Legacy

The God of the Bible is a God of generations!

He refers to Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob (Deuteronomy 29:13)

God talks about His covenant and mercy persisting for a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Everything that God does is generationally orientated

In Genesis God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful & multiply & have dominion over the entire earth.

The Priesthood was passed along through the family tribe of Levi

All of the High Priests were direct descendants from the family of Aaron

God told Abraham:

Genesis 26:4 NKJV

4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;

God even told us that good people leave an inheritance for their children & grandchildren (Proverbs 13:22).

Generations are in the heart of God & so we want generations to be in our heart too.

What you saw here today in the testimonies and lives of these teenagers is part of the generational heart of this church.

Whether or not you realize it, if you are a part of The Ark, you are part of a generationally orientated church.

This is a second generation church that has blessed people for nearly a quarter of a century.

There are 4 generations of my family that serve the Lord together every week in this house.

We believe that what we do here is not only for ourself, but it is generationally significant - preparing a place for our children, our grandchildren, & for other peoples’ family & children to have a place to encounter the Love and Forgiveness & abundant life of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is Generationally Others-Focused:

Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

No matter how many generations go by between Jesus’ great sacrifice on the cross and the end of the age, our call remains the same - fulfill this Great Commission.

Once we have received the gospel of Jesus Christ, the call of God is for us work with Him to pass it along to everyone everywhere!

Paul instructs his spiritual son, Timothy, to think generationally.

2 Timothy 2:1–2 NKJV

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

According to the Barna Group, only 6% of adult Christians made their decision to follow God after the age of 18.

That means 94% of adult Christians made their decision to follow Jesus before they turned 18 years old.

Another survey cited by the International Bible Society indicated that 83% of Christians make their first commitment to Jesus between the ages of 4 and 14 years old.

Jesus told us that He would make us fishers of men.

We need to make sure that we are fishing where the fish are biting!

What an opportunity we have NOW if we will think generationally!

Get ready for a paradigm shift at The Ark & let’s take action generationally!

Just One Thing:

What you do and invest in now has generational effects - Let’s build a family legacy together!

Discussion Questions:

What was ruined because it became popular?

Why do you think that God is concerned with generations?

Please Read Genesis 26:4 and share how you can possibly see this promise made to Abraham being a promise that can be a part of your life and future also.

What have you done recently to affect the next generation(s)? If nothing comes to your mind or heart, what will you do this week to make a difference for the next generation(s)?