SERMON SUMMARY
Sunday, July 8,
2007
The Year of the Invitation : Empowering Those Who Follow
Sermon given by Senior Pastor, Dan Tabolt
Before I left on
vacation I shared a word called, “The Eyes of the Fathers Grow Dim.” I had
someone ask me if that was my resignation speech. I want to make clear
that it was not. It was not my resignation or was it the resignation of my
generation. It was a call for my generation to step up and impart all that
we have learned and gained to the next generation with an abounding
deliberate passion. It was a call to the next generation to step up with a
deep sense of the high calling of God and to begin to engage in the battle
for their generation. That both my generation and the generation coming up
would be always, and all, be abounding in the work of the Lord together,
knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord.
The Bridge
Builder
[This poem speaks of each generation's responsibilities to its
successors.] An old man, going a lone highway, came, at the evening, cold
and gray, to a chasm, vast, and deep, and wide, through which was flowing
a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim; the sullen stream
had no fears for him; but he turned, when safe on the other side, and
built a bridge to span the tide. "Old man," said a fellow pilgrim, near,
"You are wasting strength with building here; Your journey will end with
the ending day; You never again must pass this way; You have crossed the
chasm, deep and wide, Why build you the bridge at the eventide?" The
builder lifted his old gray head: "Good friend, in the path I have come,"
he said, "There followeth after me today a youth, whose feet must pass
this way. This chasm that has been naught to me, to that fair-haired youth
may a pitfall be. He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I
am building the bridge for him."
- Will Allen Dromgoole
I. Legacy
Thinking Has Power
Psalms 112 The Blessed State of the Righteous
Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who delights
greatly in His commandments. 2 His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches will be
in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. NKJV
There are promises all through the Bible of the on-going, ever increasing
blessings that will comes to our descendants as we walk in the fear of the
Lord. That they will be mighty on the earth.
What are you building?
Achievement = when we are able to do great things for himself.
Success = comes when you empower others to do great things with you.
Significance = comes when you develop leaders to do great things for you.
Legacy = comes when a person puts his organization [church] in position to
do great things without him or them.
II. Bless, and Curse Not
Our daughter, MaeLeah, asked JoAnn and I as we were driving to Va. for
vacation, “What do you guys feel your greatest accomplishment in life has
been?” We both, without hesitation, said, “You guys”, meaning our
children.
Once you begin to understand the promise of blessing both on your life and
your descendants it can become a great source of hope and excitement in
your walk with God.
1. Jacob’s Last Words to His Sons. Gen 49:1-2
And Jacob called his sons and said, "Gather together, that I may tell you
what shall befall you in the last days:
2 "Gather together and hear, you sons of Jacob, And listen to Israel your
father. NKJV Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad,
Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Bebjamin.
2. Fathers and Mothers in the House of the Lord.
What is your word toward our children? What would we say to the next
generation? Now we may all have children that are not what we have wanted
them to be, but have you given up on them? Have you given up on this next
generation? Do you believe there is a blessing there and are you willing
to seek it out?
3. The Spiritual War
Remember that we are part of a generation who murder their unborn
children. A generation that ships them off to public schools and empowers
the schools to teach them morality. Who have asked Hollywood to baby sit
them and entertain them. We must rise up and repose our discordance and
raise our children.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for
pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against
the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the
obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is
fulfilled. NKJV
Some thoughts that must be brought into captivity!
I am too old to teach or watch children anymore.
I can’t miss the sermon.
I have done my time. Let the young one teach now.
I don’t really get along with kids.
I don’t want to miss praise and worship.
This generation is just too hard.
It is not my responsibility anymore.
III. Passing the Blessing On
Josh 15:16 And Caleb said, "He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to
him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife." 17 So Othniel the son of
Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter
as wife. 18 Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to
ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb
said to her, "What do you wish?" 19 She answered, "Give me a blessing;
since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water."
So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs. NKJV
Caleb understood that he had gain ground and that he we to give it to the
next generation.
1. He must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:25 Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and
the Jews about purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him,
"Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified
— behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"
27 John answered and said,"A man can receive nothing unless it has been
given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I
said,'I am not the Christ,' but,'I have been sent before Him.' 29 He who
has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who
stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must
decrease. NKJV
Tiger Wood and his giving back to all those that had helped him get to
where he was.
2. If we will take this city, our children will take nations.
A 37 year old swim.
A tape recording
of today’s message is available from the church. To get your cassette tape
recording of this message, just send $5 (to cover costs of tape and
postage) to:
Attn.: Tape
Ministry
Abundant Life Fellowship
P.O. Box 22
Boonville, NY 13309-0022
Please note that all
sermons are property of Abundant Life Fellowship and should not be
reproduced for the purpose of profit or to be edited. Please understand
that these are here for the purpose of you bettering your own personal
understanding of what scriptures may mean, and we encourage you to read
the Bible for yourself as well and to pray for the Holy Spirit to give you
discernment of their meaning. All of the above sermons are available on
audio cassette and VHS video tapes by request. Call (315) 942-3093.
