16

Jump Start # 2327

Posted on April 16, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2327

Judges 8:4 “Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing.”

 

Our passage is one of great encouragement to all of us. It makes for a great sermon title, “Weary yet pursuing.” We are reminded of the N.T. passages about weariness. Jesus called all those who were “weary and heavy laden” to come to Him for rest. Paul told the Galatians not to grow weary in doing good.

 

Weariness comes in different forms.

 

First, there is the kind of tired one gets from just staying up too late. The remedy here is simply go to bed early.

 

Second, there is a weariness from over exertion. You’ve worked hard all day, and you are tired to the bone. You helped a friend move and you are paying for it the next day with sore muscles. We had some of the grandkids over this past weekend. Two granddaughters, one 4 and the other 2 love to play superhero and the giant. They are the superheroes and guess who is the giant. The game always ends the same way. The superheroes throw pillows, shoot nerf balls and slay the giant. The giant falls and the superheroes jump on top of fallen giant. Amazingly, they love this game. Amazingly, I sure feel it. Again, a days rest and most of us are feeling fine.

 

Third, there is a weariness that comes mentally. This kind of tired doesn’t go away when you sleep. In fact, this can keep one from getting good sleep. Tired of problems. Weary of dealing with people who do not care. Tired of the red tape, bureaucracy, cooperate politics, and the run around that forces you to make dozens of phone calls and be put on hold for what seems to be forever. Righteous people get tired of wrong being praised and goodness being mocked.

 

Fourth, there is a weariness that comes from carrying guilt, shame and wrong in our hearts. You try to mend fences with others and you try to apologize and forgive, but some do not want that. They don’t want things to get better. They want to remind you of your mistakes and they want to hold you hostage for things that you want to put in the past. They won’t let go of things. They constantly remind you of how you hurt them. Nothing you do can make it right. You are weary of the trouble.

 

Fifth, there is a weariness that comes from family problems. Kids that don’t get along. Kids that rebel. Grown children that act like they are three years old. So much drama. So much gossip. So much complaining. Is there nothing good? Is there nothing that we can agree upon? Weary. Tired. Spent and done.

 

I tend to believe that we are a weary people. We always seem to be in a hurry. There never seems to be enough day in our day. Our eyes and our faces show the marks of weariness. For some, it gets to such a point that they want to quit. They want to quit school. They want to quit church. They want to quit the marriage. And, what they generally say right off the bat is, “I’m tired.” I’m tired of going to school. I’m tired of getting nothing out of worship. I’m tired to trying to make this marriage work.

 

But our wonderful passage shows the spirit that we all need to have. Tired, yes. Quitting, never. Weary, yet pursuing. Gideon and his band of 300, dramatically downsized from what they started with, were pursuing the enemy. They were fording rivers, and in hot pursuit of the enemy. They were beat. They were tired. They were weary. But one thing they were not, they were not giving up. They were still on the move. They were pursuing.

 

And, that must be us. We may be tired, weary and worn out to the bone, but we aren’t stopping. We have a mission before us and that is get this family of ours to Heaven. We have a job to do for the Lord. There are times we may feel that we are the only ones doing what we should. There may be times when we just want to sit down for a while. But we must pursue. We must go until the Lord stops us. The work is too great. There are too many who need to know. There is much to do.

 

The spirit of Gideon lives in us when we look to the good we are doing rather than how tired we feel or how much there is to do. You write a card to someone to encourage. You take some food to someone who needs it. You spend a nice text to someone who has been in the hospital. You go out of your way to be kind, thoughtful and helpful. You’re there to teach. You’re there to help out. You’re there to add a smiling face to the congregation. Sure, there are times you think, “Let someone else do it this time.” Sure, there are moments when you think, “I just don’t feel like it this time.” Sure, you wonder, “Does it do any good?” But you know the answers to this. This is why, weary, you pursue.

 

This is the spirit of the preacher. Tired of writing sermons, class material, articles and having to teach them. There are moments when he thinks, “I’d just like to take a month off and do nothing.” But he won’t. Weary, he pursues.

 

This is the spirit of the shepherds. Always looking ahead. Always working to make things better. Always trying to help us even when we are not trying ourselves. Weary, they may think, I could just step down and not do this. But they won’t. Weary, they keep pursuing.

 

This is the spirit of the man and woman who loves the Lord. They are weary of teaching with little results. They are weary of showing kindness only to have it received with rudeness in return. They wonder if the kids will ever get what this is all about. Weary, yet pursuing.

 

We must leave this place better than we found it. This is true of our families. This is true of the congregation. This is true of our world. There still needs to be some lights shining and some salt shaking. Don’t quit, because others are counting on you. Don’t quit, because you’ll be disappointed if you do. Don’t quit, because what is awaiting us is worth any troubles here.

 

Weary, yet pursuing. It reminds me of, “Onward, Christian soldiers…” Onward we go!

 

Roger

 

15

Jump Start # 2326

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2326

1 Samuel 14:52 “Now the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any mighty man or any valiant man, he attached him to his staff.”

So, as we begin with this verse today, let’s get the cute stuff out of the way. Yes, the passage says, “Saul saw”. Say that three times real fast and try to keep that straight.

 

There are two interesting thoughts from this verse.

 

First, the times were hard. The war against the Philistines was severe. The war against the Philistines was all the days of Saul. He reigned about forty years. He and his sons would be killed and their bodies displayed by the Philistines. Long years of war. Many deaths. Many broken homes and tears for men who never returned home. Children grew up without dads. Many families suffered in a climate where men worked and women didn’t.

 

It’s hard to imagine the heartache that is found under those few words, “the war against the Philistines was severe all the days of Saul.” We sing a hymn that begins, “Troublesome times are here, filling men’s hearts with fear…” The Holy Spirit didn’t show the grieving homes and the fear that these long wars created. That was not the intention. But, how similar this seems to so many of our “church announcements.” Someone has had surgery. Someone has lost a loved one. Someone has cancer. A simple statement. We hear it and hopefully, we remember to pray. But behind those few words, are many doctor and hospital visits, tons of medical tests, expenses, long days of not feeling well. Those words do not show the person sitting at the kitchen table with a mountain of insurance papers that they are trying to make sense of. They do not show the widow who is trying to figure out how to start the lawn mower or keep up with the house now that her husband is gone.

 

The war was serve and it lasted a long time. There’s much to that if we allow ourselves to think about that.

 

Second, Saul surrounded himself with quality people. The verse says any mighty men or valiant men were added to his staff. They were moved out of being foot soldiers to the leadership position. Saul understood that their abilities were beyond just fighting. They could help with the planning that is necessary to win battles. He saw in those men qualities that would help others. Sure they could stay out on the front lines and battle, but their real value would be in helping the armies as a whole. The bigger picture is what Saul understood.

 

What a great lesson for today’s church. Sometimes the leadership seems to be a closed club. No one is included and no one is added to this exclusive club. Some like it that way. Keep things the way they are. Saul understood the value of adding key people to his staff. Not everyone will meet the qualifications for an elder or deacon, yet, there may be some things that they can share with the leaders and help the church. There are guys who are wiz kids in the field of IT. They understand it, speak that language and can do so much. But often, they sit on the sidelines and are not asked for their ideas, input, or help, because they are not an elder or a deacon. Saul found some help in the mighty men. He included them. This is not an open door for another category of leadership beyond the overseer and deacon, but it is a call to use the talent that too often lies dormant in a congregation.

 

Here’s what I’ve seen:

 

  • There are professional teachers in a congregation. That’s their jobs, teaching kids at school. Why not have them help your Bible class teachers. Share information about how to teach and help.
  • There are those who are trained to be special ed teachers. Much too often, our Bible class teachers do not know what to do with the special ed student. Share the wealth of information and ideas.
  • There are those who are very artsy. Let them share some ideas on how to spruce up the church building. Far too many places have long hallways that are blank, plain and not attractive. Put some things on those walls. Let the art folks share some ideas.
  • There are those who are great at PR, graphics, and social media. Tap into those resources. Get ideas. Let them help you out.

 

This is not an attempt to turn the church into a business, nor run it like a business. But all around us are folks who have graduated with degrees in art, PR, IT, teaching, communications that can help a congregation. King Saul saw good people and he invited them into his circle. They were to bring ideas and help him.

 

Many of us preachers know how to preach and that’s about it. We don’t understand IT, social media or how to do so many things. And, when things are left to the preacher to do, usually it doesn’t get done. He doesn’t know how. He’s so busy doing what he is supposed to do that he can’t take the time to learn these other things. Some folks are idea oriented. They see things and understand how that could help out. Others do not have that gift. Include the idea folks. Take them out to lunch and allow them to make suggestions.

 

For instance, we are in the season of Gospel Meetings. So many churches will print out a meeting flyer to be mailed to other churches or passed out to friends. Some of these are plain black and white flyer that is hard to read and filled with too small of a font size. The flyer looks out of place in our world of color today. It needs some help. It needs a fresh look. It needs some color. It needs some better graphic adjustments. And, much too often, sitting right there in the pew is a the person who does that very thing at work. What they do looks amazing. Why don’t we include them and use them to help us?

 

Saul saw. Maybe that’s where all of this begins. Maybe we just need to lift up our eyes and see what we have among us. Use that talent. Share ideas. Don’t feel threatened. Don’t get jealous. Don’t limit what can be done to just a few. Don’t close the doors on ideas and suggestions.

 

Saul saw…

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 2325

Posted on April 12, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2325

 

2 Corinthians 10:10 “For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his personal presence is unimpressive, and his speech contemptible.”

 

I’ve been on the road a lot lately preaching. I’ve met all kinds of wonderful people and many I have never known before. Some are our Jump Start readers. They were delighted to put a face to the one who writes these every day. They were so kind and many shared with me that they have saved so many of the Jump Starts and refer back to them over and over. The words I hear all the time are, “You can never stop writing.” There are days, several days, when I think we’ve just about reached the bottom of the barrel. But for now, onward we go.

 

It is interesting putting a face to a voice or to writing. I’ve heard guys on the radio, and when you see them in person, it’s not the image that you had in your mind. The same goes for those who write. For me, I preach a lot and I write a lot. Folks tell me that I write like I preach and I preach like I write. I guess I don’t know any other way of doing it, than this way.

 

Now, in our verse today, the Corinthians put a face and a voice with the letters that Paul had sent to them.

Our verse is the raw truth of how some felt about Paul. Those that said it meant for those words to sting. His letters, especially 1 Corinthians, packed a punch. He warned about those who denied the resurrection. He told the church to remove the immoral man from among them. He blistered them about abusing spiritual gifts. He was firm about the Lord’s supper. Paul had thumbed them pretty hard about their divisions and lack of unity. In their words, “his letters are weighty and strong.” However, when Paul came to Corinth, his image didn’t fit what they had imagined from the letters. They claimed he was “unimpressive” and his speech “contemptible.” His presence, they thought, wasn’t like he wrote.

 

  • The ESV says his speech was “no account.”
  • The NIV is even more blunt. It states his speech “amounts to nothing.”

 

In the world of preaching, there are many things that are said to a preacher. Some may not like the tie. Some may point out that his shirt needs ironing. Sound may say he talks too loud, or too fast. Those things generally do not stick with a preacher very much. But to say that his sermon “amounts to nothing,” now, that cuts to the core. That’s what this is all about. If the preaching was weak, shallow, empty, it reflects beyond the preacher’s ability, but to his work ethic, his study habits and even to his faith. These wicked Corinthians had been stung by Paul’s letter. Now they were throwing jabs back. Attack the messenger is much easier than it is to change your ways.

 

Now some lessons:

 

First, because folks say that his message is nothing, doesn’t mean that they were right. They had an agenda. They were trying to turn things on Paul. It was their hopes to deflect what he had said about them by questioning his ability. Sometimes a guy will give a Wednesday night invitation once every three months. And he begins to think that he knows all there is to know about preaching. Be careful.

 

Second, the truth is, some of us are better at writing than preaching a sermon and others are better at teaching a class than these other things. We like to compare. We rank the best teams, the best vacation spots, the best places to eat and our favorite preachers. The presentation of a sermon may be flawless, but if the sermon didn’t move me, change me, teach me, what value was it? God has given all of us our own unique voices. Personally, I don’t like mine. I don’t like listening to myself on the internet. I hear too many mistakes and I wish I used different words and I find myself being a speech teacher and not a listener to God’s word. We can do that. We can catch all the mistakes and miss the sermon. We can be so critical that the sermon doesn’t help us. I know some preachers that just do not like to write. That doesn’t make them a bad preacher. It’s not their gift. Others can talk to someone so easily and get that person into a Bible study. We remember that Apollos came to Corinth. We remember that Apollos is defined as one who was mighty in the Scriptures and an eloquent man. I expect side by side, many would rather hear Apollos than Paul. We need to stop comparing. Each preacher is uniquely gifted and we need to honor him for that.

 

Third, some things should never be said. Paul in our verse today, is quoting what he heard. Those things should never have been said. They do not do any good and they only hurt. This was the intention of the Corinthians. They wanted to slam Paul. Today, we ought to just keep our mouths quite. Like Thumper’s mother, in the Disney cartoon Bambi, “if you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all.” I’ve had people say to me, “You’re not my favorite preacher.” I’m speechless. What am I supposed to say? Should I say, “Well, you’re not my favorite Christian.” Our jobs is not to be everyone’s favorite. Ours is to preach the word of God. Sometimes that means stepping on toes. Sometimes that means putting the message right on your front porch.

 

Fourth, preaching is about persuading. It’s using God’s word to convince you that you need to change, do better, step it up, become more committed and more engaged in the kingdom work. A good sermon is one that helped me get closer to the Lord. A good sermon may have tanned my hide and made me feel guilty, but if that leads me to walking closer to the Lord, then it was good. A good sermon ought to drive out the selfishness and the excuses out of me. A good sermon makes a better me. Some preachers are slow and very calculated. They, like an attorney in a courtroom, build up evidence and reason and in the conclusion they leave no doubt about what we ought to be doing. Others shoot straight for the heart. Plain, clear and bold. Some preachers simply talk. Others shout. Some tell a story that weaves through the Scriptures. Some connect dots from the O.T. to the N.T. Some are very practical, leaving no doubt as to what we ought to do. And, in all of this, we ought to see that just as people are different, so are preachers. There isn’t one style or one way. You may like one style more than another. One method may connect with you more than another. But that doesn’t mean someone who is preaching God’s word in a different style is wrong. Not at all.

 

Finally, had these sour Corinthians had their way, Paul would leave them alone. Yet, if that happened, they would not be walking with the Lord very much longer. Sin in their hearts and in their minds was ripping them apart. They needed Paul. What he wrote and what he preached was the very medicine that would keep them from falling apart. His words would keep them close to the Lord. Without Paul, they would have been lost. Sometimes what we need to hear isn’t fun and games. There is a time to be serious. There is a time to be silent and listen. There is a time for correction, improving and changing. God’s word would do that, if they would only allow Paul to preach it.

 

His preaching amounts to nothing. That typically is something said by someone whose life is amounting to nothing. They’d rather have Satan than Jesus. They would rather follow their way than God’s way. They aren’t about to change and their pride leads them to attacking God’s messenger. They had no problem attacking God’s chosen apostle. Shame on them and shame on us when we stand in their shadows and do not support those who give their hearts and their lives to trying to save us eternally.

 

Keep it up preacher. Some days your sermons fly out of the ball park. Other days you may feel like you struck out. Keep at it. Keep at it. And, keep at it. I love those who preach. They are my heroes.

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 2324

Posted on April 11, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2324

2 Corinthians 11:25 “Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep.”

 

It is hard to read these words of Paul. It hurts my heart to know that he was hurt. We wish we could have been there to help him. And, we know it’s not just this one verse. The whole context through here is filled with the sufferings of an apostle. Beaten. Stoned. Whipped. Constantly in danger. Hungry. Thirsty. Sleepless nights. Cold. People let him down. People turned on him. People discouraged him. People deserted him. Prison.

 

And we ask, why? Why did he do this? Because God was counting on him. Because Jesus had chosen him. Because others needed him. Because where would we be today, had he taken the safe and the easy course in life. The rocks that were thrown at him were thrown with anger and with the intention of killing him. The beatings weren’t carefully given so as to not cross the lines of abuse. They crossed all lines. They were intended to abuse, break and destroy his life. And, a night in the deep. Would he drown? Would he make it? Dark. Wet. Cold. Fearful. On his own. This is where our verse takes us today.

 

I want us to consider some thoughts here:

 

First, stop saying I can’t go on. Yes, you can. It’s never more than you can handle. It’s never too much. I can’t deal with this, yes, you can. I can’t face this, yes, you can. It may be the hardest thing in your life. It may be taxing all your energy, but you can and you must go on. As I write these words, I think of a young father whose sweet wife is about to pass from this life. He has two small children. How can he deal with these things? He can, because he sees in Paul, that he did. I think of the godly couple whose child sits in jail. They are so embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed, first in themselves and then in their child. How can they ever walk back in that church house again? How can they? They look to what Paul did. Yes, you can go on. You must.

 

Second, we preachers need to stop whining so much. We go hold a meeting, traveling in nice airplane, staying in fine hotels, preaching simply lessons in the evening and think, this is so hard. Is it? We look at our paychecks and we complain that we deserve more. We complain about how hot the church building seems or having to meet so many brethren, or having so many people ask us questions or want us to send them things. We need to stand in Paul’s shoes for a moment. I fear that I would have ran the other way rather than endure what he did. We fear upsetting a parent because we mention dancing during prom season or we take a stand against social drinking, but no one is going to beat us. No one is going to try to kill us. Most of us have pretty secure positions and jobs. I hang my head in shame and ask God to forgive me for the times I complain. We have it so good and so easy. We are paid much more than we are worth. We have so many conveniences that make preaching a breeze. And, when we have to go out in the evening to talk to a person, we moan and gripe as if it is a big inconvenience. Forgive us, Lord.

 

Third, we need to work hard for the Lord. Paul did. Our salvation is not based upon works, but our love for the Lord and His kingdom is demonstrated by how much effort we put into things. I’ve talked to preachers about making booklets, printing fill-in-the-blank notecards and other things. One told me, “that’s too much work.” What are we supposed to be doing? Look at that poor apostle in our passage. He was going through all those things because he wanted the kingdom to grow. How much do we want the kingdom to grow? Need teachers for the children’s classes, the announcement sounds forth on a Sunday morning. Everyone hangs their heads. Not me, they think. Too busy. Got no time. Ties me down too much. Let someone else do it. Just wonder if Paul thought those things? There was an old guy I met years ago. He told me folks today are just too soft. I believe he was on to something. We like soft beds, soft ice cream and an easy way. We don’t like to stand in line, wait in traffic or endure uncomfortable temperature. Where’s the guy whose willing to bust it for the Lord? Where’s the family who will take a vacation to help out in the kingdom? Too easy. Too soft. Too comfortable. We ought to be wearing ourselves out for the Lord. Push on. Stay in longer. Keep going. Now, that’s the spirit.

 

Fourth, not stated here, but understood because of the nature of Paul’s faith, are the many, many prayers through those difficult times. As the rods were busting open his skin and breaking his bones, you and I know that prayers were being uttered to Heaven. As he longed for something, anything to eat, but nothing was there, you and I know that prayers were going upward to Heaven. Those many times Paul faced dangers, scared, unsure, and not knowing the outcome, you know that prayers were being prayed. Paul was aware of apostles, such as James, who had been executed. John the prophet, the Lord’s cousin, had been executed. Each event, each crisis, may have brought an end to Paul’s life. It makes us wonder how often we are praying to God. Difficult times. Dark nights. Alone. Fearful. Prayers need to be going upward towards Heaven.

 

Fifth, the journey of faith, is often uphill, alone and difficult. People in our own family can become obstacles to our walk with the Lord. Challenges in society and dealing with a world that caters and caves in to sin, and corporate world that follows that suit, makes it hard to be a Christian. The people of God have never been popular. In Egypt, they were slaves. In Babylon, they were captives. They have been sent to fiery furnaces, lion’s dens, prisons, beheadings, sawn in two and violent deaths. Not all escaped those things. The easy religion is what the world offers. Just enough Jesus to offend no one and not enough to make any difference. Blend in, rather than stand out. Conform, rather than transform. Follow others, rather than follow Christ. People may not like you because you walk with Jesus. You may not be included, invited or welcome. They may talk about you. They may try to pick apart your life to find flaws. They may ridicule the Jesus you love. They may misuse and mock the Bible you read. Your body may never be beaten with rods, but your spirit, your feelings and your emotions may.

 

Finally, Paul understood that God would never desert him. The Psalmist said long ago, “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, Thou art with me…” In Hebrews, we find the promise that I will never desert you. Tough times is not an indication of God’s angry or disappointment in you. Because your prayers are not answered to the favorable hope that you wanted, does not mean that God no longer loves you. This world is not it. Our faith and our walk with the Lord will take us away from this place into the arms of our loving Savior. This world is not our home. This is not Heaven. Since the early days of Genesis, this planet has been broken, ruined and obsessed with sin. We long for a better place. We long for a Heavenly home.

 

Those dark nights when Paul sat alone in a prison, he wasn’t really alone. God was with him. Those scary nights when he was in the water and trying to survive, he was not alone. God was with him. And, those moments in your life, when you think no one understands, and no one is here, God is. Take your heart to the Lord. Trust His words. Believe His promises. Be thankful for His grace. Long for His heavenly home.

 

Thank you, Paul. You remind me to hang in there and keep going when I am tired, weary on the inside and want to stop for a while. And, thank you, Lord, for being patient with us and giving us this supreme example of faith, dedication and love. Paul only did it, because the Lord did it first.

 

May we be so committed, so true, and so faithful, that nothing this side of death will stop us. Others need us. God is counting upon us. Where will the kingdom be, if we don’t stay with it?

 

Roger

 

10

Jump Start # 2323

Posted on April 10, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2323

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

There are people that come into our lives that are often difficult to deal with. Some you nearly have to love from a distance, and that is hard. There are layers of why some are so difficult. Our verse illustrates one such reason. There are those, here the Bible calls them a fool, who are right in their own eyes. You can’t tell them otherwise. They will argue. They will get loud. They get stubborn. Some get mean.

 

This must have been a common issue years ago because we have heard of the idea of never discussing politics and religion with others. Why not? Why, because it usually turns into a dog fight. Tempers flare. People get upset. Little is accomplished and reason is tossed out the window. There are some people who would argue in the middle of the day whether or not it’s day time. The fool is right in his own eyes.

 

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

 

First, some arguments are not worth the trouble. You can argue with a sports fanatic about the greatest player of all time and at the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter. It’s his opinion butting against your opinion. And, it’s possible that both opinions are not right. Life is short. There is too much good to be done. And, I guess the older I get, the less I am interested in controversy, especially over matters that do not matter.

 

Second, some folks are stubborn. And much too often, with stubbornness comes a good amount of pride. That pride keeps them stubborn and the stubbornness keeps them proud. Some folks just can’t admit that they were wrong. Some just can’t allow it that a younger person knew more than they did. Some are more interested in winning an argument than they are in finding what the truth is. For some of us, the older we get, the more stubborn we become. Now, when we talk about life in the church, that stubbornness can crush the spirit of young people and keep the church from doing all the good that it could. Someone could say, “I don’t have a smart phone. I don’t use the internet. I’m not on Facebook. I don’t know what Twitter is. It’s done me fine all these years, and I certainly do not think that a church should be engaged in such things.” When that stubborn opinion dominates, and it often does, the church is limited in what it can do.

 

Third, some folks do not want to admit that times change. They see it all around them and some do not like the changes. Some feel that if they can hold out, resist, then their world will remain the same. It never does. The mom & pop stores are on the way out. The big stores are on the way out. People shop on their phones. They order groceries and never have to leave their cars. Things are done a lot differently than just a couple of decades ago. Fewer people use cash. Checks are on the way out. New cars have so many safety features on them that they will slow down automatically if you get too close to the car in front of you. They will beep if you drift out of your lane. They will just about drive themselves. You may not like that. You may not want that. But if you are going to get a new car, that’s your choice.

 

Fourth, because a fool thinks he is right, doesn’t mean that he is right. He just thinks so. He thinks he is right and obviously, he also thinks that you are wrong. It takes humility for older folks to listen to younger people. Our years on this planet has earned us a degree of experience. We’ve seen things. And, with that, we tend to think we know about all there is to know. How wrong we are. There is a world of things that the younger folks can teach the older folks. Now, this can cause civil wars in the family as well as in our congregations. Younger folks like the newer, faster songs. Older folks, tend to like the songs they grew up with. Older folks have seen changes in the church that did not follow the Bible. So, new ideas, new methods, new ways, tend to be received with a bit of skepticism by the older generation. They want the church to stay close to God’s word. Things are not right nor wrong because they are either new or old. Old isn’t always the best, and some things do not need to be changed, either. Purpose, motive, reason, explanation and a huge amount of trust for each other sure helps in all of this.

 

Finally, is a fool destined to always be a fool? I do not believe so. Deflate his ego and his pride. Listen to the wisdom and the reason of others. Humble yourself. Follow God. Before long, the very things that caused him to be a fool will be gone. He will no longer be a fool. He will, as our verse tells us, listen to counsel. He will surround himself with quality people who will help him and connect him to the Lord.

 

In many ways, most of us have been on both sides of this passage. There were times, especially before we were Christians, that we stood right along side this fool. No one was telling us what to do. Stubborn. Proud. And, lost. But we changed. We humbled ourselves. We listened to others and to God. We became obedient from the heart and we opened the doors to a whole world of learning, understanding and changing.

 

The expression, ‘you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,’ is only true if that old dog is a fool.

 

Roger