The Time Is Now: "Why Now?"

September 20th, 2026/Seventh Day Adventist

Big Idea: Every generation has two responsibilities: remember what God has done and make sure the next generation knows about it.

Intro:

Today is Next Gen Takeover Sunday, and I love Sundays like this because everywhere you look, you see the next generation. These kids are not just the future of the church one day, they are the church with us right now. And I’m so proud of how they are leaning in to their faith, building their OWN foundation, and also getting excited to use their gifts to serve God and others.

As I watched the kids serving today, I’ve had one ongoing thought, “We are going to hand them something.” Now I know this is not a profound thought, but if we’re not careful, we can easily think in the here and now, the service and the restaurant after, the quick chat and the “that’s interesting” as the preacher is sharing the Word. But let’s lift our perspective for one moment.

Every generation inherits something from the generation before it. The question isn't whether we're going to hand something to the next generation of Pinewood. The question is, what are we going to hand them?

Today we're beginning a five-week journey together called The Time Is Now. And over the next few weeks, we're going to talk about where we believe God is leading Pinewood. We're going to talk more in depth about the building opportunity. We're going to talk about generosity, hearing God's voice, and we're going to have an opportunity to respond together.

But before we talk about where we're going, I think Scripture would tell us to do something else first. We need to remember where we've been. Psalm 78 gives us a beautiful picture of this.

Passage: Psalm 78:1-7

Psalm 78:1–4 says, “My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth. I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past, things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us. We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.”

Psalm 78 was written by Asaph, and it's one of the longest psalms in the Bible. What's interesting is that most of the rest of the psalm is Asaph simply remembering.

He remembers what God did in Egypt. He remembers the Red Sea. He remembers God leading His people with a cloud during the day and fire at night. He remembers water coming from the rock. He remembers God's provision in the wilderness. He remembers Israel's rebellion. He remembers God's discipline. And over and over again, he remembers God's faithfulness. Why?

Israel had a problem. They were prone to forget. And if one generation forgets what God has done, eventually the next generation never hears about it. That's why I think every generation has two responsibilities: Remember what God has done, and make sure the next generation knows about it.

And if we're being fair to Israel, forgetting isn't exactly an ancient problem. I don't know if this is happening to anybody else, but I'm 41 now, and apparently my brain has decided there are certain pieces of information it just doesn't need anymore.

I'll walk into a room and have absolutely no idea why I'm there. And then you just stand there for a second hoping the room will remind you. Have you ever done that? Please tell me I’m not the only one.

You walk into the kitchen and you're just standing there like, “The Lord has led me here... I'm just not sure why.” And eventually you walk back to where you came from, and suddenly it hits you: “THAT'S WHAT I NEEDED!” So you go back into the kitchen... and forget again. At this point, I don't need a memory. I need breadcrumbs.

And apparently I'm not alone, because we have entire industries built around the fact that human beings can't remember anything anymore.

Your phone reminds you where you're supposed to be. Your watch reminds you to stand up. Amazon reminds you what you were looking at three weeks ago. Facebook reminds you of something embarrassing you posted fourteen years ago that you were perfectly happy forgetting.

We are forgetful people. And the problem is, spiritually, we aren't much different. That's exactly what keeps happening in Psalm 78. Israel watches God do something incredible, and then somehow, a few verses later, they've forgotten what He did.

And that's why the first responsibility of every generation is this:

1. REMEMBER WHAT GOD HAS DONE

Look again at verse 3: “Things we have heard and known and that our ancestors have passed down to us.”

They were telling stories they didn't start. They were recipients of somebody else's faithfulness. And so are we.

None of us invented the church. None of us discovered Jesus by ourselves. Somebody told us. Somebody opened a Bible. Somebody invited us to church. Somebody gave financially to create the ministry that eventually reached us. Every person in this room who follows Jesus is living in the fruit of somebody else's faithfulness.

The Gospel came to us because somebody refused to let it stop with them.

And before we spend the next five weeks talking about where Pinewood is going, I think we need to stop for a moment and remember where we've been. Think about what God has done here. Think about the prayers that were prayed before there was anything to see. Think about the people who gave when there was only a calling. Think about the people who served when there wasn't momentum. Think about the Sundays when we didn't know exactly what God was doing, but we kept showing up anyway.

We can get so focused on what we're asking God to do next that we forget to celebrate what He has already done. And Pinewood, we cannot properly step into what's next until we remember Who got us here. Psalm 78 is essentially one generation saying, “We're going to remember.” But they don't stop there.

2. TELL THE NEXT GENERATION

Verse 4 says, “We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.”

I love that language. “We will not hide them.”

There's intentionality in that statement because faith doesn't automatically transfer from one generation to another. Your children don't follow Jesus simply because you follow Jesus. Being raised around church is not the same thing as knowing God.

Every generation eventually has to decide for themselves whether they will put their faith in Jesus. But Scripture repeatedly says that the generation that knows God has a responsibility to tell the generation that doesn't yet know Him.

Deuteronomy 6 says, “Repeat them to your children.”

Deuteronomy 4 says, “Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”

Joshua 4 says that when your children see the stones and ask, “What do these stones mean?” tell them what God did.

Joel says, “Tell your children about it, and let your children tell their children, and their children the next generation.”

There is a biblical pattern here. God does something. His people remember it. His people tell it. And another generation believes.

And Psalm 78 keeps going. Verse 5 says God “commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children.” Then verse 6 says something that I don't want us to move past too quickly: “So that a future generation, children yet to be born, might know.” Children yet to be born. Think about that.

We're not just responsible for the kids we can see in this room today. Scripture gives us a vision that reaches beyond our lifetime.

There are children who haven't been born yet who could one day hear about Jesus because of what God does through this church.

There are families who don't even know Pinewood exists yet. There are people living in Boulder right now who have no idea that one day they may walk through our doors at the lowest moment of their lives and encounter Jesus.

There may be future pastors standing in Pinewood Kids today. Future missionaries. Future worship leaders. Future business leaders who will fund Kingdom work. Future moms and dads who will raise another generation to love Jesus.

And look at the reason Psalm 78 gives us for all of this. Verse 7 says, “So that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God's works.” That's the win. Not that we own a building. Not that we have a bigger auditorium. Not even that Pinewood exists fifty years from now. The win is that another generation puts their confidence in God. That's why this matters.

3. MAKE ROOM FOR THE STORY TO CONTINUE

And this is where I want to show you another passage. In Deuteronomy 31, Moses is preparing Israel for what comes next. His leadership is ending. Another generation is going to carry the story forward. And listen to what he tells them to do.

Deuteronomy 31:12–13 says, “Gather the people—men, women, dependents, and the resident aliens within your city gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and be careful to follow all the words of this law. Then their children, who do not know the law, will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God.”

Gather them. Men. Women. Children. Bring everybody together so they can hear the Word of God. Now, this passage isn't telling Pinewood Church to buy a building. That's not what Moses is talking about. But it does reveal something about the heart of God that runs throughout Scripture.

God cares deeply that His people intentionally create opportunities for one generation to encounter Him and learn about Him from another.

Psalm 78 says: Tell them.

Deuteronomy 31 says: Gather them.

And I believe part of what God is asking Pinewood to do in this next season is: Make room for them.

That's why a building matters. A building isn't the mission. Jesus didn't die for real estate. The Kingdom of God isn't made out of concrete, drywall, steel, and carpet. But what happens inside a building, that’s what changes lives. That’s what creates Kingdom vision for generations.

A building is just a building until somebody meets Jesus there.

It's just a room until a child hears the Gospel there.

It's just a stage until somebody discovers their calling there.

It's just a baptismal until somebody goes underneath that water and comes back up declaring, “Jesus changed my life.”

It's just a classroom until a ten-year-old asks a leader, “How do I know God is real?”

It's just an auditorium until a marriage that's hanging by a thread sits in the back row and discovers hope.

It's just a lobby until somebody who walked through the doors feeling completely alone finds community.

It's just a youth room until a teenager encounters the presence of God and realizes their life has a purpose.

It's just square footage until God starts writing stories in it.

And that's what we're believing for. We're trying to make room for more stories. More salvation stories. More baptism stories. More marriage stories. More calling stories. More healing stories. More kids who grow up knowing the Word of God. More students who encounter Jesus. More people who walk through the doors far from God and eventually walk back out knowing Him. That's the higher vision.

WHY NOW?

And that brings us to the question behind this entire campaign. Why now?

Why do this now? Why take this step now? Why not wait another five years until we're bigger, wealthier, more established, and this whole thing is easier? Because five years from now, these kids will be five years older. There are things you can postpone without consequence. Discipling a generation isn't one of them.

Children don't stop growing while the Church gets ready.

Students don't stop facing pressure while we're waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Families don't stop needing Jesus while we wait until it's convenient.

People in Boulder aren't going to stop needing hope while we figure everything out.

Generations don't wait. That's why we're calling this campaign The Time Is Now. Not because we're trying to create artificial urgency. But because we believe God has placed an opportunity in front of us, in this moment, to establish something that could outlive all of us.

And I want you to hear this clearly: The Time Is Now isn't ultimately about a building. It's about a generation.

SAFE NUMBER AND SACRIFICE NUMBER

Over these next five weeks, we're going to take this journey slowly and prayerfully. We're going to show you the project. We're going to talk honestly about biblical generosity and sacrifice. We're going to spend an entire Sunday talking about hearing God's voice. And then, on Commitment Sunday, we're simply going to respond to whatever God has asked us to do.

Throughout this journey, we're going to ask every person and every family at Pinewood to begin praying about two numbers. The first is your Safe Number. That's the number you can look at right now and say, “We could do that.” It's responsible. It's real. You understand where it would come from.

The second is your Sacrifice Number. That's the number that requires a different conversation. “God, are You asking us to trust You here? Is there something You want us to give up? Is there something You want us to change? Is there something You're asking us to believe You for?”

But I'm not asking you to choose a number today. In fact, I'm asking you not to. We have five weeks. Pray. If you're married, pray together. And if you have kids, bring them into the conversation. Let them hear you pray about it. Let them see what trusting God looks like.

Because maybe one of the greatest things we can give the next generation isn't simply what we leave behind for them. Maybe it's what they watched us believe God for.

WHAT STOPS WITH ME? WHAT STARTS WITH ME?

And this is where Psalm 78 has really been challenging me personally.

Because if you keep reading Psalm 78, you discover that Asaph isn't just telling the next generation about everything Israel got right. He's telling them about the things they got wrong.

He tells them about their rebellion. Their stubbornness. Their unbelief. Their tendency to forget God. In fact, look at verse 8. He says the reason we're teaching these things to the next generation is so that they would “not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation.” That's interesting.

Apparently there are some things from the generation before us that we're supposed to pass on, and there are some things we're supposed to make sure stop with us. Some things we say, “Carry this forward.” And other things we say, “This ends here.” So maybe one of the most important things we could do today is ask ourselves two questions. What needs to stop with me? And what needs to start with me?

Because every one of us inherited something. Some of it was beautiful. Some of it wasn't. Maybe nobody in your family has ever had a healthy marriage. Maybe anger has been passed from father to son for three generations. Maybe nobody talked about what they were feeling. Nobody apologized. Nobody said, “I was wrong.” Maybe addiction has been part of your family's story. Maybe nobody knew how to handle money. Maybe nobody lived generously. Maybe Jesus was something you talked about on Sundays, but He was never actually at the center of your home.

At some point, somebody has to decide: “That stops with me.” “Enough!” My kids are going to inherit something different.

But then there's the second question. What needs to start with me?

Maybe you're the first generation that's going to pray together. Maybe you're going to be the dad who apologizes. Maybe you're going to be the mom who creates a different culture in your home. Maybe generosity starts with you. Maybe serving starts with you. Maybe you're going to be the first generation in your family that says, “When God asks something of us, our answer is yes.”

And here's what I love about generational faithfulness. You're fighting to establish something your grandchildren may never have to fight to establish.

Think about that. Something that feels difficult and unnatural to you today could become completely normal to your grandchildren.

They may never remember when the family didn't pray.

They may never remember when the family didn't serve.

They may never remember when the family didn't give.

They may never remember when church wasn't a priority.

They may simply grow up saying, “That's what our family does. We pray. We serve. We give. We forgive. We show up. We love people. We follow Jesus. That's who we are.”

You fought for it.

They inherited it.

That's legacy.

WHAT ABOUT OUR CHURCH?

It’s possible that the greatest thing we leave the next generation won't be the building we bought. Maybe it will be the story they tell about how we trusted God to do it.

“We will not hide them from their children, but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.”

Invitation:

If you want to make a decision to follow Jesus. Then join me and everyone else in the building as we pray out loud together. It’s not the prayer that saves you, but your faith, making Jesus Lord of your life. We don’t let anyone go on the journey alone. If you have faith in Jesus, then let’s join together as we pray…

Prayer of Salvation:

Jesus, I acknowledge that I need you

I confess that I have sinned against you

I believe that God raised you from the dead

And right now, by faith, I say “Jesus is Lord”

Thank you for forgiving me

By your grace I am saved

And by your power I am set free