I'm going to ask you to take
your Bibles and turn with me to the book of Psalms chapter
71. Psalm 71. I've entitled this message, The
Prayer of an Aged Believer. If you look at the title, normally
in the book of Psalms it always has a little something right
up at the title. Psalm 71 doesn't have one. Not in my Bible. It doesn't say
who penned it. Psalm 71. And though it's not penned, I
know who moved upon the writer to write it, the Spirit of God. And this blessed psalm sets forth
a wonderful message that every aged and taught believer considers
as he grows older. It's amazing how quickly time
passes. The older we get, how much faster
time seems to go. I know it doesn't move any faster,
but boy, it sure seems like it does. This flesh is so frail. Those of you that are younger
than I, I'm telling you, I've been right where you are. And
where you are, there's some that's in this congregation that's younger
than you, and you've been where they are. You think back on things
that you went through and did, and you think, it just seemed
like yesterday. I mean, before you know it, you
think back on class reunions. I remember my dad telling me
years ago, he said, I'm getting ready to have my 50th class reunion
from high school. And at that time, seriously,
I thought to myself, I don't see how you can even still remember
that far back. I'm serious, I did. I just thought,
50 years. My 50th is coming up, I thought. There's a soberness of thought
in a believer when he begins to realize and think upon eternity. I mean, this is absolutely real. Now listen, unless the Lord returns,
we're going to die. We're going to go the way of
all the earth. They're going to put us in a
casket, people are going to come by and we're going to have a
funeral. We're going to enter into eternity. And not only are we going to
die, we're going to know in that day that there truly is life
after life. It's real. Though a believer sees through
a glass darkly, he sees and he knows. And he's been taught by
the Spirit of God through the Scriptures of the Lord's sustaining
grace. And the older you get in the
faith, the more precious these words become. I will never leave
thee. I will never forsake thee. Now I want you to just look with
me out of this chapter 71 at a few verses in this that have
been made to my heart to be very precious in the last few days.
I want you to look at verse 9. Cast me not off in the time of
old age. Forsake me not when my strength
faileth." Now, I'm going to tell you primarily these words because
every psalm is a messianic psalm. You know, some people say, well,
I think that psalm was a messianic psalm. They're all messianic
psalms. What do you mean, Marvin? Well, this is what I mean. They're
all concerning Christ. Every one of them. Every one
of them. I mean, look at verses 10 and 11. For mine enemies speak against
me, and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,
saying, God hath forsaken him. Persecute and take him. There's
none to deliver him." Does that not remind us when the people
at the crucifixion said this? He trusted in God that He would
deliver him. Let Him deliver him now, if He'll
have him. These words are the words of
our Lord, and there's no doubt about that. But I tell you this,
these words are also the words of a believer, taught believer. When the Lord said, cast me not
off in the time of old age, you say, well, he was only 33 years
old at his crucifixion. Yeah, but just the very wording
speaks of his humanity. Age. As God, He's eternal. There is no age. But God, how
do you measure eternity when it's never going to end? It never
started. It never cast me not off. He told them, you know, he said,
before Abraham was, I am. And some of those Jews said,
look, you're not even 50 years old. And you're saying, you know,
Abraham saw my day. No, he wasn't 50 years old, he
was 33. Oh, but the sorrows and the mileage. He appeared to them
to be older than he was. But I think of these words, cast
me not off in the time of old age. Let me tell you what I thought
about. Now some of you fellas, you women, you're going to relate
to what I'm saying right here. Let me tell you how the world
is concerning, not always, not always, but as a general rule,
you go to work for somebody and you spend your whole life working
for them. Go to work for a big company
and when it comes to the latter years of your employment with
them, not always, but how many times have you heard and I've
heard things that they promised you, benefits that you were going
to have, We'll set you up. You'll be set. You'll have health
care. You'll have all your retirement.
You'll have this. You'll have that. And if they can legally,
even if they have to twist it a little bit, you get a good
lawyer, and I'm telling you, you know what they'll do to you?
They'll cut you off. They'll cut you off. You say,
oh, they'll never do that to me. Men and women who gave themselves,
gave their lives to do a job. Eight hours of work, eight hours
of pain. They come to the end of that
time and they're not as productive. They're getting older. They can't
do it like they used to. They don't have the strength
that they used to have. They don't have the stamina that
they used to have. And all of a sudden, somebody
else, younger, comes up unto you. They'll cut you off. David says, cast me not off in
the time of my old age. Oh, I think about Scott telling
me one time, he said, this is my hope. He said, when I can't
remember my own name, God does. He won't forsake me. A lot of
you grew up with him. Grew up with Brother Scott. Strong. Determined, you know. Later years,
what happened to him? Well, like what happened to all
of us. He got frail. Got older. But I tell you what. Let me tell
you one that never, never, never forsook him. God. God. Almighty God is faithful
to His Word. God's people, they're aware of
their frailty. They know that all they've got
is God's promise. They know that if He marked iniquity,
who could stand? But according to His Word, He
had declared unto them, that their debt was made to be His
own. He hath made Him sin, who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. They go back and they read Romans
8, 1, There is therefore now no condemnation to them that
be in Christ Jesus. Holds you in place right there.
Matthew. Matthew 14. Matthew 14. I got
to thinking about this Scripture this morning. Matthew 14, verse
22. Peter was one of the Lord Jesus Christ's disciples. Matthew
14, verse 22. Straightway, Matthew 14, 22,
Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a ship, before him
under the other side while he sent the multitudes away. When
he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain, part
to pray. When the evening was come, he
was there alone, but the ship was now in the midst of the sea,
tossed with waves, for the wind was contrary. In the fourth watch
of the night, Jesus went unto them walking on the sea. And
when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled,
saying, It's a spirit. They cried out for fear. And
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer,
it is I. Be not afraid. Peter answered
and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the
water. And he said, Come. When Peter was come down out
of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when
he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and beginning to
sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus
stretched forth his hand, caught him, and said unto him, O thou
of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were
come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in
the ship came and worshipped him, saying of a truth, Thou
art the Son of God." You know, as long as Peter didn't look
at the boisterous wind, Scripture says he was, by faith, walking
on the water. Now listen, believer, and I'm
talking to every believer, but especially those of us that are
now seeing some age. and seeing the end. I mean, you know, I know what
Scripture says, you know, 3 score and 10, that's going to be the
average. Not very far. Not for me. Not very far for
some of you. If it does go to 80 years old,
sorrow, travail, you say, I know something about that. But let
me tell you what will happen, believer. You'll begin to look at the wind
like we all do. We believe the Lord, we walk
following after Him, we believe His Word, we trust Christ. And
then you start looking at the wind of doubt. I know I've trusted Him. I know
I trust Him now. I'm pretty sure I do. I know
I believe the gospel, and all of a sudden, the boisterous wind
of doubt in your conscience, and wiles of the devil, and just,
you know, you start looking at the wind. You start looking at
those things, and you think in your heart, Lord,
I'm getting older, and I truly believe, I know, I know, I'm
going to stand before you. I'm going to stand at the judgment. I'm going to be there. And the
books are all going to be open. Lord, I believe, I believe. Help
mine unbelief. Lord, I believe what you've said
concerning a book, that everlastingly written book of life, Lord, I
don't have any confidence in my flesh. I know I don't. Lord,
help me to believe that. Lord, I truly, I truly trust
You. You said, He that cometh to me,
I will in no wise cast out. Lord, I've come. Lord, I'm coming now. And I'm
telling you, we look at the wind. And that's where this believer,
right here, cast me not off in the time of old age. Do you think
David, or whoever penned this, do you think he had a hope? Sure
he did. Sure he did. Why did he ask that? Because he knew something of
the war that's within. The fighting, the struggles. He knew something about it. And
he knows God's faithful. He knows that he's not going
to leave. But he says, Lord, don't leave.
Look at verse 14 back in Psalm 71. I will hope continually and
will yet praise Thee more and more. I'm going to have my confidence,
Lord, in You. I've seen a few trials. I don't really know a whole lot
about trials, tribulations, and trouble. I don't. But I know
this, trials and tribulations and trouble, according to His
Word, is not because of His wrath, but it's because of His love.
Lord, I'm going to hope in You. I know this is no end to Your
lovingkindness. I know that. I know that Lord,
those that You've everlastingly loved, I know that You've redeemed.
I know You're keeping them. Verse 15 says, My mouth shall
show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day,
for I know not the numbers thereof. Here's what the writer said,
Lord, I know that You've shown mercy to me,
and I have no idea to number the mercies that You've shown.
when I think of what could have been, but for Your grace. My mouth is going to show forth
Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day. Lord, I want to
speak respectfully of You. I want to say that which You
have said. Lord, you have declared yourself
sovereign. Lord, I know something about
what happened in the garden, and I know that man rebelled
his right away. Listen, y'all, we don't have
any rights. We don't have any rights. Rights? What rights? A rebel against
God? Lord, my mouth shall show forth
thy righteousness. Not mine. My righteousness. I know what
God said about my righteousness. He said my righteousness is as
filthy rags. And you know what that is. You think that's something to
brag on? Something to hang up on a clothesline and say, y'all
come over and check out my righteousness? The believer says, God forbid. My mouth shall show forth thy
salvation? Lord, according to the Scriptures,
You are Salvation. That's what Simeon said under
the inspiration of God's Spirit. Lord, mine eyes have seen thy
salvation. I have no ability to produce
it. And out of the abundance of my heart, I'm going to show
forth. I'm going to speak forth. This is what the Lord said. Luke 16. I will go in the strength
of the Lord God Why? Because I don't have any. What strength does an impotent
sinner have? The Lord said, without me, you
can do nothing. You can do nothing. Man says, I can. God said, no,
you can't. Let God be true. Let every man
be a liar. I will go in the strength of
the Lord. He finished the work. I'll make
mention of thine righteousness, even of thine only. Verse 17,
O God, thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I
declared thy wondrous works. It is the Lord that teaches His
people. I have just enough sense to know
that we sit this morning under the sound of the gospel. And
unless the Spirit of God gives me understanding, I'm just not
going to get it. I just don't have the ability.
The Spirit of God, the Comforter Himself, He shall bring back
to your memories the things that I've said. Did not the Lord say
that? Didn't the Lord say it's the Spirit that quickeneth? The flesh profiteth nothing. Nothing. If He doesn't give me
faith to believe right now, I'm not going to believe. Faith cometh
by hearing. Hearing by the Word of God. I have declared your strength. I'll make mention of your righteousness. Lord, hitherto have I declared
thy wondrous works. You know, you think about old
Meshach, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Three young men called
to faithfulness. Now these were just three. sinners. There wasn't anything special
about those three men. They were just three sinners
saved by the grace of God. And Nebuchadnezzar had this big
statue reared up and he said, now we're going to play some
music and when you hear the music everybody bow down. These three
boys didn't bow down. He gave them another chance He
said, now you bowed down. He said, I'm going to kill you.
I'm going to kill you. Now three men, and they're facing
a fiery furnace. They didn't bow down. They heated
it seven times hotter than it was. And here's what these men
said, declaring the wondrous works of God. They said to Nebuchadnezzar,
Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning
fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not
serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast
set up. And the Lord delivered them. I may be, or you may be, called
on. We've gone through some relatively,
compared to other times in this world's history, some relatively
peaceful times. I mean, there's places in this
world today where they do chop off heads, burn, drowned, whatever,
people that claim to be Christians. I don't know what they believe,
but just to claim to be a Christian, you know, there's some suffering. And there may come that time.
I don't know. I don't know. But I do know this,
whatever comes to pass, I can tell you who ordered it. Everything
that's going on in this world today, it's not out of order. Hold on. Hold on. I'm going to
preach on that, Lord willing, in just a few minutes. But I
can tell you that whatever's going on right now, and I'm going
to prove this, whatever's happening right now today in this world
was divinely ordered before the foundation of the world. But here's what a believer says
in verse 18. I'm going to stop after this
verse. Now also when I am old and gray-headed,
O God, forsake me not until I have showed Thy strength unto this
generation and Thy power to everyone that is to come." I go back again
and lay these words primarily to the mouth of the Mediator
himself, the Lord Jesus Christ, the humble servant of God, whoever
submitted himself to the Father, ever called upon Him for His
help, is God in human flesh, bowing, humbling, that it was
the desire of the Lord Jesus Christ that God's strength might
be shown to God's people. The Lord who said this, and a
believer, an aged and taught believer. Lord, when I'm old, when I'm
gray-headed, you know the scripture says in Proverbs 16.31, the hoary
head, gray hair, gray hair, the hoary head is a crown of glory
if, It'd be found in the way of righteousness. Now there's a lot of folks that
get old and get gray-headed. They have no love for, no respect
for the Lord of glory. They'll go to their grave trying
to make another deal and trying to make a little bit more money,
make another investment. Gray hair. of an older believer
deserves and commands respect if it be found upon those who
by the grace of God live soberly, righteously, godly, recognizing
their frailty. I'm just telling you this is
the way it is. An aged believer, one whose Years
now are toward the latter side, and they're thinking back. Very soon, very soon, that gray
hair is going to give way to the crown of glory that fadeth
not away. A lot of just nominal professors,
they profess to believe, but they're not here. What thrills my heart to look
and see is we've all gotten older. Like I said, last Wednesday night
was my 13th year here. And there's some men and women
that are more precious, more beautiful as we grow older together. And here's the beauty. The Lord
has kept us. We're still here. You're still
here. those that God has preserved. This is the prayer of God's aged,
taught believers. Lord, when I'm old and gray-headed,
don't forsake me. You that's kept me, preserved
me, keep me that I might maintain an honorable and consistent witness
before others. And may I be careful not to offend
unnecessarily, and may it be, Lord, to your honor and your
glory and your praise, and to the praise of your precious Son,
for Christ's sake. Amen.