Engaging The Next Generation

On paper I come from a long line of pedigree that would make it seem fitting for me to be ministering, have a family where my children as of now are following the Lord.

I struggle sometimes when it comes to the topic that we are looking at “Godly Parenting and Grand-parenting”

We often look at the “doing” so others may be impressed vs the walk or knowing

Encouraging the “doing” even to our children so they too can impress the church around them

Soon who we are and what we do is based on those around us rather than our relationship or walk with the Lord

I stand here today because Men invested, Mentored, & encouraged me to KNOW this God I had placed my faith in.

I had multiple Paul and Barnabas in my life as I found myself as a Titus or Timothy

These unfortunately would not be my parents or grandparents or even great grandparents as many would think if you knew my family history

Because of this I am passionate concerning the subject at hand today...

Equipping and engaging the next generation to KNOW our Lord and Savior!

“They are the church today yet… they will be our leaders tomorrow! and they will carry our legacy forward!

A Challenge to All Generations:

When I think of parenting in the scriptures many pictures and individuals come to mind… My favorite however is a dad we know very little about, his name is Enoch.

Enoch walked with God Genesis 5:21-22 scripture simply states this about him...

There is something about become a father that makes a man think differently about how he lives. He is now invested in the next generation to come in a much deeper more impacting way.

We live differently… they are watching, they are following, they look up to us… and there is a God given responsibility to train up the next generation.

This responsibility and mandate is given throughout scripture… Today rather than look at one man or person individually I would like us to look at some generations of PARENTS and GRANDPARENTS.

When God gave His holy law to His people Israel consider what He says in the first two commands… Exodus 20:3-6

We see that God tells the generation there receiving the Law of God that: The sins of the father have ramifications on the generations to follow… YET, the one who obeys and follows God will see His lovingkindness for thousands!!! This was given to Israel I know but we see it in every nationality, culture, and generation. Consider this:

Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes Family—J. Oswald Sanders, A Spiritual Clinic

Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully. One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. The thing that they discovered in this study is remarkable: like begets like.

Max Jukes was an unbelieving man and he married a woman of like character who lacked principle. And among the known descendants, over 1,200 were studied. Three hundred and ten became professional vagrants; 440 physically wrecked their lives by a debauched lifestyle; 130 were sent to the pen for an average of thirteen years each, 7 of them for murder. There were over 100 who became alcoholics; 60 became habitual thieves; 190 public prostitutes. Of the 20 who learned a trade, 10 of them learned the trade in a state prison. It cost the state about $1,500,000 and they made no contribution whatever to society.

In about the same era the family of Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. And Jonathan Edwards, a man of God, married a woman of like character. And their family began and they became a part of this study that was made. Three hundred became clergymen, missionaries, and theological professors; over 100 became college profs; over 100 became attorneys, 30 of them judges; 60 of them became physicians; over 60 became authors of good classics, good books; 14 became presidents of universities. There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family. Three became United States congressmen and one became the vice president of the United States.

Now some may be thinking… there is no hope with my family past, (I can identify) or some of you may be thinking there is no way I can fill the shoes of those before me… God’s Word today has something for each of you and anywhere you may be in-between!

Consider the generation that recieved God’s law first hand (seeing, observing, but lacking to KNOW)

Brought out of Egypt

Crossed the Red Sea

Feed by God and given water in the wilderness

Given the Law...

This Generation disobeyed the Lord, did not follow Him, Trust Him, did not want His blessings… So in 40 years time all over the age of 20 died in the wilderness. God would raise up a generation to follow Him and KNOW Him intimately!

A Godly Generation!!!

This generation was brought up under the instruction of Moses, lead into the promise land under the leadership of Joshua. They would KNOW Him intimately, making life decisions based on knowing Him!

They saw God provide, protect, and work wonders

They watched as God parted the waters of the Jordan River

They saw God drop the walls of Jericho

Time and Time again they saw God be God in their lives!

They celebrated, they worshiped, they loved the Lord

After they enter the Promised Land Joshua challenges them in a powerful speech REMINDING THEM of ALL GOD DID! and in Joshua 24:14-15 and he makes the bold statement we are familiar with…

NOTICE: to serve is never the option… rather it is who you serve! (RELATIONSHIP… NOT external)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart your soul your mind and your strength… the expression of that Love is lived out!!!

You follow along in the verses that follow and the people respond they too will follow and serve the Lord!

This was an amazing Generation! Full of people (Parents and Grandparents) who loved the Lord, followed Him with their lives!

A Generation Who Does Not Know...

We read something that should bring a somber evaluation of our own personal hearts in another passage… Judges 2:6-10

Good Godly parents & grandparents, strong leaders who loved the Lord and followed Him!!! WHAT HAPPENED???

The nation had been looking to Moses, then Joshua...

After Joshua gathered the people he dismissed them to their own portions of land

The fathers would lead their own homes and tribes

They were each to go to his portion responsible to his tribe and drive out those there

They were to drive out sin & idols from the land (clean house )

Some chose to allow some to stay and serve them, never thinking the ones who serve them one day could rule them

These Godly men died, passed on and generations came behind them…

These generations had some of the inhabitants from the land among them

Things began to creep in and slowly consume their worship… God became undesirable to them because they forgot!

It became about doing rather than knowing

Rules versus relationship

They did what was right in their own eyes… this is the mantra of the book of Judges!

It was most likely not that they were unaware… they did not want to know the Lord. a choice they made in WHO they serve.

What of the Generations to Follow?

God would continue to be faithful… throughout Judges we see God raise up judges who would draw the hearts of the people back to God

We would see God work with the nation as a whole, we see Him work with tribes/Families individually

Through Generation to Generation God shows Himself as a perfect Heavenly Father both disciplining and loving His people.

Many generations have followed since God gave His law, since Joshua stood before the people with his challenge, and since that powerful generation in Israel has passed on...

What about your generation?

We see some amazing Godly individuals who have passed on:

Warren Wiersbe

Howard Hendricks

Billy Graham

Nate Saint & Jim Elliot

D.L. Moody

and many others like them and many others to follow...

I also look around our churches and I see good Godly men and women, parents, grandparents , & great grandparents…

Often I see that it is not for lack of example or teaching rather failing to engage the generation to KNOW and then they make choices that cause a generation to stray from the Lord...

Folks we have some amazing shoulders of some Godly individuals to stand on their shoulders to do greater things for God, to go further for the cause of the cross, to lead our families in powerful God honoring ways

May we observe from those generations who have gone before us

May we Teach the next generation to engage in a relationship not rules

And to those who follow in our footsteps may You Listen to the Lord’s word and grasp the amazing relationship He calls us into

Generation to Generation the Lord remains the same… will we engage the next generation to KNOW Him not as we have but even BETTER!!!

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