A Church For The Future

Have you ever inherited something precious—a story, a tradition, a piece of land, a business, or even a recipe—from a grandparent or great-grandparent?

Now imagine this:
What would it look like to build a church today that is infatuated with the future?

God’s dream is .

The next generation won’t rise on our good .

What is God’s design for our future?

and .

Covenant is about

Kingdom is about

If you only understand Covenant, you’ll enjoy God’s love but never build anything .
If you only understand the Kingdom, you’ll try to earn God’s love through your .
But when you live in both, you’ll live and boldly.

This is the framework for building a generational church:
Loved by the . Commissioned by the .

Jesus has called you and me to build for generations.

1. What are you investing in?

A Kingdom Investment – Matthew 6:19–21 (NLT)

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
— Matthew 6:19–21, NLT

2. What are you carrying?

A Cross-Carrying Life – Matthew 16:24–26 (NLT)

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’”
— Matthew 16:24–26, NLT

We don’t build a church with time, energy, and money for generations.

 

We build it by saying:
“I will lay down my and for God’s .”

3. Where are you ?

The Seed Must Die – John 12:24 (NLT)

“I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives.”
— John 12:24, NLT

If we want , something has to die.

A surrendered seed becomes a .

4.  How much will it you?

Count the Cost – Luke 14:28–33 (NLT)

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’… So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”
— Luke 14:28–30, 33 NLT

What you give now will be what the next generation will stand on!

JESUS HAS US TO BUILD FOR GENERATIONS

What does this look like?

Ephesians 4:11-16 (NLT)

11 Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. 12 Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. 13 This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Some to be…

1. Apostles or Dream

   1. Your heart is to create a thriving environment

2. Prophets or Heart

   1. Your heart is to see a liberating environment

3. Evangelists or Story

   1. Your heart is to see a welcoming environment

4. Pastors or Soul

   1. Your heart is to see a healing environment
5. Teachers or Light
   1. Your heart is to see a learning environment

For what reason? To equip God’s people to do his work and build the church.

 

4 Ideas of the Greek word for Equip:

Restore What’s Lost

Repair What’s Broken

Prepare For The Future

Train For The Fight 

Here’s how those four ideas support a long-term, generational vision for the church:

1. – Healing the Broken

2. – Structuring for Legacy

3. – Training for Calling

4.  – Growing to Maturity

Question to ask?

🕒 Time

Are you willing to spend your hours in ways that don’t just entertain you—but disciple others?

🎁 Talent

Will you use your gifts—not just to earn a living—but to build the Church?

💰 Treasure

Will you invest your finances into something that will outlast your lifetime?

 

AT THE END OF YOUR LIFE YOU WILL BE BY YOUR COMMITMENTS AND SACRIFICES.