Joshua
You’re
Never Too Old
Joshua
14:6-14
Opening
Words: Today
we continue Joshua’s story. So much has happened to this point
that it is difficult to summarize everything. It will have to
suffice to say that Joshua examined the Promised Land with spies.
Joshua claimed the Promised Land when he crossed the Jordan River.
Joshua conquered the Promised Land by defeating the inhabitants.
Today, we discover that Joshua is distributing the Promised Land
among the twelve tribes. It is at this point in the story that we
are reintroduced to one of the most fascinating characters in the
Bible, Caleb.
In
order to completely understand Caleb’s story you must have a
little Old Testament background. We first learned about Caleb in
Numbers 10. He was one of the twelve spies that Moses sent into the
Promised Land. Ten of the spies report that the land can not be
conquered. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua reported that victory
was possible. Caleb had great confidence in God and was rewarded for
his faith. He and his descendants will receive a certain tract of
land. Now fast forwarded the clock forty-five years. Caleb is about
receive that tract of land. With this understanding let us hear this
weekend’s scripture lesson, Joshua 14:6-14. Let me call this
message: You’re Never Too Old.
Joshua
14:6-14 6
Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of
Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD
said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I
was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from
Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report
according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me
made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed
the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me,
'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance
and that of your children forever, because you have followed the
LORD my God wholeheartedly.' 10 "Now then, just as the LORD
promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time
he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So
here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong
today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out
to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that
the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the
Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but,
the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said." 13
Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as
his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh
the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of
Israel, wholeheartedly.
_________________________________________________________________
This
week Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin released their annual
mindset list. The 1400 student college releases the list to remind
their faculty that the times are changing. Their student body is
changing. They hope their faculty will change with them. If you are
part of the class of 2014 that means you were born in 1992. How much
has our world changed since 1992? Consider these facts with me:
1.
Few in the class of 2014 know how to write in cursive.
2.
Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail. They
have never licked a stamp.
3.
A quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent so there is
no immigration debate.
4.
They have never seen John McEnroe play professional tennis.
5.
Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty
Harry or a cowboy.
6.
Doctor Jack Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.
7.
Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
8.
The country of Czechoslovakia has never existed.
9.
Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.
10.
Beethoven is a dog.
11.
They have never worried about a Russian missile strike.
12.
Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.
Can
I ask you a question? Does that list make you feel old? That is how
much the world has changed since 1992. How much has the world
changed since you were college age? Like it or not the world is
changing. Like it or not you are growing older. How do the words
“growing older” make you feel? Those are not happy words
to many in our society.
If
you haven’t noticed we live in a youth dominated society. We
value youth. The media is filled with only the young and the
attractive? If you are like me, old and common, then you get
ignored. Entire industries have been built to make you younger
looking. How much money do you spend trying to look younger then
your age? Has anyone here ever had any surgery to make the years
disappear? I know of people who are dreading their thirtieth
birthday because it signals the beginning of the end. Don’t be
so hard on those people. Each one of us has bought into the madness.
Would anyone here like to look older then your age?
That
is one of the things I love about the faith. The faith values age
and wisdom over youth and inexperience. The faith values who you
are, not what you look like. The faith sees age as a blessing, not a
curse. Did you know that Joseph died at 110? (Genesis 50:22) Did you
know Moses died at 120? (Deuteronomy 34:7) Did you know Abraham died
at 175? (Genesis 25:7) Did you know Noah lived to 950 years old?
(Genesis 9:29) I do not play that numbers game. I try to read the
Bible consistently. If the Bible says Jesus was raised from the
dead, then Jesus was raised from the dead. If the Bible says Noah
was 950 years old at his death then he was 950 years old. This is
the point! The faith sees aging as a blessing not a curse. With this
in mind let us look at the scripture together.
We
find ourselves today in the fourteenth chapter of Joshua. The
Israelites have conquered a great amount of land. The dream is
becoming a reality. However, Joshua has to deal with a new problem.
How do you distribute the land? In other words, what tribe gets what
tract of land? There must have been some heated debate. Everyone
wants the fertile land, not the unfertile. Everyone wants the rich
land, not the poor. Everyone has a reason why they should get the
best. But everyone can not get the best. That is impossible. Someone
must get the least valuable land.
It
is into this scene that we are reintroduced to one of the most
interesting people in the Bible, Caleb. He was from the greatest
generation; he walked with Moses and served his country. Do you
remember the opening words? He along with eleven others, including
Joshua, spied out the Promised Land forty-five years earlier. Let me
say this clearly. In the text is Caleb not a young man. As a matter
of fact is an old man. Verse ten tells he is 85 years old and he is
ready to claim his promise. Recalling the events of forty years
earlier he asks Joshua to give him and his descendents are certain
parcel of land. He wants the hill country including the city of
Hebron. Why is that important? It is important because why everyone
else wants the best land with the least amount of work. Caleb wants
the least attractive land with the most amount of work. Think about
it for moment. The 85 year old Caleb is asking to go to work. He is
asking for a new challenge. How many eighty-five year olds do you
know are looking for a new challenge? How many people do you know
have stopped living and are just waiting to die?
I
am not just speaking of people who are of traditional retirement
age. I am really talking to anyone who has stopped moving forward in
life. The greatest gift we have ever received is Jesus. The second
greatest gift we have ever received is time in this world. Are you
wasting that gift? Are you wasting time? Are you living or are you
just waiting to die? It is not enough to lock yourself in your room
reading books and studying the Weather Channel. There is a whole
world out there! What dreams do you still hold in you heart? What
things do you still want to learn? What people do you still want to
help? Caleb was eighty-five years old and he was looking for a new
challenge. Are you willing to face a new challenge? What do you want
to do with the rest of your life? Today, I want to talk about three
things you are never too old to do. So if you are ready say, “Amen!”
Dream
You’re
never too old to dream. Caleb was eighty-five years old and he
dreamed of conquering a new land. It was not enough for him to just
recall the good old days. He wanted the hill country and he wanted
Hebron. He wanted a challenge because he had a dream. He was
eighty-five years old but he knew the best was yet to come. He was
still in the world for a reason. You are in this world for a reason!
What dreams to you still hold for the future?
Gutzon
Borglum had a dream. In 1924, he was gazing at the Black Hills of
South Dakota and dreamed of making the greatest statue in American
history. In 1927 Borglum began sculpting the images of George
Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore
Roosevelt on the granite face of 6,000-foot Mount Rushmore. Most of
the sculpting was done by experienced miners under Borglum's
direction. Working with jackhammers and dynamite, they removed some
400,000 tons of outer rock, cutting within three inches of the final
surface. When Borglum died in March 1941, his dream of the world's
biggest sculpture was near completion. His son Lincoln finished the
work that October, some 14 years after it was begun. Gutzon Borglum
had a dream! Do you have a dream? You’re never too old to
dream.
I
made a list of my dreams. You can call it my bucket list. I am
always editing it. Today’s version goes like this:
1.
I dream of traveling to Halifax.
2.
I dream of traveling to Istanbul.
3.
I dream of attending my daughter’s weddings.
4.
I dream of holding my grandchildren.
5.
I dream of serving God in the mission’s field.
6.
I dream of being a church consultant.
7.
I dream of traveling to Larson Bay on Kodiak Island, Alaska.
8.
I would like to get one of my sermons published.
9.
I dream of God saying to me, “Well done good and faithful
servant!”
10.
I dream of celebrating my silver and golden wedding anniversary.
Those
are my dreams. What do you dream? Don’t tell me you too old to
dream. Caleb was eight-five years and dreamed of a new home. You are
never too old to dream! What dreams do you hold near your heart? I
will let you answer that question in your heart. And all of God’s
people said, “Amen!”
Learn
You’re
never too old to learn. Caleb was eighty-five years old and he still
had some things to learn. If he was going to take the hill country
and Hebron then he was going to have to learn about them. He is
going to have to learn some geography and he is going to have to
learn some sociology. He was eighty-five years old and he was still
learning. He was still working toward perfection. He was still
making progress. Are you still making progress? Are you still moving
toward perfection? What would you still like to learn?
One
of my favorite preaching stories is about Pablo Casals. I have told
you this story several times. When he reached the age of 95, a young
reported threw him a question: "Mr. Casals, you are 95 and the
greatest cellist that ever lived. Why do you still practice six
hours a day?" And Mr. Casals answered, "Because I think
I'm making progress."
Are
you still making progress in your life? Are you still learning
something new everyday? Are you living in 2010 or are you just
recalling the past? Are you living or are you just waiting to die?
We live in the information age. Why don’t you learn some?
Caleb was eighty-five years old and still learning! You’re
never too old to learn. What have you learned lately? I will let you
answer that in your heart. And all of God’s people said,
“Amen!”
Serve
You’re
never too old to serve. Caleb was eighty-five years old and he still
wanted to serve God. There was land that had to be settled. He asked
Joshua for the hill country and Hebron. He knew that life wasn’t
over until God says it is over. That was his way of serving God.
What service are you willing to offer God?
One
of the finest people I have ever known was Walter Wills. Many of you
knew him. He worshipped here at Western Reserve. I always enjoyed
Walter because he was so genuine. He had a hard life but he always
had time for others. I first met Walter because he was the leader of
Boy Scout Troop 3. He actually served as an adult leader in the
scouting program for over fifty years. However, I got to know Walter
because he would travel to Russia with us to work with orphans. Did
you know he was the oldest person to ever go on one of Kathryn’s
mission’s trips? Did you know the last time he went to Russia
he had jaw cancer? We were room mates and he had a difficult time
eating. However, what was more important to Walter then eating were
little twin girls in that orphanage. They stole Walter’s
heart. Let there be no doubt about it. Walter had a servant’s
heart. While others are afraid of traveling to Russia, eating
Russian food, speaking Russian and being in a Russian community,
Walter only worried about the children. He worried about those two
little girls. Walter told me the same thing daily, “If I
were twenty years younger I would adopt those little girls and give
them a future.”
Walter
Wills and Caleb were both men in their eighties and they both
understood the same thing. You’re never too old to serve. Are
you more concerned with yourself or are you more concerned with
others? I will let you answer that question in your own heart. And
all of God’s people said, “Amen!”
On
May 4, 2010 it was announced that the world’s oldest person
died. Kama Chinen died one week before her 115th
birthday. She lived in the southern island of Okinawa, Japan. Her
story is incredible! She experience parts of three centuries.
It
is too late for Kama Chinen but it is not too late for you. You’re
never too old! You are never too old to dream! What would you still
like to do? You are never too old to learn! Are you making any
progress? Are you working toward perfection? Are you learning
something new everyday? You are never too old to serve. You are
still in this world for a reason. Are you living? Or are you just
waiting to die? And all of God’s people said, “Amen!”
