1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,880 I want to thank you as a congregation for welcoming Drew 2 00:00:03,880 --> 00:00:08,080 and Louvian and Aria and Micah. Thank you for accepting them. 3 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:13,800 This is almost a surreal moment for me, as I wasn't sure if and 4 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,320 when Drew would become a lead pastor and shepherd his own 5 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:20,400 congregation. But Drew's more patient than his 6 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:24,800 father, and he waited for God's perfect timing. 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,760 And then God brought all this together and we couldn't be more 8 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,960 grateful, Drew mentioned. We're from West TX. 9 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,280 Texans have the unfortunate reputation of being 10 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:40,320 braggadocious about everything being bigger and better in 11 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:44,040 Texas. I heard about a Texas rancher 12 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,120 and an Iowa farmer that met at an agricultural convention. 13 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,400 The Texas rancher said to this Iowa farmer, he said, how big is 14 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:56,760 your spread? And the farmer said not not that 15 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,280 big, big enough, no more than 100 acres. 16 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,160 This Texas rancher said, are you serious? 17 00:01:03,680 --> 00:01:09,640 That's nothing, 100 acres. I have so much land I can get in 18 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:15,200 my truck in the morning and drive from sunrise until sunset. 19 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:19,720 And at the end of that time I still will have not gotten to 20 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:23,800 the end of my land. This Texas rancher said that's, 21 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:27,400 that's, that's OK. He scratched his head. 22 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:31,120 The Iowa farmer did and said, I know exactly what you mean. 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:33,760 I used to have a truck like that myself. 24 00:01:39,250 --> 00:01:41,330 Anyway, you can always tell a Texan. 25 00:01:41,330 --> 00:01:44,410 You can't tell him much, but you can always tell a Texan. 26 00:01:45,450 --> 00:01:50,450 Please turn in your Bibles or open up the Bible app on your 27 00:01:50,450 --> 00:01:56,760 phone to Joshua chapter 14. I am preaching from the newer 28 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,760 edition of the King James translation. 29 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:02,920 If you're using something else, I am certain that it will be 30 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,080 much the same. This morning we're addressing 31 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:13,680 the subject of age and aging. I read about a woman that sat in 32 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,040 the waiting room for a first time appointment to see a new 33 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,160 dentist. She noticed his diploma from 34 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,680 dental school that had his full name, and she was surprised to 35 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:30,240 see that because she remembered a tall, handsome, athletic boy 36 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:35,480 with that same name from her high school from her high school 37 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,760 graduating class long ago. She thought, could this possibly 38 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:43,320 be the same guy I had a crush on in high school? 39 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,280 But she immediately dismissed that idea when she met the 40 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:51,640 dentist. He was a short, balding, 41 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:56,680 wrinkled, pudgy old man. She thought that this man was 42 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,840 much too old to have been in her class, but she couldn't contain 43 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,480 herself. She just had to ask. 44 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,480 So after they had spent some time together, she asked, Did 45 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,680 you happen to attend Morgan Park High School? 46 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,440 He smiled and said, Yes, I did. I was a Mustang. 47 00:03:15,960 --> 00:03:18,240 She asked. And when did you graduate? 48 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,160 He said 1959, She responded, 1959. 49 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:29,800 Then you were in my class. He paused, looking at her more 50 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,560 closely. Said I was in your class. 51 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:36,640 And what was it exactly that you taught? 52 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:48,440 Aging happens, and from a medical perspective, aging is 53 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,320 the alternative to death. So unless we're anxious to die 54 00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:54,760 soon, then aging is a good thing. 55 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:59,200 Aging is a blessing from God. The percentage of older people 56 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:02,320 in the US population is increasing at an exponential 57 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:06,360 rate. This is 2025, and there are now 58 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:11,560 73 million of us aged 65 and older. 59 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,000 That's almost one fifth of our entire population. 60 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,920 And then there are 6.4 million of us that are 85 and older. 61 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:25,200 Actually, the fastest growing demographic right now are people 62 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,680 aged 90. Plus we have some widows in our 63 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:34,600 congregation that are 90 and more than 91 is 95 and she still 64 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:36,640 drives. Not sure that's a good idea. 65 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:43,120 On a global scale, there are 1 billion people over age 65. 66 00:04:43,840 --> 00:04:47,920 Japan is aging so fast that adult diapers are out selling 67 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:53,240 baby diapers. the United Nations is estimated there are now some 68 00:04:53,240 --> 00:05:00,000 316,000 centenarians. Centenarians are people aged 100 69 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,640 and older. And now there's a new 70 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,960 demographic level called super centenarian. 71 00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:11,840 That's people 110 and older and there are live and now an 72 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:17,520 estimated 300 and Fort Fort 450 super centenarians people. 73 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:21,280 That's craziness. Caleb is one of my favorite 74 00:05:21,280 --> 00:05:25,040 biblical characters. Our oldest grandson is a Caleb. 75 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:30,000 He is a second year electrical engineering student at 76 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:34,040 California Baptist University. His father and our second son is 77 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:38,000 a Joshua. So we have a Joshua and a Caleb. 78 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,880 Let's read some background to these comments on Caleb, Joshua 79 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,880 14, starting at verse 6. Then the children of Judah came 80 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:54,840 to Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb the son of Jofana the Kinnazai, 81 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,960 said to him, You know the word which the Lord said to Moses, 82 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:06,520 the man of God, concerning you, Joshua and me, Caleb and Kadish 83 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,360 Barnia. Verse seven. 84 00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:11,400 I was 40 years old. This is Caleb speaking. 85 00:06:11,680 --> 00:06:15,000 I was 40 years old when Moses the servant of the Lord, sent me 86 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:19,160 from Kadish Barnia to spy out the land, and I brought back 87 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,840 word to him as it was in my heart. 88 00:06:22,360 --> 00:06:24,960 Verse 8. Nevertheless my brother, and who 89 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:30,000 went up with me, me and the other spies made the heart of 90 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:34,000 the people melt. But I wholly follow the Lord my 91 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:38,040 God. It is estimated that 2 million 92 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:42,880 plus Israelites had left Egypt and a journey to the edge of the 93 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,240 land God had promised them. That land was called Canaan and 94 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:51,280 the people stopped just outside Canaan at a region called Kadish 95 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:56,000 Barnia. From Kadish Barnia, Moses agreed 96 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,840 to send 12 men on a reconnaissance mission into 97 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:02,840 Canaan. Those men were instructed to 98 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:07,600 investigate the condition of the land and more specifically to 99 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:11,120 bring back some of the grape harvest to demonstrate that 100 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,360 lands fruitfulness. That happened per those 101 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:17,640 instructions. And so it's no coincidence that 102 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:24,440 the modern day Israeli Ministry of Tourism has as its logo to 103 00:07:24,440 --> 00:07:29,800 men carrying an enormous cluster of grapes hanging from a pole 104 00:07:29,920 --> 00:07:33,840 beneath between them. Those spies were also instructed 105 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,120 to determine the strength and fortification of Canaan cities 106 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:42,760 and people. The 12 spies all agreed on the 107 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:48,520 desirability of the land but disagreed on what to do. 10 of 108 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:54,160 those spies brought back an exaggerated negative report and 109 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:56,640 said it would be impossible to conquer Canaan. 110 00:07:56,920 --> 00:08:01,240 The argument was there are giants in Canaan and we're 111 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,120 grasshoppers compared to them, we cannot do this. 112 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:12,640 But Joshua and Caleb disagreed and said to the others, no, God 113 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,840 told us to invade Canaan and we can do this. 114 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:21,360 Well, the problem was the people listen to the bad report from 115 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:26,920 the 10 spies and so rejected Caleb and Joshua and even wanted 116 00:08:26,920 --> 00:08:29,880 to stone them in order to punish the people. 117 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:35,320 Stubborn disobedience. God pushed pause and God put a 118 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:38,600 hold on the movement to invade the Promised land. 119 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:43,039 He forced the entire nation to wander in the wilderness region 120 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:47,880 until that entire first generation of Israelites that 121 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:52,720 had left Egypt died off. Only Joshua and Caleb and the 122 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:55,800 emerging generations would be permitted to enter Canaan. 123 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,520 Notice verse 9. So Moses swore to Caleb on that 124 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:04,320 day, saying, Surely the land where your foot is trodden shall 125 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,120 be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you 126 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,840 have wholly followed the Lord my God. 127 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,600 Verse 10. And now this is Caleb speaking. 128 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:20,040 Behold, the Lord has kept me alive as He said these 45 years, 129 00:09:20,880 --> 00:09:24,440 ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel 130 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:30,120 wandered in the wilderness. And now here I am, this day, 85 131 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,760 years old. That's an abbreviated background 132 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:36,280 to this text. Now let me extract from this 133 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:40,960 narrative 4 principles about AG principle. 134 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:47,840 One advanced stage doesn't mean we have to think old getting 135 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:50,800 older. Advancing age doesn't mean we 136 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:56,600 have to think old. Verse 11 notice, Caleb said. 137 00:09:56,800 --> 00:10:02,040 And yet as yet I am as strong this day as on the day that 138 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:07,520 Moses sent me. Carefully notice, he said. 139 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:12,240 And yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent 140 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:16,240 me. Just as my strength was then, so 141 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:22,120 now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 142 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:28,160 From personal experience, the first half of life was a piece 143 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:32,120 of cake, but the second-half has been more difficult. 144 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:41,320 Old age is not for sissies. Caleb had a mindset to handle 145 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,120 AG. Caleb essentially said he felt 146 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:51,120 as strong at 85 as he did at 40. Imagine that he felt as strong 147 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,520 at 85 as he did at 40. That might have been wishful 148 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,880 thinking, but it wasn't old thinking. 149 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:03,040 Unlike Caleb, I have lost some fitness and strength. 150 00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:07,560 I used to pinch an inch and now it's grab a slab. 151 00:11:09,560 --> 00:11:13,400 I used to lift more weight than anyone in the gym and now I sit 152 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,000 in the tub, pull the plug and fight the current. 153 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,440 I actually sat in a rocking chair this past Tuesday but I 154 00:11:20,440 --> 00:11:24,880 couldn't get it started. And each morning I wake up, what 155 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:31,560 doesn't ache doesn't work. I admit I'm old, but I don't 156 00:11:31,680 --> 00:11:37,200 think old because unless we die, we cannot avoid the inevitable 157 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,880 ageing process. So we should learn to adjust to 158 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:45,040 ageing. Aging isn't a choice, but our 159 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,720 attitude toward aging is. From a biblical perspective, 160 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:51,160 aging and old age is a blessing from God. 161 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:55,680 Consider some examples of that. Genesis 25 verse 8. 162 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:00,440 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age. 163 00:12:00,640 --> 00:12:04,040 Notice old age is described as being good. 164 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:09,480 Abraham breathed his last, and died in a good old age and old 165 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:14,440 man and full of years. First Chronicles 29, verse 8 So 166 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:19,840 he David died in a good old age full of days. 167 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:25,640 Job 42 verse 17 So Job died old and full of days. 168 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:32,400 Proverbs 16 verse 31. The silver haired head, meaning 169 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:38,240 the hair on an older man's head that often turns Gray, is a 170 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,720 crown of glory. Now personally I think hair is 171 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:43,560 overrated, but that's probably just me. 172 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:48,960 Titus one and verse 5. Paul said to Titus appoint 173 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:54,040 elders in every city. God specified that the highest 174 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:58,120 governing group in the church should be elders, and that 175 00:12:58,120 --> 00:13:03,560 original word meant someone of advanced age, an older and 176 00:13:03,560 --> 00:13:06,920 mature man. Titus 2 verses 3 and 4 177 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:11,480 encourages quote older women to teach younger women. 178 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,520 Problem is, it's extremely difficult to find a woman that 179 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:17,400 actually admits to being an older woman. 180 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:22,600 Exodus 20 verse 12. This is the 5th commandment. 181 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,280 Honor your father and mother. And why would God tell the 182 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:31,200 ancient Israelites to do that? That your days may be long. 183 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:36,200 The blessing God promised His obedient covenant children that 184 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:38,880 honored their parents was old age. 185 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:43,160 Moses described aging as something desirable and a 186 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:47,680 blessing. Leviticus 19 verse 32 stand up 187 00:13:47,680 --> 00:13:51,680 in the presence of the elderly and show respect for the aging. 188 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:57,680 Age is something to be respected and something to be honored, 189 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,320 something other cultures understand. 190 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:06,400 China legislated a recent law that requires adult children to 191 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:09,480 visit their parents and not to do. 192 00:14:09,480 --> 00:14:14,120 That can result in punishment ranging from fines to jail time. 193 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:19,120 And that's also the similar emphasis in Korea and Japan. 194 00:14:19,280 --> 00:14:21,400 In the United States, not so much. 195 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:26,280 In our culture, the aged are often abandoned in convalescent 196 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,440 and nursing homes. Now don't misunderstand that I 197 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:34,280 understand because of serious health problems the aged, it 198 00:14:34,280 --> 00:14:39,840 happened to my mother, the aged need special 24 hour care and I 199 00:14:39,920 --> 00:14:44,000 understand that. But I've been and I visited 200 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:47,520 convalescent homes for the past half century often. 201 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,280 I ask does anyone come to see you? 202 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:52,800 And their response is no, no one. 203 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:57,320 The older generation should never be abandoned and never be 204 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,000 ignored and neglected. According to the 5th Commandment 205 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,360 in the Decalogue. That is not how we honor our 206 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,320 parents. God has placed a premium on 207 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:09,600 aging. We should accept advancing age 208 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:14,280 as a blessing and a gift from God, and we should determine to 209 00:15:14,280 --> 00:15:18,760 appreciate and celebrate our longevity and not just endure 210 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,480 it. Aging is 10% what happens to us 211 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:27,880 and 90% how we respond to it. There might need to be some 212 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:31,880 adjustments in order to accommodate the aging process. 213 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:38,760 I have a General practitioner, medical doctor, and I also have 214 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:44,520 six medical specialists because aging often includes health 215 00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:46,560 problems. That's part of it. 216 00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:55,320 So aging might require us to make some adjustments, but age 217 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,360 doesn't mean we're done. I read AT Shirt that said I'm 218 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:04,560 retired but not expired. Older generations might struggle 219 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:06,360 to keep up with emerging generations. 220 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:10,560 In some sense, especially in technology, our grandchildren 221 00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:12,920 know more about our phones than we do. 222 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,880 If I have a phone problem, I call our oldest grandson and 223 00:16:17,120 --> 00:16:19,040 he'll explain. Walk me through it. 224 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:25,240 But remember something. As long as we that are older are 225 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:31,320 alive, as long as we that are older are alive, we're still 226 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,480 leading. We're still leading because we 227 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,760 are aware of the emerging generations have never been 228 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:43,480 youthfulness is so naive. Emerging generations consisting 229 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:47,920 of baby Busters, Generation X. Our son is a Buster. 230 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:54,960 Millennials, Generation Y, and especially now members of the 231 00:16:55,960 --> 00:17:02,120 Generation Z, the Zoomers, and now the most recent generation 232 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:08,760 is AA, consists of children born from 2010 to 2025. 233 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:14,520 But emerging generations have the mistaken notion that old 234 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:18,359 people have always been old and that they themselves are never 235 00:17:18,359 --> 00:17:22,680 going to get old. That's called self deception. 236 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,839 So generations after us have to learn aging from us. 237 00:17:26,839 --> 00:17:30,760 David commented on that Psalm 71 verse 18. 238 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:34,840 Now also when I'm old and Gray headed, oh God, do not forsake 239 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:41,280 me until until I declare your strength to this generation and 240 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,160 declare your power to everyone who is to come. 241 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:49,200 To everyone who is to come means generations that would come 242 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,480 after David. As older people, we've all made 243 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:57,000 mistakes, we've all had regrets. We all wish we could have some 244 00:17:57,120 --> 00:17:59,760 do overs and that's not possible. 245 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,600 But we can pass on our experiences to emerging 246 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:06,960 generations, all of them. The good, the bad and the ugly. 247 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,360 We can pass on those things to generations after us so that 248 00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,480 they can benefit from our experiences. 249 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,000 There's so much we can learn from older people. 250 00:18:19,360 --> 00:18:22,400 Someone said aging is just mind over matter. 251 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,480 If we don't mind, then it doesn't matter. 252 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,960 Age is just a number. And that's because it's about 253 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,200 attitude and Caleb have the right attitude. 254 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,360 Principle 2. Aging should be seen as a 255 00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:39,560 challenge. Verse 12 Caleb said now 256 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:45,920 therefore give me this mountain. Caleb is requesting a mountain 257 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:50,760 give me this mounting in which the Lord spoke in that day, for 258 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:54,840 you heard in that day how the Anakim were there and that the 259 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:59,320 cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be 260 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:03,680 with me and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said. 261 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:09,120 Remember, at this juncture, 80, Caleb is 85. 262 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:13,480 And notice he didn't. He didn't resign himself to a do 263 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,960 nothing rock chair rocking chair existence. 264 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:20,760 Most of his peers had already probably retired to Red Sea 265 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:22,920 Condos. Not Caleb. 266 00:19:23,720 --> 00:19:27,320 He didn't go. Been there, done that, even got 267 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,040 the T-shirt. Someone else can do it now. 268 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:32,280 I'm done. I'm serious. 269 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:34,720 I'm done. That wasn't Caleb. 270 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:37,960 Caleb said Give me those mountains. 271 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:42,600 Caleb said. Bring on those giants, let me 272 00:19:42,600 --> 00:19:47,600 out those fortified cities. Don't get me a Walker, people. 273 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,000 Get me a sword. I'm not through here. 274 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,800 That was Caleb. Some people stagnate in old age. 275 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,240 Those people don't just get old, they get obsolete. 276 00:19:59,360 --> 00:20:02,480 I heard about a dynamic St. who suffered A cardiac arrest and 277 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:06,720 died suddenly at age 83. But after she passed, her 278 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:11,120 daughter was going through her things and found a note. 279 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:18,480 Dated the night before she died and on that note, she had listed 280 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:24,520 her personal goals for the next 10 years because she accepted 281 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:30,480 aging as a challenge. Nola Ox was born in 1911, 282 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,280 graduated from high school in 1929. 283 00:20:33,720 --> 00:20:38,680 She married and mothered four sons, 13 grandchildren and 15 284 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,880 great grandchildren. She took her first college 285 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:48,080 course in 1930. Now, 56% of all students that 286 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:50,800 start college don't finish college. 287 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,520 She wasn't one of those unfortunate statistics. 288 00:20:54,720 --> 00:21:00,800 Almost 8 decades after she started college, she graduated 289 00:21:00,800 --> 00:21:04,640 from Fort Hays State University where she earned a General 290 00:21:04,640 --> 00:21:07,360 Studies degree with an emphasis in History. 291 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:11,960 She was 95. Princess Cruise Line heard about 292 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:15,200 her and hired as a guest lecturer on a Caribbean cruise. 293 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,800 She returned and decided to go to Graduate School. 294 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:25,200 Nola earned a master's degree at age 98, the oldest Graduate 295 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,560 School graduate ever to that date. 296 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,720 And then once she turned 100, she said yes to another 297 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:35,440 challenge and accepted a job as a graduate assistant. 298 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,520 People, that's what I'm talking about. 299 00:21:39,840 --> 00:21:43,480 Nolan, I should add, didn't die till she was 105. 300 00:21:45,040 --> 00:21:49,680 As Drew mentioned, this past summer I turned 75. 301 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:55,280 We've been married for 55 years, which boggles our mind. 302 00:21:55,440 --> 00:22:01,760 How did this happen so quick? 23 months ago, I accepted 303 00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:07,640 probably the most difficult task God has ever assigned to me, and 304 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:10,480 that was to revitalize an older congregation. 305 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:17,560 No one was younger than 62. God assigned me the task of 306 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:21,480 revivaling that congregations, something that all the experts, 307 00:22:21,480 --> 00:22:24,080 denominational experts said could not be done. 308 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,440 I brought in Dr. Jonathan Smith from Dallas. 309 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:32,240 He spent 2 1/2 hours one Sunday evening with our people, as many 310 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:36,200 as I could get there. And at the end of his 311 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:39,240 presentation, and he is an expert on church revitalization. 312 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,920 He's very, very knowledgeable. At the end of the presentation, 313 00:22:42,920 --> 00:22:46,920 he said, I'm so sorry, but this church is not a candidate for 314 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,360 revitalization. You have money in the bank. 315 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:52,040 You'll last longer than some, but you're not going to make it. 316 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:58,240 Wow. But I said yes, ultimately yes 317 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:01,600 to that assignment. And God is doing some miraculous 318 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,040 things. Aging should be seen as a 319 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,680 challenge. Principle 3. 320 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,320 It's possible for our greatest achievements to come in our old 321 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,080 age. It's entirely possible for our 322 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,320 greatest achievements to come in our old age. 323 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:23,280 Numbers 14, verses 2 through 4. God said that my servant Caleb, 324 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,960 because he has a different spirit in him and has followed 325 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:29,920 me fully, I will bring into the land where he went. 326 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:33,360 Canaan and his descendants shall inherit it. 327 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:39,960 So Caleb assisted his partner, General Joshua in invading 328 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:44,480 Canaan, and in a series of light night lightning strike attacks, 329 00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:48,400 the major strongholds in that land were conquered. 330 00:23:49,080 --> 00:23:53,920 Caleb was a significant participant in that invasion, 331 00:23:54,400 --> 00:23:58,920 and at age 85, that turned out to be probably his greatest 332 00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:03,320 achievement. Anna Mary Robertson Moses, 333 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:10,000 better known as Grandma Moses, had no formal art training but 334 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:15,000 became a cultural icon after she started painting at age 76. 335 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:22,000 Before she died, she painted some 1600 canvases, including 25 336 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:28,120 paintings she completed at 101. She sold her first painting for 337 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:33,760 $3, and in 2006 one of her paintings sold for $1.2 million. 338 00:24:34,960 --> 00:24:39,600 At age 59, the pitching phenom from the Negro Lick Leagues, 339 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:44,360 Satchel Paige, started his last Major League ball game. 340 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,880 He pitched for the Kansas City Athletics. 341 00:24:50,520 --> 00:24:53,360 The Athletics originated in Philadelphia, Philadelphia 342 00:24:53,360 --> 00:24:57,280 Athletics, then Kansas City Athletics, and then in 1968 the 343 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:00,440 Athletics moved to Oakland and became the Oakland Athletics. 344 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:06,400 And now in 2028 going to be the Las Vegas Athletics team just 345 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:08,480 can't stay still. I don't know what's going on, 346 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:11,600 but he pitched for pitched for the Athletics. 347 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:18,120 The game was September the 25th, 1965 against the Boston Red Sox. 348 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:26,000 Satchel sat in the bullpen in a rocking chair and a nurse 349 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:29,640 massaged his pitching arm and served in coffee between 350 00:25:29,640 --> 00:25:34,680 innings. He pitched 3 scoreless innings 351 00:25:35,040 --> 00:25:38,080 and left the game to the crowd singing The Old Gray Mare. 352 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:44,120 She ain't what she used to be. At age 64, prolific author 353 00:25:44,120 --> 00:25:46,640 Charles Swindell. He's authored more than 70 354 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,240 books. I'm actually indebted to him for 355 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:53,000 some of this material. But Charles Swindell at 64, 356 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:57,440 started Stonebrough Community Church in North Dallas, Frisco, 357 00:25:57,440 --> 00:26:00,160 to be precise. Church is a mega church. 358 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:06,000 Phenomenal facilities. Dr. Swindell retired this past 359 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:15,240 fall at age 9090, but he turns 91 this month, and each morning 360 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:18,440 he still goes to his office at Inside for Living, where he 361 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,760 helps facilitate transmitting his sermons on more than 2000 362 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:26,800 radio stations. At age 70, Benjamin Franklin 363 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:29,640 became the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence. 364 00:26:30,320 --> 00:26:35,640 Most people have the mistaken notion that Daniel was thrown 365 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:40,120 into the lion's den and survived when he was still a teenager. 366 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:44,000 Wrong. Most biblical historians would 367 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,040 argue that Daniel was tossed into the lion's den at age 80. 368 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,360 Billy Graham was the greatest evangelist in modern times. 369 00:26:56,040 --> 00:27:01,080 He preached his last crusade in Queens, NY. 3 consecutive nights 370 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,080 of crusade. Each night the attendance was 371 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:08,200 more than 80,000. Billy Graham preached his last 372 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:14,920 sermon at age 86. These men and women had some of 373 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,040 their greatest achievements in old age. 374 00:27:18,640 --> 00:27:23,200 Those people subscribe to the adage that it's never too late 375 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:28,680 to do something significant. Principle 4. 376 00:27:29,920 --> 00:27:33,640 No matter how old we are, God still rewards spiritual 377 00:27:33,640 --> 00:27:36,280 commitment. No matter our age. 378 00:27:36,280 --> 00:27:38,840 No matter how old we are, God still rewards spiritual 379 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:43,240 commitment. Verse 13 And Joshua blessed him, 380 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:50,440 meaning Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him Hebron, and gave Hebron 381 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:54,120 to Caleb the son of Geophonah as an inheritance. 382 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,400 Verse 14. Hebron therefore became the 383 00:27:57,400 --> 00:28:01,240 inheritance of Caleb, the son of Geophonah the Kinzenite. 384 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:06,480 To this day, because, notice, because he wholly followed the 385 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:09,880 Lord God of Israel. I should mention that that 386 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,680 mountain Hebron is also pronounced Hebron. 387 00:28:12,680 --> 00:28:14,600 Both are acceptable pronunciations. 388 00:28:16,120 --> 00:28:20,440 That last phrase he wholly followed the Lord God was used 389 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:25,760 to describe Caleb six different times in the Old Testament. 390 00:28:26,320 --> 00:28:28,120 It's interesting. Biblical historians aren't 391 00:28:28,120 --> 00:28:31,080 exactly sure what the name Caleb meant. 392 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,960 Some believe it meant dog and undomesticated dog. 393 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,760 But then most are convinced Caleb meant wholehearted. 394 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,160 Wholehearted. Caleb had a whole heart for God, 395 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:47,080 and that wholeheartedness fits this statement. 396 00:28:47,400 --> 00:28:52,120 He wholly, not partially. He wholly, completely, totally 397 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:56,280 followed the Lord God of Israel. There's a sports line that reads 398 00:28:56,280 --> 00:29:00,920 leave it all on the field. Coaches tell teams, get out 399 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,960 there and give this game everything you have. 400 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,160 Don't hold back anything. Leave it all on the field. 401 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,280 Caleb did that. Caleb demonstrated complete 402 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:18,400 devotion, unreserved enthusiasm and unconditional commitment to 403 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:23,800 God. That was Caleb at age 85. 404 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,920 Has that ever been us at any age? 405 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,000 Translated into two Testament language? 406 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:34,920 Caleb illustrates that being a Christian is a 24/7 full time 407 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:38,000 job. Being a Christian requires all 408 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:42,000 of us and all the time, no matter how old we are. 409 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:46,120 Convenient Christianity is unacceptable. 410 00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:48,880 Comfortable Christianity is unacceptable. 411 00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,120 Uncomfortable Christianity is unacceptable. 412 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:56,520 God wants a Caleb wholeheartedness from us. 413 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:00,120 Jim Elliott should sound familiar. 414 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:04,200 He's quoted so often one of the five murdered martyr new 415 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:08,600 missionaries in the Esquid Ecuadorian jungle in 1956. 416 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,760 I have a good friend, a pastor friend, who spent a number of 417 00:30:13,760 --> 00:30:17,840 weeks there in that jungle with the formerly known as ACA 418 00:30:18,000 --> 00:30:22,160 Indians. And those missionaries were 419 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:25,600 murdered in 1956. Jim Elliott said this. 420 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:31,040 When it comes time to die, make sure that all you have to do is 421 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:35,080 die. Meaning when it comes time to 422 00:30:35,080 --> 00:30:38,920 die, make sure there's no unfinished spiritual business. 423 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:44,160 When it comes time to die, we are to be faithful to do all 424 00:30:44,160 --> 00:30:49,240 that God required from us, and so all we have left to do is to 425 00:30:49,240 --> 00:30:52,320 die. I'm part of the baby boomer 426 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:56,880 generation, the stretch from 1946 through 1964. 427 00:30:57,200 --> 00:31:02,760 Together almost 77 million of us, twice the size of the Buster 428 00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:06,840 generation after us, and boomers are now retiring at a record 429 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:11,800 pace. 8000 or more boomers retire each day. 430 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,600 There are now more retirees than ever. 431 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:18,920 Most people aren't aware, but retirement is not found in 432 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,040 Scripture. In fact, retirement is a recent 433 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,880 practice. Most historians trace retirement 434 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:30,200 to Germany's Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, who pushed through a 435 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:34,760 series of social changes in the late 19th century. 436 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:40,400 He created a German system similar to our Social Security 437 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:44,920 benefits that guaranteed a retirement pension to older 438 00:31:44,920 --> 00:31:49,280 people. I'm OK with the idea that we can 439 00:31:49,280 --> 00:31:53,760 require retire from our current employment, but from a biblical 440 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:59,120 perspective, a Christian should redeploy after his employment 441 00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:04,320 has ended because God still requires commitment from us even 442 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:08,400 in old age. Christians can retire from Ford 443 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:13,400 Motor Company, retire from IV, retire from Bank of America, 444 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,400 retire from the post office in the fire department, retire from 445 00:32:17,400 --> 00:32:20,120 the school district, retire from John Deere. 446 00:32:20,800 --> 00:32:24,920 That's fine, that's all fine. But Christians don't retire from 447 00:32:24,920 --> 00:32:30,080 being a Christian. The objective in retirement 448 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:32,520 isn't to just visit our grandchildren. 449 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,840 Now don't misunderstand that one reason we're here is because of 450 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:40,000 our grandchildren. We have 4 grandchildren, 2 boys, 451 00:32:40,000 --> 00:32:44,040 2 girls. They're all amazing and we miss 452 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:47,560 them and they're one reason we're here. 453 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:53,000 I've always said grandchildren are God's reward to parents who 454 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:58,320 don't kill their children. And so we love to see our 455 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,120 grandchildren, but that's retirement after retirement. 456 00:33:02,560 --> 00:33:04,480 Our objective should be more than that. 457 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:09,600 Our objective shouldn't be to just better our golf score, or 458 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:14,480 improve our tan, or just hunt and fish, or improve our 459 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:19,480 pickleball game, or restore a classic car, or just RV 460 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:21,320 ourselves until the wheels fall off. 461 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:26,440 No, no, there are short term mission trips to be taken. 462 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:29,520 There are ministries to be volunteered for. 463 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:32,280 There are marriages to be salvage. 464 00:33:32,560 --> 00:33:36,360 There are people to be friend they were unsaved to be 465 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:39,280 evangelized. There are people in pain to be 466 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:43,760 counseled, children without parents to be mentored, the 467 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,320 underprivileged to be fed and clothed, and on and on and on. 468 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:53,360 Christians never, never retire from being a Christian and doing 469 00:33:53,640 --> 00:33:58,640 all that God expects from us. Now notice Caleb's consistent 470 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:03,280 commitment was first rewarded on earth and receiving that 471 00:34:03,280 --> 00:34:08,040 inheritance God promised him. Caleb had asked Joshua to give 472 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:13,159 him a mountain inside Judah. Joshua blessed him, and that 473 00:34:13,159 --> 00:34:16,280 blessing acted as a sign that God had granted him that 474 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:21,360 request. So God gave Caleb Hebron the 475 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,520 mountain. Hebron was an important site 476 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:29,880 because it is supposedly where the ancient Jewish patriarchs 477 00:34:30,400 --> 00:34:34,840 Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are buried, and according to 478 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:40,159 rabbinical tradition, the first man, Adam, was also buried 479 00:34:40,159 --> 00:34:43,120 there. Although no one actually knows 480 00:34:43,120 --> 00:34:48,520 that Caleb wanted Hebron, and in compensation for his commitment 481 00:34:48,520 --> 00:34:53,080 to God, he inherited Hebron. That was his initial reward. 482 00:34:54,360 --> 00:34:58,560 God still rewards us here on this earth, our reward. 483 00:34:58,640 --> 00:35:02,800 He rewards us with financial and material assets. 484 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,520 He rewards us with strategic personal connections. 485 00:35:07,120 --> 00:35:10,040 He rewards us with promotions and recognition. 486 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:15,480 God still rewards us here, but those are only our initial 487 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:18,400 rewards. Our greatest and most permanent 488 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:20,760 rewards are reserved for us in heaven. 489 00:35:21,320 --> 00:35:24,720 Matthew 5, verse 12. Jesus said rejoice and be 490 00:35:24,720 --> 00:35:29,080 exceedingly glad, for great is your reward. 491 00:35:29,840 --> 00:35:35,760 And where is our great reward? In Heaven In Heaven, the 492 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:40,000 organization ARAP, American Association for Retired Persons. 493 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:44,600 That organization started sending me stuff at age 50. 494 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:47,840 I go, man, this is ridiculous. I don't need this now. 495 00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:53,880 That organization suggests that most people after age 50 believe 496 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:58,080 in life after death. That particular research project 497 00:35:58,080 --> 00:36:02,920 revealed that confidence in life after death increases with age, 498 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:08,880 and that's because Ecclesiastes 311 reads that God has put 499 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:13,240 eternity into our hearts. The sense that we have been 500 00:36:13,240 --> 00:36:19,640 created to exist forever is has been a part of all civilizations 501 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:24,280 throughout human history. Astrophological evidence 502 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:28,720 suggests that every culture, no matter how primitive, every 503 00:36:28,720 --> 00:36:31,840 culture, has this God-given an eighth sense of the eternal. 504 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:37,120 There was this sense that our time on this earth is not all 505 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:40,760 there is. In a grammatical sense. 506 00:36:41,000 --> 00:36:45,360 Death is not a period. Death is just a comma in the 507 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:49,720 continuation of life. Death doesn't mean termination. 508 00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:53,480 Death just means a transition into the eternal. 509 00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:59,120 Famous German pastor, theologian and strong anti Nazi dissident 510 00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:05,160 Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed by the Nazis just before the 511 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:10,000 liberation. His last words were oh God, this 512 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:13,440 is the end. But for me this is just the 513 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:15,880 beginning. And that's because there's an 514 00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:19,440 infant amount more life on the other side of the grave than 515 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:23,360 there is on this side. Breath brings us birth brings us 516 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:25,840 into time. Death brings us into 517 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,280 timelessness. That's the reason it concerns 518 00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:31,080 me. The contemporary Christianity 519 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,560 seems to focus more on the here and now. 520 00:37:35,320 --> 00:37:38,520 We've all heard them. I'm not going to mention names, 521 00:37:39,160 --> 00:37:45,680 Joel Osteen, but we, we've all heard them say that you know the 522 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:51,440 emphasis on being happier now, your best life now, having more 523 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:57,840 here, having good health here, solving our problems here, being 524 00:37:57,840 --> 00:38:01,840 more blessed here, being more fulfilled here, being more 525 00:38:01,840 --> 00:38:06,080 successful here. People, have we forgotten that 526 00:38:06,080 --> 00:38:11,600 here stops at the grave? I read about someone that didn't 527 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:15,120 understand that concept. He saved and hoarded as much 528 00:38:15,120 --> 00:38:20,920 money as he could throughout his lifetime because he had an 529 00:38:20,920 --> 00:38:24,320 unreasonable, unbiblical affection for money. 530 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:30,200 Just before he died, he insisted his wife put his entire life 531 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:33,200 savings into the casket with him. 532 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:39,560 She was scheduled to receive sizeable life insurance 533 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:43,880 benefits, so she was provided for after his death, but he 534 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:46,480 wanted to see if he could be the one exception. 535 00:38:47,240 --> 00:38:50,880 The one exception to take his personal 6 figure bank account 536 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,120 into the afterlife. His wife protested at first, but 537 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:59,560 then reconsidered and promised him she would do that at his 538 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,400 funeral. After the service, just before 539 00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:07,880 the casket was closed, his wife put a small box into the casket. 540 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:12,400 The Mortuary staff then closed the casket, rolled it away. 541 00:39:13,080 --> 00:39:17,680 One of the wife's friends was aware of this man's strange 542 00:39:17,680 --> 00:39:23,240 request and she noticed what this woman had just done. 543 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:27,880 And she said, wait a minute, you weren't foolish enough to put 544 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,160 all that money into the casket, were you? 545 00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:35,440 She said. I promised my husband I would 546 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:38,960 put his entire life savings into the casket with him. 547 00:39:39,240 --> 00:39:42,160 This friend is frantic and shocked. 548 00:39:42,240 --> 00:39:44,560 Seriously. Seriously. 549 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,120 You mean to tell me that you actually put all that money into 550 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:49,560 the casket? She said. 551 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:51,760 Yes, I did. I wrote him a check for the 552 00:39:51,760 --> 00:40:00,720 exact amount here. Stops at the grave. 553 00:40:02,360 --> 00:40:06,880 So the older we get, the more focused on the eternal we should 554 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:12,680 be. Bruce Wilkerson, famous author. 555 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:17,760 His books have sold millions of copies and also founder of Walk 556 00:40:17,760 --> 00:40:22,440 Through the Bible Ministries and I've met him and spoke to him 557 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:26,080 and have listened to him at different seminars. 558 00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:31,320 Bruce Wilkerson's calls that the law of the unbreakable link. 559 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:34,960 The law of the unbreakable link. Unbreakable link, meaning the 560 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:38,240 uninterrupted link between the here and the hereafter. 561 00:40:39,320 --> 00:40:44,000 That law states our choices on earth have direct consequences 562 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,120 in heaven. That law was illustrating using 563 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:55,840 a dot and a line as on this poster and as on the note sheet. 564 00:40:56,000 --> 00:41:00,600 You have notice on the note sheet the dots and then the line 565 00:41:00,840 --> 00:41:04,080 beginning after the dot and then going off the edge of the page. 566 00:41:04,520 --> 00:41:08,960 The dot represents our entire existence on this earth from 567 00:41:08,960 --> 00:41:14,400 birth until death, and the line represents our eternal existence 568 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:19,640 in heaven. The dot is finite, the land, the 569 00:41:19,640 --> 00:41:23,480 line is infinite. The dot almost never lasts more 570 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,040 than a century, but the line lasts forever. 571 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:32,600 Carrie was on the dot until this past Wednesday afternoon. 572 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:38,040 Now Kerry is on that line and someday we will all be on that 573 00:41:38,120 --> 00:41:40,480 line. Please understand there is a 574 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:45,240 direct connection between what we do on the dots during our 575 00:41:45,240 --> 00:41:49,360 life here and then what we experience on the line. 576 00:41:50,000 --> 00:41:56,240 That which we do on earth as on the dot is going to be 577 00:41:56,240 --> 00:41:59,560 recognized and then rewarded in heaven on the line. 578 00:42:00,760 --> 00:42:04,360 That means that the at this moment, we're all existing on 579 00:42:04,360 --> 00:42:09,040 the dot, but we were meant to live the line. 580 00:42:11,200 --> 00:42:14,560 We need to understand that this is an eternal perspective we are 581 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:17,400 to have. We're existing on the dot, but 582 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,760 we are to live and invest in the line. 583 00:42:21,680 --> 00:42:24,160 One of my all time favorite communicators was Howard 584 00:42:24,160 --> 00:42:27,000 Hendricks from Dallas Theological Seminary. 585 00:42:27,320 --> 00:42:31,800 Dallas Seminaries 1 of this nation's elite seminaries before 586 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:35,520 his death in 2013. Doctor Hendricks taught at 587 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:41,080 Dallas Seminary until age 86. All together, he taught more 588 00:42:41,080 --> 00:42:47,040 than 10,000 students throughout his sixth decade tenure there as 589 00:42:47,040 --> 00:42:49,760 a professor. One of the greatest 590 00:42:49,760 --> 00:42:54,600 communicators I've ever heard. Some of his students have become 591 00:42:54,600 --> 00:42:57,240 household names in evangelicalism. 592 00:42:57,920 --> 00:43:01,000 The influence he had on Chrysodom is incalculable. 593 00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:07,400 Doctor Hendricks and I heard him share this in person once, 594 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,320 shared how he and a small group of men had been in a Sunday 595 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:14,040 School conference at historic Moody Church in Chicago. 596 00:43:14,760 --> 00:43:18,920 At lunchtime, these men were eating at a small hamburger shop 597 00:43:19,120 --> 00:43:23,840 across the street and one of them noticed an older woman who 598 00:43:24,280 --> 00:43:28,880 couldn't find the seat, so these gentlemen invited her to sit 599 00:43:28,880 --> 00:43:32,880 with them. This widowed woman had ridden 600 00:43:32,880 --> 00:43:37,160 all night long on a Greyhound bus from Upper Michigan to 601 00:43:37,160 --> 00:43:39,720 attend this Sunday school conference. 602 00:43:40,040 --> 00:43:46,840 Now get this this woman was 83 and at age 83 she still taught a 603 00:43:46,880 --> 00:43:50,400 junior high boys Sunday school class. 604 00:43:52,040 --> 00:43:55,920 People, junior high boys are potential domestic terrorists. 605 00:43:59,880 --> 00:44:03,400 This woman came from a small congregation in a small Upper 606 00:44:03,560 --> 00:44:06,960 Michigan town. It's combined Sunday school 607 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:13,560 attendance averaged 65, and 13 or more of them were in her 608 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:17,080 class. She said to these men, I came to 609 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:20,360 this conference for one reason, so I can learn how to be a 610 00:44:20,360 --> 00:44:26,960 better Sunday school teacher. At 83, she's investing in the 611 00:44:26,960 --> 00:44:29,440 line. Still investing in the line 612 00:44:29,840 --> 00:44:32,560 Wanted to be a better Sunday School teacher. 613 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:38,120 At age 83, this woman was barely still on the dot, but she was 614 00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:41,960 still investing in the line. Listen carefully. 615 00:44:42,720 --> 00:44:46,680 After her tenure as a Sunday school teacher at that small 616 00:44:47,040 --> 00:44:54,520 church, 2222 of her formal pupils graduated from Dallas 617 00:44:54,520 --> 00:45:00,600 Theological Seminary and all together 84 of this teachers, 618 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:03,480 former junior high students ended up in full time 619 00:45:03,800 --> 00:45:08,920 professional ministry. People that's investing in the 620 00:45:08,920 --> 00:45:11,560 line. And that's what we are called on 621 00:45:11,560 --> 00:45:15,720 to do and to continue to do and to continue to do and to 622 00:45:15,720 --> 00:45:19,560 continue to do until we're actually on the line. 623 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:25,200 Let's bow our heads. I think I've gone over. 624 00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:30,680 I apologize, Father, I thank you for Caleb, for his example, for 625 00:45:30,680 --> 00:45:35,000 all of us. Even the younger people here 626 00:45:35,840 --> 00:45:38,440 should be able to relate to this because their desire is to get 627 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:41,720 older. And I pray God that you will 628 00:45:42,280 --> 00:45:47,200 help each of us to, to learn these lessons from Caleb. 629 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:49,720 Help us even though we're still on the dot. 630 00:45:49,720 --> 00:45:53,560 Help us to invest in the line. That's what you require from us 631 00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:57,000 and that is what we should give you out of gratitude for all 632 00:45:57,000 --> 00:46:00,960 that you've given to us. I do want to pray for Carrie's 633 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:04,280 family during this time and her many, many friends. 634 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:10,680 We're happy for her, she's with you, but we're sad for everyone 635 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:13,360 who's been left behind. So I pray that you will comfort 636 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,080 and encourage their hearts. Again, thank you for this 637 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:20,280 opportunity to meet these dear people and to share your word. 638 00:46:20,280 --> 00:46:22,880 And I thank you in Jesus name, Amen.