“If Not Now, Then When?”
Psalm 119:57-64
David P. Nolte
There are some things we are eager to get on with. We conceive of some project and can hardly wait to get working on it. We chomp at the bit, we fret and fuss until we can start.
Or maybe we plan a trip and it seems that the time for departure will never come.
It might be a dinner appointment with our best friends and we are eager for the appointed time to arrive.
Conversely, there are those dreaded things which loom up before us and which we keep postponing as long as possible.
We may need to have a tooth extracted, or we may have a huge medical test coming up.|
There are those things which we fully intend to get to, but for this or that reason just don't seem to get around to it. We act like the man whose roof leaked and he would say, "I can't fix the roof today because it's raining. Tomorrow, when the sun is shining, I will do it." The problem is that when the next day came and the sun was shining, he'd say, "No use worrying about that leaky roof. It's not raining so it's no problem. Tomorrow, if it rains, I'll fix it." Tomorrow. The creed of the procrastinator is "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow."
David wrote, “LORD, you are mine! I promise to obey your words! With all my heart I want your blessings. Be merciful as you promised. I pondered the direction of my life, and I turned to follow your laws. I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands. Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions. I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations. I am a friend to anyone who fears you— anyone who obeys your commandments. O LORD, your unfailing love fills the earth; teach me your decrees.” Psalm 119:57-64 (NLT2)
The favorite words of the procrastinator are "Tomorrow!" "Sometime!" and "Later!" Their motto is, "I'll do it when I get around to it."
So today we will consider getting around to it.
I. WHEN OPPORTUNITY COMES, GET AROUND TO IT!
A. David wrote, “I will hurry, without delay, to obey your commands.”
B. Listen to Paul on getting to it:
1. Ephesians 5:15, 16 "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men, but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."
2. Colossians 4:5 "Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity."
C. Here are six important opportunities:
1. Being of service to our fellow man:
a. Proverbs 3:27, 28 "Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
b. when it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, 'Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,' when you have it with you."
c. Galatians 6:9, 10 "And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith."
2. Becoming faithful stewards of what God gives us:
a. He gives us our time. We ought to get around to using it wisely and for His purposes.
b. He gives us our talents. We ought to get around to using them for His glory.
c. He gives us our treasure. We ought to get around to bringing Him the full tithe.
3. Receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior:
a. Isaiah 55:6 "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near."
b. 2 Corinthians 6:2 "for He says, 'At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of salvation I helped you;' behold, now is 'the acceptable time,' behold, now is 'the day of salvation.'"
4. Deepening our relationship with Christ:
a. Paul's pressing desire was to know Christ more intimately. He wrote in Philippians 3:8 "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ,"
b. Ecclesiastes 12:1 "Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, 'I have no delight in them.'"
5. Being faithful workers in the local congregation:
a. There are plenty of needs for workers: teachers, youth workers, audio-visual helpers, property and ground maintenance, musicians, visitation ministries, benevolent ministries and on and on.
b. If you are aware of the need and are able to serve, when will you get around to it?
6. Seeking to fix broken relationships: You may be the one who was wronged, you may have been the offender. The responsibility is the same. In either case you have the responsibility to seek reconciliation, or at least to exhaust every avenue of reconciliation before giving up.
a. Luke 17:3, 4 "Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' forgive him."
b. Matthew 5:23, 24 "If therefore you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar, and go your way; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering."
c. Romans 12:18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men."
D. But knowing and doing are two different things. Jesus said, in John 13:17, "If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them." It’s just a matter of getting around to it.
II. WE ARE SOMETIMES SLOW TO GET AROUND TO IT!
A. I am often like that. My "knower" is bigger than my "doer!" My intention is greater than my endeavor. I plan to, when I get around to it.
B. But why the delay? There are several factors which can delay our getting around to it.
1. It might be non-Christian companions who distract us from serving the Lord as we ought. David wrote, “Evil people try to drag me into sin, but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.”
2. It might be sheer laziness. Like the grasshopper who played around all summer and didn't put anything in store for winter. Winter came and he appealed to the ant for assistance. He was hungry because while he should have stored up goods, he didn't get around to it.
3. It might be that I am just too busy, spread too thin, worn out, depleted of energy and resources.
4. It might be that I am ignorant of the need and apathetic if I do know it.
5. It might be that I am waiting for a more desirable opportunity to come along.
6. It might be that I don't think it's my responsibility. "Let someone else do it!"
7. It might be fear that others will take advantage of me like Tom Turtle who went out for coffee with his brothers. As they drank they remembered they hadn't brought their money. Tom said, "I'll go home to get the money, but while I'm gone, don't drink my coffee!" An hour passed, two, three, and 4 hours passed. One of the brothers said, "He's never coming back. I'm going to drink his coffee." Tom suddenly poked his head back in and said, "Aha! Just for that I'll never go get the money!" He never got around to it because he expected they’d take advantage of his absence..
8. It might be that I think I have plenty of time -- or am waiting for a more convenient time. A boy heard and was deeply impressed by the text, "My son, give me thine heart." Satan whispered, "Time enough yet," and he put it off. Ten years later a brilliant young collegian heard the same text and the tempter whispered, "Time enough yet." Twenty years later a statesman listened to the same text. The tempter said, "Visit foreign countries before you give God your heart." A traveler in Paris was stricken with cholera. His greatest suffering was agony of soul because he was not prepared to die and had not now time to get ready. His last words were, "Too late." The boy, the collegian, the statesman, and the traveler were one. Procrastination is Satan’s best game. (William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."
C. All these factors are not reasons – they are just excuses. An excuse is just a lie stuffed into the skin of a reason.
D. It's like the man who owned a rope. His neighbor wanted to borrow it but he said, "I can't loan it to you because I need it to tie up my sand pile." The neighbor said, "You can't tie up a sand pile with a rope!" The man said, "No, but one excuse is as good as another when I don't want to loan you my rope!" And any old excuse will do if we simply don't want to get around to it.
III. WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS JUST GET AROUND TO IT!
A. This demands a clear cut decision to "just do it!" The decision is ours to make: let opportunity slip by, or get around to it. Rather than sleep late, David said, “ I rise at midnight to thank you for your just regulations.” No procrastinator – he got around to it!
B. Here are some things to consider which will alleviate apathy and help us get around to it.
1. Remember that while opportunity knocks, it may knock only once. The Greeks pictured opportunity as a bald headed runner with a single hank of hair growing on his forehead, to seize the opportunity you’s have to grab that hank before he passed you by and all you could grab was a bare scalp.
2. Determine ahead of time to "Carpe Diem" or "seize the day!"
3. Remember that sense of loss and regret you experienced in the past when you didn't get around to it.
4. Remember the old saying, "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."
5. Envision the success and fulfillment you will realize when you actually get around to it.
6. Realize that when we know what is right to do and don't do it, it is sin. James 4:17.
C. We ought to be like the old man who always shirked when duty called. He finally said, "I'm done refusin'!" He finally got around to it.
D. The call is for those who see the demand and to step up to do it. May we be like Isaiah, who, when God asked, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah said, "Here am I. Send me." Isaiah 6:8. A small boy was lying on the living room floor playing with his toys. Nearby stood a large grandfather clock. Noontime was approaching, and when both hands of the old timepiece reached 12, the chimes began to ring. As he always liked to do, the little fellow counted each gong as it sounded. This time, however, something went wrong with clock's inner mechanism. Instead of stopping at 12, it kept right on chiming, 13-14-15-16 times. The boy couldn't believe his ears! He jumped to his feet and ran into the kitchen, shouting, "Grandma! Grandma! It's later than it's ever been before!" Of course, the youngster didn't understand what had happened, but he expressed a truth we all would do well to consider. So, if opportunity knocks, if duty calls, will you get around to it? When will you get around to it? If not you, then who? If not now, then when? It's later than it's ever been before. Time won't stand still. Opportunity may never knock again. It is not a question of whether or not we have opportunities! The question is: Will you get around to it?
Jesus gave His all for us without hesitation – let’s give our all for Him without delay.
