l. INTRODUCTION
-I believe that the Book has the ability to touch every part of our lives. I also believe that the Book has the ability to reach us at certain time frames of our lives.
-It has the ability to reach us when we are children. It has the ability to direct us in our youth. It has the ability to guide us in our decisions as adults. It has the ability to give us financial counsel, techniques for child rearing, and for marital stability. It has the ability to encourage those who are elders in age. In fact, there is nothing more thrilling than to hear an old saint or an old preacher
express how God has led them through the years.
-Youth is the time of life that has many influences that are evil and those influences have the ability to sway usaway from the precepts of God.
-Consider the words of Paul:
l Corinthians 6:18 -- "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he
that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."
l Corinthians 10:14 -- "Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry."
ll Timothy 2:22 -- "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with
them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
-There are great temptations that come to young people. There is also the danger of looking ahead to "When I grow up, I am going to be thus and so!" Sometimes waiting on someday causes the young man to freeze with inactivity. Don’t wait on someday, just do it!!!
-On the other hand, old age also has it’s perils. While the young is living in tomorrow, the aged sometimes try to live in the past. There is the talk of the "good old days" and that is a sure way to
lead one into the depths of depression.
-There is still something valuable that the elderly has to contribute, not only to life, but to this church.
ll. THE MIDDLE OF LIFE
A. Psalm 91
-Psalm 91 is one of the most encouraging Psalms that was written. It magnifies the ability of God to take care of those who will trust in him. There is not a single aspect of life that the Psalmist did not cover here.
-We find here:
1. The Position and of the Believer -- Psalm 91:1-2
2. The Power of his God -- Psalm 91:3-4
3. The Immunity of the Believer -- Psalm 91:5-10
4. The Elevation of the Believer Over Trouble -- Psalm 91:11-13
5. God’s Exaltation of His Church -- Psalm 91:14-16
-The origin of Psalm 91 is most likely from the pen of Moses. There is no title on this particular Psalm and the Jewish doctors consider that when the author’s name is not mentioned we may assign the Psalm to the last named writer which would be Moses who wrote the previous Psalm.
-Many of the expressions of Psalm 91 can be cross referenced to the book of Deuteronomy which was somewhat of a compilation of the history and movements of the Children of Israel while Moses was leading them.
-While the Psalm states the things that God can provide relief from, there is a phrase that I would like to focus on and perhaps break it down for our benefit.
Psalm 91:6 -- ". . . the destruction that wasteth at noonday."
-There is a destruction that has the ability to waste at noonday. The middle of life has it’s vast perils, probably more that what we face in youth or in old age.
B. Examples of Men Who Flourished at Noonday
-We have the three-score and ten which is seventy years that the Bible gives to us as the average length of life. If seventy years will conclude life then life has to be divided up into thirds to adequately understand the "noonday."
-By looking at thirds, we find that the noonday of life is between the ages of 23 and 46. I would prefer to extend that scope to the ages of 20 to 55. I hope that those who are not in that particular time reference will forgive me for singling out this particular group.
-The pages of history bear witness of men who flourished at noonday. There contributions must
be recognized because they continued until they saw the final result.
Moses was the deliverer of the children of Israel during life’s middle time.
Joshua became the courageous follower and held the mantle of Moses’ leadership in life’s middle
time.
John Wesley’s most productive years were the middle time of life.
John Knox shook Scotland with his prayers in life’s middle time.
Martin Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses were banged in the church door during life’s middle time.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, the Boston surgeon, moved America with his pen in life’s middle time.
John Bunyon wrote Pilgrim’s Progress during the middle times of life.
Henry Clay gave his greatest plea on the Missouri Compromise during life’s middle time.
Patrick Henry gave his immortal speech, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me
give me liberty or give me death!" Spoken during life’s middle time.
John Paul Jones on a sinking ship, bellowed, "I have just begun to fight!" Again, during life’s
middle time.
Wellington came to the great victory at Waterloo in life’s middle time.
Caesar crossed the Rubicon in the middle of his great soldier life.
The Wright Brothers found their wings in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina during life’s middle time.
Henry Ford manufactured his first car during life’s middle time.
Robert Fulton and his steamboat found their place in life’s middle time.
C. Examples of Men Who Failed at Noonday
-Just as there are examples of men who flourished at noonday, there are others who made shipwreck of their lives in the noonday of their life. Men often turn to defeat during life’s middle time.
Jeremiah 15:9 -- ". . . Her sun is gone down while it was yet day. . . "
-So it is with men who allow their son to go down at noonday. Destruction is their constant neighbor.
-Samson experienced such a disaster when he began to play with Delilah in the land of the Philistines. One thing led to another and we see a portrait of him grinding corn without his hair or his eyes. The saddest thing said of Samson is "He wist not that the Lord was departed from him."
-David went down in life’s middle time. Saul went down in life’s middle time. Solomon went down in life’s middle time. Judas sold Jesus during the middle time of life.
lll. WHY THERE IS FAILURE AT LIFE’S MIDDLE TIME
-Why is life’s middle time so perilous? There are some clear points of reference that supplies the reasons that men fail in life’s middle time. There are some biblical principles that can allow us to overcome the middle years of life.
-In the last few years, we have come in contact with two words that we almost tremble at. Burnout and mid-life crisis. They are real problems of real people. There is an experience with God that is undeniable, I have experienced and many of you have also. But we are not to be left out on failure at life’s middle time just because we are Spirit filled. There has to be some biblical principles that you live by.
-In the early eighties, Dick Vermiel, a football coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, took a team without any Pro-Bowlers (No All-stars) to the playoffs for consecutive years and finally went to the Super Bowl and won it all. Two seasons after his championship season, he abruptly resigned without any pressure from management. As the resigning was investigated, Coach Vermiel had began to experience all sorts of health problems. Because he really had no All-star players, he would spend 20-21 hour days working out plans to defeat his opponent. It got to a point that his body began to flash the red lights on the dashboard demanding that he ease up or else. He was near a point of a nervous breakdown when he resigned. During that time, the word burnout began to surface.
-We are forced to ask ourselves why does such things happen.
A. The middle of life is a time of preoccupation and satisfaction.
-The enemy would like nothing more for this church to become preoccupied with non-spiritual things and to become satisfied with accomplishment. He is not going to be bothered by such a man who has no time for God.
-Luke 12 records the parable of the barn builder who wanted to tear down existing barns and build bigger ones to hold his produce. He wanted to eat, drink, and be merry. All of that is fine but you must understand that his soul was to be required of God.
-Life starts losing it’s edge and it becomes a drudgery when we leave God out of the picture. When we are in the groove and success cannot be barred from the premises, burnout will soon show up. "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?"
-When we get into the routine of life, preoccupation and busy-ness has a way of robbing our ideals and visions of youth. Our ideals and visions are smothered by materialism.
B. A Loss of Vision or Dream
-Joseph was a dreamer. Children are often relegated to being the dreamers. A little boy may say, "When I grow up I am going to . . . ." But after we get to be men and women our dreams die in the midst of our battles and burdens.
Proverbs 29:18 -- "Where there is no vision, the people perish. . ."
-When your vision dies and when your dreams go to sleep burnout and mid-life crisis has a way of destroying your life and those around you.
-You have to began to try to restore some of those idealistic days of your youth. Men may say, "I have no time for dreaming, I am a very realistic man. My job is to make a living." Your primary business is not to make a living. Your primary business is to make a life. Making a living is merely an incident of your full participation in life.
C. Taking Responsibility That Does Not Belong to You
Numbers 11:10-15 -- "Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent: and the anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; Moses was also displeased." "And Moses said unto the Lord, Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and
wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?" "Have I conceived all this people? have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which thou swarest unto their fathers?" "Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat." "I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me." "And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand,if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness."
-Moses was trying to bear a responsibility that did not belong to him. He thought that he was bearing the load all alone.
-Don’t try to take on responsibility for something you are not warranted for? Don’t try to manage the problems of others? Don’t try to sit in God’s place of judgment for others. It can only wear you down further.
-There are those who pray for their problems and then try to get up and manage a solution. That is not what prayer is for. Prayer is an opportunity that we use to take our burdens and difficulties to God and to let Him manage it for us.
Matthew 11:28-29 -- "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest." "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
-Work WITH God rather than FOR Him. Get in the yoke with Him.
D. Impatience Creates Failure in the Middle of Life
-Impatience is a great factor in creating failure in life’s middle time. There are laws of the harvest.
There never will be a peanut harvest in January. There will never be a tomato harvest in March. Your life cannot be at harvest year round. There has to be times when God breaks up fallow ground. There has to be a time when the land is not producing a single thing.
-Because we don’t understand the spiritual laws of harvest, we experience impatience which leads to a sense of hopelessness. Part of spiritual maturity is patience and understanding that such is a part of life.
Isaiah 40:29-31 -- "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might be increaseth strength." "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:" "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
James 1:2-3 -- "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;" "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience."
E. Stress
-Stress is a word that none of us like to talk about. Stress comes from everywhere in life.
-Again, we have to understand that life cannot be lived at full speed at all times.
This is the age,
Of the half read page,
And the quick hash,
And the mad dash,
The Bright Night,
With the nerves tight;
The plane hop,
With the brief stop,
The lamp tan,
In a short span,
The big shot,
In a good spot;
And the brain strain,
And the heart pain,
And the cat naps
Till the spring snaps--
And the fun’s done!!!
-Stress robs the body of it’s health, it robs the heart of it’s warmth, and it robs the mind of it’s sharpness. Stress will cause failure at noonday.
F. Comparing Your Achievements With Others
ll Corinthians 10:12-14 -- "For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves among themselves, are not wise." "But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you." "For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we have reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ:"
-I cannot keep up with the Joneses. I cannot keep up with the Smiths but I sure am ahead of the Does. Comparing ourselves among ourselves is a dangerous thing to do. The benchmark that we have is the Word of God.
G. Playing God
-Burnout and Mid-life Crisis is often worsened and exacerbated by our attempts to sit on God’s throne and run the world from our own Lazy-Boy.
-Repent of playing God and give Him his job back. You will never save the world by yourself.
H. Living By Circumstances
-ll Corinthians 5:7 gives the exhortation to walk by faith and not by sight. If we walk by sight, we are prone to let out circumstances weight us down. The man who lives by faith understands that his circumstances will pass in due time.
-Ephesians 3:13 encourages us to look at those around us who are living above their circumstances and are remaining victorious in their walk with God.
I. Unrealistic Goals
-Recognize your responsibilities and understand the extent of those tasks. Once this has been done, make goals that are within reason.
J. Monotony
Numbers 21:4 -- "And they journeyed from mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.
-The way was in a circle and it became a treadmill to them. The way was through a wilderness and through hostile country and it began to drag them down.
-In Revelation 2:4 the Ephesian Church was said to have left their first love. They allowed themselves to get familiar with the work until it was commonplace and gave them no joy.
-Monotony puts you in the noonday. Lukewarm spirits began to creep in. You have not become cowardly but neither have you become over-confident and self-sufficient.
Philip Harrelson
