Sermons
September 3rd, 2023 by Pastor Solley082723AM Strengthen Them
Sub. Strengthening others
Theme: Senior saints used to strengthen others.
Text: Deut 3:28
“Strengthen Them” Deut 3:28
Introduction
The message this morning is for the more mature Christian in years, for our senior and soon to be senior saints, for those of us who have put many more years behind us than we have in front of us. There comes a time in life when one realizes that they are not what they used to be. There comes a time in life when one realizes that they will never be what they once were, that no matter what they do they are not going to be able to turn back that clock of time. There also comes a time in life, and that differs from individual to individual, that we wonder what we have left to offer. There comes a time in life when one feels as if they have outlived their usefulness in this world. With that the question often is asked “Why doesn’t the Lord just take me home?” There comes a time when our eyes are more focused on heaven than anything else and the request is made “Lord just take me home.” As one grows older and time begins to take things away from us those questions and feelings arise. This message is for our senior and soon to be senior saints.
I. The Bible has quite a lot to say about the aged and their usefulness: The Bible says in Prov 20:29 The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the gray head. That applies to the ladies as well and it is a good study to take the time and looked at how God used and uses men and women as they grow older. God has use for the aged and no one who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as personal savior outlives their usefulness for the Lord in this world.
II. In our text passage this morning we find Moses near the end of his life: Deut 3:28 God is speaking here to Moses and Moses is near the end of his life. The death of Moses is recorded in the last chapter of Deuteronomy and here in chapter three Moses if very near the time of his death.
A. Moses at this point is 120 years of age: Moses spent the first forty years of his life in Egypt, the next forty years in the dessert, and the last forty years serving the Lord in leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and toward the Promised Land. Moses was now 120 years of age and Moses had been faithfully serving the Lord for the last eighty years. Moses left Egypt to stand with Jehovah.
1. God gave Moses a great work to do: To be the instrument of God in delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt and leading that nation to the Promised Land. I don’t know of a greater work in the Bible other than the cross. God gave Moses a great work to do.
2. Moses was not able to finish the job, not able to finish the work God gave him to do: Because of disobedience in striking the rock instead of speaking to the rock, because of arrogance in claiming to bring water out of that rock instead of giving all credit to Jehovah, God had told Moses that he would not be the one to lead Israel into the Promised Land.
3. That certainly had to break the heart of Moses: He was not going to be able to finish the work God gave him to do.
B. Remember that Moses in now 120 years old: Do you think Moses may have wondered what he now had to offer? Moses was no longer what he once was, Moses was not going to turn back the clock. Do you think Moses may have thought he outlived his usefulness? Do you think that Moses may have wondered what he now had to offer.?
III. For our senior and soon to be senior saints, God is not done with you: God still has something for us to do. At 65 I know I am not what I used to be and never will be again. At 65 I know there are things I can no longer do. I used to go to pastors fellowships and be among the younger preachers and now I am part of the old guard. I wonder at times has my usefulness here past? Just like everyone else as they grow older one wonders if their usefulness has past?
A. But as long as we are in this world as children of God, God still has use for us: We may think our usefulness has past, we may think there is nothing we have to offer, but as long as we are in this world God still has something for us to do, we are still useful.
B. I want to look this morning at God using the aged:
PROP: Senior saint, God is not done with you. TS. We are still useful for the Lord if we are willing to continue serving Him.
Body
I. God still had something for Moses to do, Moses was still useful, still had something to offer: Deut 3:28 God was not done with Moses. Moses was still useful for God and of much value to others, God was not done with Moses.
A. There are some things that Moses was never going to do again: Some things that God used Moses to do and Moses would never do those things again. Think of what God used that great man of God to do that he would never do again. Things had changed for Moses.
1. Moses would never again stand before a world leader and proclaim “Thus saith the Lord”: Moses stood before Pharaoh and proclaimed “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go,” Never again would Moses do that.
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2. Moses lifted up his shepherds rod and through the power of God brought a nation to ruin: Never again would Moses do that.
3. Moses lifted up his shepherds rod and parted a sea to deliver the people of God: Never again would Moses do that.
4. Moses lifted up his shepherds rod and watched God bring water out of a rock: Never again would Moses do that.
5. Moses led those people into battle and watched as God gave great victories: Never again would Moses do that.
6. Moses stood in the mount and received the Law of God for His people: Never again would Moses do that.
7. Moses saw a glimpse of the glory of God: Never again would Moses see that in this world.
8. We could rightly saw that Moses did more than any other man of God in both the Old and New Testaments with the exception of Jesus Christ: Never again would Moses do those things.
B. And Moses did not finish the work that God gave him to do: Moses was not going to lead Israel into the Promised Land. With all that passed Moses by, with all that he was not going to be able to do, might Moses have thought his usefulness had also passed him by?
1. Who wouldn’t feel that way? I often feel that way and anyone here this morning that has put more years behind them than they have in front of them knows how Moses must have felt.
2. As one grows older and older they often wonder if their usefulness has passed them by: Our senior saints know this well. But God still had something for Moses to do. Strengthen Joshua, strengthen and encourage the next generation. – Deut 3:28
3. God still has something for us to do, for you to do, for senior saints to do: Deut 3:28 Strengthen and encourage. And in Moses we have an example how we can continue to serve, how we can strengthen and encourage the next generation.
C. God still has something for Moses to do, Moses was still useful and still had something to offer: Deut 3:28
II. Moses strengthened and encouraged by his actions and attitude even though he could not do what he used to do, even though he was not going to finish the work he was called to do: Moses holds a very special place in the Bible. We can rightly say Moses is the greatest of the servants of God in the Bible, not including Jesus. – Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) Meekness is not weakness, it is the right use of power and wisdom and God says Moses was above all. Moses holds a very special place in the Bible.
A. Moses then was not permitted to enter into the Promised Land: Num 20:10-12 Easy to read these verses without thinking of what this news did to Moses. He was not going to enter into that Promised Land. – Num 20:12
1. This was the life’s work of Moses, leading Israel to the Promised Land: Forty years of learning the ways of man in Egypt prepared him for this work. Forty years of learning the ways of God in the desert prepared him for this work. Now well on his way, his work almost complete, the finish line is sight and God tells Moses he is not going in. – Num 20:12 – Would that disappoint and discourage?
2. Note the response of Moses to this disappointing news: Num 20:14 One verse covers it.
a. Moses never complains.
b. Moses does not sulk.
c. Moses does not stop serving.
d. Moses never asks God to take him home early.
3. Moses just keeps on being Moses: As was said, Moses is never going to do the things he once did. Moses is not going to finish his life’s work. But what Moses does is keep on being Moses.
4. That had to be an encouragement to Joshua, an example for Joshua, it had to strengthen Joshua:
B. We can encourage and strengthen the next generation if we just keep on keeping on for the Lord: Age is going to take some things from all of us, age is going to keep us from doing some things we used to do, age may even keep us from finishing our life’s work. But age does not have the power to keep us from finishing well or the power to stop us from keeping on for our wonderful Lord.
1. What an encouragement for the next generation to see the gray head walking into the hose of God when the doors are open: Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, to see the gray head faithful to the house of God.
a. To see that aged one remain faithful even though age has robed them of other things it has not taken their faithfulness.
b. What does it tell them if we stop being faithful?
c. What an encouragement to see the gray head walk into the house of God.
2. What an encouragement to see those who struggle physically with age walk into the house of God: This one can hardly walk, this one can hardly see, this one can hardly hear, this one has this problem and this one has a different problem and they struggle with even getting out of bed in the morning but here they are in the house of God. What an encouragement.
a. What an example in steadfastness and commitment.
b. If they can keep going then why can’t I?
3. What an encouragement to hear one praise and not complain: And we all have things we can complain about especially as we grow older. But what if we focused on praise.
4. What an encouragement to see one just keep on keeping on and want to continue as long as God wants them to: Right now, for this moment this morning, I don’t want to leave this world on second before God wants me to and I long for heaven like you do.
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C. We can be an encouragement, we can strengthen the next generation with our actions and our attitude even though age has robbed us of many things:
III. Moses strengthened and encouraged by speaking of all the good things God had done over his many years: Deut 31:1-9 Not all detailed in these verses but Moses, as he looked back over his life, spoke of the all the good things of God over his many years.
A. Moses could have at this time spoke of his many troubles: And Moses had many troubles.
1. Moses could have spoke of having to be placed in a basket and left along side of a river because he was about to be killed as a baby: Why would God allow that to happen?
2. Moses could have spoke of standing up for his people and having to leave the home he knew and flee: Why did God allow that?
3. Moses could have spoke of having to dwell as a nomad in the desert instead of a palace: Why did God do that?
4. Moses could have spoke of trying to lead people who wanted to complain about everything: Why did God let them do that?
5. Moses could have spoke bitterly about being shut out of the Promised Land after all he did for God: Why did God do that.
6. Moses in his last days had a lot to complain about:
B. Instead Moses chose to praise God: Deut 32:14 All through this chapter and the next two Moses praises God. Instead of recounting all of his troubles and trials Moses spoke about the good things of God.
C. All of us have many trials and troubles in this world and all of us gave great blessings from God: We choose which to speak about.
1. Want to discourage someone? Focus on your troubles and trials and all of us have plenty of those to speak about.
2. What to strengthen and encourage someone? Focus on the blessings of God in your life because they do outweigh the trials.
3. How many of us could not follow this Psalm? Ps 9:1-2
4. How many could echo this? Ps 57:7-11
5. How many of us could just choose to praise God instead of complaining about God?
D. We strengthen and encourage when we speak about the good tings God has done over our many years:
IV. Moses strengthened and encouraged by giving wise and sure spiritual counsel: Deut 4:1-2 Physically Moses was not what he once was. Moses was not going to finish his life’s work.
A. But Moses could give wise spiritual counsel: Deut 4:1-2 Moses had a great deal of experience and Moses could give wise counsel.
1. Chapters four through thirty in this book finds Moses giving wise spiritual counsel: I can imagine he had the complete attention of Joshua and others.
2. Moses had a great deal to offer as he spoke to Joshua and others: Joshua did listen, others did listen.
3. Moses could not go in and out as before, but Moses could give wise counsel: Moses had a lot to offer.
4. Moses in his counsel stayed true to the Word of God: Deut 4:2
B. So do the aged today have a great deal to offer: They have the experience, they have been tried and found true, they have gone the way before us, they have a lot to offer. The gray head has a lot to offer.
1. As counsel is based on the Word of God it is wise counsel: Deut 4:2
2. I love to sit and listen to senior saints, to older Christians and gain from their knowledge and counsel: I may not even ask any questions from them but I gain from their experience, knowledge and counsel.
3. I have yet to meet an elder Christian that I have not be able to learn something from: Just sit and listen.
4. Read the Scriptures and gain knowledge from those wise believers: The Holy Spirit chose them to write down God’s Word in great part because of their knowledge and experience.
a. The last words of David are packed with wise counsel.
b. The last words of Solomon are packed with wise counsel.
c. The last words of Paul are packed with wise counsel.
5. And elder saints have a lot to offer if one just takes the time to sit and listen:
C. We strengthen and encourage by giving wise counsel from the pure Word of God:
V. Moses strengthened and encouraged by his closeness to God: Ex 33:12-15 This of course before Moses was old, before he could no longer go in and out. But I don’t believe Moses changed in this with age.
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A. Moses was determined to stay close to the Lord, close to Jehovah: But don’t miss this. – Ex 33:1-2 God here, because of a rebellious people, told Moses He would send an angel before him. – Ex 33:2 – This angel would get them to the promised Land.
1. Note the response of Moses: Ex 33:12-15 Lord, if you are not going with me I don’t want to go.
2. Moses did not refuse and did not order God: Ex 33:13 If I have found grace please don’t leave me alone.
3. If you are not in it Lord I don’t want to be either: Ex 33:13-15
4. And Moses stayed just that close to God his entire life:
5. What an encouragement and how that must have strengthened Joshua:
B. Your continued closeness to God in your old age is an encouragement and will strengthen others: The next generation needs to see one who has chosen to stay close to the Lord Jesus Christ to the very end. They can see may who quit on the Lord.
1. They need to see one willing to finish the course close to the Lord: 2 Tim 4:7
2. They need to see one who loves the Bible, loves Jesus, love the church to the very end: They need to see a Stephen today who face glows with the glory of the Lord.
3. They need to see one will do nothing without the Lord by their side: If Christ is not in it and cannot bless it I don’t want to be in it as well.
4. Just how close are you to the Lord today?
C. We strengthen and encourage by our closeness to the Lord:
Conclusion
This message has been for our senior saints. Some of us are not what we used to be. Some of us know we never will be again. I wonder do we still have something to offer? Are we still useful?
I. God still had something for Moses to do, Moses was still useful, still had something to offer: Deut 3:28 God was not done with Moses. Moses was still useful for God and of much value to others, God was not done with Moses.
II. Moses strengthened and encouraged by his actions and attitude even though he could not do what he used to do, even though he was not going to finish the work he was called to do: Moses holds a very special place in the Bible. We can rightly say Moses is the greatest of the servants of God in the Bible, not including Jesus. – Num 12:3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) Meekness is not weakness, it is the right use of power and wisdom and God says Moses was above all. Moses holds a very special place in the Bible.
III. Moses strengthened and encouraged by speaking of all the good things God had done over his many years: Deut 31:1-9 Not all detailed in these verses but Moses, as he looked back over his life, spoke of the all the good things of God over his many years.
IV. Moses strengthened and encouraged by giving wise and sure spiritual counsel: Deut 4:1-2 Physically Moses was not what he once was. Moses was not going to finish his life’s work.
V. Moses strengthened and encouraged by his closeness to God: Ex 33:12-15 This of course before Moses was old, before he could no longer go in and out. But I don’t believe Moses changed in this with age.