Lesson 6: Statement
The Ark speaks to the church…STATEMENT. It challenges Christian community to think a question: What’s our mission and vision? What’s our dream in Jesus? Any clue we learn from The Ark? My direct response is: who lived in The Ark? The Bible tells us they were Noah, his wife, his sons and their wives, plus a pair of all animals and seven pairs of clean animals. This gives me a clue of God’s thought that He loves all He created. He stretched out olive branches to those who are willing to get into The Ark to be saved. Therefore, I have reason to believe that God planned His family to be multicultural of all He created, loved, and preserved. It was an expression of His family to be multigenerational that consisted of Noah and his next generations. In The Ark we can see multicultural and multigenerational. It is God’s will in His Church. Whether they are multicultural or multigenerational, it means that we need to reach people different from us. God’s dream is our dream. Obviously, there are two gaps we need to bridge or reach – multi-generations and multi-cultures. In practice, it is better to work out to consider one then to the other. In general, the current leaders [of certain ethnicity] first focus to build their future generations as leaders, develop them, trust them, empower them and work with them; and make it as a stepping-stone, that next focus is these newly emerged leaders can further develop multicultural church.
In reality, the current generation leaders can do discipleship, equip the young, prepare resources and pass the Statement of conviction in God. It is just like king David prepared all the human and material resources to facilitate his next generation king Solomon to build God’s temple. This multigenerational effort of division of labour accomplishes God’s assignment to us, for a single purpose to proclaim the name of The Lord among nations. What a beautiful picture to achieve God-given assignment between generations. I can imagine God will smile when He watches this.
Nevertheless, we confess that all of us have human weaknesses. It’s never easy to start up cooperation between generations. There is a survey studying working relationship between young and old. And the findings are quite inspirational. There is no right or wrong. The survey asked younger leaders what frustrates them about their older leaders. Honestly, some of findings hurt. But we should not ignore it, otherwise we cannot make the very first step to grow. The survey findings condensed into Five Things Young Leaders Cannot Stand about Older Leaders.
- Old leaders are not open to change;
- Old leaders are inflexible;
- Old leaders think they know everything;
- Too many rules; and
- Too slow. e.g. to adopt new technologies, to make decisions.
Indeed, it’s never easy to have thorough communication and mutual trust and acceptance. But for God’s Kingdom and the lost souls, we have to be humble like Jesus. “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2:5). Both young and old generations learn from one another.
To the young generation: learn lessons of the previous generation. Job 8:8-9 says, “Ask the former generation and find out what their ancestors learned, for we were born only yesterday and know nothing,” God encourages us to consult the former generation. We need to learn the lessons of people who came before us. Don’t be prideful pretend to know all things. Be humble, listen and learn. From the former generation, we listen their wisdom words condensed from their experience, learn lessons of their success and failure that we will not repeat their wrongs and will go smart. If we stop learning, we stop growing. If we are going to be wise, we need mentors who can teach something life experience they have learned that cannot get from the class. We need life models who has already achieved what we want to. More than skills and experience, life model can be an example for us to build our personality. Young generation, be humble, listen and learn.
To the old generation, it also needs humble as well. Don’t think that I know much more than you because I have gone through many life trials with superb experience. There is a saying that: Our pass success is a stumbling stone at present to future success. Don’t stuck in the old ways with tons of blind spots and not willing to listen or learn new things. Have a flexible heart before God. Maintain a humble attitude that honours God. The Bible says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18). Bear in mind: the Church boss is not us but Jesus Christ. From generation to generation, it’s a Gospel relay race that former generation have to pass the leadership baton to the next. Develop young leaders, trust them, empower them, bless them, and pray for them. Let go of the power, authority and decision-making rights to them.
All in all, be humble and teachable, knowing that we are not God. Let us learn from one another and humbly honour God. Fix our eyes on Jesus Christ to run the race God set for us, which is our STATEMENT.