Generations Podcast Notes

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Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands. Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Psalm 112:1,2

In other words, if you follow God, this is the legacy you will leave. The next gen will be mighty. They will be blessed. You’re legacy will be established.

There is a problem here however. We all want to change the next generation, but every new generation that comes along is different. All the rules have changed. Culture has changed, technology has changed, what’s cools has changed, music has changed.

Let me give you a couple examples. We have some families here that have just had new babies. This is how that new baby was brought home. Correct me if I’m wrong. You put your new baby in an infant car seat with a five point harness. Then you clicked that baby into the back seat, to avoid the air bag and the baby was facing backwards. Correct?

That is very different than the way it was when I was born. This is how people my age were brought home from the hospital. We were held like this by mom in the front seat of a car that was completely made out of metal. The car was metal, the dashboard was metal. There were no seat belts in the car. If you parents really loved you they rolled down the window while they smoked.

Kids who grow up today in our culture are all given this same message. You are special. You are unique. There is no one like you. We weren’t told that message. If we were it sounded like this, “What do you think you’re special or something. What makes you think you’re different than everyone else.”

When I was growing up if you got a trophy like this it meant that you got first prize.

When I was growing up and an annoying commercial came on and you didn’t want to watch that commercial you had to get up from your chair and walk over to the TV and turn the channel. And if you turned to hard, the knob would come off in your hand. Then you had to use the pliers to change the channel.

What’s your generation known for?

My generation is known for working, and overworking so these verses probably match my generation pretty well.

Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor. Proverbs 12:24

The lazy do not roast any game, but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt. Proverbs 12:27

The baby boomer generation is known for working hard and being diligent and putting in extra hours. But we are also known for giving everyone a stress disorder.

Here’s what makes it so hard to connect with different generations. They are all different. Each generation has a different experience. The rules are always changing.

We all want to leave a legacy with the next generation.

(God I want to leave a legacy. Show me how)

I want to start by talking about a common barrier that develops between generations. It’s a very simple statement and it sounds like this.

I am right. My generation is the best. My generation gets it. The generation that came before you is out of touch and the generation that follows you is messing up the world, but your generation gets it.

Millennials are born between the late 80’s and the year 2000. One person said this about Millennials. This quote from one stuffy baby boomer sums it up:

“The counts of the indictment on this generation are luxury, bad manners, contempt for authority, disrespect to elders, and a love for chatter in place of exercise.”

That sums it up perfectly doesn’t it? There is only one problem with this quote. I lied to you. It wasn’t written about millennials. That’s a quote from a 1907 essay about how the ancient Greeks viewed their uppity, irresponsible youth. Some toga-clad senior was grumbling that this Socrates punk needed to show some respect.

My favorite quote is an Scientific American article about how this hot new fad was an idiotic waste of time because it doesn’t make you smarter or healthier.
Any guesses what the fad is?
Hover boards?
Video games?
Ipads?

Let me give you a hint. The article was written in 1869. Do you know what that new fad was back in 1869 was? Chess.

Each new generation says essentially the same thing and it boils down to this statement. I am right.

I’m right. My music is better. Our fashion is better. Our haircuts are more appropriate. Our views on earrings and tattoo’s are the right ones. I’m right.

For every right thing your generation did, there is a wrong thing.

People in the 50’s will say, “My generation valued family. We stuck together.” That’s true. But you also had segregated drinking fountains.

People in the 60’s will say, “My generation brought freedom to our country.” That’s true, but that sexual freedom also brought divorce and heartache.

People in the 70’s think their generation was the best but you also introduced the world to disco.

Let me make a bold statement. You tell me if you agree with this. At the heart of just about every argument we get in is this thought. I am right. We get into a dispute and our first response is, “I’m right. I made the right decision.

In his book, I am right, you are wrong, Dr Edward de Bono, defines this way of thinking the ‘rock logic’ of Western thought. Rock logic is based on rigid categories, absolutes, argument and adversarial point scoring. In other words we want to convince others of our rightness. We want to win. We want to win the war.

That way of thinking led to the death of Jesus. It also leads to the death of relationships. Relationships between generations. Between spouses. Between friends. “I am right” is at the heart of just about every argument and conflict in the history of the world.

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”Mark 7

The world is clearly split in two camps. On the one side you have the hand sanitizer people. You know the ones who always keep hand sanitizer in their purse or their glove box. On the other side is the “5 second rule people.” You know the five second rule, right. If food falls on the ground it’s okay to eat it if you pick it up within 5 seconds.

6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’[b] 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” Mark 7

The story of God in this world is this. God is right, and we are wrong. God is holy and we are not. He could, by all rights, hold us to that. He could simply tell us, “I’m right. You’re not worthy. You can pay for your own mistakes.” But he didn’t do that. Instead of punishing us for all of our mistakes he turned the tables. He took on our punishment in the form of his son Jesus.

I want you to see life from their perspective
I want you to love people despite their mistakes
I want you to love people with dirty hands.

I heard a quote this last week that got my attention. Bob Goff put it like this. What if we stopped holding people accountable & started holding people closely.