Another Generation

Judges 2.6-15

I grew up in the late 1950's to 1960's. almost all my friends went to Sunday School, the ones who didn't we invited to come with us!

Today

With the proliferation of activities available to children today - soccer, baseball, swimming, education programs, school functions -- it is easy to see how they can be so spread thin as to forgo Sunday school.  This practice is “extremely detrimental” to children in their development as Christians.

We have a generation now who neither knows the LORD nor what He has done for His people.

The nearer we are to personal experience the more we are impressed with the reality of events.

When they had people who had seen the Exodus among them, they were kept in touch with the LORD. When they died they lost that connection. 

We need face to face encounters, demonstrations of the Spirit's power today!

When a good person dies the stories often die with them.

The story of this church.

How we need a movement of God's Spirit in our day!

I partly understand but please do not say, "i'm glad I'm on my way out!" That is so unbiblical! The Word of God is against escapism.

1.Carry the Burden for Young People.

Frodo: "I wish none of this had happened." Gandalf: "So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."

We wish things haven't changed.

We wish things were the same.

We wish we could change them.

We have to decide what we are going to do with the time we have been given.

This is our time.

Heart tests after Dad died. Could alter them. The truth is: Our hearts are affected by life's events. Let your heart break! Let the things that mess up your mind get into your heart.

These are heart breaking times!

We have this time.

Pray for the LORD to move mightily.

Pray for our eyes to be opened to the fields ripe for harvest.

Pray for a revival of evangelism.

2. Share the Gospel With the Lost.

Guy in Peter Pan on Monday. Filthy mouth. Left him one of our tracts.

At the least we could spread the seed... Hand out tracts to hungry souls.

Tim at Produce Warehouse trying to quit smoking. Tract yesterday.

Go to the hungry ones and fill them with His bread

They'll leave their darkness as you shine the light He shed

Point to His promises, believe in all He said

And His joy will be manifest in you

And the lost will be found as He works through you

Out on the highways, there's so many passing by

Step out in boldness and watch the family multiply

Pray up some miracles, let's open up the sky

And His joy will be manifest to you

And the lost will be found by the things you do

Oh don't you know that Jesus loves you

So let's go and spread His word

Redeem the time while there's still time

Let's share the call we've heard

Let's share the call we've heard

Is your house open to let strangers enter there

Give to the least of them, show them someone cares

And you may be entertaining angels unaware

And His joy will be manifest to you

And the lost may be found as He works through you

And His joy will be manifest in you

And the lost, they'll be found by the things you do

As He works through you by the things you do

3. Tell the Story. Give Testimony.

4. Pray Pray Pray

Judges 2:7 The people served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the Lord had done for Israel. 

Judges 2:10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. 

They had an easy life, in a land flowing with milk and honey. Luxury became common place. They didn't say, "There is no God." They followed other gods.

Amos 3:2 “You only have I chosenof all the families of the earth;therefore I will punish youfor all your sins.” 

Lord Of The Rings

“Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.

Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding onto, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo... and it's worth fighting for.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

What brings rejoicing in heaven? One sinner who repents!

The things that heaven rejoices over/ the things we rejoice over

Rudy, Ray, me at Victorio's this Thursday.

Bible given, God's  Word shared.

Divine Appointments, be alert and ready for them!

Prayer for open yes and open hearts.