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Retirement Plans |
Dear Brethren,
Society is changing
rapidly. No longer do we need to be concerned about the elderly in
their old age. The government has social programs that oversee all
the needs of its aged citizens. Social Security, Medicare, pensions
and retirement plans have now replaced the family responsibility to
care for their elderly folks. A box of cookies, a greeting card,
and perhaps an occasional visit now fulfills the Christian duty to
aged parents. Or, does it?
All too often today, the elderly are emotionally neglected, virtually discarded,
and in too many cases consigned to the forgotten isolation of
nursing homes. The sad thing is that too many in the Church of God
wink at this treatment of what was once, its greatest resource. Men
and women who were the spiritual and financial backbone of the
Church in the 1950’s and ‘60’s are all but forgotten by many
of today’s church-goers.
Most of the members of the Church of God have been lulled into accepting this world’s
way of dealing with the “old people” problem. We need to ask
ourselves if God is pleased with the way the elderly are shoved out
of the family setting and onto the back burner of humanity. Did God
intend that we “throw away the key” on our aging parents, or that
they remain a viable part of the families they worked and sacrificed
to provide for? God says that the aged members have much to
contribute.
When Moses reiterated the Ten Commandments to Israel, just before they entered
the Promised Land, he, once again stated God's revealed promise of
long life to them. “Honour thy father and thy mother, as the
Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged,
and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy
God giveth thee.” (Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 20:12)
God had to create a special commandment for mankind so that they would be aware of their
responsibility to their progenitors. In western society, we have
forgotten how to honor the old folks, and we have reverted to a
reverence for a youth culture. Youth, in its strength, beauty,
health, productivity, and independence, is practically worshipped.
When the elderly become “useless,” they are often ignored,
forgotten, and cast aside. Man has forgotten that he has a duty to
care for the senior citizens who gave him his start.
In abject selfishness, our society provides for itself, while neglecting the
needs of the previous generation. God gave us the fifth commandment
to counter the egocentric bias of a thankless culture. The
grey-headed citizens have vital experience and indispensable wisdom
to pass along to their offspring. They are to be looked up to and
respected, and not disdained or held in contempt. Their benefit to
the younger families far outweighs their being an encumbrance on the
fun and mobility of the youthful set.
Too much of the Church of God has bought into and accepted this world’s
philosophy that disdains the elderly as being unproductive, weak, and
useless. Many members and ministers alike, expend more of their
resources on providing for their own retirement plans than they apply on
their aging parents. This practice of providing for one’s own
unforeseeable future, while at the same time neglecting the present needs of
one’s own family, is inherently and morally reprehensible to God.
Jesus Christ vehemently condemned this tradition of neglecting parents, which was
commonly practiced in His day, as well. “God commanded, saying,
Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother,
let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his
father or his mother, whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, I
have given as an offering instead; And honour not his father or his
mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God
of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah
prophesy of you, saying, This people draws near unto me with their
mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the
commandments of men.” (Matthew 15:4-9)
When the Kingdom of God is established over the earth, and Jesus Christ is reigning
supreme, the elderly will not be relegated to a life of useless
neglect. Indeed, the elderly bring an added dimension to the
structure of family life. God’s way works better than man’s way –
that should go without saying – but who believes it? God’s way of
life must be of the highest priority in our lives – the rest will
take care of itself. “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break
through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
We have to be careful not to accept the sinful behavior and attitude of this evil
world toward the older generation in lieu of faith in God’s way.
God’s law of honoring the elderly is designed to teach us essential
Godly principles. Feathering a retirement nest, while neglecting
parents is faithlessness. “...O
ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall
we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that
ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of
God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall
take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is
the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:30-34)
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Sermon: |
"Retirement Plans"
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