From Generation to Generation

Intro:

Psalm 145:1–4 NKJV

1 I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

Today as we celebrate Grandparent’s Day, I want to share a word the Lord laid on my heart August 21. The title of my message is, [From Generation to Generation].

I have always been intrigued by different generations. My mom has a picture of her grandmother, her father, her, and my brother. Four generations in one place.

I have noticed something though, it seems as if generations are getting closer and borrowing from each other. Older generations are growing younger and younger generations are getting older!

It seems that older generations are getting younger, while younger generations appear older. It is incredible that toddlers can teach their grandparents how to use an iPhone.

In technology, computers, iPhones, or social media are not just for the kids.

I once had lunch with a friend and he shared the picture on Facebook.

My grandma commented, “my grandson is handsome and must have something important to say.” His grandma commented, “Well, my grandson is also handsome and he also says important things!”

I asked Bekah to decorate the platform to show the two generations.

I told my friend, our grandmas are fighting on Facebook as to who is the most handsome and has the most important things to say.

Grandparents now have smart phones, but their grandkids are mesmerized by rotary phones and payphones.

Bekah’s grandma listens to music on Youtube, while Bekah likes to buy old records and play them.

When I asked Bekah to set one chair one are with vintage decorations and the other with modern decorations, she said, I can to do the vintage side easy, but what am I supposed to do for the modern side?

My point, generations borrowing from each other. With technology and the fastness of our society, age is less of a number and more of mindset.

As I thought of this, the Lord reminded me that there is a Spiritual piece to this puzzle of generations. In our text the Psalmist declares His praise to the Lord.

He blesses the Lord for His greatness. But he explains that he does not intend to do this alone. It is God’s design that one generation will declare God’s greatness to the next generation.

Throughout scripture, something supernatural happens when generations partner together to do the will of God.

Acts 2:16–18 NKJV

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy.

Acts 2:18–19 NKJV

18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

You have heard me say many times that I believe the Lord wants to pour out His Spirit once more before He returns! God is looking for places to deposit His Spirit in these last days.

I want Vulcan Assembly to be one of places God chooses. When He does however, I do not believe He will come just on the kids, or just on the youth, or the young families, or the middle age families, or the grandparents.

He promises that His Spirit will be poured out upon ALL flesh. On sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, grandmas and grandpas.

But it will only happen when generations unite and begin to work together, pray together, worship together, serve together, and declare God’s greatness together.

This is not a new concept, there are many examples in scripture of God brining generations together:

Abraham and Isaac

Isaac and Jacob

Moses and Joshua

Eli and Samuel

Naomi and Ruth

Paul and Timothy

But there is one story I particularly. It shows how God brings two generations together. He exemplifies this through Elijah and Elisha.

I want to see how God uses His work and His praises to be displayed from generation to generation. I have two points, [A Generational Model] and [A Generational Mantle].

Let’s begin

1. A Generational Model

Very little is known of Elijah’s past. He appeared on the scene at a time when Israel was in deep sin. They had a wicked king and queen. The time was ripe for God to speak through His prophet.

The only thing we know is he was a Tishbite. God spent less time on his past and more time on what he did for the Lord. During his ministry, he stood for righteousness.

When Israel was disinterested in God, he was consecrated to the Lord. He met with God on a daily basis. He took his problems and the problems of other to the Lord.

As a result of his faithfulness, the Lord worked supernaturally through him. He witnessed eight notable miracles in his life. But as time when on, he noticed something was missing.

He knew his time was coming to a close. He did not know how or if he would die, but he knew that he needed to raise up a future generation to keep the work of God moving forward.

After a time of such deep depression, God gave Elijah clarity. He faced a season of wondering if he would survive. He pleaded with God to take him home.

God spoke to him:

Immediately Elijah knew what he needed to do. He was to select his successor. He found Elisha and did not say a word to him. He passed him and took his mantle and threw it on Elisha.

What he did was symbolic to what God would do in the life of Elisha. The anointing, the power, the revelation, and the insight Elijah had would be passed onto Elisha.

The writer of 1 Kings lets us know who Elisha was. He was obviously wealthy, he had twelve yoke of oxen. But when Elijah selected him, none of that mattered.

He went home and said goodby to his parents. Then he did something somewhat confusing. He took his oxen, slaughtered them, boiled them, and had a feast.

By doing this Elisha determined he would not go back. He would not depend on his wealth or status. He would trust that God had future for him.

Elijah depicts a generational model. Notice what happened, Elijah, the OLDER generation, sought out Elisha, the younger generation.

Elijah knew his time was coming to a close. He understood if the work of God was to continue, he needed to teach, train, and impart the supernatural power on the younger generation.

It then required Elisha to submit to and learn from Elijah. Elijah wanted to show Elisha how to walk in the blessings of God. He wanted him to understand how to depend on the work of the Holy Spirit. He wanted him to be fully equipped to carry on the work God started!

By Elijah seeking out Elisha we have a generational model...

2. A Generational Mantle

Elisha was not alone in Elijah’s model. Elijah had a school of prophets. He trained these fifty men how to walk in the destiny God had for them.

At some point Elijah told Elisha and the fifty in the school of the prophet, it is time for me to go the heaven by a whirlwind. Elijah knew by this would be his final journey.

Verse two depicts a pattern of the conversation between Elijah and Elisha. Elijah wanted to go alone and Elisha refused to leave him alone.

Elisha followed close to Elijah as they traveled through four cities. The names of the cities may mean little to us, but the Jewish people, like many in ancient times, kept their history alive by telling stories from generation to generation.

These four cities, Gilgal, Bethel, Jericho, and Jordan were significant. In each place God did something pivotal that changed the history of His people.

By requiring Elisha to walk through these cities, it is almost as if Elijah is saying, if you are going to do all I did, there will be some sacrifices and struggles you will face.

For example, Gilgal was the place where the Israelite men were circumcised after leaving Egypt. By reuniting with God through this covenant, the Lord told Moses, I have rolled the reproach of Egypt away from you.

At Gilgal, God required His people consecrated to Him. Elijah showed Elisha, if you are going to do all God wants you to do, you will need to be faithful!

At Bethel, Elisha remembered when Jacob met with God. Elijah was able to do all he did because of his consistent relationship with God.

If Elisha will follow in Elijah’s footsteps, he cannot have a casual relationship with God, one built on convenience. No, he needed to be totally devoted to Him!

At Jericho, Elisha remembered when Israel faced their first obstacle in the Promised Land, but they trusted the Lord, marched around the walls and after seven days they fell.

If Elish was to be successful, he would have to learn what Elijah learned, times will be hard, but trust God, stay close to Him, remain obedient, and the obstacles can be overcome.

Finally, Elijah, Elisha, and the fifty prophets arrived at Jordan. Elijah took his mantle and the water divided in two. Elisha already showed his tenacity when he refused to leave the side of Elisha.

Finally, Elijah asked, alright Elisha what do you want? I think Elijah knew, he wanted to see if Elisha would be bold enough and serious enough to ask.

Elijah did his part in the model. He sought out the younger generation. He taught him, prayed with him, trained him, and helped him. Now Elisha had to determine if he was serious enough to walk in all God had for Him!

He finally blurted it out, I want what you have, but I want a double portion! It seems almost selfish, but I think Elijah was proud. He told him, when I leave, wait. I do not know how long it will take, but my mantle will fall.

If you are there when I leave and you get my mantle, God will do what you have asked. Elisha stayed close and when the mantle came down, he picked it up, put it on, and walked back to the Jordan River and did what he saw his spiritual father do.

He divided the waters in two and walked on dry ground. Elisha became a powerful prophet in Israel. He lived a long life, walking in the anointing of his spiritual father.

Elisha wanted a double portion of Elijah’s anointing and if we were to count up each miracle he performed compared to Elijah I was reading that when Elijah was alive there were 8 recorded miracles.

But by the time Elisha died there were 15-recorded miracles. That is one short from the double portion Elisha requested.