Going For the Gold In the Golden Years

Transcript

LaVon Sperling
March 1, 2016
Going for the Gold in our Golden Years! God + Old = Gold
Backing out of driveway. Reece. Old lady go on a trip!
Imagine walking through a cemetery and seeing these epitaphs written on gravestones.
“I did it – my money didn’t run out and I wasn’t a burden to anyone!”
“I finished my bucket list!”
“I kept my mind sharp.”
“I got to see all my grandchildren graduate from college.”
“I made it to 100!”
“I didn’t lose my health………all that exercise paid off.”
“I survived.”
Seems silly but is that how we are living our years….is that the goal we are striving for.
Well, my nest is empty. Either my husband or I have retired, or both of us and now we’ve reached the “Golden years, or so they say. As I was preparing this study I scrolled to my email. The title of one email said, “Secure your golden years with only 15 minutes a week!” Is it really that simple? Can 15 minutes of ANYTHING make these years glorious.
Eccles. 12: 1 Choices before us as we age:
1. The size of my heart: small or large
View every person and opportunity on my path as a divine privilege and appointment.
Avoid the mentality of “Just get through it.”
See God’s purpose in the circumstances.
Parable of the Talents: time skills provision, strength. Am I faithful with these?
Life is 1% circumstances and 99% attitude
2. Let others honor me or I honor others. My family and the church are to care for the elderly and the widows. Matthew 23: 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
3. Positive or negative speech. Reroute our speech to the positive. Psalm 139: 23,24. See if there is any offensive way in me. Little Red Riding Hood. Focusing on negatives about people Consider – Jesus called disciples that were aggressive (peter), skeptics (Thomas) and tax collectors (Matthew). Titus 3:3-5 Tell a lie while being positive. Evaluate our words to see if they contradict God’s word. Proper to say to our grandchild, “You can do it!” Anything you want to do, if you want it badly enough and work hard, you can do it! Rather it’s better to say, “God has a perfect plan for you. Seek Him and He will show you. He will prepare you and train you to excel.” Eph 2: 10 Conversations should be full of grace. Col 4: ,6 Practice the art of telling a good joke or funny family story. Tell stories about yourself and know how to laugh at yourself. Apologize when you’ve been insensitive. Be humble… 1 Peter 5:7.
4. Set goals or sit back. Joshua 13:1 Joshua was old and advanced in years. Did he decide to “sit at the station and watch the trains go by” or choose to conquer the land. Noah – persevered for 120 years. Can’t do the work? We can stay positive, lovingly edifying those around us. Jonah did decide to “retire”. Ran from God. Even got a second chance. Didn’t like it when God was merciful. We aren’t finished until God says we are finished. Nothing I can do? Romans 12: 9-16,
5. Gratefulness or discontent. Discontent because we have become jealous of what others are or have. Miriam – jealous of Moses and what God asked him to do. Think of ourselves as we ought to think. Romans 12: 3, Plant seeds of thankfulness in the hearts of others by our example. “Except for the grace of God, there go I.” When we can no longer do certain things like drive a car. Rejoice! I drove my car until I was 90. That’s about 75 years of driving. Psalm 63: 5 – running from Saul in the wilderness. Marrow and fatness….best foods of the day. Probably didn’t have those right then. Your lovingkindness is BETTER than life.
6. Accept or resist God’s plan for my golden years. Ask myself…….is this my final exam? Learn from afar. 1 Cor. 10: 11 I can learn backwards—humility is required: See a young person being foolish in some area or resisting God’s training process. View the test and make application for myself. Is he/she being proud, too self-sufficient, no common sense, unrealistic? Have I done the same thing today? In every stage of life we can have those qualities.
7. I can flourish and bear fruit or end my days with a moan. Psalm 92: 12-14 Flourish and bear fruit. Ecc. 12: 1 “days of trouble” Psalm 90:9 end our years with a moan. No way to serve the Lord anymore. Darkest days when our speech and energy are gone, our life can still be one that praises and trusts God. In the challenge of aging and loss, are we maturing in our attitudes and expressions of trust in God? Aunt Ruthie. Psalm 90:12 Only working part may be our tongue. “Why, God” changes to “Thank you, God”. Are we acting like spoiled children, despairing of what we no longer have. Remember God’s goodness:
“They forgot the Lord who brought them through the Red Sea and into the promised land and gave them manna in the desert.
8. We can live with bitterness or we can change our perspective. 12 disciples thought Jesus was going to bring in the new Kingdom. They wanted to be part of a new government. They were looking for solutions to their immediate temporal needs. Jesus was focused on the eternal. What am I concerned about today? What eternal perspective should I have?
Naomi/Ruth. Returning to Bethlehem. Bitter. How did they both change their perspective. Naomi…………acted on past knowledge of God and hoped. Ruth left past behind and operated in new ways with humility and obedience.
9. I can forget………or remember! Deut. 8:11-14. Remember: brought you out of slavery, led through the wilderness, gave you food and water. Don’t be proud and give yourself the credit. Remember the Lord your God.

10. I can curse God and die or give God a “hostess gift”. Are the last days going to be hard? What if the pain is unbearable or the sadness is too deep. Solomon in Ecc. seems to think that it may not be pleasant. I won’t argue with God’s word. 1 Cor. 10:13 through it, not “out of it”. We must be encouragers to each other. Praying, visiting, encouraging, building up the week. Kind, gentle, caring speech. “James 5:16 The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” Read story from book.
Story of the continued later life of Joni and Ken Tada. Diving accident left her as a Quadriplegic at the age of 17, at writing of this book was in intense pain for double digit years, could never fine the source, cancer, mastectomy, pneumonia, intense spiritual warfare. 2 Cor. 4:16 We do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. She has chosen not to curse God and die!

When we are invited to someone’s home, we sometimes bring a small gift to show our appreciation for being invited. The hostess gift: Come before His presence with singing, enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.

March 1, 2016 LaVon Sperling

Going for the Gold in our Golden Years! God + old = Gold

“I did it – my money didn’t run out and I wasn’t a burden to anyone!”
“I finished my bucket list!”
“I kept my mind sharp!”
“I got to see all my grandchildren graduate from college!”
“I made it to 100!”
“I didn’t lose my health……..all that exercise paid off.”
“I survived!”
* We have choices:
1. The size of my heart: small or large. View every person and opportunity on my path as a divine privilege and appointment. Avoid the mentality of “just getting through it.”
2. Let others honor me or I honor others. Have I determined that others are to take care of me? Matthew 23:12 Am I exalting myself or being humble.
3. Positive or negative speech. Psalm 139: 23,24 - is there something offensive about me? Do I focus on the negatives of other people? (Peter, Thomas, Matthew). (Titus 3: 3-5 ) While trying to be positive do I tell lies? Do my words contradict God’s word? (Eph. 2: 10) Conversations should be full of grace. (Col. 4: 6) Apologize. Be humble. (1 Peter 5: 6)
4. Set goals or sit back. Joshua (Joshua 1: 2) Noah (Gen. 6: 22) Jonah. We aren’t finished until God says we are finished. Is there NOTHING I can do? Romans 12: 9-16, Psalm 92: 1, 2, 13-16.
5. Gratefulness or discontent. Miriam was jealous. She wanted to do what God asked Moses to do. (Numbers 12, 1-10, Romans 12: 3, Phil 2: 3). We can plant seeds of thankfulness in the hearts of others by our example. “Except for the grace of God, there go I!” Rejoice. (Psalm 63: 5) While running from Saul in the wilderness, David was thanking God for the good things - even though he didn’t have them right then.
6. Accept or resist God’s plan for my golden years. Is this my final exam? I can learn from afar. (1 Cor. 10: 11). I can learn backwards – humility is required. See someone else being foolish or resisting God? View the test and make application for myself.
7. Flourish and bear fruit or end our years with a moan. (Ecc. 12: 1, Psalm 90:9, Psalm 92: 12-14) Is there still a way I can serve the Lord? Our last working part may be our tongue. Can I express attitudes of trust in God?
8. Live with bitterness or change our perspective. Disciples were looking for a new kingdom. They wanted a solution to their temporal needs. Naomi/Ruth had a change of heart as well.
9. I can forget or remember. Deut. 8: 11-14. Israelites were told to NOT forget who led them through the wilderness, gave them food and water. They were not to be proud and give themselves the credit. They were to remember the Lord their God!
10. I can curse God and die or give God a “hostess gift”. What if the pain is unbearable or loneliness and sadness too deep? (Ecc. 12: 1). God will help us through it, not “out of it”. (1 Cor. 10:13.) We can pray and be encouragers (James 5:16.) Our inner man can be renewed each day. (2 Cor. 4:16.)
When we are invited to someone’s home, we sometimes bring a small gift to show our appreciation.

The Hostess Gift: Given to our Father in Heaven
Come before His presence with singing,
Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, and
Into His courts with praise.

Resources: God’s word and “God’s path to Golden Splendor” by J. H. Martin







Ecc. 12: 1 Remember also your creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw near when you will say, “I have no delight in them.”
Matthew 23: 12 Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.
Psalm 139: 23, 24 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.
Titus 3: 3-5 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 2: 10 For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Col. 4: 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.
1 Peter 5: 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time.
Joshua 1: 2 Cross this Jordan to the land which I am giving to (Israel).
Gen. 6:14, 22 Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood. Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him.
Romans 12: 9-16 Read from Bible
Numbers 12: 1-10 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married and they said, “has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?”
Romans 12: 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of (yourself) than you ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgement as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
Psalm 63: 5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
1 Cor. 10:11 Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.
Psalm 90: 9 For all our days have declined in Your fury; we have finished our years like a sigh (moan).
Psalm 92: 12-14The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green. To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Psalm 90: 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.
Deut. 8: 11-14 Beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statues which I am commanding you today. Otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who …………..
1 Cor 10:13 God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, to that you will be able to endure it.
James 5: 16 The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
2 Cor. 4: 16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.








Little Red Riding Hood
Was skipping up the path to Grandma’s house. She’s had such wonderful times with Grandma and can’t wait to see her again. She’s brought a basket full of goodies which she knows Grandma will love, And she can’t wait to spend time together with her.
She bursts through the door. The house is Quiet. Grandma is nowhere to be found. Finally she peeks into the bedroom and there lies Grandma in bed.
Oh, grandma – it’s so good to see you!
It’s about time you got here. You never come to see me. (It means the world to me that you would come see me today)
Grandma……I brought cookies!
Don’t you know! I can’t eat cookies! (Oh, how sweet! Those look yummy! Can I just take a bite now and I’ll save the rest for later?”
Grandma, do you like my new red coat?
Why are you wearing that hideous coat! You look like a giant blood clot! (Whew, red must be the color of the day! I always wished I could pull off that color but pastels seem to work better for me.)
Grandma, I had time off from my job today and was so glad I could come to see you.
Can’t you get a better job? What are you thinking, or are you? You just hop from job to job. (I am just glad you are being faithful and working so hard!)
Oh, Grandma, I like trying new things. I’m hoping I will find something that supports me and discover something that I am good at!
Well, I think you just need to get married and settle down! When is THAT going to happen? (Why don’t you tell me about your current job. I’m all ears!)
Oh, wow, only God knows.
LRRH suddenly realized that Grandma was NOT in that bed, it was the Big Bad Wolf