a. Many of you for the past 16 days have been glued to the TV watching the Olympics

1. Many great moments have taken place

a. The heroics of Kerry Strugg

b. The unexpected swimming victories

c. The Team Gold in gymnastics

d. The heart break of Jackie Joyner Kersey and her comeback in the long jump

e. Dan Osborne Gold in decathlon - interview - prayed / bro

f. One of most moving for me came in the opening when the Olympic Torch came into the stadium - passed to Janet Evans - her long run up the ramp and then the passing of the torch to Muhammad Ali - What a moment - the passing of the torch - it had finished it journey

b. There is something significant in the passing of the torch

c. One other bit of Olympic trivia:

1. Until last night the USA has never been beaten in the 4x100 relay - they have been disqualified three times for dropping the baton

2. The fastest team was disqualified because they did not successfully pass the baton

d. We are in a similar situation as Christians

1. We have the keys to life and eternity

2. We are in danger of losing the next generation if we do not successfully pass the torch of the gospel to them

I. THE TORCH

a. The Bible gives many instructions on things to pass on to our children

b. Let me summarize most of them in these four categories

1. FAITH IN CHRIST

a. We are responsible to teach our children about Christ

b. We are to take the Gospel to the world

c. God has no "Plan B" - we are to share with others

d. A sobering thought is that the church is only one generation away from extinction

1. If we have full employment and growth--if we have cities of gold and alabaster--but our children have not learned to walk in goodness, justice and mercy, then the American experiment, no matter how gilded, will have failed. In modernity, nothing has been more consequential, or more public in its consequences, than large segments of American society privately turning away from God, or considering Him irrelevant, or declaring Him dead. Dostoyevsky reminded us in Brothers Karamazov that "if God does not exist, everything is permissible." We are now seeing "everything." And much of it is not good to get used to. -- William J. Bennett, The Washington Times

e. More babies being born each year than conversions

2. VALUE OF FAMILY

a. The disintegration of the family has created a society of people without roots

b. The mobility that comes from modern transportation makes separating the family much easier

1. How many of you grew up close to your grandparents - Job opportunities are causing us to move away from home

c. Divorce is nearly as common as marriage - families divided - some children used as pawns between fighting parents

d. How many things do you do as a family - schedules make this tough but it is vitally necessary if we are to pass this value on

e. The home is the basic unit of society in God's design

3. MORAL PURITY

1. You do not hear much talk about purity any more - we are afraid of making people uncomfortable because so many have jumped the moral fence

2. God intended for two virgins to marry and to remain faithful to each other

3. More and more young people are pressured to become sexually active - TV, Movies, Music all encourage it - Trouble is that it destroys us

a. Some in desperation think it is the way to "catch" a man - if that is what it takes; He's not worth keeping

b. Two pieces of advice:

1. No one buys the cow when getting the milk free

2. Can't keep them zipped up - wear backwards

4. More than 40% of married people admit to affairs

5. What torch are you passing to your children

4. INTEGRITY

a. A good name is worth more than riches

b. How are we communicating honesty and responsibility to our children

c. What value do we put on integrity

1. More than a fourth of students at some of the nation's best colleges admit cheating on a test even though they have an honor code,

2. In 1991 James Patterson and Peter Kim released The Day America Told the Truth. Only 13% of Americans see all Ten Commandments as binding and relevant; 91% lie regularly, both at work and in their homes; most American workers admit to goofing off for an average of seven hours, almost one whole day per week; and half of our work force admits that they regularly call in sick when they feel perfectly well. One particular question on the survey really grabbed me: "What are you willing to do for $10 million?" (Are you sitting down?) 25% would abandon their families; 23% would become a prostitute for a week; 7% would murder a stranger!

d. Integrity seems to be in crisis

II. PASSING THE TORCH

a. Passing the Torch effectively requires

1. A Spiritual Aim

a. Goal is to make Christians and then to strengthen them enough in grace for them to begin to minister

2. A Biblical Curriculum

a. God's Word is the source of what we teach

1. The Word shapes and molds our lives

2. It directs our actions and behaviors

3. A Commitment to Teaching Others

a. Multiplication is God's method

1. Each one reach one in a month whole world hears

b. It is a torch we must not drop - Our children's lives depend on a successful transfer

c. Jesus set the stage in the Upper Room

1. He took Bread and the Cup and said "Remember Me"

2. As often as you do this - Teach others the meaning of My Sacrifice

SHARE THE BREAD

SHARE THE CUP

HYMN #362 "PASS IT ON