to respect that which is established and sound. He still wants to tell them they belong at the front of the line and the last to run is insignificant in winning the prize set before them. He makes sure they understand that their way is the right way and any other way is an exercise in futility. Only the "intellectual" can possibly understand what is the way and the truth of kingdom matters.
Yes, we must protect our youth. If we don't, when young men grow old and settled, they'll no longer sing, Victory in Jesus, Washed in the Blood, or Bless Be the Tie That Binds. Mothers will no longer sing, Jesus Loves Me, This I Know. Instead, "Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for yesterday we were dead" will be the lullaby of the ages. selahV
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