How can I impact the next generation and what does the Bible say about it?

Do you remember your younger self? Let’s take a moment to think back on that person. Travel to pre-teen and teen you, maybe even 20 something you. 

What were your fears? What were your passions? What did you struggle with? What was important to you? What aggravated you? What gave you hope? What would you tell your younger self as a wiser, older, more experienced you?

When we connect back to our younger years (whether it be many moons ago, or just yesterday), we can empathize with the next generation much easier, right? We can see the one younger person who may need an encouraging conversation instead of being overwhelmed by the millions who we want to see experience the love of Jesus, but we don’t even know where to begin!

While we might be able to empathize with the younger generation and offer up some encouragement or help, at LifeGate, Pastors Michael and Amy have cast a God-sized vision to win the hearts of the next generation which will take a God-sized strategy.

To win the heart of the next generation, it will take all of us, 

going all in, with all we have.

Let’s look at this passage in Scripture about what this strategy will look like:

2 Kings 6:8-17 (NIV)

Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”

The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.

This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

“None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.” 

“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” 

The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city. When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 

“Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked. 

“Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” 

Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

God gave Elisha a battle strategy of where the enemy would attack so that God’s people could show up first. When they did, the enemy was confused, and the victory was won. All they had to do was hear the strategy and get there first.

The same is true today. When God’s people use God’s strategy to get there first, the enemy is confused and we win, whether it be at home, in business, education, family, or Church. God is speaking to the local church and the family unit, giving strategic battle plans so that we can get to the next generation first. 

However, sometimes, we come to church because we need something ourselves. We can begin to think that the church is for me, my preferences, my likes / dislikes, my needs, my wants, my issues and struggles, me, me, me. And to be fair, we can all get into the poor me cycle if we aren’t careful.

Coming to church as if it were only for us, blinds us from seeing what God wants to show us, it keeps us from going where He wants to lead us, and ultimately it will hinder us from accomplishing what He designed us to do. A church that is me-focused will eventually cease to exist.

On the other hand, a church that focuses on the next generation will be a vibrant, healthy, growing church. That looks like a multi-generational church where every living generation is celebrated, growing, and shares equal responsibility for the vision. A church where every generation accepts their assignment to pass their faith to those behind them. Doesn’t that sound a lot like LifeGate? 

The bottom line is churches with the greatest impact are ones where all generations are growing and going together, and there’s a partnership between the family and the church to impact the next generation.

Psalm 145:4 (NIV)

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power.

In the story we read above about Elisha, verses 15-17 tell us that the king of Aram had found out where Elisha was staying and by daybreak had the city surrounded. Elisha’s servant saw the odds stacked against them and was afraid and asked Elisha what they were going to do. 

Immediately, Elisha told the servant to not fear because there was actually more on Elisha’s side. Then he prayed that God would open the servant’s eyes to see, and God opened up his eyes. The servant saw the hills full of horses and the chariots of fire all around Elisha. 

Wow! A couple of things we can apply here that happened to Elisha and the servant. As we know, both guys are standing next to each other in the same battle, but one sees with natural sight while one sees with supernatural vision.

Don’t settle for natural sight when God wants to give you supernatural vision that will

cause you to see something that needs to be seen.

Now Elisha saw the Syrian army and realized, in the natural, they were completely outnumbered, but he saw the greater reality of Heaven’s army. So when we can set aside our natural vision, and it becomes peripheral, then we can begin to see in the supernatural, making it our central vision.

When we focus on the natural, we get overwhelmed. We are going to see problems in life, our culture, and the world, and we will be overwhelmed. But if we look up, we will see there are more for us than against us. Amen? 

We can’t pretend nothing is happening around us, but instead of making that our focus, we choose to focus our vision on Heaven’s reality of the situation. So what if instead of getting discouraged and overwhelmed, we were emboldened? What if we stepped forward instead of shrinking back, were on the offense instead of defense, were engaged in faith instead of fear? Things will start to look differently. 

When the next generation stands next to me, what will they see? We know what the servant was able to see standing next to Elisha. Here are three things that Elisha did that impacted the next generation:

1) He stood next to the next generation. 

There is a space that God has destined us to fill next to them, and we need to get there first. This may look like being present with your children or grandchildren. Being present at church with the people who are younger. It may look like being a caring adult in a younger person’s life. God wired our faith to be shaped and influenced by someone else’s faith. 

We all can remember a time that our younger self thought our world was ending, only to have a parent or caring adult explain to us that it was going to be ok. Why is that? It’s because they could see what we couldn't see, right? Let’s be that for someone else.

2) He spoke life over the next generation.

The power of life and death is in the tongue. We can choose to speak life into every relationship or not. Look at how God instructed Israel to speak:

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 The Message

Attention, Israel! God, our God! God the one and only! Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got! Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates. Get them inside of you and get them inside of them! Talk about them everywhere you go! Put your hand to the Word and renew your mind with the Word. The doorpost and gates: God’s word governs what comes in and what goes out of your home and what you influence. 

Maybe you’re thinking that this didn’t happen in your home. Maybe it wasn’t given to you. That’s okay, it’s not too late. The time is now to get it! The time is now to speak life. 

3) He shared revelation with the next generation.

Elisha prayed that God would open up the eyes of the servant, and God did just that. The revelation that Elisha had of Heaven’s reality was shared with the servant. Elisha was acting as a spiritual father to him, imparting what he had learned and received from God and sharing that experience with the servant, with the next generation. 

What if the most important thing we pass to the next generation isn’t something to do but someone to see - to see the King and His Kingdom!

Luke 12:32 

Don’t be afraid little flock for it gives your father great pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

So let’s decide today to stand next to the next generation in whatever capacity and space God has called us to. Let’s commit to speaking life over the next generation, calling out what the Bible says about them, not what the world says. And let’s determine that we will share revelation with the next generation so that they can see Heaven’s reality! 

Are you ALL IN? 

Want more?

You can check out this message from Pastor Michael Adams on YouTube at youtube.com/mylgc called All In Week One and Week Two or check it out on our app at LifeGate Church Villa Rica. Don’t forget about GROW, Groups, and NEXT!

Written by: Brittany Holbrook

2-17-24