Newsflash!

I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for headlines. Something about that big, bold, black print catches my eye and pulls my attention like a moth to a flame.

Sometimes the headlines are positive, but most of the time they trumpet a tragedy.

Any day now, I half expect the headlines to look like this:

“THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL WIPED OUT!”

Why? Because that's the headline that some “experts” are chiseling on what they perceive to be the tombstone of truth. While I agree with many of the statistics and stories about the ineffectiveness of reaching this postmodern generation of students with prehistoric methods, we must be careful not to throw the gospel out just because some of its packaging is outdated. There is no doubt that we need to be relevant - but it is the same old time gospel message that is still the key to transforming a life. The gospel is not some idea that can be eradicated. It will never and can never be stopped.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” Romans 1:16

The gospel message is inherently transformational in any and all cultures. It works for the Jew as well as the Gentile. The postmodern teen as well as the modern adult can be transformed by its awesome power.

A lot of times when analysts of contemporary student culture start sharing statistics and facts, youth leaders freak out. In my experience many of them seem intimidated and tentative about reaching out to the kids of this generation. Many are not sure of how to do it in this mosaic culture of multi-tasking, truth-questioning, easily-distracted teenagers. So they don't. That is a huge mistake.

Throughout church history the gospel message has been effective in virtually every single part of the world it has been introduced to. Sure, there have been groups that have been more difficult to reach because of ingrained belief systems that are non-Biblical. But even then the gospel will eventually penetrate hardened hearts and change made-up minds. Why? Because the message of the gospel is not just a competing belief system. It is not merely one of the many horses to bet on at the racetrack of worldviews. It is the truth, subsidized by hard facts, energized by the Holy Spirit and confirmed by the sinner's conscience. And it is not a truth devoid of feeling. It is ablaze with feeling, passion and power. Its logic can transform the mind. Its heat can warm the cold heart.

When you share the gospel message in this postmodern student culture, share it with the internal confidence that it is a dynamic and explosive force that can penetrate the hardest of walls with the shrapnel of truth. Speak that message of hope knowing that it is living and active and hungry- and it will not stop until it has caught its prey. Speak it with the absolute assurance that God in his sovereignty will bring in those whom he has called when he has called them in spite of the cultural nuances that seem to be roadblocks to belief.

Don't hesitate to share the gospel to the teens of today.

Although the gospel doesn't change, our tactics of sharing it with different groups can and should depending on the audience. In other words, though the gospel message never changes, the way we communicate it to different audiences can and should change. As we will see later, Paul used a vastly different technique in reaching the Greeks on Mar's Hill than he did the Jews in the synagogue (Acts 17).

Try going to an unreached tribe in Papua, New Guinea and using the Four Spiritual Laws right off the bat. The responses could vary- but most likely you would get beaten or eaten. To reach these cultures years of study have been done to identify belief systems and find common ground. Then a strategy is developed based on this research. It is then tried and tweaked until the most effective methodology is uncovered.

It is no different in today's student culture.

You probably wouldn't approach a student from a Jewish background the same way you would approach a student from a Wiccan belief system. The entry points are different. One has a monotheistic worldview. The other is polytheistic or atheistic. One accepts the Old Testament as authoritative. The other rejects Scripture as absolute truth.

How do we become skilled at becoming good news bearers to this culture of students? We become students of the students. We study them and discover what makes them tick and what gets them ticked. We find out what they value. In other words, we listen.

This is not passive listening but aggressive. We listen to find entry points into their worlds. We ask questions that open doors and initiate conversations about the gospel. We try and tweak until we find an effective method. In other words, we must find an open door!

As we present the love story of the gospel with students we must never forget to present the catalytic reality that Jesus called himself “the way” not “a way.” Christianity is inclusive in the fact that everyone is welcomed to believe. It is exclusive in the sense that if those who don't are condemned to an eternity separated from the love of God.

The key is to share the gospel story as the better story that just happens to be true. We must be loving. We must learn to listen. But we must share the story as truth-because it is true.

Don't be intimidated!

We have an historic opportunity before us! The students of today are open to spiritual topics like never before. They are looking for feeling, reality, and, yes, truth. All that and more is wrapped up in the true love story of Christianity!

Reaching postmodern students with the gospel of Jesus Christ may take some hard work, creativity, and a ton of prayer- but if we are not making the attempt, how can we call ourselves 'youth ministers'?

NEWSFLASH: THE GOSPEL IS AS POWERFUL AS EVER!!!