Pt. 4 - After Me?
I. Introduction
Every father wants their child’s first word to be dad. Mom’s want it to be mom. And we never forget the first time we hear them say it. There is another word that children seem to learn at almost the same speed of “dada” or “mama” and that word is “MINE”! Every toy wanted by a sibling or playmate produces the often escalating shout of this declaration of territory and ownership. Even surrounded by numerous other toy options the word still is shouted at glass breaking frequencies. It doesn’t take us long to reveal a selfish tendency. We learn it young and the me, myself and I thought process is reinforced by our society until we become self absorbed, self centered, and self consumed. Mantras of Do you leads to a selfie society. We begin to believe that we should only live for ourselves and our own happiness is all that matters. We may shake our head as if we can’t agree with someone like Albert Camus when he writes “To be happy we must not be too concerned with others” but then we conduct our lives as if our lives are all that matters.
But what if you only had 30 days to live? What if the clock is ticking down and your number is up? I have already challenged you that the last day will come. We are not assured of more days. So, that should cause us to consider those that come after us. And yet I would venture to say that most of us don’t. The proverbial sticker on the back of the RV that says “I’m spending my kids inheritance!” Really does give us a glimpse into our lack of looking over our shoulder.
Scripture provides a contrast of ways of living that I want us to look at and allow to challenge us!
The way we are supposed to live is revealed in Psalm 78:1-7.
Psalm 78:1-7 (Message)
Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths, Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother’s knee. We’re not keeping this to ourselves, we’re passing it along to the next generation— God’s fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come— Know the truth and tell the stories so their children can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter. Heaven forbid they should be like their parents, bullheaded and bad, A fickle and faithless bunch who never stayed true to God.
So the standard or mode of operation that one King (David) gives us is to look over our shoulder and take care of the generations coming after us. And by the way if you are sitting here and you have no physical or natural offspring may I remind you that in the New Testament Paul chimes in regarding the spiritual family and says that the older generation should train the coming generation. In other words, keep an eye on those who are after you. That is the standard we should aspire to. However, here is the contrast. In the Old Testament there is another king, who I am afraid that due to the selfishness of our society, we tend to be more like and his attitude has even become common in the family of God. See the contrast of how he lives and the result.
Isaiah 38:1-6; 39:5-8
At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and said, “ God says, ‘Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it: You’re going to die. You’re not going to get well.’” Hezekiah turned away from Isaiah and, facing the wall, prayed to God: “ God , please, I beg you: Remember how I’ve lived my life. I’ve lived faithfully in your presence, lived out of a heart that was totally yours. You’ve seen how I’ve lived, the good that I have done.” And Hezekiah wept as he prayed—painful tears. Then God told Isaiah, “Go and speak with Hezekiah. Give him this Message from me, God, the God of your ancestor David: ‘I’ve heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll add fifteen years to your life. And I’ll save both you and this city from the king of Assyria. I have my hand on this city.
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Now listen to this Message from God -of-the-Angel-Armies: I have to warn you, the time is coming when everything in this palace, along with everything your ancestors accumulated before you, will be hauled off to Babylon. God says that there will be nothing left. Nothing. And not only your things but your sons. Some of your sons will be taken into exile, ending up as eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.” Hezekiah replied to Isaiah, “Good. If God says so, it’s good.” Within himself he was thinking, “But surely nothing bad will happen in my lifetime. I’ll enjoy peace and stability as long as I live.”
OK quick background. King Hezekiah is sick and about to die. He prays and God intervenes and sends Isaiah to tell him he will be given 15 more years. In other words, Hezekiah experiences God’s miraculous power first hand. Then his own prides gets in the way and Isaiah is sent back to give another word. This word is that due to Hezekiah’s sin his children will be taken into captivity and will become eunuchs and slaves. Hezekiah’s response is the word of the Lord is good because I will enjoy peace and stability while I am alive. Selfishness on display. No eye to those coming after. He hears that his children will be in bondage and unable to reproduce or be fruitful and as long as he gets his he is happy with that.
See the contrast. Does it sound more familiar? How many of us have experienced the power of God first hand and now we are satisfied even if those coming after us don’t have the same encounter? As long as my move is protected and perpetuated I am good. Forget my offspring. That is why churches refuse to change. That is why godly people fight over their songs, their styles, their preferences. Maybe we are more like Hezekiah than David!
So, in light of this idea of 30 days to live and the contrast of these two kings can I remind you of two things?
Somebody is watching you.
Somebody’s watching me! Watching me. Watching me.
Here is the truth I want to drive home because regardless of which kings example you embrace you need to know . . .
Your days will end, but your influence will not.
I will never forget the exercise I did with you years ago when I asked who would be disappointed if a particular person fell and the majority of the congregation stood up. We can not escape the fact that someone is watching us. We must live our life with an eye to those that are coming after us! Every decision we make. Every choice we are faced with. Every word and action is watched. We are blazing a trail for someone. We may think our lives are our own but no man is an island.
Don’t fight the follow. Paul didn’t. In fact, he understood this principle so much that he comes to the place where in 1 Corinthians 11:1 he says, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” Talk about guts. If you are following me, then you are following Christ. Can you say that about those that are following you?
Which leads me to the last challenge . . .
You will leave a trail!
Each and every one of us are Trail Blazers. Our lives lead those after us somewhere. Paul said his trail would lead to Christ. When people follow you where will your trail lead?
If we live up to David’s instructions, then we will lead the next generation to keep the commands of God even more faithfully than we have. However, if we follow Hezekiah’s then we don’t leave a trail of bread but a trail of bondage.
He gets the word that his children will become slaves and become eunuchs. He trades their future for his fun. He accepts his peace even though the price is their pain. He embraces ease on the back of their enslavement.
How many of us are living like that? We are purchasing our happiness but in so doing we put our children’s future at risk. We get what we want but their destiny is not only delayed but even derailed. Hezekiah didn’t even blink at the fact that the prophecy said his kids would be eunuchs. Unable to be fruitful!
Listen we need to understand that our trail can lead those following us into becoming spiritual eunuchs. If we view our relationship with God/church as optional, not a priority, duty rather delight. If what we say here doesn’t sound like what we say tomorrow, then we are leading our followers to a lack of fruitfulness spiritually. If those after us don’t see us worship, hear us pray, see us read, hear our testimonies of the miraculous, then they will follow us to no encounter with God.
Our trail can lead them to becoming financial eunuchs. By watching how we spend, save, tithe, steward and value. By seeing if we allow things to become idols. We can lead them to bondage.
We can lead them to becoming relational eunuchs. If we won’t let our walls down. If we hold people at a distance. If we don’t model accountability. If we refuse access. If we resist vulnerability. Then those after us will struggle relationally. They will battle isolation, loneliness, depression.
Those coming after us will follow our trail to bondage or we can leave a trail of bread . . . This is how you handle tragedy. Watch me. This is how you handle injustice. Watch me. This is how important relationship is to me. Watch me sacrifice here. This is how important stewardship is watch me wait for what I want. This is how important God is to me watch me get up and go even when I am tired. This is how to respond when someone does you wrong. Listen to me. This is how you worship. Watch me raise my hands. When it is all said and done and my days are over I want to leave a trail that leads them to fruitfulness and to Jesus!
What kind of trail are you leaving? Bread or bondage?
Parents and children - tell them where you want them to end up. Old men and young men. Old women and young women. No one is off the hook.
