I don't believe it's a mistake that I'm here tonight. You might think so, but I don't think it is a mistake. And I do think that what the Lord has for us tonight could very well be not just a help to you personally, but could be the difference between the future of this church. and this church not having a future. Now I see wonderful signs here. I don't see any, this is no diagnosis of fatality forthcoming. I see wonderful, to see a multi-generational church here is a blessing. See young people, to see senior saints, see everyone in between, that's a blessing. But I'd like for you to grab your Bibles and go to 2 Chronicles chapter five if you would. 2 Chronicles chapter five and I'll find my place there as well. 2 Chronicles chapter 5. I'm going to look at verse number 13 is where we will begin. 2 Chronicles chapter 5 and verse number 13. Gonna be jumping right into the middle of a passage of scripture. One, you will probably be able to tease out the context and figure out what's going on here, and we'll explain it in just a moment, but if you wouldn't mind, I know we have the past couple of services, but would you stand with me for just a moment, as you're physically able? Just give you an opportunity to stretch your legs. 2 Chronicles chapter five, in verse number 13, the Bible says this. It came, even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord. And when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music and praised the Lord, saying, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever, that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God. That sounds a little bit like what we would imagine a revival to be, doesn't it? Sounds just a little bit like, imagine, imagine if you came to church this evening, you pulled into the parking lot, and there was something not, you couldn't quite nail it down as smoke, but there was something billowing out of the house of God so much so that we couldn't even come in tonight. That'd be something, wouldn't it? If we could just put our finger on it and know that's God in there, what an amazing thing that would be. We're looking at the completion of the temple. We're looking at what we call Solomon's Temple. But I'd like for us to zoom in. We're kind of looking at the culmination. We're starting at the end, and we're going to work our way back just a little bit here. The theme and the thought tonight is this. multi-generational ministry. There needs to be another generation, doesn't there? There were kings of the Bible, Solomon to some degree was one, but think of Hezekiah and others that said, as long as there's peace in my day, what a sad way to live your life. As long as everything's okay and it's not too much chaos before I take my last breath, I'll be honest with you, we, I'll say I, of all the things that I may struggle with sometimes, timing may be the hardest. The where, the place, the geography of God's will, honestly, that's not too difficult sometimes. It's the when that gets difficult. And I wanna talk about that just a little bit this evening from the scripture using this as our launching point, multi-generational ministry. And I'd like you to identify your place in a multi-generational ministry tonight. Can we do that? Father, we thank you for this evening. Thank you for these dear folks. Thank you for the opportunity we have to open the scriptures and look at this thought. God, I ask that I would convey and communicate this, do it justice, that you'd allow it to be with great clarity. But Father, I ask that your Holy Spirit would convict as necessary. Father, I would love to see, should you tarry your coming, another generation at Mountain Lake Independent Baptist. Father, please do our work tonight. We ask all these things in your son's name we pray. Amen. You may be seated there if you would. The timing, timing can be difficult. I realize that, you wouldn't know this about me, but I often have thought, I've been told this, that I have a little bit of an old soul. I'm a little bit, I'm sometimes thinking too far in the future a little bit. And I also realize I look like I've been living a little bit longer than I have been. When I was 16, people thought, what are you, you're about 27, 28, what's your career? And when I was 25, people thought I was 35. And now, I would ask you how old you think I am, but I don't want to be depressed anymore. I'm 31 years old. I was at a church in California, pastor, and a dear saint of God came up, lady came up and said, it's so good to see young men preaching the gospel, staying faithful. What are you, about 42 years old? When I'm 42, I'm going to look like I should be drawing Social Security. But you realize that life is but a vapor. You know that, right? Seems like just yesterday, right? You can fill in the blank with whatever it was that you remember. It just slipped right on by. Did you know that if we live a normal lifetime, a modern lifetime, I should say 70, 75, the Bible tells us 70 years, yay, If he gives a strength, 10 more, 80. If you live approximately that, you will live 4,000 weeks. Now, that number, someone told me that recently, I read that, and that number grabbed me just a bit. Because a day, a day is so fleeting, they're so quick, they're so easy to waste, you know? But a year, even a month, but a year is just, it's so long sometimes. I realize that the years get shorter, but a year, to wrap your mind around a year, 365 days, that's a lot. And a day is so quick, but a week, I can wrap my mind around seven days a week. But then I think of how many of my weeks I've used up. I'm past 1,600 of them. You think about that. You say, oh, you have 2,400 left. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. But those are going to click by very quickly, aren't they? My question is, what am I, what are we going to do for the sake of multi-generational ministry? As you look at 2 Chronicles right there, you'll notice the culmination, the celebration of the temple being completed. What an amazing thing. I mentioned the other day, I'd love to just take a pantographic view and just watch with heaven's view of these different types of things. Can you imagine the joy and exultation there was? Can you imagine what the music sounded like? That must have been quite a brass section that were lifting up. You know how loud one trumpet can be? Imagine dozens, if not hundreds of them, lifting full voice to God Almighty in praise. That must have been an amazing thing. But you realize as rich and as wise and as powerful as Solomon was, the temple wasn't just his. Do you realize there was one that came before that laid the groundwork? Do you remember that? There was a man named David. We all know David. I think you spent a good long while talking about him not long ago, doing a series on him. That man, David, oh, he made a few mistakes, absolutely. When you think of David, you think of one of two things normally, David and Goliath or David and Bathsheba, right? But of all the things that David did, there were few that took more forethought, more fortitude, more finances than the preparation work for the temple. You realize Solomon, wisest man that ever lived, but to call it Solomon's temple does just a little bit of an injustice to the man with the vision that came before him. There was a man that had such a strong desire He said, God, would you, I dwell in a house of cedar. You're in curtains, God, please, would you let me do something for you? And God said, through Nathan, and we'll look at some of the verses maybe just a moment, God says, no, you've been a bloody king, but I will let you do the preparation work. And I don't notice David saying, well, if I can't do it all, I'm not gonna do any of it. I don't see David saying, I guess I'll give a half-hearted effort. No, he crossed all the T's and dotted every I he possibly could so that he could slap the baton in the hand of the next man up. I'm gonna talk about multi-generational ministry, and I wanna give you, very simply, I don't think I've done this yet so far. I'm just going to give you three points. Is that okay? I'd like to give you the how. How can you and I take up our baton? Whether, and here's the thing, it could be that the one before you botched the hand off a little bit. You know, in a relay race, the Bible talks, Paul, and we won't turn there for sake of time, you remember when Paul talks about, I have finished my course? You realize the race was still ongoing, even though Paul was done with his leg of it. But I'm glad, man, I will get this in just a moment, I don't want to get ahead of myself, but aren't you glad that Paul had a Timothy to pass a baton along to? I want to talk about that more in just a moment. I want to give you three ways that you can be a part of a multi-generational ministry. Look at 2 Samuel 7 for just a moment, just to give you a little bit of the Bible background. I just mentioned it, but 2 Samuel 7 and verse number 1, the Bible says this. 2 Samuel 7 verse 1, And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house, the Lord, and the Lord had given him rest round about from all his enemies, that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains. And Nathan said to the king, Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the Lord is with thee. But then you realize in 1 Chronicles 28, I'll just read it for you. 2 Chronicles 28 verse 2, But God said unto me thou shalt not build a house for my name because thou hast been a man of war and has shed blood and I apologize go to first chronicles for just a moment if you would it was right back from where we originally were first chronicles 28 I want you to see this and first chronicles 28. I just read verses 2 and 3 and First Chronicles 28, in verse number 9, the Bible says this, And thou, this is David speaking, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind. For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off. forever. Take heed now, verse 10 says, for the Lord has chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong and do it. Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat, and the pattern of all. You know what a pattern is? That's a blueprint, basically. That's an architectural drawing. He had it all lined out. He knew exactly what was in his heart, and he just gave the key, not just the keys to the kingdom, but he gave the plans, the patterns, the blueprints to his son. Gave him a charge at the same time. How to accomplish multi-generational ministry. Could I ask you to start bearing your responsibility I want you to think about this. We all have a responsibility. And it's time we started bearing our own individual responsibility. First Chronicles 22.5, don't turn there for sake of time, but First Chronicles 22.5, and David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly, get this, magnifical. Did you know that word was in the Bible? Magnifical. of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly, last three words, before his death. You know how much his preparations would have meant after his death? There was nothing to be done after that. So he prepared before his death. Can I ask your friend to start bearing your individual responsibility? We may talk about this later on if the Lord gives liberty later in the week. But if I can say this bluntly, but kindly, it ain't about you. Now at the end of the day, it's about him, and we know that. But while it's not about you, God has put some resources, God has put some time, God has put some opportunities into your purview under your stewardship, and it's time to start bearing your responsibility. I'll be honest with you, I grow weary of hearing the excuses. I know what the bus routes were running back in the 70s. I wish I'd hear people more praising God about what he's doing in 2024, though. I know what was going on in the heydays of the Temple Baptist and First Baptist Hamilton and you fill in the blank in all those types of places, the places you can think of that were running. But I wonder who's running the bus routes today. Last I checked, people are still dying and going to hell. And there is still a responsibility that has been placed. The Great Commission didn't come with an expiration date. And so much the more, as you see the day approaching, seems to be more today than it was yesterday. It's almost like it's becoming more responsibility. It's almost like it's becoming more of a need. I'd encourage you. start bearing your responsibility. You know, how do we do that though? How do we bear our responsibility? What is something we can do? How can we have a multi-generational ministry here at this church and you individually? Well, I'd say second, seek to build relationships. If I could speak to the young folks, It's your responsibility to build a relationship with those older than you. Could I speak to you, older folks? It's your responsibility to build a relationship with those younger than you. Can I say this? If you, young men and young women, if you don't figuratively, if you don't have a Paul investing in you, that's not Paul's fault. Go find one. avail yourself of the myriad opportunities. Something tells me, Pastor Matt and the Leathermen, something tells me they would love to invest in some young men. Something tells me there are women here that would love to, as the Bible commands, the elder teaching the younger. Something tells me that's not a problem for the young people. But can I also say this? If you're a Paul, if you're a Moses, if you don't have a Timothy or a Joshua, it's not their fault either. You say, but you don't understand, it just seems to me I tell you, friend, it's our responsibility. I don't see any of those verses in the Bible having an asterisk or an addendum saying, well, if you live in Oakland, Maryland, you don't have to do this. I don't see anywhere when it says, well, if the next generation coming behind you is millennials or Gen Z, then you don't have to do this. It's our job to start building relationships with those that are coming behind us and for those that are coming in front. May I say this, going back to that idea, that concept of a relay race, the 4x100, or the 4x, we'll say the 4x400, where they make that full lap all the way around. They come around, You know, the person that's coming around turn three and turn four, they're concentrated on finishing their race strong, are they not? And they are, you are, those of you that maybe say, I feel like I'm on the last gasp of turn number four. You expect there to be someone standing in your lane ready to receive the baton, don't you? Can I say this, though? The young people, I see some up here, those that are standing in that lane, they expect you to come around the corner in the same lane you left in. It's not time to change. The fundamentals of faith haven't changed. The standard hasn't wavered. We need to start bearing our responsibility. I can say this, I'll just jump to the end. We need to stay biblically right. You say that runs people off. Actually, friend, it draws people, because everyone else is bending to the whims of the world. People are looking for what truth looks like. And the fact that you preach from a King James Bible actually is more of a draw today. You know how many people message our, I got one today, messaging our ministry, what version of the Bible do you use? 90% of them are pleased that we're using the King James Version. Can I encourage you, friend? We have a responsibility given to us, handed to us by God in the previous generation to stay biblically right. Now, can I tell you, friend? It's not easy. It most certainly is not easy. But can you think back to that story of the prodigal son? Remember him? took his father's inheritance, his portion of it, went out wasting a riotous living. May I speak to an elder generation for just a moment? You know what I don't notice in that account of the prodigal son? I don't notice the prodigal's father moving into the suburbs of Sin City after his boy. You say that's hard. It most certainly is. You know, it's really easy to live in Sin City when family's just around the block with a warm meal and a place to do your laundry. But you know what? Daddy stayed on the homestead. And funny enough, young man, the prodigal, he knew the way back home. And when he came to the end of himself, he retraced his steps. I don't know, do you know the Epley's brother, Leatherman, know the name? I just had the opportunity to go to Church of Michigan where their son, one of their sons is attending. He stepped away from the Lord for a while. His father gives this illustration publicly and so I don't feel wrong using it. Son stepped away from the Lord, singing, family, preaching, father, wonderful. And he was way, way out there. And he called his dad one time. I always heard it was, he called and asked, Dad, could I just please come get my mattress? I just want to come get my mattress so I have a place to sleep instead of sleeping on the concrete. I was told I was wrong recently. He just called and said, he knew his dad wouldn't give him the mattress. He said, Dad, could I just come get the box springs? Can you believe that? You know what his dad said? No, son. When you're ready to come home good and well, then you can come and you can sleep under my roof as my son. But until then, no. That's a hard thing. What did I tell you young folks? If you're living or you choose to live a life as a prodigal, when it's hard, remember, you put yourself there. We can focus on the negative and the possibilities of that type of thing. Can I tell you, there are plenty of young people going the right direction, doing the right stuff, living what this man has preached for his life. Maybe it's time you come alongside one of them. Can they, can we, can I kind of let myself in with you, Evan, for just a moment here. Can we be knuckleheads sometimes? Most certainly. Probably more often than not. But I'll tell you what, it's amazing how a man that comes alongside and burnishes off some of those things and helps you along. I'm sure with Matt, you can think of the people that helped you along. I'm sure you can think of the people that came alongside and iron sharpening iron. But what I wonder is, do you even see the need? Do you see the need for multi-generational ministry? I ask your friend, will you start bearing your responsibility? Will you seek to build relationships I don't like to be excessively loud where the Bible is somewhat quiet, but I do believe we have an every word Bible. Can we agree on that? I noticed, and you can write these references down if you want to, to fact check me, but you know we talk about how Paul wrote one-third or more of the New Testament, and it's true. He wrote a good, hefty portion of the New Testament, under the auspices of the Holy Spirit, of course. You know, I was talking to a mentor of mine, and he said, you know, I've noticed this, what I'm about to tell you before, I'm not going to be incredibly loud on this or anything, but I do want to draw your attention to this. Do you realize in Philippians 1.1, in Philemon 1.1, in 2 Corinthians 1.1, in Colossians 1.1, in 1 Thessalonians 1.1, and one or two others. You know, in each of those places, Paul starts those books and addresses them. He gives the return address, the author's line, Paul and Timotheus. Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ in Philemon, and Timothy. 2 Corinthians 1, Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and Timothy. Now, we don't know, maybe Timothy was helping, he was dictated to by Paul. But I will say this though, if your individual ministry, if you don't have anyone that you've invested enough in that you would be willing to co-sign with, That's almost what Paul was doing here. He said, Paul and Timothy. That's just what it says, Paul and Timothy. And in multiple of these books, he uses the word, we, as if both of them are talking. But I've noticed, and I'll say this on both sides, from my side of the fence, maybe the younger generation, I've seen a lot of knuckleheads on this side of the fence trying to shove off and to shove the old gentleman into retirement and say, we don't need anything that you have anymore. And that's foolishness. So that's foolishness. Can I also say from the elder generation? If Paul's willing to almost co-sign a book of the Bible with a young man, what do you think about coming to your pastor and saying, hey pastor, I'm not trying to get at anything, but one of these days I'm gonna need someone to take my Sunday school class. Would you mind if I brought this young man or young woman alongside and showed them the ropes for a couple years? Maybe I'll do it and they'll watch and then I'll sit down once a month or something and they'll do it and I'll watch, maybe give a few pointers. Would that be okay, pastor? Or have you given Nary a thought to what the future looks like for this church? Are you gonna start bearing your responsibility? Are you gonna seek to build relationships? Are you going to stay biblically right? This concept, it applies to all areas. Music. Brother Austin, good to see you leading the choir. What a blessing that is. I'll tell you what, there would be churches that would kill to have one competent song leader. Brother Mark, thank you for doing that. But praise God to have two and maybe even more. I don't know. But I wonder, I wonder. I wonder if there's one or two more. I wonder if there's some folks that could be on the piano. I wonder if there are some folks that could join the choir. What a good group and good sound they had this Sunday. But when was the last time you thought, I wonder how I can help the next generation? I wonder how I can give them a shove down the tracks as I'm coasting off, tuckered out, my 400 meters down, Maybe, just maybe, this next generation needs that baton slapped firmly into their hands and an attaboy as they take off. I'd encourage you, friend, have you considered whatsoever multi-generational ministry? As we conclude, I have a very simple proposition for you. A very simple thought. I'd like you to think, and I'd like you to ask the Holy Spirit where and how you can apply this to your life. You say, honestly, I'm not exactly sure. Holy Spirit's really good at giving you ideas. He's wonderful at that. You say, I don't really have a ministry I could pass on to the next generation cause I'm not really involved in the ministry. Oh really? Really? Maybe, just maybe, you should adopt and go find a ministry that you can then go pass on to somebody else. You say, I don't think physically I'm not able to. Could you have a ministry of prayer? Could you call a brother up, a sister, and say, hey, would you mind just praying with me? You have to be a pretty sorry Christian to say, nope, can't pray with you. Click. No one's going to say no to you. Just try it. In all seriousness, though, where could you get involved for the purpose of multi-generational ministry? Can I tell young people? Could you go look for a Paul? Go look for a Moses? Go look for an Elijah? Older generation, could you go look for that Elisha? Actively be praying about it. You know, when you go buy a yellow car, you know what you see everywhere? Yellow cars. You know how that works, right? It's amazing when you start looking for Timothy's, you'll start tripping over them. Simple thought, nothing groundbreaking. But the glory of the Lord filled that place. How much longer would it have taken if Solomon hadn't gotten that shove, that extra help? Who knows if it ever would have gotten done. But David gave him the pattern. Solomon followed the pattern and built this beautiful project for God's glory. Every head bowed and every eye closed. Friend, I'd ask you, would you please spend a few moments pondering what the Holy Spirit has for you? Maybe the Lord's already given you some clarity, something you know you can do. It's going to take some work. It's going to take some investment. You're going to have to deal with mistakes made by the younger generation. And it's always easier, it feels like, to do it yourself. But one of these days, these young men and young women, they'll be doing it themselves. And maybe you'd help them. Maybe you could give him a word of encouragement. Could I ask this question? If you're here tonight and you know God has specifically given you something that you know that you could be working on, maybe it's getting involved in a ministry so you have something to pass on. Maybe it's finding a Paul, finding a Timothy, whatever it may be. If the Lord's specifically spoken to you about something you can do for the sake of multi-generational ministry, Just so I can pray for you, would you lift your hand for just a moment? Thank you, hands all over. Could I ask you, friend, seal that decision, maybe even at an altar tonight. Talk to God about what it is precisely. Let him do a work in your life. I'll pray, I'll turn it over to Brother Leatherman, but I ask you, friend, do something. for the sake of multi-generational ministry. Father, we thank you for this evening. Thank you for these dear folks. Lord, I ask, I ask that the best days of this church be in front of us, should you tarry your coming. God, we stand on the shoulders of giants. We're so thankful for that, but I know for a fact that that great cloud of witnesses is cheering us on and wants us to do even more. Father, please let that be so because this people, your people, get actively involved. Thank you, Lord, for this thought. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to put it into action. We ask all these things, your sons and me pray. Pastor.