NO EXCUSES
2 Corinthians 4:16-18, ( NLT )
Intro: An elderly couple was sitting around one evening watching TV and the woman looked over at her husband and said:
"Things have really changed," you used to sit very close to me."
"Well, I can remedy that," he said, moving next to her on the couch.
"And you used to hold me tight."
"How’s that?" he asked as he gave her a hug.
"Do you remember you used to nudge my neck and nibble on my ear lobes?"
He jumped to his feet and left the room. "Where are you going?"
"I’ll be right back," he said. "I’ve got to get my teeth!"
. Today is our senior appreciation day.
. We will have a luncheon right after our service today and we want all our seniors to come and allow us to serve you this day.
. This day is dedicated to you. I hope that you have enjoyed the music program that was created with seniors in mind.
. There seems to be some confusion though as to when someone is really a senior so I thought I would take a page out of Jeff Foxworthy’s “you might be a redneck” by telling you how you can determine if you are a senior or not.
. You might be a senior if:
. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you’re not eating cereal.
. Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
. Happy hour is a nap
. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
.You stop holding your stomach in no matter who comes into the room.
. You have more hair in your ears than on your head.
. Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt - doesn’t work.
. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there
. I’ll let you decide if these apply to you or not.
. To our seniors, let me say from the bottom of my heart, I love and appreciate you.
. Through the years, I have had seniors say to me that they have spent their life in service to God and now they want to retire.
. They want to sit back and take it easy and let the younger folks take on what needs to be done to further Gods kingdom.
. The bible tells us that we can’t do that.
. You have heard me say this before, you can’t retire from God. You can’t quit God.
. Our scripture this morning tells us this.
. In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul is writing a rather personal letter to the church in Corinth and in the fourth chapter He is sharing with them why he preaches and why he continues even as he is getting older and is being persecuted more and more.
. He is telling them why he has no excuses for not serving God.
. Even though he is persecuted, he continues to spread the good news of Jesus Christ.
. His faith demands the he continue the task.
. Let’s look at our scripture.
. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18:
. 16That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
17For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
. Paul writes that he will never give up. Never quit preaching and teaching and sharing the gospel with the world.
. He says that I do this because it is so vitally important for people to know the love of Jesus Christ.
. 16That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.
. Paul writes that yes we are getting old. He is getting old but his spirit is not old.
. I had a guy ask me this one time. He said “ don’t you ever get tired of doing good, of working at the church and helping people”?
. My response was that I do get tired from doing good but I never get tired of doing Good.
. We should never get tired of doing what God has called us to do.
. Yes we may get tired physically but if we will allow Him, God will refresh and renew our sprit every day, just like He did Paul.
. Folks God will renew and refresh our spirits daily if we will allow Him to do so.
. In verse 17 he writes:
. 17For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
. Yes our bodies are getting old and we can’t do the things we used to do but compared to what awaits us in glory, they are insignificant.
. I know that we all at times have some physical limitations that don’t allow us to do things.
. The closer I get to 60, which isn’t far off, I realize that I’m not a spring chicken anymore.
. Seniors, you have also realized that I’m sure, but Paul says that we can’t quit.
. We keep working for the prize.
. You see, what you are working for is far more important than anything that hinders you today.
. Look at verse 18 again.
. 18So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
. Paul writes that we are not to dwell on our earthly problems.
. I don’t believe that he is discounting or dismissing the problems that come with growing old but he is instructing us to put them in their proper perspective.
. Many will say that’s all well and good preacher but what can God do with and old codger like me?
. I’m glad you asked.
. God has a history of using people when they are older and more mature.
. I want to share a few of their stories with you this morning.
. Abraham
. We have been talking about Abram, whose name is changed to Abraham later on.
. Lets have a pop quiz about Abram.
. Who knows how old Abram was when God called him into His service?
. This is the interactive part of the service.
. Look at Genesis 12:1-4
. 1The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you.
2I will make you into a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and you will be a blessing to others.
3I will bless those who bless you and curse those who treat you with contempt. All the families on earth will be blessed through you.”
4So Abram departed as the LORD had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.
. Abram, also known as Abraham was seventy five years old when God chose him.
. Out of all the men in the world, God chose a seventy five year old man to father a nation that He would use to make Himself known through Jesus Christ.
. Abraham didn’t say look here God, I’m 75 years old and I’m tired and all I want to do is sit on a river bank fishing.
. I just want to finish my last days in peace and quiet.
. He was obedient to God. He gathered his family together and set off to where, he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that God was not finished with him yet.
The writer of Hebrews puts it this way 11:8-10
“. 8It was by faith that Abraham …went without knowing where he was going… Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.”
. In this initial conversation God also promised Abraham that he would have children and that his descendents would become a great nation.
. Abraham I’m sure thought alright God, I believe but you do know that I am 75 years old.
. God knew alright As a matter of fact, do you know how old he was when God finally gave him and his wife Sarah a child?
. Again this is the interactive part of the sermon.
. He was 100 years old. Men can you imagine becoming a father at 100 years old. Sarah, his wife was 99.
. He was 100 and she was 99 and still relying on God and trying to walk in the ways that He wanted.
. If they had listened to the enemy, the old schemer Satan, I’m sure he would have told them that they were too old. Forget about all this serving God stuff.
. It’s all you will be able to do just to raise a son at your age.
. You have nothing to contribute.
. They listened to God though and from them the Nation of Israel was born.
. Abraham didn’t tell God that he was too old and God used him in a mighty way.
. Another senior great was Moses.
. Who remembers how old Moses was when God called him?
. Moses was around 80 years old. We know that when he and his brother Aaron went before pharaoh he was 80.
. He got his instructions through the burning bush experience so it depends on how long it took him to get back to Egypt and stand before Pharaoh.
. He was at least 78 or 79 years old.
. If you want to talk about a man who didn’t want to come out of his comfort zone and work for God, Moses is the man.
. Moses used every excuse in the book not to answer the call of God.
. He said that he wasn’t worthy and God said don’t worry about that, I will be with you.
. Then he said that he didn’t really know who God was a nd how could he tell the people. This is where we get that great description of God telling Moses to tell the people that
. I AM Who I AM
. That still didn’t work and Moses kept on trying to find excuses not to respond to God’s calling.
. Moses finally realized that he couldn’t use excuses for not serving God.
. He finally resigned himself that God is who He is and He calls who He wants into His service.
. All we need do is respond to His call. Regardless of our age.
. God took this senior and used him for a mighty cause.
. Don’t ever think that you are too old for God to use.
. A 60 year old woman wrote Dear Abby and asked her advice on going back to college and getting her degree. She wrote to Abby and said, "When I get finished, I'll be 64!"
Abby wrote back and asked her, "Well how old will you be if you don't get the degree?"
. Folks we are never too old to serve God.
. I know that some have physical disabilities than can hinder or possibly make some things impossible.
. Even if we find ourselves in that position, we can still be productive.
.There are things that can be done from home. Phone calls to make. Cards of encouragement and sympathy to be written.
. People to be prayed for.
. That is something that anybody can do in almost any circumstance.
.We can always pray for people.
. We have no excuse for not allowing God to use us.
. You have heard it said that it isn’t how you start a race its how you finish.
. The apostle Paul wrote several times about staying the course, running the race, finishing the course.
At the 1968 Olympics, an hour after the marathon's winner crossed the finish line; Tanzania's John Stephen Akhwari limped across the finish line, injured in a fall early in the race. Asked why he didn't quit, he said, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish."
. God expects us to finish the race, live the life that He has laid out before us as we honor Him with our life.
. Billy Sunday was a professional baseball player for 8 years . He heard a sermon on the street one day and gave his life to Christ. He quit his $5000.00 a year job as a baseball player and became one of the greatest evangelists of all time. Here is a quote from him about service and aging.
“. I'm against the devil. I'll kick him as long as I've got a foot, and I'll fight him as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt him as long as I've got a head. I'll bite him as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fist less and footless and toothless, I'll gum him till I go home to Glory and he goes home to perdition!”
. Billy Sunday was committed to his faith.
. Another Billy, Billy Graham should be an inspiration to all of seniors.
. I saw an article about him this week and the headline said.
. 96 And Still Preaching
. Billy gives no excuses. Just a commitment to God.
.The writer of Hebrews has the best closing that I can think of for this sermon.
. He has just told his readers about the heroes of the faith. Much like we have done here this morning and he writes this in 12:1-2
. 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
2We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…
. Seniors, I love you and God loves You. We are not called to sit on the sidelines.
. Let us run the race, all the way to the end.
. No excuses
. Invitation
*** To my Christian brothers and sisters, thank you for taking the time to read this sermon. I ask that you take another second and score this for me. I am always open to feedback so that I can continue to grow in the proclamation of God’s word.
May God bless you as you continue to strive to walk worthy of His calling.
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
This is a revision of my sermon, “God’s Not Finished With You Yet”
