Welcome to Waymaker Church! We are so excited to have you join us today! We exist to Encounter, Live for, and Advance the Kingdom of God!

This month, we are taking some time to look at our mission and core values.

So far, I have shared with you that our mission to Encounter, Live for, and advance the kingdom is rooted in the belief that God has called this house to be a kingdom-minded equipping center for all generations to grow, activate, and deploy God-given gifts for kingdom advancement.

That we are called to the place of personal encounter and intimacy with God, and the result of our pursuit should be a life of transformation marked by growing personal history with God. Intimacy - we will stop for God and stop for people.

We have looked at the core value of faith - we will invade the impossible. Faith anchors our hearts in what God has said, and it leads us into a realm where the impossible becomes possible.

Last week, I shared with you about authenticity. We are in pursuit of the genuine. We don’t want to be a people who are satisfied with learning the language of the kingdom but never enter into the lifestyle of the kingdom.

To walk in authenticity, we must position ourselves to know, understand, and align with the original. There is no authentic expression of faith apart from the word of God.

Today, we are going to look at our fourth core value which is Development- we will raise up the next generation.

Each of the core values we have discussed has great meaning to me personally, but today’s core value holds a special place in my heart. I believe that one of our highest callings as a church is to raise up and develop the next generation.

When I think next generation, it certainly has a significant focus on kids and youth, but it also includes anyone who surrenders their life to Jesus. I don’t care if you are five years old or fifty years old, when you give your life to Christ, you become a part of the generation that God is raising up.

Jesus command in Matthew 28:19–20 reveals a primary function of the New Testament Church.

Kingdom advancement is only successful when it is transferred from one generation to the next. To advance we must think of development in terms of hand offs. Illustration on Handoffs.
Illustration: Like a relay race one leg runs with the baton while eventually handing it off to the next leg.

For a successful handoff to take place, the runner receiving the baton must get up to speed in order to run in sync. When its time for the handoff communication takes place. The runner with the baton shouts stick. While the baton is extended forward to be placed in the hand of the next runner, the runner ahead puts their hand back to receive.

After a good exchange the runner who handed off slows down, and the next runs their leg of the race. Each leg is different, filled with unique challenges, but together they advance to a common goal of finishing the race.

The kingdom of God functions the same. Each generation is to run their leg of the race with excellence. Exhausting every ounce of potential they possessed. Each must carefully run in sync with the next generation to ensure a healthy handoff.

Smooth handoffs don’t just happen. They are the result of consistent development through practice. A race is not the place to practice handoffs. The race is the moment where countless practices become seamless transitions.

Transitions matter because there is a work of God in every generation. A purpose and a plan that He has for people. Each generation must answer the call and carry the baton.

Moses and Joshua. The story of the Exodus begins with God’s call on the life of Moses. I want to point out something important here, handoffs won’t happen unless someone first picks up the baton.

Moses’s life begins in tumultuous times with his life at risk of death (Ex. 1). He has the heart of a deliverer but lacks the understanding on how to deliver and makes a major mistake (Ex. 2). After years of running, he has a personal encounter with God at a burning bush that would alter the trajectory of his life. (Ex. 3)

The place of encounter was the place where Moses picked up the baton. Through the next 13 chapters of Exodus we see the development of Moses’ life and leadership.

In Ex. 17, Moses first interaction with Joshua is recorded. Israel is facing the Amalekites. Joshua is given opportunity to fight the Lord’s battle and lead. In Ex. 19 Moses led Joshua and the children of Israel at Mount Sinai to encounter with God, and again in Ex. 24.

I want to point out something important about development. Others grow when you go.

Do you see the progression? Joshua has now become the assistant to Moses. Where Moses went, Joshua went. When Moses would go to the tent of meeting, Joshua would not depart from the tabernacle.
Deuteronomy 34 records the death of Moses. Immediately after his death, it records, Deuteronomy 34:9 “Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Why did Joshua have the spirit of wisdom? He was developed by Moses, and when the time came, he received the baton.

The hand off is recorded in Joshua 1:1–5 “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”

It was now His time to run. Joshua ran his leg of the race well and handed off the baton to the elders of the tribes. Joshua 24:31 “Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”

Unfortunately, the development of the next generation ceased, and they dropped the baton.

Development doesn’t happen by accident. It requires observation, preparation, planning, investment, and work. Smooth handoffs are the result of consistency and investment over time. If we fail to develop the next generation, the kingdom will not advance.

Development of a generation begins with those carrying the baton. How they view the next generation will determine the way they interact with them. If they are viewed as a problem or nuisance, we will avoid them, but if we see them as capable and valuable, we will engage with and develop them.

My prayer today is that we would be like Moses investing our lives in those coming after us.