Monday Morning 11.7.11
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jmichaelwalls
Nov 7, 2011, 6:34:26 AM11/7/11
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MAKING THE MATURE YEARS COUNT
Part 2
NOT SUNSET BUT SUNRISE
Psalm 92:13-15
Introduction: God made us. He made us in all in such a way that
regardless how old we are. We all want to feel needed, loved, and wanted.
But as we grow older, we start saying, "Why am I here. Surely the Lord
has made a mistake. I am older and not worth much in His sight." This
question is probably on your mind many times a day. Here you are at a
nursing home. You cannot make your own food nor do your own clothes. Some
of you cannot even bathe yourself. Some of you have voiced this out loud
to someone regularly to someone. I am can almost hear you to ask me this
question "Why am I am here?" I want to try to answer this question with
the scripture truths.
Remember I said that I entitled this message "Not sunset but sunrise". As
I was thinking on this title, I was thinking of folks of the Bible who
was older that served God in their older ages. There were two people who
did not see their age as a hindrance to service for the Lord. They are
Zacharias and Elisabeth. They were the parents of John the Baptist. Here
is what the Bible said about them. Luke 1:7
"And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both
were now well stricken in years."
They did not complain that they were too old to have a baby that would be
the forerunner for the Lord Jesus. I thought about how hard it would be
have a child in your older years. I am not sure if I could handle it even
though I love my children. They were hard enough to raise when I was
younger. But this couple saw this as from the hand of the Lord.
I. YOU WERE CREATED TO PLEASE GOD.
Revelation 4:11
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
How many things were created for God's pleasure and enjoyment? The
correct answer was "all" things.
Man was placed on here that the Lord would have fellowship with man. This
was a mutual enjoyment and pleasure for the Lord and man. It was probably
not the first time that fateful day that the Lord came into the Garden
and uttered those words "Where art thou?" It was very possible that every
evening the Lord came in the cool of the evening to fellowship with Adam
and Eve. But Adam was hiding from the Lord because sin had entered the
picture. We do not find any further accounts of the Lord and Adam
fellowshipping together.
The Lord wants us to fellowship with Him. If the Lord wants our
fellowship with that and us pleases Him, then we are only contend when we
are making the Lord happy.
The Lord saves us by His grace that we might be to the good pleasure of
His will.
Ephesians 1:5
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will"
The Lord saved us for His pleasure and He saves us for His pleasure and
our enjoyment. So we see God planned that we are to bring pleasure to
Him.
Believers who no longer have an active life like they used to have can
still bring pleasure to the Lord. But so many times we hear statements
like these. "I am no good to the Lord or anyone else." "I am a burden to
my family and friends and also to the Lord." Why does the Lord just take
me home to glory?"
I have heard such statements from people in this building and also in
this room. Do you really think that you could please the Lord now? Do you
remember how much it was a delight in those days when your children at
home, laughing, playing and eating your meals? The times you had together
are very precious memories even today.
I was thinking how we used to sit around the kitchen table when I was a
child playing games like Rook and Dominoes and Monopoly. Then when my
boys were little, we went to many places with them. On Sunday nights, we
used to come home from church and make a big bowl of popcorn or salad and
watch television together.
Before I was a pastor, we sat together in church as a family. My boys
were my joy. But they have left home too. Now I have memories that are
precious.
Many people as they get older that have the mistaken idea that only by
doing for the Lord is the only way they can please Him. They know that
they cannot do all that they did as they when they were young. What makes
worse when we talk of some Christian leader that do so much as he can for
the Lord. This tends to makes us slow up to almost a stop because we can
do what that person is doing. It may be so that they are doing a lot. God
blesses and is greatly pleased with faithfulness. It is Him that makes us
fruitful. Many believers mistake activity alone pleases the Lord.
II. FELLOWSHIP IS PRIMARY.
In the Gospel of Mark we see the choosing of the men that Jesus chose to
be His disciples. Here is what the Bible says about that event.
Mark 3:14
"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach"
What was the order of this event? It was that they should be with Him.
Many of the accounts in the four Gospels we find the disciples with the
Lord Jesus. I read a book one time called "Table Talks with the Lord
Jesus". The primary part of their ministry was that they were would be
with Him. To be with Him was fellowship and to be sent to preach was
service. I spend most mornings at the kitchen table with the Lord Jesus.
It helps me set the day in with Him. As I read my Bible, I am hearing
from Him from the pages of that blessed Bible. Many of you could spend
much more time in that Bible because you have more time to do so. I have
an eighty or ninety year old man who sends material to people all over
including me. He called me one day and was pleased that he had something
he could do. When I read his material, I know that this man has spent
much time with the Lord in the Word of God.
Fellowship with the Lord is more important then the service for the Lord.
You may have crippling arthritis that even the slightest movement causes
stabbing pain. You are very limited what service you can do for the Lord.
But what does fellowship have with service? You can have a much richer
fellowship with the Lord Jesus than someone who seems to do so much for
the Lord because you are not press for time. There is a saying that I
used to have on my desk. "Beware of the barrenness of the busy life."
You could spend more time concentrating on what the Bible says to you
instead just reading the Bible. Our Lord enjoys that fellowship. This
fellowship is what can make you fruitful in your dealings with problems
of life.
III. FRUITFULNESS IN OLD AGE
Our Bible has many colorful illustrations about believers. Here is one of
them.
Psalm 92:12-14
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a
cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall
flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in
old age; they shall be fat and flourishing."
As we get older we can bring forth fruit like a palm tree. It is a great
comparison. We should be like the palm tree, which is a master of all
circumstances. A palm grows in the barest parts of a desert. Some times
it is the only plant that can survive in an oasis. It is not dependent
upon favorable circumstances for its growth and fruitfulness. An old palm
bears the sweetest fruit. It may not be the prettiest fruit but the fruit
tastes better.
You may not have the beauty as you had in your youth but you don't need
to lose your inner beauty. Your hands may be twisted from arthritis
and/or hard work. But remember your fruitfulness can be increased by your
fellowship with the Lord.
Conclusion: It is your fellowship with the Lord, not your service that
makes you valuable to the Lord now. You are not facing the sunset but a
sunrise of a great blessing in your life with your time with the Lord.
This fellowship can be seen as fruitfulness. We had a lady in our church
years ago by the name of Lizzie Price. Miss Lizzie did not take time to
complain of her health problems but she had a special fellowship with the
Lord that translated in a special fellowship with other believers. When
she died, many people honored her. This included two men who were Marines
that were two of her pallbearers. They were both in those beautiful dress
uniforms that the Marines are famous for wearing. Both of these men cried
at her funeral. Her funeral was on a Friday night. On Sunday morning our
hearts were broken over the death of our friend. So that morning we had a
time for testimonies of what Miss Lizzie meant to us. Many tears were
shed. They were tears of joy. One of those Marines was a member of our
church. He stood and said that Miss Lizzie had the unique way of making
every one feel that she was their best friend. Every time you spoke with
her, she reminded you that she was praying for you.
You might be still here on earth because the Lord enjoys your fellowship
with you. You have the opportunity to bear fruit that you did not do when
you were young. You can have the richest fellowship that you ever had in
this life in these days.
Part 2
NOT SUNSET BUT SUNRISE
Psalm 92:13-15
Introduction: God made us. He made us in all in such a way that
regardless how old we are. We all want to feel needed, loved, and wanted.
But as we grow older, we start saying, "Why am I here. Surely the Lord
has made a mistake. I am older and not worth much in His sight." This
question is probably on your mind many times a day. Here you are at a
nursing home. You cannot make your own food nor do your own clothes. Some
of you cannot even bathe yourself. Some of you have voiced this out loud
to someone regularly to someone. I am can almost hear you to ask me this
question "Why am I am here?" I want to try to answer this question with
the scripture truths.
Remember I said that I entitled this message "Not sunset but sunrise". As
I was thinking on this title, I was thinking of folks of the Bible who
was older that served God in their older ages. There were two people who
did not see their age as a hindrance to service for the Lord. They are
Zacharias and Elisabeth. They were the parents of John the Baptist. Here
is what the Bible said about them. Luke 1:7
"And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both
were now well stricken in years."
They did not complain that they were too old to have a baby that would be
the forerunner for the Lord Jesus. I thought about how hard it would be
have a child in your older years. I am not sure if I could handle it even
though I love my children. They were hard enough to raise when I was
younger. But this couple saw this as from the hand of the Lord.
I. YOU WERE CREATED TO PLEASE GOD.
Revelation 4:11
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou
hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."
How many things were created for God's pleasure and enjoyment? The
correct answer was "all" things.
Man was placed on here that the Lord would have fellowship with man. This
was a mutual enjoyment and pleasure for the Lord and man. It was probably
not the first time that fateful day that the Lord came into the Garden
and uttered those words "Where art thou?" It was very possible that every
evening the Lord came in the cool of the evening to fellowship with Adam
and Eve. But Adam was hiding from the Lord because sin had entered the
picture. We do not find any further accounts of the Lord and Adam
fellowshipping together.
The Lord wants us to fellowship with Him. If the Lord wants our
fellowship with that and us pleases Him, then we are only contend when we
are making the Lord happy.
The Lord saves us by His grace that we might be to the good pleasure of
His will.
Ephesians 1:5
"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself, according to the good pleasure of his will"
The Lord saved us for His pleasure and He saves us for His pleasure and
our enjoyment. So we see God planned that we are to bring pleasure to
Him.
Believers who no longer have an active life like they used to have can
still bring pleasure to the Lord. But so many times we hear statements
like these. "I am no good to the Lord or anyone else." "I am a burden to
my family and friends and also to the Lord." Why does the Lord just take
me home to glory?"
I have heard such statements from people in this building and also in
this room. Do you really think that you could please the Lord now? Do you
remember how much it was a delight in those days when your children at
home, laughing, playing and eating your meals? The times you had together
are very precious memories even today.
I was thinking how we used to sit around the kitchen table when I was a
child playing games like Rook and Dominoes and Monopoly. Then when my
boys were little, we went to many places with them. On Sunday nights, we
used to come home from church and make a big bowl of popcorn or salad and
watch television together.
Before I was a pastor, we sat together in church as a family. My boys
were my joy. But they have left home too. Now I have memories that are
precious.
Many people as they get older that have the mistaken idea that only by
doing for the Lord is the only way they can please Him. They know that
they cannot do all that they did as they when they were young. What makes
worse when we talk of some Christian leader that do so much as he can for
the Lord. This tends to makes us slow up to almost a stop because we can
do what that person is doing. It may be so that they are doing a lot. God
blesses and is greatly pleased with faithfulness. It is Him that makes us
fruitful. Many believers mistake activity alone pleases the Lord.
II. FELLOWSHIP IS PRIMARY.
In the Gospel of Mark we see the choosing of the men that Jesus chose to
be His disciples. Here is what the Bible says about that event.
Mark 3:14
"And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might
send them forth to preach"
What was the order of this event? It was that they should be with Him.
Many of the accounts in the four Gospels we find the disciples with the
Lord Jesus. I read a book one time called "Table Talks with the Lord
Jesus". The primary part of their ministry was that they were would be
with Him. To be with Him was fellowship and to be sent to preach was
service. I spend most mornings at the kitchen table with the Lord Jesus.
It helps me set the day in with Him. As I read my Bible, I am hearing
from Him from the pages of that blessed Bible. Many of you could spend
much more time in that Bible because you have more time to do so. I have
an eighty or ninety year old man who sends material to people all over
including me. He called me one day and was pleased that he had something
he could do. When I read his material, I know that this man has spent
much time with the Lord in the Word of God.
Fellowship with the Lord is more important then the service for the Lord.
You may have crippling arthritis that even the slightest movement causes
stabbing pain. You are very limited what service you can do for the Lord.
But what does fellowship have with service? You can have a much richer
fellowship with the Lord Jesus than someone who seems to do so much for
the Lord because you are not press for time. There is a saying that I
used to have on my desk. "Beware of the barrenness of the busy life."
You could spend more time concentrating on what the Bible says to you
instead just reading the Bible. Our Lord enjoys that fellowship. This
fellowship is what can make you fruitful in your dealings with problems
of life.
III. FRUITFULNESS IN OLD AGE
Our Bible has many colorful illustrations about believers. Here is one of
them.
Psalm 92:12-14
"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a
cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall
flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in
old age; they shall be fat and flourishing."
As we get older we can bring forth fruit like a palm tree. It is a great
comparison. We should be like the palm tree, which is a master of all
circumstances. A palm grows in the barest parts of a desert. Some times
it is the only plant that can survive in an oasis. It is not dependent
upon favorable circumstances for its growth and fruitfulness. An old palm
bears the sweetest fruit. It may not be the prettiest fruit but the fruit
tastes better.
You may not have the beauty as you had in your youth but you don't need
to lose your inner beauty. Your hands may be twisted from arthritis
and/or hard work. But remember your fruitfulness can be increased by your
fellowship with the Lord.
Conclusion: It is your fellowship with the Lord, not your service that
makes you valuable to the Lord now. You are not facing the sunset but a
sunrise of a great blessing in your life with your time with the Lord.
This fellowship can be seen as fruitfulness. We had a lady in our church
years ago by the name of Lizzie Price. Miss Lizzie did not take time to
complain of her health problems but she had a special fellowship with the
Lord that translated in a special fellowship with other believers. When
she died, many people honored her. This included two men who were Marines
that were two of her pallbearers. They were both in those beautiful dress
uniforms that the Marines are famous for wearing. Both of these men cried
at her funeral. Her funeral was on a Friday night. On Sunday morning our
hearts were broken over the death of our friend. So that morning we had a
time for testimonies of what Miss Lizzie meant to us. Many tears were
shed. They were tears of joy. One of those Marines was a member of our
church. He stood and said that Miss Lizzie had the unique way of making
every one feel that she was their best friend. Every time you spoke with
her, she reminded you that she was praying for you.
You might be still here on earth because the Lord enjoys your fellowship
with you. You have the opportunity to bear fruit that you did not do when
you were young. You can have the richest fellowship that you ever had in
this life in these days.
Pastor Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
http://freedombaptistchurchnc.wordpress.com/
http://iglesiabautistalibertad.wordpress.com/
____________________________________________________________
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The Stunning Results of Her Wrinkle Trick Has Botox Doctors Worried
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