where we can be of help. That's what we want to do in the work of God. Today I want to read from Psalm 92. Psalm 92. We'll read just a few verses. I want to talk that it's a great blessing to me and I trust it is you. But I say a lot of times that I feel like that the younger generation maybe has lost sight of the value of the older people. And today, I want to think about how the elderly, the older people, if they're still bearing fruit, they can still bear fruit, even all the way to death in their older years. I want to encourage them. You know, I've heard statements made that the older people, maybe they're They didn't understand, they were not educated enough to understand a lot of things. I tell you what, if they had what we have today, with the knowledge that they have, we'd probably look like babies outside of them. Those people with what they had to work with, with the word of God and also naturally, they were able to perform some good work. I think about a lot of things that people have today and that be able to carry the word of God. They got all kind of books and computers and I know that a lot of people use this. I don't mind telling the world. I use the Bible, maybe a dictionary, but I don't use that because the Lord tells me to study. Study and I believe in studying mainly, and I'm not against that. But I know today that a lot of people, there's a lot of references and a lot of good things, no doubt. on computers and in books and all this. But those old brethren that preached the gospel, well they used the Bible, they used the word of God. And some of them had to be taught even to read. I think about one man particularly, a lot of you would know him, I'll call his name. And he told me how his wife had to teach him to read. And he was even unable to read. And he's read and studied and learned And he became a very educated man in the Word of God, that he could put most of us younger people to shame there in the Word of God. I know he couldn't handle that, because he had a great knowledge of the Word of God. But he applied himself, and he studied. I know the man had been such a blessing to me. I think about some of the elderly went, well, let me go ahead and read my scripture today. I've got a lot on my heart. I trust you can understand that and you can see that. I appreciate our elderly people, our elderly men and women that have been true to God, they have stood true to their family, they have loved us, they've loved the work of God, they've loved their children and all their family. We're losing some of them today. We're not replacing them, are we? There's some that's just almost unable to be replaced. Notice the statements here. In Psalm 92 verse 12, The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree, he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. They shall be fat and flourish. to show that the Lord is upright. He is my rock, and I have no unrighteousness in Him. Yet to think about the thought that they should still be weighing forth fruit in the old age. Now that we have some songs on that tape today, on the DVD, of some of our elderly people that have been faithful to the Lord, faithful now through the years, and you know, I thought about One of the men that's on, well the man's a, he's 90, will be shortly, 96 years old. And he still desires to be used of God. Well his whole family, most all his family, not all of them, but all those who's with him, that was his family. Others of them, 90 years old and above, 80 years old. And you know, they're still serving God, they're still faithful. Now, on the Weller Massacre, I don't remember exactly, maybe 86, still able to sing and preach and spread the gospel. His family still helps him spread the gospel. Those people that have given their life for the cause of Christ, they have been faithful. They've had to do without some things. No doubt had to leave their family behind many times. Well, after a while, the Lord teaches how they're gonna flourish. Those that's been planted, not just the minister. Those that's been planted in the Lord's house. Also, if you think about planting a flower in your yard, you don't go out there one day and it be on one side of the house, and another day it's on the other side of the house, maybe another time out in the field. It's planted there. It takes roots there, and it stays there. I saw those that are planted in the house of the Lord, that they're there, they're going to stay there, they're not going to be moved, they're not going to get discouraged, they're not going to quit, they're going to do what the Bible says, be faithful unto death. That there is a great reward no doubt awaiting them. He said they're going to flourish after a while like the palm tree and like the cedars of Those old-day ponds and all, if you go and study them, they have a big spread. Their leaves and all, they cover a big area. Those that's planted in the Lord's house, the world's gonna know after a while, it's been better for them if they've been there. And God has a special place for those people. And I thank God that they don't come in a place to quit. They're still bearing fruit, even in their old age. I actually said here that that's a promise that God made that they'll still bear fruit in their old age. Now, for you elderly people, I don't know how many maybe listen to this DVD, but I want you to know this is one preacher that loves you. And I appreciate you being faithful to God down through the years. You know, some of the younger ministers have had no desire not to give any recognition to some of the older preachers. with the life that they live and what they try to do. A lot of time they want to criticize, but don't you know this is why they don't criticize you. You come up in a time, no doubt, didn't have anything. I think about some of the ministers who had to walk to carry the gospel. Some caught the bus or the train and they carried the gospel. And you know, those ministers were very faithful. They did not have what we have today. They had very little money, and some of them I know has gone on into eternity, that the tires and all they had on their car, only God could bless them to get where they was going, that they were very faithful to God's house. And it didn't matter where God sent them, they wanted to be there. They cared about the work of God. They had wives behind them that cared about them. and cared about the work of God. They supported them and stood behind them. And you know, to think about people that are not preachers today, that they have been such an anchor in the house of God. I think about, well, a statement in Proverbs. In Proverbs 16, I hear a statement made here. He said, the holy head is a crown of glory. if it be found in the way of righteousness. A lot of people, they want to dye their hair. They don't want to get grayed. I'm not doubting you for this now. That's your business, what you do with your hair. But the Lord's saying that if it's found in the right way, that the holy head or the gray hair is a crown of glory if it is used, if that person has used their life that for the things of God, it shall be found in the way of righteousness. If they're living that good, consecrated, dedicated life, that gray, that gray hair is not nothing to be ashamed of. It is a real honor for a person to live to old age. A lot of people never live to that age. And some, God does not permit their hair to go gray, but many of them He does. But I want to encourage you, gray hair is beautiful. If it's found in the right way, God honors those things. And it's a blessing you can have that. I think about what the Lord said about the great herald over in Proverbs chapter 20. He made this statement about it. The glory of young men is their strength. They may go around and boast about, man, I'm tough, I'm strong. No, I can do this, I can do that. That's their glory, no doubt. You see people, the way that they dress and present themselves, they want people to look at them and try to form their opinion that they're strong, they're tough. That's their glory. They're the young men, no doubt, in many cases. But the beauty of an old man is a gray head. The beauty of an old man is a gray head. Those that have been used of God, those that have been serving God, that have lived their life and come down to old age, it is a wonderful blessing that they can know that that hair that God blessed them to have, that it's many years, no doubt, that they're trying to serve God. And I appreciate you for doing that, and I want you to know you've been encouraging a lot of us younger people. people that will not quit. And you know, there's no place to quit according to the word of God. The Lord said, be faithful unto death. I believe that to be faithful if we die, or if us being faithful causes us to be killed or to die. Whatever it is, just be faithful unto God. God will take care of the rest of it. So, when we look at the life Many people have lived their life, and they came up in times when they had nothing, and yet they were true to God. And you know, I think about some of them dear mothers, that they have been such an inspiration in my life, no doubt. You can say the same thing in your life, that they have been an inspiration. Well, you know, the Bible teaches that in Thomas' writing, he mentioned about how that that the aged women be in behavior of becoming holier-than-thou, not false accusers, not giving too much wine, teachers of good things, that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husband, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, people at home, good, obedient to their own husband, that the word of God be not blasphemed. So there are some older ladies that have been such an inspiration, no doubt to the younger ladies, Well, you know, that's not the only one. They've been a great inspiration to me. They've been some of the elderly ladies that I went and sat down and talked with and let them know, I appreciate you for what you are. For the stand you took, it may not have had nothing, but they were happy because they served God. They love God. And they were bearing fruit as long as God gave them help. They were going and doing and bearing fruit. And even some of them come down to the time that they were not able to get out and go, not able to go to church. But if you went to their house, they were still bearing fruit. They were a great encourager to us younger people. I think about a minister that whenever I now recall to preach, this man was a great blessing to me and no doubt others beside the same. But he and I sat down and talked one night till way on over after midnight into the morning hours. And he wanted to encourage me, let me know son, there's some things that people will not accept when you preach if you stand for the truth. And you know it's turned out that way. But he said if you'll stay with God, things will be well. And that man went through a lot of things in life and let me know kind of what to expect. But he said his main thought was, you stay with God. It don't matter, you stay with God. He was such an encourager in my life, that I would win him a number of times. And he always tried to encourage me. And you know, today, and I hope I can be a little encourager to others along the way, but for those that have given their life, done for the cause of Christ, my hat's off to you, so to speak. I appreciate what you've done, and even though there's still singing the gospel and preaching and playing, playing the instruments and all, and praying, it's just a real blessing. And you won't know that until you get to eternity, just what a valiant man some of the younger people. A lot of us have watched some of those, some of you, and we have observed you, and we trust that that the message today that I'm trying to get across will be an encouragement. There'll be songs that will never tell you, you better listen to them. But you're not home yet. I may have made this statement before on the DVD, I'm not sure, but I got a copy of a song, I listened to it all along. That song, the title of it is You're Not Home Yet. And this minister went off and did mission work and gave his life in mission work. And that stayed going and preaching the gospel and helping people to be saved for years and years. And then his life, his health had failed, his life had become very old and feeble. So he'd come back home to see his people. And whenever he came back, he was on the train. They said he was getting pretty close to the And they looked out on the observation deck of the train depot, said it was just covered with people. Said there were people everywhere. He said, I was so happy. To just think about the people that were there to welcome me home. And really they cared about the work I had done. And so when the train came to a stop, there was a man in a celebrity line, and he stepped off of the train in front of me. And all the crowd followed him. He said he stood in the door of the train and looked out. He said there wasn't a soul that welcomed him home. Nobody cared that he had gave his life for which he'd gone. He said he stood there and he looked up and said, God, do you even know? Do you even care? Does anybody even care? Do you recognize what I've done, what he was saying? He said he heard a boy speak to him. Son, you're not home yet. You're not home yet. We know a lot of truth in that. You are the people today that gave your life for the cause of Christ. And you have tried to live that good, clean, consecrated life. You dear women that have given up a lot of the things of this life so you can be a dear mother. You can be not only a mother, you can be a mama. You can be somebody that spent time with your family You have to respect your family. And you taught them the things of God. You had time for them. I want you to know you may not ever have a lot of pats on the back here. Some of your children may not ever come back to you. But after a while, when you get home, it'll be worth it all. That you'll give up a lot here to be with your family and your children. And those are the elderly ladies. I think about a statement this past autumn. Acts chapter 9, that there was a lady here by the name of Dorcas, and she died. And the other women and all, and they came back to the place, and I want you to notice a statement there, it said about this woman. It said this woman in Acts 9, 36, was full of good works and honest deeds, which she did. She's not the only one like that. We got a lot of people today, a lot of elderly people, that have been full of good work and honest deeds. They not only helped their family, they've helped others, they've done a blessing in the cause of Christ, they've done a blessing in the church, and they ain't gonna be missed. And yet they're going home to receive some great blessings. But I find those withers and all as they came. And the Bible says in verse 39, then all the withers stood by They are weeping and showing their coats and garments with torches made while she was yet with them. Begin to show what she had done and the blessing she was done to them. So today I want to encourage you, dear ladies, that you're living for God. You're serving God. You're being an example. You can't make people follow, but you set the pattern. You set the example. And I can assure you, you've done your part when you set the example. But it's not going unnoticed by everybody. There's some that still notice that. And I appreciate that. It's hard to preach a message like this without even recognizing my mother. I thank God for my mother. No doubt she went through a lot of hardships and all with us. But she's been a true mother to us. And I thank God for her. And it's a blessing that I don't have the time to spend with her that I'd like to. But it's a blessing to go there and sit down even today and talk with her. Now, she's been a great inspiration in our lives. She's been a great blessing. And she's been one that's been very positive lately. She had no negative time. She looked on the positive side. You know, that's the way to look at things. When you look on the positive side, don't look at the negative side. They're saying that will cause all of us to quit and go home if we look at But that was enough to encourage us today in the word of God. That is what we have in the future that we all ought to just keep on keeping on. So you there ministers that give your life for the cause of Christ. I want you to know it's not in vain. And no doubt you'll receive, as Paul mentioned, a great crown of life after a while. It shall be with the Lord, the righteous judge of guilt. We know it's going to be a blessing to have that, but look what an inspiration you've been. to those that you've tried to pastor, those you've come in contact with. Just the general public, just a great inspiration to them. So don't think that you've been in vain. Don't think that you've given your life for no reason. There might not be a lot of people that even ever tell you those that you've been a blessing to. And yet, there'll be some to tell you. But today I'm here to encourage you with the word of God. You're gonna flourish after a while. those that are planted in the Lord's house, that they can still be bad fruit in old age. There is no place to quit. There is no place to give up. Don't look back. There may even still be other souls that you could help to win to Jesus. So that's the greatest blessing of all. May not even be through what you say or through preach words. It might be through the life that you live that you can show people the light of Christ. right on through all the way to death. So, as you try to continue to serve God, you know, now in weakened bodies a lot of times, voices for you, that I feel in joy hearing you sing, and a lot of other people do. I think about the song you mentioned about Brother Irene. My late father heard this song. But it's something about this choir that the church They built a big choir, they hired him for music and all. But that Brother Ira that sang there at the choir every Sunday, well, the choir that they had became upset. And they said, well, we've got to stop Brother Ira from singing, he's messing up the choir. So they went to his door, they pulled a committee and went to Brother Ira. They said, whenever they got there, they found the choir in great trouble, sat in a little log chair. Daddy said they'd get to talk with him. He rolled his old lock, his hair back. Don't I get that holy head? He'd been singing for years. And Daddy told him, said, Brother I, you got to quit your singing. You're messing up our choir. He said, he asked him, did you hear me? He said he gave him a nod as if he did hear. But Daddy told him, he said, we don't want no music except that which was bought. No singing except what was bought. Well, I said, brother, I already made the statement about how no doubt close to death he was. And he said, I wonder, when I get to heaven, he said, I wonder if he'll kick me out of singing in heaven's choir. Well, the old man died. They said, you know, Harold, that the choir went on back to town. He was so forgotten. But he was not forgotten with God. The story, I know it was a song, but it's got a good meaning. Your boss may be broken. Your voice may tremble, but it's a beautiful voice. So don't quit. Don't give up. It's a blessing for you to still sing. It's a blessing for you to still pray. It's a blessing for you to still give your testimony and let people know what God has meant to you. And I appreciate the life you've tried to live. Thou have served God. And thou just go when it just seem like You didn't know where the next dollar was gonna come from. Maybe you didn't know where the next meal was gonna come from. Many of our brothers and sisters have gone on into eternity, but they fought the battle, and they stayed true all the way up to death. The Lord said, be faithful unto death, and I'll give you a crown of life. So just stay with it today. There's nowhere to quit. And I appreciate our elderly people. I love them, I care for them. I want to encourage them in every way I can. You hear so many people, we want younger preachers, we want younger ministers, the old ministers, we don't want them no more. I tell you what, they've been a great blessing to this boy. And I love and appreciate them, and I want to encourage them in every way I can. If God puts one of them in my church where I'm a member, I tell you what, you'll never hear this boy complain, because they've been a blessing, and God will use them all the way. So those that planted in the Lord's house, still be bringing forth fruit in old age. It is not in vain to serve God. Keep on keeping on. And God will honor that in your life. And when you meet Him after a while, wouldn't it be wonderful to hear God say, well done. You have went all the way to death. You have not give up. You've not discouraged. You've not quit. You went all the way. And God will, you'll be so proud when you meet the Lord after a while that you have pleased him in your life. And us younger people, let us not forget the other thing. Let us not forget what they've been through, that we can have what we have today. Now, our ministry in all the churches, a lot better for us today because of what they fought, what they went through. And I appreciate them for what they did. So let's never put them down, let's pray for them and love them, and then put them in the place God has for them. He said it's wonderful how the elderly around. So if you're unsaved today, whatever age you are, if you'll believe the Lord Jesus Christ, God put Jesus there to save you. It don't matter who you heard preached, whether it be the older, the younger, whoever. If they're the true preacher of God, they all preach the same message of salvation. and Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world. God gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. So if you believe that, sonny, regardless of what age you are, if you believe that God sent Jesus to die for you and you trust that, God will save your precious soul. Let me encourage you, don't go to hell. Without Jesus, you'll go to hell. With him, you go to heaven. So trust him, and let God save you. May God bless you. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the little time we could come, and I trust we've done an encouragement in the DVD today. Thank you for those who will sing and try to help encourage your message through the singing. I pray we could all use our voices and our lives to honor and glorify you. Regardless of what age we come to in life, we'll never quit, we'll never back up, Just keep on keeping on. Thank you for each one and listen. And I pray the message can be honored and glorified in thy sight. And God has made one more unsaved that can trust Christ and be saved. Thank you for our elderly men and women, preachers, lay members of the church, whoever they are, that strive to train our children and be used, that they're encouraged in our communities and better places to live. bring our children up because of some of the wonderful elderly people. Our churches have been better places to pastor and to be part of because of some of our wonderful elderly ministers and their wives. We thank you for them. Give us a good day, help us to love you, forgive our sin, and be merciful to the unsaved. In Christ's name we ask, amen.