“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” -2 Timothy 2:1–2
Generations are important! They matter. If you don’t believe me, just look down at your smartphone. Each generation of mobile technology gets faster and faster. If you did not know, 4G means the 4th Generation of mobile networking.
In 1940, there was 0G. This was the day of the “mobile radio telephone.” We wouldn’t think it was too mobile today. You could even find these phones installed in briefcases.
In 1980, there was 1G. Analog radio signals were key. International roaming began in 1981.
In 1990, there was 2G. This is when short messaging service (SMS) text messaging came into play.
In 2003, there was 3G. This was the first mobile broadband capable wireless network. In other words, we started emailing one another, browsing the web, and watching online TV. Speed = 384 Kbps.
In 2009, there was 4G. 4G provided us the first true Internet broadband data transmission rates. Just look at your phone bill. 4G LTE simply meant “Long Term Evolution.” Speed = 100 Mbps
And in or by 2020, there will be 5G. This is the next generation of cell phone technology. Speed = 10Gbps.
I want to stop at 4G. No need to get to far ahead of ourselves! In 2 Timothy 2:1–2, George Robinson has pointed out in his book With that there are 4 Generations represented (in italics)!
- “what you have heard from me” (Paul=1G)
- “what you have heard from me” (Timothy=2G)
- “entrust to faithful men” (3G)
- “who will be able to teach others also” (4G)
Paul understood the value of generational investment. Paul knew the gospel would spread to our day and time through generational handoffs. I like a church sign I recently read. I liked it even more because its football season and I like watching football. The sign said, “God recovers our fumbles.” As we pass off the gospel to the next generation, we make mistakes. We are human. God knew this or would not have referenced us as sheep. Sheep are dumb. What God is concerned about is that we try our best to pass down the gospel to those who follow us. The gospel message will never change. Methods do. When your method fails, God can recover your fumble. Go back to the drawing table and try again. We are in trying times, but we can’t stop trying.
Just as the phone has evolved, so must we. Knocking on doors might not be as effective as it once was. But utilizing social media may be even more effective. Find people who are faithful, available, and teachable whether they are online or not. And then start sharing the gospel and your life. Share the gospel the way you have been made. For me, its sports talk. As I talk college football, I begin connecting with people in the real and the virtual world. Then I can begin sharing the gospel and my life. It may be a longer process, but the pain is worth the gain when you see that person come to the Lord or sitting next to you at church (when they used to not attend).
How have you been wired to share the gospel? Maybe its music, cooking, writing, playing sports. You’re an artist. Start drawing!