“I know stuff Millennials don’t know. I do stuff Millennials don’t do. I do it because I see things differently than Millennials, and it’s my job to help other people know what I know, do what I do, and think the way I think…”
Those are Paul’s thoughts, summarizing his written comments to the believers in Corinth:
So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others… If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation… We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God…” (2 Corinthians 5).
In each generation since Jesus, that’s been the ongoing challenge: pass the truth along; model transformation; adopt a radically different world view. Accept the assignment: God is counting on each generation to be his spokespersons – “ambassadors.”
This weekly missive is called Point of View; from the beginning, that has come from this passage: “…from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view…” Truth changes your perspective about other people, which informs what you say and do with them. It makes you radical in the eyes of people – even most Christians – who have not been impacted by truth. “Out of our mind?” Perhaps; but that’s only because thinking like Christ makes you extraordinarily exceptional…
In every generation, that assignment is passed from Radical to Radical. You know the transfer has occurred when the new generation has become, themselves, extraordinarily exceptional. Their words and actions are demonstrating a revolutionary world view – sourced in God, not the culture – and the role of Ambassador of Heaven becomes an accurate explanation of what’s happened.
Speaking of generations, I’m a Boomer (we’re currently 53-71), and my primary audience has always been my Boomer peers, and our Buster progeny (they’re currently 38-53). The Millennials (now 20-38) are the generational storm surge: they outnumber Boomers and Busters, and are our future. The task of impacting thought, word and deed – qualifiers for every generation to assume the Ambassador mantle – is daunting. What’s our strategy to ensure the Kingdom legacy transfer?
I put you on notice last week: watch your inbox for our promotional campaign for Master’s OnLine (MOL). It’s the vision of my Buster protégé, Noah Elias (click to watch his intro video) to transfer what he learned with me in his two trips through The Master’s Program to the next generation.
Young adults (Millennials) don’t flock to old people (Boomers, like me), but they’ll listen to the contemporary leaders (Busters) who are willing to share their life hack (if you have to ask, you’re not one of them!). In MOL, Noah sets me up – as his life hack guru – and joins me to pass the torch.
If you’re a Boomer or Buster, two critical agenda items for you: 1) make sure you’ve been transformed, ala Paul’s blueprint (above); and, 2) figure out how you can help pass that same thing to Millennials (our Kingdom assignment).
Do you have any 20-38 people in your life who need that? Are they worth your tax-deductible scholarship in MOL ($1000/year) to make that happen?
Bob Shank
Awesome!!