Don't Get It Twisted!
Written by:
Rev. Dr. Curtis W. Wallace
Ecclesiastes 11:9-12:1; Luke 6:25

The promises of God are one of the most important facets in the lives of Christians. However, we need to understand that the promises of God are directly related to our obedience. We cannot disobey our way into the promises of God! And this is a lesson that our children need to learn early in life!

This message will either comfort the disturbed or it will disturb the comfortable, but it is incumbent upon me to inform you that God has a standard of holiness and righteousness. Ergo, you can't live any kind of way, and expect God to bless you.

For the past few years, God has burdened my heart concerning our young people, and the trials that they are experiencing in society. A few weeks ago, I opened Ebony magazine and read an article with disturbing information about the effect that Hip-Hop music is having on our young women. However, the truth of the matter is that this music is affecting our young people in general.

Hip-Hop music came into existence during the mid 1970's and is one of the few genres of music that did not stem from Gospel or spiritual music. While most Hip-Hop artists claim to be a voice of the people, the truth is they are doing insurmountable damage to our communities and our children, and someone has to speak out about it!

Whether you know it or not, or even believe it or not, we are living in perilous times! We are living in a time where:
…Money has become a god
…Entertainment has become an idolÉand
…Movie stars are being worshiped

We are living in perilous times, where:
…Students run the schools
…Children run the homesÉand
…The ungodly are trying to run the churches!

Jesus said we would be laughing at things that we should be crying over, and that is precisely what's happening today! This passage in Luke expounds on the dangers of wealth, because the rich are often lulled into a false sense of security.

The laughter that is discussed in this passage is not a joyful laughter. It is the laughter of a fool who is unaware of what is going on around him - and unconcerned about Kingdom priorities! Right now, we've got folks who are laughing about…
…Laws being broken
…Authority being ignored
…Freedom being revokedÉand
…Rights being abused

But the day will come when the laughter will turn to weeping, and that's where our society is headed if we donÕt WAKE UP and take control of what is happening to our children!

Too many of us are laughing, and I don't know about you, but…
…When we've got kids who can recite every line to a rap song, and yet, they are failing most of their classes in schoolÉIt's not funny!

…When every other song on the radio refers to our women in terms that are synonymous with female dogs and garden toolsÉIt's not funny!

…When 40% of our teenage girls ages 14 to 17 say that they know someone their age that has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend…It's not funny!

…When we're losing approximately 15 kids per day because murder is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24…It's not funny!

…When more children between the ages of 12 to 24 die from gun violence than from a car wreck…It's not funny!

Our children are…
…Struggling
…Battling
…BickeringÉand
…Fighting for their very survival
…and it's…not…funny!

The writer of Ecclesiastes gives us sound advice so that we "Don't Get It Twisted!" It is believed that Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon. He was the son of King David, and while he had great achievements throughout his life, he also had great failures. Ecclesiastes is written from the vantage point of giving advice about lessons learned throughout life.

The message of Ecclesiastes is as relevant today as it was back then. Solomon saw injustice, crooked politics, incompetent leaders, and rampant materialism. We're seeing the same things today!

He urges young people to accept Christ because no matter how much prestige, power, money or fame you attain, it is vanity without God! Solomon uses the word "vanity" 38 times throughout the book. It is the Hebrew word "hevel," which means "emptiness, futility, or vapor." Whatever disappears quickly and doesn't satisfy is vanity.

In this text, Solomon instructs young people to do 3 things: Rejoice, Remove and Remember.

Rejoice: Young people should rejoice in their youth. Youthfulness is comprised of strength, optimism, dreams and hopes, and young people, need to relish those gifts from God. When you're young, you have the opportunity to plan, to try new things, and to explore new opportunities.

Earlier, I stated that this sermon might disturb the comfortable, so just let me throw this in parenthetically: One of the problems that we have today is that weÕve got too many grown folks wanting to be young!

God expects young people to act like young people, but the tragedy is that too many grown folks are trying to act like young people - and some of us need to check ourselves! In order to make this plain, here are some guidelines to determine whether or not we are behaving appropriately as adults:
…If you and your child can share the same clothes…check yourself!

…If you can name more rap artists than your child can…check yourself!

… If you are more concerned about being friends with your child than being their parent…check yourself!

… If your child comes to you to ask for advice on which club to go to…check yourself!

We must serve as role models for our children, so that they learn how to value the things of God! Therefore, if we want truth in the home, we must tell it! If we want understanding in the home, we must give it! And, if we want forgiveness in the home, we must grant it!

We must start parenting our children because their souls are at stake! The reason why the Hip-Hop artists can come in and dominate their minds and capture their attention is because weÕre too busy focusing on other things besidesÉourÉchildren! We've got to give them a reason to rejoice!

Solomon shares that while young people are rejoicing, they must remember that they will ultimately be held accountable to God for their actions. In other words, don't get it twisted! God wants them to enjoy their youth, and to make the most of it, but they cannot forget that they are ultimately responsible for every decision they make! They must live their lives with eternity in view!

Remove: Rejoicing is followed by removing. Now, I know someone is wondering Òremove what?Ó and I'm glad you asked! Verse 10 says they need to remove sorrow and put away evil from their flesh.

Some of our young people are full of sorrow. At tender young ages, they are bitter and resentful about what they have, where they are, and what their parents are asking of them. They want to…
…Do their own thing
…Have their own way
…Go their own directionÉand
…Live their own lives

However, if they ignore the commands of God and go down the wrong path, they will quickly find out that it doesnÕt take long for this world to devastate, disappoint, and destroy.

Youth is a wonderful time of life, but they cannot waste it by living foolishly! There are some mistakes that will last a lifetime! They can't run with the wrong crowd or get into trouble just to make friends or to be popular! If people insist on them doing wrong in order to be a part of their group, they are NOT the kind of friends they want!

And as far as our young women are concerned, we need to teach them that they are not defined by a label! What they are called does not determine who they are! They are blood-bought, redeemed children of God, and that is the core of their identity! They are daughters of the King, and jewels in His crown! They are precious in the sight of God!
Solomon says to remove sorrow and put away evil! In other words, our young people need to build good habits of health and holiness while they are young. That way, as they grow older, they will have nothing to fear or be ashamed of!

Remember: The last instruction that Solomon gives in this passage is to remember. Now, understand that this word means more than just thinking about God. This word means "to pay attention to God with the intent of obeying Him."

When you are young, it is easy to get caught up in the activities and opportunities of youth, but our children need to have a good spiritual foundation to guide them through life. That is why Bible study and youth ministry activities are so important! Our children need to remember who God is and who they are destined to be in Christ!

As adults, we need to be reminded that it's our responsibility to talk about God to our children! Whether they like it or not, we have to teach them the importance of doing right and avoiding wrong! However, we can't just tell them what to do - we have to tell them why it is important!

After we finish explaining their responsibilities, we need to teach them how to praise God and then tell them about His goodness!

In conclusion, the story is told of a young man who was confronted by a gang member who was trying to get him to join a gang. The Gang Member said, "Hey, Homey! If you want to be down like me, you need to quit trippin' and come correct!" The Young Man said, "I don't have to be like you to be down! I'm tight and my stuff is already right!" The Gang Member said, "Boy, quit frontin'! You ain't nobody until I say you're somebody!" The young man was quiet for a minute, but before he knew it, God had spoken to his spirit, and given him the words to say. The Young Man said: "Alright, Playa! I don't mean any dis', but before I come over to your side, can you raise that cap up, lift your shirt up, and hold your hands out?" The Gang Member said, "What?!?! Why do I need to do that?" The Young Man said, "You told me that I wasn't anybody until you said I was somebody, but I need you to raise your cap, lift your shirt, and show your hands, because the One who made me somebody has…
…Scars from the crown of thorns they placed on His head!
…Wounds where they pierced Him in the side…and
…Holes where they nailed Him to the cross!
And if you ain't got that….Holla!"

Don't get it twisted!!! Our young people need to know that they are already somebody - and nobody can take that away from them! Our children need to know that we understand what they're going through, and that the Church is behind them, and is here to support them!

The church has always been able to accomplish great things in society, but we cannot fix, what we won't face! We need to recognize that the lives of our children are at stake, and it's going to take all of us working together to keep them off of Satan's destructive path!

We need to teach them the importance of making choices when they are young. They will either live for Christ or they won't. They will either serve the gods of this world or they will serve Almighty God. They will either live lives of vanity or lives of victory?

Don't Get it Twisted! It all begins with a choice. Choose wisely. Choose carefully. Choose God.

Dr. Curtis W. Wallace is the Senior Pastor/Teacher of the Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Changing World Wide Ministries, a division of Curtis W. Wallace Ministries.