Appreciating the Gift of Old Age

I guess I could start today. We've seen a gift given already today. Congratulations to Kylie on graduation. That's such a big step! Of course, we call it commencement. It's just the beginning, one of many starts and beginnings we have in life. We are also going to get a gift. In fact, some of you have received yours, and the rest of us are getting it, whether we fully understand that or not. I guess to kind of take away the mystery, let me give you the title of my sermon first. Now, I do have some authority on this topic. I did celebrate a birthday last Sunday. I am now 58 years old, and I'm not shy to say that. But that's part of the gift I've been getting, and the gift we're going to be getting. The title is Appreciating the Gift of Old Age.

Now, why are you laughing?

Well, part of what I hope to do today is to show you from Scripture that we should recognize that there is a gift in growing old. Let me begin here. Have you noticed how we live in a society where old people are not always respected or valued? I've noticed it.

Most people, including the elderly themselves, in fact, regard old age as a terrible curse.

And to be youthful, well, that's a thing to revere and to ever keep. Never let your youth go. Think about all the advertisements promoting products that promise to make us look and feel younger. Perhaps it's a lotion that will rejuvenate the skin. They always make it look so nice on TV. And some other potions to make those age spots and wrinkles disappear. Other ads promise to fight hair loss with anything from hair implants, and my favorite is to spray on hair. People, I guess, really buy this stuff. And of course, men and women are exhorted to color away that gray and remove years from their looks. I'm all natural and proud of it. The global anti-aging market includes skin creams, Botox injections, hair coloring, hair restoration, and cosmetic surgery. Well, that industry, that market, was worth $250 billion in 2016. And it's estimated to reach $331 billion in three years by the year 2021. A lot of money is being spent on these sort of products. And now, in 2018, the most popular cosmetic surgery choice of Americans is Botox injections to help eliminate some of those wrinkles. Now, perhaps you've also heard of something called ageism. Ageism was first coined in 1969. Ageism has been around since, well, pretty much forever. But they gave it a word in 1969. Ageism is defined as prejudice or bigotry that's no different than sexism or racism, where negative stereotyping causes pain and discrimination against a group of people just because of who they are. Ageism, though, unlike other bigotries, we will all experience it at some point in our lives. And that's because, of course, we all grow older. None of this will be exempt from this kind of prejudice and bigotry. An article entitled, Fighting the Stereotypes of Old Age, adds this about ageism. In many traditional societies, older people are respected as elders.

However, in other societies, this is from the part of this is from the World Health Organization, this is from the part of this is from the World Health Organization. However, in other societies, older women and men may be less respected. The sidelining can be formal, such as enforced retirement ages, or informal, such as older people being viewed as being less energetic and less valuable to a potential employer. These attitudes are examples of ageism. In ageist attitudes can portray older people as frail, past their sell-by date, unable to work, physically weak, mentally slow, disabled, or helpless. Ageism serves as a social divider between young and old. And so, just these few examples, I'm trying to help us understand probably what we already know, is that society has some seriously wrong ideas about growing old and being older. Our society venerates youth and youthfulness into an obsession about beauty and appearances. Well, those are those superficial, temporary features that will fade away. They're not meant to last. We mustn't allow, though, because these attitudes do influence us, our own perceptions of ourselves and what we are worth. We start believing what we're hearing, and we think, well, I'm getting older, I'm no use to anybody. That is not true. We mustn't allow those familiar and worldly values, such as ageism, to shape how we see ourselves and how we see others. You know, God values our hearts and the godly character, that true beauty and wisdom that He is helping us to develop as much as we'll let Him help. And that's where our thoughts should be as well. Let's turn just one or few scriptures here as I begin. 1 Samuel 16, verse 7.

Teens might remember this. This is part of what we studied for Bible Jeopardy. 1 Samuel 16, verse 7. We remember what God told Samuel. He had gone out to see the family of Jesse to anoint the new king, and Samuel is eager to know, well, who is it going to be? Okay. And so here, 1 Samuel 16.7, God's referring to David Zelda's brother, Eliab. That's the first one Samuel saw. And God told Samuel, Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. He looks at our heart.

And you can jot these scriptures down in Proverbs 31, verse 30, in what we call the Proverbs 31 woman description there. Proverbs 31, 30 were warned, Charm is deceitful, and beauty is passing. But a woman who fears the Lord, she will be praised. That's the true beauty. And in John 7.24, Jesus Christ speaks straight to the point.

John 7.24, Jesus said, Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. Again, it's a matter of the heart.

God the Father wants us to develop a lifelong relationship with him. Whether we're younger or older, God wants us to change our hearts, to repent and follow him. Let's notice Romans 13.14. God wants us to change our hearts and repent and follow him. In Romans 13.14, God is making sure through Paul that we understand where we need to be focused. While many are obsessing over Botox injections and creams that are going to remove what I think can be very beautiful crow's feet and laugh lines from people's faces. I see many. They're beautiful. Paul tells us here in Romans 13.14 to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. Again, speaking of true beauty. Also, let's notice Colossians 3, verses 10-11. Colossians 3, verses 10-11. Paul encourages us again here to put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of him who created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.

So yes, God calls whom he will. He calls all sorts of different people, all different ages.

We're all different. And I'll go back to the old words from my youth. Maybe some of us are young whippersnappers. You ever hear that? Some of us are young whippersnappers. No offense to anyone, and some of us, because I'm becoming one, I've been told, some of us are old geezers. And of course, that's in fun. That's in fun. But the fact is, God has called us to put on a new way of living. He's called us to experience a truly unique way of life. It's one of spiritual growth and development, which will ultimately culminate and are becoming beautiful and glorified and immortal members of the family of God. Let's see Botox top that. My thesis today, my point today, that's an old English profession, they're gone.

My point today is that old age should not be viewed as a curse to despise or dread, but it's part of the life process that God himself designed to help us develop more of his righteous character. Today, we will learn why we need to appreciate God's gift of old age.

And it is a gift if we accept it. So there are many references. Let's just start at the beginning, so to speak, at words. There are many references to old age, or sometimes the word is used for elders, and it's found throughout the Bible. The Hebrew word zakane, it's spelled z-a-q-e-n, I know some of you like to know these, z-a-q-e-n, Strong's age, 2204.

Zakane means old for humans, or it can mean elder in reference to individuals having authority. It depends on the context of the word. Now some sources state that the literal meaning of zakane is the chin hanging down. I thought that was interesting. The chin hanging down. Perhaps the chin hanging down suggests the beard of an old man. It's quite possible. Perhaps it's reference to being stooped over in old age. The chin becomes a little more obvious to see. Or maybe it's that little, well, I want to call it a waddle, but I know it's not what it is, but I'm starting to get mine.

Maybe that's part of what it's talking about. Some of the etymology of some words is kind of fun to try to figure out what it meant. But in any case, it's an interesting word picture, isn't it? The chin hanging down, reference to being old. Interestingly enough, we find the Greek word for old in elder is presbyteros, p-r-e-s-b-y-t-e-r-o-s, presbyteros, strong as g-42-45. Well, let's use the exact same way it seems as zakim. It too means old for age and elder with regards to authority.

An elder can be an old person or one of authority, such as elders in the early church and elders today in our church, and it depends how the word is used in context. Now let's look at Zechariah 8 verses 4-5.

Zechan is the word being used here in Zechariah 8, 4-5, and it's in reference to being old of age. And it's part of a very beautiful prophecy that will happen. In Zechariah 8 verses 4-5, it says, the Lord of Hosts, old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem. There's a time when Jerusalem is going to be a very terrible place to be, but it's going to get much better, as prophecy tells us. Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each one with his staff in his hand because of great age.

They're going to live to an old age then, too. And the streets, the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing, playing in the streets. The older folks and the children, perhaps are watching their grandchildren as well, great grandchildren, playing together and joining each other's company together. What a beautiful description of a tranquil old age in a future Jerusalem. People living at peace to old age, advanced age, and the children playing without fear.

It's one of my favorite scriptures. Also in Leviticus 19.32, we see the idea of old age with reference to honoring the elderly. Leviticus 19.32. This is a very early principle that's established in Scripture. It's a principle we try to inculcate among ourselves, such as when we allow the elderly to get in the snack line first. That's a way of showing honor. In Leviticus 19.32, here's what we read, "...you shall rise before the gray-headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God.

I am the Lord, I am the Eternal." And so standing at the approach of the elderly was, and still in many cultures, a means of showing honor. And as I said, we see that same sort of thing practiced among ourselves. Also, Proverbs provides us certain expectations.

There's things that we should expect of older people, of ourselves, even as we grow older. Let's look at Proverbs 20 verse 29. In Proverbs 20.29, it gives us some certain expectations related to the elderly of age. Proverbs 20.29 tells us that the glory of young men is their strength. Guys like to flex their muscles, don't they? Yeah. And the splendor, that word can mean ornament or honor, and the splendor of old men is their gray hair. It's something that is something they should not look down upon, growing gray, so to speak. It's a way of showing honor, of being honored.

Also, Proverbs 16 verse 31. Proverbs 16.31, again the reference, but it adds this caveat, you might say. Proverbs 16.31, the silver-haired head is a crown of glory. But look at that biggest, most important word in English, if. It's a little word. The silver-haired head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way of righteousness. If you're following God, it is especially a crown of glory. And so, growing older with God should mean that we're developing more of God's righteous character. Now, if we turn to Proverbs 31.23, we find another reference to elders. Proverbs 31.23, we find that elders, men of authority, they sit in the gates.

Sounds like an interesting place to be. In ancient times, it was a special place. So, Proverbs 31.23, again from the Proverbs 31 woman section, the virtuous wife, her husband, the husband of the virtuous woman, is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land.

An elder was an older man of responsibility and highly regarded by the people in his community as being honest, a man of integrity, well-respected, man of wisdom. And he sat in the gate, these elders did, in the role of judges. They'd help people solve problems. People could come to them for advice. People would seek them out. They're old men. People sought them out for their wisdom, for their judgment. If you turn with me to Deuteronomy 1618, we learn more about their role.

This isn't a role they made up for themselves, as we're going to see.

Deuteronomy 1618.

God gave instructions to Moses, and we read it here in Deuteronomy 1618. God instructed Moses, saying, You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates, which the Lord your God gives you according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Well, these older men decided controversies, as I said, and between people, and also they upheld the law of God. And the officers were the scribes who recorded the decisions.

And so, again, we see here that, along with old age, was expected responsibility. It was expected to be wisdom, especially as being responsible, as the responsibility of being part of an elder. And so, the elder's just judgment, to clarify what that is, the elder's just judgment was to be founded upon God's law. And, of course, that foundation is the Ten Commandments.

Obeying God's law offered the prospect, also interestingly, of being blessed with long life. Is that an interesting connection? Of course, the point is, let's go ahead and look at Deuteronomy 4, verse 40, while we're here. In Deuteronomy 4, verse 40, there's a blessing attached to keeping God's commandments. It's an expectation that you may well then receive a nice, long life. In some ways, it seems odd, but if you're obedient to God, he's going to do what he can, according to his will, to give us old age. So, how can that be a curse? Some think it is. Deuteronomy 4, verse 40, we read, you shall therefore keep God's statutes in his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you. It's going to be for all the generations coming after. And that you may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord your God has given you for all time.

And there's even a more specific promise of long life to those who obeyed the fifth commandment. Let's flip over a page or so. Deuteronomy 5.16. Deuteronomy 5.16, it reads, Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you. That your days may be long, and that it may be well with you the land which the Lord your God is giving you. So those who obeyed God's commandments and who obeyed God's commandments, well, you might expect a long life. You might expect to grow old. And those who had lived a long life and obeyed God's law in ancient times would be regarded among the elders of the land. And some of them would even sit in the gate as judges. So again, my point here is that old age was not considered a curse, especially if you trusted and obeyed God and lived by his way of life.

So far, we have seen that God does expect us to honor the elders in authority as well as the elderly of age. One of the reasons of honoring the elderly, and especially in ancient times, was because of the valuable wisdom they had gained. You turn with me. Let's see. Well, we can turn to Job because we're going to be spending a little time there looking at my notes. Yes, let's turn to Job 12. Job, of course, was to be a very old man, a highly regarded man. He was very much an elder in his place in time, very much inspired of God, a man who feared God. One of the reasons for honoring the elderly was because of the wisdom they had gained. And in Job 12, 12 speaks of this sort of wisdom that can be gained. It's written here, wisdom is with aged men and with length of days and understanding. And so, living long and according to God's law, the expectation was that the elderly were to be a welcomed source of knowledge and wisdom for the family and the larger community. Their wisdom was especially meant to help and guide the younger people and the children who hadn't lived quite as long and really needed some help along the way. Now, researchers tell us that there still remains similar advantages in seeking wisdom from the elderly today. Some of you know that. And I say that because many in society seem less inclined to seek any advice from older people, they think they don't know a whole lot. But through the process of aging, as we age, we experience the new things along the way. But we also experience the old repetitive things of long life. You ever notice your life is just doing the same things over and over and maybe similar experiences? New and old experiences reveal something to us, help us understand some things. And really what we learn is that there are some things that are really worth worrying about. There are a lot of things not worth worrying about. We know that because we live through life. That sort of understanding gives us a type of wisdom. To illustrate, let me read a little bit from a New York Times article. It's entitled, Do You Want to Be Happy? Think Like an Old Person. That's interesting. Okay, I want to read more. It says here, older people report higher levels of contentment or well-being than teenagers and young adults. Did you know that? I'd always been told old people are depressed and they're sad and they're miserable and young people are just full of energy. That's not what research is showing. It shows the opposite. Older people have higher levels of contentment or well-being than teenagers and young adults. Now, if they were not always gleeful, meaning the old folks, well, they were resilient and they were not paralyzed by the challenges that came their way. All had known, lost, and survived these older people. And none went to a job he did not like. And none coveted stuff she could not afford. And none rooted over a slight on the subway or lost sleep over events in the distant future. They had learned from their life's experiences. They also set realistic goals because they had lived longer than the younger ones. Now, gerontologists call this the paradox of old age. Do you know you're a paradox? That's a paradox of old age. That as people's minds and bodies decline instead of feeling worse about their lives, most will feel better.

Some of you are smiling. I think you would agree with that. In memory tests, they recall positive images better than negative images.

And under functional magnetic resonance imaging, their brains respond more mildly to stressful images than the brains of younger people. Older people are able to deal with frightening new situations better than the younger, except one of the gifts of old age.

Well, it's interesting. Because then it seems as older people we have been there, done that, to borrow a nice phrase, we've been there, done that, we tend to worry less about many things that once tormented us. Remember the things that tormented you when you were a teenager? I do. Should I comb my hair this way or that way? What would they think?

And I'm not making fun at your younger people. I'm not. Because every one of us have been there. And we've done that. But we do tend to worry less about those things as we're older. It used to torment us and frighten us. Because we've learned not to be devastated by other people's judgments. We've lived through it. We've learned not to be devastated by the negativity of other people around us. As older people, we've even learned to take risks that we may not have thought of doing years ago. How many times have you read these articles about people during their 70s and 80s and going hand gliding or jumping off in an airplane?

They've gotten over a lot of fears. They're going to go for it, as we say. Our years of life experience can also make it easier for us to manage our emotions. And we're less inclined to be manipulated by the opinions of others. Those opinions of what other people think about us, it doesn't worry us like it used to. It doesn't bother us so much. Growing older also allows us to prove to ourselves what we're capable of doing. And that, as you know, that can give us great confidence and a sense of wisdom.

But there's something else that changes as we grow older. There's something that changes within us, and we can't help it, researchers tell us. We can't help it. It's part of growing old. Let me read to you a quotation from a book by David Soli. It's called How to Say it to Seniors.

Not high school seniors, but the great hedge. Okay.

Research from the Harvard Medical School indicates that the aging brain does change, but in ways that enhance the task we need to do at the end of our lives. This gets interesting. According to Dr. Richard Restack, the brain of an older person does show some changes in the prefrontal cortex, its prime platform for working memory capacity, and the area responsible for processing new information. But all other brain activities, including your IQ, and the capacity for verbal expression, language, and abstract thinking, it remains gloriously intact. So yes, the body does wear out and slow down. That's a reality of aging. And because of these changes in the frontal cortex, the aging brain loses some of its ability to perform multiple mental manipulations. It gets harder for us to do that multitasking.

And so as a result, the external world may begin to fade and distraction set in, and focus becomes a bit compromised. But here's the good upside of that. The slowing of these mental processes, though, enhances the ability to reflect and to make informed judgments. Isn't that interesting? In other words, while it is true that you do get slower—he continues—while it is true that you get slower with aging, the slowing can actually work to your advantage. For one thing, older people are better at mulling over situations, reflecting and drawing upon their life experience to arrive at decisions. Doesn't that sound good? Well, I wonder, has medical research discovered why the elderly have the proclivity for wisdom?

Did God design us this way so that as our bodies age and slow down, our growing old and being old can be actually a gift and a blessing to ourselves and to others? I find this rather encouraging. So having learned these things, let's pursue this idea of wisdom a little bit. Does old age always equate with greater wisdom? Will older people always be wise? Well, what does the Bible say? So we should still be in the book of Job. Let's turn to Job 32 and focus a bit on verses 1 through 9. Job 32 verses 1 through 9.

I'd like for us to remember Eli who's words here in this section. Eli who's words about age and wisdom. And I'm just going to, if you need more of a backstory, I'll let you make that part of your study this week perhaps. But here in Job 32 verse 1, so these three men ceased answering Job. Job was not listening very well to their so-called wisdom. So these three men ceased answering his friends, ceased answering Job because he was righteous in his own eyes. Job thought he knew what the problem was. Now, just to be clear here, Job was old, but being righteous in your own eyes is not wise. And so, although he is wise, even wise people can make mistakes. We know that, and we know what to do about it. Now verse 2, Well then the wrath of Eli who, the son of Barakal the Buzzite, of the family of Ram, was aroused against Job. His wrath was aroused because he justified himself rather than God. Also, against his three friends, his wrath was aroused because they had found no answer, and yet they had condemned Job. Now, because there were years older than he, Eli who had waited to speak to Job. So again, he respects the elderly. He's letting the older take precedent. And when Eli who saw that there's no answer in the mouth of these three men, his wrath was aroused. So Eli who answered and said, I am young in years and you are very old. Therefore, I was afraid and dared not declare my opinion to you. I said age should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding. Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice. That's something we also need to think about. Eli who, though young, correctly discerned that great men and old men are not always wise. And if you keep your place here, or actually I'll just make reference to you for sake of time, Ecclesiastes 4 verse 13, you might jot that down. Ecclesiastes 4.13 carries a similar message. It reads, "...better a poor and wise youth," you remember this one? "...better a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who will not be admonished no more." The idea of stubbornness. And so it's quite possible that pride and a lack of humility, of course at any age, including old age, that can really ruin wisdom. And so sadly old age alone does not guarantee wisdom, but neither does holding a position of authority, because Job had both of those. So what then is a far better guarantee of wisdom than that of old age or position of authority? Well, if we want to be wise now, and in our old age, then we must have humility and the highest regard for God and his Word. We must have humility in the highest regard for God and his Word.

You know, Job had sought wisdom like we do. And if you look in Job 28 verse 20, Job had asked, Job 28 verse 20, The question all old and wise people ask, they ask, Where then does wisdom come? And where is the place of understanding? And then in verse 23 and 28, provide the answer Job had heard of. He had heard that God understands its way, the way of wisdom, and he knows its place. In verse 28, And to man, he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. And to depart from evil, we might call it sinfulness, is understanding. So Job had heard this wisdom, and because God loved Job and God knew Job's heart, God also helped Job to see his pride, to see his sin. And so then, those very wonderful words of Job 42 verses 5 through 6, let's look at those. Because rather quickly, we're just looking how quickly Job, well, took a process for Job, but we're reading it in fast-forward time, he was able to see where he had been wrong, because God had intervened to help him. Verse 42 verse 5 through 6, Job had heard of wisdom, but then he says verse 5, I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you. And then he says, Therefore I abhor myself, and I repent in dust and ashes. And so, through repentance, Job, guess what Job gained?

He gained even greater wisdom, because he had heard the correction and he accepted it. Job gained greater wisdom, in other words, because he was teachable, and he was humbly obedient to God. So, Job can remind us that growing older and old age itself can be a very valuable way of gaining wisdom. But true wisdom requires God's help, and especially the help of God's Holy Spirit. With that thought in mind, let's turn and look at 1 Corinthians chapter 2. True wisdom requires God's help, and especially the help of God's Holy Spirit.

In 1 Corinthians 2, chapter 4 through 6, Paul preached that true wisdom about repentance and salvation. Here he makes clear that the wisdom he preached about was not of human origin. It's not going to be found in any self-help books. It's not going to be found in the philosophy of men. 1 Corinthians 2, verse 4, Paul wrote, My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those of you who are mature. Mature means the idea of being adult, full of age. And yet not in the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing. Paul is addressing those who are growing in the understanding of God and in his wisdom, who are becoming more and more mature believers in God. And then Paul adds that God's wisdom is spiritual, is eternal, and it comes from the Father through his Holy Spirit. We see that continuing on here in verses 7 through 11. Paul adds, we speak the wisdom of God any mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew. For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But it is written, I has not seen nor your heard, nor have entered into the heart of men the things which God has prepared for those who love him. To get that wisdom, we've got to return love to God. But God has revealed them to us through his Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, just the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God, except through the Spirit of God.

So neither being old of age or gray-haired nor bearing a position of authority. Sometimes people think you've got a lot of power like the president or like a corporate leader, school teacher. If you've got power, you've got the wisdom. That's not quite so, necessarily. And of course, neither does having years of life experience guarantee we have true wisdom, true wisdom, such as what we learned from the example of Job. True wisdom in its deepest depth and power ultimately requires that God's Holy Spirit be in us. Now we use it. And true wisdom grows and matures as we continue to follow God.

So growing older spiritually is something God expects us to be doing once we've committed our lives to Him. Once we've received God's Spirit with the Holy Spirit with the laying on of hands, we begin the process of spiritual growth in a very real and definite way. We're to age and mature spiritually. We're to move from being a spiritual infant to ever-growing maturity. Walking in faith with God for all those many years, He allows us to us prayer, study, fasting, continuing to do what we're taught, what we learn, repenting, never stopping, never ceasing like life itself. It does an end until it ends, and neither should our repentance, neither should our prayers to God, neither should our turning to Him.

We find evidence of this growth, these stages we might see it, although it's a continuous thing, of course, much like the life itself. We artificially chop it up in stages, but it's one life. Let's look at 1 John 2 verses 12 through 14. In 1 John 2 verses 12 through 14, I'd like for us just to read these three verses, and then I'd like to come back with you and pull out some of the words in their interesting meanings here. So we're just going to read 1 John 2 verses 12 through 14, references to children and fathers and different age groups, apparently. We're going to look and see what that might mean. And so John wrote 1 John 2, 12, I write to you little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 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 wicked one. I write to you little children, because you have known the father. I've written to you fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. And I've written to you young men, because you are strong. And the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

Now, of course, reading through this slowly, it seems like he's making a lot of interesting repetition. Similar words are used at the same time in different scriptures.

What scholars have done and what we can see ourselves is that these references, these verses seem to refer to several categories, or quite possibly different stages, we might call it, of spiritual growth, of growing in maturity and in the spirit, becoming more like God. In his commentary in the Bible, Adam Clark uses the corresponding Greek words we find being used here, and he places them down to help us identify or see what seems to be four categories of growth. And I just want to list these with you, because it is interesting. In verse 12, for example, there is the word for children, little children. And this phrase, little children, is actually from the Greek word technion, and that's spelled T-E-K-N-I-O-N. Some lexicons and dictionaries of Hebrew words, it says little children, but it can also mean infants. Technion can also mean infants. That would mean those who are just begotten by God's Spirit. In verse 13, we see again the phrase little children, but the word here is different. In verse 13, the word here is pahidion, p-a-i-d-i-o-n. P-a-i-d-i-o-n, pahidion, and that refers to children who are able to walk and speak.

They're not infants. They're growing. And Clark makes a note here. It's interesting. He says, their children, they're beginning to know their heavenly Father. They can call him by that name, which is interesting, just like possibly seeing being in parallel with our growth as children from childhood. Verses 13 and 14, we see woven into the scriptures here the phrase young men. That's the Greek word neonicos, or neonicos. I'll spell it n-e-a-n-i-s-k-o-s. N-e-a-n-i-s-k-o-s. Young men, this specifically refers to, it seems to refer to men under the age of 40.

They're adult. They have grown up to maturity. They're their greatest strength, we might say physically speaking, if these were physical men. These young men have grown up to the man's estate, as he calls it here. These perform the most difficult part of the labor, and they are called to fight the battles of the Lord. It's interesting. Then in verses 13 and 14, we have fathers. Fathers is the Greek word patr. These are ones who are advanced in years. Some lexicons say it's a senior. It's like a senior citizen in the spirit. These are those who are at the foundation of the spiritual family. They're at the foundation. They in many ways help provide the bedrock of the spiritual family, of the congregation, we might say. These patres, these elderly advanced ones in years, these have the largest stock of spiritual wisdom and religious experience. They've lived God's way longest. They have so much, so much to share and to give. And so I thought this was interesting. We see here what seems to be a means of understanding or spiritual growth. And so if we remain close to God and nourish ourselves in His Word and obey Him, we should be growing. We should be progressing much as these stages suggest spiritually. Of course, we're not going to make any growth on our own. Job couldn't do it. He couldn't get what his problem was without God's help. We've got to have God's help. We need His Holy Spirit in us. And through God's Word, we study and use if we're going to continue, that is, to follow God for as long as we live. And so God's Word reveals the importance of growing older and experiencing life and pain as loss. And even more so, God's Word, in references to old age, it shows the necessity of growing older spiritually, growing older spiritually to develop His righteous character and to gain that true wisdom. So let's turn now.

What is our responsibility as older men and women in God's Church? Let's try to bring it down to the here and now, to actuality, to application. What duty do older members of God's Church bear to everyone in the congregation, one another? And also, what duty do older members of God's Church bear towards her brethren who are younger? Now, we heard an interesting, I should say, nice, helpful sermonette last week. Mr. Jim Stewart gave it. He was joking with me after services last week. I'd missed the sermonette because we were coming from Texarkana. And he said, oh, I spoke in Titus 2. And he got ahold of me later in the week. He said, I notice you jumped when I said that. Well, I'm going to talk a little bit with you about Titus 2 today. Repetition is a good thing. I did hear his sermonette. It was very fine. I want to listen to it once because I didn't want to be accused of taking his ideas. They're actually God's ideas, same spirit we're working with here. Well, let's look here. In Titus 2 verses 1 through 2, Paul, as we reminded last week, and we're going to be reminded again today, but Paul is giving instruction to Titus here about what the old should be doing for the young of the church. And in verse 2, the Greek word here is prespitus. It's pres... sembres, the same word I mentioned earlier about old or elder. Here it seems a little more broadly to mean an aged or old man. So he's not talking, although it applies to the elders and authority, but also it's clear it seems to be applying to the older ones among us in general, and especially those who have grown up and have in the church and have God's Spirit in them. So he's really talking to the older men, and later he's going to be talking to the older women in the congregations. So Paul instructs Titus what to teach. Titus 2 verse 1, But as for you, Titus, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine, that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith and love and patience. And so Paul's instruction is rather specific. We older ones need to be sober or moderate.

Don't go on a drinking binge. It's never a good idea. We need to be reverent, dignified, thoughtful. Temperate means to be self-controlled, it seems. An older man must be sound in faith. That would suggest you need to be steadfast. We should be loyal. We need to be that rock, those rocks we need in our congregation. They need to be sound in love. It would suggest, among other things, obedience to God and kind, self-sacrificing. Older men need to be sound in patience. They need to be long-suffering. Younger people can get on our nerves as we're older, even spiritual young people. We need to be very patient and long-suffering. In patience also, it suggests persevering. And I can't help but think of, as older people, we really need to be enduring those unique challenges that God allows us to have as old people. Things ache. I have old eye syndrome, they told me. Don't like it.

It'll get worse, but that's okay, because it's a gift from God. It's part of the gift.

Paul also gives instruction to the older women in Titus 2-3. The older women likewise that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not giving it too much wine. They must be teachers of good things. And so, much like the men, the women need to be reverent, mindful of God. Also, it's interesting he says they must not be slanderers. That would suggest they should not be accusing people of doing things and are not so. It shouldn't be doing that. Of course, that's whether you're male or female, you shouldn't be doing that. Instead of stirring up trouble, we might say, Paul instructs the women to be teachers of good things, the older women especially. Now, I don't know. What might these good things be? Well, Paul may have meant the list of things that immediately follow here along here in verses 4-5. He adds that the older women admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children. People have to be taught how to do that from time to time. To be discreet, chaste, homemakers. Good, obedient to their own husbands that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. And so, the older women seem to have a lot of — Paul seems to see for them — a lot of responsibility of instructing the young women how to love God, how to care for their husbands and children, how to live virtuous lives in modesty, in righteous ways of God. It's interesting that Paul finds it's important that they know how to make a house a home. I think that's more important than — I know it's more important than what society may think. We're supposed to have more than bedroom communities. We're supposed to have homes to live in. We need homes. We're filled with love, that they love their husbands in a way that will not disparage or make people laugh at the Word of God. In other words, older women should help the whole family the way I see it — not just younger women, but the whole families, not their own, but all families to honor and glorify God and how they live their lives.

I haven't made a direct comparison, but I can't help but be reminded. It really strikes me — Paul's instruction seems somewhat to echo and be reminiscent of Proverbs 31 and the virtuous wife. There's kind of a connection somehow there, I believe. So with its instructions to Titus, Paul's really making some clear expectations of older people, of us. Now you may say, well, I'm not old. I don't have to worry about this. Oh yeah, but you're going to get this gift, too. It's nothing to be afraid of. It's something you're going to grow into and you're going to be ready for. But regarding Paul's instructions here with the teaching, these are things, of course, we need to be doing today and among ourselves as family, family of God. But I would also, I feel like I need — it comes to my mind that there are also some other important points to consider here. To be effective teachers of good things to younger women — and I honestly think Paul likewise expected older men to be able to teach the young men good things as well. There's things we learn about men that mom can't explain, and vice versa. So I'm sure that the good things — men are expected to be teaching good things to the young men as well. To do that, I feel very strongly that older men and older women must be exemplars. That means you must be very good examples of what it is you feel compelled of God's wisdom to share. We need to be exemplars of good things we teach. If we don't, if we're not, well, you know what we are — we're hypocrites. I hate that. I hate it when I catch myself doing that. And if we're trying to teach and we're hypocrites, well, of course, we feel miserably. And so, just a simple point — and I think we know this — we must do as we teach. We must do as we teach. And then there's a second point, I think, about teaching the young men and women we can draw from here. And that is to be effective teachers of God's good things. Older men and women must have the respect and trust of the young they seek to help.

I learned this in the hard way, oftentimes, as a teacher for many years, and I'm still learning this. It's not a lesson easily learned for me. And that is without a rapport built on mutual trust and love and humility — especially humility — teaching and learning are going to be hampered.

To really help people when they need help, we really need to have built a rapport with them, a bond with them. Imagine, for example, that a young man needs direction on controlling his anger. What young man doesn't? I did. Or perhaps a young woman needs advice in submitting to her husband. Those early years of marriage made it pretty rough. Well, will the older members' good examples alone? Will their examples alone be enough to teach them how to behave and what to do? Of course not. Examples are not always quite enough at times.

The younger could really use some good heart-to-heart conversations. They could use some of that iron-sharpening iron conversation that the older ones could be very good at.

And how will that happen, though, if the younger, with the older and the younger, barely know each other? It makes it awkward. Both the young and the old then, and we should all be reaching out to build positive relationships with one another.

That's what families should do. That's what families should do. Build positive relationships. So Paul is right, of course. Older men and women ought to help and teach the young. But we need to be building trusting relationships first, with God's help as a loving family. Members of God's family. And we do that each in our own unique way. I can't tell you exactly how to do it. You know how. Try it. And then when we've done that, when a time arrives to teach the young about anger management or how to submit to your husband, those words that can be so hard to hear from another person, and those words that can be so hard for us to say to another person, they're all going to be better received. They're all going to be better received, aren't they? And then that young brother and sister is going to be greatly aided and helped. And so are we. It helps us, too.

And let's add to Paul's instruction here in Titus. Let's look at 1 Timothy 5 verses 1 through 2. Actually, let's turn to 1 Peter 5 verse 5. Let's make a detour. 1 Peter 5 verse 5.

Now, this wisdom we're talking about, it's not all one way. When we read Scripture, we do need to—I'll let you write it in your notes—we do need to go back and consider 1 Timothy 5 verses 1 through 2. I'll let you read that. The point there in Timothy is, you know, he tells Timothy, don't speak harshly to an older man. Don't rebuke them that way. Exhort him as a father. The point is, we need to be speaking to one another, old and young, with respect, with love, with compassion. And that's part of what we get to when we read 1 Peter 5 verse 5. It's not just older to younger. It's got to be rather cyclical. You see, not so many years ago, I was a young, dark-haired man, young man, and I was getting instruction from older men and women in the congregation. You sure it's okay to shave on the Sabbath? Oh, yeah. That's the kind of questions I had. I didn't know. But now, look at me. I'm older. And now it's my opportunity to help the young along. And that's the way it goes. It's cyclical. It cannot just be from the top down. It's cyclical. It's like water. It ebbs and flows back and forth. 1 Peter 5 verse 5. Likewise, you younger people submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, but don't forget the next part. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. In the perfect scripture to add to that, Philippians 2 verse 3, and I'll read it for you. In Philippians 2 verse 3 it states, Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, pride, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. That's the way it goes. When we talk to the younger and the younger talk to the older, we talk to each other same age, humbly, respectfully, with lots of love. I hope I fulfilled my purpose today. Growing older, brethren, we know it. Growing older is not a choice we get to make. It's what God has established. He wants us to grow old. And it's happening, isn't it, whether we want it to or not. And despite the increasing discomfort and challenges growing older brings, I recommend that we graciously accept growing older as a gift from God and not something to be despised. And with God's gift and blessing of growing older, let us grow older, let us grow old, I should say, together. Let's grow old together in faith, in love, in wisdom, in unity. And while bearing the burdens we each must bear, let us also cling always to our loving Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. And let us also, though, reach out to one another and build those bonds of familial love so that whether we're young or old, whether we're laughing or crying, then we will. We will remain as one body and together receive God's most precious gift, eternal life in the kingdom of God.