INTRO.- ILL.- The Joy of Aging! Someone said, “If my body were a car, this is the time I would be thinking about trading it in for a newer model. I’ve got bumps and dents and scratches in my finish and my paint job is getting a little dull, but that’s not the worst of it.
“My fenders are too wide to be considered stylish. They were once as sleek as a little MG; now they look more like an old Buick. My seat cushions have split open at the seams. My seats are sagging. Seat belts? I gave up all belts when Krispy Crème donuts opened a shop in my neighborhood!
“Air bags? Forget it. The only bags I have these days are under my eyes. Not counting the saddlebags, of course. I have soooooo many miles on my odometer. Sure, I’ve been many places and seen many things, but when’s the last time an appraiser factored life experiences against depreciation?
“My headlights are out of focus and it’s especially hard to see things up close. My traction is not as graceful as it once was. I slip and slide and skid and bump into things even in the best of weather. My whitewalls are stained with varicose veins.
“It takes me hours to reach my maximum speed. My fuel rate burns inefficiently.
“But here’s the worst of it - almost every time I sneeze, cough or sputter.....my radiator leaks!
The truth is, we’re all aging. Some of us just don’t like to admit it or perhaps face up to it. Talk about “face up,” I read there is an internet site called “Face Lift,” marketing a non-surgical rejuvenating product. Their web page states: Our revolutionary formula is guaranteed to make you look 10 years younger in just 15 short minutes! No expensive, painful surgery! 100% money back guarantee!
Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? I think it’s one of those “too good to be true” scams.
While we all might want to look younger or might need to look younger, it’s not going to happen. All we can do is take care of ourselves as we now are. If we blew it in the past, it’s a done deal. We have to make the best of what we now have.
II Cor. 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”
It’s somewhat easy to lose heart in life. We look at the world and lose heart. We look in the mirror and lose heart. But even though we can’t stop the aging process, we can grow stronger inwardly. Even if we can’t get a face-lift, we can get a “faith lift.” How so?
Since our faith is or should be centered in the Lord, it should come from the Lord. Our faith cannot be lifted by outside sources!
I think we all need to focus more on the Lord and knowing Him personally if we want to get a “faith lift.” I happen to believe, however, that we can never get too close to God or never have too much faith in Him! The more, the merrier seems to hold true in Scripture. The more faith, the merrier the heart, the merrier the life, the merrier the relationship with others.
ILL.- Chuck Swindoll has a whole chapter in his book CHRISTIAN LIFE entitled, “Knowing God: Life’s Major Pursuit.”
Swindoll wrote, “Unless God is the major pursuit of our lives, all other pursuits are dead-end streets, including trying to know ourselves. They won’t work. They won’t satisfy. They won’t result in fulfillment. You never really begin the process of coming to know yourself until you begin the process of beginning to know God.”
Knowing God is vital to life. And once we begin to know God better we can’t help but respond to Him and about Him.
PROP.- Ps. 9:1-2 reveals what knowing God will cause us to do in life to Him and for Him. We must: 1- Praise Him 2- Tell of Him 3- Rejoice in Him 4- Sing of/to Him
I. WE MUST PRAISE HIM
V. 1 “I will praise you, O Lord, will all my heart.”
ILL.- Preacher Harry Ironside was in a crowded restaurant one time. Just as he was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, "Do you have a headache?" Ironside replied, "No, I don’t." The other man asked, "Well, is there something wrong with your food?" Ironside replied, "No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat."
The man said, "Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!"
Ironside said, "Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s what he does too!"
Many people are not thankful to God for anything. You can see this ingratitude in their lives in the lack of prayer and the lack of gratitude toward people in general.
I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
We humans are sometimes not very good when it comes to saying “thank you” or giving thanks.
ILL.- Listen to these stories, written by a lady who worked with a church dealing with needy people.
“A couple of years ago, a friend and I transported some used living room furniture to a local woman who had no income. As we hauled it out of my pickup truck and set it up in her home, she stood silently, watching us. Eventually she asked, "Could you get me a footstool, too? That way my guests won’t put their feet on the coffee table."
“Several times in the ensuing months she phoned me, inquiring about the footstool, which never materialized. One day she called and announced, "I need some new furniture." When I asked why, she explained, "I moved to a different house. I left that furniture in the other place. It was old, and besides, the couch had a broken leg." I wanted to scream.
“Another time, a woman telephoned our church in a panic, saying her food stamps were delayed and she was going hungry. As emergency needs liaisons for our church, my friend and I filled several grocery bags with food from our own pantries and delivered them to her. Accepting the food, she asked, "Can you find me a roll-away bed? I’ve got nowhere to sleep but the floor."
“When I returned a week later, having found a bed, she watched from her window as I single-handedly carted the bed across the street in rush-hour traffic. She waited while I assembled it for her and then flatly stated, "The food you brought me was poison. I was so sick I almost died." Stunned, I asked whether she had perhaps contracted the flu, which was going around at the time. She insisted we had poisoned her.
“Another woman, invited to a wedding, complained that our church’s Clothes Closet, which offered free clothes to anyone in need, had nothing suitable. I invited her to my house to borrow one of my dressier outfits, but she never showed up. When, at her request, I took her some bags of my clothes as a gift, she handed them back to me. "These aren’t what I had in mind" was all the thanks I received.”
Brothers and sisters, while we may be appalled at these stories of ingratitude, we must realize that all of us are somewhat guilty.
Most of us get in a rut and take people for granted. After a period of time we cease saying “thank you.” We not only do this with people but also with God. WE TAKE HIM AND OUR BLESSINGS FOR GRANTED. It’s almost like we think we deserve all the good things we get in life.
Have you counted your blessings lately? Have considered all the good things that God has given you? If so, have you thanked Him? How can we not thank Him?
II. WE MUST TELL OF HIM
V. 1 “I will tell of all your wonders.”
Luke 9:20-21 “But what about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "The Christ of God." Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.”
At this point in Jesus’ ministry He told his disciples not to tell anyone about Him or who He was. But He doesn’t want us to hold back today! There are times to be silent and times to talk. This is a time for talking about the Lord.
ILL.- A minister concluded that his church was getting into serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new bibles that had never been opened and distributed. So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell the bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the church.
Peter, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task. The minister knew that Peter and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some bibles.
But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a local farmer, who had always kept to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor Louis stuttered badly.
But, not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him try anyway. He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following Sunday.
Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately asked Peter, "Well, Peter, how did you make out selling our bibles last week?"
Proudly handing the preacher an envelope, Peter replied, "Using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 bibles, and here’s the $200 I collected on behalf of the church."
"Fine job, Peter!" The minister said, vigorously shaking his hand. "You are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you."
Turning to Paul, "And Paul, how many bibles did you sell for the church last week?"
Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied," I am a professional salesman. I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here’s $280 I collected."
The minister responded, "That’s absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is also indebted to you."
Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louie and said, "And Louie, did you manage to sell any bibles last week?"
Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope. The preacher opened it and counted the contents.
"What is this?" the minister exclaimed. "Louie, there’s $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 bibles for the church, door to door, in just one week? Louie just nodded.
“That’s impossible!" both Peter and Paul said in unison. "We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many bibles as we could."
"Yes, this does seem unlikely," the minister agreed. "I think you’d better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie." Louie shrugged. "I-I-I- re-re-really do-do-don’t kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh -sh-sh-sure," he stammered.
Impatiently, Peter interrupted. "For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!"
"A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was," Louis replied, "W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-! you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r -read it t-to y-y-you?"
Brothers and sisters, regardless of who we are, how we talk, etc. we must tell others about the Lord and of His wonderful deeds. HOW CAN WE NOT DO THIS CONSIDERING ALL HE HAS DONE FOR US AND IS GOING TO DO FOR US?
III. WE MUST REJOICE IN HIM
V. 2 “I will be glad and rejoice in you.”
Hab. 3:17-18 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”
Habakkuk saw a time when he had nothing and yet he rejoiced in the God of His salvation! He had nothing, but still he gave thanks and rejoiced!
ILL.- The following article came from CHRISTIANITY TODAY. I have no idea when it was written. Bahamas: One of the most flush spots in the region, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, greets more than a million tourists annually. While most overseas visitors revel in luxury vacations, including the handful who can afford the $25,000-a-night suite at the exclusive Atlantis resort, many in this nation of 300,000 endure grinding poverty, plagued by aids, drug abuse, and street crime.
Not far beyond the glittering tourist districts are shacks and poverty-stricken communities. Andrew, 86, for example, is among those hidden from view. With little assistance from the government, he lives alone in a crumbling house without electricity or plumbing. He eats only when people bring him food.
Instead of complaining about spending his days alone, Andrew says, "I have time to pray." Although he usually has an empty stomach, he praises God for the church women who bring him food as often as they can.
What a story! We often complain or grumble because we don’t like what we have or what we get or perhaps because we think we don’t have enough and yet here is man who is thankful for anything he gets!
The more we get to know God, the more thankful we should be for whatever we have in life. And the more we should rejoice in Him. He is the giver of life, the giver of all good gifts in life, and the giver of eternal life! How can we not rejoice in Him in spite of our circumstances?
ILL.- Preacher W.A. Criswell once told of an ambitious young man who told his pastor he’d promised God a tithe of his income. They prayed for God to bless his career. At that time he was making $40.00 per week and tithing $4.00. In a few years his income increased and he was tithing $500.00 per week. He called on the pastor to see if he could be released from his tithing promise, it was too costly now.
The pastor replied, "I don’t see how you can be released from your promise, but we can ask God to reduce your income to $40.00 a week, then you’d have no problem tithing $4.00."
Brothers and sisters, what if God took away our income, our nice homes, etc., would we still praise Him and rejoice in Him like this old man in the Bahamas or like Habakkuk of old?
No matter what we have or do not have, we need to learn to rejoice in our God who created us, who sustains us daily and who will eventually save us eternally through His son Jesus.
IV. WE MUST SING OF/TO HIM
V. 2 “I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.” God desires and deserves our hymns of praise to Him and of Him. Privately or publicly.
ILL.- Baseball great Orel Hershiser in Out of the Blue wrote, “After the final game of the 1988 World Series against the Oakland A’s, Bob Costas of NBC interviewed me in the locker room. He asked what I was doing between innings when the cameras had caught me in the dugout with my head back, "eyes closed, almost meditating."
"I was singing hymns to myself to relax and keep my adrenalin down, because every time I thought about being ahead, I got too excited to pitch."
The next night I was a guest on "The Tonight Show." Johnny Carson also asked about that. "Do you just hum, or what?"
"I sing." The audience clapped and cheered. I hadn’t meant that! "I’m not gonna sing!" They roared.
"Oh, yes you are!" Carson said. I shook my head, panicking. I’d never sung alone in public in my life. "This could be a first," he pressed. "Just a couple of bars."
"Well, the one I remember singing the most was a praise hymn." (Suddenly it was deathly silent.) " As I sat on the bench I’d sing: Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him, all creatures here below. Praise Him above, ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."
Brothers and sisters, I heard that after Orel Hershiser sang that praise song that the audience, Carson included, remained in silence.
Singing praise to God does something to people that preaching never seems to do. It stops people in their tracts and it praises God like nothing else can do.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Ps. 13:6 “I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.”
CONCLUSION-------------------------------------
ILL.- Luciano Pavarotti, opera great, said, “When I was a boy, my father, a baker, introduced me to the wonders of song. He urged me to work very hard to develop my voice. Arrigo Pola, a professional tenor in my hometown of Modena, Italy, took me as a pupil. I also enrolled in a teachers college. On graduating, I asked my father, "Shall I be a teacher or a singer?"
"Luciano," my father replied, "if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. For life, you must choose one chair."
“I chose one. It took seven years of study and frustration before I made my first professional appearance. It took another seven to reach the Metropolitan Opera. And now I think whether it’s laying bricks, writing a book--whatever we choose--we should give ourselves to it.”
Brothers and sisters, if there is one thing we should choose in life it should be to please and praise our Heavenly Father. When we concentrate on doing this, our faith will be lifted!
