Sunday school ever since you can remember, but still have never committed your heart and life to the Saviour. Perhaps you are looking for the so-called thrills and passing pleasures you feel the world can give you. The vanishing, falsely-painted picture of happiness will fade, will die, and will claim your soul, unless your heart is anchored to the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark these words! This could be the most important moment of your life. If you have never truly given your heart to Jesus Christ in full surrender, do it now. Now, I want to say a word to you parents. Before school starts, ask yourself, “How much is a Teenager Worth?” Charles Spurgeon was only 16 when he was saved. He became the prince of preachers and a mighty soul winner. Hudson Taylor was saved in his teens and went on to become the leader of the great missionary society, the China Inland Mission. You may think various things of those young people in your home or church. Maybe as babies they were an armful; but as teenagers, they are a “handful.” It is high time that we do some serious thinking about them. That teenager in your fam ily can make or break you. The future of your home rests upon what you do; on how you train your teenagers. Unless we win their hearts today, they’ll break ours tomorrow. A teenager is more than a gum-chewing, note-writing, whispering something to be tolerated, to be put up with in the church. He is at an awkward age, it is true; he has a mind of his own, to be sure; but he desperately needs consecrated, dedicated leadership of true Spirit-filled men and women of God. Churches, let us give our youth a program geared to their enjoyment, but at the same time anchored to the Rock, the Lord Jesus Christ. Parents, let us watch what our children read and see. Be careful of the type of companions with whom they associate. Today young people are trying to put into practice the things they see and hear before they know what they really mean. What is your church offering the young people? Do you know that at least three out of every four young people leave the church before they reach their teens? Why? The Church has failed to give them a pro gram that is geared to the times and yet anchored solidly to the Rock. As the young people prepare to return to the classrooms, parents, do what God has purposed you should do to win your children to Christ and to help them grow spiritually day by day. Also, parent, unless you have confessed yourself a sinner in God’s sight and have accepted God’s free gift of eternal salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, you are still in your sins and you need the Saviour. How can you be an example to your young people when your own life is filled with sin and your mind with immoral thoughts? God helps you to see yourself, not as others see you, but as God sees you and admit your need of a Saviour. “Behold now is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation.” This is the hour, this is the moment God wants to do eternal business with you. Don’t turn Him away. This not only could mean disaster and tragedy in your home, but also eternal damnation for your own soul. “ But as many as received Him, (Christ Jesus), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12).
United States is uniquely criminal and violent. He cited figures from our law enforcement agencies that reveal that the U.S. has a rape rate nine times that of Italy and a burglary rate eight times that of France. Certain ly Los Angeles has nothing of which to be proud. The FBI report, made June 2 of this year, states that South ern California ranks first, second, or third in all major crimes committed by juveniles in the United States. The Los Angeles Police Department, which I personally be lieve to be one of the finest in the nation, states that juveniles commit 4b percent of all major crimes in this city. Law enforcement is not the answer. The cure must go to the source of sin. The change must take place in the human heart. Dick Halverson recently stated: “We know more about child psychology, yet have more juvenile deli- quency than ever. Law enforcement has become a science; sociologists have the answers on criminal rehabilitation, yet the crime rate rises steadily. Yale studies on alcohol ism, Alcoholic Annonymous working overtime, clinics, and medication—yet every hour in the United States there are 50 new alcoholics (12,000 daily in this nation). Hundreds of books and articles on marriage, clinics and counsellors everywhere, yet the divorce rate is ascending. Unprecedented application of psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and psychotherapy, yet mental hospitals are crowded, mental illness increases, and millions exist on benzedrine, tranquillizers, and sleeping pills. One step forward, two backward, seems to be history’s pattern. It looks as if the smarter we become, the farther behind we get. The truth is, Jesus Christ said, ‘Without Me, ye can do nothing.’ ” But now, let’s look again, and specifically, at our case in point today, the American teenagers. How much do we care for them? They are the future of our na tion—if there is to be a future. When a businessman was asked how much he thought a teenager was worth, he was quick to give this answer; “Teenagers are worth about nine billion dollars annually for movies, food, cars, books, and other miscellaneous items. This is to say noth ing of three billion dollars for clothes alone. The teen ager gave one rock-and-roll singer a four million-dollar profit in a single year. A teenager is worth billions to (he business world.” A statesman, too, was quick to an swer the question, “How much is a teenager worth?” “The future of America, yes, the very destiny of the free world, rests in the hands of our youth. Hitler gained control of Germany and almost conquered the whole of Europe by winning the hearts of the German youth. The Communists are winning a large part of the world today because they are winning the hearts of the youth of the world. They are worth everything to us.” These are challenging statements. But what are we as Chris tians doing about it? First, a sincere word to you young people: despise not the counsel of your parents. Seek their help and guidance. Their concern is for your pro tection and your welfare. What may seem old-fashioned rules to you today, or tonight, or this weekend are only imposed so that you may be spared the torment and misery of a broken heart and a ruined life. Again, teenagers, perhaps you have been reared in a Christian home, maybe you have attended church and
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SEPTEMBER, 1961
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