The clock is Ticking
Illus. Paul Humphrey
A guy had a dream he had went to heaven and saw many clocks. As is customary with these stories St. Peter is attending the gate. When asked what the clocks were for Peter replied that every person on earth has a clock here, and each time a person sins, the hand on their clock moves just a bit. The man said, “Where is my clock?” Peter replied, “Its in the office, Moses has been using it for a fan.”
Psalm 118:24 NKJ
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Most people consider Sunday to be the day that we should rejoice and be glad and remember our relationship with the Lord. While the truth is we should wake up every morning, with the attitude of worship. Realizing every day is a gift from God and should be used to accomplish the plans that He has for that day, for each and everyone of us!
Can anyone believe The summers almost over? It seems like yesterday we were waiting for the grass to turn green and warmer temperatures. And then the humidity showed up and has made for what seemed at the time, a long hot summer. And now next weekend is Labor Day, with fall fast approaching!
Even in what seems like perilous weather conditions, time doesn't slow down a bit does it? Who can believe next year, we will be saying twenty seventeen? I'm sure our grandparents said the same thing in nineteen seventeen?
There is an old game show, called beat the clock. Where contestants were given different tasks to accomplish in a certain amount of time, to try to beat the clock and win the game. It was popular then and even recently repopularized again.
Beating the clock is a challenge that most people will rise to an compete with great intensity to accomplish whatever it is in the time allowed!
It happens on the football field with a last-second field goal. It happens on the basketball court, with a last-second shot at the buzzer to win the game. Any good coach will tell you the importance of keeping your eye on the time!
Time is a lot of things, to a lot of different people. There are two different ways to look at time, time can either be your friend or your enemy.
In our lives each and every day, almost everyone tries to beat the clock. We have to show up to work on time, we have to allow time for the traffic on the freeway, we have to allow extra time to stop at Starbucks and get a cuppa coffee.
Has anyone who is ever tried to catch a flight, ever had their name read over the loudspeaker informing them that their flight was leaving in 10 minutes with or without them?
Time is valuable. For an example; the Doctor informs you of your terminal illness. The first quest you want to know is…”How much time do I have?”
Time flies by, if you don't believe me just ask any mother who has ever taken their child to kindergarten. Or to a junior high dance, or watched them walk down the isle.
You can run out of money but still have time.
You can run out of a lot of things and still have time.
But if you run out of time you have nothing, time is the only thing humans haven't discovered how to make more of.
Time is the only thing that you don't mind wasting, as long as it is someone else's time!
While doctors have discovered amazing drugs and therapies that can extend a persons life, they have never discovered how to create more time!
Besides managing our money we need to manage our time. You can make more money but you can’t make more time. You can make more friends, but you cannot make more time.
Job 14:5 NKJ
Since his days are determined,
The number of his months is with You;
You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass.
God has given each one of us an allotted amount of time.
What we do with our time is important, we use time, or time uses us.
God did us a tremendous favor when he broke our days and 24 hour segments. Each and every day should be looked at with great anticipation. But only the gift of today can be opened, enjoyed and realized to its potential at any given time!
Matthew 6:34 MSG
34 “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.
Gods help,is readily available for us all the time, however He expects us to use our time wisely!
Let's read our text again
Psalm 118:24 NKJ
This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
I can see three things God tells us about time, here in this scripture.
The first thing we need to do is…
We must appreciate each day as a gift from God.
Notice the only day God is talking about here in this verse is today.
He does not talk about yesterday or tomorrow, only this day. God has given us so many things, that we sometimes become immuned to the importance of the relevance of them.
Every minute that you have, every breath you take, is a gift from God.
Have you ever heard the statement, “I wish I had as much time as you do.” Like someone else has more time than you do in their day to do stuff.
They may spend their time differently, but we all have the same amount of time and if you are here this morning and you think, “I don’t have the time to do everything that I want to do.” Guess what, join the crowd.
But I want to tell you, something. We will never get everything we want to do.
Think about what Jesus was able to accomplish in his short period of time on this earth. Some Might think He probably didn't have enough time to get everything done that He wanted done. TBS if you were to write down all the things He did in His three short years of ministry, there would not be enough paper to do it!
John 21:25 MSG
25 There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.
One thing we don't want to overlook or forget is, The favor that He had of His Father over His life. God's favor can accelerate and Expedite every situation it touches!
Another thing is, Gods Plans are precise! His word doesn't return void, it always accomplishes what it is sent to do!
John 17:1-5 MSG
17 1-5 Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said:
Father, it’s time.
Display the bright splendor of your Son
So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor.
You put him in charge of everything human
So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge.
And this is the real and eternal life:
That they know you,
The one and only true God,
And Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
I glorified you on earth
By completing down to the last detail
What you assigned me to do.
And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor,
The very splendor I had in your presence
Before there was a world.
The amazing thing is, the way God worked in Jesus life, He can work in our lives too!
The naysayers would say, but He was the son of God. And to that I would respond by saying yes He was, but so am I!
And we are sons and daughters of God, with equal standing in God's eyes the word declares in John 4:17 MSG
17-18 God is love. When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us. This way, love has the run of the house, becomes at home and mature in us, so that we’re free of worry on Judgment Day—our standing in the world is identical with Christ’s. There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love.
So knowing are standing in the world, why wouldn't we want wake up every morning and take full advantage of this day, today that God has created for us!
If we realize the potential that God has created for us each and every day, don't you think with such a gift we would want to dedicate each day to His Glory! And try to accomplish everything we can each day for His Glory?
Some would argue and say that that would be hard to do. If you were not letting the Lord lead the way that might be true. But if you let God direct team lead your life, he will accomplish amazing things every day for His Glory!
Zig Ziglar was to have said to Each day write down what you NEED to do and then prioritize it. And at the top of that list should be your relationship with God.
Start each day by asking God what He needs you to do.
So many times Christians make the mistake of not making time for God.
I would read my bible but I don’t have the time.
I would come to church but I have to much to do.
I would help them Lord, but then I won't get my stuff done!
Matthew 6:30-33 MSG
30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
And I would add, not only met but by far exceeded each and every time you take the time to do what God would have you do!
So we appreciate every day God gives to us, and we dedicate every day God gives to us! Then there's only one thing left to do, we must and we are compelled to celebrate every day God gives us as well!
So many times we don't take the opportunity to stop and smell the roses. When we do that and we thank God for what He has done for us, we are taking that moment to smell the aroma of the sweet success He gives all along the journey!
Face it, The circumstances of life are going to happen and happen often!
But whether you enjoy the day has nothing to do with your circumstances.
TBS “I will Rejoice”. No matter what happens, no matter how bad your day may appear, you ALLWAYS have something to rejoice about.
Were alive, we have provisions, we can all be thankful for something! If were not appreciating, or dedicating, or celebrating our lives and the life that God has given to us.
How could we ever questioned Him about what's happening in our life, when we are living the life that we have chosen to live?
TBS. choose you this day whom you will serve, will it be God or man the choice is yours!
We all make choices in life, about every aspect of life.
Judson W. Van DeVenter (1855-1939) was raised in a Christian home. At age 17, he accepted Jesus as his Savior. He graduated university with a degree in art and was employed successfully as a teacher and administrator of high school art. He traveled extensively, visiting the various art galleries throughout Europe.
Van DeVenter also studied and taught music. He mastered 13 different instruments, sang and composed music. He was very involved in the music ministry of his Methodist Episcopal church and eventually found himself torn between his successful teaching career and his desire to be a part of an evangelistic team. This struggle within himself lasted for almost five years.
In 1896, Van DeVenter was conducting the music of a church event. It was during these meetings that he finally surrendered his desires completely to God -- He made the decision to become a full-time evangelist. As he submitted completely to the will of his Lord, a song was born in his heart.
All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him
, In His presence daily live.
Refrain:
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my bless'd Savior,
I surrender all.
Let's pray
Thanks to Dean Meadows for the outline scriptures
