I live by faith, but I am a cynic. I am emotional, but I am logical. I am purchased by the blood of a God who is far bigger than I, yet my view of him is so small. I am a bit complex and I don't make any sense. For all these reasons my thoughts on KYCK 10 probably won't make my sense. But hopefully they will have some helpfulness to them.
I'll just deal with what I like and the talks, if you want other thoughts you can ask me. I'm thankful for a loving rebuke about introducing others to my cynicism. One of the sad things about being a youth leader is seeing sins passed on to those you lead when they clearly should have died in you.
The thing I like most about KYCK is realising how big God is. God can get 6000+ young people from all over to come to three weekends to hear the gospel. It's encouraging to see people getting out of their comfort zone and talking to people NOT FROM THEIR GROUP! Seeing people love and get encouraged by things that I don't like and that confuse me (read: God shows me things can be helpful even if I don't like them, so I should appreciate them). Sweet moments when the band is silent and 2000+ voices behind me fill a hot stuffy room singing "All that really matters is You" (still encouraging despite the super-ambiguous intro and skipping of "Jesus, it's You" every time). Seeing people putting their faith in Jesus who "died on the cross, in their place, for their sins"!
Talk 1, Ecclesiastes 1:
Everything is "meaningless"/Hebel/fleeting/breath. Creation has no gain/profit/impact. Likewise people have no gain/profit/impact. You will never know everything, and you will not be remembered. This is not a negative message ("You will never make a difference so don't even try."), but positive ("You are so small! Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought.").
People who talk lots never have time to listen to their Creator (Romans 1:21) so let your words be few (Ecclesiastes 5:1-2). Are we talkers or trusters?
Talk 2, Ecclesiastes 2:
What does a man gain? You can enjoy being rich and famous, but in the end wealth and fame are hebel. You can enjoy wisdom and knowledge, but in the end the same fate awaits both the wise and the fool - death. The person who chases gain/profit/impact is a sinner because those who chase it neglect God. Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth. Do not worry!
Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. Receive gifts FROM GOD and BE THANKFUL! Joy should be the practical outworking of a godly life. We should be thankful people! Pursue joy and don't waste the time or the gifts you have been given. Are we open handed or are we snatchers?
Talk 3, Ecclesiastes 3:
Life seems like "Lost". You're born and you die and all these random events occur in between. God has made everything beautiful in it's time, so we should enjoy the moment (even hard moments), but it IS a burden. God has set eternity in our hearts, and has made us safe and secure with Jesus for eternity. We can't fathom it, but God has it in his hand. We can plan, but we're not in control. God is! Does it worry you that you are not in control? What does that say about your trust in God?
Wise living is to be happy and DO GOOD. Everything God does endures forever (I thought of Ephesians 2:10), so that men will revere him.
Talk 4, Ecclesiastes 4-8:
Everything sucks. We should respond by crying, but also by crying out because God has answers. Do not be surprised by injustice. We see it every day (poverty, wrongly exocuted etc.) Why doesn't somebody do something? Why don't I do something? Because I'm too small and I'm fleeting, I need God to... but am I prepared for him to come in justice?
We are part of the problem because we all sin (Ecclesiastes 7:20). Each one of us is pursuing gain and not God. We live our life our own way without him. So we need to cry out for justice, but also for mercy. How?
Jesus on the cross. God HAS done something. He sent the innocent in place of the guilty. Jesus died in our place for our sin (the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God - 1 Peter 3:18)!
Why still injustice? Because his patience means salvation. God is allowing you time to come to him because there will be a day when he deals with the injustice of sin once and for all. Your ONLY hope is to come to Jesus. Nothing in this fleeting life is better than living for him :)
Talk 5, Ecclesiastes 11:
Creation tells you that God is at work, and that we are not in control. The more we know about stuff, the more we realise how little we know. The foolish life, the gain chasing life, is characterised by arrogance and laziness. The wise life is to trust God and do good things. Live generously, trusting Jesus with tomorrow. Just as you cannot put off growing old, you should not waste the time you have with the ability to do good.
Where are the risk takers? People willing to succeed or fail in the safety of Jesus' hands? In everything try and live for Jesus - this is the path to joy. Remember that God will judge EVERYTHING (even the things you DON'T do). He is not looking to punish, but to make sure you have life to the full (John 10:10). Choose life, not laziness or selfishness.
Talk 6, Ecclesiastes 12:
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth. These are formative years, so form your habits with your Creator in mind. When tempted, remember the God who made you. Remember that we will all grow old and die. Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel (2 Timothy 2:8).
All in all it was an encouraging weekend. I loved Sounds of Light playing on Sunday, and the large moshpit that formed and still kept singing even though the tech crew cut the power :P
Thankful for time spent with our crew and seeing them grow and wrestle with the word. Pray for them as they try to do Ecclesiastes at school this term. Pray that they learn to make it simple and that they won't try to do too much with their "hebel" time.
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