(adapted from a messages by Mark Jones, Bob Russell, and Dan Webb)
SERIES: “FATAL TEMPTATIONS”
TEXT: JAMES 1:14-15; JOSHUA 14:6-14
TITLE: “TEMPTATIONS SENIOR CITIZENS FACE”
INTRODUCTION: A. You Know You’re Getting Old When…
1. You and your teeth don’t sleep together.
2. Your try to straighten out the wrinkles in your socks and discover you aren’t
wearing any.
3. At the breakfast table you hear snap, crackle, pop and you’re not eating cereal.
4. Your back goes out, but you stay home.
5. Your idea of a night out is sitting on the patio.
6. Happy hour is a nap.
7. You’re on vacation and your ENERGY runs out before your money does.
8. You step off a curb and look down one more time to make sure the street is still
there.
9. It takes longer to rest than it did to get tired.
10. The pharmacist has become your new best friend.
11. Getting “lucky” means you found your car in the parking lot.
12. It takes twice as long - to look half as good.
13. Everything hurts, and what doesn’t hurt - doesn’t work.
14. You sink your teeth into a steak - and they stay there.
15. You wonder how you could be over the hill when you don’t even remember being
on top of it.
B. This message is the fourth installment in the series “Fatal Temptations” based on
James 1:14-15 – “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged
away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when
it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
1. We looked at “Temptations Women Face”, “Temptations Children Face”, and
“Temptations Teenagers Face”
2. Today’s message: “Temptations Senior Citizens Face”
a. As the average life-span continues to increase, and as baby-boomers are hitting
retirement age, we’re seeing more and more senior adults
b. By the year 2025, people over the age of 65 will outnumber teenagers two to one
3. My kids think I’m finally preaching a sermon I’m qualified to speak about
--I couldn’t possibly know anything about being a woman, a child, or a teenager!
4. One the other hand, most of you who are senior adults probably think that a young
whipper-snapper like me doesn’t have a clue about the temptations you face
C. My goal this morning is to talk about this subject with respect for our senior adults
--Lev. 19:32 – “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly…”
1. I do not want to come across as critical or judgmental
--However, I do want to share what God’s Word upholds as model behavior for
those who are older
2. For those of you who are not senior adults, you will be someday
--I’m asking that you do the same thing I’ve asked each Sunday in this series-
please pay close attention so that you can be respectful and supportive to those
who do struggle in these areas
3. Senior adults, you may have been a faithful Christian for years, but the devil still
tries to entice you into sin to embarrass you and negate your influence.
4. Bob Russell: “The temptations in the older years are not usually gross sins of the
flesh but more subtle sins of the spirit.”
D. The temptations we’re looking at this morning were developed from a poll of several
hundred Christian seniors around three years ago.
1. As we consider these temptations, we’re going to focus on one key Bible character
who exemplified faith, confidence, will-power, tenacity and courage as a senior
adult
a. Despite the temptations that he must have faced, he stood strong and fulfilled
God’s purpose for his life
b. His model behavior serves as a great inspiration to all of us as we struggle with
accomplishing God’s purposes for our own lives.
2. The senior adult we’re going to look at this morning is Caleb
E. It helps to know a little background before we get into the meat of the message
1. When Moses first led the children of Israel to the Promised Land, God had him
send 12 spies to scout the land.
a. All ten said the land was perfect but only two thought that they could overthrow
the power people who had the land.
--Joshua and Caleb were the only brave spies.
b. The children of Israel didn’t have the courage or the faith to believe God’s
promises
--The people sided with the 10 so God punished the nation’s lack of faith by
sending them back out into the wilderness.
2. 45 years later God brought them back to the gateway of the Promised Land.
a. Moses had died and Joshua is the leader now
--It’s time to go forward and fight for the land God promised
b. We will see that Caleb proved himself still a man of faith and action.
F. Joshua 14-6-14 – 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. 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, 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. 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.’ 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! 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. 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.”
Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.
So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because
he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly.
I. A CRITICAL SPIRIT
A. I think this temptation has more to do with personality than age
1. If you’re optimistic, even-tempered, and pleasant at 40, you’ll probably be optimistic, even-tempered,
and pleasant at 70
2. If you’re pessimistic, critical, and negative at 40, it’s likely that not much will change in your twilight
years – unless God really gets hold of your heart
3. However, it’s also true that difficult circumstances, the normal aches-and-pains of aging, and the
tragedies of life leave many senior adults battling the tendency toward negativism
B. This temptation for a critical spirit just seems to intensify as we get older.
1. Our patience gets thinner and we gripe about unpleasant circumstances.
2. We often feel a loss of influence and criticize people who are now in charge.
--Dan Webb: “Criticism is sometimes a way of getting attention and reminding people that once we
were important.”
3. A critical spirit just seems to become second nature to us as we get older
--Just refuse to become a grumpy old man or whiny old woman!
a. You might get attention with criticism, but you won’t make any friends.
b. Nobody ever says, “Let’s go talk with Mabel—I just love to hear her gripe!”
4. Former UCLA and Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, John Wooden, is a master at having a positive
attitude.
--He was in Indianapolis four years ago for the basketball game between Duke and UCLA. UCLA got
stomped and played horribly. After the game a reporter asked Coach Wooden what he thought of his
former team’s performance. He smiled a gentlemanly smile and said something like, “Well, anything
I would say would probably be construed as criticism, therefore I think it would be wiser for me not
to comment on the loss. I’m sure the coach is going to make adjustments as the season goes on.” No
wonder he’s still respected and loved even though he’s over 90 years old.
C. What about you?
1. Do you find yourself grateful for neighbors who stop by, or friends who call once in a while, for
children who stay in touch?
--Or does it frustrate you that your kids aren’t as attentive as you think they should be.
2. Do you get upset because the preacher is busy and doesn’t stop by as often as you think he should?
3. Do you look for the positive traits of today’s kids, or are you constantly criticizing the younger
generation?
4. Are you thankful for the health you do have or are you continually complaining about what’s not
working?
D. The cure for a critical spirit is to develop a positive attitude
--Look back at Josh. 14:7-9 – “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, 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. 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.’”
1. 45 years before when Moses had sent the spies out ten came back with a pessimistic report.
--They said “compared to them, we look like grasshoppers. They will squash us like bugs!”
2. However Caleb saw great potential.
--In fact Numbers 13:30 says, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go
up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’”
3. At age 40, Caleb saw all that was positive about God’s plan and at 85, his optimism had not
diminished.
--He maintained a positive outlook and avoided a negative attitude.
II. SPIRITUAL RETIREMENT
A. By spiritual retirement, I mean the temptation to back off from church involvement and spiritual
responsibilities when we get retirement age.”
--One person defied retirement as “half as much money, twice as much husband.”
1. Most career people will retire at some point in their lives.
2. However here is no biblical reason to retire from spiritual duties.
a. Some senior adults step out of ministry as they get older.
--In midlife we often experience an overload of activity, and we look forward to retirement when
we can slow down and relax.
b. Some Christians think, “I’ll back off my weekly responsibilities at church that tie me down so I can
travel and have a lot of free time.”
--They back away saying it’s time for the young people
c. It is understandable that some may need a break or sometimes health reasons cause us to slow
down but we should never stop serving the Lord and His church.
3. The Bible relates that Eli, the High Priest, got complacent in his old age and it caused a whole lot of
problems
--There is a temptation, like Eli, to become self-indulgent and spiritually passive when you become a
senior adult
B. The cure for spiritual retirement is continual service regardless of age
--don’t quit your church commitments just because you’re older
1. Continue to be active
--Use the additional time you have in service for Christ instead of in self-indulgence
2. What does the Bible say in Rev. 2:10?
a. “Be faithful to the point of RETIREMENT?”
b. NO!
--It says “Be faithful to the point of DEATH and I will give you a crown of life.”
C. Caleb was a man who remained eager to fulfill God’s mission.
--Look again at Josh. 14:10-11 – “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! 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.”
1. Three times in Josh. 14 we’re told that Caleb followed the Lord wholeheartedly.
2. He says here he can’t wait to go fight the Lord’s battles.
a. Rather than steeping away, Caleb was stepping up.
b. He eagerly set out to do the Lord’s work.
3. I read about a Christian named Sam Rosenberg. Sam just turned 90 and plays trombone every Sunday
in his church orchestra. He recently stated, “I must be a crazy old man. I’m 90 years old and I just
bought a brand new trombone!”
--The doctor says he’s as healthy as a horse and it may be due in part to the fact that he’s played that
trombone all his life and continues to exercise his lungs.
4. Paul wrote to Titus: Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound
in faith, in love and in ENDURANCE. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they
live, not to be slanderers or addicted too much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the
younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at
home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
(Titus 2:2-5).
5. Job says in Job 12:12 – “Is no wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring
understanding?”
6. The Bible says to you as senior adults: YOU ARE IMPORTANT!
--we need your voice of experience, the warmth of your love, the force of your example and the
strength of your work ethic
III. AN INCLINATION TOWARDS INFLEXIBILITY
A. No generation in history has experienced as many dramatic changes as our elderly.
1. Think of the technology changes they’ve witnessed:
--Airplanes, televisions, computers, space ships, cell phones, satellites, and the internet have all been
invented during this generation
2. Even though all those things have produced a lot of positive results, it still creates a feeling of
instability for our senior adults
a. Let’s face it, there is lots of new stuff and it can create lots of opportunities to use the new stuff for
immoral purposes
b. Every generation experiences the winds of change, but this generation experienced a hurricane of
transformations.
3. Andy Rooney: “Life is like a roll of toilet paper: The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.”
B. Seniors, you have to accept that change is a regular part of life
1. Understand that nothing really stays the same
2. Recognize that “the good old days” probably weren’t as good as you remember
--one comedian said, “Nostalgia just ain’t what it used to be.”
3. Ecc. 7:10 – Do not say, “Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such
questions.
C. The cure for inflexibility is an attitude that says, “Let’s move forward.”
1. Caleb was 85 years old and he looked ahead, longing to claim new territory.
--He was eager o climb the next hill, to conquer the next obstacle, to seize the day.
2. Josh. 14:12, he says, “Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day.”
3. Sometimes you have to be like the four women in the retirement home who were playing cards in the
lobby when in walked an older gentlemen they’d never seen before. “The first woman asked, “Are
you new here?” The man replied, “Why yes. I just moved in today.” The second woman asked,
“Where did you move here from?” “The fellow looked down at the ground and said, “I moved here
right out of prison.” The third woman asked, “What were you in for?” He replied, “I murdered my
wife.” The fourth woman’s face lit up and she asked, “So, your single then?”
4. Seniors, you’re going to have to embrace some change
--Status quo leads to stagnation and stagnation leads to decay
5. Plenty of senior adults in the Bible had to make changes so that God’s purposes could be
accomplished
a. Abraham was 75 and his wife, Sarah, 65 before God called him
--God had promised them a child and Abraham was 100 and Sarah 90 before God fulfilled that
promise
b. Moses was 80 when God spoke to him from the burning bush.
c. Daniel was most likely in his 80’s when he was thrown in the lions den
d. The apostle John was around 90 when he wrote Revelation
IV. FEELINGS OF REGRET
A. People look back over their lives and say, “I wish I had done things differently.”
1. After his sin with Bathsheba, David lamented, “My sin is always before me.” (Psalm 51:3 NIV)
2. Joseph’s ten older brothers regretted selling him into slavery.
--When their father died they pleaded again with Joseph to forgive them which he had done years
before.
3. Regret causes people to wallow in self-pity, to feel unworthy, and to miss the joy of forgiveness.
a. They fail to appreciate today because of mistakes of yesterday.
b. Sometimes they refuse to accept leadership roles because of feelings of inadequacy.
4. It’s human nature for good people to remember their most glaring mistakes.
a. Some Hall of Fame athletes were asked to list their three most memorable moments in sports.
Almost all of them included one or two instances of failure (i.e. they struck out in the ninth with
the bases loaded; they missed a free throw that could have won the game).
b. Sometimes the best Christian people remember their failures.
--They made a commitment to obedience and excellence—but staggered along the way.
B. The cure for regret is to totally accept the incredible forgiveness of God.
1. Isaiah 1:18 says, “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.”
--There is no sin you’ve committed that God cannot forgive and forget.
2. Some of the people God used in the most significant ways made huge mistakes!
---Abraham lied, ---Moses murdered, ---David committed adultery, ---Peter denied he knew Jesus, ---
Paul persecuted Christians to their deaths.
3. So don’t allow regret of your past to hold you back.
--Christ’s death on the cross forgives you if you put your trust in Him. His blood can make the foulest
sinner clean.
V. A TENDENCY TO WORRY
A. There are plenty of things to worry about as a senior adult
1. You worry about your health, your children, your grandchildren
--You worry about your future: Will you be able to take care of yourself? Will you have to move into
a nursing home? Will your spouse die and leave you all alone?
2. Different senior adults deal with worry in different ways
a. Some horde money out of the fear of needing long-term care
b. Some turn to alcohol or medication looking for peace in a liquor bottle or pill bottle
B. The cure for excessive worry is trusting in God who is faithful in all things
1. Jesus said that worrying can’t do anything positive for your life: it can’t add a single hour; it can’t add
inches to your height; and it won’t change the outcome of what tomorrow holds
2. Bob Russell compared worrying to bowling
a. Have you ever watched a bowler throw a bowling ball down the lane? After they release the ball,
they talk to it; they contort their bodies, wave their arms from side-to-side, hop on one foot, tilt their
heads, all in the vain attempt to correct the ball’s trajectory. But you know what? All that effort
doesn’t do a thing to change the course of the ball – it’s wasted energy. All they can do after the
release is to wait for the outcome.
b. Worrying doesn’t change anything
--It just wastes emotional energy and demonstrates a lack of faith
C. Caleb trusted God to see him through
1. Caleb knew for a fact that victory was in God’s hands
2. Concerning his upcoming battle to reclaim his portion of the Promised Land, Caleb said at the end of
vs. 12 – “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.”
3. The opposite of worry is trust
a. It’s maintaining confidence that God is in control, and that – with His help – we can get through
any problem and overcome any obstacle
b. Someone: “Courage is fear that has said its prayers.”
4. Is. 46:4 in the Living Bible reads, “I will be your God through all your lifetime, yes, even when your
hair is white with age. I made you and I will care for you. I will carry you along and be your Savior.”
CONCLUSION: A. Caleb is an inspiration because he kept on serving, kept on changing, kept on focusing on
the future, kept on being positive about people, and kept on trusting that God would take
care of him.
1. And of course God did.
2. May we follow in Caleb’s steps as we approach his age.
B. Someone has written a new version of Jesus Loves Me
--they’ve dubbed it the Senior Adults’ Version. I think the verses apply to all of us
Jesus loves me, this I know
Though my hair is white as snow
Though my sight is growing dim
Still He bids me trust in him.
Though my steps are oh, so slow.
With my hand in his I’ll go
On through life, let come what may,
He’ll be there to lead the way.
Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He’s begun
Let me serve Christ with a smile.
Go with other’s the "extra mile"
When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song,
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."
When my work on earth is done,
And life’s vic’tries have been won
He will take me home above,
Then I’ll understand his love
I love Jesus, does He know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say
That I love Him every day.
Yes, I love Jesus, I tell Him when I pray.
(chorus)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME YES,JESUS LOVES ME
YES, JESUS LOVES ME THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.
