First Central Baptist Church

Dr. Mark Wheeler

Passing the Baton
6/2/13

The Three Chairs1

Why do godly parents sometimes have rebellious children?

1ST Chair 2ND Chair 3RD Chair

COMMITMENT COMPROMISE CONFLICT
Key individual Joshua Elders Period of the Judges
Scripture Joshua 24:14-18 Joshua 24:31; Judges 2:7 Judges 2:10-12
First-hand experience Second-hand knowledge No knowledge
Characteristics
of Gods power of Gods power No experience of God
Convictions Beliefs Opinions
Results
Takes bold risks Takes medium risks Takes no risks
Talk about your faith with your kidsexplain your convictions, why you
Application believe them, and how you developed them
Give your kids experiencesministry trips
Help them see God firsthandprayer requests & answers
Take risks; dream biglearn to depend on God
Key individual David Solomon Rehoboam
Acts 13:22 1 Kings 2:2-4 1 Kings 12:1-24
Scripture 2 Samuel 12:13 Deuteronomy 17:14-17
Psalm 51 1 Kings 4:26; 10:14-29;
11:1-10 (8)
Whole heart for God Half heart for God No heart for God
Characteristics
Confesses sin Compromises beliefs Rejects wise counsel
Please God Please others Please self
Motivation
What does God think? What do people think? What do I think?
Passion Build a temple Build a palace Build an empire
Practice spiritual disciplines
Application When you sin, confess it!
Whats your passion or ambition?
Whose opinion counts most?
Key individual Abraham Isaac Jacob
Genesis 12:7, 8; 13:4, Genesis 26:19-22, 25, 32; Genesis 28:20-22
Scripture
18; 16:14; 21:25, 30 33:20
Characteristics Friend of God Peace at any price Schemer
Worship Work Wealth
Priorities
God Me & God Me
Is worship the high point of your week or just another activity?
Application How does your career fit into your life?
Do you use things to win people, or use people to gain things?
Allow God to call you to something. See your vocation as a calling.
If you find
yourself in this RECOMMIT REEVALUATE REPENT
chair:

The legacy you leave is more important than the heritage you receive
 COMPARISON OF 1ST CHAIR 2ND CHAIR 3RD CHAIR
CHARACTERISTICS

Primary Trait Commitment Compromise Conflict

Primary Interest People: Seeks to serve Prosperity: Seeks Person (Self): Seeks
others and love them success in life at anything that makes
into the Kingdom whatever the cost him/her happy

Foundation of Life Scriptures: Guidelines Saints: Follows other Society: If the world is
for lifestyle and Christians behavior doing it, its acceptable
behavior are taken from right or wrong
the Bible

View of Scripture
Is convinced its the
absolute, unchanging
Word of God,
authoritative for life
Bible is a life-giving
bookmeditate on it
Believes its relative to Ignores it as a relic of
situation; brings another culture or time
comfort but not Bible is irrelevant
conviction ignore it
Bible is an academic
bookread it

View of God Knows God as a Knows God through Ignores God

personal friend; has a salvation, but knows
deep relationship with him more as a doctrine
him and worships and than a person
depends on him

View of Jesus Christ is Lord Christ is Savior Christ is a religious

leader

View of Prayer Considers prayer an Offers prayers as a Does not believe in

unending, deeply perfunctory ritual in prayerexcept in case
personal conversation public and rarely in of dire emergency
with God private

View of Job/Career Job is a platform God Job is only a way to Job is purely a means to
has called him/her to earn money and get self-advancement and
for the purpose of ahead in life; faith is prosperity
ministry to others ignored

Questions to consider:
1. Which chair best describes your condition today?
2. If you choose to do nothing, which chair will your child(ren) most likely occupy?
3. What is one measureable change you can make which will help you or your child(ren) move to the
first chair?
1
The material is adapted from The Three Chairs Principle in the Walk Thru the Old Testament Live Event; The Three
Chairs booklet by Bruce Wilkinson, 1987; and Firsthand Faith: Recapture a passionate love for the Savior, by Bruce H.
Wilkinson, 1996. Used by permission.