All of us have seen it many times on our television screens or in person. Ten men rush frantically up and down the basketball court. Suddenly the piercing shriek of a whistle is heard above the roar of the crowd and someone shouts “Time Out”. Or picture a baseball diamond. It is a crucial part of the game perhaps in the late innings. The batter hits a screeching ball over 2nd base driving in the runner. Time out is called as the catcher and the pitcher hold a conference at the mound. Time out may be called when a player is injured, when a pitcher is removed from the game, or for any number of other reasons. Time out is called in football games, hockey games, soccer games or whatever.
In fact, the sign for Time Out is so familiar that most of us non-competitors recognize it right away. The phrase “Time Out” is used in a non-athletic sense also. We take time out for a coffee break, or a coke or a Tastybreak, time out for this or time out for that.
Because we are physical creatures, we must take time out to rest and renew ourselves. How refreshing it is on our jobs to take a few minutes out for a time of relaxation. We go back to our work refreshed and rejuvenated. Students studying for exams experience the satisfaction of taking time out now and then from the mental concentration. We have all experienced the frustration of trying to solve a problem or find a mistake. We take a few minutes out and return to find the mistake or the solution very soon.
Just as we need to take time out in our physical and mental activities, we also need to take time out in the spiritual life. Jesus recognized this need in our text. People were clamoring after Jesus and the disciples so that they had no time even to eat. Christ says, “Come ye apart and rest awhile.” He is really saying, “Fellows, we need to call time out. We need to take a break.”
As the ball players in the various competitive games must take time out for many reasons, we must also take time out in the spiritual games of life. Paraphrasing Shakespeare in Macbeth, we are all players in the game of life strutting and fretting our hours upon the playing field of time and then are seen no more. Why do we need to take time out in the game of life?
First of all, we need to call time out for rest, recuperation, and refreshment. The ball players call time out at times just to rest and refresh themselves. Especially in games like football and basketball where tremendous energy and effort are expended, time must be called out for players to catch their breath, rest, and refresh themselves. Our bodies, minds, and spirits, need rest.
God is the only one who does not need rest. He stays awake day and night to see about us. He neither slumbers nor sleeps. That’s why we ought to be at peace and sleep. If God neither slumbers nor sleeps, there is no need for both of us to stay awake.
But we are made for rest. Even Jesus when he was on earth, clothed in human flesh needed rest. He got weary and tired. He experienced every thing we go through.
Some people are what we call workaholics. They love to work. They never want to take time out. But if you don’t take time out, you will burn out. But if you want to work all the time, God will sometimes take you out of the game of life and make you rest awhile through a heart attack or some other illness.
We need time out. We are not like that commercial for the battery that keeps on going and going. But even batteries give out sometimes. Even batteries have to take a time out. Even machines need a rest. You can’t run your cars for miles and miles. Sooner or later you have to take it in for a check up. You have to call time out. Sooner or later you are going to have to put some gas in the tank. We have to call time out for our cars.
But some of us don’t really take time out from our daily jobs. We bring the problems of the job home with us. We worry and stew about what happened on the job. Take time out from the burdens of the job. Spend some quality time with your spouse, friends, and relatives.
On most jobs the employers will give the workers a break for lunch, or just some free time. I read somewhere that employers are allowing their employees to take a nap on the job. It increases their effectiveness. The ball players need to call time out so they can rest their weary bodies, and recuperate from the activity.
Everybody needs time out some of the time. Small children have a recess period when they can play and take time out from their classes. Older students get a break when a class is over and they can take a break to go to the next class.
But what about calling time out from your frenzied efforts to have a time of rest, a time of refreshment, a time of fellowship and communion with God? He restores our souls. The Bible says that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.
We need to call “Time Out” and rest awhile in the Lord. You need to call “Time Out” and spend a little time with Jesus. You need to call “Time Out” to have a little talk with Jesus because just a little talk with Jesus will make it all right.
The Bible speaks about our Lord arising early in the morning for prayer with God. As the old song goes, “If Jesus had to pray, what about us?” If you want to live a victorious and spiritual live, you have to take time out and spend some time with Jesus.
As important as Sunday worship is, it takes a little more than a couple hours to get to know Jesus. It takes time to get to know God and to enjoy his fellowship. It takes time to get holy. This world is not conducive to the Christian life. We are in a spiritual battle day by day. The world has never been a friend of grace. Every thing in the world is prompted to turn you away from God. You need to call time out from the battlefields of life and spend some time with your Good Shepherd.
He will lead you beside still waters. He will restore your soul. He will lead you in paths of righteousness. He is with you all the way. He comforts you with his presence. He prepares a table before you in the presence of your enemies. Your cup of blessings will overflow when he anoints your head with his oil. His mercy and goodness shall follow you all the days of your life, if you just take some time out to spend with Jesus. If you want to find rest from the battles of life, you will find it in Jesus.
But then the second reason to take time out is for some reflection. The teams will call time when things aren’t going too well on the playing field. The opposing team has just scored 12 straight points. Thing aren’t going too well. We need to adjust our defense. We need to call time to reflect on what is going on. We need to call time to get some instructions from our coach. Sometimes the coach will make some adjustments in defense or offense. The team needs to reflect on what they are doing wrong.
The coach has a play book which will help the team overcome their mistakes. Our play book is the Bible. When the sea billows of life start to roll and when the tempestuous waves rise over you, it’s time to take out to consult the play book and evaluate what is going wrong. We need to see if there is anything in the Bible to help us through a hard and difficult time. We need to see if there is any word from the Lord. We need to take time out to read that God will instruct you. We need to take time out to read that all the way from earth to heaven, God will guide you with his eye. It’s good to hear that God will make your enemies become your footstool.
Sometimes in a football game the opposing team has just rolled up 5 straight first downs and is threatening to score. It’s time to call time out to see how we can cope with the situation. Things get rough in life. Our adversary scores several goals against us. Circumstances press is on us from every side. Everything around our souls seems to be giving away. It’s time to call time out. But no matter how difficult things are, God has given us the assurance of victory. God will make a way somehow. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.
Every time troubles rise on every side, we need to put on our armor of defense. We need to reach into the closet and put on our breastplates of righteousness and our belts of truth. We need to reach into our shoe box and put the gospel of peace on our feet. We need to reach up to our hat boxes and put on our helmets of salvation. Then we pick up our shields of faith and our swords of the spirit which is the word of God. Then we are ready to go back into the tough game of life. We are on the battlefield for the Lord. We are soldiers in the army of the Lord. Sometimes we have to fight in the army of the Lord. But each victory will help us to win some other.
But that brings us to the next reason to call time out. Time out is not permanent. It is only temporary. When you take a vacation, whether it is a week or a weekend, the vacation will end and you have to get back to work. We call time in after we call time out. After time out is over you have to get back in the game. The player can’t tell to coach that he doesn’t feel like going back into the game. He can’t tell the coach that he wants to stay on the bench for the rest of the game. The coach tells him to get back in the game. “We need you in order to win the game.”
Time out is only temporary. We must get back in the game. There is work to be done. We must work while it is yet day because night comes when we cannot work. We must get back in the game so we can work for the Master. Just as we called time out, we must call time in to get back in the game. Time out is necessary, but sooner or later you must call time in and get back in the game. Time in must follow time out.
We call time out on Sunday to get a break from the spiritual battles of life. We call time out to get our batteries charged for the challenges of the coming week. But every day is not Sunday yet. We have to get back in the game on Monday, back in the game on Tuesday, back in the game on Wednesday, back in the game on Thursday, back into the game on Friday, and Saturday. Time out comes again on the next Sunday.
But there should be times when we have a little bit of Sunday in our homes and hearts during the week. Even in the time of daily living we still have to have a time out with God, no matter where we are. Like the famous monk, Brother Lawrence, we are to practice the presence of the Lord. Brother Lawrence worked in the kitchen of the monastery. But while washing the pots and the pans, he practiced the presence of the Lord. Even while experiencing time in the busy walks of life, you can invite Jesus in the garden of your heart. He will still walk with you and tell you he is your own, and the joy you share as you tarry there, none other has ever known.
So we call time out for rest and refreshment. We call time out for reflection. We call time out for return to the game of life.
But finally, we call time out for our reward. Time is called out to take a player out of the game. Sometimes the coach takes a player out of the game for a substitute. Or near the end of the game, especially if he has a safe lead, he’ll take the starting players out of the game and they run to the bench with the cheers and acclamation of the crowd ringing in their ears. They shake hands with their teammates on the bench, and the coach pats them on the back and says, “Well done.” They get their reward.
All of us whether we know it or not are in the game of life. There are no spectators in this game. We are all participants. One day the great coach in the sky is going to blow the whistle on us and take us out of the game of life. Where are you going to go when He calls time out on you? Do you have a place waiting for you on that great bench in the sky, or are you going to be left out in the cold? Sooner or later God is going to call time out on us and say, “time to move on up a little higher.”
I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a place waiting for me on that great bench in the sky. My name is written on it. Some day I’m going to sit on that bench in the sky and rest a little while. When I go to that bench, the angels are the spectators and they will cheer me as I go to my place.
But first I’m going to greet all the other players on the bench. I want to shake hands with all of them. I want to see some of them, don’t you? I want to shake hands with Abraham, who obeyed God and went out not knowing were he was going. I want to shake hands with David, the sweet singer in Israel, king, warrior, who killed old Goliath with a sling shot, a man after God’s own heart. I want to shake hands with Enoch, a man who pleased God. I want to shake hands with Noah, who prepared an ark to the saving of his house. I want to shake hands with Moses, who chose to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Then there are others like, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Peter, Paul and others who all kept the faith, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of their faith.
Then I’ll see other saints of the church, some other players in the game of life. Their names aren’t written down in the saints’ Hall of fame. But Jesus knows their names just the same. Some of them in years past walked up and down the aisles of this church. Some sang in the choir, sat in the pews, preached in the pulpit, and served on the boards. Some came through great sorrow, some through the water, some through the flood, some through fire, but all through the blood.
But when I get to the end of the bench, I want to see my coach, Jesus. He’s the one who got me started in this game. You see a long time ago my game was a mess. I was making errors, striking out, fumbling the ball. My technique was all wrong. Somebody said that what you need is a new coach. So I found him one day, and I didn’t have to look long, because He was already looking for me. I asked him to come into my life and be my coach and teacher. He said He would, and He did. It was a new ball game after that. Everything was new after that. He put running in my feet, a song in my heart. I’ve been running and singing ever since. Later on some teaching and preaching came out. I’ve been teaching and preaching ever since. I don’t feel no ways tired.
But one day He’ll call my name, and I’ve have to move on up and meet Him in the sky. Finally, I’m going to shake hands with Jesus, my coach. I’m going to report to him about my game of life. I’ll tell him, “Lord, I didn’t reach perfection, but I tried. I didn’t do everything you told me to do, but I tried. Lord, everybody in Philadelphia didn’t get saved, but I tried. I wasn’t always what I should have been, but I tried. I didn’t always go where you told me to go, but I tried.”
Then He’ll put his arms around me and say, “It’s all covered by my blood. Well done thou good and faithful servant. Sit down and take your rest. Enter into your reward.”
They say that time will be no more up there.
Through the ceaseless ages of eternity, we’ll be with Him. It will be time out to praise His name for ever more. It will be time out up there. It will be time out to praise him by the banks of the river. It will be time out to praise him by the crystal fountain. It will be time out to praise him around the great white throne. It will be time out to praise him in the heavenly choir. Time out.
And when we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise then when we first begun. Time will be no more. It will be time out for evermore. We’ll live on and on through eternity. We’ll live on.
