A Generation

thank you Jesus thank you for your presence Lord Jesus thank you again you could be seated

at the turn of the 20th century uh there became known throughout this country if you look in historical records you know y'all know me by now if there's a chance to bring history in history is going to be visible uh you know just a passion of mine all you got to do is watch a couple footnotes I've been a part of but they began to kind of name the different groups of people that existed based upon birth years and so from 1893 to really 1900 a generation was birthed that came of AE flu pandemic called The Lost Generation they were lost because as the century turned the values that had been such a huge priority for people for so long began to fade away and diminish they didn't really know where they fit and they were surrounded then by Bloodshed and Carnage and lost of life that was what they knew they became lost then after them in 1901 to approximately 1928 was a generation that uh I forget which one it was so I don't want to say his name but one of the news Outlet guys that was on there for a long time name this generation the greatest Generation this next group of people they were born in this time frame and a a and they grew up during the largest economic expansion in American history to that time they may have lost family in World War I but they had a resolve to make the world better they looked at how they could care for those that could not care for themselves they began to implement social programs to make this world better Ford had invented the his assembly line process and and they were the first generation to experience abundance as a result of innovation that that had begun to happen this is also the generation that would go on to serve in World War II and everything that came after that then you know Tim Elmore who's a leadership Guru these next few Generations he has done extensive research on because they are the generations presently in the workforce and I'm going to pull a little bit of information from Tim elmore's uh research the Builder generation was the generation born in 1929 if you know anything about history do y'all know what happened in 1929 anybody know yeah the crash and it wasn't like you know the symbol no the great crash of the stock market where all this speculation all this expansion all this economic growth that had been happening for the previous generation came like basically the bill came due and when the bill came due Banks began to shut down with the Run everybody began to panic and the Builder generation sometimes also called The Silent generation they grew up in the midst of this Great Depression they were thankful for what they had and they wanted to do everything in their power to guard what little bit they had I I remember hearing stories from my Sunday school teacher growing up and she talked about growing up during this time frame and they would what they would do is they would overcook the biscuits and then they would cover them with sugar so that then they could have sugar biscuits for the next few days so that they made things last they wanted to protect what little bit they had with everything within them that's why if you know anybody that is from this generation they are probably some of the most frugal people you know they are the ones that seriously they could squeeze that penny so tight you might hear Abraham Lincoln scream y'all know who I'm talking about y'all probably know they grew up and they wanted to protect everything that they had because they understood in a moment it could be gone they they had a value for work because they very well knew that it could disappear the opportunity for work could disappear in a moment they had a value deep inside of them they said you know what I've got to be grateful for what I have I've got to be appreciative for what I have and I know that when I get up in the morning and the alarm clock goes off or or the chicken crows I know when I get up and go to work I've got to be grateful for that because I could very easily not have it because Dad didn't have it and so you'll notice as we go through these Generations each of them build attitudes and values based upon what they experienc growing up under the previous generation this generation this Builder generation they had a protective desire that eventually led to McCarthyism and the early early days of the Cold War because they wanted to protect the little bit that they had and if somebody was viewed as any semblance of a threat they wanted that threat removed then in 1945 y'all know something crazy happened babies babies babies everywhere 76 million babies were born from 1945 to 1964 76 million children screaming hollering needing their needs met babies everywhere y'all know what that was right okay we don't have to go into that okay but it began right after World War II ended and and this is the generation though that wanted to return back to normaly because their parents raised them in a time of Education expansion they they raise him in a time where the traditional family was set at the utmost pinnacle of what you should strive for this generation the boomer generation grew up to serve and in and protest the Vietnam War and they were definitely involved in Woodstock most grew up though in these traditional family units and but they began to Buck tradition for the sake of tradition in other words they began to look at it and say why do I need to have a traditional family why do I need to hold these values in place they begin to question those why is it that women are the only ones allowed to stay home and men have to go to work they begin to Buck that tradition so the Next Generation rolls rolls around called the baby buster generation or those of us that are part of it Generation X rolls around 1965 to 1982 birth years we cut the birth rate in half our generation did this lowered the boomer generation Boomers had less babies than their parents did and and it was really I want to say it was in the ballpark of 40 to 45 million out of 76 Boomer parents 76 million this de the this group this boom this Buster generation began to grow up and deal with an everchanging status quo you know as this generation grew up they were introduced to things like MTV and all the other pop culture references and elements that existed in in essence what began to happen is the previous generation bucked the tradition and broke those protocols and what began to happen is this generation this Buster generation more of them were being raised by pop culture than they were being raised by their parents because something had begun to break in the tradition from generation to generation and they they grew up with minimal supervision because both of them both parents in most homes began to work they became very cynical birth control and Row versus Wade previously taboo and conversation became common place and common expectations this generation dealt with the aftermath of Vietnam ending uh the ending of the Cold War they dealt with OPEC and this generation dealt with Watergate everything they saw that could break trust and tear down those expectations and those values the previous generation did not support that and they began to tear those down that's why they became so cynical then we get to everybody's favorite generation 1983 to 2000s y'all know what those are called the Millennials sometimes called generation why like why in the world did this generation be born kind of thing just kidding I love y'all my wife's one of these parents though if you notice parents of Millennials probably doe in large part to S as they grew up in a time of upheaval begin to be what we call helicopters if you notice more and more parents of Millennials refuse to let their kids go they wanted to to bring this back because it was something they missed as a kid parents were heavily involved and during this generation we had this big push toward the war on drugs and everything that could harm the kids became the protocols of the day challenges and encouragement for self-esteem campaigns Etc three times this group The Millennials they are three times less likely than any other generation to this point in time three times less likely to marry part of that may be the fact that some of these guys were living in their mama's basement still but more lived at home than ever before between the ages of 25 and 35 that's his generation as if you notice we went from the hardworking we're going to do these traditional units to now this point where you know it's not about tradition anymore it's not about these things because they did a lot of things for tradition sake then Generation Z that's you guys I know I'll get to y'all Generation Z they they grew up under the busting of the doc com bubble but they also grew up as sister Sloan did a great job teaching the young people and teaching the parents over the last several months about the dangers and the challenges of Technology but smart technology that connects us us and disconnects us became prevalent this is the first generation to completely grow up with technological access in their day-to-day life readily at their fingertips I grew up in the generation of dialup you know the bong ding ding D okay this generation could pick up a phone and in two minutes or less be halfway into YouTube video from some dude in China like this is the generation they they grew up understanding what happened with 9/11 fear anxiety constantly existing around them terrorism 9911 publicized mass shootings racial unrest economic burst corporate Scandal everything that could bring anxiety into their life this generation this generation is presently dealing with and then we have generation Alpha those born from 2019 presently Carly you got a generation Alpha right there generation Alpha we don't know the experiences they're going to have yet we don't know what challenges they're going to face yet but we do know this we do know that what this generation will experience the alpha generation will experience is that everything is experienced by previous generations will not be the same thing experienced by the kids of generation Alpha it won't be

every generation experiences a loss of the values of the previous generation when the previous generation does not take the time to ensure that the generation coming up behind them understands the re reasons for their beliefs and their values the reason these Generations began to tear away at the traditional family and moral structure that have been prevalent for centuries upon centuries is that the generations that followed did not do their job and I'm going to tell you I'm going to come at this hard this afternoon because this is so heavy and Urgent in my spirit is that our respons is to make sure that whatever generation is coming after us it's not just told do this because but this generation that is coming after us is told this is why this is so important if we don't know the why the what won't matter it has happened to every generation in American history and it will happen to every Christian generation when intentional effort is not given to ensure that the upcoming generation understands the reason for the boundaries and the landmarks you want to of church that had been so long grounded in the truth men of God grounded in the truth families grounded in the truth you want to know why we hear the stories that they no longer hold the line it's because they understood a what but they were never taught a why never taught a why

told a what in the final chapters of Genesis the conclusion of the origin story of this earth and the Jewish people there's a famine sir there's a famine in the land and God had already begun to orchestrate a plan of miraculous salvation that Rose From the Ashes of the hatred and jealousy of Brothers he had allowed Joseph to rise to a place of power and influence in Egypt and it was God's hand that blessed the people of Egypt through Joseph so when Jacob's family was making their way to Egypt it was under the the development of a miraculous intervention that ended up blessing both Egypt and Jacob's family see this was all part of God's promis plan that he gave to Abraham this is the miraculous things that would happen so that promise that God made to Abraham of I will make your your people great across this world this was God's plan and he had already begun to put it in place they came they lived protected by Egypt and their pharaohs and the people of Egypt and the people of Israel were all blessed thank God for the blessings in our life thank God for the times he blessed me just because I was in proximity to someone else thank God for the blessings he put on my life because I was walking in purpose and promise I thank God for those things however as Egypt as blessed as Egypt was they failed to convey the reasoning for that blessing to the next generation of pharaohs Exodus chapter 1 is so tragic because it could have been avoided had the generation previous taken the time to instruct and guide the Next Generation as to why they were blessed they had had he done that had generation of pharaoh said there's a man by the name of Joseph that brought his family but he is blessed by God and because God is blessing them and we're working with them and we're serving with them and we're allowing them and we're protecting them but the Bible says a tragic tragic comment in Exodus 1 verse 6 says then Joseph died and all his brothers and all that generation but the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong so that the land was filled with them verse eight now there arose a new king over Egypt who did not no Joseph but but wasn't it his dad or his granddad maybe a great granddad but didn't they invite the people there didn't they understand that their coffers were full and famine in their land everything was protected and they were a blessed people but because he lost sight of why they were blessed and he did not know Joseph because a previous generation had had failed him he began to look at what God had created as a blessing for them as a threat instead when I don't teach the Next Generation why it's important and why we value the things we value if we don't do those things they will look at what should be a blessing in their life as a threat to what they want to do hear me again we have to teach the Next Generation CU he said in verse n he told all the people behold the people of Israel are too many and they're too Mighty for us and as a result of the failure of one generation to ensure the next understood the why Moses came plagues came curses came and eventually the labor force and the reasons for the blessings in Egypt's community and country that they had lived under were removed and Egypt's power track it Egypt's power began to diminish and their influence began to diminish in the world shortly after this event in history all because a pharaoh didn't teach the Next Generation the why yes they might be different yes things might be challenging yes there may be a lot of problems that I don't understand or comprehend but one thing I will never let go of is the why we're blessed because God's people are here we're blessed because they are here and we're protecting them had he taught had he taught

you know the greatest tragedy for the generation for any generation is that the preceding generation fails to ensure that the next generation is aware of the cost and the rewards for what they have been given you know I know Millennials get a lot of flack for this this sense of entitlement but they only have that sense of entitlement because a generation previous created that in them and they only created that in them because the previous generation didn't do what they should have done and they only did what they did because the previous generation did what they did greatest tragedy is that we don't make sure the Next Generation understands the cost and the rewards I know several of us in this room today have stories of relatives and ancestors that went and dug out Works paid it P great personal cost to see the work of God go forth at Great personal cost to them physical mental spiritual financial and so often though the generations don't ensure that the Next Generation understands that cost oh yeah we could talk about it but let's be real we've all heard those stories back in my day and the minute we hear back in my day let's be real younger Generations when we hear back in my day we automatically start precluding in our mind oh that was then this is now why why don't we see people lay down in the altar why don't we see the dead raised why don't we see physical healings limbs grown back that happened in the word of God and if I remember right in the word of God Pastor it doesn't say that this is only good for that Bible time but it tells us time and again that the promises are to your children and your children's children and your children's children to all that are far off even as many as the Lord Our God shall call that is the promises of the word of God but the generation before called causes things to be let go of because we don't do our part Exodus Leviticus Numbers take the time to read through them you'll see that it says multiple times these are the things that are established anointing the Sabbath rules guidelines how to worship and what to worship what to do how to do it Etc and the Bible says throughout each of those occurrences that they were established throughout all generations or they should be established throughout all generations but then we get to after this out coming out of Egypt and everything that happened in Exodus Leviticus Numbers due to onomy and Joshua in Judges chapter 2 ver8 we pick up a Story Another Story Another cautionary tale Joshua the son of nun the servant of the Lord died at age 110 and they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in the Hill Country of Ephraim north of the Mountain of gash verse 10 and all that generation also were gathered GED to their fathers the entire generation had the had gone on at this point and there arose another generation after them there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord how is that possible that Joshua's Generation The Great and Victorious generation the one that w around the walls of Jericho they saw them collapse and saw God feed them and clothe them when they couldn't on their own how is it that that generation did not tell the why to the Next Generation so much so that when that generation was gone there is no skipping there is no Gap it is in the exact same verse that there arose another generation immediately after joshuas that did not know that Lord how is that possible how is it possible they did not know Lord how how is that possible I'm burdened by this today I'm torn up by this pastor because the only way they did not know the Lord is that that previous generation you know the one this generation that was this book of the law shall not depart out of their mouth and meditate there in day and night he talked them he talked to them but when he came down to it he did not Ensure that the Next Generation understood what needed to happen and why all these things happened these kids sitting on this front few sections here they've heard the stories they've heard about the miraculous they've heard about all of that but how many times have they seen it with their own eyes how many times have they experienced it failure is not in the Next Generation the failure is in the present generation and the people of Israel the Bible goes on to say in Judges chapter 8:1 they did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Bales and they abandoned the Lord the god of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt they went after other gods from among the gods of the peoples the next generation is going to go after what everybody around them wants to go after especially if we make sure that they don't know the Lord oh yeah they know about Sunday they know about Wednesday but when we look for every reason not to be here instead of finding every reason to come into the presence of the Lord are they going to know the Lord if our only instruction to them is when they get to come to a Sunday school class or they step foot through the doors on a Wednesday night kids church or at summer camps if that's the only instruction they get I'm going to tell you point blank as awesome as those things are as needed as those things are we are killing the next generation's relationship with God if that's all we depend on it not your Sunday school teacher's responsibility to be the one that teaches the Bible to your kids it is not the elders responsibility alone to tell them how things were in the old days it is our responsibility in this present generation to make sure that this is taught trained and prayed into everyone of whatever generation comes after Proverbs 30:1 says this if you read it in King James it says there is a generation there are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers in that the Ten Commandments says honor thy father and thy mother so as a Proverbs is writing here he said hey look there's people and there's a generation that violates the Ten Commandment that is one of the most basic honor your father and your mother he goes on to say verse 12 there are those who are cleaning their own eyes but are dirty on the outside they're clean in their own eyes but there there's a generation that thinks they're good and everybody else is wrong but if they took a second to look in the mirror they would be disgusted at least should be disgusted by the filth that is on their life that generation is here in this world today there are those are there there's a generation how lofty are their eyes and how high their eyelids lift in other words they're looking for things that are way out there instead of what they should be looking at here anybody ever drive down a country road Fields as far as the eye can see you ever find your eyes drifting looking way ahead down there I do it because I'm looking for deer and I can spot a deer I can't see nothing close but I'm going tell you what I can spot a deer at 450 yards and I can tell you how many points that buck had that was nine Bor tell you what I need to get permission on that field but the more you look in the distance the less you miss up close you don't see what is literally right in front of you verse 14 I'm hurrying as Pastor would say if I can use his words it's 122 for all you clock Watchers just bear with me your coupon will still be good for those that don't know I keep a list of his sayings on my phone so I can throw them in here don't worry you'll hear me saying just a minute hold on to me I'm going somewhere but verse 14 says this there are those whose teeth are swords whose fangs things human beings aren't supposed to have things things are for shredding meat they're for penetrating deep into somebody's heart you want to know why what happened in this generation the previous generation didn't teach them and ensure that they were pointed in the right direction fangs are knives to Devour the poor from off the earth and the needy from among mankind that's where our generation is doing think about it who are the ones if I can just be plain today who are the ones that are human traffic the most it's the vulnerable it's the needy it's the broken it's the ones that are taken by this generation and their fangs shredding them like knives who are the ones that make mist mistakes and do things that they should not be doing that they know they should not be doing it's this generation and they're destroyed they're destroyed by those who they put trust into Deuteronomy 79 through 11 says this know therefore that the Lord your God is God the faithful God who keeps Covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand Generations let put it like this if we help the Next Generation love God love the things of God love the presence of God there is no generational Gap that is going to destroy the promises and the blessings of God in their life however verse 10 he repays to their face those that hate him by destroying them he will not be slack with one who hates him he will repay him to his face we can teach the Next Generation to love God the things of God the kingdom of God in the presence of God and they could live and pass that on thousands of generations or not and the promise of the word says destruction will come what good is it to have a building Pastor that the next generation will never understand the value of coming to it I know pastor says this almost every time he he references building a facility for our s for our community of Believers here every time he says I want my grandbabies to know there's a place that they can go to Pastor if the generation before doesn't teach them to love the things of God what good is a building what good is a facility if we're not teaching our children and training our children and praying our children and whatever generation comes after into a place of relationship with God everything Jesus did on this Earth all 33 and a half years of his life three and a half years of ministry Everything Jesus did on this Earth could very easily have died with him he ascended into heaven could very easily have been over could very easily have been no book of Acts there could very easily have been no outpouring of the Holy Ghost into our world today there could very easily those things could very easily have happened but Jesus did something he made sure that his disciples didn't just know a what but he made made sure but everything he had that they knew a why he poured into them with everything he had he gave them every second that he could possibly give them even after his death and burial and Resurrection he came back and spent more time because he wanted to make sure that no matter what happened that next Generation that was following him would not let go of the things that he had brought to this Earth but would be the one to usher in the promises and the blessings that the word had been prophesying since the beginning of time this is what Jesus did and we are told and instructed to be like Jesus there let me be clear this afternoon there is a generation that is coming after but if the foundational groundwork is not laying in this generation's life they will be the last generation that even has an understanding at all of Truth and let me tell you when I'm saying generation here I'm not just talking about kids and teenagers I'm talking about people right now that are just coming into the presence of God and just beginning to know God I'm telling you our young ones our babies in Christ need to understand the principles and the value of the word it is not just something we expect or should expect somebody to come in raise their hands on a Sunday and that God can do everything in their life right in that moment no it's going to take some time it's going to take some effort it's going to take some blood it's going to take some sweat it's going to take some tears because there's a generation coming after it could very easily be the last generation if we do not do our job

her name was Katie Lou Katie Lou got the holy ghost at 13 years old Katie Lou was from South Georgia go ahead and put that picture up for me if you can Sarah Katie Lou got the holy ghost at 13 got married not long after that because in those days that was acceptable because we're talking early 1900s she got the Holy Ghost and her and her husband moved back to South Georgia and we're hanging out in the area of Fitzgerald Georgia if you don't know where that is just drive on I75 you'll see a sign for it and that's probably about it but while there a family by the name of Brock family by the name of Brock were going to a Methodist Church up the road and they heard about this little old not little old lady at this point but this young lady and her husband and they said can you come teach us can you come speak to us in our church about who God is that Jesus Christ was God manifest In the Flesh that he is God and he is Holy Spirit he is every part of that can you come teach our church so here is Katie Lou Who until her dying day never saids she was a preacher but Katie Lou went across town to this church and spoke what God had revealed to her the entire Brock family was filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost the evidence of speaking in tongues they saw this Revelation that Jesus was all of these entities in one he was God manifest In the Flesh she they they saw that they were filled with the Holy Ghost and they began to preach all around that side of South Georgia themselves if you are familiar with Georgia you may have heard of the Brocks at some point and I'm going to tell you all those Brocks were a direct result of her pouring into someone else a new generation that needed to know who God was and why God was important to follow oh Katy L story doesn't end there because Katie Lou moves to Atlanta with her her family and and you know this lady when it was all sit done she have 14 kids go ahead and put that other picture up there she had 14 children that's that's Katie Lou in the middle holding the baby that's her husband there to the right my right your right her left Katie Lou and her family moved and got a PE group of people together in Atlanta and in Atlanta they began to meet in a house they brought in somebody to Pastor the church and went along and that Pastor left and there was Katie Lou and her family Katie Lou did the only thing she knew to do and her and her husband begin to preach on Sundays as time went on they built a church building called the Prior Street Church in Atlanta and and and as time went on they they grew more they Associated at different points in time with the ljc with independent with other Oneness organizations all those kinds of things they did all of that Katie Lou still to this day would tell you till her last breath I'm not a preacher but news got out about who Katie Lou was and Katie Lou began to be called on to pray and when Katie Lou was called on on to pray she would load up the little ones she had she'd go across town back in those days you didn't just say a cute little prayer all right see you later you stayed until God moved so there was times that it was all my all night prayer meetings that got to start because people needed a touch from God and so Katie Lou and her family whoever was with her they would do this they would pour into people they would pray over people they became a vessel through which God moved moved hold on to me I'm going somewhere so Katie Lou after the 14th child is born her husband passes away suddenly now here's just Katie Lou 14 children oh should I also tell you this is during the Great Depression or at the tail end of it how is a single woman going to make this work for 14 kids I mean I know how I struggle with three today I can only imagine what it was like in the Great Depression raising 14 kids my uncles used to tell me the story see because Katie L Pope is my great-grandmother my uncles used to tell me the stories I see people would ask Katie Lou they would ask granny Pope they would ask her how are you able to do this faith and prayer notice who I said told me this it was my great uncles her sons they told me a story that every day rain shine sickness Health whatever ever it was Katie L Pope would go find her back room of the house she would tell the kids out front she would say don't bother me for an hour unless the house is on fire and she would get into the presence of God she would get into the presence of God in such a mighty way she didn't have much she was struggling to make it all me make it all work out but there was something about faith of that generation and so as she began to pray my my oldest Uncle her my youngest Uncle that's still living told me just this week I was like I want to make sure I got my facts straight about granny Pope he told me this this week he said you know he said Raymond which was the oldest one Raymond was just passed away a week or two or a year or two ago was a World War II veteran he was somebody fighting in the Pacific with General MacArthur she said he told me he said Raymond told me this and I heard it myself too the youngest to the oldest said when Granny would say that we would leave her alone but occasionally we'd make our way back to the door we'd put our ear to the door we could hear our mother praying and calling out each one of her 14 kids names calling out people that needed a touch from God praying with intensity and fervency you want to know how many Apostolic churches in this area are in Georgia especially are directly connected to this lady's Faith hundreds Ministries around this world are impacted by her efforts now I say all that and I tell you that story for this simple fact she made sure that the next generation understood the cost they understood the value and she most importantly wanted to make them make sure they understood that the only way you will be blessed and the only way God can do the things he needs to do in your life is if you find you a spot and you build a relationship with him she didn't fail in that she didn't fail in that yes some of my aunts and uncles went a different route but when it all came down to it they understood that Granny Pope was a lady of faith and a lady of prayer and that that Heritage and that that example has followed generation after generation after generation so here I stand three or four generations were moved and I stand here in this moment because there was a lady by the name of Katie Lou that made sure that the next generation was not going to be a lost one but it was going to be a generation that understood the power of prayer and relationship with God she get there she close the door there is a generation there is a generation coming after it may be your kids it may be the next guest we have walked through that door but there is a generation that is coming after that must know who God is and what he is capable of and we do that

Deuteronomy chapter 6 give us a clear directive on how to make this happen now this is the Commandment the statutes and the rules that the Lord your God commanded me to teach you that you may do them in the land which you are going over to possess it that you may fear the lord your God you and your son and your son's son in other words we've got to teach our our next Generation to fear God not fear is in trembling but fear is in reverence and respect what God wants to do if I don't teach it to my generation there's nobody that's going to teach it to my grandkids I'm hurry I know I've been here a while just give me five more minutes teach them to your son's son and by keeping all his statutes and his Commandments which I command you all the days of your life and that your days may be long hear therefore oh Israel and be careful to do them that it may go well with you that you may be blessed that you may multiply greatly as the Lord the god of your fathers has promised you in a land flowing with milk and honey there's a promise that awaits if you will do this you shall teach the I'm sorry I skipped ahead you shall love the hero Israel the Lord our God is here Israel the Lord Our God the Lord is one verse five you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might can I tell you if you don't do it nobody else will you have to do it first you have to be first my kids won't care what I teach them if I do something different if I were to ask I'm not going to but if I were to ask Brother Robinson to come stand up here and ask Dawson to stand right here and Justin's in the middle it would be a perfect example of what he did eventually would trickle down the Dawson it would if he lives his hands in church and worships God and he makes sure that Justin sees it and Justin sees it and teaches dolls that's how this works if I don't do it first the Next Generation never will if I don't let go of myself sometimes in worship I can never expect my young people I can never expect people that have never encountered this amazing gospel and experience from God I can never expect those things to happen but something has to break in me where I say you know what I'm going to love the Lord God with all my heart with all my soul with all my strength and sometimes I just got to let go if I don't let go there won't be a spirit of worship oh man I've taken too much time if I don't do these things first in this example if brother Tim doesn't do them Justin May Dawson may not you know the hardest things about pastoring for me when we pastured up north of here so man I'd worship my guts out because that's who I am I love to worship God but I'd turn around and I'd see people that have been living for God for a while it's not about necessarily the action but it is definitely about our heart and if I don't love the Lord God with all of that I will never do more than guess what the next generation won't either and the thing that distinguishes us and our experience from others is the fact that we love God wholeheartedly with every part of our being Bible says in Deuteronomy 6:7 you shall teach them diligently to your children shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise in other words I don't just wait on Sunday if the next generation is going to feel the church building and the facility and reach this community I can't just do it on Sundays because there is a generation coming there is a generation verse eight you shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontless between your eyes can I say it like this everywhere you go whatever you do whatever you say should be an example of the love you have for Jesus Christ because if I if you don't that that generation that's watching you that generation that's coming behind you will be the last generation of Truth Brother Don if you could come

Psalm 78 says this give ear oh my people to my teaching incline your ears to the words of my mouth I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings from old things that we have heard and known that our fathers have told us we will not hide them from our children or from their children but tell to the coming generation because if we want this truth to endure if what we believe and what we have received is valuable enough we should want it to endure and if it isn't if it is going to endure we've got to have a generation that knows a generation of someone that has seen somebody healed that can speak to that and come with faith and pray for somebody and we could see it happen if if this is going to happen we got to have the Next Generation see people's lives change by the awesome power of God's presence we can't hide these things away but we've got to make them visible in every aspect of Who We Are are we will tell to the coming Generation The Glorious Deeds of the Lord and his might and the wonders of what he has done in other words I'm not going to dwell in being weary I'm not going to dwell in being broken I'm not going to dwell in being hurt I'm not going to dwell in all the negativity but I'm going to start focusing and declaring and proclaiming to this next Generation what God can do what God will do and oh I'm going to tell it like I've never told it before what God has done because if I don't tell what God has done for me this next Generation we'll never know he can do it for them never know

stand with me this afternoon I appreciate your attentiveness goes on to say in verse five he established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel when he commanded our fathers to teach their children that the Next Generation might know them maybe you are the Next Generation and you're here today hear me the presence of God is unlike anything you've ever experienced and the peace that you receive when you come into the family of God is matchless there's no words in this Webster's Dictionary that can give adequate description of what God can do for you and maybe today is the day you start a new generation maybe it's the day today is the day you look and say you know what I'm the first in my family to ever have an opportunity to experience this or maybe I need to rekindle that generation so you know what I remember my grandma the Rob I remember my dad I remember my granddad remember my great grandmother because there's a generation coming that needs to know who he is and what he's capable of so that they should set apart oh sorry the children yet unborn and arise and tell them to their children in other words if I don't teach my next Generation there won't be somebody in a Sunday School classroom to teach my kid I if I don't make sure that the people I'm coming in contact with understand everything God is capable of I need to put a I need to put a flyer Post-It note right in the middle of my forehead God is great beyond comprehension because I want my grandkids to know that there is a teacher that has poured their heart and soul in a Sunday morning lesson that what their parents have taught them throughout the week is confirmed and renewed in them on a Sunday Sunday school hour so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God but keep his Commandments what was the problem in the Old Testament There Rose up a generation who did not know the Lord they had no clue because somebody dropped the ball and my challenge right now is to the present generation we cannot fumble the ball it's not just about our kids and our grandkids but it's about those that walk through that door on a Sunday morning during choir rehearsal lift their hands and the power of God falls on them and they have a lifechanging experience it's about those that will walk through that door on a Tuesday night CR and will feel the power of God that they can't feel anywhere else it's not about me but it's about that generation that is coming that needs to know God is real that he's not deterred by society and he's not broken by corruption and immorality but there is a God that no matter what happens and no matter what comes your way he is there he is there we need to demonstrate oh our prayer generation of today our prayer should be God let there be a new demonstration of the things we've always heard I believe somebody can walk out of here can walk in with a limp and walk out walking straight I still believe that because I've seen it I've seen people with a withered hand begin to stretch it out because God moved in but there's a generation coming can I tell you this afternoon

and I'm closing second or 1 Peter 2:9 says this you are a chosen generation you know what you're chosen for today you're chosen to prepare the way like John the Baptist for the next generation there's a generation that we are dangerously close Ronald Reagan in his inauguration speech as governor of California I know some of y'all men I said Ronald Reagan Oh Glory bring him back but Ronald Reagan in his inaugural address as governor of California in 1967 said this he said perhaps you and I have lived too long with this miracle to be properly appreciative freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from Extinction it is not ours by way of inheritance but it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation I know he's talking about the freedoms we experien in this country but man there's some powerful words here and wisdom it must be defended and thought for for by each generation for it only comes once to a people we get one chance to make sure the next generation is getting what they need to have we get one chance on those in the world in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again have you known churches pastors ministers people that you thought were committed to the cause begin to fade away because they don't know the god that they once knew how hard is it for them to bring it back not impossible but it's difficult but Reagan goes on to say this in the closing words of his inauguration speech he says if this is a dream it's a good dream and it's worthy of Our Generation and is worth passing on to the next this is the eventual fulfillment of our destiny to have every confidence that we who are a little older a little more experienced who have lived through three Wars in a cataclysmic depression I believe that we're capable of fulfilling our destiny and we can pass this dream on so worthy of us and worth passing on to the next and I'm going to open this altar today with the closing words of his speech if if you'll indulge me for a moment because our challenge is are we prepared to step into what God has ordained for us to do because if we're not it don't matter what we say the next generation is going to watch what we do they will either know God or they won't know God because of our steps or our missteps here's what he said in his closing words and with this as soon as I'm done reading I invite you step forward get your mind focused on that the altar will be open in just a moment it's always open but he said this he said and we all should make up our minds today what we should say is this let this day Mark the beginning of this dream's fulfillment I wonder all over this place if in your mind you can just close your eyes for a moment God we've all made mistakes and we've all failed and our Pursuits of training and teaching and leading the Next Generation but God I don't want this to be the generation that leads to Extinction but God this dream I have of your word and your promise being fulfilled everywhere come on will you pray this with me today God this promise that we have I wanted to be play in you Lord Jesus it's not about me it's about you some of us have been so bound up our own problems and conditions that we have allowed our mission which should be preparing the Next Generation to Fall by the wayside I encourage you step forward if you don't want to come alone grab somebody that's okay that's part of working together generation and generation and just begin to lift your hands and voices and say God I know Lord there's an urgency there's an urgency God to see the Fulfillment of the dream and the purpose that you have come on will you cry out with that sense of urgency come on Can You Feel It in the room right now God let us be Lord a generation that prepares the next God we're hungry for you but God we don't want the Next Generation to go hungry God we want them to know you we want him to know you we want him to know you we want him to know you come on bring to your mind some of the things you've seen God do right now bring them back to your remembrance again don't you want the Next Generation to see those things don't you want them to experience those things