Empowering Future Leaders Through Faith and Revival
Summary
In this message, I shared the vision and mission of Christian Union, an organization dedicated to spiritual revival and leadership development among students at Ivy League universities. The focus is on equipping future global leaders with a deep understanding of the Word of God, preparing them to influence their nations positively. The initiative began at Princeton University, founded by Matt Bennett, with a passion for seeing the nation spiritually revived. The strategy involves saturating students with biblical teachings and fostering a culture of seeking God through prayer and repentance.
I highlighted the importance of targeting Ivy League schools, as many of the world's leaders, tech innovators, and justices are alumni of these institutions. By reaching these students, we aim to impact nations as they return to their home countries. I shared inspiring stories from the Fiji Islands, where entire villages turned to Christ through collective prayer and repentance, leading to tangible blessings like abundant fishing. This model of seeking God and experiencing revival is mirrored in our efforts at universities.
At Yale, for instance, we witnessed a Chinese international student eager to bring the knowledge of God back to his nation, despite restrictions. This underscores the power of personal encounters with God and the role of universities as mission fields. The challenges faced by students, such as high stress and societal pressures, are addressed by providing a space for them to unwind and engage with the truth of Scripture.
Christian Union emphasizes intellectual engagement alongside spiritual growth, offering Bible courses and fostering a lifestyle of seeking God. We encourage students to integrate their faith into their future roles in the marketplace and government. Our initiatives include starting 250 worship nights across major cities, connecting alumni with mentors, and hosting retreats and conferences focused on spiritual growth and empowerment.
Ultimately, the goal is to create a culture where students belong before they believe, experiencing the love and power of God firsthand. This approach challenges the status quo and encourages boldness in living out one's faith, even in environments resistant to change.
Key Takeaways:
1. Strategic Influence through Education: By focusing on Ivy League schools, we aim to influence future global leaders with the Word of God, preparing them to impact their nations positively. This strategic approach leverages the unique opportunity to reach students who will become influential figures worldwide. [03:45]
2. Revival through Collective Seeking: The example from the Fiji Islands demonstrates the power of collective prayer and repentance in bringing about spiritual and tangible blessings. This model inspires our efforts to foster revival through intentional seeking of God in our communities. [08:30]
3. Personal Encounters with God: Stories like the Chinese student's desire to bring God back to his nation highlight the transformative power of personal encounters with God. These experiences underscore the importance of creating spaces for students to encounter the divine. [14:20]
4. Integrating Faith and Leadership: Christian Union emphasizes the integration of faith into future leadership roles, preparing students to be influential in both the marketplace and government. This holistic approach equips them to lead with integrity and purpose. [22:10]
5. Belonging Before Believing: Creating a culture where students feel they belong before they believe fosters genuine spiritual growth. This approach mirrors Jesus' ministry and encourages a welcoming environment for seekers and skeptics alike. [34:50]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:30] - Vision for Revival
[03:45] - Strategic Influence through Education
[08:30] - Revival through Collective Seeking
[14:20] - Personal Encounters with God
[16:28] - Integrating Faith and Leadership
[22:10] - Empowering Future Leaders
[28:25] - Supporting the Mission
[34:50] - Belonging Before Believing
[40:00] - Boldness in Faith
[45:00] - Conclusion and Call to Action
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
2. Genesis 1:27 - "So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."
3. Daniel 6:10 - "Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before."
#### Observation Questions
1. What is the significance of targeting Ivy League schools for spiritual revival according to the sermon? [03:45]
2. How did the example from the Fiji Islands illustrate the power of collective prayer and repentance? [08:30]
3. What was the response of the Chinese international student at Yale when he encountered God? [14:20]
4. How does Christian Union integrate faith into future leadership roles for students? [22:10]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does the promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 relate to the concept of revival discussed in the sermon? [08:30]
2. In what ways does Genesis 1:27 challenge the societal pressures faced by students, as mentioned in the sermon? [16:28]
3. How does Daniel's example of prayer and seeking God in Daniel 6:10 inspire the practices encouraged by Christian Union? [22:10]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of creating a culture of belonging before believing? [34:50]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on the strategic influence of education. How can you leverage your current educational or professional environment to influence others positively with your faith? [03:45]
2. Consider the example from the Fiji Islands. How can you incorporate collective prayer and repentance into your community or small group? [08:30]
3. Think about a personal encounter with God that transformed you. How can you create opportunities for others to have similar experiences? [14:20]
4. How can you integrate your faith into your current or future leadership roles, whether in the marketplace or government? [22:10]
5. Reflect on the idea of belonging before believing. How can you create a welcoming environment for seekers and skeptics in your community or church? [34:50]
6. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel societal pressure. How can the truth of Genesis 1:27 help you navigate this pressure? [16:28]
7. What steps can you take to develop a lifestyle of seeking God, similar to the practices encouraged by Christian Union? [22:10]
Devotional
Day 1: Strategic Influence through Education
The Christian Union's focus on Ivy League schools is a strategic effort to influence future global leaders with the Word of God. By equipping students with a deep understanding of biblical teachings, the organization aims to prepare them to positively impact their nations. This approach leverages the unique opportunity to reach students who will become influential figures worldwide, fostering a generation of leaders who integrate their faith into their professional and personal lives. The initiative began at Princeton University and has expanded to other Ivy League institutions, emphasizing the importance of targeting these schools where many of the world's leaders, tech innovators, and justices are alumni. [03:45]
"For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14, ESV)
Reflection: Consider the influence you have in your current environment. How can you use your position to share the knowledge of God with those around you today?
Day 2: Revival through Collective Seeking
The power of collective prayer and repentance is vividly illustrated by the example from the Fiji Islands, where entire villages turned to Christ, resulting in both spiritual and tangible blessings. This model of seeking God and experiencing revival is mirrored in the efforts at universities, where students are encouraged to engage in intentional seeking of God through prayer and repentance. The Christian Union believes that such collective spiritual pursuits can lead to profound transformations in communities, inspiring others to seek God earnestly. [08:30]
"If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14, ESV)
Reflection: Think about a community or group you are part of. How can you initiate or participate in collective prayer and repentance to seek God's presence and blessings?
Day 3: Personal Encounters with God
Personal encounters with God have the power to transform lives, as seen in the story of a Chinese international student at Yale who was eager to bring the knowledge of God back to his nation despite restrictions. These experiences underscore the importance of creating spaces for students to encounter the divine, allowing them to experience God's love and power firsthand. Universities serve as mission fields where students can have transformative encounters with God, equipping them to carry their faith into their future endeavors. [14:20]
"And you will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt a personal encounter with God. How can you create space in your daily life to seek and experience His presence more deeply?
Day 4: Integrating Faith and Leadership
Christian Union emphasizes the integration of faith into future leadership roles, preparing students to be influential in both the marketplace and government. This holistic approach equips them to lead with integrity and purpose, encouraging them to incorporate their faith into their professional lives. By fostering intellectual engagement alongside spiritual growth, the organization aims to develop leaders who are not only skilled but also grounded in their faith, ready to make a positive impact in their respective fields. [22:10]
"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16, ESV)
Reflection: Identify one area in your professional or personal life where you can integrate your faith more fully. What steps can you take today to let your light shine in that area?
Day 5: Belonging Before Believing
Creating a culture where students feel they belong before they believe fosters genuine spiritual growth. This approach mirrors Jesus' ministry and encourages a welcoming environment for seekers and skeptics alike. By emphasizing belonging, Christian Union aims to create spaces where individuals can experience the love and power of God firsthand, challenging the status quo and encouraging boldness in living out one's faith, even in environments resistant to change. [34:50]
"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God." (Romans 15:7, ESV)
Reflection: Think of someone in your life who may feel like an outsider. How can you extend a sense of belonging to them today, reflecting the welcoming nature of Christ?
Quotes
"Christian Union started about 21 years ago out of Princeton University by a man named Matt Bennett, and he just had a passion to see the nation spiritually revived and permeate all corners marked by the presence of God. He saw that all these students would come from all over the world and they would come to these top schools. Roughly two-thirds of our current world leaders, tech leaders, supreme court justices all graduated from these schools. What better place to find people and saturate them with the word of God and see them come to Christ?" [00:04:01]
"Years ago, there was a ministry out in the Fiji Islands that actually saw revival. Chronicles talks about, 'If my people will seek God and repent and turn away from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, hear their cry, and heal their land.' In the Fiji Islands, a group of people would pray together, seek the Lord, and say, 'What village do we want to go to next?' They would go into that village and say, 'If all the leaders commit to seeking God for the next four weeks, fasting and praying, then we'll come to your village and seek God with you.'" [00:08:33]
"This past weekend, we had an event at Yale, a two-day event of worship and prayer, seeking the Lord. On Friday night, a student came out in the lobby and said, 'How do I bring this God that you talk about back to my nation?' I asked, 'Where are you from?' He said, 'I'm a Chinese international student, and my country has cut me off from hearing about God. This is the second time I've been in a Christian church, and if this is real, I want this.' We prayed for him, and he fell to his knees, raising his hand, saying, 'I want to be the one that brings China back to God.'" [00:05:33]
"In the northeast, it's an anomaly to have churches larger than a hundred people. Many churches are smaller; they call the northeast the frozen chosen. Colleges tend to be the same, where Christians are a small amount, yet fervent for the Lord. When I first came to Yale, a handful of people would seek the Lord every morning, saying, 'God, we want believers to come and be leaders at this campus. We need to see a great move of the Holy Spirit on this campus.'" [00:09:29]
"Christian Union believes in organizational excellence and using the intellect that God gave you. You look at Daniel; he was in the government, appointed at high levels. What did he do? He prayed, sought the Lord, and set himself apart for the purposes of the Lord. He didn't set his intellect aside. In fact, he went deeper, saying, 'God, you need to give me the wisdom I need to stand for truth.' We talk about this with our students, offering Bible courses nearly every day, separated by gender and grade." [00:16:07]
"We are launching a project over the next five to seven years to start 250 worship nights every month across major metropolitan areas across the nation. We are doing that by looking at where our alumni currently are and what cities they've gone to, primarily LA, New York City, Dallas. We connect them with a mentor, generally 20, 30 years older, to get them settled into those places. We also have fire retreats, a day and a half where people can link in online, with speakers like Oz Guinness." [00:19:17]
"One of the great things about the university, about Christian Union, about our alumni, is that they experience the living God. It's not just the intellectual rigor, which we have. We go deep, talk, wrestle with them, and every year we have freshman campaigns, bringing as many freshmen as want to go to our fall retreat. In our last fall retreat, we had triple the numbers we had two years ago. Students were singing, worshiping, and praying until four or five o'clock in the morning." [00:22:01]
"While that was happening, there was a student who was an agnostic. He had never heard about the Lord; his parents never told him about the Lord. While sitting there, he said, 'I feel like an imposter. You guys are praying, worshiping, crying, and something is moving you, but I don't understand. I can't see what you're talking about. But one thing I can't get away from is I feel this incredible love, and it's not human. Can you tell me what this is?'" [00:23:20]
"What's interesting about Jesus is the disciples belonged before they believed. It's amazing because we're always like, 'Hey, you need to believe, and then you can be a part of our church.' All throughout scripture, you see this. That is what we do at the university; we want them to belong, see the love of Christ, hear the intellect of Christ and the word, and they will believe." [00:24:04]
"When Jesus comes on the scene, there is a disruption. You can't get away from it. Students come in contact with the presence of the living God, wanting to go throughout the campus, sidewalk chalking scriptures or events. The campus is essentially pushing that away, but they're also receptive. They want to help out as long as there isn't any disruption. But hey, that's what Jesus does. He disrupts our lives." [00:25:56]
"There's a boldness, right? God calls us to be bold and courageous. Gideon, rise up, oh mighty man of power, mighty man of resources. There's a boldness that is required. Students are coming to get an education, to be power leaders throughout the world. God also wants his people to be power leaders, but just a different power. One institution, you'll get one power; from the Holy Spirit, you'll get another." [00:27:21]
"We are going into 250 locations and having events every single month. We would love for you to partner with us. You can go to christianunion.org and donate. You can give as much as you want, as little as you want, even a five-dollar gift works. We are setting up worship nights across the United States, and we want to be a part of this too." [00:28:49]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained only on this specific sermon. Do you have any questions about it?