Never Too Old To Learn, Never Too Young To Teach Series

Never too old or too young

Our theme this year is Dynamic Disciples and this morning our focus is on Making Disciples by Teaching and Leading others.

Here is the question to begin: Have you noticed how the world often writes people off for being too old or too young?

While the world may often be ageist in attitude,

our God never writes people off for being too young or too old.

God called Abraham in his 90s and the prophet Samuel when he was just a young person in the Temple.

Moses was 80 and Aaron was 83 when God sent them to tell Pharaoh to release God’s people from slavery in Egypt.

God called the eight year old boy king Josiah to lead the biggest religious renewal recorded in the Old Testament.

The title of the message God has laid on my heart for us this morning is this: You are never too old to learn and never too young to teach.

The Bible is clear that both young and old are called to serve God.

When God calls He equips, by the power of the Holy Spirit He enables.

We could live to be 100 years old,

and study the bible every single day,

and at the end of our life there would still be things for us to learn about God.

Or you could be a recent beliver in Jesus,

just responded to the truth of the Gospel,

just saved and have a desire to teach other’s about Christ.

We are never too old, or too young to start learning God’s Word.

We are never too old, or too young to start teaching others about Jesus,

about how He has saved us from our sins.

How we have been rescued, set-free, ransomed healed, restored, forgiven.

Old or young, Spiritually Mature or babe in Christ,

each of us need to learn more about God,

and each of us need to teach others about Him.

God has called every believer in Christ,

every disciple to be part of the Great Commission,

to go and share the truth of the Gospel.

Why? So that others can come into a saving relationship with Jesus for themselves.

Jesus command is to all of us, old or young to be disciples who make disciples who make disciples.

Perhaps you have been a Christian, a follower of Christ, a disciple, for longer than you can remember,

perhaps as a child someone taught you about Jesus, and you asked Jesus to save you from your sins.

Perhaps you came to know Jesus as an adult, and you can still remember what you were like before you knew Him.

Either way, someone took the time to tell you about Jesus and the importance of accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour.

You were willing to listen and learn and someone was willing to share the truth with you - to teach you.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NLT) says:

You must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. 15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realise what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work.

From childhood Timothy had heard the truth about God, he would have been taught the reality of God,

the truth about an all-powerful and all-loving God.

Someone, somewhere, somewhen cared enough to teach Timothy about God.

I want you to think of one person you know, young or old who needs to hear the truth about Jesus.

One person who need to know God’s love, grace and mercy for themselves.

One person who needs to be saved from a lost eternity.

Can you raise your hand if you have a person’s name in your mind right now?

Well that’s pretty much all of us, ok drop your hands.

Now a question I want you to answer in your head.

Have you told that person about Jesus?

Have you shared anything with them about the God who loves you and also loves them?

Have you shared with them why it’s important for them to be in a real relationship with the Saviour?

You see in verse 17 where it says God uses His word, the Bible to prepare and equip US - His people to do every good work - that includes equipping US to share the truth of the Gospel - the truth that Jesus is the way, the truth, the life, the only Saviour.