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America After 250 Series- Week 14: The Church and the Next Generation Psalm 78:4 · Voices Of Life

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America has passed 250 years, but Istraver is
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never only about those who came before. It is
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also about those who come next, who will teach
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them, who will encourage them, who will tell
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them what God has done. This is Voices of Life,
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America 250, the church and the next generation.
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Psalm 78 verse 4, and now. Hello America, and
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welcome once again to Voices of Life. America
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After 250 series. I'm Pastor David. Today we
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begin week 14 with a question that reaches far
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beyond politics, elections, economics, technology,
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and even celebration of America's 250 years.
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It is a question about what comes next. What
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happens when our generation is no longer here?
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What will our children remember? What will our
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grandchildren believe? What truths Will they
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carry? And perhaps, most importantly, will they
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know the God we say we serve? Our theme for week
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14 is the church and the next generation. And
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our foundational scripture is Psalm 78, verse
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4. The psalmist declares that God's works must
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not be hidden from the children, but proclaimed
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to the generation that follows. Psalm 78 presents
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faith as something that must be intentionally
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remembered and intentionally transmitted. Tell
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the next generation. Psalm 78. That changes the
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conversation. Because the question is no longer
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simply, do I believe? It becomes, what am I doing
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with what I believe? Am I living it? Am I teaching
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it? Am I demonstrating it? Am I passing it? The
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church cannot be satisfied simply because we
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had a good Sunday. We cannot measure success
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only by attendance. We cannot congratulate ourselves
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because the building was full. Because a church
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can have a full building today and still fail
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to prepare anyone for tomorrow. And it goes the
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same for our video audience. For those of you
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out there listening, we could have 1 ,000, 2
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,000 people. But that doesn't mean that they're
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prepared for tomorrow. So it's our responsibility
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to get them there. Because our responsibility
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is larger. Psalm 78 gives us a generational vision.
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One generation witnesses works of God. The generation
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remembers. The generation tells. The generation
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hears. You have to listen. Then they learn to
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trust God themselves. And eventually, they tell
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another generation. You know, in sales, people
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always say, facts tell, but stories sell. And
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it's so true. Stories are so important. It sparks
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the dream. It sparks the dreamer. And that is
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where things start to be remembered. Psalm 78
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verse 4 mandates for generational discipleship,
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and it describes this passing of faith as a deliberate
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responsibility shared by the faith community.
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That's all of you. It's not just your pastor
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up here, or a pastor in another church, or a
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priest. It's all about you. It's all about your
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family, your community. This is a spiritual secession
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that is biblically a legacy. In the church, that
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is our assignment. America after 250. As America
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looks beyond 250 years, we naturally think about
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national legacy. We ask what constitutional principles
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will survive? What freedoms will be preserved?
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What institutions will remain strong? What kind
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of country our children will inherit? Those are
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legitimate questions. But the church must ask
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something What kind of faith will they inherit?
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Because buildings can be inherited. Money can
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be inherited. Land can be inherited. Organizations
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can have a succession plan to be inherited. Traditions
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especially can be inherited. But living faith
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cannot simply be deposited into somebody else's
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spiritual account. Every generation must encounter
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God. Every generation must learn. God's Word.
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Every generation must wrestle with truth. And
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every generation must decide whether Jesus Christ
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will merely be part of its history or Lord of
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its life. We can give our children church buildings.
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We cannot give them our relationship with Christ.
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That is something personal. We can give them
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our hymnals, but we cannot give them our worship.
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We can give them our Bible, but we cannot make
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them love its author. And for that matter, we
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can't even make them read it. We could tell them
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our testimony, but ultimately they must develop
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a testimony of their own. And that is precisely
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why our responsibility matters so much. We cannot
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manufacture genuine faith, but we can faithfully
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point them toward one who is worthy of their
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faith. The danger here is not us talking. The
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danger here is silence. Notice the seriousness
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of the biblical idea. The danger isn't always
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outright rejection. Sometimes the danger is just
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simply the quiet. The no response. We're not
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saying. A generation doesn't necessarily have
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to announce. We reject everything our parents
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believed. Because we hear a lot of that. As kids
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grow up for different things, curfews, things
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like that. But sometimes adults simply stop talking
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about what God has done. Prayer becomes private.
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Testimony disappears. Scripture becomes occasional
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and church becomes optional. Spiritual conversation
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becomes even uncomfortable. And eventually children
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know everything about our careers. Everything
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about our favorite teams. Everything about our
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politics. Everything about... what entertains
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us, but almost nothing about our encounters with
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God. Church, Psalm 78 challenges that silence.
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You tell them. Tell them what God has done. Tell
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them how He carried you. Tell them about the
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prayers He answered. Tell them about the prayers
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where His answer was different from what you
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wanted. Tell them about your mistakes. Tell them
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Tell them about your mercy. Tell them how Christ
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changed you. And tell them why, and this is the
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most important, you still believe. Not because
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your story replaces scripture. Because it doesn't.
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But your story can point them toward the God
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revealed in scripture. And sometimes the next
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generation needs to hear that Christianity isn't
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merely an institution somebody established somewhere
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in history. They need to see the faith has come
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to you and it's been lived, tested, questioned,
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strengthened, and proven meaningful in the lives
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of people they actually know. So let me leave
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you with this question and we'll close this segment
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out. If the next generation learned Christianity
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primarily by watching your life, what would they
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believe Christianity is? Would they see joy?
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Would they see forgiveness? Would they see courage?
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Prayer? Humility? Would they see service? Would
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they see repentance? Would they see love? And
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would they see Jesus? Think about that. Because
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faith is not merely what we tell the next generation.
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It is also what they watch. us as we live and
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as we go through life. And that's the best part
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about you being the example, being the demonstration.
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So important for them because they need to see
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it and they need to hear it, as we said earlier.
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Let's talk about a faith worth inheriting. There's
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an important distinction that we need to make.
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The goal of generational discipleship is not
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to create younger copies of ourselves. Not at
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all. The objective is not for them to think exactly
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like me, or dress like me, or prefer my music,
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or use my vocabulary, or even maintain every
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tradition I inherited. That's not it. That's
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not to say they won't pick up some of those things.
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But the objective here is to know Christ, love
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His Word, walk in truth, Recognize God's faithfulness.
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Develop spiritual discernment. Discernment is
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so important, especially today. And to serve
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others. And carry the gospel faithfully into
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your generation. They need to bring it with them
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as they move out, as they go on with their families.
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Sometimes churches unintentionally confuse faithfulness
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with familiarity. We assume something is sacred
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because it's familiar to us. But every generation
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expresses certain things differently. Styles
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change, technology changes, language changes,
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communication changes, and culture changes. The
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gospel does not change. Jesus Christ does not
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need modernization. But our methods of communicating
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external truth have always existed within changing
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cultures. Because, see, there's tradition and
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truth. There are traditions worth preserving.
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Tradition can provide identity. It can connect
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generations. It can remind us that people come
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from different places. There's something beautiful
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about a grandmother teaching her granddaughter
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a hymn she sang decades earlier. There's something
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powerful about a grandfather opening the Bible
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he has carried for 30 or 40 years. There's something
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sacred about hearing. This is scripture that
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carried me when your mother was sick. This is
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a prayer I prayed when our family was struggling.
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This is how God provided when we didn't know
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what we were going to do. Those moments connect
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generations, but tradition becomes dangerous
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when we elevate the container above the truth
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it was meant to carry. The next generation does
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not merely need our religious customs. They need
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to understand why we believe. They need permission
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to ask questions. They need adults who are secure
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enough in their faith that a teenager's difficult
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question isn't treated like rebellion. Questions
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can become doorways. Questions about scripture,
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questions about suffering, questions about science,
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questions about justice, questions about sexuality.
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Sexuality is something we sometimes try to avoid
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and we need to talk about it. Questions about
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culture, questions about hypocrisy. First of
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all, they have to understand what that is and
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what it means. And questions about why churches
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sometimes fail. They'll know that Christians
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sometimes disagree amongst ourselves, amongst
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different sects. And it's okay. We can agree
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to disagree. That's part of life. That's part
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of individuality. But don't run from every question,
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even if it conflicts with what your beliefs are.
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Listen. Teach. Study. Pray. There's usually enough...
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humility that you can gather up to say, I don't
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know, but let's seek the answer together. And
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it gives you a common goal and a common mission.
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That sentence can be tremendously powerful. And
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when you speak, there has to be an authenticity.
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Young people do not need perfect Christians.
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There aren't any, period. They need authentic
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Christians. People, who can say I was wrong.
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I shouldn't have said that. Please forgive me.
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I don't understand everything. I'm still growing.
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God is still working on me. I know that there's
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some leaders that teach other leaders, oh, don't
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ever apologize for something you did because
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that's a sign of weakness. No, it's a sign of
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understanding and it's a sign of truth and it's
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a sign of people taking a look inside of you
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to understand that, yes, that person is not a
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perfect Christian. It's okay. Imagine what children
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learn when they watch adults repent. They discover
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that Christianity isn't pretending to be flawless.
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It is living under grace. They discover that
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spiritual maturity doesn't mean never making
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mistakes. It means becoming humble enough to
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acknowledge them. And perhaps our greatest credibility
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with the next generation will not come from convincing
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them that the church never gets anything wrong.
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Perhaps it will come when the church demonstrates
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what Christians are supposed to do when we do
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get something wrong. repent, repair, forgive,
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learn, and grow. And most of all, keep following
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Christ. And when you tell this to your next generation,
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understand that your story matters. Psalm 78
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calls God's people to remember God's deeds. That
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naturally gives testimony an important place
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in generational discipleship. Intergenerational
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discipleship emphasizes teaching, storytelling
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about God's acts, lived examples, and engagement
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with the broader church family. So tell your
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story, not a polished version, the real one.
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Don't leave anything out. Tell the younger people
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about the season when your faith struggled. Tell
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them about the time you wondered where God was.
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What you learned. Tell them about your grace.
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Tell them about second chances. And tell them
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that following Jesus doesn't mean life becomes
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painless. It means pain doesn't get the final
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word. But give them something real. Give them
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a faith worth inheriting. So let's talk now about
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the church needs every generation. But let me
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say something clearly. The future of the church
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is not simply young people. The church needs
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young people, of course, but they need middle
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-aged people. They need older people. The key
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is we need everybody together. We need generations.
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One of the great tragedies of modern life is
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how easily generations become isolated. The young
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spend their time primarily with the young. Seniors
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primarily with seniors. Families with families
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at the same stage of life. Even churches can
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unintentionally reinforce this. We all have youth
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ministries, right? So you have a youth ministry,
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it's like, oh, it's all about the youth. Children
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over there. Young adults somewhere else. Seniors
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and adults somewhere else. It's always spread
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out and segregated. And that's not necessarily
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a good thing. That's not to say you can't have
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sessions with each, but bringing them all together
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in the end and going through a discussion is
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probably a cementing feature. There are practical
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reasons for age -specific ministry, but there
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is also tremendous power when generations come
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together. Generational discipleship in the church
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highlights the biblical importance of older believers
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sharing lives. with their tested faith. And they
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do this with younger believers rather than being
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sidelined from the church's formation of the
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next generation. There is a gift of age because
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older believers possess something younger believers
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cannot acquire quickly. The first thing is time.
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The years that they followed God, years seeing
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prayers answered, years surviving things they
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thought would destroy them. Years discovering
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which priorities actually matter. That wisdom
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is precious. We can't afford to lose it. If you're
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75 years old, perhaps you might think the church
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needs younger people now. My season is behind
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me. No. Your assignment may have changed, but
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your usefulness has never expired. Some young
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believers need... Maybe a young couple needs
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your wisdom. Or some teenager needs an older
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adult willing to listen without immediately judging.
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Some young pastor needs somebody to say, I've
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been praying for you. Some child needs a spiritual
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grandmother or grandfather. Your years are not
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a liability. They may be one of your greatest
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ministries. there's a gift of youth and listen
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closely if you're one of our older parishioners
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the young also have something to give us energy
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fresh questions new perspectives courage to challenge
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unnecessary assumptions familiarity with emerging
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tools and new ways of communicating so instead
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of always saying young people today perhaps we
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need and should ask, what is God teaching us
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through them? Young believers do not need to
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wait until they are 50 before they matter. God
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has always worked through people at different
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stages of life. Their contribution is not merely
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future tense. They are part of the church here
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and now. Let them serve. Let them learn. Let
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them lead under wise mentorship. Let them make
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honest mistakes. Let them develop. Let them ask
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questions. And above everything, love them enough
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to walk beside them. You know, generations sometimes
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seem to be competitors, but you know, they're
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not. Young people do not need to overthrow older
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believers. Older believers do not need to fear
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younger believers. See, this is family. Imagine
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churches where wisdom and innovation sit at the
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same table. Where grandparents and teenagers
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pray together. Where veterans of the faith tell
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stories to our children. Where young adults help
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older adults navigate technology. Where older
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couples mentor younger couples. Where younger
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Christians honor the faithful people who built
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before them. And where established leaders intentionally
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create room for emerging leaders. See, all of
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us, including myself, need to help someone become
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us. And I don't mean us in the exact clone, but
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us as the leaders. We need new pastors to carry
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on the gospel. This is not a generational replacement.
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It's a generational partnership. And that is
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how legacy becomes alive. Sometimes you need
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to really listen before you lecture. So let me
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speak especially to parents, pastors, teachers,
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mentors, and ministry leaders. If you want to
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reach the next generation, we have to learn to
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listen. Young people are speaking. The question
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is whether we hear them. Many are asking serious
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questions about identity, purpose, truth, relationships,
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technology, justice. They may have anxiety. They
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may wonder about the future. And they certainly
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have questions about God. Some of those questions
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may make us feel uncomfortable. But listen anyway.
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Because listening does not mean agreement. Listening
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means you matter enough for me to hear you. I'm
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going to take the time and I'm going to listen
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and I'm going to hear what you say. I'm not just
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going to pass it on by. And these conversations
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should feel safe. Imagine a teenager coming to
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a respected adult and saying, I'm not sure what
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I believe anymore. There are two ways the conversation
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can go. One response is panic. What do you mean?
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After everything we've taught you, you shouldn't
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think that way. Well, the conversation's finished.
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The teenager learns one lesson. Never tell an
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adult what I'm really thinking again. That's
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not very helpful. Or, the adult can breathe,
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listen, and say, Thank you for trusting me enough
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to tell me. Tell me what you're thinking. What
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questions are bothering you? Let's work through
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them. See, nice open -ended questions. Same teenager,
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same uncertainty, completely different doorway.
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Now, that doesn't mean that you'll agree to agree.
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You may still agree to disagree, but at least
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it gives the door an open chance and the subject
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matter an opportunity to air out. Truth doesn't
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fear questions. Christian faith does not require
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adults to fear honest questions. Scripture itself
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contains difficult ones. Lament, doubt, grief,
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confusion. Human beings ask God, why? How long?
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Where are you? We should teach the next generation
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that questioning is not necessarily the opposite
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of faith. There is a difference between cynicism
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that refuses every answer and honest searching
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that wants truth. When young people bring honest
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questions, do not give shallow answers merely
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because they sound religious. Take the question
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seriously. Study it. Seek wise counsel. Return
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to scripture. And be honest about what you know
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and what you don't know. Credibility matters.
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That's the bottom line. What you're trying to
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do is building up a relationship before programming.
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because churches spend considerable energy creating
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youth programs but the programs can be valuable
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but the programs cannot replace the relationship
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the next generation needs adults who know how
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to build those relationships they need to know
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their names adults who show up adults who remember
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what they said last week adults who celebrate
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their successes adults who notice when they disappear
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and reach back out. Adults who don't only contact
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them when they need a volunteer. Discipleship
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requires proximity. It requires conversation,
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time, patience, prayer, and example. Perhaps
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the next great youth ministry breakthrough wouldn't
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be another program. Maybe... It will be a church
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full of adults deciding no young person who enters
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this congregation will be invisible. So we cannot
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discuss next generation without discussing technology.
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It's here to stay. It moves faster than light.
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Phones, algorithms, artificial or super intelligence,
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streaming platforms, gaming. Gaming is a big
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one. Social media, another big one. and constant
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connectivity that can't put the phone down. Technology
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is shaping the environment in which young people
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develop. And the church faces a choice. We can
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simply complain about technology, or we can help
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young believers develop wisdom for living faithfully
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in a technological world. Don't just say no.
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If our only message about technology is turn
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that phone off, we've not discipled anybody.
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We need deeper conversations. How do you guard
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your attention? How do you recognize manipulation?
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How do you handle disagreement? How do you handle
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or treat another human being when the interaction
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happens through a screen? You're not there. There's
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nothing to touch. Well, there could be eye contact
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if you have video on, but usually it's just text.
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How do you determine whether something is true?
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What deserves your time? When does convenience
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become a controlling mechanism of you? These
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are spiritual questions because discipleship
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includes how we use our minds. And it goes beyond
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that. It goes to our words, our bodies, body
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language. Our time and our relationships. So
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we have to have a truth in this age of information.
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Previous generations face shortages of information.
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The next generation often faces the opposite
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problem. Too much information. Millions of voices.
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Thousands of opinions. Constant commentary. Everybody
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can appear authoritative. Who do we listen to?
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That means the biblical discipleship must develop
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discernment. Discernment is that filter. Not
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merely giving young people conclusions, but teaching
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them to think Christianly. How do we evaluate
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a claim? What does scripture actually say? What
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is context? What is wisdom? What is merely popular?
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And what is true? If we only tell young Christians
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what to think, they may collapse when confronted
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with arguments we never prepared them to evaluate.
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But when we teach them how to pursue truth, they
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become spiritually stronger. And we have to remember
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that technology cannot always replace presence.
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We can stream worship. We can watch sermons.
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We have these podcasts. We can read scripture
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digitally. We can communicate instantly. Those
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conveniences can be very useful. But Christianity
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remains profoundly relational. Bodies in a room.
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Meals around the table, hands helping neighbors,
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people praying together, people carrying each
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other's burdens, people worshiping side by side.
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The next generation needs digital access, but
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they also need embodied community. They need
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somebody who can sit across the table from them,
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look them in the eye, hear their story and say,
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you're not alone. That's a big deal. You are
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not alone. One of the deepest questions every
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generation asks is, why am I here? Well, purpose
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matters. Young people don't merely need something
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to avoid. They need something worth pursuing.
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If Christianity is communicated primarily as,
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don't do this, don't watch that, don't go there,
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don't think this, don't associate with them.
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Sound familiar? I mean, parents give a lot of
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these things a lot when we're growing up. But
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what happens is we may produce restrictions without
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vision. Jesus calls people not merely away from
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something. He calls them to something. A life
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of love, service, sacrifice, and truth. There's
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a reconciliation. There could be compassion,
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courage, even a mission. Give them responsibility.
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Don't merely entertain young Christians. Trust
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them. Give them meaningful opportunities. Let
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them serve the poor. Let them help a family.
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Let them visit people who are lonely. Let them
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participate in worship. Let them contribute ideas.
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And teach them generosity, hospitality, prayer,
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and how to serve without needing recognition.
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Going back to that servant leader. A young believer
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who discovers God can use my life has discovered
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something infinitely more powerful than religious
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entertainment. Because when they have a mission
33:46
to complete, mission creates meaning. Ask a generation,
33:51
what can the church give you? And consumer Christianity
33:57
develops. Ask. How can God use you to bless somebody?
34:03
And the mission begins. The church must help
34:07
young believers understand that they are not
34:11
customers. They are disciples. They have gifts.
34:16
They have responsibilities. They have neighbors.
34:21
They themselves have influence. They have a calling
34:26
to love God and love people. And America needs
34:31
servant leaders. Because as America enters our
34:35
251st year, our nation doesn't merely need louder
34:39
citizens. It needs better neighbors. People capable
34:44
of disagreeing without hatred. People who serve
34:48
without cameras. People who tell the truth when
34:53
lying would benefit them. People who defend human
34:57
dignity. People who practice forgiveness. commitments.
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People who recognize that freedom and responsibility
35:07
belong together. The church has an opportunity
35:11
to form these kinds of people. Not political
35:17
conquests, not cultural denomination, but for
35:21
faithful presence. We should want young Christians
35:25
whose faith makes them more loving, more truthful,
35:30
more courageous and compassionate. and more responsible
35:34
and willing to serve. Give them something worth
35:38
living for. Teach them to follow Jesus. And after
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we go through all that with them, what will they
35:47
remember? I think the most personal part of today's
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conversation is this. What will they remember
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about us? Not what we hope they'll remember.
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What are we actually giving them to remember?
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When our children describe our Christianity someday,
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what words will they use? Grace, joy, prayer,
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compassion, integrity, service, or anger, fear,
36:21
arguments, hypocrisy, or control? That's uncomfortable,
36:26
but necessary. Our children see the private versions
36:31
of us. Public Christianity is easy to manage.
36:36
Sunday clothes, a Sunday smile, Sunday language.
36:42
Family sees Monday. They see us when plans collapse.
36:48
They hear how we talk about people who aren't
36:51
present. They see how we treat restaurant workers.
36:56
They watch how we handle money. They know whether
37:00
our Sunday faith survives until Tuesday. That
37:04
doesn't mean parents must demonstrate perfection.
37:06
Again, perfection is impossible. The goal is
37:10
consistency. And then consistency fails repentance.
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And we have to understand that if we do fail
37:21
in consistency, that we do have to ask for repentance.
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And they need to see that. One of the greatest
37:27
spiritual gifts a parent can give a child may
37:30
be the ability to say, I sinned. I hurt you.
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I was wrong. And then ask, will you forgive me?
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You know, that teaches grace. Tell the stories.
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Psalm 78 brings us back to memory. Tell the coming
37:46
generation what God has done. The legacy of faith
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connects Psalm 78 verse 4 with remembering God's
37:53
faithfulness and intentionally sharing those
37:56
stories with others. What are the stories in
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your family? Who prayed? Who persevered? who
38:03
came to Christ, who forgave and who overcame,
38:07
who remained faithful during that hardship. Tell
38:11
those stories. Write them down. Write them down
38:15
as they occur. Record grandparents talking. You
38:20
know, that's something I wish we had smartphones
38:22
around when my parents were still alive. I would
38:27
have liked to make some recordings of what they
38:30
had to say. Thank God, though, my mother, did
38:33
make some recordings. She liked to sing. She
38:37
wasn't a bad singer. So she recorded a lot on
38:39
cassette tapes. Well, there's not a lot of cassette
38:42
tape things. And I still, to this day, have not
38:45
transformed them into digital. And I don't even
38:48
know how their condition are. But if you can
38:51
record them, video, audio, it doesn't matter.
38:55
Those are memories that you can continue to pass
38:58
on. And you can ask them, how did you come to
39:01
faith? What was your hardest season? When did
39:04
you experience God's provision? What scripture
39:07
carried you? What do you want your grandchildren
39:09
to know? Someday voices become memories. Protect
39:13
the testimony while the voice is still here to
39:16
tell it. And you're not going to idolize the
39:20
past. But remember, having those memories, that
39:24
remembrance does not mean pretending the past
39:26
was perfect. Every generation has failures. America
39:30
has failures. The church has failures. Our families
39:33
have failures. Mature remembrance tells the truth.
39:38
We celebrate what was righteous. We confess what
39:42
was wrong. We learn. Then we can move forward.
39:46
Selective history creates mythology. And mythology
39:52
is not good because you sometimes forget what
39:56
you said and then you say it again. They remember.
40:00
So truthful history creates wisdom. And scripture
40:03
itself models this. Biblical history does not
40:07
hide human failure. It reveals flawed human beings
40:11
and a faithful God. Tell the next generation.
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Psalm 78 notes that both human and rebellion
40:18
and God's compassion are remembered. That is
40:22
encouraging because our legacy does not depend
40:25
on convincing our descendants that we were perfect.
40:29
It depends on pointing them toward God who remained
40:33
faithful even when we were not. As we close week
40:37
14, let's look forward. Imagine America decades
40:43
from now. The technologies will be different.
40:46
The political debates will be different. The
40:48
neighborhoods will look different. Church ministry
40:50
may look and feel different. Many of the cultural
40:54
assumptions familiar to us today may be gone.
40:57
A lot of ideologies in and out. But human beings
41:01
will still need hope. They will still experience
41:04
grief. They will still search for meaning. They'll
41:07
still wrestle with guilt. They'll still have
41:10
a need for forgiveness. They will still ask whether
41:13
life has a purpose. And the gospel of Jesus Christ
41:17
will still speak to humanity's deepest need.
41:22
So the church must prepare the next generation.
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not merely to preserve institutions, but to carry
41:28
a living witness. Build people, not just buildings.
41:33
Our greatest monument will not be something that's
41:36
made of stone or wood. It will be people. Men
41:41
and women who know God. Families shaped by grace.
41:46
Leaders formed by integrity. Young Christians
41:48
who learned how to think biblically. Believers
41:53
who love their neighbors. churches where generations
41:57
worship together, and communities transformed
42:01
by service. That's the legacy. That's the handoff.
42:07
Picture a relay race. One runner carries the
42:10
baton. Eventually, that runner reaches another.
42:14
There is a moment when both hands touch the baton.
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That's where we are. Generations overlapping.
42:21
One has experience. Another has years ahead.
42:26
And for a brief moment, both hands on the same
42:29
faith story. Older church, well, don't hold the
42:34
baton forever. Prepare somebody to carry it.
42:37
For the younger church, do not despise the hands
42:40
that carried it before you. Receive the wisdom.
42:44
Honor faithfulness. Then run your race. And to
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parents, I would say, your children may not remember
42:53
every sermon. They may not remember every church
42:56
event, but they will remember whether faith mattered
43:00
at home. Pray with them. Listen to them. Apologize
43:05
when necessary. Bless them. Tell them what God
43:08
has done. And let them know that nothing would
43:12
bring you greater joy than seeing them know Christ
43:15
for themselves. And to the grandparents, Your
43:19
ministry isn't finished. Tell your stories. Pray
43:21
over your grandchildren. Encourage them. Ask
43:25
questions. Be present. Be that calm voice that
43:28
reminds them, I lived long enough now to know
43:32
that God is faithful. And to other church leaders,
43:36
I'd say, even to myself as a pastor, make room.
43:40
Do not merely recruit the next generation to
43:43
maintain what already exists. Disciple them.
43:47
Challenge them. Trust them. Correct them lovingly.
43:50
Listen to them. Teach them scripture. Give them
43:54
meaningful responsibility. And demonstrate servant
43:58
leadership before them. So, to the next generation
44:02
and to every young person listening, you are
44:05
not merely the church of tomorrow. You matter
44:09
today. Seek truth. Know scripture. Ask difficult
44:13
questions. Find wise mentors. Serve somebody
44:17
who cannot repay you. Develop your gifts. Learn
44:21
from those who came before you. And do not confuse
44:24
the failures of Christians with the character
44:28
of Christ. Follow Jesus. Not celebrity, not popularity,
44:32
and not algorithms. Jesus. You know, America
44:36
reached 250 years. It was not an easy road. But
44:40
history does not stop for an anniversary. The
44:43
clock keeps moving. Children become adults. Adults
44:46
become elders. Elders become ancestors. Cycle
44:50
of life. Building eventually disappear. Organizations
44:54
change. Technology becomes obsolete. Names that
44:58
once dominated headlines are eventually forgotten.
45:02
But the influence of a faithful life can travel
45:06
through generations. A prayer whispered by a
45:09
grandmother. A scripture taught by a father.
45:12
A testimony shared by an elder. A pastor who
45:16
believed in a teenager. A teacher who refused
45:21
to give up on one child. And a church that made
45:25
room at the table. Small acts of faithfulness
45:29
can become links in a chain of extending farther
45:32
than we will ever personally see. And so we return
45:36
one final time to the heart of Psalm 78 verse
45:40
4. Do not hide what God has done. Tell the next
45:44
generation. Tell them of His greatness. Tell
45:47
them of His power. Tell them of His work. Psalm
45:50
78 verse 4 mandate for generational discipleship.
45:54
It's important. Church, we are holding something
45:57
precious. Not merely traditions or memories or
46:01
institutions. We have been entrusted with testimony.
46:04
The generation behind us handed something to
46:07
us. Now another generation is standing in front
46:10
of us. The question is, What will we place into
46:15
their hands? May we give them truth. May we give
46:18
them wisdom. May we give them an example worth
46:20
following. May we give them room to grow. May
46:24
we give them our testimony. And above everything,
46:27
may we continually point them toward Jesus Christ.
46:31
Because America's next 250 years will belong
46:35
to generations many of us will never meet. But
46:38
the faithfulness we practice today can help shape
46:42
the legacy they receive tomorrow. This is our
46:45
moment, this is our responsibility, and this
46:48
is our legacy. Tell the next generation. Let
46:51
us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for every
46:55
generation that has come before us. Thank you
46:58
for the parents and grandparents, pastors, teachers,
47:01
mentors, faithful believers who told us about
47:04
your goodness. Forgive us for the moments when
47:08
we have allowed Preferences to become more important
47:11
than people. Forgive us when we have spoken more
47:15
than we have listened. Forgive us when our example
47:19
has failed to match our confession. Give your
47:23
church wisdom to reach the next generation. Give
47:27
parents patience. Give grandparents renewed purpose.
47:30
Give pastors courage. Give mentors compassion.
47:35
Give young believers discernment. Raise up a
47:39
generation that loves truth without losing grace.
47:42
A generation that pursues holiness without pride.
47:46
A generation that serves without demanding recognition.
47:50
A generation that knows your word, walks in your
47:55
spirit, loves its neighbors, and boldly follows
48:00
Jesus Christ. And Father, when our own voices
48:03
eventually become silent, may the testimony continue.
48:08
May another generation stand and declare your
48:10
goodness, and another after them, and another
48:14
after them. For your glory, we ask this in Jesus'
48:18
name. Amen. Thank you for spending this precious
48:21
time with me on Voices of Life, America After
48:24
250. I'm Pastor David. This has been Week 14,
48:28
The Church and the Next Generation. Our challenge
48:31
this week is simple. Don't wait for somebody
48:34
else to reach the next generation. Find one person,
48:38
listen, encourage, teach, pray, and share your
48:44
testimony. And remind them their life matters
48:48
to God. America's story is still being written.
48:51
The church's witness continues. And another generation
48:55
is already watching. What will we show them?
48:58
What will we teach them? And what will we leave
49:01
behind? Until next time, keep the faith, tell
49:04
the story, love your neighbors. serve your generation,
49:08
and never forget to prepare the one coming behind
49:12
you. I'm Pastor David, and this is Voices of
49:15
Life, America After 250 series. The story continues
49:18
through Next Generation. We'll see you next time.
49:21
The torch passes, the story continues, and another
49:30
generation is already listening. We have the
49:34
courage to teach them, the humility to listen
49:38
to them, and the faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
49:47
This has been Voices of Life. America after 250
49:52
with Pastor David. The church and the next generation.
49:59
Our history is worth remembering. Our faith is
50:06
worth sharing. And our future is worth preparing
50:13
for. Until next time, tell the next generation.