Title: Transferring the Treasure to the Next Generation
Theme: Depositing Truth in the Next Generation
Text: 2 Cor 4:7, Ps 16:6
2Co 4:6-9 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (7) But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. (8) We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; (9) Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;
Introduction-Illustration
The year was 1896-an old man was lost in the Mojave Desert. He was dying of thirst. In the distance he saw an old shack. Staggering through the gate, he looked frantically for water. Instead all he saw was an old rusty pump. He fell back in disappointment but then happened to see an old dusty jug sitting by itself in a corner.
As he wiped away the dust off the jug, he saw a note taped to it that read “You must prime this pump with all the water that is in this jug. P.S. Be sure and fill the jug again before you leave for the next thirsty traveler.”
He popped the cork and sure enough it was water. It was hot and stale but it was water. So many things ran through his mind. He was dying of thirst. What if the pump didn’t prime? Would he lose the water? Could he just take a small drink of the water then use the rest?
Reluctantly, he poured it all in. He pumped and pumped but nothing happened. His heart sank. As he turned to walk away, he saw a dribble of water. He grabbed the handle and pumped again and again. Then came a small rust stream-finally cool and clear water.
He drank his fill, poured it over his head and then filled the jug. Before he put it back on the shelf in the corner, he added a note, “Believe me, it really works”.
There is a powerful message in that little story. We have a responsibility to do more than simply take care of ourselves. There will be many who will follow in our footsteps. Other generations are coming behind us. When they get there we must have left them something.
In 2 Cor 4:7 Paul mentions a treasure, a treasure in earthen vessels. Obliviously we are this earthen or clay vessel. Jeremiah illustrates that beautifully in his story of the potter and the clay found in Jeremiah 18. God takes this ole clay and cleans it, breaks it and forms it. What is interesting is this treasure.
This treasure refers to a deposit. A deposit of the light of God into our lives. What is important for us to understand is that this deposit is transferable. Just as we have been given this light we must also give this light to the next generation. We must give this treasure to the next generation. We must make a deposit into this next generation. And where else can we begin than with our family.
Last Sunday we established the importance of being consistent and firm in our home. Making sure that what is done on Sunday is affirmed on Monday in our home. I believe it is time that parents stood up and realized their duty and calling. It is time they made a firm stance of what they believe.
It is time that we acted like adults and apologized to our children for our weakness and in turn make a stance against what this world is offering. If we don’t offer this generation the hope of Christ then this world will offer a different hope. Whether it is in a teen magazine, a pop star, a movie star. If we don’t give them our values and consistently stand in them ourselves they will pick them up from others don’t be surprised.
We must stand and say, “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” I challenge you if you wasn’t here to get last weeks tape if you really want to grow as a godly family.
But God has given us these treasures or deposits in our lives. We must pass these on to the next generation. What are these deposits.
I. A deposit of sound doctrine
Paul warned of a time when men “ will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;” I believe we are closer to this time than ever before.
Yet I don’t want it laid at my feet that I did not do all that I could do to instill in my children the truths of the word of God. This is what sound doctrines are teachings in the word of God.
We live in an age where the Bible is seen as archaic and outdated. We live in a time when people question the relevancy of the Bible. Yet this generation needs to hear the truths of the word of God more today than ever before.
It is time that we as parents quit laying this responsibility at the feet of the church and pick up the challenge to do it for ourselves. It is known fact that parents will have a greater influence and impact on a child than the church.
Paul goes on to say 2Ti 4:4 “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.” Today the Bible is seen as another book in the line of many great books. We must get it across to our children that it is the book of books written by the king of kings.
How do we do that? What your children see as important in your life will become important in their life. When Rebekah was 2 years old we had a time convincing her to wear dresses to church. Why? Oh not because she didn’t like dresses. You see her dad would wear blue jeans. One day someone gave her a pair of blue jeans. She had to wear pants like her dad. I finally told my wife, “I will do many things to try to get my children to do right but I will not wear a dress.” Even Leah told me not to. I told them Wednesday night that Leah told me, “Dad, I am glad you don’t wear a dress.” So I waited on the punch line. Cause you would look like a girl”
You see when we make God’s word and teaching a priority in our lives it will naturally become important in our children’s lives.
Deu 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Here Jehovah is telling Israel, teach them, not just in moments when it is feasible but in every waking hour. God’s creation testifies of him so we must show that to our children.
There must be this transfer of truth from one generation to the next if we are going to get our children to believe in Christ.
II. A deposit of Pentecostal Heritage
I believe that God has given us a wonderful heritage as a Pentecostal church. We have finally arrived in Christendom. What I am saying is that we have gotten to point where we accepted. Maybe not by all churches but by a majority. Better yet there are more “spirit-filled” Christians than there are any other.
Now I am not trying to split hairs but again I am here to say I am proud of my heritage of being in a Pentecostal church. I am not embarrass to be associated with a church that believe what happened on Pentecost is an experience not just for the disciples and the New Testament church but is for the people today.
I want it to be clear that I believe it is important that we seek for the Baptism in the Holy ghost, an experience that will change your walk with the Lord.
Yet as we become more popular in the church it seems that we come weaker in our “treasure”. For things we don’t fight for and suffer for it seems we ignore. They become second hand. I thank the Lord that I pastor a church where my kids can see people get happy in the Lord. Where they will shout, or speak in tongues, or lay hands on people, or dance in the spirit or most importantly just obey the Lord.
I am sad to see some of our children who were raised in the church leave and go to non-Pentecostal churches. Now I am in no way knocking our brethren who don’t believe in the “filling of the Holy Ghost” or speaking in tongues. But I am saying there is something about being in a place where there is freedom to worship.
There is something about being in a place where you can slip up your hands and not wonder if people think you are strange. There is something about being in a place where you can shout or dance and not feel out of place.
I love other churches but I thank God for what I feel at this church.
We have to be careful that we let our children experience this Pentecost. We must make sure that they see that it is real. There is something about it. We can’t drop the ball.
III. A deposit of faithfulness
Finally we come to the third thing that I believe we must deposit in this generation. Oh there is so much more. There is so much that we are missing. We wonder why we are losing our children. We wonder why they have no desire to come to church. We use the excuse, “the church has nothing to offer them”. Maybe a youth minister or a children’s director. Oh let me tell you neither of these will solve our problems. They are great but they are not the problem.
You won’t be able to keep youth away when they see something in your life that they want. When they see the joy, when they see that what you say translates to what you do. When they see that what is in this word and translates to our lives. So there is more.
But my final point is faithfulness. We need to deposit faithfulness/ commitment in this next generation. We live in a day and age where faithfulness is not a part of many peoples vocabulary. I was telling someone the other day that just 15-20 years ago it was not strange to see a person work his whole life in one vocation. It was not strange to see couples married once for 30-50 years. Today this is applauded but almost uncommon.
Today we see a dip in faithfulness. It has even entered the church. Pastors feel so much pressure to “keep people” in the church. They go to extremes. It seems there is not much commitment to the church. People change to what is the fad of the day.
Paul gives a charge to the Ephesians in Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
This seems to describe the church of the last 15 years. We have lost that faithfulness to one church. We change with the wind. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t believe in staying in a church just because it is there. I do believe that if things are not right then it is time to leave but just to change because there is a new fad then that is wrong.
We are teaching our children selfishness. We say, “If I don’t get my way I will take my ball and go home.” Remember that one child who was not any good but always got to play in the games, it was his ball if he didn’t play nobody did.” Well that is how we act sometime.
I have had people tell me, “There are plenty of churches down the road.” My problem was that I was just naive enough to believe that when people came to this church that God called them and that people wouldn’t leave unless God told them.
We need to teach them about faithfulness to God’s will. If God said for us to do it then we need to do it.
IV. A Deposit of Commitment
We need to show them a commitment to prayer. Private and corporate. Even in the most incontinent times. Some people tell me, ask me to do something for the church on any night except Fridays. Boy Fridays is this or that. My golf day, or my relax day.
We need to show them a commitment to generosity and giving. Showing them how we tithe and give. You see I have noticed that tithing is very hereditary. When the patents don’t do it then the children don’t. Just like church faithfulness.
We need to show them a commitment to the lost. Praying, witnessing, doing, and building relationships.
We need to show them a commitment to seeing God’s will done and his kingdom come.
Rev 2:10 says, “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.”
I want to be found faithful. Not just in what is important to me but what is important to Christ.
What are we teaching this generation?
Conclusion
A young mother was busy in another room of the house when she heard a loud crash in the next room. Her four year old came in and said, “Mom, you know that pretty vase that you said was passed down from Generation to Generation? Well, this Generation just dropped it!”
I am afraid that more and more we as a generation are dropping the treasures that God has so richly given us. We are dropping the ball, so to speak, on teaching our children the truths of the word, the blessedness of Pentecost and the desire to be faithful.
