Redeeming the Time - Part 1

Join me in your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter 5.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

! This Sunday and next Sunday we're going to talk about a topic that's just particularly dear to my heart.

! About redeeming the time.

Making the best use of the time that we have on this earth.

And so, as we've been talking about the last few weeks,

this will not be necessarily a large exposition of a large Bible passage,

which is what we usually do here.

If you're new, we're going to be starting the book of Romans pretty soon.

You'll get a really good taste of what that means pretty quick.

But this will be a topical sermon this week and next,

just focusing in on a couple of verses

and really trying to just wring out every bit of meaning we can from God's Word,

using the Scripture to support what we say.

But Ephesians chapter 5,

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

I just want us to look at a couple of verses and move on.

But we'll see.

Verse 15, chapter 5.

Paul says,

Look carefully then how you walk,

not as unwise, but as wise,

making the best use of the time,

because the days are evil.

Let's join me in a quick word of prayer.

Lord, we just lift up this time to you as an offering.

We just ask that you would be pleased,

that you would work through your Word,

by the power of your Spirit,

in the hearts of your people,

and those who have come to know you

and walk away today refreshed, challenged, convicted,

a renewed desire to be obedient,

and those who have never encountered you before,

that this would be heavy on their minds.

So we ask that you would just work in this time.

In Christ's name, amen.

So as we've already done,

we've already extended a really warm welcome back to our college students,

but I just want to say it again as someone who loves you

and cares a lot about this age and time of life that you are in.

We talked about how college years are a major crossroads for a lot of people.

You are figuring out what you believe, why you believe it.

You're thinking about the stuff that I've heard about the Bible and my faith.

Is it actually mine, or is it just what I heard from my parents?

A lot of times, it's a pivotal time in college

for a lot of professing Christians to either fall away and never come back,

or a chance for them to grow deeper in their faith.

It's usually a really serious, pivotal time for that.

But it's a special time.

And as I said, even this church was formed around the nucleus

of a lot of younger college students who had a desire,

a deep passion for God and His Word,

and for making disciples.

And so, for myself,

I strived really hard when I was in college.

I wasted a lot of my high school years.

But I really asked the Lord to help me

make the best use of the time when I was in college.

It's then that I met Nathan,

then that I met Wes,

and a lot of the stuff that began to happen here

at Christ's family.

But in our text today,

we're going to zoom in on a few phrases.

If we look closely,

we see in verse 16 the word time.

And we see that God has allowed each one of us time.

So, the time we're talking about, though,

is not a word that we're familiar with,

chronos, which means like clock time.

It actually means kairos,

which is a fixed season of time.

A fixed season of time within that time,

there's an opportunity to do something

that once it's passed,

you won't have it back again.

It's a unique, special time to accomplish something.

A time for us to be faithful to God

and do something to glorify Him

before that door closes.

Some people may refer to this as divine appointments,

a prearranged, providential season of time.

And God's word is full of these types of things.

It's kairos, time.

For example, Isaiah 55,

seek the Lord while He may be found.

Call upon Him while He is near.

So, a season of time for you to do that.

But also, Psalm 69,

O Lord, my prayer to you has come

in an acceptable time,

at the right time.

So, making the most use of the time

and stewarding is it well,

the time that's given to us by God.

There's a lot of different...

I particularly want to talk to students today,

but this is going to be an applicable message

for every single person here.

But in particular,

our younger students who are here today.

Young men and women, I will say.

So, what are some particular kairoses that we have?

Your childhood is one.

Your childhood years.

Your young adult years.

Your college years.

Your single years.

Mine was 34 years long.

There was marriage.

That's a unique season of time

where a lot of change happens.

And then when you think,

you've figured that out.

Children come.

And that's another unique season.

Unique is an interesting word to use.

Unique season of time.

Parenting.

Working.

Career.

And then older retirement years.

But, nonetheless,

we need to think about

the kairos in the span

of our entire life.

The season that you find yourself in

right now

in the picture of the bigger picture

of your life.

The small picture

and the bigger picture.

So, if you also look at verse 16,

you see the phrase

making the best use of the time.

And that's actually one word

that it just means to redeem.

To buy up.

To buy up and redeem

or purchase for one's use.

It's an image here

of you going to

back in this time

like a marketplace.

And you see something

that catches your eye.

It's something that you really want.

Something that's very valuable.

And you go to the person

selling it

and they say,

hey, like,

today

there's a deal on this thing.

You can get this

at a good price.

But you have to purchase it today.

If you leave,

someone else may buy it

or the price is going to go up.

Like, now is the opportune time

for you to do this.

Like, you have to make a decision.

You can't put it off.

You can't procrastinate.

It's kind of a now or never

type thing.

And so,

it must be seized on.

That transaction with the seller

needs to be secured.

And that's supposed to be

an image of

this world

that we live in.

Redeem and make the best use

of the kairos,

the season

of time

allotted to you

in the span

of eternity.

because it will come

and go

like the wind

and you won't see it again.

So,

zooming in on our text,

kind of a brief overview.

The book of Ephesians

is written by Paul

to the church

at Ephesus,

which is in modern day Turkey

close to the Mediterranean.

You actually can go

and see it today.

It's an incredible place.

But in the first three chapters,

Paul spends a lot of time

focusing on

our salvation.

Talking about

how it is

that Christ

has redeemed

His people.

The work of salvation.

All the beautiful things

that has been accomplished

through the work of Christ

and by the grace of God.

That's typically

the first three chapters

of Ephesians.

Who we are

in Christ.

Our identity.

And then,

the following chapters,

four through six,

are basically

how do we live out

this new identity

in Christ.

In all these different contexts.

In the family.

In relationships.

In the church.

Around the world.

How do we live out

our identity

that is in Christ.

So,

but I love how I did that.

I love that we

learn who we are

and what God has done for us

and then how to actually

live that out.

And that's where

these two verses fall.

Like how do we live out

who we are

in Christ.

But a couple observations

of this text

we can make some

clear connections.

you've been given

and me

a kairos.

A allotted season

of time

by God.

And we can choose

either

to redeem it

and make the most

of it

or we can

waste it

and squander it

and not get it

back again.

It's just

the truth.

It's just how

it is.

Wasting the time

means walking

carelessly

in foolishness

with this

present life

and view.

So,

there's a brief

outline.

Life is short.

Eternity is long.

Redeem the time.

That's the three points.

Life is short.

Eternity is long.

Redeem the time.

Point number one,

life is short.

Students,

we've talked about

this already,

but beware

that in a lot

of universities

they will seek

to indoctrinate you

to adopt

a secular

humanist

worldview

where

God is not

the center

of everything

but you are

at the center

of everything.

Your success,

your happiness,

your feelings,

your desires

and your rights

is a fallen

system

that

they'll tell you

strive to accomplish

just all you can

for your sake.

That life is not

about God.

There'll be many

voices out there

that are anti-God

telling you

this present life

is all there is.

Like,

this is it.

So,

eat it up.

Enjoy it.

Do whatever you need

to do that's necessary

just to enjoy

this life

because there's nothing

that comes after this.

And education,

they will say,

is your means

of achieving

success

in this world.

But,

as our man

Jim Elliott

said many,

many years ago,

wisdom comes from

God and not

from PhDs.

So,

look to God

for how he ought

to live this life.

But,

we are given

a sales pitch,

particularly

young men

and women

that are in school.

But,

we are given this

every day.

In Western society,

it's kind of a

propaganda type message

that goes something

like this.

Work hard in school,

get a degree,

right,

which will lead

to a good job,

which will lead

to a good income,

which will lead

to security,

then which will lead

to buying

a bunch of stuff,

accumulation,

possessions,

things,

big houses,

toys,

etc.

That's kind of

the goal.

Then,

get married

or don't get married.

Maybe have kids

or not,

as long as those kids

don't intrude

on your enjoyment

of this life.

That's kind of

the message

that we have now.

And then,

right,

later,

further,

eventually finish

working,

so you've had

all you want,

retire,

buy a couple houses,

buy some more toys,

and then sit back

and enjoy

the latter years

of your life

until your dying day.

But yet,

you will have

eternity

haunting you

later.

Is this

all there was

to it?

And so,

some people,

even in this

very room

that I know

are retired

or using

that retirement

well.

So this is not

an attack

on any of that.

It's not

the goal at all.

Just to reference

a dear brother of mine,

his name is

Stan,

Stan Kelly,

he worked for

the county

here in Lumpkin.

We have some

mutual friends

that are overseas

doing mission work.

I work out

with him

at the gym

in town.

But,

he just retired

and he looked

at me the other

day and just said,

man,

there are so

many people

my age

that are just

set on

being comfortable

in retirement

and just living

out their days

in ease.

And I recognize

that my good health

is a gift

from the Lord

to go

and make

disciples

and I don't

want to waste

my retirement.

I want to use

it for the Lord

and for eternity.

And so,

he's been going

to some unreached

peoples in

South Asia

over the last

couple years.

Just a beautiful

picture of a guy

who's using that

time,

redeeming that

kairos

of his life.

And so,

so life is short,

but we have

a deception

of invincibility.

Again,

younger people,

like,

physically,

many of you

are in the

prime of your

life.

Like,

you're not

going to

probably feel

better than

you do

right now.

You feel

invincible,

young,

fast,

knowledgeable.

It feels

like you

could just

go on

forever.

Your whole

life is ahead

of you.

But the

honest truth

is none

of us get

off this

planet alive.

Like,

something happens

and it's

the end.

It's over.

And we

don't know

how much

time is

in front

of us.

But that's

the sad

truth of

living in

a fallen

world.

We all

are going

to die.

Myself

and you.

And that is

recognized

universally.

And we do

all we can,

at least here

in America,

to negate

that.

Like,

we're not

going to

die.

Like,

this isn't

going to

happen.

So let's

just live

this way.

A Victorian

poet named

Matthew

Arnold wrote

about man's

fleeting and

seemingly

meaningless

life back

in the days

of the

British Empire

and, you

know,

where he was

surrounded by

rugby players

and tough

young guys

all the time.

He said,

what is the

course of

this life

of mortal

man on

the earth?

Most

eddy about

here and

there,

eat and

drink,

chatter,

love,

and hate,

gather and

squander,

are raised

aloft and

then hurled

down into

the dust,

striving blindly,

achieving nothing,

and then they

die.

A sad

reality of

someone who

has no

picture of

eternity and

of God.

But God

says,

no,

you are not

invincible,

you are not

immortal,

and you will

die.

God's word

is so vivid

about this,

so much

imagery everywhere

you turn.

It's really

actually hard

to turn

somewhere in

the scripture

without a

reference around

that's alluding

to death.

Job 14,

man comes

out like a

flower and

withers.

He flees

like a shadow

and continues

not.

In the New

Testament,

James 4,

15,

very familiar,

you are just

a vapor,

your life is

a vapor

that appears

for a little

while and

vanishes

away.

And the

Psalms are

filled with

stuff like

this.

Psalm 39,

take this

in.

Oh Lord,

make me

know my

end,

and what

is the

measure of

my days.

There's a

kairos there.

Let me

know how

fleeting I

am.

Behold,

you have

made my

days as

a few

hand

breaths,

and my

lifetime as

as nothing

before you.

Surely all

mankind

stands as

a mere

breath.

Surely man

goes about

as a

shadow.

Surely

for nothing

they have

nothing but

turmoil.

Man heaps

up wealth

and does

not know

who will

gather it.

Very

vivid picture

of this

life.

So Paul

says in

Ephesians

5,

don't be

foolish

to think

that this

life won't

have an

end.

Life is

short.

He calls

his readers

in our

text to

walk,

not as

unwise.

So

foolishness,

he's saying

you will

be a

fool,

you will

be an

imbecile,

and deceive

yourself if

you think

that this

present life

is all

there is.

If you

think this

is all

we have,

it's foolish

to believe

that our

existence is

only about

the here

and now

and won't

come to

an end.

It will

come to

an end.

And so

many of

us,

myself

included,

we put

our hope

in broken

cisterns that

hold no

water,

and we

look at

that,

and we

watch time

after time

things that

we think

are going

to give

us life

not give

us life.

Relationships,

possessions,

clothes,

nice vehicles,

big houses,

money,

big bank

accounts,

just name

it.

None of

those things

are evil

in and of

themselves.

When you

think that

they're going

to give

you life,

you're going

to be

brutally

disappointed.

It's going

to let

you down.

So don't

carelessly

waste your

life,

especially

your college

years,

looking back

through that

lens,

because you

will waste

and squander

the kairos

of your

life.

But wisdom

here,

in view

that life

is short,

wisdom

would recognize

the reality

that time

on this

earth is

short.

You have

a definite

start,

you were

born,

and you

will have

a definite

end.

And it

begs the

question,

what is

this about

in between

here?

Why are

we here?

So there's

a call to

wake up

and realize

that each

morning you

get out of

bed.

Each morning

you get out

of bed,

God has

graciously

sustained you

while you

slept.

That's right

out of the

scripture.

And by

his grace,

he's giving

you yet

another day

for the

sole purpose

of knowing

him,

walking with

him,

and making

him known

to other

people,

and making

disciples.

This is why

we're here.

Not just to

consume and

enjoy.

This leads

into our

second point.

Eternity is

long.

Eternity is

long.

It would be

foolish to

deceive yourself

into thinking

that there's

not another

life and

another world

beyond this

one.

That there's

nothing that

awaits for

you after

death.

Even those

who know

Christ,

like myself,

we so

easily just

throw away

and squander

so many

opportunities

and choose

comfort,

our laziness,

our mediocrity

over what

we ought to

do.

But Paul

says,

here's why

we cannot

be nearsighted.

Paul says,

because the

days are

evil,

in verse

16.

This fallen

world,

sinful man

will try

to lure

you into

that trap

of the

here and

now.

But because

we live in

dark times,

we need

frequent

reminders

to wake

up.

We need

frequent

reminders to

just wake

out of the

slumber

that we are

in.

That there

will be

a judgment

day,

even for

believers,

not the

same judgment

as for

unbelievers,

but we

will stand

before God

and give

an account

of our

lives that

we have

lived as

believers.

Without

getting too

much into

it,

if you

would like,

turn to

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

really quick.

A passage

that's always

kind of giving

me chills

a little bit.

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3.

And I,

here's what I

don't want to

get into.

I know this

is just going

to make you

go,

what?

When you hear

this,

but ask me

later,

I'll explain

why.

But I

believe in

heaven there

will be a

measure of

holy,

not sinful,

but holy

regret that

we did not

do more

than we

did.

Because we're

going to see

like, wow,

it was all

going toward

this,

and I

should have

spent more

time doing

X, Y, and Z

instead of

this.

In 1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3,

and let's start

in verse 12,

this is Paul

talking about

that day,

and he's

writing to

the church,

he's writing

to Christians,

he says,

now if anyone

builds on a

foundation with

gold,

silver,

precious stones,

wood,

hay,

and straw,

each one's

work will

become manifest

for the day,

capital D,

day of

judgment,

will disclose

it.

Because it

will be

revealed by

fire,

and the

fire will

test what

sort of

work each

one has

done.

If the

work that

anyone has

is built

on the

foundation

survives,

he will

receive a

reward.

If anyone's

work is

burned up,

he will

suffer loss.

See that?

Suffer loss.

Like, how

can you

suffer loss?

Though he

himself will

be saved,

but only

as through

fire.

Man, let

your mind

soak in

that.

As an

old missionary

once said,

only one

life will

soon be

passed,

and only

what's done

for Christ

will last.

Burn that

in your

memory.

So wisdom

here, in

the view of

eternity is

long, is

not wasting

time that

God has

given you.

we need

wisdom to

know how

to walk

in this

evil age

when there

are so

many things

competing

for our

time.

So many

things saying,

invest here,

come here.

So, having

sovereignly

bounded our

lives with

eternity,

God knows

he's set the

beginning and

the end.

There's a

kairos of

space in

between that

he has

given us.

Paul was

very aware

of this,

how transient

and temporary

and fleeting

life is

compared to

eternity.

Colossians 3,

set your

minds on

things above

and not

on things

on the

earth.

So,

life is

short,

eternity is

long,

point three,

and lastly,

redeem the

time.

So,

with this

in mind,

God calls

you and

me to

make the

best use

of the

sacred

kairos that

we have

in this

life,

the season

that you

find yourself

in.

So,

wisdom says

redeem the

time,

buy it up,

secure it,

make the

best use

of it.

No matter

where you

find yourself,

no matter

where you

find yourself,

be conscious

of that

allotted

time,

and don't

waste it.

Make the

best use

of it.

Opportunities

that are going

to come

your way,

so,

here's what

this can

look like.

We're going

to get into

a lot more

application next

week.

Like,

how do you

redeem the

time in

certain areas

of life?

But just

by example,

relationships are

given to you

by God so

that you might

live with those

people in such

a way that

shows that they

are not your

treasure,

but God is.

That's sort of

what we're going

after.

chapter.

And we'll

get more

into that

next week,

but since

you're kind

of in the

Corinthians

area,

jump over to

2 Corinthians,

just one book

over,

and understand

this idea of

eternity,

things that we

see before us

are temporal,

but we have an

eternity that is

before us,

that awaits

us.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:16

chapter 4,

verse 16.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 4:16

chapter 4,

verse 16.

A passage

that's weighed

very heavy

over my life.

Paul says,

so we do

not lose

heart,

though our

outer self

is wasting

away.

Let that sink

in.

It's wasting

away.

All that you

are right now

and all that

you see is

deteriorating

before your

eyes.

Our inner

self is being

renewed day

by day.

For this

light and

momentary

affliction is

preparing for

us an eternal

weight of

glory beyond

all comparison

as we look

not to the

things that

are seen,

but to the

things that

are unseen.

For the

things that

are seen

are transient,

are temporal,

but the

things that

are unseen

are eternal.

eternal.

That ought

to really

make us

think about

the season

of life

that we

find ourselves

in right

now.

In closing,

just a couple

things.

Most of you

know, but

there's some

new folks

here today,

that I was

born with

cystic

fibrosis

40 years

ago,

almost.

This October,

I'll be 40,

which is bizarre.

I don't

see it as

a decrepit

thing.

I see it

as grace.

Like, wow,

I've been

alive for

40 years.

That's sort

of a little

different for

me, but I

have a

respiratory

disease that

I was born

with.

And so

throughout my

life, thoughts

of eternity

and death

really weighed

heavily on

my mind.

While I was

at North

Georgia, I

picked up

John Piper's

book called

Don't Waste

Your Life,

and it

still, today,

is seared

into my

brain.

God uses

the weak

and infirm

people a

lot of the

time as

reminders to

the strong

that life

is short.

You're not

going to be

here forever.

You may feel

great now,

but it's all

going to go

downhill one

day, no

matter how

strong you

think you

are.

But God

has used

my disease

as a blessing

of my life

to teach

me what

life is

about.

Growing up,

my lifelong

dream was

to be in

the Marine

Corps.

That was

what a lot

of my

family had

done,

and really

there was

mainly this

pride behind

it.

I wanted

to be

seen as

that bad

invincible

dude,

all about

me,

and God

was just

like,

oh yeah?

Cystic

fibrosis

cured.

And it

killed me.

When I

was 18

or 19,

9-11

happened,

and I

had probably

10 of

my buddies

actually

join,

while I

couldn't

join.

But that

was also

the same

time that

I really

think that

I was

born again,

around that

same time.

So God

was just

tearing my

loyalties

apart so

they would

just be

focused on

him.

And after

graduation in

2008 in

North Georgia,

I put in

for a double

lung transplant

at University

Alabama,

Birmingham,

and I

waited for

about a

year,

got the

transplant,

and a

few months

later I

got a

really bad

infection that

nearly killed

me.

I don't have

any actual

memory for

about a

month.

I don't

remember

anything that

happened.

I was sort

of on life

support for

a week.

They didn't

really know

what was

going to

happen,

but in

the CICU

at UAB,

I actually

was in

there,

I didn't

know,

obviously I

was out

of it,

but with

two other

people,

that one

had CF

like me

and was

waiting for

a transplant,

and one

had just

got a

transplant,

kind of

like myself,

all in

their early

20s,

and my

parents got

to know

their parents

very well,

and my

parents got

to bear

witness to

Christ,

to their

parents,

were both

just all

on life

support,

and for

some reason

I'm the

only one

that lived,

I'm the

only one

that made

it out,

and I

don't know

why,

but that

just weighs

on me so

much that

I just

want to

make the

most of

my life

for the

Lord.

It could

have not

been me.

I might

not be

here with

you,

and there's

nothing special

about me.

This is

about focusing

on the

greatness of

our God,

God,

but eternity

should weigh

heavily on

our minds,

and it

just created

in me a

deep longing

to want to

make the

best use

of this

time for

eternity.

eternity.

But,

one thing

that I've

learned is

thanks to

good brothers

in this

church as

well as

to my

wife,

that I

can be a

little hard

on myself

about this.

I visited

UAB not

too long ago

with my

wife,

and I

took her

up to

the

transplant

floor,

where I

spent a

year plus,

and I

just broke

down like I

couldn't walk

down the

hallway.

It was

just too

much for

me to

take in,

just weighing

on me,

God,

have I

used what

you've given

me faithfully?

Have I

used this

kairos

faithfully?

But if

you're not

careful,

what can

happen is it

turns into a

works-based

acceptance thing,

where you're

trying to pay

God back for

what he's done.

And that's the

trap I've

fallen into

many times.

So a good

desire gone

wrong often,

where I'm

trying to

earn God's

favor,

earn what

he did

for me.

So here's

in closing,

as you study

the Gospels,

you see that

Christ was

very aware

of a

kairos that

the Father

had set

for him,

his life,

and how it

worked.

If you look

at the Gospel

of John,

in John 2,

he says,

my hour has

not yet

come.

Referring to

that last

hour,

the finish

line,

where he

would die

on the

cross and

accomplish the

work of

redemption

through his

death and

resurrection.

He had his

eye fixed on

that last

hour.

In fact,

people tried

to hurt

him and do

things to

him,

and it

said that

he would

just sort

of walk

away,

and it

would say

because his

time had

not yet

come.

Right?

His hour

had not yet

come.

In John

12,

Jesus says,

Father,

save me from

this hour,

but for

this purpose

I came to

the world.

And then a

very clear

one,

John 17,

John 17:1

verse 1 and

4.

Father,

the hour

has come.

Glorify your

Son that the

Son may

glorify you.

I glorified you

on the earth,

having accomplished

the work that you

gave me to do.

I want to be

able to say

that.

I hope you

do.

And then

finally,

John 19,

it is

finished.

That work

has been

accomplished.

So the

good news

for us

is even

as believers,

if we have

squandered

time,

if we've

wasted

so much,

we can

take hope

in Christ

that he did

not waste

any of the

time that

he lived

out for the

Father.

He stayed

faithful until

the end.

And he

secured an

eternal salvation

for us as

we go to

him in faith

and to be

saved.

And as one

man has

taught me

over the

years,

we don't

strive,

as we're

striving to

redeem the

time,

know that

we're not

striving to

enter God's

love,

but we're

striving in

the midst

of God's

love,

the love

that he has

already been

secured by

Christ.

We don't

strive to

earn it,

we just

strive in

the midst

of that

love.

But yet,

true faith

in Christ,

true faith

in Christ

will create

a desire

to redeem

the time

and to

make the

best use

of it,

of this

life on

earth.

So as

the psalmist

said,

Psalm 90,

talking to

the Lord,

so teach

us to

number our

days,

that we

may get

a heart

of wisdom.

So next

week,

we'll talk

about how