Three Generations
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
There is a tendency for groups of people to drift away from the truth as years go by.
Not necessarily one person leaving the faith, but as generation succeeds generation there is a tendency for children to not do as well as their parents.
It shows up as a gradual change, not a sudden departure from the truth, though that does happen sometimes.
There are exceptions, but I would like to address the general trend.
Few churches remain faithful to the teachings of God’s Word for more than 100 years.
Most drift away within 50 years, though some last longer.
I’m aware of one that has been faithful over 200 years now but that is the exception not the general rule.
It’s unfortunate but typically within three generations we find a depleting of faith.
The first generation is fired up, enthusiastic, and dedicated to God.
The second generation goes to services, goes through the motions, but their fire and zeal are missing.
The third generation simply doesn’t care anymore and has given themselves up completely to sin.
I know most, if not all of you, know what I’m talking about.
So, let’s examine some biblical examples of this.
Generation 1, 2, 3
Generation 1, 2, 3
Abraham, Isaac, Esau
Abraham, Isaac, Esau
Abraham
He is known as the father of faith (Genesis 15:1-3) and it is clearly seen why throughout his life.
One way this is seen is that as he traveled, he frequently built altars for worship to God.
7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord.
9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
His son, Isaac.
Worshiped God, but his faith was not in the same class as Abraham’s.
Instead of altars, he is noted for the wells that he built and the one time he built an altar he built a well next to it.
25 So he built an altar there and called upon the name of the Lord and pitched his tent there. And there Isaac’s servants dug a well.
Isaac’s son Esau.
He was a very worldly man.
He married local women who did not worship God and remember he is the one that “despised” his birthright by selling it for soup.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
David, Solomon, Rehoboam
David, Solomon, Rehoboam
David is described as a man after God’s own heart.
He sought to know God’s law and follow God’s word.
Yes, he had plenty of serious sinful moments, but he always repented, confessed, and returned to God.
8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
Solomon, David’s son, worshiped God but not like his father did.
Solomon built the temple of God in seven years (1 Kings 6:37-38) but spent 13 years building his palace (1 Kings 7:1).
Solomon worshiped God (1 Kings 8:62-66) but he also worship false gods as well (1 Kings 11:1-6).
Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, listened to youth’s foolishness instead of ages wisdom.
Rehoboam split God’s people into two kingdoms (1 Kings 12).
Rehoboam lead the people whole heartily into idolatry. (1 Kings 14:22-24).
Knowing Rehoboam’s father Solomon, is this any surprise?
Summary
Summary
It’s an unfortunate trend but a trend none the less that each generation typically knows God less and less.
10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
The question that must then be asked is…
Why Is This The Case?
Why Is This The Case?
A Difference In Their View Of Time.
A Difference In Their View Of Time.
First generation converts tend to dwell in today.
They see work that needs to be done and it is done then.
They are eager to serve.
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”
Second generation converts tend to dwell in the past.
They are proud, even arrogant, of their “religious upbringing” which leads to false assurance.
They lean on their parent’s faith not their own.
Third generation converts tend to only look to the future not the past at all.
They are more worried about doing their “own thing.”
They see their parent’s empty faith and not moved by it at all.
A Difference In Their View Of Authority.
A Difference In Their View Of Authority.
First generation converts base everything on “thus saith the Lord.”
If you ask them why they believe what they believe they say, “well God said...”
They are always looking towards God and demanding proof not man’s word for it.
Second generation converts base everything on “thus saith my opinion.”
If you ask them why they believe what they believe they say, “I think, not God said.”
They have “pretense not whole heart” service.
10 Yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with her whole heart, but in pretense, declares the Lord.”
They have an “appearance or form of godliness” but it lacks substance.
5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
Third generation converts base everything on “it’s all about me.”
If you ask them why they believe what they believe they say, “because it makes me feel good.”
They don’t even try to justify what they believe because “as long as they feel right about it, God’s right with them.”
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
A Difference In Their View Of Life.
A Difference In Their View Of Life.
First generation converts put their life’s emphasis on serving God.
They understand this life is temporary and thus they must serve why they can.
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
Second generation converts try and blur the lines between spiritual things and worldly things.
They serve well with their lips, but their heart is on worldly things.
8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;
How many “come to worship” only to be upset that the prayer was too long, the songs were too many, the sermon went to long, etc…
Third generation converts cross godliness with worldliness.
They don’t blur, they cross them up.
Again they aren’t happy unless they are “feeling good emotionally” instead of spiritually.
Summary
Summary
Because the second and third generation has been taught properly their differences in time, authority, and life cause great strain on their spiritual life.
This is because each passing generation is drifting farther and farther away.
The reality is, “once drifting begins…
Drifting Is Hard To Stop
Drifting Is Hard To Stop
Loose Faith Drives Drifting.
Loose Faith Drives Drifting.
It’s not an easy job to raise children to be faithful to God and it’s made exponentially harder when our own faith isn’t where it needs to be.
Drifting away from God starts with a desire to be worldly.
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
Drifting progresses because of a lack of knowing God’s Word.
Because of our lust for the world we must all the more “pay closer attention” to God’s Word and purge out those desires.
1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
Summary
Summary
The truth is faithfulness is hard, consistent work that doesn’t come by way of osmosis.
A parent’s effort must be made to teach and lead by example.
Example along or teaching alone is worthless both, at a high level, are required.
It’s sad that most parents think that simply “their example” will lead their children to faithfulness even though that isn’t what lead them to faithfulness.
What happens is their children end up with their parent’s faith which isn’t faith in God, which results in unfaithful children.
So…
How Do We Stop The Drifting?
How Do We Stop The Drifting?
First Generation.
First Generation.
Remember what led you to your faith and faithfulness in God.
2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—
Don’t assume it will pass on through osmosis or example.
Your children cannot be faithful with your faith it must be their faith in God that will lead them to faithfulness.
Second Generation.
Second Generation.
If you look at your spiritual life and find yourself fitting this category remember the church in Laodicea.
They were neither cold nor hot but lukewarm and God spewed them out.
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Become “hot” or “on fire for God” by getting your faith in order.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Third Generation.
Third Generation.
Know that facts to care about feelings.
What I mean by that is that God created Christ’s law as a fact that you must obey.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
6 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it.
We were all created with emotions but they are not our guide, God’s Word is.
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
Summary
Summary
Each generation has constant work to do and our work here on earth will never end.
In fact we will be striving for perfection all our days here on earth until we receive the victorious crown of righteousness.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Each generation has a God ordained expectation to continue in the faith.
If we as parents and leaders of the next generation do our part we will give the next generation the best possible chance to get to heaven.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
If we shirk that responsibility we will have to answer to God for it.
7 “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.