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During my teen years, my dad made a decision that steered my choices in a positive direction. It wasn't until I became a father myself that I realized that this small decision became a legacy decision that impacted the trajectory of my spiritual life. And here's how it all played out. In my teen years, I was even more of an expert than I am now. I know, it's hard to believe. But my focus was centered on hanging out with my friends and going places to have fun. That was it. In my mind, even the school week was simply a planning phase to establish what event would take place on the weekend. And even when I had a part-time or summer job, my motivation to work was based on the fun I could have with the money I made.
There was always things I wanted to go and see and do with friends, and I needed to fund these adventures. To add some further context, we were a church-going family. Whether I wanted to or not, every Sunday morning, my brothers and I were sitting in a church pew. By the time I hit my teen years, church attendance was a forced interruption that I begrudgingly participated in. I hated it at that time.
And it was around that time that my dad sat me down to have a chat. He wanted to talk to me about my weekend adventures. Truth be told, I wasn't always telling my parents where I was going or who I was hanging out with. I often left out details or I straight up lied about what I was up to. It was also around that time that I started experimenting with alcohol and drugs. Now, I was careful enough that my intake would be worn out before I got home, that at least I'd maybe look sober. My dad might not have known what I was doing or where I was going in that moment, but he definitely could sense that I was being deceptive.
In that moment, he could have laid down the law about my choices, my fun, and my friends, and it was totally warranted based on my behavior. It would have fit. But instead, he decided to make me an offer, based more on influence than control. My dad told me that from that point on, through my teen years, he would be willing to fully finance any weekend event, activity, or road trip, as long as it was connected to the church. Hmm. He continued that even during the summer months, if there was a Christian camp, a conference, or a festival that I wanted to attend, he would fully finance those events as well.
As he continued to explain how this would work, I realized that he was placing a rule on himself, not me. And it worked. I soon found out that a church trip could be amazing. We lived in a smaller city that had a water park. Under dad's new rule, if I went to the water park with the youth group, it was free. Worth it. Our city was also a couple hours from a large urban center that had NFL, NHL, NBA, and MLB sports teams. Under dad's rule, the road trip to a game with the youth group was completely free.
Little by little, I started to prioritize my weekend plans based on what was the best bang for my buck, so to speak. And the funding rule that my dad had placed on himself seemed to tip the scales more than I expected it would. It got to the point where every time the church organized a road trip, I was going. And as one might expect, I started to make new connections, which turned into new friendships. Then these new friends started to invite me to concerts, which one might assume, if you didn't grow up in the church, that this would have been a traveling church choir or something like that.
It definitely wasn't. I was shocked to be introduced to a whole subculture of artists from a wide variety of genres. Some of them were even mainstream, but they all followed Jesus. That's when a significant shift started to happen in who I was and who I wanted to be. As well as building new friendships, I was finding new role models. The artists were becoming role models from a distance because of their lyrics and their messages from stage. But more importantly, the adults who organized and supervised these trips, they talked about Jesus in the Bible, but they were vastly different than a Sunday morning preacher.
They had conversations with us. They wanted to know who we were and what we cared about. They entered into our world with genuine curiosity, not judgment, which has made a lasting impact on me and many others. And many of those youth workers became mentors whom I greatly admire to this day. Looking back now, I wonder where I would have gone on those weekends. Who would I have been with? What would I have done?
It wasn't until I reached my adult years that I realized the side benefit of my dad's decision that day. He never forced me to attend church events or any Christian type event. Instead, he made it as easy as possible for me to make a different choice. Instead of choosing to parent his rebellious son with control, he chose to influence, which had a far greater impact over time. Fast forward 30 years and now I'm a father of three sons. My oldest is in his teen years and my second son will be a teenager next year.
Only now am I getting a glimpse of how much my dad helped me shift my priorities. That decision left a significant legacy on my life in the financial decisions I make for my sons. Now this week, I've wondered, how many generations will adopt my dad's practice for church-related events and activities? In our family's future, how many parents will shift their financial priorities to help their children make better choices? How many lives will be impacted from simply hearing this story right now that I'm telling you? The truth is that small decisions can have a lasting impact on future generations.
And as we enter the third week of our gospel culture series, this will be our focus. We'll look at our decision-making abilities as parents and grandparents and the decisions we make as teens and young adults. We'll see how the gospel can guide our choices and priorities in such a way that we leave a greater legacy for future generations. Hi, my name is Jude, and I'm going to be reading from Colossians 3, 1 to 11. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you who have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God, when Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you. Sexual immortality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once walked. When you were living in them, but now you must put them all away. Anger, wrath, malice, slander, and absence talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
When we're able to capture a gospel perspective in day-to-day life, God can reveal new directives for us. The gospel helps us see past our earthly life and reveals, at least in part, the legacy that we'll leave behind. To state this in a more memorable way, a gospel perspective reveals a legacy directive. A gospel perspective reveals a legacy directive. Evidence for this principle can be found in the Apostle Paul's letter to the Colossian church, written in the first century. If you have a Bible, you want to turn to the book of Colossians chapter 3. Now, if you don't have a Bible, that's okay. You can go to Bible.com, you can download a Bible app on your mobile device, or if you're in-house, you can grab one under the seat in front of you. And if you'd like your own copy of the scriptures and you don't have one and you're watching online, text the number on the screen right now and we will send you one. Now, if you're new to church and just getting used to using a Bible, looking up a scripture passage can be a bit confusing. The best guide is actually the table of contents right in the front of a print Bible.
If you're using a mobile app, you just have to search Colossians 3. But a print Bible, it's still just as easy. So go to New Testament, go to Colossians, and then there's a page number. Once you go to that page number, then you're going to want to look to the big number three. We're in chapter three today. So let's start by reading verses one and two, and then we'll unpack that a bit. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. Notice Paul's opening phrase. If then you have been raised with Christ. Christ is our starting point.
This opening line harkens back to last week's message focused on how the gospel impacts morality. We can't start with the rules and hope to work our way up to God. It doesn't work like that. We start with Jesus, who has given us spiritual resurrection and who will one day give us full resurrection. If we come back to Paul, he is assuming by this statement that the audience has accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ and proclaims to be followers of Jesus. And if they have received the gospel, there are certain desires and outcomes that will be fostered inside of us as we draw closer to Jesus.
The person who has accepted the gospel will experience a desire to, quote, seek the things that are above. As they look to Christ as Lord of their lives, they will gain an awareness of heavenly eternal things, and earthly distractions will lose their luster, for they should. But before any armchair theologians jump to full sanctification on earth, remember that Paul said, quote, seek, not perfectly attain. Only Jesus was able to walk this earth while being completely focused on the heavenly realm. And we will not obtain a perfect vision of heaven until we get there. Any Christian who says they're able to fix their gaze 100% on the clouds is either lying or has their head in the clouds. We're on a journey and we're striving to keep our gaze on Jesus as we walk this earth. That being said, it's worth asking, what does this look like? What does it look like to be focused on the things above? How can the gospel shift my decisions and priorities? How does an eternal perspective play out in day-to-day life? Well, I think a great example is parenting. It provides some useful examples.
The gospel provides an eternal perspective for parents in their caring for and influencing their children. One of the markers of good parenting is displayed by how much a parent cares about their child's future. In Western culture, this is often played out in education choices. The parents encourage the child to get good grades, apply for scholarships, and eventually graduate from college, trade school, or university. The end goal is a sustainable career, which is a good thing. Don't get me wrong. But it's still an earthly perspective that doesn't really matter on the other side of eternity. That might be hard to hear. I get it. But what if the child decides to give up a full academic or athletic scholarship to enter the mission field in the developing world? The earthly perspective suddenly falls apart in real time. What does a parent do? What's the right choice from an attorney's perspective?
If you're a parent who has received the gospel, our desire should be to seek a heavenly perspective. We envision eternity and look back on our lives, and if possible, look back on the lives of our children. From that place, what do you care about? Who have your children become? Suddenly you see them as fathers and mothers, or maybe even grandparents. You might see the outcome of their desires and passions. Do they love Jesus in that moment, or have they walked away from the faith? Do they serve and support a local church, or have they been wounded by it?
From that vantage point, your children are far more than a diploma, a degree, or even a career. But perhaps you're thinking, that's an enlightening mental picture, but what do I do with it now? Well, from a gospel perspective, God can reveal a legacy directive. You will gain a better picture of your influencing on your children and what you're displaying as most important for them and for their lives. You'll get that picture. You'll break through the awkwardness and maybe you'll start praying for your children more. Maybe you'll start praying with them.
Maybe you'll envision them praying with their children or their grandchildren. You'll become aware of how many spiritual conversations you have in your home, and you'll want to have more of them because you'll want them to have them. You'll be more willing to wrestle with doubt and shame as you journey with Jesus, and you won't hide it from them. You'll be comfortable showing your children that you love Jesus, but that you wrestle with your faith as well. This perspective also plays out when you're all alone.
If you really truly believe in the power of Jesus and have a vision of heaven, you end up speaking with God about your children. And you might even speak to God about your children as adults. This might sound crazy, but a few years ago, I felt convicted to start praying for my son's wives. I don't know who they are, but I'm assuming they're alive right now, out there, somewhere. One day, they're gonna be my daughter's-in-law and the mothers of my grandchildren. Jesus already knows them and sees them. So from my heavenly vantage point, I'm able to pray for them today. As you look back at your children's life from a heavenly perspective,
How are you being called to pray? Let's keep going. Verses three and four. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. At first glance, the words for you have died can sound a bit harsh, but it's helpful to gain a legacy perspective, especially when it's immediately contrasted with the statements, quote, your life is hidden with Christ and quote, Christ who is your life.
In a sense, Paul is reiterating the same concept as before, but now he's really focusing us directly on Jesus. We should be asking ourselves, when Jesus returns, what will I care about? When I'm in heaven with Jesus, looking back, what would I let go of? How would my perspective on what's important change from heaven's perspective? To unpack this further, take the grandparent phase of life as an example.
The gospel provides an eternal perspective for grandparents working through regret and nostalgia. The gospel provides an eternal perspective for grandparents working through regret and nostalgia. You see, memories of past mistakes can plague any one of us and prevent us from living out God's call. Christians are not immune to regret, and it can increase as we get older. For grandparents who have lived more years, there's been more time to reflect on different decisions or different courses of action. For some, this can be overwhelming and bring about a lot of sorrow. There could be a lot of regret.
The memories of days gone by can block their vision of Christ and the work he's still doing in and through them. If this has been your struggle, remember that Christ walks with you. Give him your past because he holds your future. Christ has not called you home yet, so recapture the forgiveness that he's given you and thrive. Embrace once again the gospel mission that he's given you and live your best years now. But now let's move to nostalgia. It always feels great to reminisce, doesn't it? But it can completely cloud our ability to have an eternal perspective. It really can.
If you're a grandparent today, this can be a significant problem. Why? Well, you were the last generation to experience a Christian-leaning Western culture. So it can be extremely difficult to envision God's work in our present age, especially in the midst of secularism. However, nostalgia for church in the past can become a roadblock for the gospel today. There can be a temptation to look back and believe that the old way is the best way, or sometimes pitched as the only way. There's a pride that wells up and prevents the older generation from seeing the work that God is doing in the here and now. This plays out by always seeing the negative in new ministry plans. For lack of a better term, the position is devil's advocate. Sorry, it's just a term, but it fits.
These folks become experts at punching holes in the ideas of younger generations, refusing to give them any encouragement or positive exhortation. But what's the end result? New ministry ideas are dismissed, and spiritual opportunities for future generations are replaced with spiritual stagnancy. The evidence shows that young adults facing this burial will either move to another church or give up on the church entirely and follow Jesus outside of church structures. And so, is the nostalgia of the past blinding you from the work that God's doing now? Are you preventing spiritual opportunities that God is revealing to other people just because those people are younger than you? Is nostalgia preventing you from letting the next generation create something that will reach your community for Jesus? If so, capture Paul's vision here, where every generation is seated with Christ. Looking back, at this moment, Jesus has not yet returned, so the Holy Spirit hasn't finished his work.
There's a possibility that the greatest ministry plans and projects might be unfolding in the next few years. Don't let nostalgia cause you to be the one who hinders that work. May we never be a roadblock for the gospel to be proclaimed in new ways to the next generation. Now, maybe you're a little convinced, but you're thinking, what steps can you take? Well, throughout history, generational unity has been a marker of a healthy church that is on mission for Christ. With that in mind, consider every coffee or lunch meeting that you've had over the past couple of months.
If you have only invited your current generation, you're missing incredible opportunities to hear what God's doing in our city. Grandparents, you don't have to be related to a young adult in order to invest time in them. One simple invitation for lunch or coffee can become an incredible blessing as you hear what God is doing in their lives. You will be amazed and refreshed to hear that Jesus is still moving powerfully. And that conversation can be a starting point for a new plan or purpose that God has prepared for you, even in your later years. Embrace it now while you still have the time. Don't let it pass.
Let's keep reading. Final verse here for today is verse five. Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you? Sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Paul's bringing up death again, but this time in relation to the choices we make in our earthly lives. Every human being is faced with temptations of sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, covetousness, and idolatry.
For teens and young adults growing up in our heavily secularized culture, these behaviors are pitched as justified and celebrated, but they're still just as destructive as they were in Paul's day. Thankfully, Jesus has given us a vision of a better life and helps us capture that heavenly, eternal perspective. The gospel reveals the pain and sorrow that the empty pursuits of the world will offer us. The gospel gives us an understanding and a desire for something more meaningful and life-giving. With that in mind, our final example is related to the legacy of children and specifically teens and young adults who can leave a legacy for their peers and siblings and eventually their own children. The gospel provides a legacy perspective for children making choices and setting priorities. The gospel provides a legacy perspective for children who are making choices and setting priorities. A crucial marker of whether or not you have truly received the gospel is whether or not you have the desire to kill earthly focused pursuits.
Teens and young adults, you are the first generation to experience a post-Christian Western society. So you face more culturally justified temptation than your parents or grandparents. That being said, you are also witnessing the devastating outcomes of embracing what the world has to offer. Maybe you're even feeling it yourself. Instead, by embracing the gospel and drawing near to Jesus, you can assess your daily choices. Are they reflective of an eternal mindset?
Look at the total sum of your daily life choices just over the past month. Was it a month of legacy building that points to self or to Christ? Open your favorite social app and scroll through your profile. What story does it tell? You might be tricking the world with popular ideals of activism and social justice. In truth, you've fallen into the trap of modern idolatry centered on earthly principles and priorities instead of eternal outcomes. How does this play out? Well, consider these two questions. First, what's more important to you? Saving souls or saving the environment?
That might sound controversial or even offensive, but from a heavenly vantage point, it's worth asking. Now, a gospel perspective definitely calls us to care for creation, but not in a higher capacity than sharing the message of Jesus to lost human souls. Here's a second question for you. Do you love Jesus more than your boyfriend or girlfriend? The answer to that question actually reveals whether or not you truly love your boyfriend or girlfriend. If Jesus truly is the best thing that ever happened to you, why would you not want to make him the center of your relationship? It doesn't make sense. Now, this might be hard to imagine, but from the window of eternity, look outside.
and see yourself on a porch swing at 85 years old. You're sitting there beside your spouse. If the gospel was your focus in your younger years, your lifelong partner is someone who loves Jesus more than you. They pray for you and pray with you without hesitation or awkwardness. They have consistently pointed you to Christ throughout the highs and lows of life, and they continue to do so even in your later years. That picture, that legacy is worth investing in now.
Finally, if you're currently single, but you have the desire to be married one day, the gospel gives you a vision of your future spouse. It calls you to pray for them as they're walking on a path with Jesus. Because at some point in the future, that trail will connect with yours. So you don't have to know them to invest in your relationship today. Pray for them, and for you, and for your future. No matter what generation you're currently in, remember where we started today. At the first part of Colossians 3, in verse 1.
Paul writes, if then you have been raised with Christ, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above. Living out the gospel in any and all circumstances begins with first embracing the gospel. If you have never made a decision to follow Jesus, if you've never made Jesus Christ the central figure of your life story, today's the day. Come out of the darkness into the light. Start living life backwards from an eternal perspective so that your life's legacy will last for many generations to come.
And for those of you who have embraced the gospel and have a relationship with Christ, let's join together and pray for revival. Let's pray for a boldness mixed with grace for all generations that we might see a massive movement of salvation where the Holy Spirit brings thousands to repentance, transforming hearts and shifting the legacy of our entire culture. Will you pray with me? Dear Father, for those who have never accepted your gospel, and never accepted the gift of love that you give us through Jesus, the redemption, the forgiveness that is theirs for the taking. Father, you see them now, and I pray that they would pray in this moment and declare their belief in you and your salvation plan, that they might put their trust in you and that you might fill them with the Holy Spirit. And Father, for those of us who have been walking with you for a while, may we take Paul's words seriously. If we claim to be in Christ, may we seek the things above, change our decisions, our choices, our priorities.
Help us be able to get a picture of what eternity will look like and look back on our life. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Thank you so much for being here today. Thank you for being a part of Mountain View Church, supporting us either through serving or through giving, through watching and listening. We really appreciate it. Next week, please come back. We're going to continue this gospel culture series. Elijah is going to have a message for us, how the gospel impacts community. And then the week after, Herber is going to have a message for us to finish the series off, how the gospel impacts eternity. You are not going to want to miss these two messages. See you then.
If you've given your life to Jesus today or would like to join, serve, or support Mountain View Church, please let us know at mountainview.church.com. That's mountainview.church.com. Have a blessed week.