Numbering Our Days

We have only been given a small amount of time and it matters what we do with it. Eternal life is not merely an endless succession of moments; it is a new quality of life in God.

Scripture: Psalm 90

Sermon Notes:

1. With God, a thousand years is like a watch in the night. The phases of life are quickly changing, so we’re to number our days and gain a heart of wisdom (cf. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11).
2. We have only been given a small amount of time and it matters what we do with it.
3. Time is an elusive concept, though it is an ever present reality.
4. A perspective that excludes God is depressing: meaningless time, chance, and matter are moving toward nothingness.
5. Time and history themselves are created by God.
6. God has manifested His Word in history, giving us meaning.
7. We are to walk in God’s law and receive His blessing (Psalm 1).
8. We can’t extend our time, but we can use it foolishly or wisely; we can invest our time for eternity.
9. We are to deal with all things in life in terms of the Word of God.
10. Grief and sorrow are to be accepted as an aspect of our lives in this world.
11. Heaven and earth will pass away; history is working toward an end and so are the days of our lives.
12. God is concerned with our daily activities; what you are and what you do matters to God and to others.
13. At the incarnation of Christ, time and eternity collided; the Creator of the universe became a baby and endured suffering in life as a man (Galatians 4:4-5).
14. It is the reality of God’s work in history through Christ which helps us to number our days and to gain wisdom.
15. If we construct our lives on anything other than Christ, those works will be burned up.
16. What we do now affects the future; what we do now affects eternity in terms of reward for believers and ultimate loss for those who do not know Christ.
17. The parable of the rich fool shows the consequences of living without regard to eternity’s considerations (Luke 12:16-21).
18. We do not know how much time we have; you can make all the plans you can make, but we are not promised tomorrow.
19. We are creatures utterly dependent on God.
20. In due time God manifested His Word through preaching.
21. How will they hear unless someone preaches to them (Romans 10:14-17)?
22. God has spoken to us through His Son who died for the ungodly (Hebrews 1:1-2; Romans 5:6).
23. Eternal life is not merely an endless succession of moments; it is a new quality of life in God (Romans 6:23).
24. It is through Christ that we gain this new life in God (John 3:36).
25. The old order is passing away and will be replaced (1 Cor. 15:55).
26. Today is the time to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Application Questions:

1. According to Psalm 1, what is the blessed life?
2. Are we going to be obedient to God? Will we walk in the law of the Lord? Cf. Psalm 1.
3. What is God’s purpose in our salvation according to Ephesians 2:8-10?
4. How does it help us to number our days when we reflect on the focal point of history in the incarnation, death and resurrection of Christ?
5. What lessons can we draw from the story of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21?
6. Where should we look for the meaning of our lives in time and history?
7. What are we going to do with the time that God has given us?