THIS PRESENT TIME #8

Generations 3.12.23

Genesis 50:24 NASB Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Exodus 2:24 NASB God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.

Exodus 6:8 NASB And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Deuteronomy 1:8 NASB See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

Starting Points

1. God thinks in generational terms as well as in terms of individuality.

● “If any man hear my voice”

● “It is appointed unto man once to die, and after this is the judgment.”

● “Every man will receive his own reward.”

● “I will bless the righteous for thousands of generations.”

● “You will be saved, and your house.”

● “One Another”

2. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob give us insight into the way we are to seek inheritance and the blessing of The Lord.

● Abraham was “First Generation” - everything he got, he got from God.

● Isaac was “Second Generation” - most of what he got was by inheritance.

● Jacob was “Third Generation” - much of what he obtained was by manipulation.

● God’s intent is for Godly Generations to increase and ascend (Elijah and Elisha). The natural atrophy of the flesh is to seek the blessing of an earlier generation by manipulation, intimidation, domination, or compromise.

● Example : Many of the Pharisees moved from “separateness” to self-righteousness.

Three Generations

1. Abraham…The Pioneering Generation

● “Father of the Faithful”

● Intimacy with God was essential.

● Almost everything he experienced was a “new thing.”

● Think in terms of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

● God led him through incredible testing in order to mature his faith.

● These unheard of propositions resulted in an utter dependence upon God that could not be attained by the carnal mind.

a. Barren bodies

b. Unthinkable choices given to Lot

c. The idea of sacrificing Isaac

2. Isaac…The Stabilizing Generation

● A child of promise

● Groomed for success

● Bride specially chosen

● An astounding inheritance that tends to favor “Peace” - remember David’s warfare and Solomon’s peace.

● Failed to learn from some of his father’s mistakes; failed to learn from some of his father’s successes.

a. Lied about Rebekah

b. Didn’t seem to understand there is a time to contend for your inheritance.

o A lesson from Momma Hens

c. “Passivity”

3. Jacob…The Expanding Generation

● The successes of the past tend to make us think we don’t need to “walk their path” again.

● Without connection to our roots, we rely on flesh rather than spirit.

● Saul v. David - the significance of testing.

● A church dignitary once said, “The Church no longer has to say ‘Silver and gold, have I none’. A Reformer replied, “But neither can she say ‘Nevertheless, I give you what I have - in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.”

Holding to Our Roots

1. God often calls us to new places, new things, or new methods - but stay firmly tethered to your Godly spiritual heritage.

● We can recognize and appreciate an imperfect heritage or tradition.

● We are like the homeowner Jesus described who has treasures both old and new.

● Choose changes wisely.

● Some changes require refinement, not abandonment.

2. The Pioneering Generation (Abraham) must take special care to explain to the next Generation clearly about the dealings of God.

● The “reasons” must be clearly articulated.

● The increase of legalism in our second generation was largely due to a failure to articulate “convictions.”

3. The Stabilizing Generation (Isaac) must embrace trials and testing as necessary to the maturing of their faith.

● The challenge for this generation is to not get comfortable in the blessings we inherited.

● It is essential that we understand the journey of the previous generation.

● Understand how we “got here.”

● Some battles must be fought, and some wells must be renamed.

4. The Expanding generation must be careful to never give credit to any other source except God.

● Life in the Flesh can never produce Life in The Spirit.

● There is a strong tendency to rely on methods, schemes, and formulas at this point.

● Jacob was a trickster.

● We must reach a point of abandonment to our own strengths: a ladder to Heaven and a Wrestling Match with God.