Creflo Dollar - Old Age is Good
Well, God bless you and welcome to an amazing, amazing day that God has made, and it's gonna be good. We've been in a series on learning how to connect with long life, learning how to receive long life, achieving the promise that has been given to us of long life. And it's so important, and I've said this over and over again, that you understand that long life is not a special offer. It is a covenant right. And for people who are born again, you are a part of the covenant of Abraham, and as a part of the covenant of Abraham you have a blood-bought right to long life. And it's one of those areas where we have suffered the most defeat as Christians because we've not heard about it. And faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. We know that grace has already made lots of things available, but you have to take possession of it through and with your faith.
So, tonight I wanna talk to you about, and I call this "Old Age Is Good". It's not bad. And maybe worldly people look at it as a bad thing, but it's good. It's a promise. Abraham died in a good old age, amen. And Isaac died in a good old age, and Jacob died in a good old age. And everybody that was a part of the covenant of Abraham, they died in a good old age, so let's begin now with Zechariah chapter 8, verse 4, and let's go ahead and get started. Zechariah chapter 8, verse 4. He says, "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age".
Now, this is important because just as it was in the time of old, so shall it be in the end times. And this is just a Word. You keep your eyes open for this in the end times. That death will lose its grip on both the young and the old. It's just a lotta folks that you've seen dying lately like never before, and I mean it's, like, you know, he's having a field day, but that's gonna change, that just like in these times of old, death is gonna lose its grip on both the young and the old. And we've seen the young and the old die even in the midst of the pandemic and stuff, but I'm telling you death is going to lose its grip on the young and the old. And I don't know. Part of this teaching may help us see that come to pass.
Now, let's look at Genesis 15:15. Once again, old age is good. It is good, and verse 15 says, "And thou shall go to thy fathers," how? "In peace". Nothing missing, nothing broken. I'm gonna go to my father, you're gonna go to your father in peace. Whole. That means whole. You're gonna go whole. Nothing missing and nothing broken. "Thou shall be buried in a good old age". He calls old age good. You're gonna be buried in a good old age. How about you receiving it by faith right now? Say out loud, "I receive that by faith right now in the name of Jesus".
So, let's look at 1 Chronicles chapter 29. I wanna try to get in as much as I can tonight. 1 Chronicles chapter 29, verse 26 through 28. And tonight I wanna just talk to you. I wanna encourage you that old age is good and don't let anybody talk you into, "Oh, you're old. Poor, little, old, fragile thing". Uh-uh. It's good, man. Look what he says here, verse 26 through 28. He says, "Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years he reigned in Jerusalem. And he died," watch this, "in a good old age, full of days, riches, honor: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead".
And I'm telling you when he says you die in peace, you die whole. You die nothing missing and nothing broken in your life. You die full of days, you die in your riches, you die in your honor, and that's what you're pressing in on. You don't wanna have no sad death where just it's nothing like what God said for covenant people. And then, in Psalms 34:10, if you wanna look at it. "So, you know, I believe you. I've seen Scriptures about good old age. So now, what are some things I can do to kinda approach that in my life"?
And I'll never forget Oral Roberts, who was 90-something when he died. I believe 92, 93 when he died. He said to me, and I was even a younger man then. He said, "Don't wait till you get old before you start believing God for, you know, living a nice, healthy old age". And I'll never forget it, and I carry it with me even now. He said, "Start working on it right now". And so, notice he says in verse 10, "The young lions do lack, and they suffer hunger: but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing". "They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing". And that includes long life.
When you begin to become this Christian that lives a life of seeking God, then this covenant right of long life is gonna be given to you. See, if you seek the Lord, you will not lack long life. If you're seeking God, you won't lack long life. You shall not lack old age because it's a good thing, and it's for them that walk uprightly. Long life is associated with the righteous, long life is associated with good, and if you seek the Lord you will not lack long life.
What are you seeking? What has distracted you from seeking God? What has distracted you from going after God? What has distracted you that causes you to put your Bible away, causes you not to get in the Word, causes you not to wanna listen to the Word like you need a break? No, man, it's gotta become life. Until it becomes a life, it will never become a reality. And some people are not understanding it. You're trying to take your seeking God and turning it into some kinda religious thing, instead of allowing it to be your life. "This is my life. This is what I delight in," you see?
So, you have a choice. The issue of long life is a choice, is something you have to choose. Look at Deuteronomy chapter 30 and verse 19. It is a choice. You have to choose long life. Somebody says, "Well, I'm just gonna wait and see what's gonna happen". No, you have to choose long life. "I choose long life. I choose long life. I choose to live long and to prosper and to be whole and to be in peace. I choose a good old age". Praise the Lord. I mean, you gotta understand it's gonna be a long time before you see me outta this pulpit. I have no retirement plan. I don't plan on quitting. I don't plan on slowing down.
You know, just the other day I was praying, "Lord, show me a new mountain to climb". I'm ready to go on a new and a fresh journey. Praise the Lord. And I'm not ready to curl up and just die. "Well, but you've been in the ministry 40 years. Don't you think that's long enough"? No, I'm gonna go for another 40. Hallelujah, praise be to God, amen. That anointing needs to be in here, and people need to see good old age in peace, whole, nothing missing, and nothing broken. And so, it's a choice.
Deuteronomy chapter 30, verse 19 says, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life," watch this, "and death. I've set before you," watch this, "blessing and cursing". He says, "Therefore choose life". In other words, "If you're too dumb to know what to pick, I'm gonna give you a hint: choose life". "That both thou and thy seed may live," so long life is a choice. I choose a long, prosperous life, praise God. And so, you live long by choosing to live long. Have you made that choice? Do you recall the day when you chose to live a long life?
Now, I've chosen to live long on the earth, and, you know, I've got lots of stories on that, when, you know, 20 years ago I had a car accident in Sacramento, California, where I saw angels coming across my path, because I knew those angels had to show up because every day I declare, "My life is redeemed from destruction. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. I dwell in the secret place of the Most High. I'm Psalms 91 equipped". And long life was something that I had chosen, and I got out of a wreck that many people in the area thought that nobody would live through because I chose long life. Or when I was flying over Pacific Ocean, and I lost an engine.
The thought didn't come, "I'm going to die". I've chosen long life. I've chosen long life. It's like, "It can't happen now. It can't happen today," 'cause I have chosen long life. I'm telling you to do the same thing here. Look at John chapter 6. Saint John chapter 6, verse 48 and 50. The minimum of 70, it's left up to you to determine the max. It's the minimum age. I think I talked about, last, week the minimum age being 70 because of the corruption and the self-destruction, but it's really left up to you to determine the max of how you're gonna live.
Look at verse 48 through 50, and I'll look at this a couple of time. He says, "I am that bread of life. Your father did eat manna in the wilderness, and," he says, "they're dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die". And that bread's referring to Jesus Christ, you know? And when you begin to understand how vital it is to have Jesus in your life, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among men," and you get in the Word of God and you get in a relationship with Jesus Christ, man, I'm telling you, you eat that bread and you will not die. So, yes, 70 is the minimum.
Let's look at Psalms 90:10. Seventy is the minimum, but there's also, if it's the minimum, he's allowed us, he says, with strength, if I'm eating Jesus, if I'm eating the bread of life, if I'm getting in the Word, if I have that relationship with God and that Word's getting in me, he says that I can determine the max of my life. I can live another plus years, 80, 90, 100. He says, "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away".
Let's look at that in the ESV. He basically says that the minimum is 70 years, but with strength you can live 80. He says, "The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty". By reason of strength, how? The strength that you get from the Word. The strength that you get from your relationship with God. Says you can live to 80. "And yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone". So, when your life is filled with distress and toil and trouble and self-destruction, you know, that's what's determining. It will determine if you even reach the minimum, but it's so important how we live this life and the way we live it.
So, 70 years, plus in addition 80, so life can be extended beyond 70 by reason of strength. And like I said, you build strength by continuing to receive the Word. You're building strength into your system. You're building up spiritual muscles to enjoy longer years. Yeah, something about that. Go back to John 6. Let's look at 49 through 50. You're building up spiritual muscles. You're building up your life in the Word. Verse 49 and 50 says, "Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and they are dead". But verse 50 says again, "This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die".
So, communion with God and his Word increases your strength for long life. Communion with God and his Word increases your strength for longer life. You know, my mom makes it very clear that, you know, everybody needs to spend time with God. Everybody needs to get in the Word. And you know, she's 81 and still strong, and I'm telling you it's that time in the Word. It's that time with him. It's eating him. It's communion with God, communion with his Word that increases the strength for longer life. Communion with God and communion with his Word that increases strength for longer life.
So, long life is a product of wisdom and understanding, which you get from communing with God and his Word. Long life is a product of wisdom and understanding, which you get from communing with God and in his Word. Let me show you this. Proverbs chapter 3, verse 13 through 16. Proverbs chapter 3, verses 13 through 16. Now, notice this. He says, "Happy is the man that findeth wisdom". Well, how many of you know the wisdom of God is the Word of God? And wisdom is knowing what to do when you don't know what to do. When you get in the Word, wisdom of God comes your way, shows you what to do.
"Happy is that man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain is better thereof than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. Length of days is in her right hand". There you go. "Length of days are in her right hand". Wisdom will show you what to do when you don't know what to do. Wisdom will show you what to do. Wisdom will practically begin to talk to you about what to do. "Need to drink more water. You need to get more rest. You need to eat more vegetables". Wisdom will tell you what to do. He says, "And in her left hand are riches and honor". He says but length of days are in the hands of the wisdom. Length of days.
Now, look at Proverbs 4:7 through 10, Proverbs 4:7 through 10, wisdom and understanding. That's the key to long life. "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom". And he says when you get wisdom, with all thy getting you're gonna get what? Understanding, amen? He says, "Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou embraces her". That's that communion with God and his Word. "She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many". "O receive my sayings. O hear my Word. Receive my sayings. Hear my Word. Receive my sayings". And he says that "the years of thy life shall be many," because you hear the Word and you receive those sayings.
So, since wisdom and understanding are what it takes to live long, let's ask the Lord for it. No, I mean right now. I'm gonna lead you in a confession right now. Let's begin to declare that right now. Say this after me: "Help me, Lord, to find wisdom. Help me to get understanding. I'm trusting you for a unique insight that will guarantee me length of days and riches and honor. Let it be, Lord, in my life, in Jesus's name, amen". Now, you believe you receive that.
Now, somebody says, "Well, why did you lead us in that confession"? I'm trying to show you how to lay hold of this right to have long life, that your faith is what takes possession of what Jesus has made available and what we have as covenant people and a covenant right. Now, somebody says, "Well, how long does this last"? This last until you're satisfied, until you're satisfied, till you're satisfied. Look at Psalms 91. We confess this every morning. I just wanna bring to your attention what you're saying. Psalms 91, verse 1, and then verse 16. He says, "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty". Verse 16, "With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation".
Somebody says, "How long"? Till you're satisfied. "Oh, my god. I'm not satisfied". How long? Until you're satisfied. God now talking about 110 or 120. I'm gonna live till I'm satisfied. There may come a time, around a hundred and something, I just look and declare, "Well, God, I'm satisfied," you know? Because when you get up in those years, you just kinda wonder, "Is there anybody here left that I know, I grew up with," you see? And so, "With long life will I satisfy him". God's gonna satisfy you with long life. Till you're satisfied. "Well, what's long life"? Till you're satisfied, praise God.
Now, you can call, and you can call and God will do something when you call. How many of you know that? You can call, and God will do something when you call. Look at Isaiah 38, verses 1 through 3. I'll show you what I'm talking about. You can call on God. I mean, even when your life is being threatened or death tries to knock on the door, you can call, and God will satisfy you. God will show up. Look at what he says here, verses 1 through 3. I wanna check this out. He says, "In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Set thy house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live".
Now, boy, I don't know about you, but what would you do if God showed up, you know, said, "Set your house in order. You're getting ready to die"? Now look at verse 2. All right, so what do you do? "Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and he prayed unto the Lord," 'cause, obviously, he's not satisfied. "And he said, Remember now, O Lord," he's putting God in remembrance, "I beseech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore," all right?
Now, I'm gonna move on down a little bit more. I'll do this again, but look at what happens here. Verse 4, "Then came the Word of the Lord to Isaiah, saying, Go, and say to Hezekiah, Thus saith the Lord, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years". Wow, he called on God, and he didn't die. He called on God, and he didn't die. There are so many people, Christians, that are sitting in the hospital, just waiting on dying, instead of calling on God and say, "God, I ain't ready to die yet". Well, you don't have to. Call on him, man.
Look at this Scripture, too, in Psalms 91, verses 15 through 16. Psalms 91, verse 15 through 16. Verse 15 says this, he says, "He shall call upon me", there it is again, "He shall call upon me, and I will answer him". I mean, we're confessing that every day. Call upon him. "I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him. I will honor him". Look what he says. He says, "With long life will I satisfy him, and I'll show him salvation". Call upon him. That's where it starts. Call upon him. If Hezekiah can do it, you and I can. Call upon him, and he'll satisfy you. Praise the Lord. Glory be to God.
Now, look at Acts. Acts chapter 7, verse 59 and 60, and then I wanna share a couple more in the time we have left. Acts 7, verse 59 and 60. He says, "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit". Verse 60, "And he kneeled down, and he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when they had said this, he fell asleep".
Now, notice what Stephen did. Go back to verse 59. Look at what he did here. They stoned Stephen, and then Stephen's calling upon God and saying, "Lord, receive my spirit". See, you can call upon God. Stephen said, "Go ahead and receive my spirit, Lord. I'm ready to go. Go ahead and receive my spirit". He satisfied. "Go ahead and receive my spirit". He's calling upon God, and then he said, "Don't charge any of this to them. I'm ready to go".