Redeeming The Time

Temple Baptist Church - 6-8-2011

Ephesians 5:15-16

Introduction:

A. For a few minutes tonight, I want to look at the word “time.” There are four things that I find interesting about time in general and the time of our lives. I want to look at the Meaning of time; the Measuring of time; the Marking of time; and the Monitoring or Management of time.

B. Time is important to each of us. Our time is fleeting and life is short in duration. We will look at this a little later but our lives are important to us and we spend them doing things that matter to us. Our time here is important because not only do temporal things depend upon what we do with our time, eternal things also depend upon it. We are living our lives here for self, others, and eternity.

C. Time is also important to God as He only made so much of it.

Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Years ago, I heard Dr. Jack Hyles preach a message from this text on the subject of what do you do with your half hours?)

D. When we talk about anything we talk about time. Whether its morning time, evening time, nighttime, springtime, summertime, or wintertime, Church time or supper time, it’s about time. No matter the subject, no matter the theme, no matter the meaning, no matter the scene, IT’S ABOUT TIME! It all a matter of time and time matters! Time is mention many times in the Bible- almost 600 times by name and many more in reference. Much is mentioned, yet still it is mysterious. You cannot see it- but you do feel it. Time is more than the clicks of the clock or the dates of a day planner. Benjamin Franklin said “Time is the stuff with which life is made of!”

1. The Meaning Of Time - Time: an occasion, opportunity, or season. Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects. In the middle of infinity; somewhere in the expanse of eternity, God made a space of time. God has no time; God needs no clocks or calendars; God is infinite, eternal, and timeless. Time has been called the Fourth Dimension.

a. Time Measures – It measures distance and duration. How far is it from here to Greenville? I am not sure of the miles but the time to travel there is about 45 minutes. How long will the service last tonight? Ask the preacher! J Smile, God loves you!

b. Time Moves - The hands of the clock or the sand of the hourglass: even if we sit still- it doesn’t! No matter how fast we move, we can’t outrun it and no matter how we try, we cannot stop it! Sometimes, time seemingly moves so quickly while at other times it seemingly moves ever so slowly. The constant continuous countdown of the calendar continues. Today was a tomorrow and yesterday is gone forever. 2010 is no more and 2011 is here! The MILLENNIUM keeps gaining MOMENTUM. Children play among ruins of civilizations once mighty. Empires expire, kingdoms crumble, and dynasties turn to dust. The age of the ages ascends ever closer, then passing by, we are both swept up and crept along by the momentum of moments that are marching onward….. from the cradle to the coffin.

2. The Measuring Of Time – God gave the earth 7,000 years of time from the beginning until the time that eternity begins. As suddenly as time began in in Genesis 1:1, time will end at the end of the 7th Millennium! Revelation 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

a. Some measurements of time are regulated such as seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, seasons, years, decades, centuries, millenniums, etc. These times are regulated by standards of time and, yet, are not always correct. Different clocks have different times. Check you watches. We operate by the Gregorian Calendar: also called the Western Calendar or Christian Calendar. It operates off of the Solar Dating System and differs from the Solar System by 26 seconds per year.

b. Some measurements of time are relative such as the length of a lifetime. God has set the average lifetime as three score or four score by reason of strength. According to Scripture, a man can live our half his days or may even live 100 years or more. A life time is an occasion, an opportunity, and a season.

3. The Marking Of Time – as we grow older, the time certainly flies.

a. The Brevity Of Time - Psalms 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

Genesis 47:9 And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.

Job 7:6 My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

James 4:14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

b. The Blessing Of Time - Psalms 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. (Time is a precious gift from the Lord.)

“Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours.”

Every morning you are handed 24 golden hours. They are one of the few things in this world that you get free of charge. If you had all the money in the world, you couldn't buy an extra hour. What will you do with this priceless treasure?

Anonymous

4. The Management Of Time - The past gives us perspective; the present gives us opportunity; the future gives us no promise! The word “circumspectly” means to walk “exactly” or “diligently.”

a. We Are To Remember - George Santayana, a Spanish born American philosopher and poet, is known for this comment: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Ecclesiastes 1:9 The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

b. We Are To Resolve - The past is history, the future’s a mystery, but God has given us this moment and that’s why it’s called the present. There is no time like the present!

Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. (Our life is short and, if the Lord has not returned soon, death is sure. What is done for Christ must be done now. Our loved ones depend upon our example. If your children follow you, will they serve the Lord?)

c. We Are To Redeem - We are to walk carefully and live right. We are to live a life in obedience to the Holy Spirit. He will lead us always to the right place at the right time, to do and say the right things. "Redeeming the time," we are to make the most of every opportunity, and step through every door the Lord opens for us and use the Word of God to witness to the lost, exposing their lost condition, and present the remedy for them, the One and Only Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. "For the days are evil," the sins many are committing today are so very, very, evil, vile, and terrible. Of course sin has always been wicked and offensive to God, but is getting worse.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. (14) For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.