Sermon Central
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The Targeted Generation
Contributed by Brandon Park on Nov 28, 2017 (message contributor)
Summary: When parents learn to shoot straight, our children will hit the mark.
- I’ve gotten in the habit of praying this little prayer with my kids before they go to sleep: “Oh Lord, I can’t wait to see how you are going to use Austin.”
o Instead of falling asleep wondering if God could use him, I want him to dream of how He is going to use Austin.
o I’m vision-casting for my son at an early age.
- The spiritual history of the church is replete with God’s delight and desire to use children and students and young people in mighty and miraculous ways to shake nations and turn the world upside down for God
o Whether it’s the 3 Hebrew children that were in the fiery furnace that brought a national revival by their faith demonstrated
o Or the 17 year old shepherd boy named David who went out against the Philistines and defeated Goliath
o Or when you read of Samson – who was mighty and powerful but could not tear down Dagon’s Temple until a little lad (a little child) led him out and put his hands on the pillars of the Temple of Dagon
o Or whether it was Hannah’s son in the Scriptures – who was 12 years old and at the age of 12 he had been so mentored and so instructed and so taught the things of God – that when God spoke in the temple, God didn’t go to an adult or an experienced preacher – but God had a 12 year old child in the church that He could speak to in order to bring a national revival.
- I believe that God wants to use our children!
o When you study the greatest revivals and the great awakenings throughout all of church history – God always used our children and our youth in stirring up and starting a revival!
o God can touch your children in mighty and miraculous ways!
- One of the greatest needs of the church for a powerful present and a flourishing future is to recruit, and develop, and mobilize our kids and our youth for ministry!
o LISTEN: The devil’s not waiting until they’re 20 to recruit them!
o Satan’s going after them early... he’s going after them while they’ve very young!
- The Apostle Paul wrote an epistle to young Timothy who was a pastor of a church.
o In 2 Timothy 4:6 Paul says, “I am now ready to be offered up / to depart.” That’s a phrase meaning, “I am now ready to die and meet the Lord.”
o But Paul could not say “I am ready to depart” until he first said in 2 Timothy 1:5, “For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.”
- LISTEN TO WHAT HE’S SAYING – He’s saying that because you received an impartation I am ready to be offered up!
o PARENTS / GRANDPARENTS – You are not ready to DEPART until you first IMPART your faith to the next generation!
o Your #1 assignment sir, businessman – is to understand that what you leave IN them is more important than what you leave TO them.
o And you’re not ready to depart if all you’re going to leave them is money!
