Teen Talk II, Lesson 3

Within the last year, three of my friends tried to commit suicide. Life was too much for them. They couldn't hack it. This world ate them up until their only thought of escape was death.

Loneliness is universal. It eats inside your system. It brings a vacuum of emptiness, a fear of death, a gnawing hunger of wanting to be understood and loved. Loneliness is a sickness. It hurts. For some it hurts so much that they do anything to run away from it.

You can have a million close friends and still be lonely. You can be the best looking, most popular, most successful person on earth and still be lonely. No matter what you do, where you go, or what you try to be, loneliness still eats your heart.

Lonely people need love: warm, flowing love...love can kill loneliness.

People desperately need to be loved! Every person needs to be loved by someone who is important to him.

Whatever your situation may be, there is a love which can fully satisfy you. It is a love which everyone may experience. What love is this? It is the love of God and the love of His Son, Jesus Christ.

The same girl who wrote about loneliness found the cure for her loneliness in God and His love. She wrote,

God is love. Jesus showed us God's love...He left the glories of Heaven to humble Himself in the fashion of a man, as God walking among men to show them His love. He was obedient all the way to the cross, but on the third day, love burst the bonds of death with resurrection power...Ask Jesus to come in right now and fill you with Himself, bringing love and mercy...He will take away your loneliness.

Every person needs to be loved.

THE WORLD'S GREATEST LOVE STORY

The world's greatest love story is found in the Bible. It is a true story and it concerns you and me. It is the story of God's love

This love story begins with the creation of man.
Of all the living creatures which God created, man has the highest place because he was created "in the image of God."

God gave man the ability to choose. He could choose to love and obey God or he could choose to disobey God and go his own way.

We know what happened: man chose to rebel against God and go his own way. This is true, not just of the first man, Adam, but of every one of us. The Bible says, "...we have turned every one to HIS OWN WAY..." Isaiah 53:6

Because of our rebellion and disobedience, we are separated from God and we do not experience His love.

Not only are we separated from God, but we have trouble getting along with each other. The reason for this is simple: We all want to have our own way. We all have something inside of us which says, "I will have my own way. I will do what I want to do!"

This attitude of selfishness and self-will is in the heart of every person and it is the root cause of all our troubles. It causes more family problems and destroys more marriages than any other one thing.

As long as we are going our own way and doing our own thing, we do not experience God's love. But God still loves us and seeks to bring us to Himself. That is why He sent His Son into the world.

Though He was the Son of God, Jesus chose to lay down His life for us. No one took Jesus' life from Him. He chose to lay it down. Jesus said, "I lay down My life, that I might take it again. No man takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself."

The death that Jesus died was a cruel and shameful death. Roman soldiers took off Jesus' shirt and tied His hands about a post. Jesus was beaten with a whip made up of many narrow leather strips. The soldiers wove sharp pieces of metal into the ends of these leather strips.

When Jesus was beaten with this whip, the sharp pieces of metal cut into His flesh. His back became a bleeding mass. Men mocked Him, spit on Him, and placed a crown of thorns on His head. He was compelled to carry a heavy cross to the place of His crucifixion.

Jesus was crucified at a place called Calvary. His hands and His feet were nailed to the cross. Two thieves were crucified with Jesus, one on His right side and the other on His left side. These men were very wicked. They were dying for their sins. But Jesus had no sins of His own. He was dying for our sins.

Many people do not understand why Jesus had to die on the cross. They say, "Why couldn't God just forgive us? Why did Jesus have to die? "

The reason God could not "just forgive us" is that God is the righteous Judge of the universe, and we have broken His laws. He has said, "The soul that sins, it shall die."

We have sinned; therefore, we deserve to die. God loves us and wants to forgive us, but He cannot be unrighteous. God always does what is right. The Bible says, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways." Because He is righteous, God cannot overlook our sins or pretend that He does not know about them.

How did God provide salvation for us and yet maintain His righteousness? He did it by taking our punishment upon Himself and paying the penalty of our sins.

An old man was brought into a court room. He was charged with stealing some bread. The judge asked him if he was guilty. The old man admitted that he was guilty, but he added, "I stole the bread because I was hungry."

The judge was a wise and kind man who loved people. He said to the man, "Sir, I am in sympathy with you, but we cannot permit people to steal because they are hungry. You have broken the law, and you will have to pay a fine or go to jail."

The old man shook his head and said, "I have no money."

Then the judge did a wonderful thing. He took off his robes as a judge and laid them on a chair and went down to where the man was standing. Placing his hand on the man's shoulder, he said, "As your judge I had to sentence you, but as your friend I want to pay your fine for you." The judge took money out of his own pocket and paid the man's fine.

We are like the man who had broken the law and could not pay. We have broken God's holy laws and we deserve to be punished. But God the Son loved us so much that He laid down His robes as our Judge and came into the world and died on the cross for our sins.

The most precious truth in all the Bible is that the Son of God loved us so much that He left Heaven, became a man and died on the cross for our sins.

Because Jesus Christ paid the just penalty of our sins, God can righteously forgive us when we trust Christ as our Savior. God does not overlook our sins or pretend that He does not know about them, but He forgives them because he sees the blood of His Son which was shed for them.

We should never doubt God's love for us. He has shown His love for us in giving His beloved Son to die for us.

If God loves us so much, why is it that we do not experience His love? The reason we do not experience God's love is that we are separated from Him. In order to have God's life and experience His love, we must be "born again." Jesus said,

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

What does it mean to be "born again"? It means to be born into God's family by a spiritual rebirth.

We cannot be born again physically but we can be born again spiritually. To be born again, we must repent of our sins and take the Lord Jesus as our Savior.

To repent means to "turn around." The reason we need to "turn around" is that we have been going the wrong way. We have not been going God's way. Instead, we have been going our own way. The Bible says, "We have turned every one to his own way.

When we are going our own way and doing our own thing, we cannot experience God's love. This is why the Bible says that we must repent or turn around.

Repentance is not shedding many tears over your sins. Many people weep and cry out to God and yet do not repent. Repentance is not going without food or afflicting your body. No one can get rid of his sins by doing these things.

Repentance is not just being sorry for your sins. A man in prison may be sorry that he is having to suffer for his wrongdoing. Yet, if he were released, he would go back to his old ways.

Repentance is not fear. Sometimes, in a time of great danger, men who have been accustomed to cursing may become quiet and even cry out to God for mercy. But when the danger is passed, they go back to their cursing. They have not repented.

Repentance is a "turn around." It's seeing that you have been wrong, being honest enough to admit it, and sensible enough to turn from it. This can take place in a moment's time.

Repentance is a change in your heart attitude that produces a change in your actions. One thing that helps to produce this change in us is seeing that it was our sins that put Jesus on the cross. A man told the following story of how, as a boy, he came to repent of the sin of stealing:

I was raised by my grandmother. She was a fine Christian lady and she loved me and I loved her. But when I was a boy, I had a bad habit of stealing. We were poor, and I took things that did not belong to me. My grandmother punished me about my stealing, but that did not stop me. When I saw something I wanted, I took it.

One day my grandmother called me over and said, "Son, I have been punishing you about this stealing and it hasn't seemed to do any good. I love you too much to let you continue doing this. The next time you come home with something that doesn't belong to you, I am going to take one of these knitting needles and heat it red hot in the fire. Then I am going to burn your thieving hand with it so badly that you will never forget it."

I didn't take anything for a long time. I knew my grandmother meant what she said. But in time I went back to my old ways. I came home with my pockets bulging. My grandmother noticed it, but at first she said nothing. Finally, however, she could stand it no longer.

"Empty your pockets!" ordered my grandmother. I did so. Out came a knife, two balls, a top, an eraser and some pennies.

"Son, where did you get those things?" No answer. Again, "Tell me, where did you get those things?" Still no reply. "Well, then, I shall do what I said I would," said my grandmother.

She went over and put the metal knitting needle into the fire. When it was red hot, she called me over and said, "Son, give me your hand."

I was trembling as I held out my hand, but I knew I was wrong. I knew that I deserved it. Then my grandmother paused and said, "Son, so that you may understand the seriousness of your wickedness, that you may comprehend it and never forget it, that you may be cured of it, an example must be made. Look now."

With that she opened her own hand, and drawing the knitting needle quickly from the fire, she plunged it through her own thin palm.

A little sizzling, a slight sharp odor, a little smoke. That was all. She drew it out again. Holding out her hand, she said, "Don't take your eyes from it."

That ended my stealing. From that day I realized the seriousness of my offense and what it cost one who loved me so dearly and one whom I loved.

What was it that caused the change in this boy's heart attitude? It was seeing how much his grandmother loved him and what she suffered for him.

When we see how much Christ loved us and what He suffered for us, it causes a change in our heart attitude. There is no greater love than the love which Christ has for us.

The Bible says,

"Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend."
John 15:13

In His Word God has told us that all who repent and take Christ as their Savior will be with Him forever in that beautiful place called Heaven. On the other hand, the Bible tells us plainly that God has prepared a place for those who do not want to love and obey Him. Hell is the eternal world of the rebellious and disobedient.

If you realize that you have been going the wrong way, there's only one thing to do: turn around and head the other way. You may say that you do not have much of a feeling, but God does not tell us to wait for some unusual feeling. He tells us to come to Him now.

You may say, "But how will God receive me after the way I have treated Him?" If you turn to Him in true repentance, He will receive you with love and forgiveness. The Lord Jesus made this clear in one of the most beautiful stories in all the Bible. We know it as the story of The Prodigal Son. We will read between the lines a little so we can better understand the story.

A certain man had two sons: and the younger of them said to his father, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth unto me. Father, I'd like to get my part of your estate."

"Why, son? Is something wrong?"

"No, not really, but I'm tired of this place, I want to live my own life. I want to be free."

And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country

As the son leaves home, he meets a stranger at the gate who greets him and asks, "What's your name, son?"

The son answered, "My name's Joe. What's yours?"

"Well, some people call me the devil, but I don't like that name, I don't look like the devil, do I?"

"No, you don't," said Joe. "You look like a very distinguished person to me."

'Well, I am, son. I've got lots of friends among the big shots. I helped them hit it rich. By the way, where are you going?"

"Oh, I'm going out to have myself a big time. I told my father to give me my goods so I could go out into the world and do what I wanted to do."

"Smartest move you ever made, son. You only go through life once, and you've got to grab for all you can get. If you're looking for a big time, I'm just the one to help you. I'll take you to where the action is and introduce you to some of my friends. "

In the far country, the devil introduces Joe to some new friends, "Hey, fellas, I want you to meet Joe."

"Oh, hello Joe,"

"Fellas, Joe has lots of money and he wants to have a big time."

"Oh, Joe! So glad to meet you! You're just the fellow we're looking for. We're planning a big party tonight, and we want you to come and be the guest of honor. (We want you to pay for it, too!)"

There he wasted his substance with riotious living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

Joe has spent all his money. Now he's looking for some of his friends to help him.

"Jim, I'm sort of low on money. Could you lend me a hundred dollars?"

"Sorry, Joe, but I'm sort of broke myself. I sure wish I could help you, but you know how it is."

He goes to another friend, "Mike, you know I picked up the check on all those parties we had. Now, I'm broke. Could you lend me some money?"

"I'm sorry to hear that you're broke, Joe, but I can't help you. I've got to look out for myself."

Joe decides to see if he can borrow some money from the bartender. "Mr. Bartender, you know I've spent a lot of money in your place. Now I'm needing a little help. Could you make me a little loan until I can get a job? I'll pay you back."

"Sorry, kid, but I'm not in the lending business. If I lent money to every no-count bum like you, I'd be in the poor house myself."

"Well, could you just let me eat here awhile? I'll pay you as soon as I can."

"Sorry, kid - no money, no food. Business is business."

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

"Sir, I need a job."

"Sorry, kid, but I can't hire you. We're in a famine and things are tough."

"Mister, I've got to have a job. I don't care about any pay if you'll just give me something to eat. I haven't eaten in two days. I'll do anything."

"Well, since you put it like that, I'll give you something to do. I've got some hogs that need to be tended. You do a good job, and I'll try to give you something to eat."

While looking after the hogs, Joe begins to think, "Man, what a fool I've been. I left my good home where I had everything I could want. Now, I've spent all my money and I'm so hungry I could eat that stuff I'm feeding the hogs."

And when he came to himself, he said, "How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger!

"I will arise and go to my Father, and will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before you, and am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants."

"Man, I sure wish I was back home. My father's servants are a hundred times better off than I am. They have good houses and plenty to eat, and here I am starving to death. I wonder if my father would ever forgive me after the way I've lived. I'm not worthy to be his son anymore. I'd be glad just to be one of his hired servants. I think I'll go back and tell him what a fool I've been. I'll ask him to forgive me and let me be one of his servants."

And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

As Joe comes into sight of his old home place, his father sees him and says,

"Oh, I wonder if that's Joe. It does look like him. Yes, it is him! I recognize that walk." The father runs to meet him, throws his arms around him, and says,

"Oh, my son, you've come back!"

With tears in his eyes, Joe says, "Father, I'm so ashamed of myself. I've sinned against God and against you. I'm not worthy to be called your son any more, but if you'll let me, I'll be one of your hired servants."

It seems as though the father doesn't even hear Joe. He exclaims,

"Oh, my son, you're home! You're home! Servants, go get the best robe I have and put it on my son. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Go get the prize calf, kill it, and let's celebrate with a feast. My son was dead, and he's alive again. He was lost and now he is found."

Jesus gave us this beautiful story to show us how much God loves us and how He will receive us when we come to Him. Now the question is: Where are you? Are you in "the far country"- away from the Father's house? Why not come home to Him?

You don't have to say some fancy prayer. God likes plain talk that comes from the heart. Just say to Him, "Father, I have sinned against You. I have been a selfish, rebellious person, but I'm coming home to You. Please forgive me of my sins for Jesus' sake."

Questions