[Biblemat] Information - IS THE PREACHER TOO OLD?

[GLClair at aol.com]

IS  THE PREACHER TOO OLD? 
By  Garreth L. Clair 

Occasionally someone with  a need to become important begins to spread a 
rumor that the preacher is too old  to do his work and the congregation is 
suffering because of his age. This is  just one of those tactics that the Devil uses 
to undermine the truth and the  peace in a local congregation. Remember this; 
you will never see the Devil in  person; the Devil appears in human form 
sometimes as a brother in Christ or even  as an "angel of light" - cf. 2 Cor  
11:14-15, "14 And no marvel; for  Satan himself is transformed into an angel of 
light. 15 Therefore it is no  great thing if his ministers also be transformed as 
the ministers of  righteousness; whose end shall be according to their 
works."  (KJV) 
There are no age limits for the ministers of the gospel; the New  Testament 
and early  traditions  indicate that there were good men preaching the gospel 
into their very old age.  We may also see in the Old Testament that most of the 
great heroes of the 11th  chapter of the Book of Hebrews were old men who 
continued until they died. No  gospel preacher or any other elderly worker in God’
s service should be  discouraged from doing the work as long as he is 
mentally and physically abele  to perform. 
CONSIDER  THE FOLLOWING: 
LOOK  AT THE LIFE OF MOSES: 
Deut  34:1-8, 
1  And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to 
the top  of Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the LORD shewed him all 
the land of  Gilead, unto Dan, 
2  And all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land 
of  Judah, unto the utmost sea, 
3  And the south, and the plain of the valley of Jericho, the city of palm 
trees,  unto Zoar. 
4  And the LORD said unto him, This is the land which I sware unto Abraham, 
unto  Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have 
caused thee  to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither. 5 So 
Moses the  servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the 
word of the  LORD. 6 And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over 
against  Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. 7 And 
Moses was  an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, 
nor his  natural force abated. 8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in 
the plains  of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses 
were  ended." (KJV) 
CONSIDER  CALEB: 
Joshua  14:6-13, 
6  Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son 
of  Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD 
said  unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in  Kadesh-barnea. 
7  Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from  
Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in  
mine heart. 
8  Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people 
melt:  but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 
9  And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have 
 trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children's for ever, because 
thou  hast wholly followed the LORD my God. 
10  And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and 
 five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the 
children  of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore 
and  five years old. 
11  As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as 
my  strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, 
and to  come in. 
12  Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; 
for  thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities 
were  great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be 
able to  drive them out, as the LORD said. 
13  And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron 
for an  inheritance." (KJV) 
Indeed, we would do well to set at the feet of the aged ministers to  learn 
of the great experiences that the older men have had with regard to their  work 
over long years of faithful service. Therefore if a man is faithful,  
mentally alert, and able to speak clearly --- why should he stop teaching and  
preaching the gospel message to the lost and dying in this world and also in the  
pews of many church-buildings throughout the land? 
I have known of preachers with one arm, in wheel chairs, in their 80s,  grey 
headed, and sometimes bald headed who worked harder and longer each day  than 
most Christians half their age. As long as they are mentally and  spiritually 
capable to perform, encourage them to keep up the good  work. 
MORE  INSTRUCTION REGARDING THE OLD ONES: 
Lev.  19:32, Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head , and honour the face 
of  the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.  (KJV) 
Prov.  16:31, "The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way 
of  righteousness." 
Prov.  20:29, The glory of young men is their  strength: and the beauty of 
old men is the gray  head. 
Prov.  23:22, Hearken unto thy father that begat  thee, and despise not thy 
mother when she is old."  (KJV) 
THE  BEST WAY TO FORM REBELLION AMONG THE PEOPLE: 
(Seek  the advise of the young - do not listen to the aged  faithful) 
1  Kings 12:6-19, 
6  And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon 
his  father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer 
this  people? 
7  And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this 
people this  day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to 
them, then  they will be thy servants for ever. 
8  But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and  
consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood 
before  him: 
9  And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this 
people, who  have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon 
us  lighter? 
10  And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, 
Thus shalt  thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father 
made our  yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say 
unto them, My  little finger shall be thicker than my father's  loins. 
11  And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to 
your  yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you 
with  scorpions. 
12  So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the 
king had  appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 
13  And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's 
counsel that  they gave him; 
14  And spake to them after the counsel of the young men , saying, My father 
made  your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised 
you with  whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 
15  Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from 
the  LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah 
the  Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 
16  So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people  
answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we  
inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own  
house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents. 
17  But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, 
Rehoboam  reigned over them. 
18  Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel 
stoned  him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to 
get him up  to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem. 
19  So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  (KJV) 
A RECENT  LETTER FROM AN AGED PREACHER:
I have Reached A Milestone Now What?
               Ill health has forced retirement and so now what shall my life 
be - Shall I whine and complain a lot since my voice is taken from me? For 
some fifty years He allowed me to proclaim the salvation "in Christ:" And so I 
thought that’s what I’d do for the remainder of my natural life! But I have 
other talents as well - abilities not requiring a voice I can still read and I 
can write - So writing is another good choice! "The pen is mightier than the 
sword" Someone wrote long ago it’s so true God committed His word to written 
form - So why can’t I do the same thing too? Paul wrote "when you read you may 
understand." Writing of the salvation of the Jew & Gentile too some say I have 
the ability to teach via poetry so then that’s at least something that I can 
still do. --- Ephesians 3:1-6,
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me 
to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore 
in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of 
Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now 
revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and 
partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: (KJV) --- By Kenneth E. Thomas - 
2008
 
_glclair at aol.com_ (mailto:glclair at aol.com)  
August 8,  2008 




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