Miles To Go Before I Sleep

For her, as she goes to Bolivia, because there is something in her that wants to do much more

than she has been doing in the last little while. Let us pray that. Here is why, guys.

I really believe that someone who comes here and stays for more than three or four weeks

hasn't come here by accident. That is deliberate. And so then, regardless of the fact that we won't see her for the next three or four months,

let's just pray that whatever needs to happen in Bolivia and then Winnipeg begins to happen.

If that means some of us fly to Bolivia or fly to Winnipeg, so be it. I would prefer Bolivia. Let's pray.

May I lay hands? Father, I just thank you for Alejandra right now. She's been brought here by you,

and things have been happening inside her. She's going away for three or four months, but Father, there's a strong sense that this is not the end of her journey with us.

So Father, would you show her and would you show us what else needs to happen? If there's something that we are supposed to do to help her in Bolivia or help her in Winnipeg?

If there's anything you want to start through her, if there are dreams that she has that this house can help bring to pass, then show us over the next three or four months.

So Father, we bless her as she goes. We pray that she have immunity, authority, relationship, peace, clarity, so that when she leaves Bolivia in August,

that she will come back to the promised land Winnipeg with a pretty good idea of what she needs to do. This is our desire, Father, for her, because this is your desire for her.

Show us over. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Bless you, man. Pleasure.

Okay, so next week we'll start a new series which I'm so looking forward to. And the title of the series is The City in a City.

The City in a City. That's next week. But this week I'd mention that I'd talk about how do you maintain fruitfulness as you grow older in a church that is young?

And so the title that I thought of was Miles to Go Before I Sleep. And I remember in Feb, sitting at Paddington Station in London, and this guy called James Pendle comes up to me and he says,

And he says, I'm a poet. Would you like a poem? And I said, sure. And then he began to recite this poem by Robert Frost called Miles to Go Before I Sleep.

And the words of the last words go like this, And I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep.

And one of the things we need to realize as we get older is that this is a line if you hold on to, you'll find that life is both vibrant and long and productive.

So today when you look at generations, you must understand that most generations are 12 to 14 years. We talked about this sometime in March.

The sociocultural gap today is 12 to 14 years. So you might think, ah, this message isn't for me because I'm not as old as Dilna, but the fact is that you are already old.

If you have someone here who's 12 to 14 years younger than you, you are already in another category. Derek and all are like apoupens, which is Greek for really old.

Don't even talk about me. What I'm trying to say is this, that because the cultural gap is 12 to 14 years, it's going to be hard to keep up as a church brings up the culture.

And that's what brings in the young. So how do I, how do you, how does anyone who's getting older learn how to function productively, fruitfully in a church language?

That's what we want to talk about. Yeah. And so young people who are now 30, take note, because I was once 30.

I wasn't too long ago. It was like yesterday. Right, then. Today I will be picking on them now, as you noticed.

So as you age, as you age and not putting a number to it.

Great. As you age, these are some of the things that begin to creep in. So let's talk about what creeps in.

And I'm talking in the context of a church that seems to be relatively young. What do we do? How do you maintain fruitfulness?

This is a question. How do you maintain fruitfulness?

How do you maintain fruitfulness in a young church?

As you age.

Because you know what normally is done? Normally it will be, let's have dinner together with a young cook for the old.

And that's nice, but the young still don't know how to cook. So it really sucks.

Or let's do a project together. But one of the things we have to avoid in church is tokenism.

Where we do something for the sake of doing it, so that it's kumbaya. That should be avoided.

The question is not can the young and old function together. The question is how do you maintain fruitfulness in a young church as you age?

Because everyone will age and there are wave after wave coming.

So that's a question we need to ask. So here are some of the things that happen as you age.

Indifference. And particularly in the context of a church. Indifference. Sentimentality.

And please don't think this is some fault that is particularly yours. This sentimentality existed as far back as Zechariah.

Where you have these old fathers of Israel sitting and as Zechariah is prophesying and saying grace grace and pouring oil upon the capstone.

Where they are going to reconstruct the new temple. The older fathers of faith are sitting and lamenting.

Thinking of the glory of the former temple. Till God has to literally say do not despise the day of small beginnings.

The glory of the latter temple will be greater than the former temple.

The good old days, anyone will tell you that the good old days were pretty bad and the plumbing was atrocious.

So thank God for some new modern things. So as you age, indifference, sentimentality, a sense of feeling lost.

Feeling a little intimidated at the style of everything that is so different from how it used to be.

A sense of entitlement where you think you paid your dues so why aren't you getting what you're getting.

Self pity. Oh this is a nasty one as you get old. Hobby horses. As in this is what I've always done.

Why do I have to learn how to ride an elephant? Rigidity in ways, in routine, particularly in routine.

Guys I met 34 year olds who live like they are a museum. So this is not an age specific thing.

You brothers have to stop looking at each other. I can see you looking at each other.

Irrelevance. You feel like I'm no longer relevant in the context.

An inability to change even though you want to change. These are some common problems that are worldwide.

Disappointment with God because you've collected more than the young people where there were disappointments with God.

The idol of comfort. Why help Sheldon with the tank when there are much younger people there.

Resignation to circumstances. Where it is what it is.

Fear. These are some nasty ones. Unteachability. Self pity. These are the bad ones.

The other ones seem like a natural human condition. Loss of zeal.

Sometimes loss of respect because you used to be very respected but nobody respects anymore.

And if you're alone, if you're single, if you're widowed or if you're a spinster or never married and so on, when you're alone it's more pronounced.

And you're scared of being dependent on the church or on the young. These conditions exist in every church.

Do you want to say anything about it or can I move on?

Which one? Resignation to circumstances.

Yeah, sorry. That is difficult to read. Resignation to circumstances.

So is there anything here that when you think of this, remember when you think of those that are older, do not compare them to your parents.

That's a tendency we have. We always think older, you think of your mom and dad. Not a good idea.

Your mom and dad are your mom and dad. Do not compare everybody that is old to them. Yeah?

It doesn't work that way. Just avoid certain pitfalls.

Anything in this that you think you want to comment on or are we good?

This is a condition of most of us as we grow older. At some point some of this begins to hit.

Okay.

Bitterness. Yep. True. So true.

And the bitterness is usually the result of this. Disappointments that pile up.

Here's the thing guys. If this starts early, it's toxic by the time you grow old.

One of the things that you who are not yet 40 should take from this or 45 should take from this is I must not let this collect.

Because once it does, it becomes very difficult later on. Cool?

Okay.

How do you maintain fruitfulness in a young church as you age?

I want to show you some scriptures that I want you to keep in mind.

Zechariah 8. This was a promise given to this church before COVID.

We were meeting at Charlene and Josh's house one evening and that was the first meeting that Tooney came to.

And he decided he would never come back again.

But now he turns up just every Sunday. Nothing we can do to keep him away.

So Zechariah 8 verse 3 to 6. And this is what it says.

Zechariah 8:3–6

This was a promise given in 2019, 2020 I think.

This is what the Lord says. I will return to Zion and dwell in Jerusalem.

Then Jerusalem will be called the city of truth and the mountain of the Lord Almighty will be called the holy mountain.

This is what the Lord Almighty says.

Once again, men and women of ripe old age will sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with cane in hand because of his age.

The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.

This is what the Lord Almighty says.

It seems marvelous to the remnant of this people at that time.

But will it seem marvelous to me? declares the Lord Almighty.

The point being his intent is to build a city within a city, which we'll talk about next week.

The intent is to build a city that has the young and the old.

It's never one or the other. And they're not supposed to tolerate each other.

They're supposed to be how a city is composed.

If you read Isaiah 66, you will see it again.

He's talking about heaven and he talks about the young babies and infants that crawl around with cobras.

And the old at a hundred are not old.

He's always been a God who likes putting the old and the young together.

If you actually look at the genealogy of the first 11 chapters of the Bible, you will find that Noah actually met Adam.

That Jacob actually met Abraham.

That Jacob actually met Noah.

And you find as you stretch out this genealogy, I don't know if Jacob met Noah, but Noah met Adam.

It's crazy how God's intent was, can I build a household with three or four generations where they feed off each other?

You can imagine what information Noah is getting from Adam.

How rich it is.

Because they used to live forever, right?

And so one of God's intent is, hey, I want to build a place where you don't tolerate each other.

You're not being nice to each other. Diplomacy is never a fruit of the spirit.

The intent is, can you actually relate?

Because the older ones are sages and the younger ones are filled with the vigor of youth.

And when that combines, there's combustion.

Look at another scripture, 1 John 2.

You know, last week was after service for some strange reason.

Jeremy called some of the older, wiser, better looking people for dinner to White Spot.

So there was Heidi, me, Wayne, Bernice, guys like this with other guys like Jonathan and a few others.

And we were sitting around and Wayne was sitting right next to me.

Wayne was just so thrilled.

He just would take a sip of the Coke and then he would say, man, this is just fabulous.

Why? Because as he looks around the table, he sees little Phoebe.

He sees little Jonathan.

He sees slightly grown up Jeremy.

He sees me.

He sees Jane and Sheldon.

And it thrilled his heart that around the table nine people sat from such different backgrounds.

But more than that, the age spot.

Because he's 89.

Phoebe's six and Jonathan is...

First John 2, 1 John 2, verse 13 and 14.

1 John 2:13

1 John 2, 13 and 14.

I mean, if you read it slowly, it's crazy.

1 John 2, 13 and 14.

Starting at 12.

Starting at 12.

I write to you, dear children.

And now he's talking about everybody.

Because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.

Next.

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

What kind of church was his?

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.

The older ones in that congregation had an idea of God that was so rich because of the years that they had spent knowing him.

And then he goes to the young and he says, you young men, you've overcome evil.

What a generation.

What a blessing and a privilege for the future when you have a group of young men and women that have overcome evil.

Allow me to show you something.

Sen, can you put that up for a second?

This broke my heart.

I just stared at this picture for quite a while.

Just feeling, yeah, anywhere.

You know, you heard of the shooting yesterday, right, of Trump when he was at the correspondent's dinner.

And we know who the shooter was.

And it's a heinous thing to attempt the murder of any man or woman.

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

You

It is to have a church that has young people to begin with and to have the ones that are older.

Functioning in a way that is fruitful.

That will only increase this.

That will only increase this.

We love you, Tia.

Keep going. We'll read that.

I write to your fathers because you've known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you young men because you have overcome the evil one.

I write to you dear children because you have known the father.

Now he, because there is an older generation that has known the father who is from the beginning.

He now expects the younger ones to know him too.

This is nuts.

It is impossible for the young to know him unless the old know him and show it.

I write to you fathers because you have known him who is from the beginning.

I write to you young men because you are strong.

And the word of God lives in you.

And you have overcome the evil.

It's almost elaborating.

You have overcome the evil. Why?

Because the word of God lives in you.

Any young person here, you may have tremendous gifting, tremendous grace.

But if you don't have the word of God, it's only a matter of time.

Because David said it this way.

How shall a young man keep his way pure?

By cherishing the word.

That goes, doesn't matter how full of grace and giftedness you are.

This is what God wants to create.

And this church years ago, maybe four years ago I think, was given a promise from God saying,

listen, there was a revival called the Hebrides revival that happened 70 or 75 years ago.

Where 20s and 30s were completely changed, sheerly by the Holy Spirit.

I guess who was behind the revival? Who started it?

One lady called Peggy and the other lady called, let's name her Sue.

I don't think it's Sue, but let's just call her Sue.

Peggy and someone. Peggy and Christine.

Two really old ladies in their 84 or 85s.

You know what they did? They kept praying, oh God, this place is so dry.

But you have said that you're going to revive the young.

And they would pray day in, day out, day in, day out, day in, day out.

That's all. Two of them praying for years on end.

This was not a prayer meeting kind of prayer. It was the Anna kind of prayer.

If you read Luke chapter two, Anna was a woman who was married for seven years.

And her husband died after seven years of marriage.

And it says for 84 years after that, she would come to the temple every day.

And she would fast and pray. What kind of people are these, man?

84 years every day?

So when she finally comes and meets Mary and Jesus, the little boy,

she's already, what, 100 and something?

Because she must have married at 16?

23? 103? 107 years old at least.

So Peggy and Christine pray and the revival starts.

And then they invite a pastor.

And when the pastor comes, his name is Paul.

And then the pastor comes, his name is Campbell.

Campbell is older than me.

He comes. The guys who started that revival are,

revivals always start on the shoulders of older people.

All revivals, you take any revival in the world,

it has always started on the shoulders of older people.

And then it breaks up.

When Campbell comes to preach, they look at him and say,

we hope you're the right man, because we've been praying long.

And if you're not the right man, we will know.

And then he's already scared.

He goes and starts preaching, but it had nothing to do with his preaching, man.

The Spirit of God comes down.

And that village knows the revival for two years.

Some of us went there. Fabulous. Where's Betty?

Oh, Betty was there. Okay, Sunday school.

So we are charged now with igniting a global revival

called Hebrides 2.0 amongst the 20s and the 30s.

And where do we start? In Richmond.

How old am I? 60. That's nuts.

But this is how God works, eh?

So if you're older than 45 or 50, let's just use Dilna as a marker.

If you're older than Dilna, that just covers, we don't have to go numbers.

We don't know how old Dilna is, so it could be anything.

So if you're Dilna's age or older than Dilna, then sign up, man.

Because without you, this does not happen.

And you can't keep away.

This is how this works.

May we never get to a point where we say to ones that are 50 or older,

or your job is to sit at home and pray.

That's the other thing that happens in churches, eh?

As soon as you become a senior or 50 plus or anything,

you are relegated to the ranks of sit and pray.

Some annas exist, but not everybody is Anna.

There are so many other things to do.

And we'll talk about how.

Look at Anna. We already talked about it.

Look at Joshua. Where do you start?

Where did Joshua start?

Where did Moses start?

They all started by doing whatever came their way.

What was Joshua's thing?

Joshua's thing was to just make sure that he hung around with someone older.

That he hung around with someone older.

He hung around with a man who was 120.

And it says of that man, Moses, in Deuteronomy 34, verse 7,

Deuteronomy 34:7

it says, his eyes were not dim,

and his vigor or the force of life had not abated.

Yet it had gotten to a point in Deuteronomy 31, verse 2,

Deuteronomy 31:2

where it says, Moses said,

listen, I can't take you out for battle and bring you back.

Yes, I have vigor.

Yes, my eyes haven't dimmed,

but I can't take you out for battle and bring you back.

Yes, I have vigor.

Yes, my eyes haven't dimmed,

but I can't take you out for battle and bring you back.

So why don't you call Joshua?

And I'll appoint him to go out and come in.

This works so smoothly, guys.

I would like to say to those that are 50 and above in this church,

because this message is particularly tailored for you,

but it does include the young one,

that the young ones in this church are not discriminatory.

If anything, they have open arms.

And so after this teaching,

we will have to discover what it is that God wants us to do

in the context of what God is doing in this church

and in the world through this church.

These are not young brats who have their noses in the air

and pretend like they'll never die.

So the onus today through this teaching

is on the ones that are more than 50.

It's not a rebuke, it's just an onus.

Yeah?

Okay, so here are some ways to stay fruitful.

First one, who do you want to be?

Barzilai or Caleb?

So let's look at both of them.

Barzilai, 2 Samuel 19, 2 Samuel 19, 2 Samuel 19.

Hey, Moses also, I mean, when Moses says,

I can't go out and come in, it's like saying,

hey, I can't drive at night or I can't drive long distances.

That's completely okay.

That does not take away from what God wants to do

in a church like this.

2 Samuel 19, 2 Samuel 19, verse 32.

2 Samuel 19:32

And then we look at Caleb, Joshua 14, 12.

Yeah?

So let's read that.

2 Samuel 19, 32.

2 Samuel 19, 32.

Here goes.

Barzilai was a very aged man, 80 years old.

He had provided the king with food while he was staying in Mahanaim,

for he was a very wealthy man.

And the king said to Barzilai, come over with me,

and I'll provide for you with me in Jerusalem.

But Barzilai said to the king, how many years have I still to live

that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem?

I am this day 80 years old.

Can I discern what is pleasant or what is not?

Can your servant taste what he eats or what he drinks?

Can I still listen to the voice of singing men and singing women?

Why then should your servant be an added burden to the law of the king?

Your servant will go a little way,

and then why should the king repay me with such a reward?

Why don't you take my servant with you, Chimham?

That's Barzilai.

Now let's look at Caleb.

Joshua, chapter 14, verse 12.

Joshua 14:12

Here's a crazy thing.

Joshua's four years older.

And now behold, Joshua 14, verse 10.

Joshua 14:10

And now behold, the Lord has kept me alive,

just as he said these 45 years,

since the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses,

while Israel walked in the wilderness.

And now behold, I am this day 85 years old, five years older.

I'm still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me.

My strength now is as my strength was then,

for war and for going and coming.

So now, give me this hill country of which the Lord spoke on that day,

for you heard that day how the Anakim were there,

with great fortified cities.

It may be that the Lord will be with me,

and I shall drive them out, just as the Lord said.

Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb,

the son of Jephaniah, as an inheritance.

Two men, 180, 185.

Both given an opportunity.

One, to have the proximity and the trust of the king of Israel,

and the other to just take land, but he wants land where the Anak dwell.

So what's the first, what's the striking difference here,

and what is it that will allow us as we get older to be fruitful?

One, examine unfulfilled promises in your life.

Unfulfilled promises in your life.

Examine unfulfilled promises in your life.

Ancient paths that you were promised.

Doors that you were supposed to open.

Appointments that were meant for you to keep here on earth from God.

What are the promises of God that you remember?

That were told you 30 years ago, 40 years ago,

What are those promises?

Caleb lives because he has something to do.

You take away purpose from life, and life must retire.

And here's the crazy thing.

God deliberately gives us promises for the future that remain unfulfilled,

so that we can continuously press towards getting them done.

I love what Simeon says in Luke chapter 2.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

He says, I have waited all these years to see the consolation of Israel.

I finally, my eyes have seen the King, and now I can die.

Till then, he would not die.

That's a strange statement to make, but Simeon would not die.

Because there was a promise given to him that you will see the consolation of Israel.

That you will see the Savior.

And that man knew that till I see the Savior, I will not die.

What do you have that keeps you alive every morning because it still has to be done?

And some of these promises are given when you're their age.

And you've got to hold on to it.

Because some of those promises are not long in happening.

They are deliberately given on a future date so that you can keep living.

Samson, that guy is blinded.

But he knows what he was called for.

And what does he do?

He puts both his hands on the pillars and he says,

Oh God, one more time, one more time, return my strength to me.

Because he knew. He knew he would die.

But he also knew his destiny.

Anybody here that is over 50 that does not know purpose or destiny must find it.

And we can help you, I can help you.

But you must find it.

Because if you don't find it, what will you wake up for when you turn 65?

Your retirement?

Then it doesn't matter whether your spouse is alive or your spouse has passed on.

You still have greater purpose than your spouse.

This is important guys.

I'll have to really screw up to leave the earth.

As in I'll have to really sin, really mess up, really turn my ways away from God.

Otherwise, I got enough unfulfilled promises to live a few years.

God invites ones that are over 50 to race with horses.

So he can keep you spiritually strong.

Don't think that he's going to give you a challenge that is easy.

He's going to give you a numberto fight your problem and you have to play a few γιαения come on.

Let's see.

He's going to give you a challenge that will make those feeble muscles strong again

Nothing gets easier as you grow older

If from God I'm saying because he knows you now have the wisdom and the experience

And the know-how of how to operate in your grace and gifts to do things that will take power in 20 years

And will take you only 15 years or 10 years

We're not talking about ministry please perish this idea of ministry

Ministry is an extension of the grace and the gifts you have

Discover the purpose and the grace and the gifts and ministry flows discover ministry and you're stuck doing the same thing over and over again

And you don't even recognize that God is changing the gifts that he gave you and the grace that he gave you

As I age purpose and life are connected

God keeps leading me into new rooms. You should read Psalm 92 verse 12 Psalm 92 verse 12

Psalms 92:12 Psalms 92:12

Psalm 92 verse 12

Psalms 92:12

I'll read it from the message

Psalm 92 verse 12 good people will prosper like palm trees grow tall like Lebanon cedars now. I'll read it from the NIV

Psalms 92:12

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree

They will grow like a cedar of Lebanon planted in the house of the Lord

They will still bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green

92 14

That's where it is

That's how God made us

Here's the thing guys that is how God made us

He made us to be plants that flourish and our

Virile and

Vibrant as we grow older that is how he made us

It's not even a matter of faith. It is how he made us

What is within me?

Paul said this himself a Paul probably was old enough and beaten up enough

He had been stoned to a point where he was dead. He carried on his body marks and wounds of

Severe persecution, but he says that even though the outer man is decaying and wearing away

The inner man gets stronger and if the inner man gets stronger then trust me wisdom will flow

Jesus put it this way in

Luke 7 40 issue thereabouts. He said

Wisdom is vindicated by her children

wisdom is vindicated by her children meaning if you have

Wisdom it will show and people will say there goes the wise one

The inner man can only get stronger

Not one mention in the Bible in a man

Now you know why Joni Eriksson Tata is the way she is now, you know, how why what's the other guy Nick I

Don't know how to pronounce his last name. He has no limbs

Nick we use something

Nick Wojcik

Does not have any limbs

He has no limbs

Nick we use something

Nick Wojcik does not have limbs, but the inner man of that man keeps going stronger

As I eat some 27 one is something that I shouldn't let go of light zest space

As I age I must locate myself in what God is doing

What is God doing in this church? If you're part of this church, what is God doing in this church?

Wrestle with it to wear it

Wrestle with it ask for what you want like Joshua. You have earned it

Develop foresight

You're not looking for a ministry opportunity

You're looking for the ability to develop foresight to wear what God is doing so that when he takes you to the church

When he tells you to do anything in the context you are able to rise up to it ask for it

One of the things we need in this church and in any church so I'm not saying we are deficient in it we need

sages

Sages are spiritually mature spiritually mature

They are age mature

They are gift mature

They are experientially mature

Sages we need these

In Proverbs 16 verse 31 it says wisdom is one through a righteous life

Proverbs 16:31

Here's a catch if these guys live a life that is righteous when they turn 50

wisdom

Will mature in them because they lived a righteous life some of us that are old now did not live a righteous life

But that doesn't mean we stop now. We break up fallow ground and we start as soon as we can

So do not look for how can I be involved

Look for oh god, this is what you're doing

What am I supposed to do and if it is I do different things on different days?

So be it if it is I do the same thing for 84 years. So be it

Because I can't call someone who is my age this is my excuse always to help Sheldon pull stuff like this

He's been trying desperately to lower his age he finally got an in

So there are some things that may not be open to us, but what God is doing you can buy into

Let's assume I was in another church where I'm not the pastor and part of the church

And I know what's happening that as a pastor you might say oh well, but it's not fair you don't know

How hard it is and stuff like that I've been in churches where I was not the pastor

But I was involved in the movement in that church and my only thing as I sit in front of well

God what are you doing here?

And based on the grace that I have and the gifts that I carry

Based on the experience that I have and the age that I am right now based on the spiritual maturity that I have

Had a track record for now. Oh God. Could you show me how I can be involved in?

What is happening in this church?

And when God begins to show me I'll go up to the pastor or go up to the leader

And I say this is what I was thinking and if what I say is wise

Usually it has only two reactions happening either they accept it or they reject it

I'm not looking for a opportunity to preach

There's nobody here who can say I'm not going to be a pastor

Who can't do that?

Let me pause and ask if you have any questions

Off

Okay, so let's take an example of

What's happening at acts 29 so you know that one of our targets is Richmond

That our hope is that the 20s and the 30s will be somehow satellite, but here's the question I want to ask you

and I'm asking

Let's say 45s and above how many days have you spent in the last one year?

Agonizing over what needs to be done in Richmond so that this promise bursts into flames

The

Easy part is going on a walk and pray

The hard part is oh god. I want to wrap myself in this promise cause something

Within me to rise up

Had I begin to live and breathe this thing I may not even see its completion, but let me see the start

We plan all our futures like this we are already thinking of how to save up for our kids education

Not knowing that 10 years from now it'll be all robots and the kids will be playing hockey

My ass will teach them ice hockey

Sette can help you skate

Sorry that was completely unnecessary completely unnecessary. Yeah

But it was funny

So that's an example from that will come things from that arises things

I'm not saying some of you don't agonize over it, but I'm saying is that the agony?

Guys the Sunday service is the easiest thing to do

It's the easiest thing to do

Is that the agony

Guys the Sunday service is the easiest thing to do because nobody here practices

You saw how Nellie came up

Toony never practices this service is not the church. This is just an activity of the church

It's an event of the church. There are far greater things that have been given to this church to do

That is where

CPR must happen Christ people what is the third one?

Crystal I

Asked these young adults on Friday to name their groups this group sitting here named until CPR and

It means Christ people restore and if you have time we'll do a skit. They'll do it in front of you. It was very funny

What should wisdom look like you might ask so if

We are say this what should wisdom look like thank God the Bible answers it go to Proverbs 8 12 to 16

Proverbs 8 12 to 16

Proverbs 8 12 to 16

Proverbs 8 12 to 16

I

Wisdom

Dwell together with prudence

My wisdom possess knowledge and discretion

To fear the Lord is to hate the evil

This is wisdom still talking. I hate pride and arrogance

evil behavior and perverse speech

Council and sound judgment are mine I have insight I have power

Hey, if you're over 50 in the next five years that people say that of you and I

Then we don't need a seat at we won't need a seat at the table, but we'll have tremendous influence

Job 29, it's one of my favorite chapters got a job 29

I

Love this

May this define every 50 plus here listen to this

Job 29 was

seven onwards

When I went to the gate of the city and took my seat in the public square

The young men saw me and steps stepped aside the old men rose to their feet the chief men

Refrain from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands

Why because they knew wisdom was in their presence

The voices of the nobles were hushed and the tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth

The voices of the nobles were hushed and the tongue stuck to the roof of their mouths

whoever heard me spoke well of me those who saw me commended me because now the the the

enacting of wisdom

Because I rescued the poor who cried for help the fatherless who had none to assist them

The one who was dying blessed me. I made the widow's heart sing pure religion

According to James I put on righteousness as my clothing justice was my robe and my turban

I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. I was a father to the needy

I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the wicked and snatched snatched the victims from the teeth

That is what it looks like

That should be the aspiration of every human being or every believer for sure

But it absolutely has to be the aspiration of those that are 50 or so

Let's look at one more scripture

I know it's okay. Here's another thing that will keep you fruitful a deep a

deep desire to leave a legacy a

deep desire to leave a legacy a

deep desire to leave a legacy a

deep desire to leave a legacy a

legacy that can be transmitted

A legacy that can be transmitted as in

Given to somebody a legacy that can be inherited by someone

Transmitted to someone inherited by someone improved by the generations ahead improved by those by the generations ahead

Those scriptures give

Strength to this yes, go to Psalm 71 verse 17 Psalm 71 verse 17

Psalms 71:17 Psalms 71:17

Let me write down the three scriptures Psalm 71

17

Psalm 48 13

1st Chronicles 22 21st Chronicles 29 2 let's look at them

Psalm 71

Since

My youth God you have taught me and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds

Even when I am old and gray do not forsake me my God till when?

Till I declare your power to the next generation your mighty acts to all who are to come

Come on, man

How can we die without this?

This is how things are passed on like we said four or five weeks ago

If you can get four generations that you can pass things on to like Paul said

To Timothy Timothy what I teach you deposit in faithful men so that they can teach others for generations

You get that and you have whatever God wants to establish

Look at the next one Psalm 48

Psalm 48

Words 13 I

Love this

Walk about Zion. It's talking about the people of God the church walk about Zion go around countertowers consider

Well her ramparts view her citadels that you may tell of them to the next generation

For this God is our God forever and he'll be a guide even to the end

It is important that we pass on what you're learning right now

Because the next generation is only 12 to 14 years away

Next one first Chronicles 29 to you see someone who actually worked this out first Chronicles 29 to

David and he's provided everything with all my resources

I have provided for the temple of my God gold for gold what silver for silver bronze for bronze iron for iron wood for wood

As well as onyx for the settings turquoise stones of various colors all kinds of fine stone and marble all this in large quantities

Hey, we do this when our kids want to buy a house

If you as a parent have gathered enough and you have a house and your kid is now wanting to move out of home

You first go

And then you help them because they have no idea what they're getting into

But the same way that we do it for our children is what we knew need to do for our children

Any questions before we move on

You can't develop a desire to leave a legacy without taking your eyes off your own impotency

Can you imagine Abraham stuck with his impotency you think he could ever leave a legacy

Everybody here is important or bankrupt. It is a grace of God that makes us potent

So it's not like there are some special here that are not

Important all of us are it is just the sheer grace of God, but that grace has to be conveyed forward

Some may receive it some may not

But I have to take my eyes off my outer impotency

The failures that have happened in my past and my resource reserve reserve

one of the things that happens to anyone who is over 55 and is nearing 65 is your eyes are locked on your

Bank account because you don't know how you're gonna survive once

65 hits because like we have discovered Malachi 4 7 says what when you turn 65

I shall abandon thee and therefore to prevent that we start locking our sorry just in case you thought that was true

It's not here

So we have to understand that as we get older one of the most detrimental things is to lock your eyes on

your resource reserve

You've seen your parents do it

And you don't have to do

But how do you get there if you didn't start when you were actually he's quite old when you were Jonathan's age

Sorry to Shalty you just look young

Any questions

Don't worry, I won't go as long as I did last week I apologize kind of

You should never have to step aside because you're old you should step aside because your sons are mature

You should never have to step aside because you're old there are things that might affect your mobility affect your ability to stay up till

12 o'clock eating five plates of french fries at White Spot

That's not what we are talking about we're talking about you should never step aside because you're old you should step aside

Because you're old you should step aside because you have sons that are mature

So prepare for your legacy years they

You know the strange thing is if you prepare for your legacy years

Your sons will carry your bones to the promised land and every time they look at your bones. They will say man I

Expect amazing things to happen because I know how this man or this woman lived. It's crazy

Eddie used to stand here and

Eddie some of you haven't met him, but he was someone who really was a

spiritual father to me and one of the things he would talk about was that he came from a

three generations of

men of God I

Would talk about how his dad and granddad and him and now Paul

And every time he feels frightened he remembers what his dad did or his granddad did

We get a chance to do this for Eliakim for

Brielle for

Phoebe and so on

Aaron

Sorry Joseph

Any questions about that?

Aaron sorry Joseph any questions

I'm telling you the truth guys getting older is tremendously fun

Can I hear an old amen

Tremendously fun

You get all the credit you do half the work

And even the work you do you do in one quarter of the time because you've learned

And

You get the you get the marvelous privilege of saying when I was young. Oh my god

Okay

As you age change your wineskin as you age change your wineskin by changing what is familiar

by changing your peers

By changing sometimes your location

Otherwise your spiritual capacity plateaus as you age change your wineskin. What's your wineskin? Your wineskin is this?

The stuff between your ears is your wineskin as you age change your wineskin change your peers

Make sure that you hang around with people that speak a certain way

Many of us who get older I went for a I went for a Christmas party

last year and the year before and

I was surrounded by people who are about three or four years older than me

And I was listening to them and they were telling me how in three years I'll have a bum knee

sciatic nerve problem

Something with my neck my heart and my lungs and I'm sitting there thinking I've got to go through two more hours of this

I stayed because the food was good

But the thing is be careful who you surround yourself with because as you get older you can be surrounded by people

who just

talk

Nothing else but negative

So be careful who you hang out with change your wineskin do things that are different have a wardrobe change

Move every time you come don't sit in the same place eat things you have never experimented with

George Bush the senior jumped out of a plane at

85 with a parachute, but he jumped out of a plane

Justin gives you thought oh, that's how he died no

He jumped out with a parachute

But the point is this as you grow older you must change how you function otherwise

familiarity

Plateaus your capacity

As

You get older

Do not disguise hoarding a sentimentality

As you grow older you start hoarding things no this reminds me of that person this reminds get rid of it

Holding is cannot be disguised as sentiment sentimentality

We must let go of the things we have gathered saying one day that day never comes

These are these are things that strike home right now

Because we are like that

I've said this before but

Ten years ago. I found 84 plastic bags under a carton and when I moved

84 plastic bags what was I storing them up for?

I did I I lifted the carton and I looked and now I realized why the carton was that high because there were 84 bags

Under it man. That's when I realized Jacob. This is serious man. You're not even 50 and you got 84 plastic bags under your carton

That's when I decided no more

And then they stopped plastic bags just when I got rid of them now I wish I had them

As I age begin to empty myself materially and spiritually as I age begin to empty myself

materially and spiritually often

die empty die empty

Give your children their inheritance, but die empty I

Love the next one and I've seen this happen in lives in my life and other lives older than me as I age

Expect the rush of the spirit the ridiculous anointing of the spirit to sometimes birth and Isaac

Sometimes weaponized the jawbone of an ass like happened with Samson sometimes run faster than a haps chariot

You have no idea how how God uses people that are older

Through a through a ridiculous anointing of the Holy Spirit

It just falls upon them and they begin to do things that it is impossible to

Any questions I'll conclude any questions

No

No

Yeah as you age begin to empty yourself materially and spiritually and often

Materially and spiritually start emptying yourself and often. What are you keeping it for?

Talk to me

No, I meant that I know it sounds like a money grab but I really didn't mean it that way

Yeah, I got a private jet that I need to buy

So I'm kidding talk to me and we can talk about how best to use it

Empty yourself often materially and spiritually

As you age and I end with this bit as you age the question isn't whether you belong

The question is whether you're a pillar that is willing to carry the weight of what God is doing in the house as you age

The question isn't whether you belong

My dad or mum never said do I belong in the house as they got older

As you age the question isn't whether you belong it's whether you're a pillar that is willing to carry

The weight of what God is doing in the house

And if we don't go down that route then it is only a matter of time before the heart will get resentful

Will get bitter will withdraw and you will end up in the older brother syndrome

Where anything that the younger one does just irks you

Make sure you're still teachable here

Humility in the community keeps me connected to breakthrough life

Humility in community keeps me connected to breakthrough life

You know you can do a Sinatra in the unimportant things

You can do a Sinatra in the unimportant things what I mean by that is I'll do with my way

You can do that in all the unimportant things

But in the important things one must learn how to be teachable and humble

As you grow older it becomes harder

to be teachable and humble I

Remember my nephew Caleb I said something to him. This was years ago when he was much younger

I said something to him and he said yeah, yeah, and as he walked away he said

He did that and walked away. I saw it. I was surprised at how

Annoyed I was that the guy had the audacity. My nephew had the audacity to stick out his tongue at me. I

Almost wanted to come in it's come here and stand here

Then I decided not to but the point was I was surprised at how annoyed I was you have no idea

How as we get older we get really annoyed by what younger people do

Just so you know we just pretending patience and peace but inside itself

Wrong place to sit today for this message

Well the point is that I must learn how to with lightning speed forgive offense lightning speed

I have to forgive offense as you get older offense is easy

Everything they do may o'q

With lightning speed I must forgive offense

Is that you Betty yeah it is

Sorry

Sorry, sorry it is no no, it's sorry. Let me move on

As

You aid stop lamenting about the former glory of things

Expect to find your footing in the latter glory of what God is building I

Want you to read one more scripture and then I'll give you a word to repeat if you're over 50 then we are done

Isaiah 46

Was three to five

as you read this remember this don't dip God of

His faithfulness with which he intends to carry you so that you can be where he is

Isaiah 46 3 to 5

Don't rob God of this opportunity. He is so determined to do this as they are 46 3 to 5 from the message

Listen to me family of Jacob

Everyone that's left of the family of Israel

I've been carrying you on my back from the day you were born

And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old

I'll be there bearing you when you're old and great. I've done it and will keep on doing it carrying you on my back

Saving you so to whom will you compare me the incomparable? Can you picture me without reducing me?

Don't rob him me he wants to carry

And in the areas of your weakness

Receive correction change receive discipline and change

If you're weak in the area of finances

Corrected if you're weak in the area of sickness

Corrected if you're weak in the area of pride

Corrected if you're weak in the area of being able to participate

Corrected if you're weak in the area of gossip and hanging out with people that will fill your years with every known complaint and every broken marriage

Correct it because if you don't as you grow older it begins to hobble you

Begins to hobble you and the blind spots in your life are blind spots because you can't see them find someone else who has the guts

to say that to you

Not immediately after the service if you come and tell me tell me in my blind spots I most likely won't

Because blind thoughts are painfully

That's why I don't ask you to tell me my blind spots. I do occasionally, but it's painful the last thing

That will really keep you young is just say these words after me and every so often repeated. Yeah

Say Jesus this for everyone who's 50 plus Jesus is my

Sigma Rizzo

Okay, you say that and it'll completely change how you function yeah

Okay, Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo means like he's amazing he's red and I will follow him and stuff like that

No, no, it's true Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo. Yeah, you just say that

Something happens you say Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo

You say Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo

No, no, it's true Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo

Yeah, you just say that it's something happens

You say Jesus is my Sigma Rizzo and everything begins to move like you're staying alive again. Yeah, so let's end on that

Okay, so father

Without asking people to stand I just pray for everybody here who's 50 and above

There's only two things I'm gonna ask for father one

Can you give us

Purpose

That fits within

The context of this church to can you remind us?

of unfulfilled promises

That have yet to be

accomplished

And the truth is

The third thing can you help us?

Become pillars that carry the weight of what you're doing in this church

How will you supply us

Wisdom that we talked about

where the young

And the old will long for Dill now long for Joan long for Sue will long for Diana

to

Long for Mike I can go on father will long for them

To open their mouths and say things that carry such weight such grace

so much of

your way of thinking

So we don't look for ministries or opportunities

We look for you and what you're doing and then we dive into that

And in diving into that we will

Even accomplish the things that have been left unfulfilled

Barzila had an opportunity

He could dive into it, but he didn't find a ministry and he decided he would stay home. He sent Chim Ham instead

We don't want to send Chim Ham if the king invites us we want to go because in the presence of the king

many things happen I

Just pray a spirit of God that he would take what has been taught and you would embedded in our hearts

So I

Bless the ones that are older than 50 here and my one desire for them and for me is that

We either see a large part of Hebrides 2.0

Or the beginning of Hebrides 2.0. I ask you God as a gift

to the ones in this church that are over 50, would you

Let us stay alive like you did Simeon

So that we may see the consolation of Richmond or of other parts

Of the world that we may see then we can say my eyes have seen it. God was always faithful

I love you

Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do

From the moment that I wake up

Until I lay my head I will sing of your goodness

Oh God

Can all the 50 pluses rise and just sing this chorus

Tony why aren't you standing?

Okay, so let's sing this together a the chorus can you go to the chorus all

My life you have been faithful

All my life you have been so so good

With every breath that I am able I

will sing of

the goodness of God

Let's sing it together church all my life

You have been faithful

All my life you have been so so good

With every breath that I am able I

will sing of

the goodness of

God how old are you Elio

Three years old do you know I'm 57 years older than you can we do this song together? Can you sing loudly?

You have been faithful

All my life you have been so so good

With every breath that I am able

I will sing of the goodness of

Thank you guys if you need prayer there'll be someone here to pray with you you good cool