Serving Your Generation in Your Time

“… After David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died….” Acts 13:36 (NLT)

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My life verse is Acts 13:36, where we’re told David is purpose driven: “… After David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died….” (NLT)

Imagine having that statement inscribed on your tombstone: “He served God’s purpose in his own generation!” “She served God’s purpose in her own generation!” In my opinion, you could receive no greater honor than that.

So how do you do that?

He served God’s purpose …
God’s purpose for the church is also his purpose for every Christian. As individual followers of Christ we’re to use our lives in worship, ministry, evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship. The church allows us to do it together. We are not alone in serving him.

That’s why I love the church with all of my heart. It’s the most brilliant concept every created. It has outlasted cultures, governments, skeptics, enemies from within and without, and it will continue to do so until Jesus returns.

We must love the church as Christ does and we must teach others to love the church also. “… Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.… After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body” (Ephesians 5:25, 29-30 NIV).

In his own generation …
The truth is you can’t serve God in any other generation except your own!You may want to but it’s only wishful thinking. We cannot bring back the past. Ministry must always be done in the context of the current generation and culture. Whether we like it or not, we must minister to people in the culture as it really is, not in some past form that we may have idolized in our minds.

We don’t know what the final chapters of your story will hold, but we can be confident of this: “… that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6 NIV)

God finishes whatever he starts. He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. There are many factors that influence your life, things you have no control over: your background, nationality, age, giftedness. These were determined by the sovereignty of God.

But there is one important factor that you do have control over: how much you choose to believe God! You, my friend, can believe God as you serve your generation according to the will of God. .... Rick Warren