From Generation to Generation

Intro:

Introduce myself to congregation and thank them for loving on my family and being such a great support to us.

Why I have passion for the next generation. -An adult showed me the full life that is found in Jesus in my high School years. Made a huge impact on me!

Our main focus in this series - “Everything we build the houses of our hearts on, apart from the truth of Scripture - and the Person of Jesus Christ will fail us".

Clarify what we mean by “household” and “family”

Even though the primary disciple makers are the parents, the call of discipleship is not just to be on the shoulders of parents. It is the call for every believer.

The call to raise up and disciple the next generation is a responsibility to all who are in the Body of Christ.

What is the Household of faith made up of?

Ephesians 2:19 ESV

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

Church, the spiritual well-being of the children, the teenagers, the young adults is laid upon all who belong in the Household of God.

As we read the passage that we are looking at this morning, I want all of us to feel the weight of the command... because it is not just on the shoulders of parents, but we as the Household of God are responsible for the next generation…

If we as a church say that we really want to live out the saying, "we are a church family”, then we must all see that we have a part in raising up the next generation.

If you are able let us stand in the reading of God’s Word.

Bible: Read Duet. 6:1-9 ( read a loud with me starting in verse 4. When you read Israel, say “North Canton Chapel”)

Deuteronomy 6:1–6 (ESV)

“Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the rules—that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it, that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.

Shema- A Jewish prayer that was used to educate the people of Israel about who God is and what they were called to do. This would be used to educate the next generation of their covenant with God.

This was discipleship before the word discipleship was ever formed. They viewed the Shema as an essential part of their personal life and family’s life.

So you are probably thinking, great. Sounds good, but let’s dive into practical discipleship. Tell me what we need to do to teach the next generation about Jesus.

Another way I have heard it is like this....This generation doesn’t know what they’re doing… They are messed up…- “Let’s figure out how we can fix the next generation....”

If you are anything like me, you know the urge to fix a problem. While this mentality might not apply to all of you, you know what I am talking about.

You see your wife upset and ask what is wrong in a very sincere and loving way, and she tells you and as soon as she finishes, you give her a 3 step plan to fix the issue. Abbi will tell you, I am guilty of that more times then I would like to say… But she will also admit that she is not innocent of this either.

I think we can have that same mentality when it comes to discipleship as well.. “Listen young generation , here are the 3 things you need to do to fix your problems.. you are a mess, if you only would do what i told you, you would be better off like my generation...”

The reality is that we we cannot think of discipleship that way…we cannot come at it with a mindset of “first, I need to start with you…I need to fix you...”

Before we can even talk about discipleship of the next generation, we can not start with how do we fix them..or how create steps into making them love Jesus and His Word...

Takeaway: If we want to see the next generation build their life upon Jesus and His Word then it must start with us.

You and I must cultivate a heart of awe and reverence of who our God is (this is what Moses means by fearing God).

We must pick up our own cross and follow Him. We can never expect the younger generation to live out a faith that we ourselves are not living.

One of my professors at Moody said something that has stuck with me ---”You create the kind of disciple that you are”.

I want us to sit in that thought like I did hearing it for the first time...It has a weight to it doesn’t it…that the way you and I follow Jesus, the way you and I model Jesus in our every day life will be what we pass on to those who are after us.

This is what Moses is referring to when he says that “you and your son and your son’s son”. The life that you model to your children, will not only be passed on to your children, but to their children.

”Parents, what are the values that you would like to see in your grandchildren?

What are the things that you wish that they would pursue?

What kind of priorities do you wish to see them?

Because the kind of faith you model to them, will also be passed on to their children.

Therefore church, it is crucial that before we can talk about how to disciple the next generation, it must start with us pursuing Jesus with our whole self and cultivating a heart that loves Him above anything else.

If you know anything about the history of Israel, you know that they were not a perfect people. Even though they were chosen, and commanded to obey out of love and reverence to the God who chose them and delivered them time and time again, they did not always obey.

They often were forgetful and distracted. They were enticed by their own sinful flesh to partake in things that were in disobedience to God.

So command is being said after the Israel was freed from Egypt and before they were to enter the Land that God was going to give them.

But before they do, they are given a command to focus their eyes and hearts to God and to remember what He had done for them.

This command was crucial, because they would be going into a land in which did not worship God as the one and only true God.

He says “be careful to do them” for He knows how prone humans are to wander off and be distracted by the things of the flesh ever since the fall in Genesis 3.

Distractions would be everywhere... and the same is for us today.

Is not every aspect of this world marred by the ugliness of sin?

Does not this world call out to you seek the things of the flesh and live your days in a endless pursuit of fleeting happiness?

Does not the world around you seek to say, “follow your own heart..” or “live by YOUR truth”

Because the world of younger generation is flooded with these distractions...

If we are not careful, we will give an ear to them, and then we start to give our focus to them, and before we know it, we are knee deep in sin..

The greatest tool that our enemy has is distraction…Our enemy has no power over the power of Jesus’ work on the cross, the enemy has already loss.

There is no great comeback story for the enemy, His fate is sealed. Our salvation secured.

But the danger is that we can be distracted from being obedient and cultivating a love for Jesus in our own life and as a result, we miss out on the full and joyful life that comes from being fully devoted to Jesus Christ in every area of our life.

If we are not careful, like moses is warning Israel, we can fall into what is known as spiritual apathy.

Our hearts can become cold, indifferent, and lose excitement to read our Bible, pray, come to church, and so on. We often use the phrase, “ I feel far from God” to put this feeling into words.

Here is the reality, we all will experience it at one point in our walk with Jesus... and it is crucial that we overcome this if we want to disciple the next generation.

One of the leading factors of Israel’s spiritual apathy was forgetfulness.

You see, spiritual apathy leads to forgetfulness. We lose focus on what matters according to God’s word. We lose focus in seeking the things that bring us joy in Jesus. Our priorities for our own life and ultimately our family’s life changes from devotion to God, to devotion to self.

Often, these distractions are not necessarily bad or for that matter sinful, but over time they slowly take over our life, our schedules, and our priorities.

Instead of our faith dictating our daily rhythms, we let out our schedules dictate our faith....

One of the ways we fight this is that we get back to making God’s word essential in our lives.

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

We need to let it saturate in our hearts, souls and minds.

We need to meditate on it and pray on it,

Out of that time in God’s word, we must practice a daily rhythm of repentance of sin.

Along with all of of that, we must, as one pastor put it, fill our lives with things that “stirs our affections to Jesus”.

That could be worship, community, time alone on a walk, journaling, and so on.

For me it is grabbing a cup of coffee and talking about Jesus with people at a coffee shop.

What is that for you? What do you do that cultivates a love and reverence for Jesus?

If you are in a place today where you could say .. I feel myself drifting from the joy that is found in Jesus…It is never to late to run back to feet of Jesus.

Know that there is grace that never runs dry. God does not desire perfectionism...he desires the pursuit of holiness in our lives as we seek to become more like Jesus in every aspect of our lives.

This is the life that Moses talks about in heart of the Shema, that you and I love God with all our heart, soul, and minds. That we pursue holiness.

This is what Jesus says is the greatest thing you can do in the NT

This is why Moses is not calling the people to just pass on some some knowledge of who God is. WHY?-Because we do not because we know is right and/or wrong, but we do by what we love

CFA Example

We must understand that is it important to realize WHAT we are discipling the next generation to. Moses is not saying for us to build our lives and our children's lives around being a good moral person who knows right or wrong, but building upon a love for Jesus as Savior and Lord. A life that is dependent on Jesus.

God is not after us to be mindless obedient people, but a people who out of a joyful heart, seek to obey Him out of love and affection.

Church, our focus must not be on behavioral modification, but heart cultivation. A heart that loves Jesus and His word!

The questions we must stop and ask is...

What are we discipling the next generation to?

Are we pointing them to a reverent fear of God? Or are we discipling them to behavior modification?

Because while having a good behavior in life is good, it does not save.. It does not give us eternal life.

Life is found knowing you are broken and you cannot fix it on your own or by putting on good morals, but it is found in surrendering your life to Jesus and cultivating a love for Him and the things of Him. This is the Gospel-Centered life Jesus brings us into and the one He wants all of us to partake in!

Remember Church, It starts with us!

Moses then gives a pictures of what discipleship should look like practically. So after you and I ;loving God with all out hearts soul, and mind, He goes on and says this:

Deuteronomy 6:7–9 (ESV)

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Moses is painting a beautiful picture of relational discipleship. This is life on life relationship. It involves personal interaction with those we wish to teach.

The method that we see here is far greater then any camp, mission trip, event, conference, or program we could ever send our children on.

Those things are great environments and launching points to discipleship , but If we rely on those things to see our young people be discipled, we raise up a generation that relies on the next event or program to grow in their faith...and when they leave their student ministry years, they do not know what to do in order to cultivate their love for Jesus because it was built solely on a program/event, rather then what God intends.

Church, in my few years on earth, one thing that I have discovered to be true is that God’s way of doing things is always the best way of doing things ...and this is true when it comes to discipleship.

What I love about this is way of discipleship is that Moses is not really saying that you and I need to add 10 things to our schedule…and all the parents said “Amen!”

Do you have places that you can sit down in at your home? Check! Do you drive them places? Check! Do you have a bed for them to sleep? Check!

This picture of relational discipleship is where you take the everyday rhythms of your family’s life and in that you model your everyday life, your marriage, your relationships, your work, When you eat, when you drive, when you are at the grocery store, so that they see modeled the love of God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

For this kind of discipleship to really take root and make an impact there a couple of things that we must think of when we do relational discipleship.

While not extensive list, here are 3 that I think will help you in discipling the next generation.

Takeaway: Discipleship of the next generation involves consistency, intentionality, and authenticity.

1. Consistency

For something to stick, it takes daily practice.

If you ever had a bad habit or a good habit that you want to put on, it is often said it can take up to 30 days to do so.

The same goes for discipleship. you must make it consistent if you ever want to see results.

Sometimes we can be discouraged that we do not see results we want to see right away. but the thing about becoming more like Jesus is that it takes a life long journey.

Maybe for your family is taking 15 minutes every week and sitting down and talk about the Bible and how the family as a whole can apply that in their lives. And strive to make it daily.

Whatever it might be, start off small and more importantly, ask you children about what would be helpful to them. Let them help plan it.

What students create, they will maintain!

Consistency also deepens the relationships.

Parent’s, don’t let the only time you talk about Jesus with your child if they mess up.

If that is the case, how can we expect them to be open to any spiritual conversation at all. Find ways that you see Jesus working in their life and tell them about them. Encourage and point them to Jesus!

Be consistent in having the regular conversations at the dinner table, in the driving from one activity to the next.

These conversations lead to deeper relationships and when deeper relationship are formed, they lead to more meaningful spiritual conversations.

Let them see the consistency of your inconsistency.

Some days you feel like you hit a home run, and then there are others days where you come up short.

Consistency in our lives does not mean perfectionism for those who we were modeling Jesus to...

When we do mess up and when we do sin. Let them be able to see it and when they do, we model repentance when we mess up, we ask forgiveness, we don’t model to them that we have everything together and they are the only ones that need to be talked to when they mess up.

This consistency models to them the gospel. He teaches it to them about the seriousness of sin and the beautiful gift of grace and forgiveness.

If we act like we have it all together, how will they know who really holds us together?

Let them see the work of sanctification worked out in your life. I often hear from students the pressure to feel like they have to preform in oder to be loved and be known....especially by their parents.

When it comes to sports, grades, school, it can be easy to let the pressure of feeling like you need to be perfect in order to loved and accepted.

Let them see that God is not after perfection. The Gospel-centered life is not about perfection, but it one of faithfulness to the one and only God who has secured our salvation and when we do sin, we repent to a forgiving and gracious God.

2. Intentionality

In order for you to disciple someone, you need to actually get to know them. Now I am talking more about then their favorite sport, what is their favorite food. Those are great things to know, but when i say intentional, I mean you are getting to know their whole self.

In 2019, just one in three 18–35-year-old respondents shared with Barna that they often felt deeply cared for by those around them (33%) or that someone believed in them (32%). Meanwhile, nearly one in four (23%) acknowledged encountering feelings of loneliness and isolation. - Source: Barna Group

As you peal each layer of a person back you start to get to the heart of things like loneliness, isolation, doubt, hurt, frustration, anger, and so on.

When we are intentional with someone, trust is built, relationships deepen, and what was broken can be healed by the power of Jesus.

Every person is unique in how they view themselves. I challenge you to get to know your child or your young person as a whole person. Get to know why they struggle with identity, pressure, shame, fear, worry. Because Jesus is after healing and restoring the heart, not just fixing the external behavior.

When we are intentional, we communicate we care, and when people see we care, that is when the discipleship can flourish!

Church, if we desire to see young people walk through the doors of this church then it starts with you being intentional.

In 2011, the Fuller Youth Institute found that, “by far, the number-one way that churches made teens feel welcomed and valued was when adults in the congregation showed interest in them.”

Sometimes we think that in order to reach the next generation, we need to be flashy and entertaining. We don’t.

This generation craves warmth.

According to research done by fuller institute in their book Growing Young, what they found was that more than a cool worship service or program attracts young people to church. They found that relationships, knowing people and being cared for, being known… and get this…not just their peers but by multi-generations.

“The warmth young people seek isn’t usually clean and tidy. That’s just fine, because family isn’t neat. It’s messy. And messy is a good word to describe what young people want from a congregation. They desire not only to share their own messiness but also to walk alongside the authentic messiness of others.” - Authors of Growing Young

3. Authenticity

When we are real about life, about our mess, about our weakness, we provide spaces for the Spirit to work not only in our lives, but also in our children’s lives. Never underestimate how God can use your authenticity when it comes to the next generation!

We can often think that the younger generation wants nothing to do with us........But 89% of our current students said that a parent and/or an adult is important to have have in their life to talk about their walk with Jesus and every day life.....Church they want you to be part of their life! They want you to be able to be authentic with them and disciple them!

As we close, I want us to read Deuteronomy 6:20-25

Deuteronomy 6:20–25 (ESV)

“When your son asks you in time to come, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. And the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. And the Lord showed signs and wonders, great and grievous, against Egypt and against Pharaoh and all his household, before our eyes. And he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in and give us the land that he swore to give to our fathers. And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are this day. And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us.’

Takeaway: The goal of our everyday conversations is to point to Jesus and the Gospel message.

The most important thing that you can do is consistently talk about the Gospel to the next generation.... so when they ask why our family priorities are a certain way, we can say-because I was slave to brokenness, but Jesus saved me.

When they ask, why do you take time to talk out of your day to meditate on the Bible you can say- because I was slave to brokenness, but Jesus saved me.

When they ask, why you didn’t act out when coworker hurt you, you can say- because I was slave to brokenness, but Jesus saved me.

Allow the young people that you interact with on a daily basis understand that because of Jesus you have a new identity... You have a new purpose in life and that purpose is to find fullness in Him.

Church, you got this…Not because of your awesome discipleship skills, but because of the Spirit within you!

Let’s take up our cross and invite the next generation to do so alongside us.

Challenge:

Live out a 5:1 ratio here at NCC

There is often in the world of student ministry a 1:5 ratio. 1 leader per 5 students. But what if we as a church changed that. What of we decided to flip that around and create a 5:1 ratio.

Think of the impact that would have not on that person, but on our church!

Is God nudging on your heart to invest in the next generation?

Let’s pray.