5/3/26 A THEOLOGY OF AGING: PSALM 92:12-14; PROVERBS 16:31

5/3/26: SENIOR ADULT SUNDAY: 

A Theology for Aging: Isaiah 46:4, Psalm 92:1-15, Proverbs 16:31

There are 2 ways people usually look at aging: either with laughter or lament: we make jokes about it or we complain about it. You’ve heard the complaints: maybe you’ve said the complaints: I hurt more, I’m on a fixed income, I have to see more doctors. You’ve heard the jokes: top 10 list of how to know you’re a senior adult

1. your back goes out more than you do

2. someone calls you at 9pm and asks did I wake you... & they did

3. you love hearing about other people’s operations

4. The Weather Channel is your favorite cable selection

5. your birthday cake has been declared a fire hazard

6. you plan out of town trips around rest stops

7. you have more pills in your purse than coins

Well, the Bible does neither; it does not make fun of aging or does it picture it as a time of constant complaining. The Bible addresses aging; it speaks honestly about its challenges and even celebrates the aging of a believer. SO, I would like to take 3 verses of Scripture that speak to the aging process and use them to formulate a kind of THEOLOGY FOR AGING.

The 3 verses are: 

Isaiah 46:4

Psalm 92:14-15

Proverbs 16:31

And, for each of these verses I will give you a 2-3 word summary, a biblical truth that speaks to us as senior adults, that both comforts us with God’s continuing presence and challenges us to be all we can and should be for Him, and, in so doing, help others and ourselves as well.

SO, WRITE DOWN THE 3 VERSES AND LEAVE ROOM BESIDE EACH ONE OF THEM FOR A 2-3 WORD PHRASE THAT, PUT TOGETHER, WILL FORM OUR THEOLOGY OF AGING.....

Isaiah 46:4: GOD WITH US

Look at the verbs: God says” I have made”: as the Creator, God has a vested interest in sustaining and protecting His creation.

I will bear: bear the weight of our burdens: 1P5:7

I will carry: in contrast to idols that must be carried, God does the carrying:  from carrying a baby to carrying a senior.

FOOTPRINTS: WHEN THERE ARE ONLY 1 SET OF PRINTS: IT WAS THEN THAT I CARRIED YOU

I will deliver: save, rescue, provide strength in weakness.

2 things: God did not start us on this journey to drop us: Phil. 1:6. Our value to God has never been about what we do for Him in productivity: it has always been about His love for us: Rom 5:8; the world may judge worth by productivity, but God judges worth by faithfulness. There are  57.8 million senior adults in USA: 30% of them live alone: but we are NOT ALONE: God is with us: IF I LIVE: GOD WITH ME; IF I DIE, I WITH GOD: Romans 14:8

Psalm 92:14-15: I can serve

Do not believe Satan’s lie that you are no longer useful: note this Scripture does not say: they  USED TO BE fruitful; they ARE fruitful; maybe you cannot serve in every way you used to, but that does not equate to not serving; every one of us can still serve ;your prayers matter: praying for a grandchild is serving God ; your testimony matters: encouraging another believer with your story/experience is serving God. Your worship matters: every time, in spite of every physical/emotional hardship that you come through these doors with, you are encouraging  other members, and you are pleasing God (Heaven celebrates). You will grow older, but you do not have to grow old: this pictures a  tree, even in old age, that is more green: alive, healthy. 

God has always had a way of calling/using those in advanced years

In the Old Testament: Abraham was 75; Moses was 80

In the New Testament: Paul in his 60’s: I am an old man (Philemon); with poor eyesight

John was in his 90’s when He wrote Revelation

Proverbs 16:31: Celebrate today.

Notice the Bible does not say every white haired person is to be honored, but their faithfulness (if they be found in the way of righteousness: right-ness: right thinking and right doing), then they are to be honored). We celebrate the white hair: we see it as a crown of glory, as you FINISH STRONG with God here and increasingly look forward to God there will be the white hair, the senior years, are not a burden to bear but a crown to wear if you are living those senior years with God: wear your crown WITH GRACE

We began with a list and we end with a list

Joe McKeever: known for his comic drawings compiled a list of 7 things to enjoy as Senior Adults: so here are 7 things that make the senior years good.......

1. You have historical perspective: .... 1963/1964/1969..... We not only read about it: we lived it: and beginning a talk with “that reminds me” is a great sedative for your grandchildren. 

2. You have a perfect excuse for odd behavior or unorthodox dress: if you just come right out and tell someone what you think or if you wear mismatched socks, they will just shake their head and think: “they’re old”. 

3. Coffee is cheap in a lot of places: hey, you get the same size cup that a 30 something gets but you pay less: & we are all about paying less.

4. The government sends you money every month; really, just because you’re old, and when  you spend it all, they send you some more next month: Dr. McKeever said: it’s enough to make me wish I had retired sooner.

5. Every time you enter a big parking lot, you can look for the blue stripes: they are  usually the closest to the entrance. 

6. You can take naps: for an hour at a time if you want: one time Dr. McKeever said to a clerk: I am sorry that you are tired: I will go home right now and take a nap in your honor.

7. You get to hold and love on and spoil grandchildren and then send them home.

I would add our 3 parts of Aging Theology to this:

God is with me: I will never be alone

I can serve: there are still things I can/should do for and with God

Celebrate today: every day with Jesus is sweeter than day before.

4/26/26: BIBLICAL GEOMETRY: THE CUBE: 1 Kings 6:20, Revelation 21:16

Homes: there are over 148 million housing units in America. New homes are being built at the average of 1.53 million per year.

There are new homes, there are old homes. There are tiny homes, there are huge homes. There are cheap homes, there are expensive homes. There are identical (cookie cutter) homes in some subdivisions and there are STRANGE (one of a kind) homes (that broke the mold). Sometimes we buy a used home and sometime we buy a new one; sometimes we even build  from the ground up.....

If God built a house for Himself, what would it look like?

Today’s message looks at 2 places in the Bible that could be termed God’s house

The blueprint for one is in the Old Testament – a room in the Tabernacle: THE HOLY OF HOLIES: THE MOST HOLY PLACE. The blueprint of another is in the New Testament - the Heavenly city: NEW JERUSALEM.

So, for the next few moments, let’s look at the DIMENSIONS, the DÉCOR, and the DOOR to each of these....

DIMENSIONS: what are the dimensions of God’s house?

Today we measure dimensions in square footage (floor space). God’s house in the Old Testament would be about 900SF, in the New Testament, over 41 billion SF. What is important about God’s house is not the square footage in it, but the shape of it: THEY ARE BOTH CUBES.  A cube is simply defined as a 3 dimensional figure whose length, width, and breath are the same measurement: it’s as long as it is broad as it is high: or in children’s language: think of a perfect box.

In the Old Testament length, breadth and width were all 20 cubits or 30 feet: 1 Kings 6:20: housed God’s presence. In the New Testament, length breadth and width were all 12k furlongs (stadia) or 1500 miles: Revelation 21:16: The room houses God’s presence & all of God’s people (ROOM HAS BECOME A CITY: the tabernacle (mirrors) of God is now with men: Rev. 21:3.  Both represent perfection, completeness, wholeness, stability.

DÉCOR: The décor in my childhood home was colonial birch, early American wallpaper. In our current house there is sheetrock with sands of time & conservative gray paint. How about God’s House? HIS WALLS, HIS FURNISHINGS?

IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES, THE WALLS WERE ACACIA overlaid with gold symbolizing majesty  & strength and royal splendor. 

THE FURNISHINGS: There was only 1 furnishing: The Ark of the Covenant: an acacia wood  box about 4X2X2 which originally held the 10 Commandments;  Aaron’s rod that budded and a jar of manna; furnishings that told of His WORDS/WORKS:

WHAT HE SAID AND DID. The top of the Ark of the Covenant was overlaid with gold: The top was the MERCY SEAT, where presence of God would sit and meet with his people, a room that God told man how to build….

BUT IN THE NEW JERUSALEM: wow: that was a city that God built for man: 1 Corinthians 2:9.

What kind of walls did He build? What kind of furnishings did He provide? The walls were 

adorned with 12 precious jewels. Revelation 4:2-3 tells us the throne (seat occupied by God):

was covered in white (holiness), red (sacrifice), green (hope): WHAT IS THERE? HIS  PRESENCE. Revelation 22:1-2: river & tree of life: water & food, PROVISIONS,  FURNISHINGS: WHAT IS NOT THERE? no night, no tears, no pain, no death, no falsehood,  no curse, nothing that defiles, no temple, JUST PROTECTION.

DOOR:  The entrance: how to get in, who can get in: anyone but God? IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES: THERE WERE 3 WALLS, but the fourth is a curtain (A VEIL). IT’S PATTERN: according to Exodus 26:31: the colors were: BLUE: Heavenly color (sky is blue); PURPLE: Royal color; (the king’s color); SCARLET: Sacrificial color (blood). IT’S POSITION: Exodus 26:33: The veil divides High Priest/The Holy of Holies: the veil prevents access: it divides God from man: stay away: only 1 man, once a year: on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was granted access, and  he entered in fear/trembling, he even wore bells sewn into bottom of his garment so God hear him and others could hear them as he went in to seek forgiveness of sins for His people. 

In Matthew 27:50: the veil is torn in 2, from top to bottom: this was no ordinary curtain: it was massive: 60 feet high, 30 feet high, 4” thick: It would have taken 300 priests to move it.

NEW JERUSALEM: how different: Revelation 21:13, 25: There is  easy access from  whatever direction you come: the gates are always open: We go from stay out to come in: the only requirement for entrance? YOUR NAME MUST BE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB’S BOOK  OF LIFE: Revelation 21:27: we can enter.

Peggy and I have lived in 6 houses, 1 apartment, and now in a condo: We’re going to make “one more move” to a beautiful out of this world CUBE to a residence that God Himself has built and furnished: He promised it: John 14:1-3, and I believe Him.

Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote a song some 50 years ago about a child’s perspective of Heaven: God’s house: here are some of the lyrics....

Jesus, I heard you had a big house where I could have a room of my own

& Jesus, I heard you had a big yard, big enough to let a kid roam

Jesus, I heard about meal time when all your children come to eat

& Jesus I heard you got a great big table where every kid can have his own seat

Jesus I heard that in your big house there’s plenty of love to go ‘round

I heard there’s always singing and laughter to fill the place with happy sounds

And I’ve been thinking that a friend who planned to give me all that He’s got

Before I had even met Him, well, He sure must love me a lot: I sure do love you a lot

One day, let’s gather at the table in His big house! 

04/19/26 - BIBLICAL GEOMETRY: THE 3 CIRCLES: John 14:6 et al.

Biblical Geometry: using basic geometric shapes to teach biblical truths: last week, we looked at THE LINE; this week, THE CIRCLE.

A circle is a set points on a plane (the border) that are all at a fixed distance from a central point (the middle).

Our preaching from today utlilizes not 1, but 3 circles to explain/illustrate how we are saved.

This presentation originated with Florida Pastor Jimmy Scroggins and has been adopted by our North American Mission Board as an excellent way to explain how to be saved to people who did not grow up in church. This presentation can be given in as little as 3 minutes, and all it requires is a pencil and a napkin.

Let’s begin.... 

GOD’S DESIGN (first circle)

God designed you with a purpose in mind (a reason why you are here: GENESIS 1:26-28).

Yes, God LOVES you and has a specific, unique, and glorious destiny for you. Moreover, God promises to GUIDE you to that destiny: kind of like GPS: if you take a wrong turn, you are told to return to the route); now you can ignore or turn off the GPS, but if you follow the   instructions, the trip is more enjoyable and less stressful, and finally, you will hear the words: YOU HAVE REACHED YOUR DESTINATION. if we live according to God’s design, we experience God’s blessings.

The problem is: we have chosen to not live according to God’s design, and the Bible has a word for that: SIN. Sin is anything God doesn’t like: it can be internal/external: it can be something you say/do/think; ROMANS 3:10/3:23. It is departing from God’s plan/design for your life, and that path ends up in the place called BROKENESS.  .

OUR BROKENESS (second circle)

A state of brokenness makes us feel empty, bad, regret, guilty, cheap: PSALM 51:3, ROMANS 6:23. We try on our own to mitigate the pain or escape the realm of brokenness; we try to replace our brokenness with other  RELATIONSHIPS, MATERIAL THINGS, DRUGS/ALCOHOL, DESIRES but these attempts are short lived at best: they don’t last and  they don’t work, and we wind up even worse than we were. To be broken is bad... but the one GOOD thing that comes from this is it opens up to us the need to and the possibility of CHANGE & that possibility of change comes to us through the GOSPEL.

Now the way we move from the state of brokenness to change is REPENT & BELIEVE.

REPENT: turn around: stop going your way and start going God’s way. Let Him change your heart/mind/direction.

BELIEVE: in what He did and what He said: the Gospel story & if we repent and believe, God will come in to our lives.

THE GOSPEL (third circle)

The Gospel is GOOD NEWS: the story of Jesus: GOD SENT JESUS and Jesus NEVER DEPARTED from God’s design: Billy Graham said: Jesus came into this world for 1 reason: to make it possible for us to be forgiven of our sins meaning we can go to Heaven when we die. This was accomplished ON THE CROSS where Christ was crucified for the sins of the world (mine/yours): ROMANS 5:8: on the cross, Jesus received the punishment for our sins.

He died, was buried, and on the 3rdday, HE WAS RAISED ALIVE, proving He was who He said He was: God’s perfect one and only Son: JOHN 3:16

SO, we respond to this in REPENTANCE AND BELIEF, by calling on Him to save us: ROMANS 10:1

Jesus saving us and coming into our lives changes everything. He helps us RECOVER from the state of brokenness and guides us in PURSUING life as He wants it: HIS DESIGN FOR YOUR LIFE.

We can begin this second chance journey right here and right now: 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 1:12

The 3 Circles... all in a circle: we have the chance to come “full circle” back to the way God intended for our lives to be.....

There are many ways to explain how one is saved: THE ABC’S,  THE ROMAN ROAD, & THE 3 CIRCLES: HOWEVER WAY YOU CHOOSE, JUST BE SURE YOU ARE READY THE NEXT TIME GOD  TAPS YOU ON THE SHOULDER, POINTS OUT A PERSON, AND SAYS: SHARE WITH HIM/HER

In discussing a circle, it all comes back to that central point. That is the fixture that determines the proper place of all the other points in the plane. For us, CHRIST is our central point; He is to be the CENTER of our lives and He determines where everything else falls into its proper place, in relation to Himself: MATTHEW 6:33.

It’s all about Jesus

Name that song.....

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so

Little ones to Him belong, they are weak, but He is strong

Jesus loves me, He will stay close beside me all the way

If I love Him, then when I die, He will take me home on high.

YES, JESUS LOVES ME, YES JESUS LOVES ME, YES JESUS LOVES ME,

THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

THE LINE: Hebrews 9:27

3 Observations in talking about LIFE AFTER DEATH. The bible may not tell us all we would like to know, but rest assured the Bible tells us all we need to know (& the rest, we will understand better by and by). We do need to let the Bible be our guide; too often we have let art, literature (Dante/Milton), folk tales and pure speculation guide us in leading to wild & inaccurate claims about life after death I must admit that there are honest and sincere disagreements between Christians about life after death. (Adrian Rogers and Herschel Hobbs). Tonight, we will not emphasize the points of disagreement; THE LAST THING OUR LORD JESUS wants to see when He returns is His children arguing over when He’s going to return!

People have always been interested in life after death, from the Egyptians and their elaborate burial preparations with the pyramids to the native americans and their happy hunting grounds to psychic research’s explorations of whether/not consciousness remains after death &.... it piques our interest.... where is my loved one and what is life like for him/her.... what will it be like for me?

Raymond Moody: LIFE AFTER LIFE: his book is a survey of those who had “death experiences” and then returned; from the survey, Moody listed a number of “conclusions”

a. many heard the news of their death

b. many had a feeling of peace and quiet, followed by a loud noise

and the sensation of being pulled through a tunnel

c. many viewed their own bodies; some met others, including

a “being of light”

d. some experienced a review of their life, and seemed to approach

a border before being told to turn back (not unlike SB pastor’s Don Piper’s experience, which he put in a book which was made into a film: 90 Minutes in Heaven)

ALTHOUGH MANY OF THESE FACTORS DIFFERED, ALMOST TO A PERSON THOSE SURVEYED  WERE CERTAIN THEY WOULD SURVIVE BODILY DEATH And.... so do I....not because Raymond Moody’s book tells me, but because THIS BOOK tells me: HEBREWS 9:27.... there is an “AFTER THAT”.

Let’s look at our first section, LIFE ON EARTH

John 3:18: you are saved or lost based on what you do with Jesus after reaching the STAGE of accountability: it’s all about Jesus: we divide people into many categories, but with God there are only 2: LOST/SAVED; above/below; we come to our PHYSICAL DEATH, and no one is ON THE LINE.

Let’s look at our second section, LIFE AFTER DEATH, BUT BEFORE THE SECOND COMING 

This entire segment is given various names, some of them biblical: Sheol, Hades, the place of shadows, the place of the departed, the valley of shadows.

2 Scripture passages cast light on this shadowy place

a. JOHN 11:25-26: life goes on after death

b. LUKE 16:25-26: DESTINY IS FIXED at death

LIFE ABOVE THE LINE.....

1. A place (John 14:1-3)

2. A place of happiness: (Lk 23:43)

3. A place of consciousness: Mt. of Transfiguration: Mt. 17

4. An incomplete place

LIFE BELOW THE LINE

1. A place (Matthew 25:41)

2. A place of torment (Luke 16:23)

3. A place of consciousness (Luke 16:28)

4. An incomplete place

SO, THE BIBLE DOES NOT TEACH reincarnation (Hindus), annihilationism (Jehovah’s Witness) or purgatory (Roman Catholic); there is no 2nd chance between death and the final judgment.

RETURN OF CHRIST

1. WHEN: Mark 13:32-33

2. HOW: Acts 1:11

Let’s look at our third section: LIFE AFTER DEATH AND AFTER THE SECOND COMING....

3. LIFE AFTER DEATH AND AFTER THE 2ND COMING

A. JUDGMENT: 1.2.7: YES

Revelation 20:11-15: BOOK/BOOKS: not decision, declaration

You can either be born once and die twice, or born twice and die once!

Where are you...tonight?

No one gets to Heaven by accident: by reservation only Rev.21:27

How long may men go on in sin; how long will God forbear

Where does hope end and where begins the confines of despair

One answer from the sky is sent-you who from God depart

While He does call today: REPENT, and harden not your heart

04/05/26 Easter Sermon: Empty Promises: John 20:1-18

The story of the plastic easter egg: Philip was a child who attended Sunday School at a church in Michigan; one Sunday, about this time of year: his teacher gave each child a plastic Easter egg. She let them go outside and find something, told them to put something in your egg that reminds you of Easter. They came back to the classroom, and each gave their egg to the teacher. One held a flower symbolizing new life; another a butterfly symbolizing the change that Jesus brings; another held 2 twigs, twisted together to form a cross. Then came Philip’s turn; he gave his egg to his teacher, she opened it and was astounded by what she saw: what in Philip’s egg was NOTHING: and when the teacher showed the class, they all began to laugh and point and make fun: NO, CRIED, PHILIP, I DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE; I DID UNDERSTAND, MY EGG IS EMPTY, JUST LIKE THE TOMB WAS EMPTY..... & the class grew quiet, and, according to the story, if you go to that children’s classroom in that Michigan church today, you will find Philip’s egg on a shelf, reminding each new class of children that the tomb was empty.

Normally, when we use the word EMPTY, it’s not good:

*my car is on empty

*my stomach is empty

*my bank account is empty

*that’s an empty promise

But EMPTY at Easter has a good meaning, for like Philip’s egg, Easter holds some EMPTY PROMISES that fill our lives with good.......

So, this morning, let’s use our Scripture to find 3 EMPTY PROMISES

OF EASTER......

*the empty cross

*the empty grave clothes

*the empty tomb

EMPTY CROSS (1-2)

What the women saw in the last 36 hours; they were coming to see Jesus, coming to

serve Jesus (in the only place they could/the only way they could): coming to a grave to anoint: WHY? BECAUSE JESUS HAD DIED on FRIDAY AFTERNOON. They had seen it: the stains were on the wood and on their hearts: they knew He was dead.... where have you lain him? The cross was gruesome, horrifying, cruel....all of these..... but now it was EMPTY.... BUT THAT EMPTY CROSS WAS FULL OF THE FORGIVENESS OF GOD, because Jesus had paid the debt of our sin by taking our place.... IT IS FINISHED: the account is settled. John 19:30: paid in full: the importance of forgiveness....

Rogers Cadenhead would take a domain, license it, sell it (just the way some flip houses); when a new pope was being elected in 2005 he correctly guessed the name

that would be chosen: benedictxvi.com. The Vatican said we want this: Cadenhead agreed but it will cost you...

1) 2 nights and 3 days in the Vatican

2) a real hat worn by a cardinal

3) complete and total absolution of any sins committed by me on 

Spring Break 1987 (18 years); DID HE GET? He was asking the wrong people

1 John 1:9: let us rejoice that the now empty cross provides for the fullness of forgiveness (if you ask the right person)

EMPTY GRAVE CLOTHES (4-10)

What they found when they entered the tomb; the face cloth: neatly folded and put to side. This was significant, if the disciples or grave robbers came and stole the body, the disciples would not have unwrapped the desecrated body; robbers would not have taken time to neatly fold and lay it to the side...NO: it was Jesus: he did not wear grave clothes because not going to be in grave: NOT DEAD BUT ALIVE. The empty graveclothes is a promise full of LIFE: & Jesus would be seen alive at least 11 times in the next 40 days before He would ascend to Heaven from the Mount of Olives. Nnot that He was, but IS, the empty grave clothes: a promise full of life

EMPTY TOMB (11-18)

Mary Magdalene: look at all He had done for her: exorcised, befriended, taught, shown

Mary Magdalene was the last at the cross, the first at the tomb: the first to see/worship the risen Lord, the first to tell the Easter miracle.... Why did she not recognize HIM? Maybe the tears in her eyes, maybe because it was totally unexpected, maybe like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, God kept her from knowing until right time & the right time came when He spoke her name: HE KNOWS OUR NAMES.

John 14:1-3: the empty tomb: a promise filled with HOPE: of a future with Jesus

Do you know who Mr. Hooper is? Mr. Hooper was the kind owner of Hooper’s General Store on Sesame Street: one of original human characters on Sesame Street: he was played by Will Lee who died of a heart attack in 1982 & the show famously addressed his death in a 1983 episode where the characters explained to Big Bird that Mr. Hooper was gone and wasn’t coming back. That is true for us, but NOT THE GOSPEL: not the story of Easter: Jesus died and He did come back, shown by 3 empty promises that were full of FORGIVENESS and LIFE and HOPE

ALLELUIA.... HE IS RISEN