Aged Preachers – “Seeking an Answer”

Aged Preachers – “Seeking an Answer”

Baptisms and burials, over a lifetime the preacher performed a great number of these.  From Genesis to Revelation, his words carefully uttered the precepts of God.  His hair was once full and his face youthfully smooth.  Now the hair sports only grey and wrinkles outline his face.  God called him through the gospel and the preacher answered.  He knows spiritual peace as every day brings him closer to his Heavenly Father.  Yet, the preacher seeks answers.  How long will he be able to continue preaching?  He feels strong now, but for how much longer?  His wife believes in him, but she moves slower these days.  How will he provide for her when he can no longer preach?  Still, God watched over them all of these years and the preacher knows He will continue to do so.  He grabs his Bible and begins a new day.

Is your aged preacher unsound? Is he unable to preach? If not, why would you dishonor him and disservice the Church by seeking a replacement

Is your aged preacher unsound? Is he unable to preach? If not, why would you dishonor him and disservice the Church by seeking a replacement?

 Psalm 71:18 – “Yea, even when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, Until I have declared thy strength unto the next generation, Thy might to every one that is to come.”

“We need a young preacher who can relate to the teenagers!” “I asked him a question the other day and it took him a long time to respond, I think his mind is going.”  “We need a preacher who can go up and down the street knocking doors.”  Words such as these pop up in congregations around the land.  Regardless of motive, accuracy, or wisdom, they represent a body of believers who believe the aged preacher is lacking something.  That perceived lack may cause them to pursue the preacher’s replacement.  An alarming number of Sound gospel preachers have been abruptly dismissed from a congregation because they were “too old”.  Eventually, everyone ages.  Does this make them worthless?  Understand this, the only factors that matter when considering a preacher should be:  Is this a sound man who can deliver a sound message?

Proverbs 20:29 – The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

What does a sound, but aged preacher lack?  He does indeed lack youth.  A number of cultures prize youth above old age.  A person’s energy level certainly does change as they get older.  Appearance transforms, hearing and eyesight dull, and the bone structure weakens.  Response times cannot compare in most cases with younger people.  A preacher may also lack modern vernacular.  In other words, not only the terms or meanings have changed between the age of the preacher and the youth, but the topics of conversation are different as well.  Most likely, the preacher also lacks knowledge of the latest gadgets.  This particular preacher is one of them.  I-pad, i-phone, tablet, kindles, Blue Ray… no clue.  I know aged preachers who cannot operate a basic computer, let alone consider the newest technology.  It might be asked by some: “How can the old preacher possibly relate without this knowledge?”  Yes, the aged preacher may indeed lack some things that others prize.  The greatest question to be asked is:  “How much does God prize the preacher despite what he lacks?”

It seems a fair examination to note things an aged preacher lacks that might concern some people.  Logic also appeals to the need to examine what a sound, but aged preacher does not lack.

An aged preacher does not lack experience.  A preacher sees the good and the bad over the years.  Bickering members, doctrinal disputes, debates, firings, church discipline, church takeovers, church splits, rebukes, adulteries, fornications, abused children, homosexuality, pedophilia, sermon interruptions, members storming out, weak elderships, overbearing elderships, elderships asked to step down, false teachers, addictions to drugs, gambling, sex, pornography, … the list of what a preacher has seen could go on and on.  He has dealt with innumerable spiritual “catastrophes”.   An aged preacher should be thought of as a spiritual warrior (Ephesians 6:10-18).  He fights battle after battle in service of his king.  He should not become a forgotten hero.  Understand sin does not change!  Yes, it tries to take different forms, but a man who knows the Word, knows when transgression occurs.  An aged preacher does not lack experience fighting spiritual battles.

An aged preacher does not lack wisdom, he fears God for he has spent his life coming to know him (Proverbs 9:10).  The preacher studies the Word, the mind of God, and imparts it to others.  As the years go by he becomes not simply an “old man”, rather, he is a sage.  An aged preacher friend of mine noted this last year that his mentors have all died off.  Now, the mentored had become the mentor.  While a preacher may not be an elder, quite often elderships confide in him to avoid difficulties and strengthen weak areas of a congregation.  Knowledge gathered and applied over forty to fifty years of preaching must be respected.  It cannot be replaced by good hair and a Powerpoint projector.  A man who has likely raised children and seen thousands of others raised knows something about youth that a twenty year old kid with a Bible degree does not.  Christians need to take time to listen to their aged preacher.  They need to reach out to them while slowing down in their lives enough to pay attention.  Biblical understanding trumps the emotions of members often letting the world have too much pull in their lives.

Finally, an aged preacher does not lack leadership.  Early on, the feelings of fatherhood develop in him as he shares the Word of God to the Church.  He begins to view the Christians as his children more and more.  This can even be seen in the words of the apostles as they write to the Christians, calling them “children” or “my child”.  They understand that as they appear before the congregation each week and interact in their daily lives, others will try to emulate them.  Thus, they work to set a standard.  They try to lead souls to Christ by living godly lives.  Everyone desires to see their children grow.  No less does the preacher with the Christians not only in his location, but in the others he visits or reaches through recordings or writings.  Yes, the preacher rebukes at times.  He warns.  He chastens.  He exhorts Christians to avoid all forms of evil.  Unfortunately, some may just view him as an overly cautious worrier.  This conclusion comes not from the scriptures, but from congregants viewing the preacher as an old man rather than a speaker of God’s truths.  That problem lies not within the preacher, but within the Christian.  Christians would do wise to consider this leader of men (Proverbs 23:22).

Aged preachers do lack in some areas, but they more than make up for it in others.  However, when considering an aged preacher, consider two items a congregation should not lack:  honor and compassion.  A congregation should behave in an honorable manner toward aged preachers.  If a preacher can preach soundly don’t you dare hinder him.  If due to age, he is struggling, elders talk about how you can help.  Perhaps he would appreciate doing a few things differently or would like to preach only part time.  Work with this man who has given his life to God.  Do not pull his life line or passion out from under him.  Again, act honorably and treat him well.  Even if he is no longer able to preach full time, find ways to engage him in shorter venues or upon special occasions.  Compassion is something Jesus demonstrated throughout his earthly life.  Compassion goes a great way when dealing with an aged preacher.  We are to treat all of our brothers and sisters well.  If a preacher reaches the point he steps down, do not forget him.  Do not fail to care for him as he has cared for so many over the years.  Do not give him a chance to regret any service.  Show him that his children loved him and learned from him.

A sound, aged preacher is worth more than gold.  He may be lacking, but not as a Christian.  He is experienced, wise, and a leader of generations.   Have honor and compassion upon him.  Pray that he finds the answer to his life of service as did Abram: “But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.” (Genesis 15:15)  Give him peace by providing him opportunity to preach until the end.  Give him peace by caring for him and his wife.  Give him peace by knowing you heard the Word he shared and the Word he lived.

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Connecting the Dispensations

Connecting the Dispensations

I once witnessed a conversation in which the premise put forth was that the older generation did not understand the times.  Culture changes!  Ages go by. Therefore, the beliefs of the older generation were no longer considered correct.  In part, there is truth to this.  Traditions, skills, and knowledge which have been passed down over time aren’t always acceptable.  Speaking in the language of an era passing away, “use a #2 pencil to adjust the tape in the cassette” may not only be a confusing phrase, but outdated and irrelevant.  Yet, what are we to do with the Biblical statement “…ask for the old paths…”.  The context and source of any discussion are critical in determining their usefulness.  When speaking of the old paths, the context is people needing to get back to what God commands.  The source of the statement is God.  This is a message that fits all cultures and times.  Today, many people want to do what God says, but they are holding to practices which God no longer authorizes.  So looking back over man’s time upon earth, what statements of God should one follow?  Is there a thread of consistency or interrelatedness throughout the time of man upon the earth and the dispensations he has lived through that helps determine this?

The dispensations of man connect like holding hands.

The dispensations of man connect like holding hands.

The New Testament definition for the word dispensation is “the management or oversight of a household or property”.  In other words, a dispensation is defined by the authority or laws under which it operates and is not confined to time or culture.  It appears in the expanse of man’s life upon earth there have been four major dispensations given by God: Creation, Patriarchal, Mosaic, and Christian.  Each has very specific characteristics.

The dispensation of Creation is remembered through two people:  Adam and Eve.  They were to be fruitful and multiply, tend the Garden of Eden, and not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  That was their dispensation (authority they lived under).

The Patriarchal dispensation represented a time when God spoke directly to the fathers (patriarchs). It has been frequently taught that God spoke to them with different laws, each under their own dispensation as it were.  To support this it is oft stated that Abraham was the only one told to sacrifice his son or Noah was the only one told to build an ark.  However, it appears that despite individual directives by God, there was a universal law given.  Consider the man Noah.  What is it that Peter calls him?  He calls Noah a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5).  How could Noah preach righteousness if what was right to him was not also defined as right to others as well?  The source of what defined righteousness to all men was God.  Thus, Noah could preach righteousness to others.  Later, but under the same dispensation, Lot is seen vexed with the filthy conversation of others (2 Peter 2:7).  Why?  He was aware of a common dispensation all lived under, but some were rejecting.

The Mosaic dispensation is defined by a particular people and a particular law.  By the authority of God, the nation of Israel was given the “Law of Moses” to live under.  It was specifically for them and those who would voluntarily choose to live under it.  When God directed that from the Israelites two silver trumpets be made and that only the Levites play them, no other people lived under that law.  None other were under that authority.

The Christian Dispensation, the fullness of time, the right time, began with the crucifixion of the savior of the World, Jesus the Christ.  He died as an Israelite man, fulfilling the law which God had imparted to Israel by Moses.  The dispensation being fulfilled, a new dispensation began.  All mankind became accountable to the household administration of Christ.  Since that time, no other dispensation has been given by God.

In examining the dispensations of God, it is interesting to note that the first two dispensational laws never appear to have been written down.  Beginning with the Mosaic dispensation, God commands His Law be written down (Exodus 34:27).  These laws were to be at the forefront of every Israelite’s mind (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).  As Christ came onto the scene in the first century, John the immerser heralded the kingdom of God as being at hand.  Jesus and his disciples would share the gospel of the kingdom (Mark 1:1).  Then, following the death of Jesus, his disciples continued on with that gospel in full knowledge.  The apostles and disciples by the power of the Holy Spirit wrote down exactly what God desired us to know and follow (2 Peter 1:20-21).  The perfect Word of God, as we find it in the Bible today, enabled men to be fully mature in Christ (I Corinthians 13:9-13; Ephesians 4:8-15).

There are commonalities throughout the dispensations. A few come quickly to mind.  God put people on the earth to multiply and fill it (Genesis 1:28, 9:1, Leviticus 26:9, Deuteronomy 8:1, Matthew 28:19, John 3:5). God expects man to be obedient or face consequences (Genesis 3:3, Genesis 4:7-12, Exodus 15:26, Romans 2:8, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). God requires blood sacrifice for the sins of man (Genesis 3:21, Job 1:5, Numbers 15:25, Galatians 1:3-4).  A list of like characteristics could get relatively lengthy if we continue on.  However, there is the more pressing issue of the interrelatedness of the dispensations which explains what law is applicable today.

The thread interlocking all the dispensations and causing them to work together was once a mystery.  Today, that mystery has been revealed.  In the beginning the light of this mystery was dim, but with the arrival of the Christian dispensation it burns bright.  Interestingly enough, the Creation and Patriarchal dispensations were once described by many a preacher as “starlight”.  The light from stars is dim and limited.  Similarly, so was information regarding the mystery.  When the Mosaic Dispensation unfolded more light was shed in regard to the mystery.  This timeframe was referred to by ministers as “moonlight”.  Finally, the Christian Dispensation brought “Sunlight” or “Sonlight” upon the mystery of God.  What was once unperceivable was revealed and made known to the world.  The mystery that glued all the dispensations together was the truth of the Gospel of Christ.  The good news was eternal life.  Salvation!

God “hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” (Ephesians 1:4)  God “saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.” (2 Timothy 1:9)  The salvation planned by God was necessary “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.”  So before the world began, God had a plan of salvation through Christ for the promise of eternal life.  In the creation, Adam and Eve did not know this plan.  It was a mystery.  They were happy in the Garden of Eden with no concerns.  And then it all changed with the taking of the fruit against the Word of God (Genesis 3).  Death came into the world.  Sin separated man from God (Isaiah 59:1-2).  How could men be before God holy, if they were filthy from sin?  This would be the opening dilemma starting the Patriarchal dispensation.  Perhaps the only clue came in Genesis 3:15 where it was said that man would crush the head of Satan, whereas Satan only the heel of man.

The Patriarchal dispensation makes it clear that sacrifice and offerings were part of man’s worship based on the sin that had entered the world.  Cain and Able, Noah, Job, Abraham, and Jacob are all recorded as offering to the Lord.  The related tie between the Creation and Patriarchal dispensations is the desire to get from the latter state back to the former.  Yet, man no longer in the presence of God, with the Fathers guiding the families, chose not to follow the righteousness of God, but to perish in the waters of the flood and then afterward begin sin anew.  Yes, Noah preached for them to do right!  But mankind did not listen.  How would God bring them back to the holiness of God and be faithful to His promise?  A great mystery indeed!  Again there are clues seen from the flood itself: salvation and the washing away of sinfulness through water.  Additionally, three promises given to Abraham, one specifically stating through his Seed all nations would be blessed.

The Mosaic dispensation removed the focus from the worship of the patriarchs and presented a chosen nation to the world as a vessel for something greater and an example to the world.  Israel was born out of Egypt.  God gave them a Law from Sinai delivered by the hand of Moses.  A priesthood was chosen from the nation and a sacred place of worship (the tabernacle) was built by the directive of God.  God promised the nation of Israel that when they would obey Him, they would be blessed and that when they disobeyed they would be punished.  This was a great teacher to all the world and still is today (Joshua 2:9-11), but the purpose of the Law was to be a pedagogue.  A pedagogue is an individual who would take the children from home to school.  He delivered them from point A to point B.  The Law of Moses served to hold the people under sin and take them to the coming of the messiah (Galatians 2:22-25).  Jeremiah 31:31 declared a new dispensation was coming. A new law would be needed because the many sacrifices since sin came into the world could not remove the filth of sin from mankind (Hebrews 10:4).  The nation of Israel had been given clues from Moses and the prophets about the coming Messiah.  Clues about how He would arrive, where He would live, and what He would do, were given in abundance to the nation of Israel.  The mystery was still hidden, but more and more was known.  The end of this dispensation would see Messiah coming, heralded by John the Immerser.  Christ declared the kingdom of God to be at hand.  He instructed the people in righteousness with miracles as confirmation of the truth. Jesus went to the cross nailing the old dispensation to the cross (Colossians 2:14).  The Law of Moses had accomplished its task in bringing mankind to the cross.  Now the mystery would be revealed.  The link from creation to salvation, from sin to holiness, would come into full view.

After the crucifixion, upon the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit of promise was poured out.  The Spirit provided all truth to the Apostles (John 16:13).  The mystery of salvation revealed, Peter then declared the Deity of Jesus and convicted 3000 souls of their sins against God.  Horrified at their condition, the crowd asked what they should do.  “Repent and be baptized… for the forgiveness of sins” (Acts 2:38).  Once again, washing with water was taking away the sins of the world, one spiritual birth after another as God added to His Kingdom, the Church (Acts 2:47, I Peter 3:21, I Timothy 3:15).  The Christian dispensation had begun!  The Christ by His once for all time blood sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10), born of the Mosaic dispensation, was linking the Christian dispensation to the great washing flood of the Patriarchal dispensation for the purpose of returning to the state once present in the Creation dispensation.

It is Jesus who provides us the full assurance of returning to stand holy before God (Hebrews 10:20-22).  It is Jesus who provides the authority and relevance for which we all live under (Colossians 3:17).  It is His free salvation which links all the dispensations together.  Following any other dispensation, tradition, or creed is done only by those who do not understand the times.

 

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Who is the King of Your Life?

Who is the King of Your Life?

In the time of the Judges, God raised Gideon to deliver Israel. Gideon gave God the Glory when he conquered the princes of Midian: Oreb and Zeeb.  He declared it would be by the power of  God that the Midian kings Zebah and Zalmunna would fall as well (Judges 8).  Gideon realized it was not by his own hand or the hand of man this was achieved.  Only through the might of God, King of Israel and Creator of all, was this accomplished.

The faithful of God recognize that there is only one King of their life.

The faithful of God recognize that there is only one King of their life.

God told Moses Israel would someday seek an earthly king over themselves like the nations (Deuteronomy 17).  The first king appointed by the judge Samuel was Saul (I Samuel 10).  However, before Saul and following the victories of Gideon, Israel asked Gideon and his sons after him to be their king.  His response: “…I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you.” (Judges 8:23).  Gideon may not have been a perfect man, but he humbled himself to the power of God.

Men have been trying to elevate themselves since Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve ate thinking they would be like gods in doing so.  Their decision introduced death to mankind.  Later, mankind tried to elevate himself by building a tower high into the skies.  God changed their languages and scattered them throughout the earth (Genesis 11).  During the captivity of Israel, Nebuchadnezzar attempted to take the might of God upon himself declaring he had built the nation of Babylon by His own power; God caused him to go about as oxen eating grass (Daniel 4).  Herod attempted to take the glory due to God and Jehovah caused him to be eaten of worms (Acts 12).

Matthew 5:3 declares: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”  The phrase “poor in spirit” describes the humility we see in Gideon and the humility man needs to exhibit to be pleasing to God.  Gideon did not attempt to put himself in the place of God. He did not seek the recognition of men.  He simply fulfilled his role as a servant of God and was content with God being King of his life.

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The Chain Reaction of Sin

The Chain Reaction of Sin

There were only fifteen judges chosen by God to deliver his people.  They hold a special place in the history of Israel.  They did great things by the power of God.  Their leadership often guided Israel away from sin.  However, their leadership was not always perfect.  A poor action by a leader can affect generations.  Such effects have been seen by rulers around the world.  The people often take upon themselves the attitudes and behaviors of their leader and once sin is born the tide of consequences are rarely turned.

The sinful behaviors of one man can change the course of the world.

The sinful behaviors of one man can change the course of the world.

Gideon, despite following the direction of God in the deliverance of Israel, also led them into sin.  Following the triumph over the Midianite kings, Gideon took the spoils of war and fashioned an ephod in his city Ophrah.  An ephod is a shoulder garment worn by a priest.  The 8th chapter of Judges declares Gideon’s Ephod was a snare to his house and it caused Israel to go a “whoring” after it.  This phrase is in reference to the relationship between God and his people.  God was as a husband and Israel as his bride.  Israel chose to worship the ephod as they did the golden calf when Moses was on Mt. Sinai.  God declared then that Israel should have no other Gods besides Him (Exodus 20).  The action of Israel in the time of Gideon was that of adultery against God.  Certainly, this was not the original intent of Gideon, but he was the cause of it.

When Adam sinned, it affected an entire world (Genesis 3).  When Korah sinned his actions led to the death of approximately 15,000 Israelites (Numbers 16).  In Judges 17-18, household idols formed by a man named Micah would ultimately be taken and worshipped by the tribe of Dan. Their sinful idol worship would continue until Israel went into captivity.  Many New Testament books speak of sins coming into the Church and spreading.  Sin is infectious and frequently does not stop with one person.  It certainly did not with Gideon.

Many of us can look back on our lives and wish to take away sinful actions which caused pain and stress upon ourselves and others.  Let us walk carefully in the way of the Lord and seek to do His Will with every step.

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Seeking Peace through Self-Control

Seeking Peace through Self-Control

Have you ever done something good only to be blindsided by others questioning your motives?  On the light side, what if you purchased some low fat strawberry ice cream for your spouse knowing she really likes it. Would you promptly, perhaps angrily, receive the question, “Do you think I am fat???” What you say next is the center of our examination involving the judge Gideon.

Thinking before acting, considering the consequences.

Thinking before acting, considering the consequences.

Led by the Spirit of God, Gideon called the Abiezrites (a clan of Mannaseh) and the men from the tribes Asher, Zebulun, and Naphtali (Judges 6:34ff).  Gideon gathered these men that they might go up against the Midianites and Amalekites as the Lord had commanded.  Ultimately, all but 300 would be sent home that the power of God would be seen in the victory.  When the enemy was fleeing, Gideon called upon Naphtali, Manasseh, Asher, and Ephraim to pursue.  Ephraim in their efforts would capture the Midian princes Oreb and Zeeb.

It seems this event would end in praises to God and kind words for Gideon.  Instead, Ephraim voiced anger at Gideon for not calling them when the battle was first initiated.  Did they believe Gideon was motivated by a desire for glory?  Was jealousy the motivation Ephraim demonstrated anger toward Gideon?  Judges 8:1 shares that Ephraim took the actions of Gideon as a personal offence and “they accused him fiercely.”.

Gideon could have responded angrily to Ephraim.  He could have said things he would have regretted.  The situation could have been escalated.  Often times, man chooses the wrong words (James 3:5-6).  Instead, Gideon diminishes his accomplishments and praises Ephraim’s.  He declares what he and his clan had done was not even comparable to Ephraim capturing Oreb and Zeeb.  These words bring about peace.  Ephraim’s anger subsides.  Gideon demonstrated self-control.

The apostle Peter provides direction for our lives akin to that of Gideon: “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.” (1 Peter 3:10-11)  In our interactions, we always have a choice as to what our action and words will be.  We can seek peace through-self control or we can unleash a storm through rashness.

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