Some Old Posts I

The Uncomfortable Church - Generational Discipleship

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…..When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7;11

In our society adulthood has been called into question. Adults adolescence, as I will term it (which literally means the adult child), is prevailing in our culture with adults well into their 30’s and sometimes even as high as middle 40’s. These adults avoid responsibility and by the culture we live in 18 – 30 year olds are given a grace period of in which they are just allowed to have fun with no responsibility. When did this began to occur? Why does this occur? When did the definition of manhood and womanhood become blurred? What can we do and what is our responsibility to take action to uphold the definition of a biblical manhood and womanhood?

Older men are to be sober minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanders or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that he word of God may not be reviled. Likewise urge the younger men to be self controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Titus 2:2-8

Who is the older man? Who is the older woman? I think many times our society lends us to blur these lines. If we look at God’s definition of an adult it is someone who is not a child. I would began to quit defining someone as a child at the age of 17 or 18 - not that these "young adults" will not make mistakes but older adults must urge all who are younger to lives that are as such as a biblical man or a biblical woman – while at the same time being mentored by someone who is older.
I've said it many times before and I will continue to say it, it is apparent how I feel - I believe 100% in generational discipleship in the church. I believe it is biblical and a characteristic of a healthy church. If at any time you are not being mentored by someone older and mentoring someone younger in the ways of a biblical man or biblical woman, I believe you are not benefiting the church. It is how God created the church - a constant cycle. Not one of us will live forever, we cannot hold onto the life and wisdom that we have received but yet must pass it down. Would God allow you to learn so much knowing that you will pass away? No, He intends for you to pass down your wisdom to others. This is how the church will continue to thrive, if we are not being discipled by someone older and discipleing someone younger, then the church dies when we die. Who is to pass on the church? You are. I am. The 17 year old adult is to the younger 14 year old youth. The 24 year old adult is to the 17 year old adult. The 40 year old adult is to the 24 year old adult. The 65 year old adult is to the 40 year adult. It is all of our job.
Find someone today to learn from who is older - find someone who is younger to pass it along to. The church cannot exist within our generational cliques but it will only thrive outside of our comfort zones, where old passes wisdom and life to the young. This is one way that the church is "alive", ever growing spiritually and a close knit generational web.
I charge to you today to exist outside of your generational clique, we are all guilty of it. It will be uncomfortable, but I am convicted that the true church, is not a comfortable one.