When The Clock Runs Out!

Now, Ecclesiastes chapter 3 and verse 11 says, God has put eternity in their hearts.

So allow me just to give you a broad brushstroke of life and death.

The average lifespan of a person... of a man is 70 years, or what the Bible calls 3 score and 10.

By reason of strength, it is 80.

Anything over 80 is a bonus from God.

Amen.

The average mortality rate here in Singapore is 83.9. Singapore is considered a blue zone.

You know, it's not a natural blue zone like Japan, but it's a city that's been engineered for longevity.

It's a longevity hotspot here in this part of the world.

Now, long life, of course, is always seen as a blessing in the Bible.

But it's also got its challenges as well.

I recall that Billy Graham reached his 90th birthday.

And when he was asked how he felt, how he liked being 90, he said, don't do 90.

Apparently, it was very difficult for him physically.

But interestingly, he lived up to the age of 99.

Think about that.

Artie Candle, who's 91, he told me the same thing.

He said, 90 was the most... challenging, most difficult year for him.

In the past four weeks, our pastors were kept busy handling a total of 20 funerals, most family of members who had passed away.

So this is a real challenge that we face on a weekly basis.

Over 165,000 people die each day around the world.

The number is probably much higher because a lot of deaths go unrecorded.

But the one thing in life is for certain, and that is death, right? And ladies and gentlemen, you don't get to choose when your race comes to an end.

So Moses prayed, he said, Lord, teach me to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom.

That's Psalm 90 and verse 12.