Who’s Got Next? | Proverbs 29:14–18

Introduction: Basketball courts…show up and guys form teams…once you have a team you make your official declaration that you’re ready to play by saying these words, “Who’s Got Next?”

It’s a basketball thing. You want to know who’s next in line to play the game.

As I was thinking about so many things culminating in one service tonight, I couldn’t help but thinking about the question, “Who’s Got Next?”

“Who’s Got Next?”

This is a question applicable to our church family, especially in this moment.

1. College Students

We’re sending 6 new students to Bible college, and we’ll have 9 students in total training specifically for ministry.

Now, that doesn’t mean they’ll all go into ministry, and that’s okay. Not everyone does. But they at least have surrendered to that if that’s the door the Lord opens.

So the next generation, “Who’s Got Next,” is really on my mind tonight.

But there are two other things happening in our church family right now.

2. Ruckmans Coming Home

They’ll be here late tomorrow, and we just saw photos and videos that remind us of just how much God is using them.

And they have big projects coming up that they’re trying to tackle by faith.

3. Jacobs First Service Back

Glad to see them back. They’re just beginning this journey to raise support and get to Luverne. And that process of church planting is what churches are supposed to do.

But we can’t take lightly our responsibility to help see a church established in a community that needs a witness like that.

So all of these things are culminating in one service tonight. And I can’t help but think about the question, “Who’s Got Next?”

TEXT EXPLANATION

Proverbs 29:14 “The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, His throne shall be established for ever.”

A king that leads faithfully will be diligent in His decisions and judgments if he wants to be blessed.

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom: But a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.”

A parent that wants children who do right must be diligent in how they correct them.

We learn by correction.

If you’re going to have children, make sure you’re diligent in how you raise them because without correction their lives will go off the rails

Proverbs 29:16 “When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth: But the righteous shall see their fall.”

If we aren’t diligent in our leadership, culture goes off the rails.

Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; Yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”

Solomon brings it back to parenting. Correction is the best teacher. If you have children, raise them in such a way that they give you delight and peace.

Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Vision means revelation. Where God’s Word is not involved, everything falls apart.

But if you are diligent about keeping God’s Word involved, God’s blessing always follow.

The principle is the same in culture, in society, in kingdoms, and in homes: Diligent inclusion of God’s Law brings God’s blessings. Exclusion of God’s Law brings destruction.

Specifically, the diligence of an authority impacts the blessings of the subordinate.

Here’s how I’m summarizing it tonight:

If you aren’t going to do it right, don’t do it.

King: If you aren’t going to rule the kingdom correctly, let someone else do it.

Parents: If you aren’t going to raise them, don’t have them.

I got this idea from a book someone told be about from Laura Schlesinger called “Parenthood By Proxy.” She talks about how people are having children with the intention of letting others raise them.

But her tagline is what caught my eye. She said, “Don’t have them if you won’t raise them.”

And though Solomon doesn’t say it that bluntly, the conclusion is clear.

If you have the responsibility of leading or ruling or parenting, be diligent and do it right.

But if not, Dr. Laura says: “Don’t have them if you won’t raise them.”

And we may not like the way that’s said, but I think it can help us have the right mindset about a few things tonight.

Solomon is saying, “Your diligence toward the next generation will impact their success or failure.”

So we can make the leap in application and say,

If we aren’t willing to invest the right way, don’t bother doing these kinds of things.

Don’t have children we can’t raise.

But the application is not just about parenting. He talks to Kings and he talks about Culture.

But there’s a concept closely connected to parenting that applies to our church - planting churches and sending missionaries.

Church Planting is like reproducing yourself. A mother church produces a baby church.

So I don’t think it’s a stretch to say the principle applies to what we’re doing as a church.

So one application is “Don’t have children we won’t raise.”

Or “Don’t start churches you aren’t willing to get behind.”

Or, “Don’t send missionaries you don’t care for or invest in.”

Or, “Don’t send young people to be trained for the ministry that you aren’t willing to pray for and encourage and invest in.”

So often, when it comes to what is happening in a local church, people find themselves saying, “Who’s Got Next?” assuming it’s someone else’s job.

But what Solomon is saying is “You’ve Got Next.”

Be diligent in the opportunities God gives you. Whether that’s raising children or ruling a kingdom or impacting your culture.

Do it right or don’t do it at all.

In the same way that you raise children, as a church, you are raising up a new generation of servants, and you have a responsibility to pray for, and invest in, and show care for them. Don’t have Bible College students if you’re unwilling to say “I’ve Got Next.” I’ll take responsibility to help them along.

Just like you’d raise children, as a church, you are sending out missionaries like the Jacobs and the Ruckmans. Some 30 minutes away, some across an ocean, but the responsibility is the same. “Who’s Got Next? You do.” Don’t send out missionaries that you’re not willing to pray for, give to, encourage, and get behind.

Don’t have them if you won’t raise them.

As a church, we are responsible for the ones we’re raising: Our students, our missionaries, our church planters.

And if we won’t “raise them,” we shouldn’t have them.

But here’s a deeper impact, if we won’t “raise them,” God may not let us have them.

Meaning, right now, God is blessing our church with opportunities that some churches never get.

Our response in this moment is huge.

Because if we don’t take seriously our “raising” of them (meaning, our investment, and care, and support), then it might be that the Lord says, “Okay, as poor stewards of that moment, I’m not giving you more opportunities like that.”

How sad would it be to realize that God stops blessing us because of how we treated a season like this?

If we don’t pray for and encourage these students, what obligation does God have to us to raise up more?

If we don’t get behind and support the church plant in Luverne with our prayer and love and finances, it may be the last one the Lord ever lets us do.

If we aren’t willing to sacrifice and pray for the Ruckmans in Africa, how do we expect God to ever let us have that kind of opportunity again?

My message tonight is simple: If we won’t raise them, let’s not have them.

Now, that’s not the solution. That’s not what we want.

Here’s the positive way to say it: If God’s going to bless us with people like this, let’s do all we can to help them in their efforts.

How do we do this for the College Students?

Pray - This is so obvious, and maybe so cliche, but it’s true. Prayer has power nothing else we do ever will. Put these young people on your daily or weekly prayer list.

Encourage - Reach out to them and let them know occasionally that you’re praying for them. Just send them a note of encouragement. Better yet, send them a care package with cookies. You’ll earn a friend for life.

Support - If the Lord leads you to, apply something to their school bill or send them a gift card. If that’s not doable, just keep giving faithful to missions so we can continue to support the college, because our support keeps their costs down.

And the same things apply to the Jacobs and the Ruckmans

Pray - Out of sight can equal out of mind. When the Jacobs start in Luverne, refuse to forget about what they’re doing. Start some disciplines that keep their names in front of you. Put their prayer card on the bathroom mirror. Make sure their names are on your prayer list.

Encourage - Show up to a service. Or ladies, call Mrs. Vicki on a random day and say, “I’m going to come take you to lunch.” Drive the 30 minutes and let them know you love them.

Support - We’ll support them financially more than the average missionaries because they’re out of our church. Be faithful to give to missions so that can continue. We’ll have some blitzing days in Luverne as a church to hand out flyers. I hope that you’ll be involved in that. By the way, be faithful to our own outreach efforts, because that’s your first responsibility.

But all of these things apply to the Ruckmans too. Except for showing up to take them to lunch. That may be hard.

But Prayer, Encouragement, and Support are essential to “raising” people.

And if we won’t raise the, we probably shouldn’t have them.

But if we raise them well, I’m a firm believer that God will bless us with even more opportunities.

Conclusion:

How we treat these opportunities will determine whether or not God gives us more.

Don’t have them if we won’t raise them.

But since we have them, let’s do our best with them.

And as we do, we’ll see God do more and more.

So what the answer to “Who’s Got Next?”

Well, rather than say, “These young people got next.”

Or, “Some other family like the Jacobs, they’ve got next.”

Or, “Surely God will call some other missionary family like the Ruckmans - they’ve got next.”

Rather than assuming someone else has got next, say, “I’ve Got Next.”

Either in how diligent and invested you are in these right now, or by saying, “I’d be willing to be the next who says I’ll go.”

Young People

“Who’s Got Next?” Who’s going to take the leadership among the youth group?

Who’s going to be the next that surrender their lives and says, “Whatever the Lord wants?”

“Who’s Got Next?”

As A Church

The Jacobs and the Ruckmans have already said, “We’ve got next.” Is there someone else ready to say that and go?

Maybe it’s less about going and more about sacrifice. These families have already said, “I’ll sacrifice to advance God’s kingdom.” So “Who’s Got Next?” when it comes to sacrifice?

What are you willing to give to prove you have a heart for the kingdom?

Are you helping our missions efforts financially?

Are you willing to sacrifice one Saturday this month to take the Gospel to our neighborhoods for Saturation Saturday?

Who’s Got Next when it comes to sacrifice?

Who’ll be the next Eastside family to surrender their lives to reach a city?

Who’ll be the next family to surrender to missions?

We can’t be satisfied with one family and done.

WHO’S GOT NEXT?

As a church, the answer to that question, “What am I going to do as a church member to help these movements along?”

For the College Students?

For the Ruckmans?

For the Jacobs?

We can ask all day “Who’s Got Next?” but we must be the ones willing to give the answer.

God won’t continue to bless us if we aren’t willing to invest in the opportunities we have. I love these opportunities, but I’d love if God blessed us with more.

I don’t want to stop at 9 Bible College students and future pastors and pastor’s wives, missionaries, school teachers, and youth pastors and wives.

I don’t want to stop at one church plant.

I don’t want to be content with one foreign missionary.

Let’s “raise” them and see if God lets us have more.