God’s Eternity and Man’s Mortality (Psalm 90)—28 Aug ‘22

[Slide 1] Good morning, and thank you for letting me share from God’s
Word this morning. On behalf of our team from Houston, Texas in
America, we are so happy to be with you. The last time we were here was
almost 3 years ago in 2019. A few months after we returned, COVID
came. This pandemic has disrupted all of our lives. Some doctors say it
may be with us forever, so now we have to learn to live with it, including
often wearing our masks.
This morning I’d like to share a message with you, entitled “God’s
Eternity & Man’s Mortality” from Psalm 90. Moses is generally
considered the author of this Psalm, making it probably the oldest of the
Psalms written. It has some wonderful lessons for us to learn.

[Slide 2-6] Why don’t you read this in Vietnamese, and we can follow
along in English?
[Slide 7] My thoughts on this passage can be divided into 4 parts, shown
above. 1) God’s Eternal Nature; 2) Our Mortality; 3) Our Mortality and
God’s Eternity; and lastly, 4) Our Response.
[Slide 8-9] It’s so difficult for us to comprehend eternity, because
everything in our experience is finite or temporary. Every few years you
get a new cell phone. It’s so cool when it’s new. It does everything in
keeping you connected with family and friends. You bank with it, play
games on it, listen to music, etc. And then in 4-5 years, it seems so old.
The screen may be broken or cracked, the battery only lasts a few hours,
your friends have newer phones. You want a new one. So, either it dies,
you turn it in for a new one, you give the old one to a friend. But the life
of that phone may be 5-6 years, a little more or a little less.
Everything we buy and use wears out—our clothes, shoes, motor
bikes. Everything we experience has a beginning and an end. But one of
God’s characteristics is He is eternity. He has no beginning, and no end.
He has always been, and will forever be looking forward. Look at some of
these phrases describing God’s eternal nature….our protector through all
generations…in your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday that quickly
passes. It’s just hard for us to imagine.
[Slide 10] Eternity is difficult to comprehend, but let me try an
illustration. Vietnam is roughly 1,650 km from south to north. Let’s
imagine this is the road that goes from the south to north, and that the
road is also a timeline. Da Nang is roughly in the middle of Vietnam. Let’s
imagine the first line representing the year Jesus was born or 1 A.D.
Today is the year 2022, and that’s the second line. So that distance of
about a meter on the road of time represents over 2,000 years. So God
has been around for many thousands of years before today, and He’ll be
around for many thousands of years after. He’s eternal, with no
beginning and no end.
[Slide 11] Let’s contrast now God’s eternity, with our mortality, as
described in Psalm 90: 9, 10. Read this in Vietnamese and we can follow
along in English. Several times these verses say “our lives pass quickly…
and then we fly away.” The graphic shows our live from being in a
stroller, learning to walk, until we one day pass away…a live the Bible
tells us will last about 70 years or perhaps 80 if we are strong.
[Slide 13] This table shows the life expectancy if you live in America by
age. These charts are used by insurance companies selling life insurance.
They know from statistics how long an average person will live. For
example, if you’re a 30 year old man, you will probably live to be about
77.7 years old. If you’re a 50 year old woman, you will probably live to be
83.3. Since I’m now in my mid-70s, this data suggests that I probably will
live another 10 years or so. Only God knows for sure. I may only live
another year or 2. Or God may give me another 15-20 years to live.
[Slide 14] Do you want to see time fly? Let me give you a glimpse of my
life over more than 70 years. Psalm 90: 10 says “our lives add up to 70, or
80 years, if we are strong.” Let me illustrate how fast time flies with these
pictures. Describe each picture.
[Slide 15] From this Psalm we clearly see God’s eternity and our
mortality. But God has always desired for us to be with Him in eternity. It
was our sin, our shortcomings that caused this separation. In God’s
infinite love, however, He has created a path or a way for us to have
eternal life…a way to be with Him in eternity. The well-known verse John
3:16 reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Romans 6: 23 reads, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
So, as a follower of Jesus, if you have trusted and believed in Jesus,
he promises us eternal life. If you are here today and you do not know
Jesus in a personal way, you are separated from God and eternity. My
prayer for you if to consider God’s love for you, the gift of his son, Jesus,
as a way to have an eternity with God. If you want to know more about
this, talk to the Pastor or one of the church leaders and they can share
with you more about God’s plan for your eternal life.
[Slide 16] The last couple of verses in this Psalm talks about our
response, or our responsibility. Read vv. 16-17 in Vietnamese, and we’ll
follow along in English.
[Slide 17] So, do you want to be successful? This chapter and these
verses give us the secret. First, humbly be in awe and prayer about God’s
majesty. Marvel at His creation, His eternity, how He delights in man, and
man’s love to know and follow God. Secondly, and more importantly,
pray for and live our lives seeking God’s favor. So often when we pray, we
are asking God for things. Lord, help me pass an exam, help me with my
relationship with my parents, children, my boss at work, help me find a
new job, or get into such and such a college. Unfortunately, the focus is
on me, and how God can help me. These verses tell us to seek God’s
favor instead.
When you were a child, you tried to please your parents. You ate all
the food on your dinner plate, you didn’t get into fights with your
siblings, you tried to get good grades. You wanted Mom and Dad to be
pleased with your behavior, because then your behavior would be
rewarded. Your good behavior gave you favor in the eyes of your parents.
Just as your parents want you to seek their favor, so does God. As
His children, He wants us to do the things that please Him. Talking to Him
in prayer, reading His Word, serving Him. As we do these things, we will
find favor in God’s eyes. And as we seek to find favor in God’s sight, we
will be successful. This is true success. May God give us the desire and
ability to find God’s favor.
[Slide 18] So as we conclude, I’d like you to think about a couple of
things: 1) as humans, how many more years do you have?; 2) God wants
and offers all of us an eternity with him, if we will put our faith and trust
in His Son, Jesus Christ.
[Slide 18] 3) God wants all of us to be successful. However, in order to be
successful, he wants us to seek His favor, to live our lives in a manner
pleasing to Him. 4) Remember, as we pray, it not about us praying for
what we want. It’s all about seeking, obeying and doing what God wants.
Let’s all seek after God with all our hearts, mind and soul. Let’s try to
please Him & seek His favor. And He will give us the delights of our soul.
Let’s pray together.