The Holy Spirit, YTH Ministry, & Gen Z

The most important relationship a teenager has on the earth today is the Holy Spirit – it is not their mom or dad, their brother or sister, their grandma or grandfather, or their bae or Bestie.

Let’s talk about The Holy Spirit & Teenagers

Gen Z & The Holy Spirit

Gen Z is considered the supernatural generation. One of their characteristic traits is their love of the supernatural. You can see it in the movies, the music, and the gaming of teenagers today.

The supernatural is the missing relationship in our generation with God. And the role the Holy Spirit plays in this common shared trait is clear. It seems like the perfect set up…That one of the characteristic traits of GEN Z would also be one of the characteristic traits of Christianity.

In our Christian lives we often will pray to our heavenly Father in the name of Jesus the Son. But, let us not forget that God is also active in our lives through the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is how God introduces himself in this era we are living in today. It is clear in church history that the Holy Spirit has used a young person in every generation.

From Moses to joshua to Joseph to Esther to David to Daniel and the prophets, the Holy Spirit has rested upon each of them to change their world.

In the New Testament the Holy Spirit came upon young people. His Spirit came upon Peter and the Disciples, Timothy, and don’t forget even Jesus Himself was moved upon by the Holy Spirit.

In the modern-day stories of the great preachers of the awakenings, Corrie TenBoom saving hundreds of people during the holocaust, Billy Graham preaching around the world, One Young World of teens helping refugees globally, and the middle school girl who all by herself started See You At The Pole – the largest teenage prayer mtg the history of mankind!

Now More Than Ever

And given the sort of culture we live in today and the condition of America, there may never be a more important time in history when the Holy Spirit is needed.

The main purpose of the Holy Spirit was to come alongside of believers when Jesus ascended to heaven. His role was to give Christians power to be effective witnesses for Christ.

I believe the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit is exactly what is needed to connect and breakthrough in this world today.

Let me define what I believe is a great illustration of the mindset of people when it comes to the Holy Spirit:

The Holy Spirit can be graphically pictured in the simple illustration of the personality differences between a pigeon and a dove.

For example, a PIGEON…Known as a bother on crowded busy streets, belligerent, noisy, territorial, will mate with many other pigeons, dirty, and quarrelsome.

But look at another bird - actually used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

A DOVE…known as a symbol of peace, never fights, can’t stand noise, are not territorial, mate with only one partner, and can be wooed and taught to wrest upon your arm.

What is your opinion or view of the Holy Spirit? Is our spiritual depth and understanding of the Holy Spirit more representative of the "pigeon" or the “dove”?

The Holy Spirit and Awakenings in Church History

The awakening we need in America will begin when the church returns to that biblical relationship with the Holy Spirit that is set forth in the Bible.

A Glossary of terms or understanding will help as we define the Holy Spirit:

1. The Holy Spirit is not an “it” or a “thing” or a “movement”

2. The Holy Spirit is a person

3. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity

4. The Holy Spirit has many roles: Power is the initial SPIRITUAL evidence of the Holy Spirit upon our lives, and He is a Comforter, a Helper, and He convicts us of sin and guides us in truth

5. The Holy Spirit has many gifts: Speaking in tongues is the initial SPIRITUAL evidence upon our lives. And He gifts us faith, miracles, healing, wisdom, knowledge, prophecy, administration, and encouragement.

Let me answering three important questions:
 
Question #1 - “If I am saved, do I need the Holy Spirit again?”  

The Holy Spirit begins His work in us with repentance AND salvation. But He extends His work in us through righteousness AND declaration.

Acts 1:4-5 says, “John truly baptized with water…but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now…” 
 
Acts 19:1-5 says, “…they had only been baptized into John’s baptism…and when they heard this they were baptized in the name of Christ Jesus and the Spirit.” 
 
John 14-16, Jesus says 4 times that the Holy Spirit is our Helper and advantage, “…it is to your advantage that I go away…the Helper will come to you.”

John 7:37-39 says, “…He spoke of the Spirit, whom those that believed would receive….”

Jesus is talking to His disciples who are already “born again”.

Question #2 - "Isn’t the HS and speaking in tongues evil or of the devil?" 


Acts 2:2 says, “…and they were all in unity and suddenly there came FROM HEAVEN…” 
 
The origination of this gift came in a prayer meeting and from God! That doesn’t sound evil.


Acts 8:19 says, “…give me this power…” (spoken by a pagan magician) 
 
Speaking of Simon, the sorcerer, if it came from hell or was evil, don’t you think that as a sorcerer he would have known of this? 


Luke 11:9-13 says, “…God will not give you something evil, but, something good.”
 
Every good and perfect gift comes from the Father above!

Question #3 - "Wasn’t the Holy Spirit just for the apostles?" 


Luke 24:49 says, “…Behold, I send the Promise of My Father…” 
 
The Holy Spirit came from God, through Jesus. He was not an apostolic gift, He was a messianic gift! 



Acts 2:38-39 says, “…repent and let each one of you receive…for the promise is for you and your children…and as many as the Lord our God shall call.” 
 
The apostolic age ended when the apostle’s died off (around the first century). But Peter said He was for all who are to come. 


Also, since Jesus is the originator of the Holy Spirit and He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the Holy Spirit must be for all time and for all mankind. 
One more thing … Is healing for today? Is prophecy for today? Is salvation for today? To answer yes is to confirm the role of the Spirit in each of these vital areas in America also.

If the gifts of the Holy Spirit are for today, then why would the Holy Spirit not before today?

Finally

The most important relationship we have on earth today is the Holy Spirit. He has been knocking on the door of the church for 2000 years. I think it’s time we answer the door. And build our relationship with the Holy Spirit so that we would know God generation.