God’s Presence in Our Future

God’s Presence in Our Future

Isaiah 54:11-14

David before Goliath

Those with God can do what those without God cannot.

1 Samuel 17:36–37 ESV

36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

Picture of the future with God' Presence.

A future not impacted by the influence of a secular world.

A future without God brings fear. A future with God brings strength.

Isaiah 54:11–14 ESV

11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones. 13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children. 14 In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

3 Parts of the Spiritual Future

1. Future Foundation (11-12)

Isaiah 54:11–12 ESV

11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted, behold, I will set your stones in antimony, and lay your foundations with sapphires. 12 I will make your pinnacles of agate, your gates of carbuncles, and all your wall of precious stones.

Spiritual Foundation

Stones of Temple

antimony= black cement that was used to embed the emeralds in the temple.

saphires

agate

carbuncles

precious stones

Revelation 21:18–21 ESV

18 The wall was built of jasper, while the city was pure gold, like clear glass. 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of jewel. The first was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. 21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls, each of the gates made of a single pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass.

Lots of ways for us to prepare for the future. The only future that truly matters is a future in the presence of our God.

Jesus is the foundation

He is the Rock.

Build life on rock or sand.

2. Future Generation (13)

Isaiah 54:13 ESV

13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.

Our seniors have sacrificed a lot over last few years.

Look at the results!

We notice. We honor you. We are going to make sure you are not left out.

BUT WE CANNOT GET THIS WRONG. WITHOUT THE NEXT GENERATION THE LABORS OF PREVIOUS GENERATIONS WAS IN VAIN.

Results of training well.

Daniel 1:1–20 ESV

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshazzar, Hananiah he called Shadrach, Mishael he called Meshach, and Azariah he called Abednego. 8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs, 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my lord the king, who assigned your food and your drink; for why should he see that you were in worse condition than the youths who are of your own age? So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had assigned over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s food be observed by you, and deal with your servants according to what you see.” 14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

4 Results of Well Discipled Students

A. They Will Stand Out (3-4)

Daniel 1:3–4 ESV

3 Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans.

Others will notice the quality.

B. They Will Stand Up (8)

Daniel 1:8 ESV

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

Make the hard decisions

C. They Will Stand Above (14-18)

Daniel 1:14–18 ESV

14 So he listened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s food. 16 So the steward took away their food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all literature and wisdom, and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

They will lead.

D. They Will Stand Before (19-20)

Daniel 1:19–20 ESV

19 And the king spoke with them, and among all of them none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom.

They will influence powerful people.

Are our young people prepared to stand strong in their faith as they are released into a secular world designed to reprogram them.

Colleges are not much different than what Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego faced living in the King of Persia’s Palacae.

Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego a few years later were forced to bow and worship the giant image of the King or die in the fiery furnace.

Jesus showed up.

OUR CHILDREN NEED JESUS TO SHOW UP!

Let me lay out a vision for what it would look like for our young people to live with the presence of God on their life.

NextGen Ministry

There has been a problem with our birth-college ministries over the last few decades.

We have siloed these ministries and they have come to exist as para-church ministries owned by a local church instead of part of the local church.

Example- youth minister and children’s minister have no reason to ever be in the same room or share resources.

Problem- church factions- Children are uncomfortable going from one silo to another and parents have to learn a whole new system.

Inefficiency- everyone has their own policies, forms, and volunteers.

Lose families at transitions from one silo to the next.

There is a trend in churches today to un-silo these ministries and have them all work seamlessly as part of the vision of the whole church.

A good example is FBC Ada where Barry Williams, their NextGen pastor, transitioned them to a NextGen model.

The church has grown from 400 to 650 in the last two years.

Almost all of this growth is from young families.

Imagine a birth-college program that un-silos these ministries.

One leader aligning all the ministry objectives as students are passed through the system.

All part of the same vision— the church’s vision.

All ministry resources and volunteers part of the same team with the same expectations.

Families will know what to expect as their students progress through school.

All areas plan, calendar, recruit and program together.

Motion to reorganize our birth-college ministry.

Motion from the Pastoral Staff

1. Transition into a NextGen model of ministry for our birth through college ministries.

2. Move Bret Lalli to a new position entitled NextGen Pastor.

3. Hire a full-time NextGen Associate to serve under the NextGen Pastor.

4. Depending upon funding as determined by the Finance Committee, hire as many as two year-round, part-time NextGen interns to serve under the NextGen Pastor.

5. Disband the Children’s Pastor Search Committee.

Q and A Tonight at 6:00 in Fellowship Hall.

Vote closed-ballot at end of worship service on September 29.

3. Future Destination (14)

Isaiah 54:14 ESV

14 In righteousness you shall be established; you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

The future of all generations rests in whether we have been established in righteousness.

Proverbs 16:3 ESV

3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Our children are arrows in the hands of a warrior. We prepare them, aim them and send them out.

Psalm 127:3–5 ESV

3 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. 5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

2 Ways- one wide and easy, one narrow and hard. Difference is the destination.

2 Corinthians 1:21–22 ESV

21 And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Your future destination is guaranteed.

Guaranteed to eternity separated from God.

Guaranteed to life with God.

CONCLUSION

Are you prepared for the future?