Serving God's Purposes in our Generation

As the God of the Bible progresses to the next significant chapter in His narrative, a question that should deeply concern us all is: where do we fit in this story? How do we live and fulfill God’s purposes in our generation?

This generation needs father figures. This generation of children needs to walk in our footsteps, not in our shadow. When the fathers take their position, the sons will also take their place in the kingdom of God. Fathers (and mothers) do not only reproduce biological children, but fathers in the true sense reproduce fathers, who in turn reproduce sons that impact generations. Isaac was the son of a great father, but he was also the father of a great son. A true father carries a heart of transformation that this generation needs to witness, not just in words, but in the way they live, work, emote, and relate to one another. Though our citizenship is in heaven, yet as we live on earth, we should seek to serve our generation while we pass as pilgrims to the better country.

Isaiah 58:12 “And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.”

Acts 13:36, “For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep.”

There are three questions we would like to answer:

What does it mean to serve our own generation?

What parts of our generation can we serve?

What will happen to us once our work is done?

I. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SERVE OUR OWN GENERATION?

Do not be enslaved to your generation.

In other words, do not come under the influence of the values and systems of this world that are contrary to God’s Word. The Christian faith is to be contended for; it is the faith which needed to be only “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude v3).

1 John 2:15-17 Do not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh [craving for sensual gratification] and the lust of the eyes [greedy longings of the mind] and the pride of life [assurance in one’s own resources or in the stability of earthly things]—these do not come from the Father but are from the world [itself]. And the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

Do not flee from your generation.

David served his own generation before he fell asleep. As you mature as a believer, you must learn to stand and fight evil and triumph over it, whether it be evil of doctrine, evil of practice, or evil of any other kind. When believers do not take a stand for the truth of Christ, but instead compromise, it cannot be said that they have served their generation. Let it not be said that you allowed your generation to make a coward of you, or to muzzle your voice of truth.

Be diligent in daily life.

David was the son of a farmer, a sheep-owner, and he was first of all diligent to keep his father’s sheep. It would mean hours of waiting and watching over the sheep, protecting them from predators, getting them to stay together and everything else that a shepherd would normally do. For all his efforts, he had no audience and possibly worked without financial gain. Today, many people do not like the routines of daily life, to the point where they frown and express a deep disdain for the father’s business. Many do not want to plod; they want to be kings overnight. It does not work that way in the kingdom of God. God spoke to Jeremiah concerning this and said, “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not! (Jeremiah 45:5). The disciples of Jesus were arguing about who would get to sit on the left and right in the kingdom. Before David could be entrusted with the royal sceptre, he had to demonstrate faithfulness with the shepherd’s staff.

Believers who shirk daily duties at home will not be likely to serve their generation. Stay diligent (when no one is watching) in the little things that come in your way, and you will begin to serve your generation, as David served his.

Be ready for opportunities to serve God.

In the routines of daily life, stay prepared for opportunities that will come your way. Wait patiently until it comes. David had one desire, and that was to know the Lord (Psalm 27:4). David did not work among his sheep, sighing, “Oh, I wish I could get away from this mundane business of looking after sheep! My brothers have gone to exciting things; they will get on in life; but here am I, left to look after these sheep” No! David quietly waited on God’s time. That is godly wisdom. If you desire to serve God, wait till he calls you to do His work; He knows where to find you when He wants you; you need not advertise yourself to the Lord. He has not forgotten nor is He hard of hearing. The appointed time finally came. On a certain day, Jesse his father asked him to go to his brothers with some food. David reached the camp just when the giant Goliath was stalking and defying all the armies of Israel to meet him. This was David’s time, and the young man was ready for it. If David had lost the opportunity to take food to his brothers, he might have remained a shepherd, the rest of his days.

If you want to serve the church and serve your generation, stay prepared in your spirit man, be wide awake when the occasion comes. Wait to jump into the saddle when the horse is at your door. God will bless you if you are on the lookout for opportunities to serve Him. Opportunities do not always come announced in advance. They just appear, and you must be ready to step in.

Maintain true religion.

David had faults in his later life, but he never swerved from his devotion to Jehovah the true God. No words or actions of his ever sanctioned anything like idolatry, or turning aside from the worship of Jehovah, the God of Israel. His witness to Jehovah testified, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame” (Ps 119:46). David backed his words with his life. When he met with foreign kings, he vindicated the living God before them. His life and words were consistent. How are you in this area?

Had ten righteous men been found in Sodom, it would have been spared, and the world today only escapes the righteous judgment of God because of the presence in it of those who fear Him, and tremble at his word. Do you see yourself as one righteous in this generation?

“Pure and undefiled religion” (James 1:27) -keeping oneself unstained from the world” is a certain way to serve those around us. As an outworking of true religion, David wrote many Psalms, which were sung all over the land of Israel. It is no mean service when our time is done, and we give the people new songs which they can sing unto their God.

Continue serving all your life.

To serve our own generation is not a one-time action. It is to continue to serve all our life, as seasons change. Notice that David served “his own generation;” not only a part of it, but the whole of it. He began to serve God, and he kept on serving God. Many young men announced they were going to do wonders! They were as proud of their intentions as though they had already accomplished the deed. They advertised themselves all over the media, to win the admiration of the world, because of what they were going to do; but they were so pleased with the excitement of the advertisement that they never carried it out. Their excitement got the better of them. Sentimentalism needs to be left behind if the church is to serve this generation. Nothing of eternal value has been accomplished; nothing of eternal value has been done, though much has been thought of. This is sheer humanism.

Others begin well, and they serve their God earnestly for a time, but suddenly, their service stops. They pull out for the wrong reasons, lose interest, or think that it is not worth it.

As the apostle Paul said to the Galatians,’ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth’? (Galatians 5:7). But David continually served God to the end of his life.

Prepare for those who will come after you.

David served his generation to the very end by providing for the next generation. He was not permitted to build the temple; but he stored up a great mass of gold and silver to enable his son Solomon to carry out his noble design and build a house for God. This is real service; to begin to serve God in early youth; to keep on till old age shall come; and even then to say, “I cannot expect to serve the Lord much longer, but I will prepare the way as far as I can for those who will come after me.” Many think this way as it pertains to their own biological families and do very well too. But what about the kingdom of God? The church must get past the biological concept of family and graduate to the kingdom family of God where there are many children.

WHAT PARTS OF OUR GENERATION CAN WE SERVE? 1 John 2:12-14

The parts that are setting- those who have served the kingdom of God, the elderly (fathers)

The parts that are shining- those in the prime of life doing impactful work (sons)

The parts that are rising- the youth and children- most reachable, most impressible. (children)

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ONCE OUR WORK IS DONE?

Did David serve his generation by the will of God? Did he fall asleep by the will of God? Both. Guided by the will of God, he did his work on earth; and calmly resigned to the will of God, he prepared to die. Even when passing away, he served his generation by giving Solomon some last charges concerning the kingdom, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,” (1 Kings 2:2). Over both his life and his death may be written the words, “By the will of God.”

How will it be with you when your time is done? Will you be able to confidently say, “by the will of God I have lived, worked, and now am going home to the Lord?”

1 Corinthians 15:51-53,58 “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain."