𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐬: 𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫?

𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐭: Zechariah 1:5 “Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever?”

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Jeremiah and Zephaniah prophesied 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 the Babylonian captivity; Ezekiel and Daniel 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠; Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

- Though Haggai and Zechariah worked together, Haggai focused on the work before them (rebuilding the temple), while Zechariah (“God remembers”) focused on the work beyond them (Israel’s future and the 1st and 2nd coming of Christ).

- Men of God should appreciate the contributions of each other to the Lord’s work.

- Each man has his own ministry from the Lord, must carve the path God has for him (Joshua 17:14–18), and will hand it off to another one day.

𝟏. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐬 —“The former prophets” (Zechariah 1:4; 7:7)

𝐀. “One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh” (Ecclesiastes 1:4)

- There will always be those who are passing and those who are coming. The message outlives the messenger.

- The flower of our life fades. The work of our God lives on.

- What we can no longer do with energy, we must do with urgency. Our days are numbered! (Psalm 90:12)

𝐁. “...the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan...” (Joshua 1:1–2)

- “A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.” – Dr. Ron Comfort

- Someone will someday stand in our stead. It’s not about us. It’s about Him and them!

𝐂. “...and thou mayest add thereto” (1 Chronicles 22:14)

- We must prepare for the next generation—David prepared for Solomon. (The theme of 1 Chronicles 22 is prepare. The word is found five times in the chapter.)

- We must prepare the next generation—train, equip, give every opportunity to bear fruit that remains—“able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2)

𝐈𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: A wealthy business man took the company his father left him and turned it into a billion-dollar enterprise. When asked how he had accomplished all that he had, he stated, “I started out with an awful lot handed to me.”

“For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 3:8)

What an opportunity for a man’s influence to outlive him. God has designed that the way you live after you die is to die (to self) while you live.

What a sacred honor to be entrusted with the fruit of a man’s life.

What a head start some men have been given.

- Timothys, your Pauls are trying to help you.

- What are you doing to help them?

Sincerely,