Our Generation 1 Discernment

SUMMARY
The Scriptures repeatedly speak of the disobedience of specific generations: the generation of the wicked at the time of the flood, the generation in the wilderness that broke covenant with God, the generation of Christ-rejecting Jews suffered judgment in the destruction of Jerusalem. Also, there those individuals that are commended for faithfulness like Abel, Enoch, Noah, Rahab, and many others who stood against the spirit of the age. Acts 13:36 speaks of how David, “after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep.” David, like Noah before him served God in his distinctive time and believed God for great things, beginning with Goliath’s head. This requires faithfulness to our Lord and seeing our place in history. We must be like sons of Issachar who “had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1Chr 12:32). We need grace to live faithfully and Spirit-powered discernment to understand our times.
 
This series of sermons will address discerning the particular problems in our day - our generation. Accordingly Reformation in our Generation involves: Worship - Why We Do it How We Do it, Leadership and the Family, Faithfulness in Raising the Next Generation, Reaching Our Generation - Why Reformed People Can’t Do Evangelism,
 
I want to establish the Biblical idea of faithfulness to our generation.
 
1.         FAITHFULNESS IN OUR GENERATION
 
Acts 13:36 "For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption;
 
Note the biblical phrase - Acts 13:36. There is a generational conception in the Scriptures which calls for the need to discern the righteous response of our generation.
 
Jeremiah 29:7 And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the LORD for it; for in its peace you will have peace.
 
Mat 23:34 "Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, 35 "that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 "Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
 
While in Babylon - it was the unique call of those people of God to pray for the peace of Babylon, to bloom in that foreign land. In Jerusalem, in the terminal generation, it was their responsibility to follow Christ and then leave Jerusalem and head to the hills of Judea when the Roman armies gathered round it. What is critical in our generation?
 
 
 
2.         FAITHFULNESS IN TELLING TIME
In 1Chr 12:32 we read of “the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do.” In context we see that their unique time called for rallying around the newly anointed King David. The Greek version of the OT uses the term, KAIROS for time. It not CHRONOS - merely measuring time, but special time - meaningful time.
 
The men of Issachar would understand what God was about to do, and would be a wonderful help in establishing the new kingdom. From the human v