I'm going to be speaking to you
today from the book of Psalms. I have a very different text,
but a very important text. I'm reading from Psalm 39. Why don't you just pull up a
chair and listen carefully to the message today. Here's my
subject. Reflections of 60 years. Some reflections of 60 years.
In the book of Psalm chapter 39 verse 4 David wrote these
words Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my days
what it is that I may know how frail I am behold thou hast made
my days as a hand breath and my age is as nothing Verily every
man, every man at his best state, is altogether vanity. Now a few weeks ago I passed
a very significant milestone. I celebrated my 60th birthday. When I became 30, yea 40, even
50, I didn't pay much attention to
the passing of that particular milestone, but when I hit 60,
to me it was very significant. Now let me say this, I don't
mind getting older, not at all. Every age has its particular
blessings. But I'm thankful, I can say this,
as I grow older, I'm thankful that God has been pleased to
leave me here on this earth to enjoy certain privileges. privileges
of age. I have the privilege of growing
old. The Almighty God could have taken me away from this earth
many years ago, a lot earlier in life as he did my son. My
son died when he was 21. My grandfather died when he was
only 45. But God has allowed me the joy of children. and the
joy of grandchildren, and yea, perhaps even the joy of great-grandchildren. Also, he has given me the joys
of pastoring a church for almost 40 years. I've been associated
with a people who love God and who love the gospel, who love
the word of God for almost 40 years. These are blessings, many,
many blessings. And I say this, I don't mind
growing older because There are many blessings in growing older. And then secondly, now you note
this carefully, it is necessary to grow older in order to mature. Maturity comes with age. Maturity
comes with experience. In order to mature in the faith
of Christ Jesus, in order to grow in understanding and to
grow in patience and to grow in love, a person has to grow
older. I do know this, I can see no
fault in others that I have not seen in myself at one time or
another. I can say to most any man or
woman, you've done nothing that I have not done either in thought
or in deed. As we grow older, we grow more
patient, more understanding, and more charitable with other
people because we recognize so many faults in ourselves and
so many errors of the past and then I say this I want as I grow
older I want very much to grow wiser and I mean in the things
of God I want to grow wiser in the grace of God I think it's
a very sad thing when men and women grow older and they know
so much about the material world and many of you listening to
me who as old as I am are older and you're experienced farmers,
or you're experienced engineers, or you're experienced doctors,
or you're experienced school teachers, you have a lot of experience
in material things, in secular things, but I'll tell you it's
very sad as we grow older if we do not grow in the grace and
knowledge of God in Christ Jesus. How sad it is to have white hair
and much understanding about the things of this world and
not much understanding about the things of God. I can tell
you this, in these 60 years that God has allowed me to live on
this earth, I've not only learned some things about the mystery
of godliness, I've not only learned some things about the word of
God, but I've become very confident in these things. I've become
quite certain of these things, I have not grown less confident
and less certain about the things of God, but yea, more confident
and more certain. Now men of old, when we talk
about David and Abraham and Job and Isaiah and Paul and these
men who lived many years ago, as they grew older, they did
not waver in their old age in the things of God, But you'll
note from the testimony of these men that they became more confident
in the things of God. They became more certain concerning
the things of God, and they became more assured concerning the things
of God revealed in the scripture. For example, when Abraham took
Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him, now this was, God seemed
to reserve Abraham's greatest trial for his old age did you
know he had many trials the old-time Jewish writers used to say that
Abraham endured nine significant great trials in his life and
the last one was the sacrifice of his son Isaac but here's a
man over a hundred years of age 110 who has been told by God
to take his own son his only son whom he loved to the top
of Mount Moriah and sacrifice him there as an offering to God.
And when Abraham started up the mountain with his son Isaac,
Isaac was carrying the wood and carrying the fire and Isaac turned
to his father and he said, father, he said, here's the wood and
here's the fire, where's the lamb? And this old man in much
confidence and assurance and certainty looked at his son and
he replied, my son, God will provide. God has always provided,
and God will provide now, and God always will provide. Now
that's confidence, and that's the confidence of age and experience
and a growth in faith. By faith, Abraham offered Isaac
in his latter years. And then David, David in his
last year said this, he said, I am old, I have been young,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken. I have never seen God's
seed begging bread." Those are the words of an old, old man. I've never seen the righteous
forsaken. That's the years of experience
speaking and that's confidence and assurance and certainty.
And then his last words, you know, have you ever read the
last words of King David? In Samuel it said, I believe
1-2 Samuel 23, David was dying. And they gathered about his bedside,
and these were his last words. He said, although it be not so
with my house, God has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered
in all things and sure, and this is my salvation, and this is
all my desire, although he make it not to grow. What I'm saying
is this, that men of old, instead of wavering in their old age,
Instead of falling away, instead of departing from the faith,
they grew stronger in the faith, more confident in the faith of
God. You know what Job said? Job said,
I know my Redeemer liveth, and the worms destroy this body,
yet in my flesh I'll see God. I know my Redeemer liveth, and
in the latter days He'll stand on this earth. And Paul the Apostle,
I know whom I have believed, And I'm persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I've committed to him against that
day. And John, even on the Isle of
Patmos, even when he was an old white-haired man about to depart
and be with God, he had this to say, even so come, Lord Jesus. No hesitancy here, no doubt here. No wavering here, even in old
age. He didn't say, Lord, why have
you put me in this place? Why am I deserted? Why am I alone? Why am I exiled to this lonely
island? No, sir. Even so, come, Lord
Jesus. Now, let me state some things.
I talked about reflections of 60 years. I've grown older, I
hope wiser, more understanding, more charitable, more affectionate,
more caring, I hope so. But let me state some things
that I have learned and experienced over these 60 years that God
has given me. I may not have another year,
but I've had 60. And these things have always been true. They've
always been true. Truth never changes. Truth is
absolute. But these things have to be learned,
and we have to learn them personally, and we have to learn them individually,
and the only way to learn anything is to experience it. We say we
believe certain things. We don't believe anything until
we experience it. Well, I've learned six or seven
things that I want to call to your attention. I want you to
listen. Will you? First of all, I've learned this.
I've experienced it. It's always been true, but I've
experienced it personally, myself. Life is indeed a vapor. James said that a long, long
time ago, but I've learned it. James said in chapter 4, verse
13, Go to now, Ye that say, today or tomorrow we'll go into the
city and we'll continue there a year and we'll buy and sell
and get gain, whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow.
You don't know what tomorrow holds. You don't know what tomorrow
will bring forward. You ought to say, the Lord willing,
I'll go into the city and remain there a certain length of time.
For he said, what is your life? What is your life? What is your
physical, natural life? It is even a vapor. You know
what a vapor is? You walk out of the house on
a cold morning and as you open the door and step outside, you
breathe into the air and there's a vapor. It's just there for
a moment and then it's gone. Every time you breathe there's
the vapor and then it vanishes. And that's what he said here
in this verse. What is your life? It is even
a vapor that appears for a little time. And then it's gone. Job said this, Job said, we are
a few days and full of trouble. We come forth as a flower, a
flower that blooms today and then it falleth away. We flee
also as a shadow. You see how the word of God describes
this fleshly life? It's a vapor, just a mist. Or
it's a flower that bloometh brilliantly and beautifully for a while and
then it's gone. The place thereof knoweth no
more. Or a shadow. A shadow. Now I know that we're
accustomed, all of you have heard older people talk about how short
life is and how brief life is. And a fellow in his twenties
or thirties, he just laughs about that. Boy, it seems long to me.
Seems like I'll never get to be a certain age. But when people
tell you this, that life is so short and so brief and the years
pass so quickly believe me believe me it is true it is true we're
here and then we're gone and these years go by so quickly
so rapidly just like a fleeting shadow or mist or flower and
my friends I say this in the light of this it's time to seek
the Lord While we're young, while we have our faculties, while
we can, it's time to seek the Lord. It's time to care about
and become interested in the things of God. If a man dies,
shall he live again? Certainly he'll live again. And
this life here on the earth, 60, 70, 80 years, it's only a
snowflake compared to a blizzard when you talk about eternity.
Only a drop of rain compared to a flood. only the vestibule
that ushers us into the great eternal hall of eons of time. The wise man Solomon wrote these
words, remember now thy creator in the days of thy youth. So
I've experienced this, life is indeed a vapor, it goes by so
quickly, so quickly. Well another thing that I've
learned, I learned this years ago and believe me, I know it
better now than I've ever learned it. I know it well now. I'm sure
of it. And that is, more than ever before,
I know that salvation, salvation, deliverance, eternal life, is
of the Lord and of Him only. It's a miracle of His grace.
It's a new birth and a new creation. It's a work only God can perform.
One day the disciples asked the Lord Jesus, who then can be saved? And He said, with me, and it's
impossible. Salvation with men is impossible, but with God all
things are possible. And so I'm saying this, that
I've learned this, I've experienced it, I know it to be true that
salvation is of the Lord. I've seen in these 40 years so
many people get religion, I've seen them walk out, I've seen
them shake the preacher's hand. I've seen them sign pledge cards.
I've seen them go to the inquiry rooms. I've seen them make professions. I've seen them join churches.
I've seen them get baptized. I've seen people reform their
lives. I've even seen them preach and
teach, occupy pulpits, and pastor, and occupy offices in the church. And then so many of them turn
away. They fall away. They depart from
the faith, in which it makes it clearer and clearer to me
every day. that salvation is of the Lord.
It's a work of God. It's a miracle of God's grace.
It's a work that only God performs. A man cannot create within himself
a new heart, but God can. A man cannot give himself a new
nature, but God can. A man cannot make himself to
be born again, but God can. That's what Jonah is saying in
Jonah 2.9. Salvation is of the Lord. That's
what David wrote in Psalm 3 verse 8, salvation belongeth unto the
Lord. That's what David wrote again
in Psalm 37, 39, the salvation of the righteous is of the Lord
and of Him only. You say, Preacher, don't you
put much stock in this crowds of people walking to the front
and praying the sinner's prayer and making decisions and making
professions and joining the church? No, none at all. None at all. Salvation is a work of grace.
It's a personal work. It's performed by God. It's purposed
by God. It's a work performed in the
heart by the Spirit of God. Now, that's right. I'll tell
you this. When I was 24 years of age, when I was 24 years of
age, I became pastor in Ashland, Kentucky. And at that time, I
learned some things from the Word of God. I learned of God's
great and glorious majesty. Who is the Lord? I learned that
the Lord reigneth in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants
of this earth, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. I learned
that the Lord said, I'll be gracious to whom I will be gracious, I'll
be merciful to whom I will be merciful. I've learned that there's
nothing that God can't do except lie. God cannot lie. The judge
of the earth shall do right. I learned his great and glorious
majesty. And I learned something else.
I learned the total ruin The total fall of mankind in Adam. In Adam, death, sin, judgment,
condemnation passed upon all men. We're born in sin, we're
born alienated from God, we're born separated from God. Paul
called it in Ephesians chapter 2, dead in trespasses and sin. And we must be quickened by the
Spirit of God. And I learned of God's eternal
elective grace in Christ Jesus. I learned that God Almighty chose
a people in Christ. made Christ their surety, before
the foundation of the world. He determined to have a people
out of every tribe, kindred, nation, and tongue unto heaven.
He will have a people that no man can number, as the stars
of the sky and the sands of the seashore. Out of every nation,
out of every tribe, out of every people, God chose in Christ a
people to be saved. And I learned that Jesus Christ
came into this world in human flesh, called Emmanuel, God with
us. He became all things unto us,
took our nature, took our sins, took our guilt, and his body
on the tree. He obeyed the law in order that
we might have a perfect righteousness, and he died on the cross in order
that he might justify us before God. He was buried and rose again.
He's our mediator. I learned that the Holy Spirit
effectually calls men to faith in Christ, that repentance is
the gift of God, and faith is the gift of God, and perseverance
is the work of God. We're kept by the power of God
through faith. And I learned that all who know
Him, love Him, believe on Him, who are called according to His
purpose, shall persevere. You know what the word said?
And we know that all things work together for good to them who
love God, who are called according to His purpose, for whom He did
foreknow, He did predestinate to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren,
And whom he did predestinate, he called. And whom he called,
he justified. And whom he justified, he glorified.
What shall we say to these things? What shall we say in addition
to them? Nothing can be added. What shall we say against them?
Nothing can be said. What shall we infer from them?
Paul answered, he said, if God be for us, who can be against
us? I've learned, salvations of the
Lord. It takes a miracle of grace to
save a sinner. And when God saves him, he keeps
him safe. What the Lord doeth, it shall be forever. And then
thirdly, I've learned something else. I've learned this, and
I've experienced this, and I know it to be true, that salvation
is in a person. That's right, salvation is in
a person. Salvation is not a doctrine. It's not memorizing certain scriptures. Salvation is not a creed, unless
your creed is Christ. Salvation is not just a position,
a moral position, or a moral principle. Salvation is not just
turn over a new leaf. Jesus Christ is just not a motivator. Salvation is a person. This is
what Paul said in Romans 1. He said, God has separated me
to the gospel concerning His Son. Concerning His Son. You see, the gospel is concerning
a person. In 2 Timothy 1, Paul said, I
know whom I have believed. He didn't say, I know when I
believe, though he did. He didn't say, I know what I
believe. Though He did, He said, I know
whom. You see that? Christ is our surety,
eternal surety. God calls Him the surety of an
everlasting covenant. What's a surety? It's a guarantor. It's a person who signs a note.
You can't pay it and He does. Christ is our righteousness.
He who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. Christ is our atonement at one
month. Christ reconciled us to God.
Christ is our mediator. Do you know what the word says?
One God, one mediator between God and me, the man Christ Jesus. Christ is our King. He reigns
over us. We covet to do His will. Christ
is our wisdom. Christ is our life. He's not
just a motivator. Paul said, He's my hope. Christ
in you, that's the hope of glory. When Christ, who is our life,
shall appear, then shall we appear with Him in glory. Yes, I've
learned. Salvation is a person. It's a
living, vital union with a person. Christ said, I'm the head, you're
the body. There can be no closer relationship than a head to a
body. Christ said, I'm the vine, you're the branches. There can
be no closer relationship than the vine and the branches. For
all that the branches bear is born because of the life in the
vine. I've learned that salvation is
a person. Don't be satisfied with just a profession, just
a doctrine, just an affiliation with a group of religious people.
Salvation is to know Christ. It's to love Christ. It's Christ
in you. That's the hope of glory. And
then fourthly, I've learned this. I've learned that God does provide.
What was it Abraham said to Isaac? He said, God will provide. God
will provide what? Well, he's talking about God
providing a lamb, himself a lamb, and a lamb for himself as a sacrifice
for sin. God provides for the soul. We
can't provide for our souls, God does. Of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who has made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption. Christ is all I need. All that
the law requires, Christ fulfills. All that justice demanded, Christ
satisfied. All that God Almighty requires
of us, Christ honored and perfected. So He will provide for my soul. He will also provide all that
pertains to my body. Now listen to me. And all that
pertains to His work, His church and His glory, He will provide.
God will provide. Do we believe that? I believe
it. I've experienced it. I can give
you a testimony of 60 years, 40 of them spent preaching the
gospel, and God has always provided. Without begging, without gimmicks,
without tricks, without depending on the flesh, God has always
provided. We don't have to depend on carnal
men and natural men, God provides. One time Abraham delivered Lot
and his friends from the hands of the kings of Sodom. All the
wicked kings, Abraham delivered Lot and his friends. And when
he brought back all of the spoils, all of the wealth and jewels
and gold and silver and these things, the king said to Abraham,
now you keep these things and just give us the persons. You
know what Abraham said? Abraham said, I have lifted my
hand to God. I will take nothing from you.
lest you say, we made Abraham rich. And I say this, those who
are truly in Christ, God will provide for you. He'll provide
for your soul. He'll provide for your body.
And those who are truly in the ministry, God will provide for
you. You don't have to lean on the
arm of flesh. You don't have to embarrass the
gospel by pleading and begging with men to support it. God will
provide. I tell you, don't you find all
this begging offensive? I find it very offensive when
preachers get up and they tell how they're going out of business
if someone doesn't send them money and how they're selling
bricks and selling lifetime memberships in clubs and they're selling
Bibles and they're using gimmicks and trickery to get people to
support the Kingdom of God. I find that very offensive. I
find it a lack of faith. I find it a demonstration of
unbelief. God will provide. God will provide. And if God
doesn't provide, supernaturally, without your leaning on the arm
of flesh, without your depending on the flesh, without your depending
on me, and without your begging, if God doesn't provide, God's
not in it, why don't you cancel the business? Why don't you get
out of the business? God will provide. Never on this
television program in 13 years. Have we ever given anything away
to get people's names on a mailing list, or beg people to send money,
or put on a telethon, or done anything like that in order to
get the flesh to support God's kingdom? God will provide. And I tell you, it's offensive,
and it's contrary to the Word of God, and God's not in it.
And then I've learned something else. I've learned that tribulation
worketh patience. Yes, it does. The grace of faith,
humility, and patience grows best in the soil of trouble,
suffering, and trial. David said, it's good for me
that I've been afflicted that I might learn God's statutes. Patience is born of tribulation. If you'd like to have this tape,
write me. I'll send it to you. Send two
dollars and we'll mail the tape to you. It'll have another message
on it which I'll be bringing next week. Until next week, May
God bless you, everyone.