Disruptive Glory 2 - The Barzallai Syndrome

So I thought we'll come up with a fancy title for this one. So it's called the Barzili syndrome

I wish there was music when I said that so

the Barzili syndrome and it's still in the topic of

disruptive glory that we started last week and so today I'll be using

Slightly non-kosher terms like old older young words like that and so

if

If any of those words apply to you or to me and some of them do apply to me

Try not to be offended by words like old older because they're still

part of the English language, so

I

Don't know what other word to use so old older young younger will be used

So guys we've been talking about we started talking about revival last week and we said that the revival will be mostly among the young

The teens the 20s and 30s, but the work of God in the lives of the young is

Through the old the work of God in the lives of the young is through the old

Yeah, and so today we want to talk about how

How does

How

How does

How do people that are old and let's for our sake put old as 50 and above

Let's put old as 50 and above and so

How do old or older people participate in a revival that is for the young?

How do older people fit in a church where we have the young adults we have who are?

highly mobile

spiritually financially

Relationally, I mean we are blessed with these young guys

How do we fit? I think that needs to be spoken to spoken off spoken about

When you look at the revival at the in the Hebrides

Which we said would be very similar to what will happen through us. It was basically initiated by

Two really old women they would be the Agma and Gisela's age

90 and 95 or thereabouts 80 and 85 that's

Those are the women that really brought one of the world's most amazing revivals onto those islands and changed

the nature of the earth

Revivals change the nature of the earth we won't talk about that today, but we need to figure out

How does it work in a church with young adults like this?

Where do we fit as older ones? What if you're not a pastor then how do you fit as an older one?

and

In a revival that's going to target teens 20s and 30s. How do the old fit?

So let's look at barzila first and some of you are sitting here thinking. Oh, I didn't need to come today

I'm not 50 you'll be 50 soon

And

If you learn this now

You won't need to hear this preached later

so

This is to help us

Be like you know at Eddie's church in South Africa when the church was built

God told Yvonne Eddie's wife to

bring two palm trees and

Plant them at the gates of the church and these were not palm trees that were grown

These were palm trees that were transplanted and the idea was Psalm 92 that you will flourish like the palm trees

even in your old age and

so the intent is if we as

Guys who are maybe between 20 and 40 today if we learn these ways

We will not need to struggle with this as we go forward

So if you look at barzila in second Kings 19

3237

You don't want to be like him

Barzila second Kings 19 32 32 to 37

Second Kings 19 32 to 37. I really believe that this teaching will be taught 20 years from now

Things will be added to it, but it's that kind of a thing that will help many churches avoid pitfalls

second Kings 19 32 to 37

Therefore no, it's not second Kings 19 second Samuel. Okay second Samuel 19

Second Samuel 19 31 onwards

Barzila the Gileadite also came down from Rogelim to cross the Jordan with the king and to send him on his way from there

Now barzila was a very old man. It's very odd a how the Bible sometimes calls people very old when

Caleb was five years older and it doesn't speak of him like that

It doesn't speak of Caleb as a very old man

But it speaks of barzila as a very old man. Even the barzila is 80 and Caleb is 85

and if the word of God is authored by the spirit of God, but written by

Humans then two things are at play here one the human whose writing is seeing barzila as old

But the Holy Spirit is also revealing that even though he's five years younger than Caleb. He is old

Now barzila was a very old man 80 years of age

He had provided for the king during his stay in I wanted to say Manhattan, but it's Mahanim

He had provided for the king during his stay in Mahanim for he was a very wealthy man

The king said to barzila cross over with me and stay with me in Jerusalem

And I will provide for you the barzila answered the king

How many more years will I live that I should go up to Jerusalem with the king?

I'm now 80 years old. Can I tell the difference between what is good and what is not?

Can your servant taste what he eats and drinks? Can I steer still hear the voices of men and women singers?

Why should your servant be an added burden to my Lord the king your servant will cross over the Jordan with the king for a

Short distance, but why should the king reward me in this way?

Let your servant return that I may die in my own town near the tomb of my father and mother

But here is your servant Kim ham let him cross over with my Lord the king do for him whatever pleases you

Sometimes this is like a refrain that I've heard so many times from our mums and dads

That it's scary that we can become like that

But here is a man who has the opportunity to walk with the king of Israel which was a highly prized

Association he's being offered it

But he decides not to because of this thing called the barzila syndrome

Which is an inability after a certain age to participate in the activity of God

That is what we have to resist as 50-plus

So some of the things that happens with us as we get older is

Sometimes there's an indifference that comes in

indifference

Sometimes it's sentimentality

sentimentality

Sometimes it's not

Sometimes it's insecure and intimidated by the next generation

By the next generation

Sometimes it's

Entitlement and

If it's not entitlement as in I have paid my dues you you guys owe me now

Then if it's not entitlement itself pity I have paid my dues, but you don't treat me well

Sometimes it's a tolerance for compromise in your life a tolerance for compromise as in

I'm 55 or I'm 60. Yeah, I've got this problem and flaw and defect in my moral ways

But I've run my race and it's okay. You don't have to keep pushing that button. Just let me be

Sometimes it's disappointment with God

Because the older you are the more it is possible to look back in life and see where God did not work

And it becomes so large that you don't see where God worked or you don't see how God is going to work in the future

disappointment with God

Another thing that happens is the idol of comfort

Where you've worked hard and this is why you worked hard you now have an apartment in Mahane

And you want to settle and then here is this

Upstart king who wants to take you across the Jordan and will have to fight a few wars and I'd rather put my feet up

and retire

And so what happens in the process is we get stale we resign

We are afraid

And that is kind of handleable this is scarier when you become unteachable and stagnant

So this is what this syndrome looks like

There's an indifference sometimes to the gospel sometimes to theology sometimes to learning new things

Sentimentality all the good old days the good old days were never good day. They were plumbing was really bad

And

So

Insecure and intimidated by the next generation that's happening more and more now because everything is

My sister and I were talking as she was saying

When when we look back at the last I won't tell you her age

Jacob when you look back at the last 45 years of your life you realize

you realize how much things have changed and

It can be intimidating even in a church where you see the next generation rising up so fast learning quickly

And it brings in insecurity. What am I doing here? What can I do here?

As ones who are young who are learning you're in the throes of learning you don't realize it

It's a part of us talking about this is just so if you're young you're aware of what I'm going through and if I'm old

I'm aware of where you're at and where I'm at it's both ways

And I hope you can use this to help your parents because our parents are stuck in this warp

Any questions before we move on and if you're here with your parents, they are the only exceptions they're not stuck in the warp Sam

Any questions

So when we begin to think like this we walk as if the race is done and

There's a loss of loss of zeal. I mean Paul only said at the end of his life that I have run the race

We start saying it early. I have run the race because you lose zeal

No questions, okay

So how do

We as older ones maintain fruitfulness in a young church or in a

Revival or a movement that might target the young how do we as older ones maintain fruitfulness in a

Youngest younger movement or context

These are just three simple ways, and then I'll move on to other things one is through

Sacrifice

There's nothing that gives life like sacrifice Jesus said if you want something to be fruitful let it die

So one of the ways the older generation can begin to be fruitful at all times in any situation is through sacrifice

sacrifice of time of treasure of talent of

preferences of privilege and

Of strength why so that the so that others may mature the reason we have worship wars and

Other such wars in church is because usually a generation be the younger one or the older one is not willing to sacrifice

one of the one of the ways to be highly fruitful for the for the entirety of your life is through sacrifice and

sacrifice involves sacrifice of time talent treasure

Strength preferences privileges

For the maturity of others

Jesus talked about it in John 12

Second thing is through proclamation. How can we be fruitful through proclamation? What do you mean by proclamation?

It's so beautifully worded in Psalm 48 for instance if you go to Psalm 48 verse 13

Psalms 48:13

Psalm 48 verse 13

Psalms 48:13

It says there I love this starting at verse 12. There's something I long to do for the rest of my life

Walk about Zion go around her count her towers consider well her ramparts

View her citadels that you may tell often to the next generation for this God is our God forever and ever

He'll be our guide even to the end. It's something I long and love doing where can I tell Evan? Can I tell?

Me can I tell dawn can I tell you about the God of the God that I knew?

So that you can see the God of my fathers you cannot say the God of your fathers unless I tell you

And God will always be a generational God

He's always been the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob

And if I don't tell you you cannot say the God of your fathers

Look at another scripture that is similar it's

Psalm 71

Psalm 71 verse 17 and 18

Psalms 71:17

I'm gonna finish this today. So if it takes long stick around

Psalm 71 verse 17 and 18

Psalms 71:17

Psalm 71 was 17 and 18

Since my youth of God you have taught me and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds

Even when I'm old and gray do not forsake me. Oh God till I declare your power to the next generation

Your might to all who are to come

You know there are certain nations I go to and there are certain people that I

Admire and they're older than me and whenever I leave that nation, I always ask them to pray for me

Like Dano's wife blessy her dad is in Bahrain

If I go to Bahrain, I usually go to him at some point and ask him to bless me because I know he's a godly man

And I expect him to that if he blesses me there's something to it

I'm a product of people older than me who have taught me and blessed me. What is your story?

And if it is your story speak it through proclamation

Third one is through evident growth through

Evident growth

Through evident growth, what are we talking about? We talk about how can

The ones who are older be fruitful in the context of a young movement that the God Lord has started or a young church

Through evident growth what happens with evident growth when growth is evident you lay down tracts of wisdom

You lay down tracts of wisdom

For the younger to run in

You lay down tracts of wisdom

The church becomes a place where things happen quickly because the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of the ancient one

Is laying down tracts for people to run off

You get to places faster because there are tracts laid down. It's been hewn through rock

and now tracks are laid down and

In Proverbs 16 23 it says that wisdom is

One through a righteous life wisdom is one through a righteous life and the fear of the Lord wisdom is one

Through a righteous life and the fear of the Lord Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:31

verse 31 verse 31 and the point is

You cannot give wisdom as an older person and when I say older person is relative now because a 20 year old

Older person would be a 30 year old

So you cannot lay down tracts of wisdom unless you've lived a righteous life

Because wisdom is one through a righteous life and the fear of God

So when you think of ones that are older to you that you want to draw from do not look at anything else, but

Do they have a dread of grieving the one they love as in the fear of the Lord and do they have righteous lives?

Only is their wisdom

Genuine otherwise their wisdom is borrowed

Learned book it's not real

Any question on that

Any questions

No, how can we be fruitful we can be fruitful by

In a how can we be fruitful in a young movement or a young context?

We can be fruitful in a young movement or a young context

We can be fruitful in a young movement or a young context context by evidencing growth and growth is always

Able a growth is measured in wisdom that lays down tracts for the young to run on

Yeah, I've seen years yeah, but wisdom is

won by a

Righteous life and the fear of the Lord probably 1631 any questions any other questions

Yeah, yeah, yeah, because there are people that are getting old and they're just getting old

But there's this is there evidenced growth

That's important every year I must grow

Absolutely till you tell me not to

Yeah, yeah

See this is why God is a god of generations like

The great thing about God being a god of generations is that he expects the church to be a church that is also

generational why because it's only through generations that

Relationships can be built inheritances can be obtained

Otherwise not possible if a church is not relational then you cannot

Gain an inheritance in this church

It's not possible a pastor can never give you an inheritance a father can

And so

Relationships in a church are critical for you to receive an inheritance

It is critical for God to pass down revelations to a next generation

So they can make it flower and run with it so that if I give you an iPhone 3 you develop an iPhone 13 in

10 years

Otherwise you'll be stuck with Samsung

How many people can I see hands please Samsung hands I

See you there I see you brother I see you

Repent

Fine no because they're the good ones

Yeah, no we ate the apple

Okay, so here are some of the things that

We as older ones can begin to do so we don't mess up

So as you get old the company you marinate in as you get old

As you get old

Which will be the standard opening statement for all these lines as you get old the company you marinate in

the company you marinate in

Affects how you speak affects how you speak

Think and

Therefore the works that you do for God

And God works

It's odd when you're younger you think before you speak when you're older you speak before you think

Yeah, let me read no, it's surprising I'm talking about influence

When as you get older what you speak becomes what you think

You get stuck in a certain way of speaking you'll hear this it's very sad

It's very sad

People as they get older begin to speak a certain ways

They have a either a negative view or something or a positive view or something or a neutral view or something

And they keep speaking it they keep speaking it

It's like the thing the piston of an engine they keep speaking it and it's only a matter of time before they start thinking like that

And as they begin to think like that God is limited in the works he can do

So marinate yourself in company that that will not drive you to a place of speaking where your speaking begins to affect your thinking

And your thinking limits the works that God can do

Second one as you get old know that

Second one as you get old know that

Purpose and life are connected purpose and life are connected

When you run out of purpose you begin to run out of life

This is why

This is why very often people that retire

Suddenly find life slipping away

Because they were active and then they don't know what to do and they try to fill their lives with activity

And you can only cut down so many trees and chop so much firewood

And you have to have more purpose than cutting down trees and chopping firewood and building a deck for your daughter

And so purpose and life are connected and

This is why it is good if we can realize that God leads us into rooms

We've been talking about thresholds God leads us into rooms till we die

So if we can learn it early at 55 at 65 at 75 when we get to 90

We will not ever think that God has stopped asking us to cross thresholds that rooms are continuously opening up

Psalm 92 verse 14

Psalms 92:14

Psalm 92 verse 14

Psalms 92:14

Psalm 92

Psalms 92:14

Verse 14

They still bear fruit in their old age

They are ever full of sap and they are green why so that they can proclaim and declare that the Lord is upright

He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in him. They still bear fruit in old age

They are ever full of sap as in they bear fruit in their old age

Not as some kind of a concession that God is making because there is Zoe life in them the life of Christ still

Pulsates in them, but it is something that you have to train yourself in so that you can be fruitful

So that you can keep crossing thresholds entering new rooms till the day you die

May you be found at the threshold of some new room that was opening and you died

So that the door is still open for someone else to cross through

God keeps leading you into new rooms and the and the speed at which he leads depends on the speed at which you travel I

Just love these new rooms that God allows us to enter into

These are new rooms that basically

divulge some facet of his or some new project of his or some new assignment of his or some new move of his on the

Earth or some new character of his that he wants you to

Get so deeply that you can pass it on to someone else you know so that on the earth

There are a whole lot of people who are super kind or really in love with burgers or whatever

It's that kind of a thing where you pass it on

These rooms are wonderful

Sheldon that's two yawns huh

It wasn't a it was a sigh okay

Yeah, good good that with the mask just you never know whether it's a yawn or a sigh

As you get older guys psalm 27 verse 1 is something that you must

Psalms 27:1

Wear you must wrap it around like a cloak it's from the message

I'll read it from the message psalm 27 verse 1

Psalms 27:1

Oh god, give me zest give me light give me space

I want to be someone who's wrapped in this cloak that is knit with light space zest

light

space

zest

The NIV puts it as the Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the message puts it as oh god

Could you cloak me in light space zest light as in

the ability to see things clearly and then the obedience to

Have clarity in what you want me to do

I'm just rushing over it because it'll take a whole teaching by itself space as in space to create room for your presence in my life

space to

Do things that are unpredictable space to have you send me wherever you want at my age

Zest we talked about that

Beholding you

Beholding you walking as if you're walking with me man

If you were actually physically here jesus and you walked with me i'd be the king of the road man the

the

Big whatever

All those words that you put when a guy goes walking down the road like he's the dada of bombay. It's that kind of a thing

Yeah

The big kahuna

It's that kind of a thing

As you get old teachability and humility this one is important because old people lose this

And by old people I mean

Me and some of you

That's why I said this would be so uncold sure but hopefully someone in the future can

Make this politically correct and preach it

As you get old teachability

Humility and humility

In community

Will keep you

Vitally

Connected

To god

And man

It's not just teachability and humility on your own teachability and humility in community

It is odd how as we grow older

we take

An old 90 year old jacob and put him in a home because we say oh he's 90 now

He needs a community that he can be part of and play checkers or whatever

And so let's just put him in a community setting

But when it comes to the church

We don't realize that as you get older if you're teachable and if you're humble

And it's in the context of a community you get vitally alive

But the problem with ones that get old is that we become less and less teachable if you don't practice it

And we will be humble but on our own not in the context of a community

There are so many people that get old and get

Cranky when it comes to order when it comes to teachability when it comes to humility. It's like

Nah

You guys are too modern. That's one of the things I hear what you're saying. It's too modern

What I learned when I was young that's good enough or no

I don't want to participate in this you guys do it you guys are young enough to do this

Come up and do this. No, I don't want to I don't want to

I don't want to

This is not

This is not the way to behave teachability and humility in community will keep you vitally alive as you grow older

If a part of your body is beginning to get old you put it aside

It'll die you keep it in the body. It may get oxygen and life and it may revive

The older we get the more we need the body of christ

And somehow in our minds the devil has played the trick that the older I get the more I can step to the sideline

There is no sidelining in the body. My elbow now is 55 years old. It doesn't just move to the side

Yeah, I mean the older I get the more I have to use my elbows

Give me something to throw

My right arm at 56 can still hit you at that distance

This is getting more and more kosher

As you get old begin to empty yourself materially and physically as you get old begin to empty yourself materially and physically

Materially and physically begin to empty yourself. Otherwise the graveyard will become the richest place in the earth

I

Am praying

My sister was asked me yesterday. So aren't you worried that as you get old?

You'll be living alone. I said no, I've raised so many sons and daughters

I'll find out who's got the best house best meal and I'll start doing a tour

Who's house next Derek now

Yes, I mean there should be some payoff for all the work

This is a retirement plan guys

So

My hope and I really mean this with all sincerity and my god, I hope my life proves me

When i'm dead, I want to make sure that my bank balance is empty everything in my life physically and materially is spent

If you have children leave them in inheritance but do what warren buffet does don't give them everything

This is terrible advice on a preach, you know, it's open. Sorry, Sam. I should have told you to put your hands in your ears before I said that

But you'll get the major share

So we're not supposed to leave our entire

Inheritance of family and then that just becomes old money that keeps circulating

But I must spend myself materially and spiritually before I leave the earth

I'm not going to do that

Any questions on that please feel free to push back

Many of us will not be able to do this but many of us will be able to do this because we have time to practice this

Sorry

One that comes to mind is in ever when they

Sabians come raiding in second kings 1321 and they throw

The dead body into elijah's grave and it comes up alive and one of the parallels I draw from that is

If anyone throws anybody into my grave, you should just lie in the grave. You shouldn't come alive

Like I should have nothing left when I leave the earth

When you fall into my grave, there should be no life in me that will cause you to come alive

You should be as dead as you were when they brought you and threw you in my grave

That's one parallel I can draw the other parallel I can draw is david

It's strange how david

left

so much

For solomon for the building of the temple

David didn't give all his wealth to solomon

David gave all his wealth in terms of what was required to build the temple that he did not build and because

Solomon then took what david left him and built the temple solomon became the richest man on the face of the earth

David left him everything

He had gold

He had silver hyrum had given him a lot of stuff. He could have kept all that it said solomon here is your inheritance

Here is all the wealth that I've gathered. He said solomon. Listen, here is what I leave for you

I'll leave you everything to build the temple solomon builds the temple a while is building the temple god turns up and says what do you want?

And instead of asking for wealth he asks for

Wisdom god says i'll give you wisdom and i'll give you all the wealth he needs

Queen sheba walks into his palace and she

Like she literally swooned not at seeing solomon, but seeing his wealth took her breath away

It's strange how god and wealth work

Give it away it sticks to you don't give it away you stick to it

As you get old oh

When jimun was praying this for sue I was thinking he saw my notes

As you get old

Examine ancient paths as you go old examine ancient paths

ancient doors

Examine ancient paths

Examine ancient paths

Examine ancient doors

Examine ancient doors

Unfulfilled promises

And demand them

Because they were given to you

Demand them in faith

For the sake of others

For others and for his fame

I

Want to say like joshua said at the end of my life

And there are so many things I want to do at the end of my life that I hope god tells me it's

The end of your life. So do you want to quickly do all these things over the next two days?

At the end of the life end of my life, I want to call you guys and say hey guys

I've been young and i've been old but i've never seen any of the promises of god

Fail

What do you think joshua's doing in joshua 14 verse 10 where he says he goes up to

Joshua 14:10

What do you think caleb is doing when he goes up to joshua and says I was promised this land

40 years ago. I've waited

It is an unfulfilled promise

Give it to me

Examine as you get older examine ancient doors ancient pathways ancient promises given to you unfulfilled

and

This is how we live young old

Now the title for this is not barzilas syndrome living old young

Living old young

I will try my best to show you this

But if I fail, I hope someone else picks up the baton and runs

Because there's a

One of the things the devil loves doing in today's church is to decapitate fathers and mothers

To remove them

So that all you get is by the strength of your hands and that you never get an inheritance and you've got to start building

All over again

It's the nature of moab moab would always moab is a fatherless one

So that they have to again work

They don't get an inheritance and how does satan remove fathers and mothers not by killing them

But by making them resign retire regress

So that they're not effective anymore it's not the fault of the kids it's the fault of the parents who now think they're too old

And they're not effective anymore

So that they're not effective anymore it's not the fault of the kids it's the fault of the parents who now think they're too old

As you get old don't back off from challenges in opposition

As you get old don't back off from challenges and oppositions

It's another trick of the enemy where he says you run the race. You've got battle scars

On your back. Do you really want to go through this again?

Don't back off from challenges and opposition

Because that's how you race against hostility

Don't back off from challenges and opposition

And if you're feeling terribly discouraged disappointed hang out with wise young ones or wise old ones so that they can encourage you

Otherwise you'll back off from challenges and oppositions when a challenge comes when an op when opposition comes you'll think to yourself

I fought this before I got the scars to prove it

Hey, if you got the scars to prove it your skin is so thick the arrow won't pierce as deep

There are certain areas in my life where it's impossible for you to hurt me

Any questions

As you get old

As you're getting older, this is one of those as you're getting older statements as you're getting older

Eliminate weaknesses so it doesn't hobble you later or cause you to languish as you're getting older

Remove the weakness

And that's what I'm talking about

So it doesn't hobble you later or cause you to languish as you're getting older remove eliminate weaknesses

What are the weaknesses character defects that are going to haunt you later

Because now you practice them for 65 years has very hard to break out of it

When I say character defects, it's i'm not talking about moral failure. I'm talking about character defects in here

In here where I can't think any other way

Eliminate them because they'll hobble you later

Or they'll cause you to languish

Samsung is a classic. It's not i'm sorry. I meant to say samsung

Not samsung. It was samsung

Samsung is a classic example samsung could be a classic example too, but samsung definitely is

So samsung is a classic example of a guy who had a problem in his life that he would not correct till he's found

languishing in the lap of delilah strangely enough the word delilah means languish where you just lay your head down

On a lap that you have no business laying your head down on and that's where you get shorn and your strength is taken

Remove these defects early because as we get older it's harder to escape traps if you're not wise

So

Not bad we're still doing okay for time

I love this next one

As you get old let go of the seat at the step as you get old let go of the seat at the table

As you get old

Let go of the seat

At the table

But exert your influence

In the room

Very hard for pastors to do a or leaders to do older leaders to let go of the seat at the table

As in it's not important to be at the table that makes the decisions, but I love it when you can still

exert influence even though you're not sitting at the

table

Where you don't need a seat at the table you don't need to be in command you don't need to be

The one who is in charge but you have the ability

Because of the wisdom you carry is so evident that even while they're sitting at the table once they come to a decision

They'll quickly turn to you to see your face and not even hear your words

But to see either the frown or the laughter on your face and know whether they're making a right decision or not

That kind of place if you can get to oh my god god begins to applaud

God god begins to applaud

That's another one of my hopes

We'll have this large table around which all of you guys are sitting and i'm on the side

working my way through a burger and then you guys are making decisions and then

I'll drink a sip of coffee and then you'll look at me and i'll be busy with my burger

But

These are the musings of a man who's getting old young

I love getting old. There's nothing bad about it guys. Let me assure you

You get smarter you get wiser people respect you they carry things for you that you can carry

You don't have to help anyone move

So

She's on probation

Yeah

Yeah, but see you just just let the air out of the balloon

Yeah, yeah moving never buy a pickup guys put poor brandon

Yeah

Yeah, yeah smaller vehicle, yeah, yeah moving on

We need sages we need sages and what do I mean by sages

Sages are those that are spiritually

Mature

Mature

Age-wise mature

Gift-wise mature

And experientially

Mature

We need these in church spiritually mature and you can easily figure them out

Age-wise mature as in you've grown older, but you've grown you've matured as you've grown older you're not

You're not immature as you grow older. These are not just old bones. You've got an old head and old bones too and then

You can

Gift-wise mature where you've learned how to you've learned how to

Use your gifts for the benefit of others maturity is not in the skill of the gift maturity is in how beneficial is the gift for others

And finally experientially mature experience matters because man whose experience is not at the mercy of a man who has an opinion

And so we need this and guys anyone over 15 this church is prime candidate for this

If you're not aiming for this

You're doing everyone a disfavor

The next thing really cool as you get old expect the rush of the spirit every so often

Um

As you get old expect the rush of the spirit to birth an isaac or a john through you

As you get old expect the work of the spirit to be dramatic because you are not capable of

Producing an isaac or producing a john and along comes the holy spirit and suddenly you're pregnant

Is this the rush of the spirit that you're expecting?

A people some laugh some scorn, but you know that at this age you're still bearing isaac and you're still bearing johns

And then expect the spirit to come upon you in a rush so that you pick up a jawbone

And it becomes a weapon of mass destruction in your hands

It this is not because you have physical strength

Causes you to do amazing things in a limited time

As you get old expect the rush of the spirit which will cause you to run faster than ahab's chariots

As you get old expect even in your isolation on the island of patmos to see

Dreams and revelations that no human being on the earth has seen only you have seen

These are things that you can you can so expect

This is why I said

If we practice this if this church the ones that are younger practices you will show the world that getting old in god is

Is a blessed thing

Is a blessed thing

So expect the rush of the spirit so that of all the lands you can choose you can you you ask for the land filled with the anach

As you get old guys you have earned the right to ask

As you get old you have earned the right to ask what was promised

You have earned the right you should go up to the pastor you should go up to the leader and say

Hey, I want to do this. I want you to help

I want you to give me this so I can do this you have earned the right to ask

And then get battle ready if you need training because some of your skills are old get trained

But you have earned the right to ask

I love how joshua waits for the right time and then once moses is beginning to dispute things he goes up to moses moses

I'm asking i'm not

I'm not waiting for you to distribute i'm asking I want that and I want that and I want that hill

You have earned the right to ask

It is strange how as we get older

We almost are intimidated to ask

We think we are not adequate enough or we think we haven't proven enough or we think

we don't have the skill or the speed or the strength or the stamina or the

accent or the

Influency that the younger ones have and instead of instead of taking a step forward

We take a step backwards and we don't ask as you get older you have earned the right to ask

And when you ask ask for what you're good at what your purpose is about

Because sometimes the one in charge doesn't even know that if you ask this and you do it you might actually start something new

The problem is people come and ask but then when you tell them to train for it

Now I want to ask and get but I don't want to be battle-ready

No, sometimes you might have to lose a little bit of flab

Don't don't look at me and smile

Next one as you get old, it's easy to be insecure in your inadequacy

As you get old it is easy to be insecure in your inadequacy

It's easy to be insecure in your inadequacy and it's easy to be intimidated by the next generation

I remember going to a church in Sharjah many many many many moons ago

And I taught them on leading worship

My teaching was really good

Even though it was that many years ago

And then they asked me to lead worship

And I went up on stage I was so intimidated because I realized that

There were so many skilled

Musicians that I was playing the guitar and leading that the voices were so much better that all my songs

Many moons ago the songs I was singing was older

So my songs were as old as their parents

And i'm standing there and I am so insecure

And so when you're insecure, what do you do you go to your favorite go-to things?

And whether god is in it or not, you'll pull out those things and you'll start using them hoping that you can drum up enough

Fervor enthusiasm to make things happen

For you young guys, you must realize that

The longer a person lives the greater sometimes their inadequacies in certain areas and the greater their confidence in some areas

I was such a bad worship time

I've I almost felt like my teaching didn't match up to my

Ability to lead because I was in following god. I was just trying to show them that I can teach and I can lead

I can teach and I can lead

Any questions on any of the things i've said you're almost concluding

As you get old it's easy to be insecure in your inadequacy

And intimidated by the next generation because they seem to be doing it so easily with much less practice

One of the tricks is to see them as your sons and daughters

One of the tricks is to see them as your sons and daughters the moment you see them as your sons and daughters your heart leaps

Whose heart did not leap if your heart did not leap we'll come and check your pulse

Whose heart did not leap to see mia singing up here

Whose heart did not leap to see aaron playing the keyboard some six weeks ago

Whose heart did not leap to see isaac and

What's sheldon's daughter's name phoebe taking those ribbons and jumping up and down whose heart did not leap

When you begin to see them as your own

Intimidation goes out of the window insecurity goes out of the window

As you get old this is a tough one, I better write it down

This is a tough one, but super important the tough ones are usually important. It's almost like organic food

No, what I meant is no what I meant is like it's it's healthy, but it's not tasty yeah

No not with organic food

Yeah, i'm only talking about the thing that beef eats

No green juice

Excuse me we're in the middle of a

As you get old change change your wine skin

Change your wine skin by changing

What is familiar

Changing peers

Sometimes changing location

Sometimes changing location

Changing

Hobby horses and pet teal pet pet theology i'll explain

Pet theology could also mean your cat

Your cat here

Otherwise

You could

Die

Concealed

In ribbons

Land

Okay guys as you get older you start to see the difference

As you get older change your wine skin this is your wine skin you're thinking

Change your wine skin sometimes changing your wine skin can only happen by changing what is familiar

familiar routines

Familiar ways of doing things as you get older

If you don't change what is familiar

You'll end up looking like the ones that you find so difficult right now because they won't change their ways

Nobody starts off with the

Slogan i will not change

Change your wine skin by changing what is familiar changing your peers as in the ones that you hang out with

Change add to them sometimes we are locked into a best friend

And you call them your best friend 40 years ago now you can't take it back

And so

Every christmas every thanksgiving you have to spend with them because

You said too much the first 10 years and now you don't know how to withdraw and you wish you could spend it with someone else

But too bad 10 years. I told him that I would spend the rest of every thanksgiving with him

Change your peers

Sometimes change location sometimes change location. It's important to change location. Do you know how flexible this church is?

Do you know?

Don't you find it odd that we can change things?

At 10 15 in the morning and send you an email and you will still turn up not being grumpy

Or at least pretending you're not grumpy

How did this happen

I know some of you I know how how

How much you like?

Order how much you like things that are predictable i've seen how sheldon folds his vests

And his socks, I mean they

Like you should see they're so well folded and they're arranged in color these things

That's the first prophetic word I had for him. I went up to him and said

Uh if I went to if I were to come and open your drawer and find your

Vests folded and your socks arranged in neat order and he said yes

So I know how important it is

Hi guys

I

Don't know who you were matt. I knew who ranita was I thought okay?

Okay, so um

So I know how predictable you are but have you noticed how nothing phases you now because a culture can be created where?

You change your wineskin by changing things that are familiar

Changing peers changing location changing hobby horses hobby horses are when you decide that

These are a few of my favorite things

20 years have gone by you keep saying the same thing same topics being taught same things being whispered

That is when you know

Sounds what's that?

Sound of music yeah, you've got to change get rid of your hobby horses and

Change your pet theologies it is important. Otherwise you will die concealed in lay bands

Concealed in lay bands land any questions about this one because this one is difficult go ahead dine

Pet theologies

When a part of god's theology is what becomes super important to you you god proved himself to you that

20 years ago, and you haven't gone past it every time you talk it's the same thing

It applies to cats also change your pet theology yeah

No, they live nine times before they die that's the problem

Yes

Pet theologies when you have one thing that you flog

Over and over and over again beat israel beat the end of the world beat whatever never stops

Never stops never doubt. What's the rest of the song?

Never stops never think

Moving on since we have to end yeah

So

When I don't change my wine skin

I get so used to the familiar that I will not have the strength to break out of

That it is familiar and you keep serving in the same place

And you're not able to break out you lose your power to break through

You lose your power to break through

I mean he shouldn't have stayed at all

He spent seven years for one then got duped and stayed seven years for the other

Then got duped and stayed another six years 20 years concealed

Where you do not have the power to break through

And familiarity does that

Yeah, it's not stepping over the thresholds many of you don't know this but when we used to meet at raw street

There would be saturdays where I would come with some of the there were no young people then so I would ask the older

People to come and help me and we would completely change the furnishing so that when people came on sunday

They couldn't find their favorite places

and

I mean when we were doing it there was this evil glee to it

But it was a godly thing so they would come the next morning and they wouldn't find their favorite seat

It used to be a lot of fun, but

It was just a token exercise so that nobody gets used to anything

Yeah, but this is just for a year we might move again

Yeah, yeah, it's easier to just move you over Diana

Yeah, changing peers is because if I don't change peers the way I speak is always constant

If I if I only hang out with Betty and me

then

I'll soon start talking about biking and hiking

And then

Nothing will change will never talk about anything else because

Peer-to-peer relationships always end up that way that's one of the

Things that the young adults have to be careful of and the older adults have to be careful of

And the older adults have to be careful of if we don't have new

new people injected into our

Network of the ones that we associate with the jokes are the same. I mean

I'm so scared that I'm retelling my jokes always but unfortunately you don't stop me

So I keep retelling them anyways many of you have heard some of my stories so many times and you tolerate it

And it gets to a point where everything becomes the same and it's not conducive to growth

And therefore I want new people in my life who can come and break me out of the same pattern

Now with the young adults, it's in Bahrain. We had to shut the church down for a while because the aim became fellowship

The aim of the church is never fellowship anyone who comes to acts 29 looking for fellowship will get it but that ain't the aim

I

Don't add adding to them change changing your peer network so that it's not always the same

Okay

Jacob doesn't become israel had he not broken out. He would have been jacob. Yeah

Last two points

This is a tough one as you get old take your eyes off

your outer

impotence

As you get old take your eyes off your external

Importancy there are things that you realize others are better at you at and you look at your own self and you realize

You are important in that area

But this as I get older man, I will lean back on my ability to connect with the presence of god

I will lean back on the storehouse that god has allowed me to collect of new things and old things

I will lean back on the power of the holy spirit to do potent things through an important

Body I will lean back on the wisdom that has been gathered because houses are built with wisdom and knowledge

They are furnished with understanding i'll lean back on that. I won't look at my external

Importancy and say but i'm old. I can't do this. I can't do that. Betty does it better

I will not let that happen

Because you know why I won't let that happen not because jacob wants to be big

But because you will miss out on everything that jacob is because jacob's attitude is so self-deprecating

Can't afford that

As you get older take your eyes off your outer impotency, that's exactly what's happening to barzili

He's being invited for david to set up his throne zion

The ultimate place that people wanted to go to

Oh, my tongue doesn't taste things. My eyes don't see things. Look at me and my god the lament starts

We can't go down this route guys

Because of the life of christ that is present in the body and is present in you

You're talking about the personal presence of jesus christ in your body

We also don't get caught up in cultural complacency cultural complacency

I pray god that we never have a day when people over 65 will gather together to

Throw a ball that will knock off some pins

Because if you want to do it do it because you want to do it don't do it because you're

That's not what seniors in a church do

Then go do it

No, no, no, I really mean it my heart breaks when

When when when we have a seniors

Group that plays games it is retiring them too early. It's not right

It's almost like putting you out to pasture

We don't do this guys it's it's it's a it's like saying your time is done

And then

Take your eyes off your resource reserve take your eyes off your resource reserve as we get older

We look at the resources we have left and we decide that we cannot do certain things

Take your eyes off your resource reserve. Don't keep looking at your rrsps

Resource reserve saving plan

Don't keep looking at it because as you look at it and as you're getting older

It may be getting a little lesser and as is getting lesser you are deciding so

List of things to do. Okay, this one this one this one. Sorry can't do that

But jesus that is so highly impractical absolutely true

God thrives in impracticality

But jesus if I do something like that and then I don't have any money will you take care of me don will

Someone will any questions

Any questions

Why are we doing this because we need to contend for our children and we need to be content for our children

We have to prepare an inheritance because we need to contend for our children and we have to prepare an inheritance

Only the older or the ones that are getting older can prepare an inheritance for the younger and only the older can contend for your

for their children

You see it's guys you i'm standing here so that you know how serious I am and because i'm short

You have no idea how absolutely passionate and completely devoted I am to two things

Preparing an inheritance for you and second contending for

The ones that come after me two things

This must consume you because it consumed the father and the son and the holy spirit

You

This is what david did first chronicles 29 verse 2 first chronicles 29 verse 2

1 Chronicles 29:2 1 Chronicles 29:2

First chronicles 29 verse 2

1 Chronicles 29:2

With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my god gold for gold work 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 these in large quantities

Besides in my devotion to the temple of my god I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my god over and above everything

I have provided for this holy temple 3000 talents of gold 7000 talents of refined silver overlaying of the walls and so on

Let me end with this last scripture which will blow your mind

And I preface it by saying how dare you rob god of the years of your life as you get old how dare you rob god

Mike Karen Sue Diana Ranita Heidi Reba

Uma Mohini Ruth Joan

Dilna Jacob how dare you rob god of the life that has been given to you

You listen to this verse

I grabbed your heart Isaiah 46 I'm reading from the message

Isaiah 46

Was three to five from the message

Isaiah 46 was three to five from the message

Listen to me family of Jacob

Listen to me family of Jacob

Everyone that's left of the family of Israel

I have been carrying you on my back from the day you were born and I will keep on carrying you when you are old

I'll be there bearing you when you're old and gray 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

How dare I take my life that he's carried since birth and that he will carry when I'm gray and now say that I don't think you're capable

I've got to plan for my old age

That's robbing god

That's robbing god

The part that I'm not going to teach right now is how do you locate yourself in this present moment of god

Movement of god that is upon Acts 29 and upon the earth I'll have to do it another time because that's only one point but it's got eight sub points

So I'll do that another time because as older ones we have to know okay so if there is a revival or if there is something that's going to happen here on earth

How do I now based on all these things locate myself so that I'm fruitful so that I'm fruitful

So here's what I want us to end with I want two young two from the under 50s and two from the older 50s or above 50s to come and just pray and we'll close with that

Pray for each other pray for pray for the under 50s pray for the over 50s and the over 50s pray for under 50s remember guys you can be 49 or 50 and still people can write about you

That Barzilai was a very old man and they can say about Caleb Caleb was as young as 40 years ago so age is a thing here and here and a few other places but

Yeah and when we talk about how do we fit into the revival and what God is doing we'll talk about okay as I grow older what about the fact that my physical body isn't as capable as I was when I was 20

That's a reality too the Bible talks about it in Ecclesiastes 12 and a few other places we'll talk about that

How do we handle the physical limitations that come as we get older that part is real and sometimes some of us may be struggling with illnesses or sicknesses how do we compute that in

So those are realities too but I'm praying that you young guys will be able to navigate life so well that the Holy Spirit will quicken your mortal bodies even as you get older

Yeah so two from the young I don't know what to call you two from the that side and two from the this side if you could pray for each other

Just two so make a mad dash for the mic

I think he heard it as make a mad dash mic but that's okay

Got to turn it up there we go

Father we thank you for your revelation that transcends all that we see around us all that all that is in this culture and we reject what this culture says that young people are young people are

The only ones that matter and older people are the ones that that should be should be shelved and put aside and we ask that you would that you would quicken our our minds our thinking that you would that you would help us to reinvent our thinking that we that are the we that are older and help us from

And help us from keep us from getting caught up in that in that lie of being put aside and and we've we've arrived and we deserve to to to relax now and and keep listening to you and keep crossing those thresholds and keep finding those new rooms to walk into and and having having a life with you that is that is exciting and that is that is accomplishing your will and and making your word go forward

And giving our giving our wisdom and and our our accumulated knowledge unabashedly to the to the young people without without without apology without without intimidation so that so that they would gain from what you've put into us not because of our own our own our own arrogance or being puffed up but just because you've put things into us that that you want us to to give back to you

to to to put into the put into the younger ones and we we thank you that that we don't have to we don't have to live the way the culture says we have that we should live we don't have to to do things any other way but your way which is the right way and we thank you for that

Father I just pray for for your zeal to fall afresh. You are God of dignity and and of worth father and so often this culture starts removing dignity and worth as people age we say oh you there's now this is expected or this is expected but father I speak your dignity I speak your worth over every person in this room and connected to this body who's who's older father because they're older than you are.

Because this is who you are this is how you see them and their dignity and worth it doesn't it's not on a timeline. There is no end point father. So I thank you for your dignity and your worth I thank you that they are valued that they're an integral part of this body they're an integral part of the young being able to rise up.

Because it is through the old that generations are created without the up farther the older generation there is no younger generation father. So I thank you for your dignity and your worth and I pray for a zeal to fall a zeal to rise that it will no longer just be the young people running ahead but the young people will have to compete because they'll have to realize that hey there's something we have to run after we have to actually run to stay ahead.

So I thank you father for for what you're doing and I I just I just come against the enemy schemes the enemy's plans to bring discouragement to bring doubt to say hey maybe this is all there is.

And and I pray for a passion I pray for a zeal I pray for a zest a new life that there is no tiredness there is no fatigue but there's a refreshing father a refreshing of your presence of your purpose in each one's life father because when there is purpose there is life.

So I thank you for your purpose a fresh father.

Hallelujah.

Father just one.

Father just want to thank you first and foremost for the older ones that we have in this church.

And it's it's actually pretty cool because I was just praying this similar prayer over my mother like two days ago.

And yeah I want to pray the prayer based on Kela Bogart who in numbers when he was younger had a voice to silence the multitude.

But your word says that he he followed you wholeheartedly and he had a different spirit.

And then as we were reminded all father in in Joshua 14 father that he came back all over and and remembered the promises that you had spoken over his life.

So father we speak over the promises that everybody had all over that you know maybe they thought that some people had started giving up but father was speaking for a newness all over those promises father.

And so as Caleb said he said I'm still able to battle I'm still as vigorous and he reclaimed those promises.

So father I speak that over over this I don't know what to call them older generation I guess.

Yeah so father we thank you for that because you are the one who's able to do this father and you're the one who gives them the inheritance is that you promised them all God in the young age father.

So we're speaking for a newness Oka. I thank you father because you are the one who's able to do this.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Father I just want to pray for the young the younger people in this body and the ones who are listening.

And that includes Jacob.

Father I just pray that all of the things that Jacob taught today which are really good for us older people would be picked up early and easily by these young ones who are still who are already running in a phenomenal speed and growing in leaps and bounds beyond what I've ever experienced.

So I speak that into their lives and I just pray that they would take what the teaching has been and run with it because if they don't they will run into the same problems that we older ones are doing and having to get out of the ruts that we're in.

So I speak life and zeal and rest and peace and all that God has for you.

In fact I bless each one in this room with that all that God has for us would be manifest in our lifetimes so that we can bless others in their lifetimes.

Awesome.

Could the ones over 50 just stand?

And I just turn towards the ones that are young here.

You have no idea how proud we are of you.

I speak for the rest of us. We haven't seen this like Diana said.

We haven't seen this in our lifetime.

A bunch of guys from different parts of the world, different backgrounds and you've gathered here and you've shown us what it is to pursue God with a passion.

I look at you and I marvel.

Be it someone as new as Chava or someone as old as Betty.

Betty came what? How many years ago Betty? Six years ago in Chava? Six months.

I marvel at you guys and we just want to tell you how grateful we are for you and what you've done to our lives.

You have made our lives so rich you have no idea.

Very proud of you.

I mean Sue and Joan have been in other churches.

Diana has been in other churches. Mike and Karen were born in a church.

Heidi's been in multiple churches and I'm telling you as we look it is mind boggling.

Right Heidi? So proud of you. I have no idea.