This is a message that I've wanted to preach since last October entitled "Generation Me". I believe this is meant to be a prophetic message that will stir the heart of the church so that we recognize what's taking place in the world today and also so we can take a good look at ourselves to see which generation we are from and what we are like.
2nd Timothy 3:1-5 says, "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come;for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; having a form of Godliness but denying its power, and from such people turn away".
Spirit of God, we thank you this morning for your life in this place and for your heart for the church. We thank you for good change, that we're growing and we need to add different ministries to this church. Lord, I pray that you would help us to discern the times; not to be discouraged or fearful but to be filled with the Holy Spirit and power that would minister your love and life in a tangible way to this generation. Father, may we decrease and may you increase, amen.
The Bible says that in the last days perilous times would come. The word "perilous" means harsh, difficult, dangerous, painful or hard. These are going to be times that are hard to deal with. When He says that in the last days we are going to see perilous times, he doesn't begin to list things like earthquakes, tornadoes and natural disasters, although there are parts in the Bible that describe exactly that taking place in the end times. In this portion he doesn't describe nuclear war, famines or even the great tribulation but it begins to describe the condition of the people who lived during the last days. It is a society void of honor, void of purity and righteousness. It is a society that is bound up with vices, addictions and foolishness. The condition of the heart of the people in the end will be
the exact opposite of the heart of Jesus.
The heart of the people in the end are what God wanted to deal with in this particular portion of scripture. We've been giving names to the generations of the people for a long time: the baby boomers, the baby busters, generation ?X' is what I'm supposed to be from, generation ?Y' is after me
and now they can't even figure out a name for this current generation. The truth is that when God gave me the title of this message, someone had actually named this generation, "Generation Me". There's a book out on it and it's not written from a Christian perspective. It is a sociological book that has been written by a psychologist.
I believe that we live in the end days and that we will only be one generation between now and Christ's coming. I believe the church can give that generation a name, "Generation Me". Never before in the history of man has there been such a difference between generations or even a generation gap. How many have noticed that there really is a difference between those who are younger and those who are older? There used to be real connections to the generations but now there has become a real disconnection. Those who started at the beginning of this generation would be anyone in their forties and below. The generation today is self focused; they have never known a world that put duty before self, or honor above privilege. They have never known a time like that.
Our grandparents knew what it was to sacrifice. They knew what it was to put their life on the line
as our grandfathers went to war and our grandmothers manned the factories. The generations after did not have quite that connection. This is a generation steeped in schooling and parenting techniques, filled with self help, self esteem and self realization; instead of self discipline, self control, self sacrifice and holiness.
From the time we were born we were told we were special. How many know that you are special? But we have produced a generation that has been praised for doing nothing; rewarded for failure and have been coddled to believe that the world revolves around them. As we shuttle them from one sports activity to the next and the parents drop into bed absolutely exhausted because they spent more time helping their kids do instead of helping them become.
We have a President who has received a Nobel Peace prize, and has thankful as I am that he's breaking historical ground, he hasn't done anything to earn it just yet. We have a generation that when they finally have children, are shocked to discover that they have to care for someone else besides themselves. Today, feeling good about yourself is a virtue, instead of the result of the decisions and right standing with God and the making of right choices.
The other week, my Dad who is an electrician and works for Westinghouse, told me of how there's a whole new generation of engineers and electronic geniuses that are coming into the company, so they instructed him to come and build a game room downstairs. How many have ever heard of Westinghouse? Some of the greatest minds, hardest workers and greatest innovators in the world have gone to work for that company. Now downstairs in this place they've built a gameroom filled with X-boxes, Playstations 3 and lots of internet hookups because they said if these kids can't get a break and play some games when they start to get stressed they're not going to be able to attract the next generation. God help us.
I want you to know if you come and work for this pastor and you put an x-box in your office then you're not going to be working here for long. When this starts happening in a generation then things are not right. My dad couldn't believe it. This is a man who has worked hard from the time he was 15 and started out sweeping floors in the place and then slowly worked himself up to an apprentice in welding and worked his way into a good salary. Then when the company closed and moved, he went back to school to be an electrician and he's still working hard. What they found is those people who they thought would be able to just take a 5 or 10 minute break are now downstairs spending 2 or 3 hours of their work day playing video games.
From the time we were born, this generation was told that they were special and everything revolved around them. The first mark of this generation that is listed in this portion of scripture is that they will be lovers of self; those who love themselves and place themselves above others. I believe that God has made us and called us in ways that are unique and we should feel good about who we are because we are special. But self love is self centeredness, placing the priority on me. I want to steal something from Pastor Bill Volpe, "All those kids listen to the station WIFM (What's in it for me?)". That is why this generation has become self absorbed. They're too busy for others and too busy for common courtesy. This is the same generation that drives down the street texting on their phone and when they finally run somebody over, they're angry that they got in their way. How many know that common sense needs to rule and prevail in this generation?
Those that serve in this generation give to charity or give back if it fits their schedule and only when they want to. Verses like Philippians 2:3 are a curiosity and absolutely ridiculous to them. It says, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition nor conceit but in lowliness of mind let each one esteem others as better than themselves". How many of you are thankful that Jesus loved you so much, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the God of all creation, put a priority on us? He came to this world and he gave his life as a sacrifice. How many know that no one is above his master? How many know that we are called to serve, to give and to love?
The 2nd trait of this generation is that they will be lovers of money. The gaining of wealth, the priority to have
more possessions than anyone else, that it is the having of money that gives you security and that it is what you need to finance pleasure. The truth is that for this generation, money has become an idol of great proportion. It's pure and simple greed. It may take more to do less today but for this "generation me", enough is never enough. It leads people to lie and cheat and steal and compromise, all in the name of being able to get ahead. When executives can take million dollar payouts when they have received billion dollar handouts, there is something wrong with this nation. We need to put in hard work and responsibility and success needs to follow so that you can then receive reward and not until then.
1st Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows". The mantra of today's generation was yelled out by Tom Cruise in some movie and it was "Show me the money". That's this generation, you're successful if you make enough money or I'm not successful until I'm making enough money.
Even in our churches, the prosperity gospel has been preached that it's all about the money; that prosperity with God is all about what's going on with your bank account. To that I have to say, how sad, how wrong and how misled the body of Christ has become.
We need to be careful, not only that we understand the times that we live in but that we don't become like the times that we live in. Even the church is focused on the economy and we have begun to focus on it so strongly that we have forgotten that God is our provider and that everyday is a walk of faith, whether you have a million dollars in the bank or whether you've got five dollars in the bank. There is never a day where you stop depending on the Lord Jesus Christ. There is never a day that He's not our everything and our all in all. It doesn't matter what you have or what you don't have, God promised to take care of you and lift you up. He promised to give you enough that you could be a blessing to others. How many know that he is faithful and He is true?
We need to know the times that we live in so that we don't call ourselves part of "Generation Me". Another trait that marks this generation is their boasting and pride. The same parents that praised their children for being potty trained are the same people who will now do anything for a reality show. The truth is they are still being applauded for going potty and they're getting paid for it. How many know this shouldn't be so? In this generation, I believe that it's good to take pride in a job well done. The Bible says that whatever we do we should do it as unto the Lord. When you've done that you can turn around without shame and in confidence and know that what you've done has made a difference and you've been obedient to God. But it is another thing to be prideful and boastful and self promoting.
1st Peter 5:6 says, "Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time". One of the things that we're going to do as we grow as a church is to not be self promoters. It is not all about Harvest Community Church, it is all about Jesus. I believe that as we go out and minister the life of Jesus to this world, if we minister to the hurting and the hungry like sowing to Haiti, and if some of you want to go on one of those missions trips then you let me know and I'll get you in contact with the Assemblies of God who are putting teams together and you can go, but we don't have to let everyone know what we've done and where we've been; we just need to sow in the name of Jesus. The Bible says that God will lift you up in due time. Everybody wants their time now, all the attention and all the praise and all the recognition. The Bible says, "Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God and He will lift you up in due time". Your time is due, it may not be yet but it's coming, and if you will serve the Lord you will have His blessing and His promotion. That is God.
The list goes on and on and I'm only going to touch on a few. The truth is I could stand here and get you so depressed you wouldn't know what to do with yourself, but that's not the point of this. The Bible says that there will be blasphemers that mock God and dare people to disagree. They will call what is right wrong, and what is wrong right. It used to be that even believers spoke of God with reverence and now supposed Christians are flippant and they cower when they're challenged when they speak for God. Pat Robertson over the weekend decided to say that Haiti was under the curse of God and the reason why the earthquake took place there was because they were a nation founded in voodoo and that they actually formed it as a pact with the devil. That's historically true. I want to speak this, I don't agree with what he said or how he said it but it should not surprise us that when prophets rise up in the last day and declare when the judgement of God actually does come that it will receive that same kind of a reception. Even if the judgement upon Haiti was from God, as Christians our duty is to not stand there and tell them that they deserved what they got. Our duty is to love them and help them, bless them and share the gospel with them, to share our bread with them, to bring hospital help to them and to love them through it. It is one thing to have the judgement of God, if that's what it is and it's another thing to see the love of God begin to help people out. God may get attention but he isn't here to destroy. Everything that God does is redemptive. Even the great tribulation when it finally comes is being done as a last ditch effort so that people will know that God is God and so the hardness of their heart will be jarred, only so they can know that he is real and he loves them so they'll come to salvation.
The Bible says in the last days people will be disobedient to parents, unthankful and unholy which means unclean, crude and sinful. The Bible says that generation will be unloving. I want to stop on this for a minute because all we see is that people won't be nice to each other when we see unloving. But if you read that word and unwrap it in the greek, it means literally without natural affection for others and without natural family affection. This is a primary trait of "Generation Me". Fathers who have kids that won't provide, women who put career over marriage or raising their kids, or grown children who neglect to care for their aging parents and
see it as just another chore. The Bible says that in the last days there will be an unnatural love in families; Families that don't spend time together around the dinner table but rather eat dinner around the television; Families that don't really even get together on the holidays but are just in different places. Matthew 24:12 says, "And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold". The general laws of family are to stick together, love together and care for each other. Dale went to the hospital and had her surgery and her mother came and stayed with her. That's awesome, what a wonderful example to the church. Even her son in law rises up and calls her blessed.
The generation will be unforgiving. Today the feeling is to hold on to things and never let it go. They believe that vengeance is a virtue. There will be slanderers (false accusers) and trouble makers. Today people lie and blame for things that never took place so they can have lawsuits. They slip at Publix because they laid an icecube on the floor that they brought from McDonalds and decide to sue the company. Tabloids make up lies about celebrities so they can sell it and don't care what they do to destroy their life. This generation is without self control, doing what they feel, anger, uncontrolled lust, uncontrolled mouths, uncontrolled with no fruit of the spirit. They will be brutal (think of Columbine), the drive by shootings with no remorse and taking joy in it. The list goes on, haters of good, traitors, headstrong. How many have found out that every teenager is headstrong? but there's something about this "generation me". They can be told and they can be given the word and I'm not just talking about teenagers, but everybody in their 40's and younger, there has been something that has hit this generation, they're stubborn. They may even know that what they're doing is wrong but they're still going to do it and just have to learn themselves. When wisdom is spoken to you, receive it with joy and begin to live it. Be yielding, do not be rash, think things through and when you do you'll be able to make good decisions and good choices.
The Bible says that they'll be haughty which is arrogance and pride. But it's the 2nd to last principle of "generation me" that struck a chord hard. When I read it the Holy Spirit spoke in 2nd Timothy 3:4 which says, "Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God". The amplified Bible says, "Lovers of sensual pleasure and vain amusements rather than lovers of God". Vain amusements are the pursuit of things that make absolutely no difference. Lovers of the good life, the "me generation" finds that in bigger homes and more vacation time, video games, tv, movies and I-pods. So much time that fills their time they don't have time to seek God, "It's all about me and not about the Lord".
I want to speak to our church. I remember a time when there would be prayer meetings and almost all the church would show up and if they didn't, everyone wanted to know why you weren't there. Today if you get between 10 and 30 people to show up for a prayer meeting you're doing good. We've got to make time to seek the Lord. God is looking for a generation of those who love and seek him. Psalms 14:2 says, "The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there are any who understand, who seek the Lord".
I want to speak to all today, we get to choose which generation we're from. We don't get to choose the time which we are born but we can choose our generation. The truth is that regardless of how old you are in this room or how young you are in this room, everyone of us has the same thing in common, we get to choose our generation. You may be a baby boomer, a baby buster, generation ?x' or generation ?y' but we all can be a part of the generation of the righteous. Psalms 14:5 says, "For God is with the generation of the righteous". He is with those, he walks and talks with them and lives with them. Psalms 24:3-6 says, "Who may ascend to the hill of the Lord, who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of their salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face", Selah, which means stop, rest, think on it. This is the Jacob generation.
The Jacob generation is different from any generation in all of history. It is timeless and it includes all generations and it is the generation of the righteous. Those of the Jacob generation understand that true pleasure and lasting peace can only be found in God. Psalms 16:11 says, "You will show me the path of life and in your presence is fullness of joy and at your right hand, pleasure forevermore". How many know the generation that understands that they can seek God will have all the pleasure they ever need? It is that generation that when things are going wrong they will have peace, and when things are going right they will still have joy. When they are confused they will have the help of God to spur them in right standing with Him and in right decisions. The truth is that there will be a big difference between "generation me" and the Jacob generation. I want to ask you this morning, what generation have you chosen to be a part of? Church, we live in a day and age where we are called to be different and every time someone gives their life to Jesus, not only do they stop being a part of the kingdom of this world but they become a part of the kingdom of heaven. Not only do they become a part of the kingdom of heaven, they become part of the timeless generation. The word of God says that we are a holy generation and that's powerful. To be a part of the Jacob generation we must do what "generation me" will never do and that is to die to self.
Matthew 16:24-26 says, "Then Jesus said to his disciples, if anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul, or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"
A great Christian man, who during the 50's served out 20 years of his life in prison, wrote this, "Stubbornness and self love have given way to beauty and the one who is broken by the Lord". Church, we must crucify the flesh. We must let God cut out all pride, self will and self exaltation. We must even give up confidence in self until we have given so much confidence in God that we can begin to view ourself right. There's a difference between pulling yourself up by the bootstraps, sticking your chest out and picking your head up, or having yourself filled with the Holy Spirit of God where you know who you are in Jesus Christ because you've died to everything that's sinful and you've risen to everything that's holy. That is the generation that will see the Lord. It's time for life to quit being all about me and to start being all about God. This morning, if you're so vain that you think this sermon is about you then you've got the right song because if you're thinking that, it's time for you to receive from the Lord.
