Advice For the Young

Text: Ecc. 11:9-10, 12:9

Introduction:

 Statistics on youth problems

 37,000 youth deaths per year of which 2/3 are preventable

 "Most are not dying of incurable diseases or unavoidable mishaps. They are dying from the consequences of their own risky behavior."

 11,000+ killed in car crashes (almost ½ alcohol related)

 4,000 suicides

 7,000+ murdered

 20,000 new cases of HIV in people younger than 25

 1 million pregnancies, 3 million new cases of STD’s

 Adolescent mortality is worse in the US than n many developed nations

 USA Today: "But a consensus has emerged among public health officials, educators, and others that adolescents own much of the turmoil they experience to profound cultural changes. For instance, with the growth of the two-income household and one-parent families, many early adolescents lack the more structured environment that existed when mom stayed at home. Also, teens are engulfed by a media culture that extols sex and excitement." This is amazing coming from USA Today, which is no conservative rag.

 10% become sexually active before their 13th birthday

 11 million between the ages of 11 and 20 consume alcohol

 Solomon give young people advice on how to live life

Proposition: Young Christians need to serve God while they are young.

Transitional Sentence: Solomon gives young people three admonitions for staying on the right path.

  1. Rely On God(11:1-8)
    1. Giving (1-2)
      1. Principle #1: You will get back what you give away
      2. Principle #2: Giving is an indicator of your faith, not of your wealth
    2. Living (3-8)
      1. Working
      1. Aging
        1. Wendell Loveless at age 91 said: "I don’t go out much now, my parents won’t let me¾ Mother Nature and Father Time."
        2. Older saints who trusted God
          1. Abraham: over 60 when he left Ur
          2. Moses: Over 80 when he went to Egypt
          3. Daniel: 81 in the lion’s den
        1. Joshua
  1. Rejoice in Your Youth(11:9-10)
    1. Happy Heart
      1. Youth: Be glad that you are still young
      2. Joy comes from serving the Lord
      3. Joy comes from having a right relationship to God, not to circumstances
    2. Holy Heart: "Walk in the ways of your heart"
      1. Understand Your Heart
        1. Jer. "Heart is deceitful"
        2. Must pattern our heart after the Lord’s
        3. Prov. 3:5-6
        4. Ps. "Desire of thine heart"
      2. How to Keep Your Heart Right
        1. Remember God’s judgement
        2. Remove evil
  2. Remember Your Creator (12:1-8)
    1. What to Remember
      1. Creator
        1. Admonitions in the OT were for Israel to not forget God
        2. Dangers
          1. Self-sufficiency
          2. idolatry
      2. Brevity of life
        1. Illus. Cassette tape
        2. Illus. Planet Zotar
        3. Illus. Empty Atlantic one thimble at a time
    2. When to Remember (NOW)
        1. Because difficult times are coming
        2. Because opportunities are disappearing
        3. Because desire may cease
        4. Because death is coming
        5. Possible analogies (taken from Wiersbe)
          1. Keepers of the house¾ arms and hands tremble
          2. Strong men¾ Your legs, knees weaken causing you to walk bent over
          3. Grinders¾ start to lose your teeth
          4. Windows¾ Vision deteriorates
          5. Doors¾ hearing fails
          6. Grinding¾ can’t chew your food
          7. Rise up¾ You wake up early with the birds wishing you could sleep longer
          8. Music¾ voice loses its tonality
          9. Afraid¾ fear falling as you go about your business. "I’ve fallen and I can’t get up" syndrome.
          10. Almond tree¾ hair turns white
          11. Grasshopper¾ drag yourself along
          12. Desire¾ lose appetite for food and/or sex
          13. Long home¾ eternity

    Conclusion:

    Life can be ruined at an early age my one mistake.