Sermon by – Pastor Thomas – Vox Church
My Personal Event Notes …
Theme: God calls us not only to run our own race, but to become spiritual fathers who help the next generation run theirs.
🔥 Acts 2: Pentecost & The Empowered Generations
Acts 2:15–18 (ESV)
“For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’”
This is the outpouring of God’s Spirit uniting the young and old—a multi-generational call to spiritual power. Young men are empowered with vision, older men with wisdom and dreams. But the point isn’t just what each generation receives—it’s how they come together.
God is not just raising up individuals. He is building families of faith, with spiritual fathers guiding younger men to maturity.
🏃♂️ Run the Race—But Don’t Run Alone
1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV)
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
God meets us in our struggle and calls us to do the same for the next generation. As we grow into spiritual maturity, we are called to move from simply being brothers in Christ to being fathers in Christ.
👨👦 From Brothers to Fathers
1 Corinthians 4:14–16 (ESV)
“I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers.
For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
I urge you, then, be imitators of me.”
Spiritual fatherhood is intentional. It’s not just walking beside others, but loving them with wisdom, presence, and purpose—especially when they fall or struggle.
God sees through our fronts, meets us where we are in the race, and calls us to do the same for younger men.
🙏 God Provides When We Struggle
Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability,
but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.”
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
We are not abandoned. If you’re struggling, He will provide a way. And He asks us to notice the young men coming behind us and lift them up as He does for us.
💙 God Notices You—So Notice Others
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Luke 19:10 (ESV)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
John 6:44 (ESV)
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
God notices, pursues, and draws people—intentionally.
So should we.
🎯 Spiritual Fatherhood is Intentional
Jesus chose the 12—and by doing so, He didn’t choose others. That’s hard but true: you can’t mentor everyone. But you can be intentional with someone.
Paul didn’t just stumble into mentoring Timothy, Titus, or others—he initiated it.
We must engage, pursue, and lift up younger men.
🛡️ Set the Example
Psalm 37:23–24 (ESV)
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.”
Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”
Jude 1:24 (ESV)
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Spiritual fathers must live lives worth imitating.
Not perfect lives—but lives with open hearts that are constantly pursuing God.
🙌 Three Marks of a Spiritual Father
1. Be a man who is open and available to God.
God’s invitation is not about convenience—it’s an encounter.
Your answer to God should be “Yes,” even before you know the question.
2. Be a man who talks to God.
Prayer is a conversation with your Father about what you and He are doing together.
Your prayers can shift reality. Talk to God—He’s listening.
3. Be a man who listens to God.
God speaks—through Scripture, dreams, wise people, and circumstances.
Like a radio, the signal is always broadcasting.
If you can’t hear it, the issue is your tuning dial, not His voice.
Are you listening?
👑 Live Up to the Family Name
Ephesians 4:1–6 (ESV)
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
You were named by the Father—brought into the family of God.
Live in a way that reflects that name.
✨ Created, Blessed, and Commissioned
In Genesis, after God created man, He blessed him.
That was the Father’s first move.
We were meant to live under the blessing, favor, and hand of a good Father.
Then came the Dominion Mandate—to rule the earth by creating, cultivating, and blessing.
Not for power, but for flourishing.
We are called to carry God’s character into the world as fathers, builders, and blessers.
Theme: God calls us not only to run our own race, but to become spiritual fathers who help the next generation run theirs.
🔥 Acts 2: Pentecost & The Empowered Generations
Acts 2:15–18 (ESV)
“For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.’”
This is the outpouring of God’s Spirit uniting the young and old—a multi-generational call to spiritual power. Young men are empowered with vision, older men with wisdom and dreams. But the point isn’t just what each generation receives—it’s how they come together.
God is not just raising up individuals. He is building families of faith, with spiritual fathers guiding younger men to maturity.
🏃♂️ Run the Race—But Don’t Run Alone
1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.”
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith,
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 13:5–6 (ESV)
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”
God meets us in our struggle and calls us to do the same for the next generation. As we grow into spiritual maturity, we are called to move from simply being brothers in Christ to being fathers in Christ.
👨👦 From Brothers to Fathers
1 Corinthians 4:14–16 (ESV)
“I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers.
For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
I urge you, then, be imitators of me.”
Spiritual fatherhood is intentional. It’s not just walking beside others, but loving them with wisdom, presence, and purpose—especially when they fall or struggle.
God sees through our fronts, meets us where we are in the race, and calls us to do the same for younger men.
🙏 God Provides When We Struggle
Philippians 4:19 (ESV)
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
1 Peter 5:7 (ESV)
“Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
1 Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.
God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability,
but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape,
that you may be able to endure it.”
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
We are not abandoned. If you’re struggling, He will provide a way. And He asks us to notice the young men coming behind us and lift them up as He does for us.
💙 God Notices You—So Notice Others
John 3:16 (ESV)
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Luke 19:10 (ESV)
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
John 6:44 (ESV)
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
God notices, pursues, and draws people—intentionally.
So should we.
🎯 Spiritual Fatherhood is Intentional
Jesus chose the 12—and by doing so, He didn’t choose others. That’s hard but true: you can’t mentor everyone. But you can be intentional with someone.
Paul didn’t just stumble into mentoring Timothy, Titus, or others—he initiated it.
We must engage, pursue, and lift up younger men.
🛡️ Set the Example
Psalm 37:23–24 (ESV)
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord,
when he delights in his way;
though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong,
for the Lord upholds his hand.”
Psalm 46:1 (ESV)
“God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.”
Jude 1:24 (ESV)
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling
and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV)
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Spiritual fathers must live lives worth imitating.
Not perfect lives—but lives with open hearts that are constantly pursuing God.
🙌 Three Marks of a Spiritual Father
1. Be a man who is open and available to God.
God’s invitation is not about convenience—it’s an encounter.
Your answer to God should be “Yes,” even before you know the question.
2. Be a man who talks to God.
Prayer is a conversation with your Father about what you and He are doing together.
Your prayers can shift reality. Talk to God—He’s listening.
3. Be a man who listens to God.
God speaks—through Scripture, dreams, wise people, and circumstances.
Like a radio, the signal is always broadcasting.
If you can’t hear it, the issue is your tuning dial, not His voice.
Are you listening?
👑 Live Up to the Family Name
Ephesians 4:1–6 (ESV)
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
You were named by the Father—brought into the family of God.
Live in a way that reflects that name.
✨ Created, Blessed, and Commissioned
In Genesis, after God created man, He blessed him.
That was the Father’s first move.
We were meant to live under the blessing, favor, and hand of a good Father.
Then came the Dominion Mandate—to rule the earth by creating, cultivating, and blessing.
Not for power, but for flourishing.
We are called to carry God’s character into the world as fathers, builders, and blessers.
VoxNotas 
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