Psalm 90 “Counting Milestones”  6-7-09 Dr. J. Ben Sloan

            Twenty years before the birth of Christ Augustus set up the first “golden milestone” in Rome.  All other mile markers were to point toward this one central marker.   You measured the distance on the major highways by how far you were from Rome.   Rome was called “the eternal city” but it really was not.  Augustus wrote a book called “The City of God” when it became apparent the eternal city of Rome would fall.  He pointed out there was only one eternal city- and that was in heaven.   In the 1500s Bunyan picked up on this and wrote “Pilgrim’s Progress” to point out that all of our life is a journey to this “celestial city.” 

            The question for us is “how far away are you from the celestial city?”  What does your mile marker say?

I. THROUGHOUT ALL GENERATIONS-

            Every generation it seems, has had believers of one sort or another.   Archaeologists and anthropologists point out that the belief in something beyond the grave has marked human beings distinguishing us from apes as far back as we can go.  This shows in burial rites uncovered as far back as humans have been discovered.  It is only recently that we are trying to join the animals in ignorance of heaven.   The church is always one generation away from extinction.  But the real question is how are you doing with your faith?  Do you wish to join those in this generation who are jumping over the cliff of rebellion against God?  Or do you wish to join those in this generation who are holding hands with those of previous generations and making God our dwelling place.  
            The application is clear- seek to dwell in Him- abide in Him.  Be faithful so that you might be fruitful.

II. PERSPECTIVE-

            Two images are given of this life- we are dust and we are grass.  Not really pleasant images.  I will say that of the two I prefer grass.  In fact I have spent tons of time trying to get my yard to have grass and not dust- only somewhat successfully.   But even the grass withers when there is no rain in this South Carolina heat.  The point is, no matter whether you are ten, twenty or ninety, we are but a moment compared to eternity and compared to the eternal God.
            I have spent most of my sermons trying to get us to plug into what will last.  If I had a choice between plugging into a battery, a generator, or a wall plug (given that they all worked)- I would choose a wall plug.   The really crazy thing is that so many in our day are choosing a battery because it is flashy and portable.  We choose the temporary things of this world, and believe the eternal is a myth.   It seems like everyone has a battery attached to them.  It seems like there are many different kinds of batteries- sports, movies, parties, drugs, sex.  Surely some of these batteries will not die.  But I can tell you from experience- batteries- even the duracells, the energizer bunny ones, the lithiums eventually die.  Choose to plug your life into what will last- that is God.  He will energize you with purpose, clear-headedness, strength, hope, love, and grace.

III. TEACH US TO NUMBER OUR DAYS-
            The Bible says that we should treat each day as special- as a gift of God- to number them.  Someone said there are seven ages of human beings: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills, wills.

            It appears that at least in part the Bible speaks of God knowing when we will begin and when we will end.  It is almost like our life is like a book.  Hopefully our name is written in the book of life, and we are active in writing a chapter of that book.  Psalm 139:16 says, “All the days ordained for me were written in your  book before one of them came to be.”  Each day is a brand new page that we get to write. It is good to pass the milestones- not weeping, but rejoicing that we had a chance to pass them.  God gives us joy in each stage- joy in the journey- but we need to rely on Him.
            We do better to embrace the aging process than try to deny it.  All the things that are supposed to stop the aging process don’t. When he was the young prince Siddhartha Buddha was kept by his father in a fantasy palace where he wasn't supposed to see anything that suggested aging and death or anything unpleasant. Then he goes out of the palace and the first thing he sees is an old man. Subsequently, he sees a corpse, a sick man, and a monk-these four sights or visitations are what really stimulated him on the path of enlightenment. There is a way in which awareness and mortality and aging are certainly the most powerful reminders that we're moving in that direction; it can be a profound spiritual awakening.
            Carl Jung, said that he thought that the major focus of the second half of life should be mortality and that anything that took away from that was in the direction of not being mentally healthy [quoted by Carl Weil in an interview on Beliefnet].
            But I think it is important that we recognize that God embraced the process of aging when He was born not as an adult, but as a baby who had to have care- and grew into a man. Part of God’s sympathy with us, and his ability to understand humanity is his taking part in the aging process (at least as far as humans would let him). 

IV. MAY THE FAVOR OF GOD REST UPON US (17)

God’s favor establishes what we do.   I believe God is a God who blesses us.  Most Christians believe that God is able to bless and is able to withhold blessing.  This Psalm teaches us to pray for God to bless us in the different stages of life.   In fact, one of the signs of blessing- in general is aging.  In Africa today 2/3 of the country’s average life expectancy is 45.  You can grow old poorly or richly.  The question is always what do you do with this gift of life?  We are enriched when we grow old with God.  2/3 of graduates between 18-22 quit going to church.  We have low expectations of our graduates.  We should expect them to lead us with their energy in faith.  Each milestone is an opportunity to forsake our faith, keep our faith, or grow and even reach out with our faith.  

            Today is a transition day.  It is the first day of “first week” for our district five schools.   Many are at the beach.   For my family Kay and I are facing the “empty nest” after graduation yesterday.  The Grimsleys had a wedding yesterday- that is definitely a transition.  I am a great believer in reflecting back to see where we have gone, and at the same time looking forward to see where we are going.   Communion is a way we reflect back- doing this in remembrance of Him.  But it also is a looking forward to the time when we will eat and drink with Him in heaven.  It is also a now event- where we commune with Him and each other.  We pass these different milestones- each one is opportunity to pass with God.