A Future for the Church

Turn the Word of God to Isaiah 44. Isaiah 44. One of the more unusual policies of our denomination, going right back to its beginnings, was to have an open view on the subject of baptism. Usually a church will have a very narrow position on baptism in which they will, if they hold to pedo or infant baptism, they will be pushing that and those who wish to be a part of that church need to uphold such a position. On the other side, if you believe in believers baptism, that will be expressed with the same emphasis and that if you want to be part of the church, then you need to adhere to that particular policy or doctrinal belief.

And so going back to the beginning of our church in 1951, there was an effort to do away with that kind of an approach. It wasn’t the first time it had been done, and there were others who had done it, not many, but there were some who had done it beforehand, in which they would allow a conscience to be expressed, and the church would permit that open view, practicing baptism based on the individuals and their own conscience before God, not permitting certain aberrant views on baptism such as baptismal regeneration, that which is held by the Roman Catholic Church, Lutheranism, certain views then of baptism are held in other groups as well, where we believe that baptism actually regenerates the individual. That is not permitted at all, but recognizing that good men have differed on the time, the subjects, and the mode of baptism, allowing the opportunity for the individual. So it has been that way now for over 70 years.

And it seems that there are a few more who are open to that policy these days, or more discussions around that. Of course, the tendency of everyone is to defend their own position. And so sometimes people very viciously will say that this can’t be done. And of course, it’s because it’s a threat to their own narrow position. And that tends to be the way when you take a position, there’s another view, the threat of that other view, you have to oppose sometimes vigorously. And so there are many who will vigorously oppose our policy, but others see it for what it is. It’s a great blessing to unify the church.

It’s the same with regard to the Lord’s return. We don’t require a specific, narrow view on the Lord’s return that is left to the conscience of the individual. Again, accepting certain aberrant and heretical views of the Lord’s return, there is an openness with regard to what your persuasion may be, and encouraging us to get along, recognizing that there are certain things of primary importance, certain things of secondary importance, and certain things of tertiary importance. And so we endeavor to recognize where certain doctrines belong in the prioritization of truth. All truth is important, but not all bears the same weight of significance. So we need to recognize that.

So today is going to be a good day, and I am thoroughly looking forward to this evening. It will be a great joy, and I trust that the Lord will be pleased to encourage those who will be testifying. They will give a short word of testimony, and emphasis maybe on the short, do as I say, not as I do, will be the advice for those tonight. Given the number that are coming forward, we need it to be but it should be sufficient to show you what God has done in the lives of these young people.

So Isaiah, I’m going to read from chapter 43, the end of chapter 43. I was preaching this passage before, but it was encouraging me again through this week and I want to, I didn’t even look at previous sermons from the passage, but the Lord was directing me in a certain way. So we’ll deal with something of baptism tonight. I won’t have as much time this evening.

Let us hear God’s word. We’re going to read from Isaiah 43, verse 22. Isaiah 43, verse 22. Let’s hear God’s word. “Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob. Thou hast been weary of me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of Thy burnt offerings, neither hast Thou honoured me with Thy sacrifices. I have not caused Thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied Thee within sins. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast Thou filled me with the fat of Thy sacrifices. But Thou hast made me to serve with Thy sins. Thou hast wearied me with Thine iniquities. I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Put me in remembrance. Let us plead together. Declare thou that thou mayest be justified. Thy first father hath sinned. Thy teachers have transgressed against me. Therefore, I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches. Yet, now, here, O Jacob, my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen, thus saith the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee. Fear not, O Jacob, my servant, and thou, Jeshuan, whom I have chosen, for I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. One shall say, I am the Lord’s, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.” Amen, we’ll end the reading there at the fifth verse. What you have heard is the word of the eternal God, which you would receive, believe, and obey. And the people of God said, amen.

Let’s pray. Lord, we ask now that thou wilt encourage us from that which is infallible, that which is given for our profit, that which thou hast dispensed. And we believe that every word of God is pure, We believe that the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. We believe that this is God breathed. Now we ask that thou will take what is thine and use it. Use it as a sword to pierce us. Use it as a hammer to break us. Use it as a fire to burn away our chaff. We pray, do your work in extending thy kingdom this morning. Give us, Lord, a sense of the great privilege that is ours to be saved, the great joy of looking for God’s blessing upon the next generation. Be with us now and draw near by thy presence. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.

One of the things you will find in Isaiah’s prophecy is the Lord exposing the sin of His people. Go right back to the very first chapter, you’re going to see language that was very strong and direct concerning the sin of the nation. But the Lord is highlighting just how they were rebelling against Him in language that likens them to being like Sodom and Gomorrah. Oh, they had their sacrifices, they had their ceremonies, they had much religious activity, the cultic requirements of their religion were being practiced by them. And yet it was all tainted by their sin, by their unbelief. And in various ways this gets exposed.

God recognizes and sees what they are doing, but at the same time chastens them and exposes them for being false and hypocritical in all their manner of worship. You see in the previous chapter where we read, verse 22, “‘Thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob, thou hast been weary of me, O Israel.’ This is not to say that prayer was not being offered, prayer was being offered. The priests were conducting their work, and the people no doubt had forms of prayer that they gave themselves to, but the prayer was insincere, it was empty, and it was so tainted by their unbelief and sin that it was expressed in this way, that you’ve not really called upon me. And you’re weary with me, you’re not really listening, you’re not hearing what I’m saying, and you’re not responding to my truth. They were trying to worship God according to their own terms, set the terms as it were in their own minds and say that we’re doing what’s required. And the Lord then rebukes him for this and speaks in language that indicates as if their sacrifices were not being offered at all.

Then he comes with encouragement. Verse 25, “I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake and will not remember thy sins. Your hope is in me. You will never be delivered from your sins by what you do or even by what you don’t do. Your deliverance is found in me alone.” The whole purpose then of the prophet as he relays this message is to get the eye of the individual onto God and away from all the religious activity, to see that there is no significance and no salvation in the mere outward expression of religious worship, but they need it to look and to live, so to speak.

He encourages them that he will pardon them. And you see then the turn and how the chapter pivots in verse one of chapter 44. Listen, listen, don’t be weary of me. That’s what it is when people become weary of God. We’re not talking about him just tired and fed up. It’s expressed in not listening to what he’s saying. God gives His Word and you’re not listening. God speaks and you turn away from it. That’s the weariness that is addressed in verse 22. And so He comes again and says, listen, listen to Me, hear, hear, O Jacob, My servant, And the Word comes to you today with the same direct expression. Hear, hear what I am saying to you.

Astonishingly, the Lord shows mercy time and time again. Despite their sin, despite their continued rebellion against Him, He calls them to listen and be reminded of what He has done for them. “The God who made thee is speaking. The God who formed thee from the womb will help you. Fear not, because I have chosen you. You belong to me.” This is a great encouragement to us, an encouragement that we should not be unmindful of, that God lays claim to his people. He says that you belong to me. It’s a wonderful thing to say that I love the Lord, but it’s an altogether different truth to consider He loves me. That the love that you have for the Lord, you only have because He first loved you.

To think that all of your affections and desire toward the Lord is because first He set His love upon you. Well, this is what God is revealing to them. This is what He’s saying. I loved you first. Respond to my love. Respond to my love. Maybe someone here this morning and that’s exactly what you need to hear, that this morning calls you to a fresh recognition of divine love and your obligation to respond to his love for you.

And he gives them to this generation great hope. Look at the language of verse three. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” You individuals, as you express your thirst, I will satisfy it “and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon my seed.” What does every parent want? What is uppermost in their desires in this world? Blessing upon their children. They will sacrifice anything to see their greatest desire for their children come to pass. And the Lord is coming, condescending to that desire. “I know what you desire. I know fully. And if you’re thirsty, I will satisfy it. But also I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring.” You want your children to be blessed? Don’t ignore me. Don’t turn away from me. You want blessing for your children? I am the bestower of such blessing. Do not ignore this. “They shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.” And then verse 5, oh, how we want to see this. “One shall say, I am the Lord’s.” This is of the offspring. This is of the children. This is of the next generation. “One shall say, I am the Lord’s. Another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel.” This needed to be, ought to have been the desire of every single believer there.

Those who would respond to this prophetic message that God gives at this moment would be saying, that, that is what I want. I have no greater desire, or to use the language of John, we have no greater joy than to hear that our children walk in truth. So verse five then gives the glad blessing of everyone who loves the Lord that another generation there is a future to the kingdom. There is a promise concerning the visible representation of the church here on the earth.

And that’s what we’re going to see this evening. You’re going to see God keeping his word. You’re going to see how God has been merciful. In our shorter catechism, question 94 asks the question, what is baptism? It gives the following answer. Baptism is a sacrament wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost doth signify and seal our engrafting into Christ and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace and our engagement to be the Lord’s. That’s what baptism’s about. It’s three things that are significant.

We will see in the individual a declaration of the individual’s union with Christ. They’re engrafting into Christ. I don’t know what each one will say in terms of their testimony, but the visible emblem that God has given in baptism is signifying that. It has its own sermon to preach. It is signifying the sinner’s need for union with Christ, joining with Him, being joined to Him. And so all that they need has been fulfilled in Jesus Christ, and by being joined to Him, sin is put away, life is granted.

It also declares the individual’s need for cleansing. The use of water shows that important aspect of cleansing, which is the chief blessing of the covenant of grace. It’s the focus, it’s the central aspect of the covenant of grace that God is going to deal with man’s sin. That’s what even He is saying here to His people in the previous chapter, verse 25, “‘I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.’” That’s God’s covenant blessing to His people, dealing with their sin. And so when one is baptized, they’re showing they partake of the benefit of the covenant of grace, cleansing from sin.

It also then declares the individual’s commitment to live for Christ and our engagement to be the Lord’s. Sometimes in baptism this is what receives all the emphasis. It’s all about what the individual is going to do. I am here tonight or today declaring that I am going to live for Christ. That is the legitimate aspect but it’s not the whole story and it doesn’t have any meaning unless you understand what comes before it. The joining to Christ, the cleansing of sin and Then the person says, based on God’s promise to me to receive me and save me, I now say I will give myself to be engaged forever in commitment to Him.

These three things then are not just something that we consider at a baptismal service, they’re for everyone to consider all the time. And in one sense, your presence here tonight will give to you another opportunity to visibly consider how God has been faithful in your life. He took you and grafted you into His Son, and you might have been baptized 40 years ago. I’m going to say that same truth that anchors me is still true today, praise God. And you see the symbol of washing and cleansing, you’re seeing afresh. Praise God, that can be and has been daily my experience of God washing and cleansing my sin away. And you see it visibly put before you. And then you get reminded of the oath, the commitment, your engagement to be the Lord’s. And you sit there and say, Lord, Lord, Lord, I need, I need to stay there in that place of commitment.

And maybe you’re backslidden. If there’s someone here cold, tonight’s service is a service you can’t miss. You can’t afford to miss it. There’s another public declaration to everyone, and it functions as an opportunity for you to say to yourself, to improve, to use the language of the catechism, to improve on your own baptism. To be reminded of all the significance of it and say, that’s still where my commitment is. So come tonight, you will be encouraged. It’s a wonderful thing.

So as we look at this text this morning, especially focusing on verse five, we’ll pull in some other aspects too. We’ll consider a future for the church, a future for the church. There is a future for the church. And we’ll see first the commitment of a new generation. We can see that there’s a future for the church because there’s a commitment of a new generation.

“One shall say, I am the Lord’s, and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob, and another shall subscribe his hand unto the Lord and surname himself by the name of Israel.” Baptism is a very visible thing, very visible and public, and it shows then the individual must have a personal living union with Christ. Each individual is to be baptized. Each individual is to receive this sign. And in so doing, they’re recognizing that the faith is an individual faith, and they’re publicly then saying that not just I’m part of a Christian church, but I am a Christian myself.

Sometimes there are individuals who wish to take communion without being baptized, and I caused a little bit of confusion back six years ago, I had been here just a matter of months, and I was announcing the fact that there was a baptismal service, or pardon me, the Lord’s Table was coming up next week. And I happened to say something like, the Lord’s Table is for baptized believers who are walking with the Lord and not under discipline, or something to that effect. And some went to the elders and say, is this a new policy? Is this, you know, that you need to be baptized? And there’s some asking questions about that. And I thought, okay, I’ll be careful with my language. I’ll just be a little more careful.

But the reality is, the reality is, that nowhere in the Christian church, and I don’t care what title goes over the building or the group of people, nowhere in the Christian church in its history has there ever been a setting before individuals. The Lord’s table without first, baptism. The Lord’s table is a table for citizens of the kingdom. And the sign that you’re a citizen is the mark that you receive in baptism. And so you get the mark, you identify with that body. You’re part of the visible church and that identifying mark along with a legitimate profession of faith, those two things, it’s not just the mark itself. But being baptized and having a legitimate profession of faith in Jesus Christ then is what gives you the right to sit at a table that is for citizens of the King.

Those who are coming to be baptized later today are doing so in part because they believe they belong at the table. They believe they have a right to sit at the Lord’s table because they’re in fellowship with God through Christ. And so it’s a significant moment in their life. Next Lord’s Day, they will have the right to sit at the table, to enjoy, because they make public profession a faith and they have received that mark that identifies those who are part of the visible body of Christ.

And so, again, you see the individual emphasis of the language of verse five. “One shall say, I am the Lord.” It’s not just we here. Often God talks to his people in terms of the collective. But in this text you see the individual aspect of it where there’s a new generation, individuals who will say, “I am the Lord’s.” And another shall call himself by the name of Jacob and so on and so forth.

So as we think of the commitment of a new generation, each generation must be personally committed to God. That’s the first thing. Each generation must be personally committed to God. The language of verse 5 is so clear that each individual in their heart and in sincerity must say, “I am the Lord’s.” Even to say to the candidates this morning, you have no business coming to be baptized unless you can express that kind of language and say, “I am the Lord’s,” or call yourself by the name of Jacob, or subscribe with your hand unto the Lord, and surname yourself by the name of Israel.” There are different aspects of multiplying of terms here. The heart says, “I am the Lord’s.” You give expression to where you belong. And then the life then speaks on calling yourself by the name of Jacob. I am the Lord, that’s what you say. Another then gives call or expression to being of the name of Jacob. Another then subscribes, it’s a sense of an oath or a public vow or allegiance to, I’m subscribing.

There’s the public commitment. And then that commitment isn’t for a moment, it’s to continue on. You surname yourself. It’s one of those words I struggled, took me a long time to get out of the way of saying surname. You know, having to say last name. In the UK we talk about our surnames, you know, Tomassian’s my surname. And so you would be on a phone call or something and say something about surname and people would look at you, what? No idea, last name. But it’s the idea of taking an identity that is permanent, that is fixed. Surname himself, by the name of Israel.

So again, your heart says, “I am the Lord’s.” You publicly say that you are of the name of Jacob, and then you subscribe. You make some public declaration, some evident testimony that you belong to him, and then forever you have the name etched. You belong. You’re of the Lord, and each generation must do this, and each individual in each generation must do this. You must. Children here this morning, this is what you must do. It must be yours. It’s not just saying what your parents’ faith is, but what your faith is. Not just what the faith of your friends is, but what your faith is. It is personal. You must yourself come to this commitment and express this allegiance.

Baptism solomonizes this reality. It gives public expression to it. It outwardly marks that one has renounced the world, the flesh, and the devil, and has sworn their allegiance to Jesus Christ. Like you said, He is my King, He is my Lord. And so it does signify and seal our engrafting into Christ, partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.

If you’re a baptized individual this morning, this verse 5 is something that is to be, again, continually the expression of your faith. Your faith is not to be hidden. It’s not to be secret. It’s not to be kept away when no one knows it. There are different ways we give expression to our faith, and different gifting and so on with regard to that, but we should never be ashamed of it. You’re heading out to go to church and a new neighbor comes in and says, I see you head out there on a Sunday morning. Do you go to church? You shouldn’t be ashamed to say, yes, I do. Yes, I do. I’m saved. God has saved me. I’m a believer. Jesus Christ died on the cross for my sins and rose again from the dead for my justification. You’re not ashamed of it.

So each generation must be personally committed to God. Each generation must walk worthy of the name. In the language of verse 5, it’s a sense of taking a name, taking an identity, isn’t it? And surname himself by the name of Israel. You’re taking an identity that will stick with you forever. There was a time whenever families would think about this more, especially when there was more distinction between more class experience in parts of the world. And there’s still parts of the world where this is significant. The name, the name identifies or signifies something. And people can be quite protective, and this is why marriage sometimes can be controlled in some ways, because someone might believe that such and such an individual’s not worthy of the name.

Well, the standard by which some families might make such decisions and assessments is not the same as the Lord. The Lord takes the worst. He takes the vilest. He takes the most unclean. He takes the most filthy, the most despised, the worst, the nothings and the no ones. And he takes them and puts his arms around them and gives them a name of royalty. He says, you’re mine. And forever you wear that name. You wear it with pride, not a sinful pride, but that boasting that Paul said, God forbid that I should boast, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is my identity. This is my name.

I may come from a family with an unpleasant past. I may have a history that’s nothing to be proud of whatsoever, but today I have a name. I have a name. I have a name, I belong to him, he possesses me and I have committed myself to him entirely. And each generation then must walk worthy of the name, right? You don’t get to take the name and then live the way you were. You’re coming forward, young people, everyone here, you come forward to be baptized, to say I am the Lord’s. You say that you belong to Him and you’re going to surname yourself by the name of Israel, that’s going to identify, be your mark for the rest of your life. Heaven will see it.

You know, one of the most sobering aspects of a baptismal service is the same kind of sobering aspect of a marriage union. And of course it’s very hard on such a joyful occasion to bring the solemnity, right? When you’re in a marriage ceremony, everyone just wants to feel real happy. And of course they have a right to be happy, it’s a joyful occasion. Both families are rejoicing and entering into it, then it’s a very happy affair. But there’s a solemn aspect to it. The vows are being made in the presence of God and witnesses. It’s something, probably the most legal, significant thing you’re going to do in your life. You’re doing right there. And sometimes this air of joy and happiness and so on can remove the weight. There’s a weight.

And so it is with baptism. Baptism is a joyful occasion. It’s a happy, happy, happy time to see an individual take that step, to see someone publicly identify in that visible way as God has prescribed. But there’s a weight to it. And if you ever depart, if you ever turn, take the name of Jesus Christ and then on the back end turn away from Him, the judgment will be so much more severe.

Romans 6 tells us that the believer who is joined to Jesus Christ is to walk in newness of life. It’s part of the expression, the outward aspect of the engrafting into Christ. Since you’re engrafted into Christ and you’re abiding in the vine, John 15 argues the case that if you’re really abiding in the vine, then you will keep his commandments. You will live out his word. And so there’s that aspect to it. You’re walking in newness of life. You’re saying, I don’t want to live for myself anymore. I’m going to wear the name of Christ and then alter my conduct in accordance with what is consistent with Christian testimony.

So if you’re wearing the name, walk worthy of it. There ought to be no traitors in the camp. Your speech, your spirit, your whole being should declare that you bear this name, this lofty, honored name.

But also, each generation must devote themselves early. Not only that they must be personally committed to God, and walk worthy of the name, but they must devote themselves early. The anticipation of God’s blessing here, where he says to that generation hearing him, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, my blessing upon thine offspring, and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses. One shall say, I am the Lord,” and so on. There’s a sense of this will happen early. We can expect it early. We’re looking for our children to respond early to the hope of the gospel.

And so the imagery of the tender youthfulness of verse 4, “springing up, as among the grass, as willows by the water, courses,” is an imagery of just early blessings and that youthful response. That sense of prosperity where waters is there upon them, the blessings that God has bestowed upon this generation are being received by them and bringing life. And this is what we look for. That our young people would respond early to the gospel. God delights to claim them early.

Our Lord Jesus would not turn away the children, would he? “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.” This is exactly where they need to be, near to Jesus. This is what we do in the Word. This is what we do as parents. When we bring them the Word, we bring Jesus close to them. When we bring them to the house of God, we bring Jesus close to them. And constantly do so in the hope that the life that He gives, that only He can grant, will be taken up by them and produce fruit in them to the point that it reaches then this public testimony. That’s the goal, isn’t it? That the life is soaked up, it’s taken in, the truth is taken in, and by the working of the Spirit, they come then to this point in their experience where they say, I also, as it were, am the Lord’s.

Young hearts are the best soil for the seeds of God’s truth, aren’t they? Take advantage of it. Parents, take advantage of it. Don’t squander the time. Don’t squander the opportunity.

So, you see the commitment of a new generation. Secondly, the continuity of a visible testimony. The continuity of a visible testimony. God is warning this generation, warning them of judgment for their rebellion and expressing to them their hope as they will turn on to Him. And of course the desire is for something to continue, for the testimony, the visible testimony to continue.

These people whom the Lord has chosen, “yet now here, O Jacob, my servant and Israel whom I have chosen,” for them to see another generation rise up and occupy the place where a previous generation once stood. And so there’s a sense of this visible testimony continuing. And this is always the desire of the people of God. We want it to carry on.

When Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, he’s encouraging them that this promise is to you and to your children. Because you can’t speak to a parent without the children being upon the heart. And the children don’t get this, right? The children don’t quite get this yet. They don’t get living a life that constantly thinks about another life. But that’s what parenting is, isn’t it? Where so much of your energy and your time and your thought processes are just pivoting around, constantly focused upon, considering the children.

And it doesn’t go away as they mature. It just changes. Influence changes. We move into a different stage in our influence in our children’s lives. But the thought, the energy in the mind does not dissipate. It doesn’t go away. Empty nesters don’t forget about their children. They think about them. And I’ve heard parents, and I’m not at that stage, but I’ve heard parents say to me, I pray with more concern now than ever. They’re more burdened. Their prayers are going up with more fervency now that the children are gone. They don’t see them physically every day.

Of course, the desire is that they would continue this great testimony, visible testimony of God’s work. So just note a couple of things. This continuity is God’s work, right? You see that from verse 1 and 2. “Yet now hear, O Jacob, my servant Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus saith the Lord that made thee, the Lord that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee.” The emphasis is on the Lord. He is the one who has made them. The continuity then is God’s work. That which was begun by God must be sustained by God. If God turns us back, there’s no hope. If God turns away, there’s no future. So the continuity is God’s work. He will maintain his covenant faithfulness. He will. He is faithful.

This continuity is God’s work. This continuity is a new covenant blessing. You read verse three, “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground. I will pour my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring.” You can’t help but think about Pentecost. The pouring of the spirit. And God is saying to his people he will pour out that which satisfies them.

Now think about what the individual is to long for more than anything else. What is the expression of the psalmist? He’s longing to be satisfied with God. His hungering, he pants after God as the heart panteth after the water brooks. When you dig into Scripture, when you really start scraping away and trying to think about what is the primary thirst of the genuine believer, the primary thirst is for God Himself. He is thirsting for God. He wants more of God.

Now note that. Don’t let that wash over you and miss the point. The real check, the litmus test, assessing your heart and mind is our thirst for God. There’s no higher test than that, our thirst for God. Now, there are other aspects, obedience and practical ways and so on ought to be aligned, but you can outwardly do a lot of good things and if there’s no thirst for God, you’re missing.

So when the promises to pour water upon him that’s thirsty, when they’re thirsting for the right thing, they’re thirsting for God. And then the outpouring that they’re looking for is for what? More stuff? They want more of God. They’re longing for more of God. What was Pentecost? Pentecost was God coming. More of God in the life of the church. The Holy Spirit filled them. They had more of God. They were thirsting for the promise of the Father. It was more of God.

So each generation is to have this longing. It is a new covenant blessing. It is something that can be experienced more now today than ever before. All the Old Testament saints knew the Holy Spirit, but it’s about degree. The degree post the cross and the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the sending of the Holy Spirit is in greater degree and measure than what was experienced before. So we are to look for this experience.

The continuity is a new covenant blessing. The Holy Spirit coming and that outflowing into the next generation with its consequences. This continuity then is to be evident in future generations because it’s to flow out, it’s to have an impact. It pours Spirit upon your seed and His blessing upon your offspring, Himself. Life imparted. And then you see life displayed, verse four, that’s the display of life, “they shall spring up as among the grass.” This is a display of life. God imparts life and there’s a display of that same life. So this is what we’re to look for, continuity. Continuity of a visible testimony.

This brings us thirdly then to see the consequence of a praying community. The consequence of a praying community. There’s a future for the church because this all comes in response to a community in prayer. And many churches are filled with teenagers who are up to the same unholy behavior as teenagers in the world. And I’m not naive to think that our young people could be up to things that are inappropriate and wrong, and completely hypocritical to what they know to be true and right. But think about what our hope is, that our teens and young people would live holy.

How on earth, how on earth are our young men and young women to come to a point where not only will they resolve to be pure, but they will have the strength to be pure? How is it that they’re going to be preserved with all the tantalizing things offered to them in this world? How? The only hope is in the prayer of the community around them.

“I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” I take from that that prayer must arise from the older generation. Prayer must arise from the older generation. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” It precedes the pouring upon the next generation. The future of the church hinges upon what the present generation does. There’s a sense of order here. Thirst precedes the outpouring of blessing. You want to know where God will bless, see where that blessing is being requested. Where does the water fall? Upon the place where it has been requested. “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty.” I will come in response to the thirsty.

I am very encouraged. This congregation has a history, a legacy of emphasis upon praying for our children. It should be the case for every church. I imagine it’s there in some degree in every single decent church. But there can be no overemphasizing of this. We can’t get to a point where we pray too much for the next generation. They’re not going to do it. They’re facing a force that is impossible for them to face, and the veterans of the church are meant to understand this. The veterans know the warfare, the impossibility of victory, the challenges that await. You’re not to live through your life empty and not taking note of just how hard it is to be consistent in the Christian life and to succeed at being a consistent Christian in this world. You’re not to ignore that. You know it. You’re to be taking notes and recognizing this is hard. And then with that, you take that knowledge and intercede with your veteran perspective, praying for the next generation. Dear God, give them strength.

Prayer must arise from the older generation. Prayer is what brings the Spirit’s work. Prayer is what brings the Spirit’s work. “I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine offspring.” Why? When you thirst for it, then they will spring up. Then life will be seen in them. Then they will say, “I am the Lord’s,” and so on and so forth. Only God can do this. So let’s be praying. Let’s constantly keep this at the forefront of our prayer meetings, praying for our children. I know I’m preaching to the choir. I get it. But let us not let anything slip and take nothing for granted. This text is laying it before you.

It could not be more emphatic. You want your children to be blessed. You want the favor of God upon your children, upon the next generation, upon your grandchildren, upon your nieces and nephews. You want that? Be thirsty. Maturity is not a time to dry up. It’s not a time to say, I’ve already lived my life for God, now it’s up to them. No, no, it’s a time for you to be more thirsty for God, more intercessory in your praying, more fervent in your focus. And we cannot take our foot off the pedal. There is no, no point in which we can set aside this focus.

If we want to see baptismal services as we will witness tonight, where children who’ve been born to Christian families and been raised in the truth and are coming then to say, “I am the Lord’s,” if that is to be the consistent testimony of this community, it will flow out of the generation who intercede for that very result, who ask God for that very thing. The Spirit does not come just anywhere. Generally speaking, He comes in response to prayer. And it’s a mysterious work, yes, how He works in our children.

I was reading Spurgeon. And Spurgeon once said in one of his sermons, he said, “in a great many cases, conversion may be said to be a slow work. I do not think that it really is so, but it appears to be so. There is the early training. There is the awakening of conscience. There is the seeking to find Christ, the struggling, the little light, the dim hope, the faith, like a grain of mustard seed. By and by, a little confidence. Afterwards, faith more clear. And then after a long time comes the public avowal of the joy and peace received through believing,” end quote. That’s what’s happening here tonight.

Whenever young people have gone through the struggle, they’ve taken the early training, they know the gospel. There’s been a little awakening of conscience here and there. They’re seeking to find Christ, struggling through it, and so on and so forth, which brings them to the public avowal. I am the Lord’s. And it’s a glorious thing. I am the Lord’s.

Let me ask, are you the Lord’s? Are you the Lord’s? Do you know His grace that has saved? Do you know the power of the gospel in your own life? Do you know the confidence that comes recognizing that Jesus Christ not only died, but He died for me? And could you step forward and publicly avow your allegiance to the Son of God? If not, let today be a day for you to remember personally, not just because others would come forward to be baptized, but you first, by faith, found in union with Christ, resting in his promise to forgive you, and become the first day of the new life that Christ bestows.

May the Lord bless His word. Let’s bow together in prayer.

Are you saved? Are you walking with the Lord? Are you living a life consistent with Christian testimony? Is it your life’s goal to live for Christ and die for Christ? Today may be the very day in which you begin and set out on a new path where for the first time you say, I am the Lord’s. If you need any help and if you have any questions, I’ll be happy to receive those from you and open God’s word and pray with you.

Lord bless. Bless this congregation. I’m thankful for the praying saints. I thank thee for the sincerity and the consistency of the prayers of God’s people in this congregation. I’m thankful for every mother for whom it can be said, not a day goes by, but they do not pray for their children. For every father who’s faithful to live and show the gospel and love to their wife, to instruct the children to live consistently according to God’s word. I’m thankful for every sacrifice made for the benefit of the next generation. And the consistency, though it may have its ebbs and its flows, the grace that thou has given so that the children, though they know we be not perfect, can say that my parents, I know they know the Lord. I can see it in them.

God, I pray that you’d be pleased then to bless and hear our prayers. We ask that your favor would be upon this congregation. Oh, how we pray that you would pour out your spirit upon our seed and your blessing upon our offspring. They will come, each one in due course, to say, I am the Lord’s. Make it so. And we ask that as we look to tonight, you will help the young people, give them grace to testify with a sense of confidence in what you have done for them. Let this be the beginning of a life that they will live to the glory and praise of Jesus Christ. Hear us then, receive our thanks. And may the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God our Father and the fellowship of the Spirit be the portion of every child of God now and evermore. Amen.