Sermon # 137 Series: Isaiah

Title: A Sermon For Aging Saints

Text: Isaiah 46:1-4

Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 12:1-1

Subject: The Faithfulness of God

Date: Sunday Evening – November 8, 1992

Introduction:

These four verses of scripture declare two things: first, all false gods will fail those who trust them; and, second, our great God will never fail his people.

First, here is the backdrop against which God sets forth his glorious covenant faithfulness- (vv. 1-2). All false gods are failure. They always fail their worshippers in time of need. Bel and Nebo were the two great gods of Babylon. They were esteemed to be such great deities that the kings of Babylon were named after them and pretended to serve them. Belshazzar was named after Bel. Nebuchadnezzar was named after Nebo. But Belshazzar discovered that his breath was in the hand of Jehovah. And Nebuchadnezzar learned to praise and extol the Most High.

When Cyrus came against Babylon by the commandment of God, Bel and Nebo were altogether helpless. Not only were they not able to deliver, the gods of Babylon were taken captive.

Learn the lessons of Bel and Nebo.

1. All False gods must fall.

2. All false religion must be proved useless.

3. All confidence in a false god and false religion must be destroyed- that which can be shaken must be shaken!

Secondly, the Lord our God is faithful and true- (vv. 3-4). He will never fail his people. We fail him. How often we fail him! But he never fails his own.

His sovereign mercy knows no end,

His faithfulness shall still endure;

And those who on Hi Word depend

Shall find His Word forever sure!

“Hearken unto me!” Listen to what God says to his people, his elect remnant.

1. “I have made you!”

· He made you!

· He made you new!

· He made you what you are!

· Made you Mine!

· Made you Righteous!

2. “I have carried you,” from your mother’s womb into your old age- I have proved myself faithful to you!

· Before You Knew Me!

· Since You Have Known Me!

3. “I will continue to carry you!”

“He will never leave thee, nor forsake thee!”

4. “I will deliver you!”

I will bring you out of Babylon and into your own land again, out of bondage into liberty, out of darkness into light, out of Egypt into Canaan. When God says, “I will deliver you,” he means completely! From all your enemies, troubles, sins and sorrows!

Read verse 4, again- This is a promise of God to his aging saints. Many a gray-haired saint has made a soft pillow for his aching head from this verse of scripture. Yet, as this is a promise from God to his saints in “old age,” it is a promise to his aging saints, indeed a promise meant to comfort his saints at every stage in life.

Proposition: Here God promises to be faithful to his people even to your old age.

Yet, having said that, I want to speak a word to you who are often the most neglected and overlooked of our family. I want to address you particularly who are “senior citizens” in the kingdom of heaven.

I. You have seen many, many changes in your 60, 70, 80 years, but God has not changed- “I am he!”

With those words the Lord God assures us of his immutability (Mal. 3:6; James 1:17).

A. His Word and His Gospel Have Not Changed.

B. His Love Has Not Changed.

C. His Promises Are Unaltered.

D. His Faithfulness to You Has Never Waivered- (Ps. 37:23-25).

II. You who have lived long in the grace of God have many peculiar memories, which I hope you will share with the younger children of the family- (Isa. 50:1-2).

· Special Tokens of Love.

· Trials and Preservations.

· Falls and Restorations.

· The Shipwreck of Many and the Faithfulness of God.

· All your Memories Prove Again God’s Immutability. Do they not?

III. As God has not changed, your Hope in Christ has not changed; but it has grown; has it not? (Rom. 8:24).

A. The Ground of Hope is Christ

Illus: Gill.

B. The Reason for Hope is God’s Infallible Word.

C. The Thing Hoped For Is Conformity to Christ in Heavenly Glory (I John 3:2).

Will you make it your business to inspire your younger brothers and sisters with hope?

IV. In old age God’s saints have peculiar needs for which our ever-faithful God makes abundant provision- (II Cor. 12:9).

Earthly cares may be fewer simply because the family is grown and business cares are greatly curtailed. But you still have need for grace.

A. Your Body may be Infirm, but Grace Makes Amends For Departed Youth.

B. Your Mind is Weaker, The Memory Less Retentive, The Imagination Less Vivid, but the Doctrines of the Gospel are Sweeter Than Ever.

· Personal Election.

· Particular Redemption.

· Effectual Calling.

· Divine Preservation.

C. Death Seems Nearer, but So Is Heaven! (Rom 13:11).

D. Examination is More Imperative Now Than Ever, but Peace and Assurance are not Quite So Far Out of Reach Because Your Faith is More Singular – Christ!

V. You who are our seniors in age and in faith have distinct peculiar blessedness, which I hope you will convey to others.

Age deprives you of some things; but experience enriches you.

A. Experience Reads The Promises of God Clearly.

B. Experience Seldom Waivers in Doctrine.

C. Experience Makes Gracious People More Gracious.

Someone said, “Men, like peaches and pears, grow sweet a little while before they begin to decay.” But believing men and women grow sweeter as their bodies decay. The nearer men are to heave the more heavenly they are!

IV. You, my older brothers and sisters in Christ, have some distinct and peculiar responsibilities in the family of God.

A. Give Faithful Testimony To God.

· His Goodness.

· His Love.

· His Faithfulness.

· His Truth.

B. Comfort Your Brethren in the Thick of Battle.

· Assure them of God’s Faithfulness.

· Assure them of the Triumph of Faith.

C. Warn the Wayward.

Warnings come with tenfold power from aged saints.

VII. Let me give one word of instruction to you who are my younger brothers and sisters- Make certain that you do not neglect God’s aging saints.

· Pray for them.

· Visit them.

· Talk with them.

· Listen to them.

· Serve them.