Tabor Baptist Church

Introduction

• Dylan Thomas Poem about Old Age
• Is this how we feel about old age?
• Is old age irrelevant?
• The Bible speaks to all of us on this issue
• Psalm 71 - taken to be a Psalm of David

Anxiety (v9)

• Old age can be a time of anxiety
• Anxiety perhaps because we are failing
• No-one is listening, is God going to be the same?
• Being stalked by death
• An anger towards this inevitability
• Death for the believer is to 'chase us into the arms of Jesus'
• The Bible is a book of reality and truth
• The answer is in the Psalm
• It does not leave us hopeless
• Isa 46:3-4

Amazement

• David is amazed as he looks back and has the vantage point of age
• He looks back in amazing grace
• He is able to look back at the things that God has done for him
• He cannot see the boundaries of God's love and mercy
• His birth (v6)
• We should not take this for granted even today
• How much more so in times of old?
• God's keeping of us in our Youth [When all Thy mercies, O my God]
• David has learned from his mistakes
• Delivered from his enemies (v4)
• God had been constant
• Treachery in his family
• Betrayal in his counsel
• God has never let him go or disowned him
• God is his strong refuge (v3 & v7)
• His life spoilt by sin
• Adultery with Bathsheba
• Murdering Uriah
• The pride and rebellion of David's heart
• But his praise is for God - especially during the times of his sin and folly (v15)
• David cannot surpass the boundaries of God's love, grace and mercy
• Eph 3:17-18
• The Righteous of God - written the most in the Psalms
• God has always been right and true
• In all the twist and turns of David's life God has been constant
• God has never let David down
• God is Righteous in the punishment of the wicked
• God is more Righteous in pardoning the wicked
• Rom 3:24-26
• God has not deviated from this (the topic is expanded more in the New Testament)
• Jesus is bearing the righteousness of God
• There are no limits to God's grace

Ambition

• Old age is a time of ambition
• There are things he wants to do
• People today have their bucket lists
• David wants to share the grace of God with the younger generations (v18 & v16)
• He wants them to see something of the constancy of God
• There is a depth and stability and wisdom to older believers - they have seen many things come and go
• John refers to spiritual fathers in the Church
• Older believers are priceless
• If you are young, make use of those that are older
• Would it not be a tragedy if we do not draw on that marvellous resource in Tabor?
• David
• From his youth God ha s taught him (v17)
• Now he wants to declare God's word
• Are those that are older eager to do this?

Anticipation

• Looking forward to God's reviving works
• Even the resurrection (v20)
• God has revived us many times
• God will revive us in the ultimate sense
• Our lowly bodies will be like His glorious body
• David's praise (v21-24)
• There is a prophetic element to what David says
• There is a day when all his accusers will be silent
• There will be no more confusion as to who is on the Lord's side
• A day when all the prays of God's people will be answered

Closing Remarks

• The world says don't get old
• The Bible says don't get old without Christ
• Don't wait until you are older until you can speak of the reality of these things
• Don't leave it too late
• Don't put off till another day to come to know Christ