THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING.
ARE WE INVESTING IN THE EFFORT TO PASS THE MANTLE TO OTHERS?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
This is a two part lesson!
I LOVE THE THOUGHT DON’T GIVE ME A FISH, I WILL NEED ANOTHER FISH TOMORROW.
TEACH ME HOW TO FISH, AND I CAN CATCH MY OWN!
I. WHAT IS SUCCESS?
A. To achieve a goal, favorable outcome.
Accomplishment of an aim.
Attainment of fame, position, or wealth.
A person or thing that turns out well.
A TEACHER LIVES FOREVER.
B. DO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE ONE GENERATION AWAY FROM EXTINCTION?
C. WITHOUT A SUCCESSOR THERE CAN BE NO SUCCESS.
We need to train people to follow and accomplish Godly goals.
D. Moses would have failed if there had not followed a Joshua to carry out God’s goal of His people stepping progressively and continually to attain
God’s promises.
II. AFTER SOME DARK DAYS ELIJAH FEELS SO ALONE IN GOD’S WORK.
ELIJAH HAS WHAT WE CALL A JUNIPER TREE EXPERIENCE.
A. The message and the messenger has been threatened, and the Preacher runs afraid of Queen Jezebel.
1 Kings 19:4 But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die;
and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
B. GOD WARNS ELIJAH TO GET UP OUT OF THE PITY PARTY AND GROW.
God tells Elijah, I have 7,000 more in one city.
You are not the only one. Get up and pass on the mantle.
1 Kings 19:18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.
C. ELIJAH --- YOU MUST PASS THE MANTLE ON ...
1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and
Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
III. ELIJAH SEES A GREAT NEED ---
LOOSING THE CUTTING EDGE... LIFE HAS A WAY OR PROCESS OF DULLING
OUR WORKING TOOLS.
A. Elijah was a mighty man of God, but Elijah raised up a school for young people
to prepare for God’s work.
B. God blessed the Bible school and it needed to grow...
2 Kings 6:1 And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us.
2 Let us go, we pray thee, unto Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he answered, Go ye.
C. WHEN YOU DECIDE TO GROW --- EXPECT THE ENEMY TO TRY TO DISCOURAGE
YOU AND HINDER THE WORK...
2 Kings 6:5 But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed.
D. THERE IS A DIVINE PLAN TO HELP THE PROGRESS AND CONTINUE THE WORK.
2 Kings 6:6 And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim.
E. WHILE THERE WAS A DIVINE PLAN, AND THE SHARP EDGE RETURNS, THEY STILL HAD TO INVEST EFFORT AND REACH OUT TO EQUIP THEIR HANDS.
2 Kings 6:7 Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.
F. GOD HAS LET OTHERS INVEST IN US, WE NEED TO FIND OTHERS AND INVEST BACK IN THEIR WORK.
G. The church could be one generation away from failure?
What are we going to do to build a strong successor training system?
IV. GREED AND UNDERMINDING AUTHORITY KEEPS GEHAZI FROM BECOMING THE NEXT MAN OF GOD!
A. GEHAZI NEVER UNDERSTOOD HIS MASTER TEACHER.
B. GEHAZI THOUGHT ELISHA SHOULD HAVE HANDLED NAAMAN DIFFERENT THAN HE DID.
C. Gehazi thinks he deserves more than he is getting, no one will know?
2 Kings 5:20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that
which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.
21 So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after
him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?
D. Gehazi just asks for a little, he deserves it?
2 Kings 5:22 And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons
of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
E. WHEN WE ACCEPT THE SPIRIT OF COMPROMISE --- WE WILL SELL OUT FOR MORE.
WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH? One more dollar?
2 Kings 5:23 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments,
and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.
F. GEHAZI WILL NEVER KNOW HIS ROLE IN LEADERSHIP, HE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND THE LESSON BEFORE HIM...
2 Kings 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.
V. UNDERSTAND THERE ARE GREAT DANGERS OF NOT PASSING ON GOD’S MANTLE WITHIN THE CHURCH.
A. I use three chairs, that fit over each other.
The first chair I put near the altar,
second 1/2 way back, third near the back of the church.
I have each trait put on a 8 1/2 x11 piece of thick paper, written with a bold marker, --- generation #1 in black, #2 in blue, #3 in red.
B. I have three people sitting in three different chairs. The chair closest to the altar is generation one, then I place chair two a little farther away from the altar. And chair number three a greater distance from the altar. THE PERSON IN THE CHAIR WILL RAISE UP THE CARD WITH THE POINT WRITTEN ON IT!
C. GENERATIONAL CURSES ARE VERY REAL, BUT WE CAN TEACH AND REACH OUT AND BREAK THE HISTORY’S POWER OF THE NEXT GENERATIUON.
We must pass the mantle on to capable hands and reach beyond the broken record.
D. GOD HAS A PLAN AND IT IS NOT THAT FAITH DECREASES FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
Let us teach the generations that we don’t have to accept moral decline and unfaithfulness.
E. WE MUST TEACH TO ESTABLISH THAT THERE ARE GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS.
WE MUST EXPOSE THE WORKS OF DARKNESS AND CLAIM GOD’S PATTERNS OF FAITH THAT FAITH MAY GROW AND INCREASE DAILY FROM VICTORY TO VICTORY.
VI. THERE ARE DANGEROUS PATTERNS THAT OCCUR IN DECLINING FAITH.
BEWARE OF 3 GENERATIONS WITH DECLINING LEVELS OF FAITH UNLESS WE DO SOMETHING TO STOP IT!
A. THE MORE YOU LOVE THE LORD, THE LESS YOU CONSIDER GIVING AS A SACRIFICE.
B. WE HEAR OF GENERATIONAL CURSES -
WHY DO WE NEVER HEAR OF GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS?
C. WHAT IF WE SAVE THE WORLD AND LOOSE OUR FAMILY?
D. FAITH HOLDS TO PATTERNS - FAITH ALWAYS DECLINES -
ALWAYS REDUCES ITSELF UNLESS WE DEVELOP THE STRATEGY TO BUILD FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT..
E. WHAT A GREAT LOSS IF WE GO TO THE GREAT HEAVEN AND OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES GO TO HELL.
F. FAITH WILL ALWAYS DECLINE, IT IS A MORAL LAW - -
FAITH WILL REDUCE TO BACKSLIDDEN APATHY UNLESS WE TEACH THE WORD AND PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR BETTER.
G. LOVE AND FAITH WILL ALWAYS GO FROM COMMITTED TO UNCOMMITTED --- UNLESS WE HAVE A BIBLICAL ATTACK PLAN.
H. GOD’S DESIRE IS FOR US TO HAVE A PLAN --- TO KEEP OUR OIL FROM BURNING OUT --- AND ENCOURAGE A PATTERN FOR FAITH TO GROW FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT.
VII. LET US STUDY THE TRAITS OF THE THREE DECLINING LEVELS OF FAITH SO WE CAN BUILD STRONG FAITH AND ACTION THAT RELEASES GOD’S PLAN AND PURPOSE.
A. THE BIBLICAL PATTERN AND PLAN FOR GENERATION #1:
JOSHUA 24:14: NOW THEREFORE FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM IN SINCERITY AND IN TRUTH...AND SERVE YE THE LORD.
15) AND IF IT SEEM EVIL UNTO YOU TO SERVE THE LORD, CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE; WHETHER THE GODS OF WHICH YOUR FATHERS SERVED THAT WERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FLOOD, OR OF THE GODS OF THE AMORITES, IN WHOSE LAND YE DWELL: BUT AS FOR ME AND MY
HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.
16) AND THE PEOPLE SAID AND ANSWERED, GOD FORBID THAT WE SHOULD FORSAKE THE LORD, TO SERVE OTHER GOD’S.
B. LIFE’S PATTERN FOR GENERATION #2 WILL LEAD AWAY FROM GOD, UNLESS WE ARE AWARE AND TEACH TO GUARD THE HEART.
JOSHUA 24:31 AND ISRAEL SERVED THE LORD ALL THE DAYS OF JOSHUA, AND ALL THE DAYS OF THE ELDERS. THAT OUTLIVED JOSHUA, AND THE WHICH HAD KNOWN ALL THE WORKS OF THE LORD, THAT HE HAD DONE FOR ISRAEL.
C. THE BASIC PATTERN IF NOT CORRECTED FOR GENERATION # 3 IS VERY SAD.
JUDGES 2:10 AND ALSO THE GENERATION WERE GATHERED UNTO THEIR FATHERS; AND THERE AROSE ANOTHER GENERATION AFTER THEM, WHICH KNEW NOT THE LORD, NOT YET THE WORKS WHICH HE HAD DONE FOR ISRAEL.
D. LET’S LIST 25 TRAITS OF EACH DECLINING METHOD?
1 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Knows the Lord of the works.
GENERATION #2. Know of the works of the Lord.
GENERATION #3. They know not the Lord nor the works of the Lord.
2 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Loves the 10 commandments.
GENERATION #2. The 10 commandments are hard and grievous
GENERATION #3. The 10 commandments are optional suggestions of the old crowd.
3 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Daily Bible study.
GENERATION #2. Reads promise verses and listens to tapes
GENERATION #3. Reads self-help/educational/entertainment/romantic books.
4 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Strong prayer life.
GENERATION #2. Prays in crisis.
GENERATION #3. No prayer life. Calls on 1st generation in a crisis for prayer.
5 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Dead to self.
GENERATION #2. Must find self.
GENERATION #3. Self-centered, focus (give me now).
6 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Certainty.
GENERATION #2. Compromise.
GENERATION #3. Rebellion. (There is no absolute proof)
7 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Emotions touched by God.
GENERATION #2. Tells stories of how Mom and dad were touched of the Lord.
GENERATION #3. Don’t tell me those old stories, if they were true why didn’t you
listen? Emotional at ball games.
8 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Looking for prayer, praise, worship, and strong word.
GENERATION #2. Looking for a church with a good program.
GENERATION #3. Socially all acceptance. Sin friendly, Sinner friendly.
9 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Personal experience.
GENERATION #2. No personal experience, just the experience of their parents.
GENERATION #3. Total apathy, agnostic (don’t know?)
10 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Real repentance.
GENERATION #2. Sorry they got caught.
GENERATION #3. Blame others for the way they are/no change.
11 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Loves people.
GENERATION #2. Sees people as hypocrites --- few good ones.
GENERATION #3. Sees all people as hypocrites and only accepts own.
12 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Very faithful.
GENERATION #2. Skips a lot of services, attends Sunday, AM.
GENERATION #3. Comes on special occasion (to please others)
13 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Marries an on-fire Christian.
GENERATION #2. Marries out of the faith.
GENERATION #3. Marries because of sexual encounter/social/financial
reasons.
14 TRAIT
GENERATION #1. Talks daily of God’s goodness.
GENERATION #2. Tells stories of Mom and Dad’s worship.
GENERATION #3. If old time stories are true, why didn’t you practice it?
15 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Stays on the alter until they pray through/deliverance.
GENERATION #2. Psychology.
GENERATION #3. Counselling/self-helps/use of drugs and alcohol to
alter moods.
16 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Total commitment
GENERATION #2. Half hearted dedication.
GENERATION #3. Total rebellion.
17 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Lift hands and shed tears in worship.
GENERATION #2. Desires acceptance, no public expression of worship.
GENERATION #3. Concerned for save the seals/ashamed of public
Christianity.
18 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Brings others.
GENERATION #2. Non-offensive, you take care of yourself and I’ll take care
of myself.
GENERATION #3. Do your thing, I’ll do mine.
19 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. They carry their Bible.
GENERATION #2. Uses a pew Bible.
GENERATION #3. Has nursery rhythms/Barney/Sesame Street.
20 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Believers will.
GENERATION #2. Lack of will.
GENERATION #3. Self-willed (if it feels good.)
21 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Identity as a child of God (there is a plan/purpose.)
GENERATION #2. Identity crisis (who am I?)
GENERATION #3. Confused, blames the whole world/parents/schools
(sorry old world)
22 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Sees potential in others.
GENERATION #2. Acceptance of own kind.
GENERATION #3. Exclusive, us 4 and no more.
23 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Wears good clean clothes.
GENERATION #2. Color coordinated, concerned with outward appearance.
GENERATION #3. Must have brand name/designer clothes.
24 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. Tither and offering giver.
GENERATION #2. Occasionally gives if they see a need.
GENERATION #3. A taker (lives on credit)
25 TRAIT:
GENERATION #1. TV as a tool and sets limits.
GENERATION #2. TV acceptance of lower moral values.
GENERATION #3. TV + VCR + satellite dish +Divo = free expression/helps family
understanding.
E. SUMMARY WORDS OF THE 3 GENERATIONS IN DECLINING FAITH GENERATIONS:
SUMMARY OF GENERATION #1: COMMITTED
SUMMARY OF GENERATION #2: COMPROMISED
SUMMARY OF GENERATION #3: CALLOUSED
VIII. EXAMPLES OF 3 DECLINING FAITH GENERATIONS
A. ABRAHAM...ISSAC...ESAU
B. ELI...PHINEHAS...ICHABOD (GLORY HAS DEPARTED)
C. DAVID...SOLOMON...REHOBOAM
IX. FAITH DOES NOT HAVE TO DECLINE - WITH NO TEACHING AND PREPARATION
WE CAN IDENIFTY DECLINING FAITH AND --- NIP IT IN THE BUD!
STIR UP UNFEIGNED FAITH.
A. EXAMPLE OF A NON-DECLINING FAITH THAT ESTABLISHES GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS:
B. WE MUST KEEP THE WHOLE... UNMIXED... NOT DILUTED FAITH!
C. THERE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THREE GENERATIONS OF PRACTICING
FAITH --- LOIS...EUNICE...TIMOTHY
D. (WHERE IS TIMOTHY’S DAD?)
No Dad’s history listed does not stop the Faith.
BUT THE GIFT OF FAITH GOES ON ... AS ESTABLISHED IN 3 GENERATIONS
2 Tim. 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I
am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
E. 3 GENERATIONS OF BLESSINGS ... AND OF A STIRRED UP FAITH.
F. FAITH ALWAYS DECLINES, UNLESS THERE IS A CONSCIENCE DECISION OF EACH GENERATION TO PASS THE MANTLE ON TO OTHERS AND TO STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD, TO REKINDLE THE HOLY BOLDNESS.
G. SO WE CAN CHOOSE GENERATIONAL CURSES WHICH WE HEAR ALL THE TIME, OR WE CAN ESTABLISH GENERATIONAL BLESSINGS - IT IS UP TO YOU!
His servant,
BY WADE MARTIN HUGHES SR, Kyfingers@aol.com
Thanks to Brother M. WAYNE BENSON for the idea of this lesson.
