Sermons
Redeeming The Time
Sun, Jan 06, 2019
Teacher: Tom Blackford Series: Sunday Sermons PM - 2019 Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-16
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Redeeming the Time
Ephesians 5:15-16
INTRO:
Good evening. Our sermon this evening is from Ephesians 5:15-16 – “15. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16. redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”.
In the text God is telling us how He wants us to live our lives. First He tells us He wants us to live our lives by walking circumspectly, being circumspect in our walk as a Christian. That is a word many of us know but it is not used in everyday speech very often. The dictionary offers the definition of “watchful and discreet”, “cautious”, “prudent”. In the Greek the word (ἀκριβῶς akribōs, ak-ree-boce') has the attribute of “exactly”, “accurately”, “diligently”.
The implication here is the idea that you are conscious and aware of what is going on around you. You're not just stumbling through the darkness but you're alert and you're paying attention to what's going on around you. You're paying attention to the circumstances of your life and then dealing with the various circumstances as you meet them.
Paul says walk wisely. Not as fools but as wise. Redeeming is another word that is not used everyday but we understand it a little bit better. We sing about it in song, we know that Christ redeemed us by the payment of the price to recover us from the power of sin. In the original language the word here (ἐξαγοράζω exagorázō, ex-ag-or-ad'-zo) is defined by Strong as “To buy up, to buy up for one's self, for one's use. to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own ”
The idea of redeeming the time is seizing the moments of life, living the Christian life, one moment at a time, one situation at a time. This evening I would like to look at how to redeem the time living each day of our life the way the Lord wants us to live it.
The next verse I want to look at with you is Ecclesiastes 3:1 – “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:” There's a time for everything.
We understand what time is because our earthly existence is within time. Part of being circumspect is realizing where you are and what is required of you at this moment, and then doing what is required of you. It is one thing to recognize what time it is. It is another to do what is required of you at that moment.
The problem is not that we don't recognize what time it is, we just don't do what we're supposed to do when it's time to it. To redeem the time and to walk circumspectly and walk wisely you have to recognize what time it is and then do what is required of you when that time comes.
James tells us a very important fact about life in James 4:14. He says; “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
We should understand this, but we tend to not think about it. We are here for what time? A little time. This phase of our existence is just for a little time and yet it is during this phase that our actions are going to determine our eternal existence.
What God tells us that in this little time, this phase of our existence, He wants us to redeem this time and to live it to the fullest to His honor and His glory. Certainly, we recognize we do not know if we're even going to be alive tomorrow. It’s hard to think about but imagine that you're going to be dead by next Sunday. You know it and you've got seven days left to live. Then your eternal destiny will be sealed and fixed. You will no longer see your family or your loved ones here on earth or your friends and the people you know—seven days left.
What are you going to do in your last week? How are you going to live? When I consider how I would answer this question, I gain some insight into what redeeming the time is.
We also need to recognize that not only do we not know that we're going to have tomorrow, but we don't know when the Lord's coming again either. Matthew 24:44 says; “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him” Putting these two together I don't know when my existence here is going to end. What if the Lord had come today, were you ready? If the Lord comes tonight, will you be ready? If the Lord comes later this week, will you be ready?
Are you ready now?
Let me suggest that if you're not ready you're not redeeming the time. You're not seizing the moment and living life the way the Lord wants you to live. Quite frankly, what often happens is we procrastinate, put off and think I’ve got plenty of time; I'll take care of that tomorrow.
• I'll take care of my relationship with God tomorrow.
• I’ll prepare to meet my God tomorrow.
• I'll love my family—tomorrow.
• I'll teach my children tomorrow.
• I'll work hard tomorrow.
Unfortunately when we get to that point mentality we never really do much of anything. We just keep putting it off putting it off and putting it off. That is not the way the Lord wants us to live. He wants us to live every day of our life as if it is the last day of our life, by that I mean to live life to the fullest as His children, Christians.
I. God is At the Center Of All Our Time: Over in Matthew 6:33-34 were God tells us the primary responsibility that we have with our time, scripture says; “33. "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
A. Verse 33 tells us what we should have as our number one priority. The number one, top priority in our entire life—is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then in verse 34 he says what, about tomorrow? Forget about it. Our primary focus is on where we are, now, this day. In this day we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and then we live every day of our life in that same regard.
B. Listen to me, folks, Christianity is not a part of your life, it is your life.
1. Some people have not grasped this and learned to think this way.
2. I'll give three hours out of the week to God and that will fulfill my responsibility to God. How many of us think we have fulfilled our responsibility to God by coming to services this morning? Obviously you don’t because you are here tonight.
3. Many think I don’t need to come back tonight. I went to services this morning. Those who think that way are completely missing their relationship with God. You don't give God part of your life. What did it tell us in Romans 12? We give God our whole life and this evening is also the Lord's Day. We have come back together this evening to continue our worship to God.
C. We need to realize our actions speak volumes. Our being here this morning said something about our relationship with God. Our being here this evening strengthens our relationship with God. Suppose you had no desire to come at all, what does that say?
1. Suppose I have no desire to come back in the evenings. What does that say? What does that express?
2. Actions are expressing something. Romans 12 shows us actions are the expression of love. It is not following some list of things to do; it is actions that show what is in our heart.
3. God wants to be at the very center of our life. Everything is built around our relationship with God and we should have a desire to come and worship God.
• It is not something you gotta do.
• It's a privilege you’re allowed to do.
• It's a privilege that you are allowed to partake of the Lord’s Supper at the Lord’s table.
• It's a privilege to approach the throne of God.
4. Get your focus and understanding right about your relationship with God.
D. The next phrase in Matthew 6 says; sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Let us consider again, if Christians attending this morning knew they were going to die tomorrow, would they be back at services this evening? If they knew they’re going to die in the morning what would they be doing tonight? - Wouldn’t you be spending a lot of the time in prayer and worship? Then live your life always that way. Live your life always that way.
E. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:23-24 - “23. Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24. "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.”.
1. Again, we see here is what God desires of us in our relationship with Him. It is a daily relationship. It is not just something we do on Sunday for a few hours, it is daily taking up our cross and following him.
2. I notice the very beginning of this; let him deny himself. Why is it some folks don't come back on Sunday evenings? I know some can't because they are ill, some have to go out of town, some are no longer able to drive at night, sometimes our weather is a big hindrance and we do not always have alternate transportation.
3. Yet, I wonder if some folks don't come back Sunday evening because they don't want to. Are they choosing what they want to do? The text says here deny yourself.
i. If we don't want to come back, okay, that is our choice. If we don't feel like it, it is up to us—but that doesn't mean don't come back.
ii. Scripture says; “whoever desires to save his life will lose it”. It is not about us. It is about God and what God wants. We are surrendering to the will of God and desire to have a relationship with God, to serve God, to worship God. The song says I surrender all. Do we know what that means?
4. We study from the word of God. We realize the Lord is here with us now. When two or three are gathered together in His name He is in our midst. Our savior who died for us is here now in our midst and is looking straight into our hearts. Is our worship true worship to God or are we just going through the motions?
i. What does it say to Him when we say I choose to stay home and watch television? I choose to go fishing. What does that communicate to our King? Please understand our actions are the reflection of our hearts.
F. Second Corinthians 6:2 – “For it says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in the day of salvation I have helped you.'' Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation”. What we see in this verse is urgency about our spiritual relationship with God. It really is a case of answering this. How important is your salvation to you? How important is going to heaven to you and being with God for all eternity?
1. I fear sometimes people, even Christians, think well yeah it's kinda important and I'll give it some attention.
2. I fulfilled my obligations, God's going to be happy; everything’s fine.
i. Think about this, if the Lord comes back tonight and you are not here but in your living room watching television, I'm serious, what are you going to tell Him?
ii. If you're staying at home and watching television what exactly are you going to tell the Lord? What is your answer going to be?
3. It all boils down to how serious are we about going to heaven?
i. Now is the day of salvation. I need to live every day as though He's coming now, or I'm dying today.
ii. Thinking about that and how we live, I have some other questions to consider. Over the last day:
a. How much time did you spend in prayer?
b. How many times did you go to God begging for forgiveness?
c. How many times did you do a spiritual health check to make sure you were right with God?
iii. If we knew we were going to die tomorrow I guarantee everyone would be here tonight. We need to live that way. That is redeeming the time.
4. If I knew I was going to die I would want to make absolutely sure I was ready to meet my God and to stand before Him in judgment. I would not play games. There is nothing more important than your soul's eternal destiny. We need to keep our focus. That's what walking circumspectly is all about; being aware of where you are and what is going on and not just floating through life.
G. First Thessalonians 5:17 – says; “says pray without ceasing”. From that we understand it is a continual relationship with God. It's not just something we do now and then. It’s something we do every day.
H. We all know this verse, Hebrews 10:25 – “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” This is a command from the Lord. Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together. At six o'clock this evening we assembled again to worship. We came to worship God because we want to worship the Lord, because we understand He desires this and we must understand when we do not come, that speaks volumes about our relationship with God.
1. It is a serious concern about the way people just think they fulfill their obligation to God and don’t come back because they don't want to come back. We want all to make it to heaven, we want to see each other in heaven.
2. We must put God first. As we have said, He's not a part of your life He is your life and everything is built around that relationship.
II. Redeeming the Time with Your Family: If I knew I was going to die next week I know one thing I would be doing a whole lot during the week. I'd be telling my wife how much I love her and telling the children how much I love them.
A. We have no guarantee that the people around us that we love will be here tomorrow either. If you have a spouse, let them know how much you love them every day. If you have them, let your children and grandchildren know how much you love them.
B. Too often in life we know of people who have had a falling out and do not see or speak to one another. When one of them passes away then sadly it is too late, too late. The opportunity is gone to tell the other person that they are loved. Christians live every day as if it's the last day of our life and we look at the people we love let them know it. If you knew you were going to die next week isn’t that what you would do? Then live that way now, that is redeeming the time.
C. In Ecclesiastes 9:10 it says; “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.” That is a hard saying isn’t it? Live life to the fullest.
1. Seize the moments in whatever you are doing, do it hardly giving it your all. If we're working in a secular job give it our all. If we are working with our family, give it our all. If we are working around the home give it our all.
2. When you're doing something do it heartily, with all your might, because you realize there is going to come a time when you aren't going to do it anymore, because you're not going to be here.
3. You’re not going to be able to tell your family how much you love them. You're not going to be able to take care of needs for your family members.
4. Do you remember what God, by the prophet Isaiah, told Hezekiah? “Thus says the Lord: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'” (2 Kings 20:1) What does it mean to set your house in order? You better be taking care of the responsibilities and relationships in your family because pretty soon you're not going to be able to. Take care of your family and their needs and you need to tell them how much you love them now because there may come a time... no, there is going to come a time when you will not be able to because you or they will be gone.
D. Now in Proverbs 24:27 the writer says; “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house.” And in Proverbs 31:27 the writer says; “She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness.” These two verses are talking about the home. In our home we may feel overwhelmed by things requiring our attention. We work around the home providing for the needs of the family trying to keep everything up. We know nothing in this world lasts forever but still we do the best we can with what we have and hold things together for as long as we can.
1. Seize the moment recognize when something needs our attention and to try to give it our attention. Notice I said try to give it to our attention because we realize many of us have many things that are calling our name.
2. How many of you feel like putty being pulled in a thousand directions? Over here, over there, fix this, fix that.
3. There are things crying out wanting our time and attention. In our life there's something all of us have to do—we have to say yes to some things and no to others.
4. We have to let some balls hit the ground in order to give attention to what is really important and needed and necessary. It does not mean you are not a good Christian because some balls hit the ground. It doesn't mean you're not redeeming the time if you haven't got everything fixed and in order because even as you fix things more things are falling apart. There are and will be things putting limits on us, but that does not give us the excuse to stop.
E. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7 it says; “5. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6. "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart; 7. "you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.” What we see in this verse is seizing the moments with our children realizing that we have a responsibility to teach our children the Word of God.
1. It says we are to “teach them diligently” and then gives a description that sounds for all the world that he means “continually”. Teach them from the time you get up in the morning, until you lie down and night.
2. Someone might ask, How do you teach your children and give them the attention that they deserve and need when so much of your time is spent just surviving? What you see in this verse is seizing the moment.
3. Whenever we're sitting in our house, whenever we're eating at the dinner table, whenever we're walking with them, whenever we’re are driving in our car or whenever we're going to bed, there you will see moments you can use with your family.
4. You seize those few moments and you teach them and you work with them, to mold their hearts and their minds. That is seizing the moment with your children.
F. We all understand we have responsibilities in our family from day to day. Seize the moments of your life with your husband, your wife, your parents, your children.
III. Redeeming The Time With Our Brethren: We have responsibilities in the body of Christ with our brothers and sisters. In Hebrews 3:13 we are told; “but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today,'' lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” What we see here again is urgency. There may be those that are struggling spiritually. We see the struggle and we recognize we're dealing with someone's eternal destiny. There's nothing more important than that.
A. There will be times you have to decide on priorities. This requires attention first, I'm just going to have to let all these other things go. If you see a brother or sister in Christ struggling spiritually and they are in danger that takes precedence because you're dealing with a soul and their eternal destiny.
1. We go after them first and exhort them first, right now, today. While it's called today scripture says.
2. We don't say I'll go after them tomorrow. Yes, they're struggling now but I'll deal with that later on. Just let the grass grow another day then go after the stray sheep. First comes people's souls.
B. 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 – “57. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” When I read this verse I notice the words always abounding in the work of the Lord. It’s not just something that I kind of do every now and then. I’m looking for opportunities to be doing the work of the Lord, looking for opportunities to tell someone about Christ crucified, looking for opportunities to work with people in the world around me, looking for open doors to go through.
C. Galatians 6:10 – “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” I see here we have the phrase as we have opportunity. Getting back to the very beginning I was talking to you about walking circumspectly. That is the idea you're going through your day you don't know what's coming but you’re paying attention to what's going on around you. Yes, there is plenty you have to do, pressure to do this or that. Maybe you have a schedule to meet.
1. In your occupation you are working on getting things done and all of a sudden, “boom”, you come upon someone and they're in need. They are struggling and they need time and attention.
2. Remember the good Samaritan? Do you suppose he knew that day he was going to come upon someone that was naked, wounded out in the middle of nowhere? Do you suppose he had plans? Was he on a journey?
3. Probably he did have plans but when he came upon the situation he recognized the need and notice what he did. This man stopped and helped. He gave of his time, his supplies and his money to help some person he didn't even know.
4. Living Christianity from day to day you don't know what's coming. We don't know who we're going to come in contact with that has needs, maybe hurting emotionally physically or spiritually. When we come across these individuals understand it's going to throw a kilter into our schedule. We're going to have to stop and let some balls we are juggling hit the ground.
5. That's living Christianity folks, as you have opportunity you do good to all men especially those that are of the household of faith. Does anyone think the good Samaritan was not redeeming the time because he didn't take care of what he had planned to do and let it go for a while? No, he was redeeming the time, because he was living his life the way God wanted him to live his life in that moment. That is redeeming the time. Being a good Samaritan is not wasting your life. It is living your life the way God wants you to live.
6. Thinking of the good Samaritan reminded me of a story that is told of two liberal sociologists who were walking down the street. They saw a man lying unconscious and covered with cuts and bruises from a terrible mugging. One of the sociologists turned to the other and said, “Whoever did this terrible deed really needs our help.” There are times when our internal prejudices can wrongly influence our view of the need. Something to keep in mind.
D. Another verse I would like us to look at is Colossians 4:5 – “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time.” Make the most of every opportunity, redeeming the time. As situations come upon us in our life, if we are walking circumspectly, eyes opened, we will see a need and we do not walk by on the other side. We stop. We take time out of our life and we give that situation the attention it needs at that moment.
1. Go back to study the Good Samaritan see what he did. After a period time he talked to the innkeeper and said I'll pay for his needs. You take care of him while I'm gone and when I come back I'll pay whatever he needs, but he had to go, he had other things to do.
2. That's walking circumspect. We really don't know what's coming in our life. We take it one day at a time. One situation at a time and when we get to the situation we ask our self how does the Lord want me to deal with this moment, and then we do what is needed by faith.
3. Folks, at the end of the day you may think--I did not get anything done that I had planned today. Yes you did. You seized the moments doing the will of God through that day. You may not have done one thing on your schedule that you wrote down at the beginning of the day. But if the day was filled doing what you believe was the will of God—then you have redeemed the time and lived the day the way the Lord wants you to live.
IV. I Do Not Have Enough Time: How many of you feel overwhelmed? I do. I've been striving to achieve balance all of my life. If I ever did achieve it the moment must have been fleeting because I don’t remember it. How many of you feel like a piece of putty being pulled in a hundred directions and you think I'm just not doing well? Now you are telling me I must, in my life walk, consider things that will interrupt my schedule, my direction? How can I redeem the time better?
A. I have a few things from the scriptures that may help us answer the question; how can I redeem the time better? Or my and possibly your lament; I don’t have enough time. I want us to take a look at Proverbs 31:15 here in the part about the virtuous wife it read; “She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants.”.
1. Notice the virtuous woman here does not wake up at the crack of noon. She wakes up before the sun even gets up. Why are you waking up so early? Because she realized that her husband and her children, her family and even the maid servants, are going to need food and she has to prepare that food before they get out there to do their tasks. She's seizing the moment.
2. Jeremiah 26:5 – “To heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I sent to you both rising up early and sending them but you have not heeded.”
3. The point I wanted to get from these two verses is they rose up early. When we're having difficulty thinking we don’t have enough time in the day I like to encourage us put more time into it by getting up earlier.
B. In Ecclesiastics 11:6 we read; “In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not withhold your hand; for you do not know which will prosper, either this or that, or whether both alike will be good.” A lot of times what happens is we work ourselves ragged in the morning and when we come home we think OK now it's me time.
1. It's time to sit back and unwind and unfortunately some times we unwind for six hours. It’s understandable that sometimes we need to rest. Six hours of television is wasting time.
2. This is where a lot of us lose time because we spend it frivolously on things that really are not important and are not needed. Recognize that when we do this we are spending our time poorly on things that are not needed and let go. Get rid of all the extra frivolous time.
3. I’m not saying not to unwind, but watch out for excess. In the text you see someone sowing their seed in the morning and the evening what did they do? Do not withhold your hand; that is they continue to take care of other responsibilities even though they have been working out the field all day long.
C. You see again the virtuous woman in Proverbs 31:18 – “She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night.” In ancient times they didn't have electricity so whenever the sun would go down often people would stop working. What we see here is this time woman just keeps on working.
1. The sun has gone down but she just keeps on sewing, keeps on doing other kind of labor she can around the house.
2. A prosperous farmer I knew got up before the sun and did the milking. His wife rose and made breakfast. He came in the house with the milk and they ate, then he proceeded to the barn and the fields while she tended to many other things. At the end of the day after dinner he went to his shop and worked on things that needed to be made or repaired. When it was about 9pm he came in, they were both done, washed up, read a little while and went to bed.
3. If that sounds dull to us, I’m sorry we see it that way because I assure you it was not.
4. I'm trying to illustrate to us how to seize the moment. Living all the moments of the day, filling up all the moments of the day, seeing where you are, seeing what the needs are, and not allowing the needs to hit the ground by letting something frivolous take over our time.
5. One other point and the lesson will be yours.
D. Ecclesiastes is 4:6 – “Better is a handful with quietness than both hands full, together with toil and grasping for the wind.” A handful of quietness. That is I’ve got what I need, or you can have both hands full, your life is full with toil, and you are grasping for the wind. You're overwhelmed.
1. If we feel overwhelmed we may be at a point were we need to just let some things go. This is one of the problems we Americans have at times. We keep saying yes to everyone. Yes, I will do this. Yes I will do that, when we're already overwhelmed with what we are doing.
2. One of the most important things sometimes to do in life is to sit down and ask ourselves what's really important, not just what we like but what is really important. Then give those really important things our time and attention first.
3. Do not allow the things that are frivolous, insignificant, and unimportant to consume our time and our life to where we allow our relationship with our spouse, children, family, brethren and our Lord to falter because we’re doing things we want, we like to do.
4. Recognize what the needs are and give them the attention first and maybe simplify your life. When we do that we will find coming back to God and family and brethren is what’s really worth our time. Sometimes we come across people we don't know or haven’t met, and we realize they have need and that means part of our life, part of our time.
CONCLUSION:
I like Psalms 118:24 – “This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” You realize this day is a unique day. This day will never be again. This day exists because of the power of God in whom we live and move and have our very being.
He made this day and what He wants us to do with this day is to redeem the time, to live this day, to the fullest, to His honor and His glory, with Him at the very center of our lives, always. He is not a part of our life. He is our life.
Our worship and serving Him are just a manifestation, an expression of the fact that He is at the very center of our heart and our life.
He wants us to redeem the time with our family, loving them. Every time you leave someone that you love don't forget to tell them “I love you” because you may never see them again. Seize the moments with your children and grandchildren to teach them, working hard around your home, try to hold together as best you can with what you’ve got, as long as you can. Seize the moments with your family and with your brethren.
If you see someone going astray it’s a top priority while it's called today. Not tomorrow and don’t put it off, don’t procrastinate. Do it today, seek them, encourage them. If you come across someone who is struggling as you have opportunity, take time out to help them with their needs. That, folks, is redeeming the time.
Live every day of your life as if it is the last day of your life. One day it will be and if you will live your life this way, you are redeeming the time and living each day the way the Lord wants you to.
There may be somebody here this evening who was not a member of the body of Christ. You have an opportunity to make yourself right with God now. Today is the day of salvation.
If you're not a child of God, why leave the building this evening knowing you're not? If you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God openly confess that faith today. Turn from your sins and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, our King by faith.
We will be glad to assist you and baptize you into the body of Christ for the remission of your sins. You will be dealing with the most important thing in your life - your salvation.
Remember today is the day of salvation. Seize the moment make yourself right with God.
If you're a child of God you've gone astray and you know in your heart that there are sins standing between you and God deal with it. Do not think I'll get to that later on because you don't know if later on you will even be here. Seize the moments now, we will pray for you we will pray with you. If you need help in any way let us know while we stand and sing the invitation song.
Invitation song: ???
Reference sermon: Wayne Fancher
Where and when we meet
Chardon, Ohio 44024