Growing Old

2ND COR. 4: 16-18 GROWING OLD 2ND COR. 4:16 ----but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Let us be aware that growing old is a blessing not something to frown upon. And let me say that if you want to cut your life short just treat your parents disrespectfully. EPH. 6:2Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

---Exo. 20:12

And if a person would receive Jesus early in life they would have a happier and fuller life.

You and I need to see the unseen (the hope of the resurrection; -the joy of the presence of God; -the expectation of Christ’s judgment).

We need to have an eternal perspective. One day all who are saved will receive a glorified body at the rapture of the church, many folks are in poor health at this time, but if we’re saved its only temporary, soon we’ll have a glorified body like the Lords.

1st JN. 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

So lets stop thinking so much about our present body and start longing for our new body, and lets stop living as if this life is all there is and start realizing the presence of the Lord.

Have you ever noticed that brunets want to be blondes, blondes want to be brunets?

Some People have a face-lift, a tummy tuck, cosmetic dentistry, their not always happy about the way they look.

I remember Brother Billy Mitchell telling one time in his message about a man asking him if we were going to look like this after the rapture? And Brother Mitchell said he ask the man, “ you don’t want to look like that do you?

I suppose this old human nature dwells mostly on the temporal things than on things that will last forever.

When we think about life after death (eternity), do we see ourselves in the presence of God? _- Are we living by faith? - Are you certain your saved?

It’s easy to feel like giving up. It’s easy to be discouraged, disillusioned, depressed, and disappointed. The reason why it’s easy to lose heart in this life is because we face so many troubles.

Each stage of life has its own set of troubles. The troubles that seniors experience, as they see themselves getting older, include loneliness, sickness, failing eyesight and hearing, vulnerability, etc.

Paul says in so many words in our text, “Outwardly we are wasting away.” -but though our outward man perish, Our outward man/bodies are perishing .

Seniors know this better than anyone. But that’s reality for all of us, not just seniors. Today, we are one day closer to dying than we were yesterday. That’s a sobering thought.

Consider the problems Paul was experiencing: 2nd cor. 4:8-9 8We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Paul did not dwell on his present problems; he looked ahead to the fulfillment of God’s promises. In other words, Paul had an eternal perspective.

This is why Paul could describe his troubles as “17 our light affliction, which is but for a moment ”

This is why he could say in Romans 8:18, 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Though his problems were real and intense, his problems did not overcome him.

Instead, he says, we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen:

Why did he do this? Because, for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

“The things we see now are here today, & gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever”

The unseen things are what count because they are eternal. They last forever. The seen things, the things of this life, do not. They are temporary.

But to see what is unseen is impossible. How can we fix our eyes on what is unseen? Hebrews 11:1 says, 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.