Presentation: Lesson 3-The Psychology of Unregenerated Young People
1. they have rejected the church, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he has rejected God
a. Church is seen as archaic and irrelevant
i. do a self-inventory and kind of see in one’s church what areas look archaic and
irrelevant.
b. is there anything you can change to make the church better... furniture,
technology
b. Many non-Christians believe that the church isn’t very sensitive to their needs
2. They are morally adrift, but secretly want an “anchor”
a. Americans still believe I all Ten Commandments
b. Many hold the attitude that there are no absolute moral standards, but ethics should
fluctuate according to the situation (usually a person’s own selfish agenda)
c. many are seeking a moral direction for their lives
3. They resist rules but respond to reasons
a. doesn’t like to be told what to do
b. not convinced the Bible is really God’s revelation
c. has been a society-wide erosion of respect for authority
d. open to reasoning
e. we need to lay out the underlying thinking behind God’s moral boundaries
f. needs to know the benefits of abiding by God’s commands
4. They do not understand Christianity, but is also ignorant about what he claims to believe in.
a. assumes nothing
- most people can’t name the four Gospels
- Many do not know who delivered the Sermon on the Mt.
- Many do not know why Christians celebrate Easter
b. does not have a handle on what he believes
c. effective evangelism approach:
- let them talk
- ask what their source of truth is
- ask to assess the accuracy of that source of truth
- help them to see the firm foundation on which Christianity is based
5. They have legitimate questions about spiritual matters, but doesn’t expect answers from
Christians
a. many looks at churches and ‘see’ a sign... NO QUESTIONS ALLOWED
b. contrary to that.... Heb. 11:6 “rewards those who earnestly seek Him”
c. the manner in which we respond, determines if he’ll go deeper about issues he is
dealing with
6. They don’t just ask, “is Christianity true?” but “Does Christianity work?
a. the God of the Bible offers us wisdom/assistance in our struggles, difficulties and
recovery from past hursts
7. They do not just want to know something; they want to experience it.
The objective of evangelism is to bring unchurched into an encounter with God, not just pass
information about God
8. They don’t want to be somebody’s project, bt would like to be somebody’s friend
a. have you ever had a friendship with strings attached?
b. unchurched feel that the main reason for friendship is because we want to convert
them
c. real friendship is based upon:
~closeness
~ mutual interest
~ concern for each other
~ keeping confidences
d. unchurched guys are more desperate for meaningful relationships and less equipped
to find them
e. David W. Smith’s Men Without Friends suggests why:
- As a youngster, were encouraged to suppress emotions
- be competitive
- keep personal needs and longings deep inside
-have role models that are independent and impersonal\
9. They may trust authority, but is receptive to authentic Biblical leadership
a. turned off by:
-deceit
-greed
- arrogance
- self-promotion
-abuse of power
b. they response to:
-accountability and openness in financial dealings
-moderate lifestyle
-humbleness
-modest about achievements
-use influence to serve people in need
10. They are no longer loyal to denominations, but is attracted to places where his needs will
be met.
11. They are not much of a joiner, but are hungry for a cause he can connect to
12. Even though they may not be spiritually sensitive, they want to get quality moral training
13. They are confused about gender roles, but they don’t know what the Bible can clarify for
them what it means to be a man or woman
14. They are proud that they are tolerant of different faiths but think that Christians are
narrow-minded.
a. doesn’t sound smug or narrow
b. discusses the credentials of Christ
15. There’s a good chance they would try church if a friend invited them, but this may
actually do more harm than good
a. what will they find there?
b. remember that many stopped or don’t go for a reason
-services were boring
- predictable
-irrelevant
- after money
c. danger is that they may go and find that nothing has changed, or it was just as they
expected
