WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.040 The world we live in is increasingly difficult 2 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:04.520 to raise a generation. 3 00:00:04.520 --> 00:00:06.760 There are 8 million single moms 4 00:00:06.760 --> 00:00:09.480 who are trying to raise children by themselves. 5 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.640 58% of the households in America 6 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:16.320 are needing two incomes just to survive. 7 00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:20.000 So time is restricted on the parental side, 8 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:22.340 but we also have the social concerns. 9 00:00:22.340 --> 00:00:24.260 We have the education system, 10 00:00:24.260 --> 00:00:29.240 which has visibly shifted to more of a social focus 11 00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:31.840 where they are tackling social concerns 12 00:00:31.840 --> 00:00:35.240 that should never be tackled by the state 13 00:00:35.240 --> 00:00:37.320 or by the education system. 14 00:00:37.320 --> 00:00:39.840 We also have the entertainment industry, 15 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:43.560 which is creating moral confusion and identity crisis 16 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:46.540 through their desensitizing of violence, 17 00:00:46.540 --> 00:00:50.000 through the glamorizing of harmful behaviors, 18 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:52.280 as well as promoting materialistic values, 19 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:54.720 and the list could go on and on. 20 00:00:54.720 --> 00:00:57.120 Even churches in our culture today 21 00:00:57.160 --> 00:01:01.160 are compromising their historical and biblical values 22 00:01:01.160 --> 00:01:06.160 to be more inclusive, which just leads to moral decline. 23 00:01:06.440 --> 00:01:08.400 So what is the answer? 24 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:10.480 I believe that in this generation, 25 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.360 we are called in spite of all these circumstances 26 00:01:14.360 --> 00:01:16.880 to raise an elite generation. 27 00:01:23.600 --> 00:01:25.040 My name is Matthew Rupert. 28 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.600 I'm the children's pastor here at The Road. 29 00:01:27.600 --> 00:01:29.840 I've been in children's ministry for eight years now 30 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.480 and am passionate about discipling children 31 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:33.760 and young people. 32 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:36.080 Today, I wanna tackle the concept 33 00:01:36.080 --> 00:01:38.120 of raising an elite generation, 34 00:01:38.120 --> 00:01:40.920 a concept that I believe that God has given me 35 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:44.040 to set a high standard and goal for educators, 36 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:48.680 churches, and parents alike to work their hardest 37 00:01:48.680 --> 00:01:51.080 in raising children who can stand 38 00:01:51.080 --> 00:01:54.400 and defy the cultural norms of this time. 39 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:56.800 This concept was inspired from Daniel 40 00:01:56.800 --> 00:02:00.800 when he and his three friends were exiled to Babylon. 41 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:04.520 Theologians believe that they were most likely royalty 42 00:02:04.520 --> 00:02:06.920 or at least some of the elite from Israel 43 00:02:06.920 --> 00:02:09.199 that were taken over to Babylon 44 00:02:09.199 --> 00:02:11.880 because they were intended to be educated 45 00:02:11.880 --> 00:02:15.660 and provided the indoctrination needed for them 46 00:02:15.660 --> 00:02:18.300 to actually be part of the government 47 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:20.420 in Babylon at the time. 48 00:02:20.420 --> 00:02:24.660 So these men were educated and they were well-discipled 49 00:02:24.660 --> 00:02:27.420 and we see the effects of their discipleship 50 00:02:27.420 --> 00:02:29.900 when the pressure was on. 51 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:33.180 When Daniel was praying three times a day 52 00:02:33.180 --> 00:02:37.020 and the people came against him, he stood his ground. 53 00:02:37.020 --> 00:02:39.500 When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego 54 00:02:39.500 --> 00:02:42.220 were threatened by a blazing, fiery furnace, 55 00:02:42.220 --> 00:02:46.580 they refused to bow even though everyone around them 56 00:02:46.580 --> 00:02:47.580 were bowing. 57 00:02:47.580 --> 00:02:51.260 Again, theologians think that they were probably teenagers. 58 00:02:51.260 --> 00:02:54.420 How could teenagers, especially when we think of it 59 00:02:54.420 --> 00:02:56.500 in context to the teens of today, 60 00:02:56.500 --> 00:02:59.860 how could teenagers have stood against 61 00:02:59.860 --> 00:03:04.860 the insurmountable circumstances that they were facing? 62 00:03:05.700 --> 00:03:07.660 It was because they were discipled 63 00:03:07.660 --> 00:03:10.780 and they understood the truths of God's word 64 00:03:10.780 --> 00:03:13.660 and they possessed the skills and abilities 65 00:03:13.660 --> 00:03:17.520 to stand against the opposition that they were facing. 66 00:03:18.360 --> 00:03:21.280 So what are the results of the culture that we see today? 67 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:24.880 I believe that we see many young people who are unmotivated, 68 00:03:24.880 --> 00:03:27.400 unmotivated to do anything significant 69 00:03:27.400 --> 00:03:30.680 beyond watching TV and playing their video games. 70 00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:33.880 I believe that they are receiving all these messages 71 00:03:33.880 --> 00:03:38.880 of live your truth, be yourself, do what you dream to do, 72 00:03:38.880 --> 00:03:42.460 and yet they're being left with these vague encouragements 73 00:03:42.460 --> 00:03:45.320 with no clear guidance or direction 74 00:03:45.320 --> 00:03:47.560 on how to do something purposeful. 75 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.600 Knowledge and physical resources 76 00:03:49.600 --> 00:03:51.880 are at this generation's fingertips, 77 00:03:51.880 --> 00:03:53.820 and yet there are so many young people 78 00:03:53.820 --> 00:03:57.120 who don't know what to be when they grow up. 79 00:03:57.120 --> 00:03:59.000 I see something different. 80 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.920 I see a generation like Daniel and his three friends 81 00:04:01.920 --> 00:04:04.960 who can stand up and be different. 82 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.600 Through the collaborative effort of parents, 83 00:04:07.600 --> 00:04:11.460 churches, and educators, we can raise an elite generation 84 00:04:11.460 --> 00:04:14.800 that don't cave to the throes of our culture, 85 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:19.000 who stand firmly planted in the truth of God's word 86 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.560 and possess the values and skills needed 87 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:24.740 to make a meaningful impact in this world. 88 00:04:24.740 --> 00:04:28.600 I see an elite generation as a possibility 89 00:04:28.600 --> 00:04:32.200 and something that we can aim for in this time. 90 00:04:32.200 --> 00:04:34.640 So what is an elite generation? 91 00:04:34.640 --> 00:04:36.280 Let's dive right in. 92 00:04:36.280 --> 00:04:39.240 I believe that God gave me this word elite. 93 00:04:39.240 --> 00:04:42.680 Elite as a noun in the Merriam-Webster's dictionary 94 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:44.600 is a group of persons who, 95 00:04:44.600 --> 00:04:47.600 by virtue of their position or education, 96 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.600 exercise power and influence. 97 00:04:50.600 --> 00:04:53.840 As an adjective, elite refers to persons 98 00:04:53.840 --> 00:04:58.800 with superior qualities, skills, or rank. 99 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:00.200 Many people think of elite. 100 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:07.440 categorically, elite in athletes, or elite in wealth or finance, things like this. But I think 101 00:05:07.440 --> 00:05:14.720 of elite more as a holistic sense that we can raise people who are an above average in their 102 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:21.520 heart, mind, soul, and body, the core elements of their being. This concept comes from Mark 103 00:05:21.520 --> 00:05:27.840 chapter 12 verses 30 through 31, which reads, a teacher of religious law came and asked Jesus 104 00:05:27.840 --> 00:05:33.920 of all of the commandments, which is the most important? Jesus answered, the most important 105 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:41.120 commandment is this, listen, oh Israel, the Lord our God is one and only Lord, and you must love 106 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:46.720 the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, 107 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:52.880 and with all of your strength. The second is equally important, love your neighbor as yourself, 108 00:05:52.880 --> 00:05:59.840 no other commandment is greater than these. We are made in the image of God, that means that we are 109 00:05:59.840 --> 00:06:06.320 a dynamic interweaving of both physical and non-physical elements that sets us apart from 110 00:06:06.320 --> 00:06:13.840 all other creation. We were created with the purpose of aligning all of those elements to 111 00:06:13.840 --> 00:06:21.040 and for the service of God. We were supposed to partner with God to actually carry out his will 112 00:06:21.040 --> 00:06:27.840 on the earth. This concept brings up a number of questions. What does it mean to love God with all 113 00:06:27.840 --> 00:06:33.440 of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your body? I believe that the answers to these 114 00:06:33.440 --> 00:06:40.480 questions are what drives and can drive a generation towards excellence. Now the skeptic 115 00:06:40.480 --> 00:06:46.320 might ask the question, is a person who is above average in every core element of their being 116 00:06:46.320 --> 00:06:51.600 really considered elite? I believe some would say yes and some would say no. To be honest with you, 117 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:58.080 elite is subjective in that way, but what I'm intending to do by using the word elite is 118 00:06:58.080 --> 00:07:05.680 setting a high standard. Jesus said, be perfect as I am perfect. That seems crazy because in this life 119 00:07:05.680 --> 00:07:12.720 will we ever arrive at perfection? The answer is no, but Jesus himself set that standard for us 120 00:07:12.720 --> 00:07:17.200 to give us something to aspire to, to give us something to work towards, and I believe 121 00:07:17.200 --> 00:07:23.680 that is what the word elite is being used for in context to a generation, giving parents, educators, 122 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:30.960 and churches something to aim for, something to aspire to for this generation. So what is an elite 123 00:07:30.960 --> 00:07:37.120 generation? An elite generation is a generation that possesses the exceptional qualities and 124 00:07:37.120 --> 00:07:45.120 skills within their heart, mind, soul, and body, which allows them to possess power and influence 125 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:52.240 in our world. I believe that if we set our goals high with the intent of honoring God with every 126 00:07:52.240 --> 00:07:58.320 part of who we are, then there is nothing that is impossible for the kingdom. In the next episodes, 127 00:07:58.320 --> 00:08:03.120 we are going to be diving into those four individual parts of our being, how we can 128 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:10.400 disciple them for God, as well as talking about a strategy that we can use to effectively disciple 129 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:13.120 an elite generation.