Scripture Reading: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Solomon – The wisest man to ever live is making the point in this passage of Scripture that Timing is Important. That “there is an appropriate time for everything under the sun.”
Introduction: Of course we know Soloman was right. Timing is important! In fact some people would argue that timing is everything.
Lora is playing fast pitch softball this year and one of the things I’ve noticed is that most of the girls haven’t quite got their timing down yet. They either swing too early or too late, and so consequently they hit fowl balls or don’t hit the ball at all.
Timing is also critical when it comes to Farming. If you plant too early your crops can be damaged by freezing temperatures, which many farmers were reminded of this year. But on the other hand, if you wait too long to plant, then you run the risk of not having adequate moisture for the crops to grow and mature.
Timing is also important when it comes to releasing a new book or movie, which is why the producers of the film “The Nativity” released it during the Christmas season instead of during the Summer.
Timing is even important when it comes to our relationships. Guys you want to wait until the time is right to ‘pop the question’ and ask that special girl to marry you.
Politicians also want to wait until they sense the time is right to introduce a bill or announce that they are running for a specific office. I saw an interview with former Tennessee Senator, Fred Thompson the other day in which he said that he sensed the time may be right for him to consider running for President, although he has not yet officially entered the race.
Timing is critical when it comes to launching the Space Shuttle. It is sometimes referred to as a “launch window.” A launch window is the precise period of time, ranging from minutes to hours, within which a launch must occur for the Space Shuttle to be positioned in the proper orbit.
Timing is crucial when someone is having a heart attack or stroke. Medical experts stress that the quicker someone who is experiencing a heart attack or stroke can get to the hospital and receive treatment their chances of survival are much better. Cardiologists agree that if a patient is seen in the first hour of a heart attack or stroke, the patient has a much greater chance of not only surviving, but limiting the damage that can be caused by the heart attack or stroke.
It stands to reason then that Timing is important in the Christian realm as well.
In Galatians 4:4, The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus came to earth in the fullness of time.
In other words, when the time was right, when everything was perfect, when all of the prophecies concerning His birth had been fulfilled, that was when God sent Him to earth to be born of a virgin.
God’s Timing is impeccable. Do you remember the story of the Woman at the Well? That story is a good example of the perfect timing of God. According to the Bible Jesus arrived at the well about the sixth hour, which is 12:00 o’clock (noon) our time. Most women went to the well at daylight or very early in the day so it wouldn’t be so hot. But Jesus knew that a certain Samaritan woman who had a spiritual need would be there at the sixth hour, and so that’s when he arrived. He met her need, and she in turn introduced him to her friends and neighbors.
In Mark 1:15 Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
In this passage of Scripture Jesus is telling those who were listening to Him preach that the TIME to Repent was at Hand, that they shouldn’t put it off any longer. There’s no time like the present to get your life right with God. He brought you here today, to hear this message so why not submit to his will today.
Of course the Bible also says that Christ will not return until the TIME is right. Jesus was discussing this with His disciples when He said…
"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”
Just as it was with His birth, Jesus will not return again until the TIME is right, until all of the things that must take place have taken place.
Yet Biblical scholars and prophecy experts much smarter than I am are saying that the TIME for His return is much closer than any of us realize.
Tim Layhae, Author of the Best Selling “Left Behind” series says, “Christ could come today and no prophecy of the end times necessary for His coming would go unfulfilled.” He goes on to say that “while we cannot be certain that ours is the last generation before the Lord returns; we can be certain of one thing. And that is that our generation has more reason to believe He could return during our lifetime than any generation before us.”
Whether you want to admit it or not, we’re in the Fourth Quarter, the two minute warning has sounded and the clock is ticking. Time is running out.
If that is true, and I believe it is, then what should we as Christians be doing?
Should we just sit around and keep our beliefs to ourselves, or should we walk all around town wearing signs that say things like, “Repent of your sins” and “The End is Near?” Which reminds me of something that happened in Connecticut a about 200 years ago.
Illustration: In the days before Connecticut became a state, the colonial Legislature was in session when a thick black cloud blocked out the sunlight. Someone shouted, “It is the Day of Judgment! Let’s go home and get ready!”
But another member of the Legislature, who happened to be a deacon in his Church stood up and said, “Brethren, it may be the Day of Judgment – I do not know. The Lord may come. But when He does, I want Him to find me at my post, doing my duty up to the very last moment. Mr. Speaker, I move that candles be brought in and that we get on with the business of the colony.”
I submit to you this morning, that that’s what we need to be doing as Christians. We need to get on with the Business of the Kingdom. Unfortunately most of us spend way too much of our time doing everything but the Business of the Kingdom.
Jesus and His disciples were traveling along the road one day when His disciples noticed a blind man sitting on the side of the road. They asked Jesus who sinned, this man or his parents. Jesus responded by saying, that this man was blind, not as a result of his sins, or the sins of his parents, but that he was blind so that God would be glorified when He was healed. Then Jesus looked at his disciples and said this:
“As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4
In this particular instance, Jesus realized that His ministry was drawing to a close. He knew that His time on earth was coming to an end. So He healed the man who had been born blind, and gave him the gift of sight.
Jesus wanted to make a difference in the lives of as many people as possible before the Time came for Him to lay down His life on the cross.
In the same way, we too need to come to grips with the fact that TIME is running out, and that Jesus could return at any moment.
So we need to be doing our best to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can before “the trumpet of the Lord” sounds and TIME as we know it is no more.
How long has it been since you told someone about the Lord? Unfortunately some of you have never talked to anyone about the Lord. As I said a couple of weeks ago, you’re satisfied with your relationship with Jesus Christ, and you’re content in knowing that you will go to Heaven when you die and that’s all you’re concerned about. For some reason it doesn’t seem to bother you that the people you go to school with, or the people you work with, or the people you see down at the ballpark are going to die and spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
So if TIME really is short, what does that mean for us as Christians and for us as a Church. That’s what I want to spend the remainder of our time talking with you about today. Because if the Trumpet of the Lord is getting ready to sound then I believe there are some things that we need to stop doing, and there are some things that we need to start doing.
I. IT’S TIME TO STOP….
1. Living in the past.
Some of you are making yourselves miserable because you’ve never gotten over something that someone said or someone did to you in the past.
Okay, I’ll admit it, every March when the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament begins and they start showing highlights from great games in the past I get mad all over again. Inevitably they show Christian Laettner hitting that game winning shot in overtime against UK in the East Regional Final in 1992.
Now, that’s ridiculous isn’t it, after all it’s been 15 years, yet I remember to this day where I was and how I felt. Still, I need to get over it and concentrate on the more important things in life.
Some of you need to do the same thing. Someone said or did something to you last week, last month, last year, or maybe 10-20 years ago, and you still haven’t forgiven them. It still makes you mad when you think about it. Sometimes you can’t even worship because you look across the auditorium and see that person sitting there and you get all worked up all over again. You’re still carrying a grudge against them after all these years. For goodness sake, forgive them and get on with your life. Don’t dwell on things that you can’t change.
When I remember that ballgame and get mad at Christian Laettner, it doesn’t change the outcome of the game, and it doesn’t affect him at all, all it does is get me all worked up over something that can’t be changed. I just need to get over it and Stop living in the Past, and so do some of you.
Some of you need to forgive each other and be reconciled this morning.
But - Bro. Matthew you don’t know what He did, or you don’t know what she said. You’re right I don’t. But the reality of the situation is that it really doesn’t matter. What matters is the way it is affecting you spiritually. That grudge you are holding onto against a brother or sister in Christ is affecting you, and believe it or not it is affecting this church.
illustration: A Revival meeting was being held in a certain church but unfortunately like so many Revivals nothing seemed to be happening. The attendance was good, the singing was good, and the preaching was good, but God just didn’t seem to be moving. One night, one of the Deacons stood up and said, “Pastor, I don’t believe there is going to be Revival as long as Brother Jones and I don’t speak to each other.” This man humbled himself before the Pastor and the rest of the congregation and walked over to Bro. Jones and apologized to him and asked for forgiveness. The two men shook hands and buried the hatchet, and God began to move in a powerful way, restoring relationships all over the building.
Some of you need to do the same thing today. Some of you haven’t spoken to one another in over a year. That isn’t healthy and God isn’t going to bless this church and use us the way He wants to until you forgive one another.
What did Jesus teach His Disciples about this? He said, “"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23-24 (NIV)
It’s time for some of you to stop living in the past, and it’s time for you to be reconciled with that person that you’ve been holding a grudge against.
2. IT’S TIME TO STOP JUDGING ONE ANOTHER.
It’s sad to say but despite the fact that Jesus himself was the most compassionate and nonjudgmental person who has ever lived Christians have the reputation of being the most mean spirited and judgmental people on the face of the earth.
Someone once said that the “church” which is the Army of God is the only army that shoots it’s wounded.
Jesus said, “stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37 (NLT)
3. IT’S TIME TO STOP PLAYING RELIGIOUS GAMES.
You may know all the answers when it comes to Bible Trivia, but the real question is; Do you know the Master?
You may know the books of the Bible and be able to quote John 3:16 but that doesn’t guarantee you a home in Heaven.
There are a lot of people today who are very good at playing religious games. But of course we aren’t the first to do that. The Israelites did the same thing.
They kept the Law. They went to the Temple on the Sabbath, they offered the proper sacrifices, but they also worshipped and made sacrifices to Baal. It was all just a religious game to them. That’s why Elijah said what He did on Mt. Carmel. He knew that they were just going through the motions. He knew they were just doing what the Priests told them to do. That’s why He said…
“How long will you waver between two opinions. If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
Jesus condemned the Pharisees and referred to them as vipers and hypocrites. He was referring to them in Matthew 15:8-9 when He said, `THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME. THEY WORSHIP ME IN VAIN; THEIR TEACHINGS ARE BUT RULES TAUGHT BY MEN.”
Some of you here this morning are honoring God with your lips, but your heart is far from Him. In other words, you say you are a Christian, but in reality you don’t have a relationship with the Lord, you are just playing a religious game.
Earlier in their History, Joshua in His farewell address to the nation of Israel stood before the people and said…
“BUT IF SERVING THE LORD SEEMS UNDESIRABLE TO YOU THEN CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE, WHETHER THE GODS YOUR FOREFATHERS SERVED BEYOND THE RIVER, OR THE GODS OF THE AMORITES, IN WHOSE LAND YOU ARE LIVING. BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.” JOSH 24:15 (NIV)
We need to make the same choice today. We need to stop playing religious games, and worship the Lord our God and serve Him with all of our heart, with all of soul, and with all of our strength.
4. IT’S TIME FOR US TO STOP DOUBTING AND BELIEVE.
Of course this is what Jesus told Thomas following His resurrection. Yet, many of us are making the same mistake that Thomas did.
We know the Bible tells us that God will provide us with everything we need. But at the end of the month, when your car payment or mortgage is due, and the kids need clothes, and your car is out of gas, and you’re out of money, you can’t help but have a few doubts.
We know the Bible tells us that “we are supposed to walk by faith not by sight.” But like Thomas, and the rest of the Disciples, our faith is very weak.
We know that the Bible says that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us, but we have trouble believing that this verse really applies to us.
We know that Jesus promised that He would never leave us or forsake us, but when the whole world comes crashing down on top of you it’s difficult to believe.
TIMING IS EVERYTHING.
Jesus is saying that It’s time to stop doubting and believe.
Not only are there things we need to stop doing, but there are a whole host of things that we as Christians need to start doing. Such as:
II. It’s time to start…
1. Walking by Faith, Not By sight. (We need to step out on Faith Like Abraham)
2. It’s Time to start Trusting in God instead of our own understanding.
3. It’s time for us to Look to God for wisdom and guidance.
4. It’s time for us to be the Salt of the Earth and Light of the World that Jesus Has
called us to be.
5. It’s time for us to realize that Time is running out and He could appear in the
clouds to call us Home at any minute. (The signs are all around us)
6. It’s time to start taking our responsibility to share the gospel message seriously.
7. It’s time to start putting God first in our lives and serving Him exclusively.
8. It’s Time for us to start relying on the power of the Holy Spirit instead of
trusting in our own abilities.
9. It’s time for us to Humble Ourselves before God and admit that we have sinned
Against Him.
10. It’s time for us to Pray and Seek His face, and plead with Him to Heal our
Church and our Land.
Conclusion: Timing is everything. God’s Timing is perfect. He brought you here today to hear this message to convince you that the Time was right for you to give your life to Him. And that is what some of you here today need to do. You need to confess your sins to him and invite Jesus into your life. Today is the Day of Salvation, there is no better time that right now.
This church is at a critical time in its History. We are at a Crossroads. The way I see it we can either “Redeem the Time” and “Seize the Day” and Take advantage of the opportunities that God is giving us, or we can continue to sit around ‘wasting precious time’ and God will chastise and judge us instead of blessing us. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Him to do something special in this church.
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