Consider This...

For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21 NLT)

What does it require for us who are sinners to "be made right with God?" It takes a sinlessly perfect sacrifice who is willing to take our punishment for sin upon Himself! And, who is that sinlessly perfect sacrifice for all mankind? Drumroll please...His name is JESUS CHRIST! By no other name (person) can any man or woman be saved from sin and given the promise of a Heavenly home. Oh, what a beautiful name!!

Consider This...

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Corinthians 4:18 NLT)

It would be hard to image anyone's life (except for Christ's life) being more difficult than that of the Apostle Paul. Had he only looked at the things he could see "now" he would have given up long before the day he met Christ in Heaven. However, he saw the "things that cannot be seen" and pressed on to finish what God had given him to do. By faith, look beyond your present struggles to see the joys that await you with God. All that you endure now (pain, suffering, persecution, trials, etc.) will be forgotten the moment you see Jesus face to face.

Consider This...

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT)

It's discouraging to share the Gospel with people and see that blank stare on their faces when you've finished. It makes you wonder where you failed in the presentation or if you should have used a different approach. The fact is, though, that the likely cause is Satan who "blind[s] the minds of those who don't believe." When you find yourself in that situation don't give up on that person. Pray, love, and share the "Good News" of Jesus Christ again (at a later time) until the light breaks through into their darkness.

Consider This...

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude (Psalm 32:5 NLT)

You can't hide your sins from God and when you try you only cause yourself greater pain. The Psalmist "finally" did what he should have done from the beginning and "confessed" his sins to God. At the end of this psalm there is an "interlude" as if to say in part, "Stop and think about this for a minute. He was always willing to forgive my sins and I wouldn't let Him." Be smart and stop trying to hide your guilt and rebellion from God. You're only making things worse for yourself. You can be guilt free ("all my guilt is gone") for the asking!

Consider This...

There is a wide-open door for a great work here, although many oppose me. (1 Corinthians 16:9 NLT)

Wherever God is at work you can always be sure that there will be opposition to what He is doing. Take heart servant of God...no enemy can stop the forward progress God has chosen to accomplish through you. If there is "a wide-open door for a great work," then walk through it into your divine destiny. Not everybody will help you and some will do all they can to stop you. But, God has everything you need already in place to accomplish the great task He has given you.

This Is Not Your Father's Church

1 Timothy 5:1-3

Does anyone remember the 1988 GM commercial for their new Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme whose tag line was, “This is not your father’s Oldsmobile”? Well, that’s the springboard for my title today. “This is not your father’s church.”

Before we look at what I mean by that title, consider some interesting thoughts about aging:

Someone has said, “You Know You’ve Been out of College Too Long When . . .”

• Your potted plants actually stay alive.
• 6:00 a.m. is when you get up, not when you go to sleep.
• You hear your favorite song on the elevator at work.
• You carry an umbrella.
• You watch the Weather Channel.
• You go from 130 days of vacation time to 5.
• You’re the one calling the police because the kids next door won’t turn down the stereo.
• Sleeping on the couch is a no-no.
• MTV News is no longer your primary source of information.
• You actually eat breakfast foods at breakfast time.
• Grocery lists have more on them than macaroni & cheese, Diet Coke, and Ho-Ho’s.

One lady was talking about the difficulties of staying in shape as she got older. She said, "I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor’s permission to join a fitness club and start exercising. I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors. I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour. But, by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over."

Another man talking about the signs of aging said, "My memory is not as sharp as it used to be. Also, my memory is not as sharp as it used to be."

Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman asked, "What do you think is the best thing about being 104?" She replied, "No peer pressure."

This message really isn’t about the aging process or the difficulties you face in that process, but about the generational “gap” that too often exists in our churches and how we can bridge that “gap” with grace and truth.

Each generation has a specific name or title ascribed to that generation, usually because of a particular event/feature that is associated with that generation. There are several such lists and sometimes there are slight variations in a specific generation’s birth dates. But, this list represents the overall consensus in a fair manner.

1900 to 1924 - G.I. Generation
1925 to 1945 - Silent Generation
1946 to 1964 - Baby Boom Generation
1965 to 1979 - Generation X (also known as the “Baby Busters”)
1980 to 2000 - Millennials or Generation Y
2000/2001 to Present - New Silent Generation or Generation Z

Should we develop churches that are specifically geared to a single generation or should the congregation be composed of many generations? Should we segregate ourselves into subgroups based on generational differences or should we integrate the generations into a unified body of believers?

There are some guiding principles that I believe are found in scripture that can help us be the kind of church that respects all generations.

1. The church is to be a multi-generational body.

While it is helpful to utilize “age targeted strategies” for the purpose of evangelism/discipleship, when those strategies circumvent the church being a cooperating and unified body, there will be a missing dynamic (discussed later) in that church.

A keynote speaker’s bio at a major church conference went like this, “[A certain church] has grown to be one of the largest churches in England with 2,000+ in weekly worship, 70% of which are under the age of 35.”

I understand the significance of what is being promoted and am grateful that so many young adults are being reached. That particular age bracket (generation) often finds faith difficult and success in that realm is to be commended.

What was startling, though, was the POTENTIAL (!!) implication that reaching young adults is more important than reaching older adults or middle aged adults. If the figures had been reversed and 70% of the congregation had been over the age of 35, would that mean the church had been less successful in their mission?

I actually don’t know who wrote the speaker’s bio and I don’t mean to impugn this church or its pastor in any way. I’m just asking a question to make us think about the importance of valuing all generations so we’ll be sure to reach everybody because God loves all generations.

What I do know is that there are places where churches are in significant conflict and decline over generational issues that are driving them apart and segregating their congregations.

Sometimes, in these settings, older adults tend to look at younger people with suspicion and concern. Because younger people look different, dress differently, embrace new technologies, and are filled with dreams and new ideas, they tend to be discredited by the older adults. One of those adults was heard to say, “It’s hard to take someone seriously who only has to shave once a week.”

You’ll also find in these settings that younger adults fear that older adults will always look at them as kids, even though they are adults with their own successful careers. And sometimes younger people tend to disregard the wisdom of older people. They figure older people just don’t “get it” and as a result, they make the older people feel unappreciated.

Tell the story of my dad and his experiences...

Someone has said that, “There is a human tendency for each generation to believe and act like the church exists just for them.” ---Van Giessen

The fact is that God always intended His church to be a multi-generational body of believers centered on Jesus Christ and not their generational differences. Actually, He intended the generations to come together to do His will and win the world with the Gospel.

In this passage (cf. 1 Timothy 5:1-2), Paul is instructing a young pastor how to function in some very difficult circumstances and he emphasizes that multiple generations are present in the church at Ephesus.

Really, churches should have ministries geared to varying ages that are effective in speaking to the specific culture and needs of that generation. But, there also must be times in all congregations when multiple generations can come together for worship in demonstration of their unity.

Maybe if you and I were writing Galatians 3:26-28 in light of the generational conflicts that exist in the church today we would have specifically added age to the equation. But, isn’t that really part of what God is saying anyway?

“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

We are all “one” body made up of many different types of people from all generations and from lots of different backgrounds, but we must not let any of these distinctions bring division among us.

We need each other and God’s church is to be a multi-generational congregation.

2. The church is to be a mutually respectful body.

Timothy was sent to Ephesus to set things in order (1 Timothy 3:15; cf. Titus 1:5) in the church. He was a relatively young man himself, but he was called to lead a church in crisis. As much as he might appeal to his authority as the pastor of the church to force things done, Paul enjoins him to treat the older and younger men/women with respect.

To “rebuke” an older man was to “express disapproval as a form of punishment, hence ‘to denounce,’ ‘to reproach,’ ‘to reprimand,’ ‘to reprove, censure, or scold,’ or even ‘to speak severely to.’ (A Handbook On Paul’s First Letter to Timothy)

To “exhort” has a broad range of meaning in the New testament. It can mean “to comfort” or “to encourage,” but here it means “to appeal to,” “to admonish,” or “to advise.”

Timothy was to show respect to each of the different generational groups to which he was ministering. Generational differences exist in many congregations, but the body should be characterized by “mutual respect” for one another.

A. Respect toward the older men/women

The Bible repeatedly teaches the ethic of respecting your elders and complements those with graying hair due to their maturing years.

• “Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained by living a godly life.” (Proverbs 16:31 NLT)
• “The glory of the young is their strength; the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.” (Proverbs 20:29 NLT)

What an unfashionable idea! Gray hair as a "crown of glory," a sign of "experience."  God’s values are a far cry from those of our 21st Century culture.

Actually, younger generations must be careful not to treat older generations as “disposable seniors.” We should be treating them as God treats them. Listen to these verses:

• “I will be your God throughout your lifetime -- until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will  carry you along and save you.” (Isaiah 46:4 NLT)
• “Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged.” (Proverbs 17:6 NLT)
• “Show your fear of God by standing up in the presence of elderly people and showing respect for the aged. I am the LORD.” (Leviticus 19:32 NLT)
• “The godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted into the LORD 's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age they will still produce fruit; they will remain vital and green.” (Psalm 92:12-14 NLT)

We live in a youth oriented culture that sometimes caters to the younger generations more than to the older ones. If you were to survey the advertising agencies I believe you might find a disproportionate number of dollars are spent trying to reach younger adults with their message more than older adults. I think that’s to be expected as they represent the future of their product lines.

However, we must be careful not to adopt their philosophy and allow a new “ism” to creep into our churches. Someone has termed this as AGEISM which can potentially lead people to believe that only the youth culture matters.

This trend has been defined as, “any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age.” And, sometimes churches are guilty of making this mistake and failing to respect the older members of their congregation by treating them as if they are less important.

R.C. Sproul Jr. wrote, “When I last crossed a decade barrier in my own aging process, God was good enough to grant me this small bit of wisdom—the Bible honors age, not youth. I came to understand that the disappearance of my youth was something God thought a good thing, and if I were wise, I would agree...” He goes on to say that this is, “easier said than done.”

Paul instructed Timothy to show respect toward his elders, even when doing the hard things (1 Timothy 1:3-11; 3:14-15) that were needed in the Ephesian church.

B. Respect toward younger men/women

In a similar fashion Timothy was also instructed to treat those his age and younger in a respectful fashion, as well.

The Bible does not marginalize younger adults or teens, though it does recognize that experience (and usually wisdom from experience) rests with older adults.

My experience is that you can be young and mature and you can also be old and immature. Maturity is not the sole domain of older adults.

In fact, Timothy is a relatively young man (possibly 30’s or 40’s)  when he assumes this role as leader of the Ephesian church. He battles being intimidated by the problems and the older members of the congregation (1 Timothy 4:11-12, cf. 2 Timothy 1:6-7). Consequently, Paul writes to him in this letter to encourage him. He is to use his life and ministry as an opportunity to demonstrate the character that will earn the respect of the Ephesian Christians.

Paul also instructs him to treat the men/women his age and younger as “brothers/sisters,” thus showing them respect.

There is no reason for the church to assign younger adults to the sidelines of church ministry as though they are “second string” players on God’s team. As we’ll see in a moment, there is an important role for older adults to play in guiding the younger adults in learning “the ropes” of the ministry. But, that isn’t to mean they must be treated as incapable servants until they’ve reached an advanced age. Actually, when the wisdom of experience is combined with the strength, ambition and faith of youth there are endless possibilities for the church to succeed in her mission.

The real trouble arises when the younger members do not respect the aged members, marginalizing their wisdom/experience while carelessly relegating their traditions to the past without even understanding the real purpose of those traditions and/or when older members disrespect younger members by dominantly controlling all expressions of faith while refusing to hand off the baton of leadership to the next generation because they don’t trust that generation and are afraid of the things they might change.

The fact is that we need all the generations represented in God’s church. Church shouldn’t be an either/or proposition, but a both/and proposition. We need each generation to be doing the work of God in this world. Put the experience of the older believers alongside the strength and vision of the younger ones and you have a powerful expression of what God intends the church to be in the 21st Century.

For those of us who are quickly advancing in years, let’s treat with respect the younger generations coming behind us. Maybe they won’t do everything the way we did it, but that’s not the most important issue. What we ought to be asking is, “Does the next generation hold the same biblical truths (not personal opinions/preferences) that have guided us through the years?” Younger adults are visionary and energetic with lots of ideas and ambition. Let’s use the wisdom and experience of the older generation to empower the next generation by helping them think through their ideas/ambition so that all things are done according to the truth of Scripture and for the glory of God.

3. The church is to be a maturely influenced body.

Why does the Bible give such emphasis to the elders among us? It’s because our elders have something to teach us — they have life experiences from which we can learn.

“Remember the days of long ago; think about the generations past. Ask your father, and he will inform you. Inquire of your elders, and they will tell you." (Deuteronomy 32:7)

In other words, if the next generation is willing to listen, the older generation can mentor them along their path while reminding them of the values we all hold dear, which are often obscured in modern society. This is a dimension to church which is sometimes lost in an age specific congregation or older church that is really not trying to reach the younger generations.

Paul also wrote a letter to another pastor named Titus to whom he also gave wise counsel about bridging the generation gap. His instruction was similar to what he said to Timothy (Titus 2:1-8). In this passage he shows the importance of a congregation being “maturely influenced” by the members that have “been there and done that.”

“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.” (Titus 2:1-8)

Again, maturity is not the sole domain of the aged or immaturity the sole domain of the young. But, godly mentoring by older members of the body of Christ is invaluable in helping the next generation avoid major missteps. These are experiences that have come to them through their many years of walking with the Lord and doing the work of God.

Four Points of Application:
1. Treat everyone with respect regardless of their age.
2. Don’t write off anyone on the basis of their age.
3. Live in a way that no one can despise your youth or old age.
4. Have someone to mentor, as well as someone to mentor you.

Let’s remember something together: this is not our father’s, mother’s, brother’s or sister’s church. This is our FATHER’S (God’s) Church!

Consider This...

Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:23 NLT)

Ever wonder how God views "rebellion" and "stubbornness" in the human heart? It's like "witchcraft" and idolatry to Him! How did our view of these things get so far removed from God's view of them. A lot of people celebrate these vices as virtues in our culture. Next time you see either of them springing up in your own heart...QUICK, get alone with God and ask Him to cleanse you of them. Maybe society values them, but God doesn't.

Consider This...

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. (1 Corinthians 13:11 NLT)

Sometimes you just want to get a person's attention and say, "IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO GROW UP!" When you were a child it was cute for you to act "childish," but now that you're an adult...your "childish" behavior is down right disgusting. The aging process doesn't translate into advancing maturity for some people. Too many "mature adults" still think, speak, reason, and act like children. It's time to put away "childish things" and GROW UP! That is...if you want to be treated like an adult.

Consider This...

Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls. Those led astray by drink cannot be wise. (Proverbs 20:1 NLT)

Set aside for a moment the argument that the Bible allows Christians to drink alcoholic beverages in moderation. The larger question is, "Why do Christians want to ingest anything that God speaks about as being this dangerous when there are so many other options available to us?" There's no question that this verse is talking about a drink with alcoholic content as it "produces mockers" and "leads to brawls." (Sort of sounds like last nights news outside one of your town's bars.) It can't be any clearer when the proverb concludes, "Those led astray by drink cannot be wise." Choosing abstinence prevents even the possibility of behaving like a fool!

Consider This...

I, too, try to please everyone in everything I do. I don’t just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so that many may be saved. (1 Corinthians 10:33 NLT)

When is the last time you heard someone say, "I don't just do what is best for me; I do what is best for others..." Narcissism has crept into our churches and even many Christians have adopted the world's philosophy concluding that, "Life is all about me!" Paul set his on desires aside at times knowing that the way he lived his life impacted other people and what they thought of Jesus. Don't just do what pleases you...think about how it affects others, too.