MESSAGE ON LIFE STAGES

(p. 1322 Scofield; I John 2:12).

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one” (I John 2:12-14).

There are three stages here. Little children, young men, fathers. CC briefly describe.

Actually the Bible comments on seven parts of a person’s life, both the physical and the spiritual. We have physical stages: baby, child, young adult, parent, older, old age. I will look at the spiritual.

BABY

“And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able”

(I Corinthians 3:1-2; p. 1214).

Can only have milk. The basic things. A new Christian who has a lot to learn. Nobody here like that.

DIFFERENT TESTS AT DIFFERENT STAGES. This person may not be sure what to believe. He may be pulled by lost friends or family, adjusting his schedule, party life, etc.

LITTLE CHILDREN

We know what a child is. Two of them here.

“I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake”

(I John 2:12; p. 1322).

“Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.” (John 13:33).

Spiritual child. Glad you are born again. Maybe knows a little, is coming to church, learning to act like a Christian. But has tests and temptations:

“Flee youthful lusts” (II Timothy 2:22).

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

OLDER CHILDREN, ADOLESCENT

We all know what a teenager is. These days it goes up to about age 28 or 30. Needs to grow.

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13; p. 1253).

“That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive” (Ephesians 4:14).

This person has been around a while. He is used to church and knows what to do. Understands some things and is not easily tossed to and fro.

But he has a long way to go. Lots of tests. College, career, girlfriend/boyfriend. “Flee youthful lusts” (II Timothy 2:22).

YOUNG MEN

This is supposed to be age 18 to 30, but today it is 25 to 35. Get out of college and get a job, I say! Be a man! Our text says,

“I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one” (I John 2:13).

You have passed some tests. Humanly, you’ve got energy, and you’ve got drive. This is when you get your career and get married. But believe me, you can still get pulled.

“The glory of young men is their strength: and the beauty of old men is the grey head.” (Proverbs 20:29). “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31). [I have the beautiful white and grey head!] It’s the head of experience. You have the strength. Use it.

FATHERS

(back to the text) “I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning” (I John 2:13).

Knows God

This is not an old man whose children are grown. This is an active father with wife and children at home. Age 30 to 55 more or less. Only the Nganns here.

BUT YOU HAVE TESTS TOO!

IMPORTANT: YOU CAN PASS ONE TEST AND THEN FAIL ANOTHER!

“And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection” (Luke 8:14; p. 1084). Thorny ground.

My son John is like that. Busy with his life and career and the family he will have.

We had a big problem with this in our church in the past. 1980s and 1990s.

They grew up, got experience, got married, some had children. Not a crazy kid anymore. Not lonely anymore. So they don’t need the church anymore. “Our situation is special.” It was OK back then, but we don’t need it now. What are we doing at those meetings? They expect us to work?

Checking out of church when you get married and have children. Is that in the Bible? No, it is not there!

“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37). Driven by the child!

Let’s go to another church where it’s easy. Sunday morning only. Nothing said that might bother anyone. No work assigned to us. Much more free time. Settle back. Paradise on earth.

BUT YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL! And when you could be helping others and helping the church, you cop out. Nice knowing you, but…

MATURE PEOPLE (50 and up)

(I read) “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed” (I Peter 5:1).

Can refer to a leader in the church or just a person who’s been around a while. 50 and up?

We used to have these people, or we thought we did. They were called “The Thirty Nine”. I was proud to be one of them. Some of you were too.

But most of them went their way, just like those “fathers” I talked about. It’s difficult. It’s unpleasant. I’ve served my time and paid my dues. Now the church is over and dying. The dream is over. I think I’ll go to some place nice and soft where I can play with my friends all the days of my life.

Well over half of the Thirty Nine aren’t here now. THEY FAILED THE TEST.

I admit it. Sometimes it’s been rough to be in church. But Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). And the Bible says, “A friend loveth at all times” (Proverbs 17:17). NOT just when things are good and happy, and it’s great for you and the other person. Not just when it’s easy to be with him. Even when your friends leave. Even when the dream is dead. A friend loveth at ALL times, even when it’s unpleasant.

Don’t be too sure you’ll make it all the way. Dr. Hymers taught, “One church for one lifetime.” But people who repeated those words went away when they were tested.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (I Corinthians 10:12). Don’t assume that you will pass the test. You may not!

OLD PEOPLE (65-70 AND UP)

“Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ” (Philemon 9; p. 1286).

One modern commentary says he had “an impressive rap sheet.” A person like this has been around for quite a few years, has memories, and done a few things.

Did Paul retire? No. He was in prison and he knew he was about to die,

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (II Timothy 4:6-8; p. 1281).

But even then, he was still busy in the work of the Lord, guiding Timothy,

“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine” (I Timothy 4:2).

“But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry” (II Timothy 4:5).

“The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments” (II Timothy 4:13; p. 1282). Even at the edge of death he is reading and writing, asking for books.

Application:

THE CORE OF OUR CHURCH IS IN THE MATURE GROUP (50 TO 65) OR THE OLD GROUP (65 AND OLDER).

In the world this is called PRE-RETIREMENT (50 to 65-70) and RETIREMENT (65-70 and up). Our core is in one of those two groups.

In our culture, that’s when you quit everything to spend 20 or 30 years traveling and looking at the trees (if you have the money saved up).

In the world people have a “life path” which means walking away from time to time. People who want to divorce their husbands or wives talk about that. Retired people talk about that.

That is modern psychology, not the Bible! The real life path is to come in, get saved, do all you can for Christ, and stay until the end of your life.

Life path will kill our church dead. Out with it.

When you retire from secular employment, you do NOT retire from the church! WHERE DOES THE BIBLE SAY THAT? IT DOESN’T. THAT’S FROM MODERN PSYCHOLOGY. IS THAT WHAT YOU FOLLOW?

You may not do everything you used to do, but you do not drop out. Rose Chenault-Quinn lived to 97. She didn’t drop out at 70 or any of that. True, she couldn’t do a lot, but she was here. At the end they put her in a senior home. We picked her up out of that senior home and drove her to church. She phoned us to do that because she wanted to go to church. So was Jean Lyon. She did as much as she could for as long as she could. So were many others. What about you?

YOU CAN PASS ONE TEST, AND THEN FAIL ANOTHER.

THIS IS YOUR TEST. THIS IS YOUR TEMPTATION. You will be tempted to say, “We’ve done our time. Paid our dues. Now it’s time to move on. [Pretty words] We’re glad for our time here and it’s nice knowing all of you, but now it’s time to move on. Be sure to stay friends!” [to cover the conscience] Don’t you see, our situation is special.

CAN YOU PASS THE RETIREMENT TEST?

Please remember, “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made” (Genesis 3:1). You mean the devil is smart? That he’s tricky? Yes, and he will trick you. (Gosh, I thought he was dumb.)

In beautiful California this is combined with a financial temptation. I admit it is expensive to live here. So, why not sell the house and move to Mayberry RFD or Tree Top, Kentucky, or Cow Town, Kansas where a house costs half or one-third as much, and you have lots of money to live on, and things are cheaper too. And everyone goes to bed at 9:00 PM and there is no stress in life. The neighbors say “hi” and all you have to do is watch the trees grow and say hello to your dog. You can go to a church for one hour. Just cruise on until the end, and don’t think much about when you actually face God and account for yourself (too inconvenient).

CAN YOU PASS THE RETIREMENT TEST?

I have felt this too. My family wants me to check out and cuddle together. But it comes from the Devil.

You heard Dr. Hymers say, “One church for one lifetime.” You know the church is a body and we are members one of another. You heard it many times and you applauded it.

But NOW, at THIS stage in your life path, will you obey it? Even when it’s EASIER for you to drop out?

You won’t like this. But if you retire out, YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN THE PEOPLE WHO WENT WITH DR. CHAN, OR MR. OLIVAS. [They had their own reasons, didn’t they?] You say, “My situation is special. And you see, it’s time to move on.” NO. IT IS NOT TIME TO MOVE ON. THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE. IT IS THE SAME.

CHOOSE WHO YOU WILL SERVE. Joshua said, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15).

There is a song, “Yield Not to Temptation.” You sung it. But will you obey it?

We have a song, “I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back” “Though none go with me, still I will follow.” YOU SUNG THAT SONG. Will you live by it?

Even if none of my family follows with me, still I will follow. Though Chan goes his way, still I will follow. You can go with your trees and your relatives and your dog and your cat. But still I will follow, no turning back, no turning back. And may you do the same.

No applause, please. Just think about what I said. Amen.