1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:02,500 It's so good to be with you tonight. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:07,300 I'm very thankful to have an opportunity to study the Bible 3 00:00:07,300 --> 00:00:12,300 with you and excited to see some familiar faces from last night 4 00:00:12,300 --> 00:00:17,400 and some new faces tonight. If this is your first time with 5 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,900 this, during the meeting, or in general, I guess I'd like to 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,800 give you my personal, welcome. And I'd also like to let you 7 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:29,700 know what's about to happen in case you, you're not familiar 8 00:00:29,700 --> 00:00:33,100 with it, I actually Should be up here about 30 minutes now. 9 00:00:33,100 --> 00:00:36,300 That's laughable because I'm going to say 30 minutes and it 10 00:00:36,300 --> 00:00:40,600 could be 40 or you know ish but I'll do my best because it's a 11 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:42,200 school night and it's a work night. 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,600 I understand that maybe you had a long day today and maybe you 13 00:00:45,608 --> 00:00:48,100 got a long day tomorrow. So we'll be together for give or 14 00:00:48,100 --> 00:00:51,300 take 30 minutes studying different scriptures on this 15 00:00:51,300 --> 00:00:55,400 idea of being useful for life and so I hope that it's a 16 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:59,300 helpful Bible study for you and I'm going to ask you if you have 17 00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:02,100 a Pew Bible. Go ahead and get it out and 18 00:01:02,100 --> 00:01:06,000 we're going to read some scriptures together, and we'll 19 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:10,500 make some points about how we should be useful for life. 20 00:01:10,500 --> 00:01:13,500 I want you to go over to Ephesians the book of Ephesians 21 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:18,300 chapter 4 and in the Pew Bible, that's going to be on page, 17, 22 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:23,600 94 1794 up at the top, you can see the page numbers there. 23 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,400 Now while you're turning over there to Ephesians chapter 4, I 24 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,000 guess I'd like to give you kind of an outline of where I'll be 25 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,100 going tonight. We're going to be talking about 26 00:01:34,100 --> 00:01:38,800 being useful in part 1 being useful, but specifically being 27 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:44,200 useful for life. And so I'm going to spend about 28 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,800 half the sermon or so talking about the different ways that 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:53,800 that God's people want to be useful and sadly, sometimes we 30 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,500 missed the mark in our usefulness. 31 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,300 And so, we'll read the scripture a little bit to explain that. 32 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,100 But then after that, I want to talk about a specific group of 33 00:02:04,100 --> 00:02:09,199 people who are useful, but oftentimes in our culture 34 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,000 Society in general, our seniors are often, whenever you get to 35 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,300 those golden years, it's time to relax time to retire and let 36 00:02:18,300 --> 00:02:21,500 others kind of take on the load, and they'll be more useful and 37 00:02:21,500 --> 00:02:24,400 you can kind of take it easy and I want to challenge that. 38 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:29,500 So, if you are a senior, if you are retired, then this section 39 00:02:29,500 --> 00:02:31,300 is speaking. Likely to you. 40 00:02:31,300 --> 00:02:34,200 But even if you're not retired and you're not at that age, 41 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:38,200 where you're close to retirement friends, we're going to Lord 42 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,600 willing, get there someday. And let's have a mindset going 43 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,000 through life that we're going to be useful for life. 44 00:02:45,100 --> 00:02:50,600 Now, Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 16. 45 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:55,200 In fact, I'm going to read verse 15 and 16 it says, but speaking 46 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,600 the truth in love may we grow up in all things and to him who is 47 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,900 the head? Just from whom the whole body 48 00:03:03,300 --> 00:03:08,100 joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according 49 00:03:08,100 --> 00:03:10,400 to the effective working by which every part does. 50 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:15,000 Its share causes growth of the Body for the edifying of itself 51 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:17,400 in love. What do we take away from that 52 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,700 scripture? Well, that through Jesus and 53 00:03:20,700 --> 00:03:25,300 through teaching the truth in love, every single member of a 54 00:03:25,300 --> 00:03:30,500 local church works together to make sure that all of us are I 55 00:03:30,508 --> 00:03:34,800 taught and all of us grow. So, just as I'm up here, right 56 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,800 now speaking, you have a job and that is to listen and take the 57 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:42,300 message and follow on reading the scriptures. 58 00:03:42,500 --> 00:03:45,100 And then together, we are teaching one another. 59 00:03:45,100 --> 00:03:47,100 Now, that's just in this capacity but there's other 60 00:03:47,100 --> 00:03:50,600 capacities as well. What stood out to me several 61 00:03:50,600 --> 00:03:54,000 months ago as I was reading this was that we're knit together by 62 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:58,900 what every joint supplies. And as I'm getting a little 63 00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:01,900 older, I do find that my joy. Don't work as well as they did 64 00:04:01,900 --> 00:04:03,700 in the past. Some of you may have similar 65 00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:07,200 experiences where it seems like whenever you bend over. 66 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,100 Well, 20 years ago, it was a lot easier to bend over and your 67 00:04:11,100 --> 00:04:12,400 back didn't kind of scream at you. 68 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,300 The way that it does now or maybe you've got to do some 69 00:04:15,300 --> 00:04:17,500 stretches in the morning before you start moving around. 70 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:20,399 Because when you get up you you shuffle a little bit before you 71 00:04:20,399 --> 00:04:23,000 start moving. And as I thought about by what 72 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:27,000 every joint supplies, I thought about all the ways that I have 73 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,300 misused my joints and now, it seems to be coming back to 74 00:04:30,300 --> 00:04:31,200 haunt. Wanting a little bit. 75 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:34,600 I've got to take a little bit of time to make sure that they're 76 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,500 used properly. And so I thought about how and 77 00:04:37,500 --> 00:04:40,500 here on the board I have this I'm going to call it a triple 78 00:04:40,500 --> 00:04:43,600 venn diagram and I don't know if that's a thing or not. 79 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,100 Maybe I just made it up. But anyway, we've got the middle 80 00:04:47,100 --> 00:04:49,400 part. This target of, we want to be 81 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:52,900 useful right by what every joint supplies we're going to talk 82 00:04:52,900 --> 00:04:56,800 about that last, but we're going to talk about three ways that we 83 00:04:56,900 --> 00:05:01,800 misuse our joints, right? That is that we Use the members 84 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:06,500 of a local church and one way that we get misused is through 85 00:05:06,700 --> 00:05:09,600 overuse, you know what I'm talking about. 86 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,800 If you've overused a specific joint, maybe you didn't lift 87 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:17,500 with your knees and all those years of just bending over and 88 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:20,500 lifting up with your back and you'll suddenly you couldn't do 89 00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:23,800 it anymore because you overused a part of your body that you 90 00:05:23,808 --> 00:05:27,300 weren't supposed to. But that's only one way that we 91 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:31,600 are not useful with our joints. Another way is when We're under 92 00:05:31,700 --> 00:05:36,700 used, right and I've had several days where I know I'm supposed 93 00:05:36,700 --> 00:05:40,500 to get up and move around a little bit, but I've got a lot 94 00:05:40,500 --> 00:05:44,100 of clerical work to do and so in this office work I'm hunched 95 00:05:44,100 --> 00:05:46,600 over. And I've got my mouth, my mouse 96 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,200 for my computer, and I'm just kind of working away and then I 97 00:05:49,207 --> 00:05:51,700 get up at lunch and I try to move that wrist. 98 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,000 Oh man. What's going on? 99 00:05:54,500 --> 00:05:56,900 I didn't use it at all and now it's stiff. 100 00:05:57,000 --> 00:05:59,200 It's sore. But then finally, there's 101 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:02,400 another type of way. That we're not properly using 102 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,400 and that's through the misuse of our joints. 103 00:06:05,700 --> 00:06:07,500 Several of you may have had surgery. 104 00:06:07,500 --> 00:06:11,700 I've had surgery on my foot a couple of years ago because of 105 00:06:11,700 --> 00:06:15,700 misuse and so I had to have surgery, I got a scar on my foot 106 00:06:15,700 --> 00:06:19,000 about 2 inches long, wasn't able to walk on it for about three 107 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:21,700 months. And so, what did I do? 108 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:26,200 I leaned all of my weight onto the right side of my body, my 109 00:06:26,200 --> 00:06:31,500 hip, my knee, my ankle took the whole weight and You know, after 110 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:33,800 three months, what happened to that side of my body? 111 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:37,600 It started to hurt even though that was the healthy side, it 112 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:41,400 was being misused. So consider some scriptures with 113 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,800 me because this is the should be more than a health lesson. 114 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:47,200 This has to be a Bible Lesson and consider what the scriptures 115 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,800 say about how sometimes spiritually, we overuse we 116 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:54,400 underuse, we misuse as we all I really do. 117 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:58,900 Think we are all trying to be useful and we want to be helpful 118 00:06:58,900 --> 00:07:03,500 to one another The ward the sometimes we may get overzealous 119 00:07:03,500 --> 00:07:06,700 and go too far or maybe not enough but let's just consider 120 00:07:06,700 --> 00:07:09,300 some examples and then I'll try to encourage you about being 121 00:07:09,300 --> 00:07:11,100 useful. And then briefly, we'll talk 122 00:07:11,100 --> 00:07:15,500 about seniors serving in the kingdom and being useful for 123 00:07:15,500 --> 00:07:18,200 life. Now the first set of scriptures, 124 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:21,100 if you're taking notes write down that we're going to talk 125 00:07:21,100 --> 00:07:23,300 about being overused, we're going to be in the book of 126 00:07:23,300 --> 00:07:27,300 Exodus and the book of Acts. So I invite you to flip over to 127 00:07:27,300 --> 00:07:32,200 Exodus, chapter 18, It's towards the very beginning of the Bible 128 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:37,000 and an Exodus chapter 18 and we're going to be on, let's see 129 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:41,300 page 112 of the Bible. So while you're turning over to 130 00:07:41,300 --> 00:07:45,300 page 112, let me briefly. Explain what happened in Exodus 131 00:07:45,300 --> 00:07:47,500 chapter 17. I'll just summarize this real 132 00:07:47,500 --> 00:07:50,200 quick. Moses, the leader of the 133 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:54,300 Israelites was leading his people. 134 00:07:54,500 --> 00:07:59,500 The, the rear of the people were attacked by a treacherous 135 00:07:59,500 --> 00:08:02,200 Nation. So Moses hikes up to a 136 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:06,100 Mountaintop and God says, lift up your staff and if you keep 137 00:08:06,100 --> 00:08:09,200 your staff lifted up, then the Israelites will be victorious in 138 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:11,000 battle. But if you lower your staff, 139 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:12,800 then the Israelites will be defeated. 140 00:08:13,100 --> 00:08:15,600 Now, this is a man who just hiked a mountain and I know you 141 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,800 all live in a region where that might seem like it's just every 142 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:23,700 other day, but for me, living in the flat Midwest, that's a day's 143 00:08:23,700 --> 00:08:25,900 work in and of itself just getting the Mountaintop, I would 144 00:08:25,900 --> 00:08:29,200 probably be dead. However, Moses climbs to the top 145 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:32,500 and he has to raise his. Arms, and, you know, from my 146 00:08:32,500 --> 00:08:34,700 illustration sake, I'll only keep them up for like 10 147 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:36,200 seconds. It doesn't seem like it's that 148 00:08:36,200 --> 00:08:40,700 hard but after a while things seem to get harder and Moses has 149 00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:42,799 to lower, or he just lowering his arm. 150 00:08:42,900 --> 00:08:46,700 And so what happens as the story continues to of his helpers 151 00:08:46,700 --> 00:08:50,900 come, and they lift up his arms together, and he sits down and 152 00:08:50,900 --> 00:08:54,600 keeps his arms above himself and he's able to keep them up in 153 00:08:54,700 --> 00:08:57,000 Israel wins. Now, you would think that that 154 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,100 would teach this great man a lesson and that is You can't do 155 00:09:01,100 --> 00:09:05,600 it yourself. You need help and yet the very 156 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,500 next chapter, this is where we're going to be reading in 157 00:09:08,900 --> 00:09:16,600 Exodus chapter 18, verse 13 through 18, we find Moses doing 158 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:19,000 some clerical, work some administrative work, he's being 159 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,500 a judge and there's probably between 1 to 3 million 160 00:09:23,500 --> 00:09:28,400 Israelites, with one judge. Does it seem very efficient does 161 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:31,000 it? Now verse 13 says. 162 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,200 So it was on the next day that Moses sat down to judge the 163 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,500 people. And the people stood before 164 00:09:37,500 --> 00:09:39,500 Moses from morning until evening. 165 00:09:40,100 --> 00:09:44,000 So in Moses, father-in-law saw all that he did for the people. 166 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:47,200 He said, what is this that you're doing for the people? 167 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:49,700 Why do you alone? Sit and all the people stand 168 00:09:49,700 --> 00:09:52,600 before you from morning until evening. 169 00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:58,300 Now, there's some context here. Moses, father-in-law Jethro has 170 00:09:58,300 --> 00:10:02,800 brought Moses wife and children back from a foreign land, Moses 171 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:07,500 left his family. He went to Chipped and then led 172 00:10:07,500 --> 00:10:10,000 the Israelites out of slavery and now they're in the 173 00:10:10,000 --> 00:10:12,300 wilderness. Wandering and Jethro brings his 174 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:15,000 family back to him. That should be a sign right 175 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,300 there. That Moses is being overused, 176 00:10:18,300 --> 00:10:22,600 because he forgot about his family, he left them behind, and 177 00:10:22,600 --> 00:10:26,700 there's a lesson for all of us that if we feel like the job's 178 00:10:26,700 --> 00:10:28,500 not going to get done, unless I do it. 179 00:10:29,500 --> 00:10:34,000 And you know if I'm not there to do this, then you know, it's 180 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:36,700 just going to fall apart. If we put all that pressure on 181 00:10:36,700 --> 00:10:41,100 ourselves and sometimes rightly, so I get it, I've been there as 182 00:10:41,100 --> 00:10:44,400 I've commonly said to people, I'm an overuse a holic. 183 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,700 It's very easy for me to try to take it all myself. 184 00:10:48,500 --> 00:10:51,100 Moses was doing that. And Jethro sees this and he 185 00:10:51,100 --> 00:10:54,600 goes, why are why are you doing this so Moses explains? 186 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,800 I'm the only one. They've got to come to me and 187 00:10:57,800 --> 00:10:59,900 then I've got to explain to them what's going on. 188 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,100 Look at verse 17, Moses father-in-law said to him. 189 00:11:04,800 --> 00:11:11,100 The thing that you do is not good, both you and these people 190 00:11:11,100 --> 00:11:15,300 who are with, you will surely wear yourselves out for this 191 00:11:15,300 --> 00:11:19,600 thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it 192 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:22,800 by yourself. Friends the lesson, I want you 193 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,600 to take from this is that Moses was a great man. 194 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,200 A man of great faith who serve God Faithfully for years and 195 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,700 years and years. Didn't wonderful, things, but he 196 00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:36,500 was overused, and because he stretched himself, so thin, he 197 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:39,300 wasn't as helpful as he could be. 198 00:11:39,300 --> 00:11:42,500 So thankfully, he takes his father-in-law's advice, and he 199 00:11:42,500 --> 00:11:44,100 gets helpers to help him in this. 200 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:48,000 Now, briefly in Acts chapter 6, verse 1 through 5, you can just 201 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:51,900 take these down as notes. I'll summarize it the Al's, this 202 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:56,500 is after Jesus died and buried and resurrected the churches 203 00:11:56,500 --> 00:11:59,700 began and now the apostles are leading the church. 204 00:11:59,800 --> 00:12:03,000 And in Acts chapter 6, it says that there were some people that 205 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:05,400 were missing out on their daily ration of bread. 206 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,300 So they come to the apostles, the leaders. 207 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:13,900 And they're asking for this daily ration of bread. 208 00:12:13,900 --> 00:12:18,200 You know what the apostles say, it's not good. 209 00:12:19,300 --> 00:12:22,300 Hear me again. It's not good for us to leave 210 00:12:22,300 --> 00:12:27,200 our ministry and wait tables that they had a job to do. 211 00:12:27,400 --> 00:12:31,200 And so instead of them lumping it all on themselves, they 212 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:35,900 delegated and they found people who were ready to help and they 213 00:12:35,900 --> 00:12:38,100 had those helpers do the work instead of them doing 214 00:12:38,100 --> 00:12:42,000 everything. So, if you're the type of person 215 00:12:42,500 --> 00:12:45,500 that you have a hard time asking for help, you'd rather do it all 216 00:12:45,500 --> 00:12:48,900 yourself and you look at others with suspicion. 217 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:53,000 Whenever they want to volunteer, or you look at them with in such 218 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,600 a way thinking, I know, I would do a better job than you. 219 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:57,500 So I would just rather have this all myself. 220 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,600 If you're that type of follower, you're being overused. 221 00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:05,400 You're being overused. Now, another type of followers. 222 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,100 One, who is underused, there's two types. 223 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,300 We're going to read one scripture, so I'll reference one 224 00:13:11,300 --> 00:13:13,400 and then we'll read one. So, turn over to Matthew chapter 225 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,200 20, that's the one that we're going to read. 226 00:13:17,300 --> 00:13:20,100 And that's going to be on page number. 227 00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:26,500 Let's see, 15:22. That's the page. 228 00:13:26,500 --> 00:13:29,400 You can turn to. Now while you're turning there 229 00:13:29,500 --> 00:13:33,900 in Matthew 25, there is a type of person who is underused 230 00:13:33,900 --> 00:13:38,000 because they don't want to be used that type of person is lazy 231 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:41,000 and wicked. Jesus says in the parable of the 232 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:46,400 talents that that person in this Parable was given a talent of 233 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:50,500 money from his master was supposed to go out and use it. 234 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:53,900 But instead he he buried it in the ground and the master comes 235 00:13:53,900 --> 00:13:56,700 back later and says you Wicked and lazy servant. 236 00:13:57,500 --> 00:14:01,800 So if friend, you find that there are things you could be 237 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:07,000 doing to help the Lord's people helping his cause but you're 238 00:14:07,008 --> 00:14:09,600 just not interested. Somebody else can do it. 239 00:14:09,700 --> 00:14:13,200 I don't want to I would rather do all the things I have fun 240 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:16,900 doing. You need to repent that type of 241 00:14:16,900 --> 00:14:20,200 under uses one, that is repent oriented. 242 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:23,700 But you know, with the first time I ever gave this sermon, 243 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:27,000 that was the only scripture I have their under users are lazy 244 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:29,700 and they need to repent. You know you know what? 245 00:14:29,700 --> 00:14:34,100 That's Really saying me as an over user. 246 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,100 That's me. Holding all of these good works 247 00:14:36,100 --> 00:14:38,300 and looking at under users and just scoffing. 248 00:14:39,100 --> 00:14:42,900 How dare you not help me right and afterwards, thankfully, I 249 00:14:42,900 --> 00:14:47,900 had some very dear friends come to me, who were being underused 250 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:52,900 and sometimes people are being underused, not by choice, but 251 00:14:52,900 --> 00:14:55,800 because the over users have gobbled up all the good works, 252 00:14:56,500 --> 00:14:57,600 right? And so, that's what we're going 253 00:14:57,600 --> 00:14:59,800 to read about in Matthew chapter 20. 254 00:15:00,100 --> 00:15:04,500 Where we find this This parable of people that wanted to work 255 00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:08,600 but nobody had hired them. So Matthew chapter 20 verse 14, 256 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:12,400 the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in 257 00:15:12,400 --> 00:15:15,400 the morning to hire labourers for his Vineyard. 258 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:18,500 Now when he had agreed with the labourers for a Denarius a day, 259 00:15:18,500 --> 00:15:22,200 he sent them into his Vineyard and he went out about the third 260 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,300 hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace and said 261 00:15:25,300 --> 00:15:28,200 to them you also go to the vineyard and whatever is, right? 262 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:31,500 I will give you so they went, you know, I haven't Is next, he 263 00:15:31,500 --> 00:15:35,200 goes back every few hours, he finds more people that are just 264 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,800 standing around looking for work and he hires them and takes them 265 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:42,800 into the vineyard verse 6 and about the eleventh hour of the 266 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:44,100 day. And I want you guys to think 267 00:15:44,100 --> 00:15:46,700 about it this way, if we get off work, you know, you work, 8 to 268 00:15:46,700 --> 00:15:52,700 5, let's say it's 4:59 The eleventh hour, right? 269 00:15:52,700 --> 00:15:56,100 This is the last possible minute in the work day. 270 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,900 He finds some standing idle and said, to them, why have you been 271 00:16:01,900 --> 00:16:05,500 standing here? Idle, All Day verse 7 and they 272 00:16:05,500 --> 00:16:08,500 said to him because no one hired us. 273 00:16:10,300 --> 00:16:13,300 And he said to them, you also go into the vineyard and whatever 274 00:16:13,300 --> 00:16:15,100 is, right? You will receive. 275 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:20,900 Now in this Parable, there were those being underused, but 276 00:16:20,900 --> 00:16:25,600 they're not rebuked for it. They just hadn't been found and 277 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:28,300 when the master found them, he put them to work. 278 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:29,800 Now, that's not the end of the parable. 279 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:33,500 The end of the parable is about the justice and the fairness of 280 00:16:33,500 --> 00:16:36,800 each one of them getting a Denarius, the same reward for 281 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,300 their labor. But for our purposes and for 282 00:16:39,300 --> 00:16:42,500 this congregation, you'll know each other better than I know 283 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:45,400 you I'm bringing this sermon in without maybe knowing the 284 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:47,800 context of this particular church. 285 00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:51,200 But the idea is if there are people if they're our brothers 286 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,200 and sisters who are being underused, A lot of times it's 287 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:59,100 easy for people like me to look at them and say, wow, well, 288 00:16:59,100 --> 00:17:03,100 they're just, they're just lazy. And a lot of times they just 289 00:17:03,100 --> 00:17:06,099 haven't been asked. They haven't been tasked. 290 00:17:06,700 --> 00:17:10,000 And I challenged the congregation to put her members 291 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:13,099 to work finally. Let's talk about the misused 292 00:17:13,900 --> 00:17:17,500 before we go into that Target zone of what we all want to be 293 00:17:17,500 --> 00:17:21,300 which is useful. And to be misused, we could 294 00:17:21,300 --> 00:17:25,000 consider Romans chapter 12 Verses 4 through 8 or there's 295 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:30,200 lots of talents and people have lots of gifts and God has given 296 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:32,700 graciously to us. You are naturally good at 297 00:17:32,700 --> 00:17:36,900 certain things and maybe there's other things that you're not as 298 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:43,400 naturally gifted at right. You know, I was so thankful that 299 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,100 Marissa agreed to marry me for a number of reasons, but one of 300 00:17:47,100 --> 00:17:49,700 the reasons that I'm glad that she married me, was that I was 301 00:17:49,700 --> 00:17:52,900 an extrovert Right. Who really? 302 00:17:52,900 --> 00:17:55,400 It was my way or the highway and I Married an introvert. 303 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,300 I married. Somebody that wasn't like me. 304 00:17:59,700 --> 00:18:02,600 And here I was trying to be everything, and that's one thing 305 00:18:02,600 --> 00:18:10,100 I couldn't be was quiet. And over the years, I have 306 00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:14,900 learned the power of those who are quiet, and how God has 307 00:18:14,900 --> 00:18:16,700 graciously, given them that ability. 308 00:18:16,700 --> 00:18:21,700 Because Marissa sees a whole lot, more than IC versus able to 309 00:18:21,900 --> 00:18:24,900 read people whole lot better than I can read people. 310 00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,200 I'm thankful in my marriage that I have that. 311 00:18:28,700 --> 00:18:31,500 So these different talents in the Lord's church, we can be 312 00:18:31,500 --> 00:18:35,000 thankful that we all have different gifts, different 313 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:37,500 abilities and what we shouldn't be like. 314 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:43,100 Like in Acts chapter 8, verse 18 and 19 is Simon the Sorcerer. 315 00:18:43,500 --> 00:18:46,500 Simon. The Sorcerer as he's known was a 316 00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:51,900 man, who was at one time, practicing this Pagan idolatry, 317 00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:55,900 he's converted, he's baptized for the remission of sins. 318 00:18:55,900 --> 00:19:00,400 He becomes a Christian, then he sees the apostles, and he sees 319 00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,200 that they have something that he doesn't have. 320 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:07,200 They have the ability to give miraculous gifts Right? 321 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,600 So they're kind of like the king makers of who gets what so to 322 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:14,200 speak and Simon. The Sorcerer desperately wants 323 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:17,200 that and so he takes money to them and says please give me 324 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:24,600 that gift also Now, Peters response tells it all Simon 325 00:19:24,600 --> 00:19:30,100 would have misused it and so he says your money perish with you. 326 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:32,400 He rebukes him. Why? 327 00:19:32,500 --> 00:19:36,800 Because he knew that Simon would misuse this Talent. 328 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,900 So friends there may be times when you look at others and you 329 00:19:40,900 --> 00:19:43,200 say man, I really wish I had what they have. 330 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:44,900 I wish I could do what they can do. 331 00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:47,800 And who am I? The Lord can't use me because I 332 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:49,800 have nothing. I don't even have the 110. 333 00:19:49,900 --> 00:19:52,600 Don't I have the zero Talent. What am I supposed to be? 334 00:19:52,600 --> 00:19:55,300 What am I supposed to do? Whereas brother so-and-so or 335 00:19:55,300 --> 00:19:56,800 sister? So, and so they're like the 336 00:19:57,600 --> 00:20:01,800 gazillion Talent person. I want to challenge that first. 337 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,400 God made you special and God thinks you are enough because he 338 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:10,100 made you that way. But second think about how God 339 00:20:10,100 --> 00:20:15,100 uses those who consider themselves as weak, right? 340 00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:18,900 So flip over with me to Second Corinthians 12, verses 7 through 341 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:24,600 10. And second Corinthians, 12, 342 00:20:24,900 --> 00:20:31,200 verse 7, through 10, which is Page 1782 and the Pew Bible. 343 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:34,800 If you want to flip over there with me and second Corinthians, 344 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:42,300 12 verse, 7, through 10, Paul is given an agent of Satan as it is 345 00:20:42,300 --> 00:20:45,800 or a thorn in the flesh. And he pleads that, the Lord 346 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,600 would take this away. Verse 8 says, concerning this 347 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,300 thing. I pleaded with the Lord three 348 00:20:51,300 --> 00:20:53,800 times. Times that it might depart from 349 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,200 me. And he said, to me, my grace is 350 00:20:56,200 --> 00:21:00,000 sufficient for you for my strength is made perfect in 351 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,600 weakness there. For most gladly, I would rather 352 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:06,900 boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ May rest 353 00:21:06,900 --> 00:21:09,900 upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in 354 00:21:09,900 --> 00:21:13,100 infirmities in reproaches in needs and persecutions in 355 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:17,800 distresses for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am 356 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:20,900 strong. Don't misuse. 357 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:25,400 The talents that God gave you don't look enviously on what 358 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:28,500 others have. But rather praise God, for what 359 00:21:28,500 --> 00:21:32,500 he's given you and use them properly in order to be useful. 360 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,200 Okay, let's look at these two scriptures on what we all should 361 00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:38,900 be trying to be, and that is useful. 362 00:21:39,100 --> 00:21:43,800 So, look over with me in second, Timothy Chapter 2 and this is on 363 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:50,100 page 18, 22 of your Pew Bibles. Second Timothy 2:20, I've used 364 00:21:50,100 --> 00:21:53,000 that word a lot useful. Useful useful. 365 00:21:53,100 --> 00:21:56,400 And I have this scripture here just to emphasize that this 366 00:21:56,400 --> 00:21:58,800 isn't a Jonathan word, like, I didn't make it up because it was 367 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,800 a nice sermon. But rather the scriptures, 368 00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:07,300 Challenge us to be useful and here's the one for it. 369 00:22:09,600 --> 00:22:12,600 First a rather second Timothy chapter 2 verse 20. 370 00:22:13,500 --> 00:22:16,500 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and 371 00:22:16,500 --> 00:22:21,400 silver but also wooden clay, some for honor and some for 372 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:23,800 dishonor. Here's a question real quick, 373 00:22:24,500 --> 00:22:30,100 what is Paul wanting us? To want to be, does he want us 374 00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:32,700 to be the gold and silver or the wooden clay? 375 00:22:33,300 --> 00:22:37,000 It's a rhetorical question, one has more value than the other. 376 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:41,200 We're supposed to want to be that, which is Honorable Right? 377 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,700 So if we're supposed to strive to be these honorable vessels, 378 00:22:45,800 --> 00:22:51,500 How do we do it verse 21? Therefore, if anyone cleanses 379 00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:58,000 himself from the ladder, he will be a vessel for Honor Sanctified 380 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:01,200 and useful for the master prepared. 381 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:08,100 For every good work. Useful is a Biblical concept and 382 00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:14,200 you and I should desire to be useful to be helpful and there 383 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:17,300 is a wrong way to go about About it where we think we're the only 384 00:23:17,300 --> 00:23:21,000 one who can do it or maybe we think that we can never do it or 385 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:24,500 we just wish we had what everybody else had no rather we 386 00:23:24,500 --> 00:23:28,100 focus on what God has given us. What has blessed us with and we 387 00:23:28,108 --> 00:23:33,500 desire to be useful Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10 388 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:36,700 briefly please and then we'll move into that second part of 389 00:23:36,700 --> 00:23:42,700 the study and this is on page, 1792 in your queue Bible, 390 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:48,700 Ephesians 2:8. Eight, for by Grace, you have 391 00:23:48,700 --> 00:23:52,000 been saved through faith and not of yourselves. 392 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:55,200 It is a gift of God and not of Works, lest anyone should boast. 393 00:23:56,000 --> 00:24:01,700 So on the one hand salvation is not works oriented where I could 394 00:24:01,700 --> 00:24:05,400 somehow Merit or earn my way into heaven, right? 395 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:08,800 We talked a little bit about this last night. 396 00:24:08,800 --> 00:24:13,500 It's impossible, if you did 100 Deeds, if you just did 51, good 397 00:24:13,500 --> 00:24:17,500 and 49 bad, you have just enough, you can't demand to be 398 00:24:17,500 --> 00:24:21,300 let in all of us who are of that age have fallen short of the 399 00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:23,900 glory of God. We cannot be saved by our works. 400 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:33,000 And yet look at verse 10, For we are his workmanship created in 401 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:38,100 Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand 402 00:24:38,100 --> 00:24:42,200 that we should walk in them. So even though I'm not going to 403 00:24:42,200 --> 00:24:47,500 try to save myself, I'm going to rely on God's grace through 404 00:24:47,500 --> 00:24:51,600 faith. Once I've obeyed the gospel 405 00:24:51,600 --> 00:24:55,500 once, I've been baptized, I'm going to prepare myself to be 406 00:24:55,500 --> 00:24:59,200 his workmanship. Because there's a good works 407 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,200 that God has prepared for us to do. 408 00:25:01,300 --> 00:25:05,900 So I challenge you all to consider how you can be useful 409 00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:08,000 because you've been called to be useful. 410 00:25:08,500 --> 00:25:14,600 Now, let's consider part 2, which is being useful for life. 411 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:20,200 And this is a special part of the study for me for a couple of 412 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:25,400 reasons. Number one, I will Tell you that 413 00:25:25,400 --> 00:25:30,200 the the author of this original study is a very precious and 414 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,400 dear friend of mine. And I imagine many of you know 415 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:38,700 him as well brother LG Butler Brother LG Butler passed away a 416 00:25:38,700 --> 00:25:43,400 couple of years ago and he was a preacher and an English 417 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:48,900 professor and lived a full life and he lived this content out. 418 00:25:48,900 --> 00:25:52,700 We got to see it. Firsthand the congregation that 419 00:25:52,700 --> 00:25:54,300 I work with is a young congressman. 420 00:25:54,300 --> 00:25:59,500 Aggregation. We don't have very many retired, 421 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,100 aged people, and older, most of our families are in our 30s, 40s 422 00:26:04,100 --> 00:26:12,500 50s because of that, I guess. Youthful skew, brother LG and a 423 00:26:12,508 --> 00:26:16,400 few others that have joined the congregation since then, we 424 00:26:16,400 --> 00:26:19,900 looked at them with awe and reverence because we didn't have 425 00:26:19,900 --> 00:26:22,800 those who are older to kind of be that example for time. 426 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:26,300 So I was Asked to write an article for the Christian 427 00:26:26,300 --> 00:26:30,500 Expositor about young people serving in the kingdom, and LG 428 00:26:30,500 --> 00:26:33,000 wrote, the article seniors serving in the Kingdom. 429 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:37,100 So, we collaborated and put that article out several years ago. 430 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:41,300 I can also remember anything about what mine said, it's just 431 00:26:41,300 --> 00:26:44,800 it was gone right? And we do focus a lot on our 432 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,300 youth. We want our young people to be 433 00:26:46,300 --> 00:26:49,800 involved. We want to ground and root and 434 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:51,700 establish the faith of young people. 435 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,200 I don't want to Discount you at all you folks. 436 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:58,900 But our LG's article was eye-opening for me because it 437 00:26:58,900 --> 00:27:03,900 was helpful to show that we should be useful for life. 438 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:10,800 I had the privilege as well to do an internship at an ALS 439 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:14,500 clinic in Dallas last year. So for part of my therapy 440 00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:18,000 training was to do family therapy at an ALS Clinic. 441 00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,700 Lou Gehrig's disease where people who are diagnosed with 442 00:27:22,700 --> 00:27:26,400 this typically have two to five years, Ears of life, it's a 443 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:29,800 slow-moving paralysis across the body. 444 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,900 It happens differently to each person but it generally happens 445 00:27:33,900 --> 00:27:35,700 to people who are older in years. 446 00:27:35,700 --> 00:27:39,800 So the average patient that we have was in their late 60s, 70s 447 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:45,500 80s, and one of the things that I saw again and again and again 448 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:49,700 with these families that would come in a lot of times it was 449 00:27:49,700 --> 00:27:54,300 bent, it was men, the struggled with this, but Women struggled 450 00:27:54,300 --> 00:28:00,200 with it as will and that was as their hands started to not be 451 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:02,300 used anymore. Maybe they couldn't walk 452 00:28:02,300 --> 00:28:04,500 anymore, maybe they couldn't speak anymore. 453 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:10,400 Their most desperate plea. Was just to be useful. 454 00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:14,700 They hated that that was taken from them and that their 455 00:28:14,700 --> 00:28:19,000 partner, they didn't want them to be there Nurse. 456 00:28:19,700 --> 00:28:23,700 They didn't want this person to have to change them brush their 457 00:28:23,700 --> 00:28:27,600 teeth. Help them get dressed, they 458 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:30,100 them. And these simple things that, 459 00:28:30,300 --> 00:28:33,700 and what we would do in Family Therapy, a lot of times is give 460 00:28:33,700 --> 00:28:36,500 both parties, the opportunity to speak from the heart. 461 00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:39,900 And one was desperately trying to say, I want to help you. 462 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:46,100 It's a privilege to help you and the other is saying, I wish I 463 00:28:46,100 --> 00:28:51,000 could just be useful. So some of these things impacted 464 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:54,900 me and I want to maybe share some of the information with 465 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:57,200 you. I believe I have five minutes 466 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,100 and according to the 30-minute you know time that I gave you at 467 00:29:01,100 --> 00:29:04,200 the beginning, I'll be honest, it's going to take more than 468 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:05,500 five minutes to get through this. 469 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:08,300 So I don't make any apologies about it. 470 00:29:08,300 --> 00:29:12,200 I'm just letting you know that. I'll take my own Our own 471 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,300 confession in the invitation when I said 30 minutes and then 472 00:29:15,500 --> 00:29:20,600 I guess I deceived us all now. I'd like to begin with the story 473 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,000 in the 1992, Summer Olympic Games. 474 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:25,900 Maybe some of you watch this happen. 475 00:29:26,500 --> 00:29:31,800 Derek Redmond was training to run the 400 meter dash, and in 476 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:37,900 front of 65,000, Spectators after the gun went off, and the 477 00:29:37,900 --> 00:29:41,500 runners started sprinting, he immediately clutched. 478 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:44,100 T', his hamstring and started to hobble. 479 00:29:44,900 --> 00:29:51,500 He tore this part of his body in the worst time possible and he 480 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:53,400 was determined to finish the race. 481 00:29:53,900 --> 00:29:56,900 Now what's so precious and you can go on YouTube you can look 482 00:29:56,900 --> 00:30:02,400 up, Derek Redmond 400 meter dash 92 Olympics and you'll see this 483 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,900 man courageously trying to get to the finish line and just 484 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:10,500 unable to do it and suddenly someone from the crowd jumps 485 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,400 over and down. Runs over and puts an arm around 486 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,400 him. And it's his father as father, 487 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,000 who helped him train for the event and the two of them 488 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,500 together. Slowly jogged, the Finish Line, 489 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:26,000 Derek Redmond may or may not have won a medal. 490 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:29,200 I don't know what he was as far as in the world standing, but 491 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,200 he'll never be forgotten because of that race. 492 00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:37,400 In fact, it was that Amount of strength that went with him for 493 00:30:37,408 --> 00:30:40,800 the rest of his life as he went from place to place, giving 494 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:45,700 speeches on finishing strong. So the early years of life are 495 00:30:45,700 --> 00:30:49,600 typically characterized by growth, physical Vigor, 496 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:52,900 education, the middle years are devoted to family and work. 497 00:30:52,900 --> 00:30:56,800 And the senior years, as I mentioned earlier, are typically 498 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,600 viewed as Retirement and time for leisure trending downwards 499 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:04,900 physically and health ultimate leading leading. 500 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:09,000 Death and this is intended intended to be something that is 501 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:14,100 darker gloomy, but is a natural part of life that life cycle 502 00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:17,600 from birth to death. And yet, even though there are 503 00:31:18,500 --> 00:31:23,400 three point six, five million persons, who can according to 504 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:29,300 this statistic are in the retirement years that is 65 and 505 00:31:29,300 --> 00:31:33,400 older statistics. Also show that there are several 506 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,800 years after that age. In which these people will 507 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,400 continue to be useful in their life. 508 00:31:40,900 --> 00:31:45,800 So, what I'd like to Simply do is help us rethink this part of 509 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,800 our age. For example, Bible seniors, 510 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:53,700 Abraham was 75 when he was called to leave his native land. 511 00:31:53,700 --> 00:31:57,700 And travel, Sarah was 90 years old when she was called to give 512 00:31:57,700 --> 00:32:01,300 birth to a child. Moses was 80 years old when he 513 00:32:01,300 --> 00:32:04,300 was called to lead the Israelites out of the Promised 514 00:32:04,300 --> 00:32:06,300 Land. The Bible just says, Eli was 515 00:32:06,300 --> 00:32:08,500 very old. We don't know how old that is 516 00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:11,800 but he was very old. When he helped young, Samuel 517 00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:16,800 become the next Prophet, or the last prophet and the early days 518 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,500 of Israel. And then barzilai was 80 years 519 00:32:19,500 --> 00:32:22,200 old when King David was on the run and barzillai whipped 520 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:27,200 together, food and different items of Aid to help David while 521 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:31,200 he was on the run. And you could even write down 522 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:34,400 zakhar, Zacharias and Elizabeth, who said they were both well, 523 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:38,400 advanced years when God called them to bear and rear John the 524 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:44,400 Baptist and so When the scriptures in 1st Corinthians 525 00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:48,500 chapter 12 verse 21, say those members of the body, which seem 526 00:32:48,500 --> 00:32:52,100 weaker are necessary. I think this is a good 527 00:32:52,100 --> 00:32:56,200 application of that. Where instead of the cultures 528 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,200 view of when we reach retirement, then we get to kind 529 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:02,600 of take it easy and let the Next Generation take over in the 530 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:06,600 church, we should be calling all members to be useful. 531 00:33:06,800 --> 00:33:09,500 So whether you're young or whether you're young at heart 532 00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:12,800 and you're older, Two years then the scriptures in 1st 533 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,600 Corinthians 12 call you to be useful. 534 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:20,500 Ephesians 4 verse 16 says, every part must do its share and the 535 00:33:20,500 --> 00:33:24,700 whole body is joined together by what every joint supplies. 536 00:33:25,000 --> 00:33:29,200 Now the four phases of service that I'd like to talk about 537 00:33:29,200 --> 00:33:32,700 briefly. So take that number that 37 538 00:33:32,700 --> 00:33:34,400 million. I believe that what we talked 539 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:38,200 about earlier and that 37 million can be divided into four 540 00:33:38,200 --> 00:33:43,200 basic groups, 50% of that. New 7 million population is in 541 00:33:43,200 --> 00:33:50,400 basically good health. 40% of that 37 million is in moderately 542 00:33:50,400 --> 00:33:52,700 ill health. And so that's the majority of 543 00:33:52,700 --> 00:33:55,800 people in the retirement age, basically healthy to moderately 544 00:33:55,800 --> 00:33:59,400 ill. There is the 10% who are 545 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:03,700 severely ill, which 50 and 40 and 10 make 100 right? 546 00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:06,800 So what's left? Well I know that mathematically 547 00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:10,300 maybe that doesn't make sense but we will also put that there 548 00:34:10,300 --> 00:34:14,300 will be Be a fourth phase of service and yes I'm going to 549 00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:17,100 call it service. And if you've never thought 550 00:34:17,100 --> 00:34:21,500 about dying as service, then I want you to pay attention to 551 00:34:21,500 --> 00:34:25,900 this part of the study because 100% of US unless Jesus comes 552 00:34:25,900 --> 00:34:30,900 back, 100% of us are going to die at one point or another 553 00:34:31,199 --> 00:34:34,500 generally speaking. This happens later in life later 554 00:34:34,500 --> 00:34:37,500 in years. None of us know when that time 555 00:34:37,500 --> 00:34:40,800 will come and so I will speak about it from that generation. 556 00:34:40,900 --> 00:34:43,400 General point of view. According to the National 557 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:47,100 Institute of Health, fifty percent of seniors are basically 558 00:34:47,100 --> 00:34:50,400 healthy in that 65 or older category. 559 00:34:50,699 --> 00:34:54,100 Now, not only is this group in basically good health but here's 560 00:34:54,100 --> 00:34:59,100 some really important things to remember about this age is 561 00:34:59,100 --> 00:35:01,600 usefulness. Number one more time. 562 00:35:02,500 --> 00:35:04,300 Can be devoted to the Lord's work. 563 00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:07,300 If one doesn't have to work and I know it doesn't always work 564 00:35:07,300 --> 00:35:10,400 out that way but if one doesn't have to work as much as they did 565 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,100 in their youth, that's more time. 566 00:35:12,700 --> 00:35:16,700 Number two, more resources can be devoted to the Lord's work. 567 00:35:16,700 --> 00:35:19,600 Once they start drawing, retirement benefits, and number 568 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:21,500 three. And I think most importantly a 569 00:35:21,500 --> 00:35:26,500 wealth of accumulated wisdom can be given to the Lord's work. 570 00:35:26,500 --> 00:35:32,800 And so this perspective that are older members provide Helps 571 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:38,200 minimize repeating mistakes in the Next Generation by helping 572 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:40,700 train us to do. What is right and what is good. 573 00:35:40,800 --> 00:35:45,800 Titus Chapter 2 verses 3 through 5, the older women likewise are 574 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,300 to be reverent in Behavior, not Slanders, not given to much wine 575 00:35:49,300 --> 00:35:52,600 teaching of good things that they may admonish the younger 576 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,700 women to love their husbands, to love their children to be 577 00:35:55,700 --> 00:35:58,000 discreet. Chaste Homemakers good, obedient 578 00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,100 to their own husband's. That the word of God may not be 579 00:36:00,100 --> 00:36:04,100 blasphemed. So it is the older teaching the 580 00:36:04,107 --> 00:36:08,600 younger in this category. First Timothy, 3:1 and Titus 2 581 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:09,900 verse 2. The older men have 582 00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:13,600 responsibilities as well. LG and his article, I'm going to 583 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,600 try to ring a few of these and then I can share the article 584 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,900 with you later if you're interested in and just reading 585 00:36:18,900 --> 00:36:22,500 it in its entirety. I think he does a great job of 586 00:36:22,500 --> 00:36:26,200 expressing how seniors can help the church. 587 00:36:26,300 --> 00:36:30,200 For example retired teachers can volunteer to assist 588 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:34,800 homeschooling parents and Killin development teaching their 589 00:36:34,800 --> 00:36:38,100 children. The Bible, anybody with one good 590 00:36:38,100 --> 00:36:41,100 eye and a heart of compassion could volunteer to help monitor. 591 00:36:41,100 --> 00:36:44,800 The care of someone who is a set as shut in or at a nursing home. 592 00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:49,000 Especially being alert to the evidence of elder abuse retired. 593 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:53,200 Accountants can provide free tax preparation or assistance in the 594 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:58,000 bookkeeping of others who may need help in that couples are 595 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:01,100 individuals with parenting skills can volunteer to babysit 596 00:37:01,100 --> 00:37:04,400 for a Young couple at church who may be severely strapped for 597 00:37:04,400 --> 00:37:09,200 cash and but may need a date night retired, professors with 598 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:11,900 any good language skill. Could share their expertise by 599 00:37:12,100 --> 00:37:15,300 editing articles booklets for preachers. 600 00:37:16,400 --> 00:37:20,100 Let's see. Again, I'm trying to maybe skip 601 00:37:20,100 --> 00:37:24,600 some of these anyone with the ability to read scriptures can 602 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:27,800 read to people in nursing homes or elsewhere, or to people who 603 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,600 have lost their vision and this could be done over the phone, 604 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,800 just be alert to the opportunities. 605 00:37:34,900 --> 00:37:38,800 He goes on the retired. Carpenters, retired mechanics 606 00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:45,200 retired, all varieties of jobs. And so I give those for you to 607 00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:48,000 be thinking about, though the skills that once developed 608 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:49,600 across a lifetime. Okay. 609 00:37:49,900 --> 00:37:55,800 Briefly there is a 40% group of those who are moderately ill but 610 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,600 can still be serving in the Kingdom. 611 00:37:59,700 --> 00:38:03,200 He gives the following examples preachers who are not are no 612 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,900 longer able to travel or Do the work they once did may need to 613 00:38:06,900 --> 00:38:09,000 redefine their role and responsibility. 614 00:38:09,700 --> 00:38:11,400 I'm reminded of the Apostle Paul. 615 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:15,300 When he was not able to travel, many came to his lodging and I 616 00:38:15,308 --> 00:38:18,900 like that, the idea of adapting one's work where if you're not 617 00:38:18,900 --> 00:38:22,700 able to get out as much that inviting people to come to you a 618 00:38:22,700 --> 00:38:25,800 sister in the congregation and Lubbock Texas, dealing with 619 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:31,000 significant health challenges herself, regularly asks, brother 620 00:38:31,000 --> 00:38:34,900 LG the time of writing for the names of persons to she can Pray 621 00:38:34,900 --> 00:38:38,600 for via the Internet. So she prays and sends cards to 622 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,800 them regularly, what a Ministry for this woman. 623 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,500 One of the residents of the nursing home which LG 624 00:38:45,500 --> 00:38:48,400 volunteered a retired music, teacher frequently played the 625 00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:50,500 piano for the residents who were there as well. 626 00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:55,000 So as one's Health starts to diminish maybe once the body is 627 00:38:55,000 --> 00:39:00,600 not able to move as it was continuing to use abilities is 628 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:03,400 helpful. My brother LG talks about the 629 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,500 severely ill, category from personal experience. 630 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:10,100 Many of you may have known his wife Priscilla, she had 631 00:39:10,100 --> 00:39:12,700 Parkinson's disease. So I'd like to Simply share 632 00:39:12,800 --> 00:39:18,600 Share this single narrative here but it goes well with with those 633 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:22,700 who had ALS and other conditions where physically they feel as 634 00:39:22,700 --> 00:39:25,200 though they have nothing to offer, but I want you to listen 635 00:39:25,200 --> 00:39:27,300 to this story. I think it's powerful. 636 00:39:28,500 --> 00:39:31,400 His wife by the incidentally, at this time, had been in a nursing 637 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:34,600 home for several years on one occasion. 638 00:39:34,600 --> 00:39:39,200 When I went to visit my wife Priscilla, she was not where I 639 00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:43,400 expected at that time, her Parkinson's disease had Advanced 640 00:39:43,400 --> 00:39:46,200 to the point that she was confined to a wheelchair. 641 00:39:46,500 --> 00:39:49,000 She was not able to talk clear enough to be understood. 642 00:39:49,000 --> 00:39:52,900 Will her vision was so affected that she could no longer read. 643 00:39:53,100 --> 00:39:56,900 I found her. On the other side of the 644 00:39:56,900 --> 00:40:01,300 dividing room, she had somehow managed to get into her 645 00:40:01,300 --> 00:40:05,300 wheelchair and worked the wheelchair around the room 646 00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:10,700 divider and moved up beside the bed of a Dying roommate. 647 00:40:11,300 --> 00:40:15,900 Priscilla, had her hand on the roommates arm comforting her 648 00:40:16,600 --> 00:40:18,400 later. That night her roommate passed 649 00:40:18,400 --> 00:40:22,000 away. Not only did my dear wife 650 00:40:22,000 --> 00:40:24,400 comfort her friend but she taught me. 651 00:40:24,700 --> 00:40:30,400 Volumes about unselfish love compassion, courage and how we 652 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:34,200 might Advance the kingdom for such a time as this as powerful 653 00:40:34,200 --> 00:40:39,100 isn't it. that this woman who wasn't able to speak, barely 654 00:40:39,100 --> 00:40:47,600 able to move and yet used What God had given her and that was a 655 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:50,700 keen awareness that somebody was about to go from this life to 656 00:40:50,700 --> 00:40:53,700 the next. And instead of that roommate 657 00:40:53,700 --> 00:40:59,000 dying alone, she got to die with somebody holding her hand during 658 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:03,000 the last few years of life at the same nursing home. 659 00:41:03,000 --> 00:41:07,800 There was a man who was asked by heat rather, he asked his 660 00:41:07,800 --> 00:41:10,600 children and grandchildren every time they came to visit him. 661 00:41:10,600 --> 00:41:14,700 Why do you think I'm still here? To which his children responded. 662 00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:18,600 You're still here because you're teaching us so much. 663 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:25,000 His daughter graciously shared with me that he helped her learn 664 00:41:25,000 --> 00:41:29,000 how to face death at his own initiative, he'd given up his 665 00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:32,800 driver's license when he was 92, he willingly went into assisted 666 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:34,400 living. When he was 96 following a 667 00:41:34,408 --> 00:41:37,400 stroke later, he and his wife gave up their home and 668 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:40,300 distributed all of their personal effects, and moved 669 00:41:40,300 --> 00:41:42,700 into, a nursing home with Grace and contentment. 670 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:46,600 Ain't he had taught his family, he Advance the kingdom through a 671 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:50,800 teaching example. Finally, let's consider very 672 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:57,600 briefly about how we glorify God in the service when we die and 673 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:01,200 again, in our culture we don't talk about this a lot. 674 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:04,800 When we were in Cambodia, they handle death of a bit 675 00:42:04,800 --> 00:42:07,700 differently than we do and most cultures do handle it in their 676 00:42:07,700 --> 00:42:10,800 own way because we have a culture that is very medically 677 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,100 driven that wants to save the ADI at all costs. 678 00:42:14,300 --> 00:42:16,900 A lot of times we don't want to talk about dying. 679 00:42:16,900 --> 00:42:20,600 Well there is a scripture however that I'd like for you to 680 00:42:20,900 --> 00:42:26,200 consider with me and I like you to look at John chapter 21, 681 00:42:26,200 --> 00:42:28,100 verse 18, so go ahead and get your Bibles. 682 00:42:28,100 --> 00:42:30,500 This will be one of the last ones that we look at. 683 00:42:32,000 --> 00:42:36,600 In John chapter 21 verse. 18 and 19. 684 00:42:36,600 --> 00:42:39,800 I'll go ahead and flip my open to and read it out of the Bible 685 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:44,200 instead of the notes. In this passage, Jesus is 686 00:42:44,200 --> 00:42:48,800 talking to the Apostle Peter And he says, three times. 687 00:42:48,800 --> 00:42:51,500 Do you love me? Peter says, you know, I love 688 00:42:51,500 --> 00:42:52,900 you. And he says, feed my sheep 689 00:42:52,900 --> 00:42:56,800 Peters upset about this, and there's reasons that he is 690 00:42:56,800 --> 00:42:59,300 upset. But look at Verse 18. 691 00:42:59,400 --> 00:43:03,200 Most assuredly, Jesus says, I say to you, when you were 692 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:07,700 younger, you girded yourself and walk where you wished. 693 00:43:08,100 --> 00:43:11,900 But when you are old, you will stretch out your hand, another 694 00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:14,400 will gird you and carry you, where you do not wish. 695 00:43:15,700 --> 00:43:19,500 This, he spoke signifying by what death. 696 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:24,000 He would glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he 697 00:43:24,000 --> 00:43:26,500 said to him, he said to him, follow me. 698 00:43:27,600 --> 00:43:31,500 You know, that is very subtle and it happens very fast, but 699 00:43:31,500 --> 00:43:33,800 Peter was going to glorify God and death. 700 00:43:34,900 --> 00:43:37,600 Brothers and sisters. I want to say that to you as 701 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:41,500 well, that we will glorify God and death as well. 702 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:47,300 We have an opportunity if we're given time to make things well 703 00:43:47,300 --> 00:43:53,400 with our family with friends. And if we're not given time, If 704 00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:58,500 it's sudden and it's our life and our Legacy that will carry 705 00:43:58,500 --> 00:44:00,800 on and will glorify God with that. 706 00:44:02,100 --> 00:44:05,400 And the same way that Peter had that opportunity, I want to 707 00:44:05,408 --> 00:44:07,300 challenge each of you to think about that. 708 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:09,500 And about the Legacy that you're leaving. 709 00:44:10,200 --> 00:44:13,800 Will you be glorifying God? I certainly think we have the 710 00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:17,800 opportunity to do so. Jacob in Genesis chapter 48 and 711 00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:21,800 49 was aware of his death. And so he used that time to 712 00:44:21,800 --> 00:44:25,800 speak individually to his sons before he died. 713 00:44:26,000 --> 00:44:32,200 David in Second Kings one and two on his deathbed was aiming 714 00:44:32,200 --> 00:44:36,400 Solomon, his son and lifting him up and encouraging him about 715 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:39,100 being a king for the Next Generation. 716 00:44:39,600 --> 00:44:43,900 Finally, in Psalm chapter 71 verse 18, the Bible says now 717 00:44:43,900 --> 00:44:46,700 also, when I am old and grey-headed, oh God, do not 718 00:44:46,700 --> 00:44:51,900 forsake me until I declare your strength to this generation and 719 00:44:51,900 --> 00:44:54,600 your power to everyone who is to come. 720 00:44:55,500 --> 00:45:00,400 So, this psalmist. In his latter years, wanted to 721 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,400 use that opportunity to glorify God and I challenge you to do 722 00:45:04,400 --> 00:45:07,800 the same. So whether you may be a senior 723 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:12,100 now or senior in the future, I hope that you're willing to look 724 00:45:12,100 --> 00:45:17,300 past yourself and whatever ways that you're being misused and be 725 00:45:17,300 --> 00:45:20,700 useful. And be useful for life. 726 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:23,300 That's our Bible study tonight. I hope it's helpful and 727 00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:24,800 encouraging. I look forward to some good 728 00:45:24,800 --> 00:45:28,100 conversations that we can have about it, but we don't want to 729 00:45:28,100 --> 00:45:30,100 close without offering a gospel invitation. 730 00:45:30,100 --> 00:45:33,300 So if someone's here who's not a Christian, we want you to know 731 00:45:33,300 --> 00:45:34,900 that. As the scripture said in 732 00:45:34,908 --> 00:45:39,700 Ephesians 2 verses 8 through 10. The you can be saved by grace 733 00:45:40,100 --> 00:45:43,400 through faith and that faith means to hear the word and 734 00:45:43,500 --> 00:45:47,400 believe in the message of Jesus Christ to repent of your sins 735 00:45:47,400 --> 00:45:49,900 confess that he's a son of God and be baptized for the 736 00:45:49,900 --> 00:45:52,000 remission of sins. Brothers sisters, if anybody 737 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,300 needs prayers of the church, this is a time for you as well. 738 00:45:54,400 --> 00:45:55,900 Please come as we stand and sing a song. 739 00:45:57,300 --> 00:46:00,000 We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the 740 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:05,700 Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. Road in Bakersfield, if you 741 00:46:05,700 --> 00:46:08,900 would like any additional information or you would like to 742 00:46:08,900 --> 00:46:12,000 receive a free Bible correspondence, course by mail. 743 00:46:12,700 --> 00:46:16,500 Please email us at info at True Church of Christ. 744 00:46:16,500 --> 00:46:20,400 Bakersfield.com. Our service times are on Sundays 745 00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:27,000 at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. please, 746 00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:30,200 make plans to join us. We would love for you to be our 747 00:46:30,200 --> 00:46:31,100 honored guest