Temptations Senior Citizens Face Series

(adapted from a messages by Mark Jones, Bob Russell, and Dan Webb)

SERIES: “FATAL TEMPTATIONS”

TEXT: JAMES 1:14-15; JOSHUA 14:6-14

TITLE: “TEMPTATIONS SENIOR CITIZENS FACE”

INTRODUCTION: A. You Know You’re Getting Old When…

1. You and your teeth don’t sleep together.

2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren’t

wearing any.

3. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you’re not eating cereal.

4. Your back goes out, but you stay home.

5. Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.

6. Happy hour is a nap.

7. You’re on vacation and your ENERGY runs out before your money does.

8. You step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still

there.

9. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.

10. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.

11. Getting “lucky” means you found your car in the parking lot.

12. It takes twice as long - to look half as good.

13. Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt - doesn’t work.

14. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there.

15. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don’t even remember being

on top of it.

B. This message is the fourth installment in the series “Fatal Temptations” based on

James 1:14-15 – “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged

away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when

it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”

1. We looked at “Temptations Women Face”, “Temptations Children Face”, and

“Temptations Teenagers Face”

2. Today’s message: “Temptations Senior Citizens Face”

a. As the average life-span continues to increase, and as baby-boomers are hitting

retirement age, we’re seeing more and more senior adults

b. By the year 2025, people over the age of 65 will outnumber teenagers two to one

3. My kids think I’m finally preaching a sermon I’m qualified to speak about

--I couldn’t possibly know anything about being a woman, a child, or a teenager!

4. One the other hand, most of you who are senior adults probably think that a young

whipper-snapper like me doesn’t have a clue about the temptations you face

C. My goal this morning is to talk about this subject with respect for our senior adults

--Lev. 19:32 – “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly…”

1. I do not want to come across as critical or judgmental

--However, I do want to share what God’s Word upholds as model behavior for

those who are older

2. For those of you who are not senior adults, you will be someday

--I’m asking that you do the same thing I’ve asked each Sunday in this series-

please pay close attention so that you can be respectful and supportive to those

who do struggle in these areas

3. Senior adults, you may have been a faithful Christian for years, but the devil still

tries to entice you into sin to embarrass you and negate your influence.

4. Bob Russell: “The temptations in the older years are not usually gross sins of the

flesh but more subtle sins of the spirit.”

D. The temptations we’re looking at this morning were developed from a poll of several

hundred Christian seniors around three years ago.

1. As we consider these temptations, we’re going to focus on one key Bible character

who exemplified faith, confidence, will-power, tenacity and courage as a senior

adult

a. Despite the temptations that he must have faced, he stood strong and fulfilled

God’s purpose for his life

b. His model behavior serves as a great inspiration to all of us as we struggle with

accomplishing God’s purposes for our own lives.

2. The senior adult we’re going to look at this morning is Caleb

E. It helps to know a little background before we get into the meat of the message

1. When Moses first led the children of Israel to the Promised Land, God had him

send 12 spies to scout the land.

a. All ten said the land was perfect but only two thought that they could overthrow

the power people who had the land.

--Joshua and Caleb were the only brave spies.

b. The children of Israel didn’t have the courage or the faith to believe God’s

promises

--The people sided with the 10 so God punished the nation’s lack of faith by

sending them back out into the wilderness.

2. 45 years later God brought them back to the gateway of the Promised Land.

a. Moses had died and Joshua is the leader now

--It’s time to go forward and fight for the land God promised