The Tragedy of a Lost Generation | Pastor Shindoll

Devotional

Day 1: When the Baton Drops Between Generations

A generation rises without knowing God because those before them forgot to pass the torch. The relay race of faith fails when hands grow slack, leaving the next generation grasping at empty air. Israel’s story warns of the cost: when miracles become distant rumors, idols fill the void. Spiritual inheritance isn’t automatic—it demands intentional teaching, lived passion, and stories etched into daily life. What we treat as optional, our children will discard as obsolete. [57:34]

“After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals.”
(Judges 2:10, NIV)

Reflection: What specific moment this week can you create to share a “God story” with someone younger? Is your faith visible enough for others to catch its fire?

Day 2: Baptized in Name, Not Just Memory

Baptism isn’t a ritual to check off but a declaration of allegiance—Jesus’ name over your life, not tradition’s titles. The early church plunged believers into waters of surrender, not sprinkling doubt. To be baptized without understanding is like signing a contract unread; to rebaptize is to reclaim what was never truly yours. The water waits not for convenience but obedience. [41:00]

“Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’”
(Acts 2:38, NIV)

Reflection: Does your baptism mark a conscious turning toward Christ, or is it a faded memory? What would it look like to live today as if freshly emerged from those waters?

Day 3: Smoke Where Fire Once Burned

A church born in revival’s fire risks settling for the haze of routine. Laodicea’s curse—lukewarm self-sufficiency—creeps in when budgets replace brokenness and programs overshadow prayer. Solomon’s temple glittered, but God’s glory made it holy. We dare not mistake comfort for anointing or history for hunger. The altar calls not for nostalgia, but fresh kindling. [01:16:14]

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
(Revelation 3:15-16, NIV)

Reflection: When did you last feel spiritually “uncomfortable”? What practical step could reignite your first love for Christ this week?

Day 4: Tongues of Fire, Not Golf Claps

The upper room’s chaos—wind, flame, unscripted joy—contrasts with our polished services. Pentecostals didn’t whisper polite amens; they spoke mysteries and drew crowds. To reduce the Spirit’s work to orderly emotionalism is to drain the wine from the wineskin. God still seeks worshippers, not performers—those who’d rather be called drunkards than miss His touch. [01:05:29]

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
(Acts 2:4, NIV)

Reflection: When have you prioritized “decency” over desperation in worship? What would unrestrained hunger for God’s presence look like in your private prayers today?

Day 5: Altars in the Living Room

Faith isn’t a Sunday costume but a daily uniform worn at home. Children notice when parents prioritize church over Christ, or when fasting becomes a forgotten Tuesday habit. Your tears at the altar teach more than sermons; your Bible on the kitchen table preaches louder than any pulpit. The next generation won’t remember your words—they’ll replicate your rhythms. [01:27:56]

“But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
(Joshua 24:15, NIV)

Reflection: What mundane moment today—a meal, a drive, a chore—could become an intentional display of devotion? How will you let your family see faith’s fire in your eyes this week?

Sermon Summary

Judges 2 draws a hard line between Joshua’s burial and the rise of “another generation… which knew not the Lord nor yet the works which he had done in Israel.” Joshua’s passing marks a hinge moment where memory thins, worship cools, and idols fill the vacuum. Another generation forgets Exodus power, trades covenant for convenience, and finds the hand of the Lord set against them. The baton of testimony slips, not only because the last runners wander, but because the middle runners stop pressing the transfer with tears, sacrifice, and living example.

The baton of faith hands best in motion, so the text presses for fire not form. The fire that birthed the church refuses smoke and show; travail, intercession, gifts of the Spirit, and hot-hearted praise belong in the house as normal, not as a rumor of what used to be. Revelation 3 exposes lukewarm ease as spiritual poverty dressed in success; Christ counsels gold tried in fire, eye salve, and zeal that repents quickly. The biggest little word if reappears throughout Scripture, so the promises read as covenant invitations that call for humility, prayer, and turning.

Baptism in Jesus’ name stands as the Bible way, the singular name that remits sins, the only name given under heaven. The Holy Ghost remains the promise for today, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, not as a museum piece, but as living wind and fire. Fasting disciplines the old man, so Tuesday’s fast day tutors appetites to submit while prayer lays hands on the horns of the altar until something breaks. Separation still matters, because belonging to God touches words, places, dress, desires, and the yes and no of a holy people.

Parents carry the sharpest edge of the transfer. What one generation tolerates, the next embraces; what a home calls optional, children soon call obsolete. The call to this house is plain: present bodies a living sacrifice, stir up the gift, refuse fear, and prove the will of God in the everyday. The story must not fade to faint campfire talk; the children must see tears, hear tongues, feel the splash of a Jesus’ name baptism, and learn to hunger for the presence that interrupts the program.

Key Takeaways

1. Another generation that knew not God The line in Judges is not just sad, it is diagnostic. Forgetfulness grows where parents trade testimony for convenience and reverence for routine. Faith that is not modeled goes missing in one lifetime. The Spirit calls for living memory, not museum faith. [47:39]
2. The baton fumbled in transition The relay only works when runners overlap in speed, focus, and grip. Stories without shared altars do not stick, and children can recite facts while starving for fire. Passing truth requires embodied practices, not just explanations. The handoff must be soaked in tears, worship, and obedience. [58:13]
3. Born in the fire, not smoke Pentecost came noisy, fiery, and transformative, and that is still the church’s normal. Programs, lights, and polish cannot replace presence, and “the smoke won’t do.” Travail, gifts, and holy disorder under God’s order are precious when God fills the house. Hunger must outrun format. [78:31]
4. Lukewarm comfort breeds holy amnesia Laodicea teaches that success can blind the soul while Christ still knocks outside. Gold tried in the fire costs convenience and yields clarity, zeal, and repentance. Lukewarmness is dangerous because it feels fine while it is dying. Poverty of spirit keeps the church at the door where Jesus comes in. [74:16]
5. Parents must model non-optional devotion Children usually amplify what they observe, not what they are told. Prayer in the room, fasting at the table, and faithfulness in the pew catechize better than speeches. Passion that is visible becomes inheritance that is livable. Optional religion raises obsolete memory; costly example raises burning hearts. [86:11]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[40:09] - Title: The tragedy of a lost generation
[41:00] - Baptism in Jesus’ name alone
[42:38] - Promise of the Holy Ghost today
[45:39] - Text read: Judges 2
[47:39] - Another generation knew not the Lord
[52:16] - Works that deny confessed faith
[58:13] - The fumbled baton metaphor
[59:37] - Tuesday fast and disciplining the flesh
[64:59] - Hunger for living Pentecost
[74:16] - Laodicea and the danger of lukewarmness
[77:38] - As it is in heaven: let God interrupt
[78:31] - Born in the fire, the smoke won’t do
[85:18] - Living sacrifice and a renewed mind
[90:19] - Altar call: pass the fire to the next generation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Judges 2:8-15 (ESV)
Revelation 3:14-20 (ESV)

Observation questions

In Judges 2:10, what specific failure led the new generation to "not know the Lord" or His works?
According to Revelation 3:16, why does Jesus say He will "spit out" the lukewarm church?
The sermon mentions a "fumbled baton" metaphor. What practical examples were given to explain how faith fails to transfer between generations? [58:13]
What warning does the sermon give about treating spiritual practices as "optional" versus "non-negotiable"? [49:20]

Interpretation questions

Why might a generation that experienced God’s miracles (like the Exodus) fail to pass on their faith to their children?
How does the "fire" imagery in the sermon contrast with "smoke" or "lukewarmness" in maintaining genuine faith?
The Laodicean church in Revelation 3 claimed to be rich and self-sufficient. How might material or spiritual success actually blind believers to their need for God?
What does the "baton" metaphor reveal about the relationship between shared practices (e.g., prayer, fasting) and theoretical knowledge of faith? [58:30]

Application questions

What daily habits or routines in your life might unintentionally communicate to others (family, friends) that faith is "optional" rather than essential? How could you adjust one of these this week? [49:20]
The sermon warns that "what one generation tolerates, the next embraces." What specific compromise in your own spiritual life—even a small one—could risk normalizing disobedience for those who follow your example?
Fasting is described as a way to "discipline the old man." What appetite or habit do you need to confront through fasting or prayer to prioritize your relationship with God? [59:37]
Parents are urged to let children "see tears, hear tongues, [and] feel the splash of baptism." What tangible spiritual moment could you intentionally create or share with a younger person this month? [01:26:11]
Revelation 3:20 says Jesus stands at the door and knocks. What area of your life feels "closed off" to His interruption, and what would it look like to invite Him into that space today?
The sermon challenges believers to reject "museum faith" for "living memory." What outdated religious routine could you replace this week with a fresh, Spirit-led practice (e.g., spontaneous prayer instead of scripted requests)?

Sermon Clips

65s

“``tragedy of a lost generation is, of course, the generation that was lost. But the real tragedy is the ones that knew, the ones that heard, the ones that experienced it, but failed to pass it on. One generation away from extinction. What one generation tolerates, the next generation will embrace. The greatest danger of the church is not persecution from without, but amnesia from within because if we remember who we are and whose we are, then no persecution will ever destroy our desire, our passion. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against them. Amen.”

54s

“I'd rather be poor and know I need him than rich and think I don't. Amen. Amen. What Jesus teach? What did what did he what did he teach on the on the Mount Of Olives? Said, blessed are the poor. Amen. In spirit. So, I'm not talking about money. Blessed is the poor in spirit. Amen. How are you poor in spirit? Well, you make yourself poor in spirit. How how you're exalted? Well, you humble yourself. You strip away all the pretense, all the all the things that you lean on. You strip away your own self sufficiency. Amen.”

59s

“I promise you, I will never be satisfied. I will die preaching it. I will die spitting and sputtering and preaching like I'm doing today because I want you to know this is the most important thing on Earth. Church is the greatest thing, and it was born in the fire. I refuse to live in the smoke. refuse to live in a semblance. refuse to fake it. I refuse to go through the motions. Amen. They were naked and they were wretched and they were miserable and they were blind, but they did not know it. They said this is what they said. They said, we're rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing. Amen.”

71s

“Lord, give me the fire. Lord, give me the altar. Give me the passion. Lord, where miracles happen and lives are changed and people are transformed remember I remember coming to the altar when I was young and finding a pack of cigarettes laid on the altar Nobody had preached about it but the spirit went out And whoever it was filled in that pocket, oh, I gotta give it up. I was born in the fire, and I'm not willing to pastor a church of smoke. I'm not willing to pastor a church that just knows how to do it.”

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The Tragedy of a Lost Generation | Pastor Shindoll | Sunday Morning, May 31, 2026