Incarnational Witness

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Incarnational Witness
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• 1Cor. 131-13
• If I Take Donors Seriously (TDS) and operate on
  the budget of Microsoft, but have not contact
  work, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging
  cymbal.
• If a Youth Center is donated by a YL Area
  committee member, equipped with and espresso bar
  and a gymnasium that is not only fully functional
  but comes with carpet that no one cares if I
  ruin and I run crazy games that are the envy of
  many but have no contact work, I am nothing.
• If I surround myself with competent leaders, and
  surrender the whole ministry to their giftedness,
  and if I build the most incredible Area Committee
  but have not modeled relational youth ministry, I
  gain nothing.
• If I take kids to the most unbelievable camps
  giving them the best week of their lives! but
  dont realize what contact work and follow up
  is all about I fall short.
• Now these are attractive budget, facility,
  leaders, committee, campsbut, greater than these
  is contact work.

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I.   Theology of Incarnation Witness

• A. Start with God the Father

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1 Kings 8 27. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

• 22 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the
  LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel,
  spread out his hands toward heaven 23 and said
  "O LORD , God of Israel, there is no God like
  you in heaven above or on earth below-you who
  keep your covenant of love with your servants who
  continue wholeheartedly in your way. 24 You have
  kept your promise to your servant David my
  father with your mouth you have promised and
  with your hand you have fulfilled it-as it is
  today.

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• 1 Kings 8 27. Solomon's Prayer of Dedication

• 25 "Now LORD , God of Israel, keep for your
  servant David my father the promises you made to
  him when you said, 'You shall never fail to have
  a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel,
  if only your sons are careful in all they do to
  walk before me as you have done.' 26 And now, O
  God of Israel, let your word that you promised
  your servant David my father come true. 27 "But
  will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even
  the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much
  less this temple I have built!

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II. The Story of the Bible/ A God who "comes
down".

• B. It hasn't changed. From the beginning people
  haven't comprehended this god who wanted to dwell
  with them
• Adam eve in the garden . Gen 25 they wanted
  to reach up and be just like god
• Tower of Babel. Gen. 11. They wanted to reach up
  to god
• Moses went up to be with god at MT Sinai and the
  people said he's not coming back
• The judges condemned the peoples worship on the
  "high places".
• Every cultic form of religion has high places as
  holy. I.E. Pyramids, trees etc.

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• C. But God came down

• Adam - in the cool of the day god came down for a
  walk (Gen. 38)
• Tower of Babel - Gen 115 "Let us go down.."
• The Cloud and the Pillar of fire - God dwelt with
  and lead His people. (Exodus 1321).
• Moses - the archetype of Jesus. He went up the
  Mt. And came down with the word of God. (Exodus
  32)
• The Temple - Solomon couldn't understand "Will
  God dwell here with us"?
• This is the whole point of the Bible, God
  coming down.
• It is not in our reaching up but in His coming
  down!

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III. Jesus The Incarnation

• God didnt just show up in all his glory and
  pound out the realities of who He was. No! Rather
  he met us where we were. He gently threw us the
  ball and showed us the true heart of the Father.

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ConclusionA. Phil. 25-8

• 1.      Vs. 6. Did not consider equality with
  God something to hang on to
• Jesus was in his element, a comfortable place.

12. Vs. 7. He emptied himself ekenosen
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3. This is the model Jesus left us with a. John
2021 "As the Father has sent me, I am sending
you."

•         We are the new incarnation.
•         It is more than just preaching.
•         It means living out the Christ- like
  life in front of others.
• But it does include words! (Preach the word at
  all times and only when necessary use words)?

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Question Why are you going into youth
Ministry?

• Its for you! YM is the place where God wants you
  to grow closer to Him!

Sadly, many times YL leaders arent leading kids
to Christ in their contact workbut theyre
leading kids to themselves, their ego, their,
humor, their personality!
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How do we come to kids?

• If we get too comfortable I wonder if we then
  havent bought in. If we fit in too tightly
  then I wonder if we havent ceased to be salt!
• Jesus was dangerous to be around. And that danger
  zone should make you nervous every time your with
  kids.

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V. Why Incarnational Witness?

• Theres safety in a program.
• We can rely on
• 1.      technique
• 2.      music
• 3.      food
• 4.      atmosphere
• 5.      media,

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A.     Incarnational Witness

• Puts you at the mercy of the Holy Spirit to
  guide, direct, and move.
• Makes us dependent and prayerful.
• We know that if anything is going to happen God
  is going to have to work!

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Incarnational Witness OR Incarnational
Withness?
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VI. The Danger of Incarnational Withness.
(Contact Work)

• A.     The potential for Burn out
• B. With kids 24/7?
• Ø      Is it youth ministry or egocentrism.
• Question Can Teenagers become an idol in ones
  life?

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• A.     Whos following who?
• Remember as we train for contact work that at a
  certain point leaders need to spend less time
  following kids around, and invite certain ones to
  follow them around.!

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II. Developmental Issues in Relational Ministry

• Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

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• Figure 1. Emerging society and At Risk kids

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• Fig. 2. Post Modern Society.
• There is no central truth anymore. The only thing
  that brings meaning is my relationships.

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When YL got started this is how it viewed its
target group.

• Fig. 3. The 40s- 70s. White, upper-class,
  suburban kids?

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