I heard about an elderly gentleman who had serious hearing problems for many years. He went to the doctor and received a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentle­man to hear 100%. When the elderly gen­tleman went back in a month the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!”

Well, I don’t know how Zechariah and Elizabeth felt, but I do know that they knew the clock was ticking, and they’d lost their chance at having a child. That was their dream. They were getting up there in years. Time had passed them by, and they certain­ly didn’t figure as prominent people on the world stage. Oh yes, they were faithful to God, but God didn’t seem to have any big plans for them. Then they were surprised, surprised by the fact that God still did have some wonderful plans for them.

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I don’t care how old and insignificant you feel, God is not finished with you yet.

I look around this congregation, and I see men and women who thought they had retired. Some of you remember Bob and Hazel Curtis. During my early months here, I barely knew who Bob and Hazel were. The Curtises then went with us on a trip to Greece, Israel and Egypt. We got to know them on that trip.

About that time, a task force was wrestling with the future of St. Andrew’s. Should we be in a growth mode? If so, that would demand a building program. Some of the younger men and women did not have the time, energy or expertise to see such a program through. God took a man who was retired, who had some serious health issues, and opened up a brand-new career for him. Bob Curtis made some of his most significant contributions to the work of Christ’s Kingdom long after some would have considered themselves “has­beens.” Bob and Hazel now are in heaven together, and even in their will, they have lived on, making substantial provision for the work of Jesus Christ here at St. Andrew’s.

I need to be reminded that the “what if ” game is a dangerous game. God isn’t fin­ished with you or me in terms of our earthly effectiveness until He comes to take us from this earth.

There’s no theology of retirement in the Bible. We are still followers of Jesus Christ, no matter how old we are. You and I are meant to be sent, whether we’re a teenager like Mary or senior citizens like Zechariah and Elizabeth. The example of Elizabeth and Zechariah makes it very clear that God has no has-beens. This story is a word to the elderly. God is not finished with you yet!

Second: A word to the sincere, religious traditionalists — God may just surprise you yet!

Christmas is a time full of surprises.

The late Bruce Thielmann was my suc­cessor once removed at the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh. He loved to tell a story about a lady who was preparing her Christmas cookies. There was a knock at the door. She went to the door and found a man standing there. His clothes were poor. He was obviously look­ing for some Christmas odd jobs. He asked her if there was anything he could do. She asked, “Can you paint?”