I Will Be Faithful Series

At the beginning of our worship service we recognized 9 of the 13 the children born in 2008 to members of our church family. As I look at those children I see incredible potential. They will experience more changes in their life time than we can ever imagine. It is possible by the time they become adults the landscape of our culture will drastically change.

I am not a prophet, nor do I claim to be a prophet, but I believe these children will see things we thought we would never see…

I believe they will see a moral decay of our culture as homosexuals are given the right to marry and moral absolutes give way to individual rights.

I believe they will see a cheapening of human life as abortions, euthanasia, slavery and religious persecutions become more common place.

I believe they will see new technologies in health and medicine attempting to make life better and easier, yet people will still search for significance

I believe they will experience difficulty in trying to stay pure in an impure world.

With all the changes that will occur, I wonder if they will find a faithful church in the future.

Have you thought about the future of our church? It is amazing how we make plans everyday for events that are at times far off with no thought about what may happen.

In preparing for this message, I took a quick glance at my calendar and realized I have an event planned for May. 2013; that is little over 3 years away.

We should be knowledgeable about the future. Charles Kettering said “We should all be concerned about the future – because we will have to spend the rest of our lives there.”

The NT writer James reminds, Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that." James 4:13-15

It is important to plan for the future, but those plans must be seen in light of God’s will. What would God want for us, what does God desire for us. Jeremiah 29:11, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Study the Bible and you see men planning for the future

Moses – Joshua

Elijah – Elisha

Jesus – Disciples

How are we doing planning the future for the next generation? I think we are well on our way. The More than we can Imagine Campaign is a great start as we seek to reduce the debt and add much needed staff.

However a campaign is not enough, we must constantly be forward thinking so our children will find a faithful church.

The apostle Paul was a man who was constantly concerned about the future of the church. As he established churches, he kept his eyes open for a person who could carry on the work after he moved on.

On the tiny island of Crete, an island that had the reputation for gluttons, liars and cheats, the gospel had found a beachhead. Through the preaching of the gospel Paul was able to establish a church.

However, the nature of his ministry required him to leave Crete, so he had to find some one to continue the ministry. That person was Titus. If the church was to continue, Titus would have to carry on the work of leading the church in Crete. For that reason Paul writes him a letter telling him what he must do to ensure the future of the church at Crete.

He tells his young apprentice 3 things he must do to plan for the future. These 3 items are applicable to us as well.

Understand the background

Paul is giving a series of instructions to Titus regarding several groups of people

Older men

Older women

Young women

Finally he turns his attention to the young me of the church and gives these instructions to Titus. (TITUS 2:6)

6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness

8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

Here Paul gives Titus 3 applicable points to ensure the future of the church.

1. Develop Young Believers.

One thing we do know about the future of our church it will rest in the hands of the people who are under 35 years of age. 25 years from now our present leadership will no longer be leading our church.