Series: Building a Community that Loves the World
Multi-generational Church - A Message from 2 Kings 2
Sermon by Joe Lee @ Coast Vineyard on November 2nd, 2008

The multi-generational church MUST be a place of mutual blessing (deep love and respect)
1. It blesses the next generation to lead. (2 Kings 2:7-14)
Q: Do you feel released to follow Jesus without reservation?
2. It restores the lost dreams of the past.
Q: What are the dreams that you need to be restored? (1 Kings 19:1-5)
3. It brings healing into the world.
Q: What are the places of healing that God wants to lead us into? (2 Kings 2:19-22)

Joe Lee, an IV staffer at UCSD, delivered a beautiful and life giving sermon this past week on the aspects of a multi-generational church.  He gave three points and paired them each with a response question.  His first point was an encouragement for the older generation use their authority and bless the next generation to lead.  His question asked if we feel released to follow Jesus without reservation [by an older generation or authority in our lives -- parents, mentors, leaders].  This touched my heart in two ways: 1. I lack a direct spiritual authority / mentor in my life.  I have my father, my pastors, maybe a staff worker or two, and a number of friends who I look up to, all of whom which I am thankful for and contribute much to how I think and what I do, yet there is little expectation from them.  But! — the world is not centered around me and so the second way this touched my heart is: 2. There are people all around me who I feel I can be available to pour into.  This is super life giving because as I make myself available for people, and ask guys if they have time to meet up and talk, I end up being encouraged by them as well.  The more I try to give, the more I end up receiving!

Joe’s second point was that the multi-generational church restores the lost dreams of the past.  For me this point really encourages the joining of the dreams of the past and the present.  As I walk through life it is easy for me to over complicate dreams and become pessimistic towards the dreams I once had, labeling them as impractical to the point where they get scratched off the list.  Maybe its the multi-generational church that restores the prayers of the past and the heart of the past and in doing so chisels out new dreams for the multi-generations to work towards.  Joe’s paired question was, what are the dreams that you need to be restored.  I’m realizing that I don’t really remember my dreams, or maybe that I just need “all” of my dreams restored.  It is easier for me to focus and visualize what is a few tangible steps in front of me instead of spending time visioning the impossible.  I suppose that the multi-generational church is better equipped to take the far off, creative, seemingly impractical and impossible vision and determine the steps that need to happen in between.

Joe’s final point was that the multi-generational church brings healing into the world through the working out of differences, view points, and understandings.  The biggest issue that I’ve personally lived through is the split in the generations in styles of worship.  I know there has been a lot of hurt on both sides, and I wish there was not, but working throug these differences allows God the ground for healing on both sides.  I wish that people could take a step back from their trenches and open their hearts and minds to the diversity of worship and what the different styles have to offer.  I suppose that is the common theme of the multi-generational church — that each generation has much to offer and contribute to the church.  The paired question with this point was, what are the places of healing that God wants to lead us into?  As I am sort of inbetween the young generation and the older generation, I feel like I need to be a bridge or a translator.   But we are always in between generations, so maybe we need to purposefully live as translators of culture.  We are to be in the world, speak the world’s language, but not be of the world.  We are to be able to translate generations languages, culture languages, and spiritual languages so that the church can efficiently do its work.