Video Transition: Blue fish Tv - A time
Series: Come Alive in 2025
Thesis: We need to come alive in 2025 and we do this by prophesying life into that which is dead and then asking the breath of Life from Heaven to enter that which is dead. We do this so people know the resurrection power of the Lord.
Scripture: Ezekiel 27:6b “…I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the?Lord.’”
The last time I preached I was highlighting Ezekiel for you, and I focused in on the promise of God to restore Israel – to bring them back from the dead – to restore the nations of the world – yes even to bring them back from the dead – and the promise from Ezekiel’s word that God’s Holy Spirit would return to the earth and fill His people with His spiritual presence:
This happened in Acts 2 - but I wanted to draw your attention to the day Jesus dies – focusing for a moment – on the part of the message where God says He will breathe life back into that which died. At that moment, in time when Jesus gave up His spirit (Yes, when he died): What else happened in that moment of time – Yes, when He died – We had darkness roll in mid-day and an earthquake which ripped the temple curtain in two from top to bottom and yet something else occurred:
Notice the connection to the promise in Ezekiel 37- 48 to Matthew 27:52-53:
50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. 52 The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus’ resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”
I want us to observe that when God promises something in Scripture, He always keeps His word and delivers the promise. Timing though is always in His hands, and we often think God should do it sooner than later, but timing is what God is the master of! He knows that timing matters! Why because He created time – the creator of time knows how to use time for eternal purposes!
Repeat after me: God’s timing is always the right time!
Jesus throughout his ministry would talk about timing – He said to his mother who asked him to do something at a wedding this, “My hour has not yet come!” – He resisted at first to turn water into wine – saying – “it was not his time!” But His mother Mary persisted, and He did do it for her – Why? Because of the Commandment “Honor your father and Mother!” Jesus never sinned He never broke God’s Word, so He honored His Mother’s request!
Very early on, John tells this story - it is a unique story to his Gospel and places this as Jesus first public miracle:
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”—John 2:1-5 (ESV)
So, it shows here and in other places of the Gospel that Jesus was aware of the importance of timing for everything – He was aware of God the Father’s timing – everything is to be done in line with God’s timing! Jesus followed that rule or law of timing. God’s timing always wins out – it’s a spiritual lesson we all need to know – we need to learn it and do it – tell time God’s way – not our way!
In the Topical Encyclopedia it states this about timing: The concept of timing is a significant theme throughout the Bible, reflecting God's sovereignty and the importance of aligning human actions with divine timing. The Scriptures emphasize that there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven, as articulated in Ecclesiastes 3:1 – this book of the Bible is important for us to understand – especially in todays world: "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." Yes, this is our text for today!
This world does not know how to tell time – they are clueless to God’s time frame and timing!
The New Testament highlights the significance of timing in the coming of Jesus Christ. Galatians 4:4 states, "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." This verse indicates that Christ's incarnation was not random but occurred at the divinely appointed time. The timing of Jesus' birth, ministry, death, and resurrection was orchestrated according to God's redemptive plan, fulfilling numerous Old Testament prophecies. It was done in God’s timing! So, it’s essential that we be in sync with God’s timing throughout our lives.
Did you here that thought: We need to be in sync with God’s timing!
Illustration: Time Clock – set the alarm! Today I am setting an alarm on my sermon – to make the point that timing matters – that the use of our time matters and that once it is used up it’s gone – never to return! I know I have a limited amount of precious time so I want to make it count for eternity!
Sermon: Make Every Moment Count!
Thesis: We need to come alive in 2025 from receiving the breath of Life from Heaven and then we need to make every moment count this year! We need be in sync with God and His timetable! We need to learn to tell time by God’s clock and not our clock.
This is my eternal point of truth today!
Introduction:
Have you ever wondered how important your time is? No really – as I enter my later years, I have more time behind me than in front of me and time becomes more precious!
I read this the other day and really opened my eyes to the importance of time.
Do you know what happens in 30 minutes every day? “Mission Maker Magazine”, page 18, Edition 2008, (www.WorldChristianDatabase.org). Tell us:
7,764 souls began life in the world – they are born
3,444 souls die
3,420 baptisms occur on the foreign mission field
$1,311,888 dollars are given to foreign missions
10,896 people migrate internationally from one place to the next
402 children became homeless or family-less
2,275 rural poor migrate to cities
1,140 people moved into urban slums
68 people began supporting themselves only by collecting garbage
1,375 children under age five died from preventable starvation related causes
10 Christians are martyred for their faithful Christian witness in the world
Wow, all this happens in 30 minutes every day worldwide. Many people take time for granted every day. I know I have done this at times but to Come Alive in 2025 means I don’t waste anymore time.
Scripture Text: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15: A Time for Everything
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
6 a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
8 a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.
15 Whatever is has already been, and what will have been before; and God will call the past to account.
The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984), Ecc. 3:1–15.
Summary of Ecclesiastes: Everything has a time! (Book is part of Wisdom Literature)
Quote: “Ecclesiastes 3 explains that there are moments of joy and sadness, surprise and disappointment, success and failure. Things, and even people, change, pass, and transform. No situation lasts forever. In life, everything is temporary. But there is one thing that never changes: God.”
The above and the following from - https://thelondonchristianradio.co.uk/embracing-lifes-seasons-a-reflection-on-ecclesiastes-31/
The author speaks of the teacher revealing to us that the ultimate meaning of life is to “Fear God and Keep His Commandments – His Word – When you do this your lifetime will count in eternity!
But we must learn from the teacher and understand that the seasons of life are critical to Coming Alive in 2025 (The Seasons of Time matter): Just as the natural world transitions through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, our lives are marked by periods of growth, abundance, change, and rest. Each season serves a purpose, shaping us and preparing us for what lies ahead.
Spring: A time of new beginnings and fresh starts. It’s a season of planting seeds, both literally and metaphorically. We embark on new projects, form new relationships, and set new goals.
Summer: A period of growth and productivity. The seeds we planted in spring begin to flourish. It’s a time to nurture our endeavors and enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Autumn: A season of change and harvest. We reap what we’ve sown and reflect on our progress. It’s also a time to let go of what no longer serves us, much like the trees shedding their leaves.
Winter: A time of rest and reflection. The world slows down, and we are invited to pause and rejuvenate. It’s a season to gather strength and prepare for the next cycle of growth.
Reflection: Consider the season you are currently in. Are you in a period of new beginnings, growth, change, or rest? Each season has its own beauty and challenges. Embrace where you are, trusting that God has a purpose for this time in your life.
I have recently been pondering my life past and future – I just finished a 67- chapter memoir book on my life that I will pass down to my kids and my grandkids – in looking back over my life I became very reflective about time and timing! In my reflective time I came across a book by accident!
The book is called “Every Moment Counts” by O Sullivan.
Please note: This is not a Christian book but actually a book on coaching! But it struck a chord with me, so I read it!
He opens his book with a life-changing moment – A time when He as a coach realized he is either influencing students positively or negatively for the rest of their lives – and it rocked him at his core:
Here is the story from Sullivan: In early 2001…the phone rang. The call was from a former player of mine from my first coaching job at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. His name was Pat, and to this day, he is one of the favorite players I have ever coached. He was hard-working, honest, fiercely competitive, an inspirational leader, and just a great person, both on and off the field. It was amazing to hear his voice and even more exciting that he was coming to visit UVM, where he was applying to medical school. As we caught up that day, he said something that changed me forever as a coach. “John, I just wanted you to know that studying for the MCATs is really hard, and college was hard, but every time I want to put down the books or give up early when I am working out, I hear your voice,” said Pat. “You hear my voice?” I asked. “You keep telling me to push a little harder, do a little more,” Pat explained. “I keep hearing you say, ‘Was that your very best?’ So, I pick up my book and study a little more. Or I go back and do another set in the weight room. I just wanted to say thanks, Coach. Because you are still coaching me every day, even though I haven’t seen you in a few years.” … I thought. That sucks. He remembers everything I said and did. He was one of those kids I got along with great and was pretty positive toward. But he had a lot of teammates that I wasn’t a very good coach for, that I was downright cruel to at times, I think. What about all of them? For some of them, I was their last coach because they quit…It scared me because in that moment I realized that our words and actions as a coach leave a long-lasting impact. They can stick with a young athlete for the rest of his life. And these moments in which we speak to our athletes are often very emotional, in the heat of an athletic contest, and they occur in public situations in front of friends, teammates, and families. What we say and do in that moment can make or break them…It can be a moment that builds them up and carries them through tough times, both on and off the field. Or it can be a lingering thought in the back of their mind, saying over and over, “I am not good. I am not enough.” In a nutshell, I realized that every action matters. That every word matters. I realized that every moment matters. Up until that time, I had spent my coaching career looking for the magic practice session…I realized in that moment that coaching was not simply an Xs and Os business. Coaching was a relationship business.
He adds “… what I realized in that moment shook me to the core.”
Quote from: O'Sullivan, John. Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. Changing the Game Project. Kindle Edition.
Question: Have you ever had an epiphany like that? A realization that every moment counts – every moment matters – for eternity? That means what you say, do and how you interact with others makes a lifelong impact on a person and on eternity?
Sullivan highlights a recent study which was done with young athletes and what they are looking for from their coaches, parents and even adult leaders in their lives:
Amanda Visek of George Washington University discovered that the top five qualities children, young adults want in their coach (which also applies to parents and adult leaders too) are as follows:
Respect and encouragement
A positive role model
Clear, consistent communication
Knowledge of sport (knowledge of skills needed in different seasons of life)
A good listener.
As you can see, the research shows that while kids and young people want their coaches to know the Xs and Os, they also must know that they care about and are invested in (them the person, the child.)
O'Sullivan, John. Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. Changing the Game Project. Kindle Edition.
There are many books called “Every moment Matters” they focus on everything from coaching, to leading, to marriage relationships, to being a life coach, to business relations, to church and school leadership. Let’s just notice the point “Every Moment Matters” – Did you hear that truth because it is a Biblical truth too!
The Bible contains several passages that emphasize the importance of making every moment count, including the following:
2 Peter 1:12-15: Encourages people to make each moment count in life!
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
Matthew 6:34: Jesus encourages people to focus on the present and trust God with the future!
"So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today"
James 4:14: Compares life to vapor, appearing for a moment and then disappearing!
"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes"
Other Bible passages that relate to time include our focal passage today:
Ecclesiastes 3: There is a time for everything, including birth, death, planting, and more!
We also have Psalms 139:17-18: God cherishes every moment that people think of him!
T.S. – Over the next few weeks of time – yes that precious time - I will seek to communicate “How Everything Matters!” But I will focus in on the three aspects of how to make every minute of God’s timeframe matter!
Every moment matters. Every word matters. Every action matters.
3 ways of helping us understand every moment matters in time!
It matters how you use your gift of time! Ecclesiastes 3
It matters what you say and how you say it in your gift of time! James 3 – Has a lot to say about the tongue!
It matters how you act and your actions every moment of time! Matthew 5
T.S. - Video Illustration: SermonCentral – Time!
T.S. - Timing does make a difference in this life and in your eternal life and it’s critical to manage your time wisely!
The definition of time may help us understand how every moment counts!
Time – Webster’s Dictionary states, “The period between two events or during which something exists, happens, or acts; measured or measurable interval.”
He also adds time is also defined as period of duration, continuance “Indefinite, unlimited duration in which things are considered as happening past, present, or future; every moment there has ever been or will be.”
I recall a Quote from a book I read, “Time is given to us to prepare for eternity.” Francois Fenelon - (Workbook Driven by Eternity, page 4).
Eternity is defined as everlasting; there is no end to it.
John Bevere states, “However (eternity), it’s not just a matter of ceaseless time, as it is not subject to time. Eternity transcends time. To speak of eternity in terms of merely perpetual duration is to miss the full picture. To capture the best view of eternity, we must look at God Himself. He is not limited in power, knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and all glory, just to name a few. He is self-existent, forever was and forever will be God. He is called the ‘Everlasting Father’ (Isa. 9:6). Young’s literal translation read, “Father of Eternity.” He is called the “King of eternity” (1 Timothy 1:17, AMP). All that is eternal is found in Him; in fact, eternity itself is found in Him. All that is outside of Him is temporal and will change. No matter how good, noble, powerful, or enduring it may seem, it will eventually cease. Even the earth and universe will change, but He will not… (Bevere, Driven by Eternity page 6, 7).
Point – time will change as we know it in the future!
Question: Why is learning to tell time so important? Why is important to be in tune with God’s timing.
It will determine your eternal destiny!
Quote “Time is given to us to prepare for eternity.” Francois Fenelon - (Workbook Driven by Eternity, page 4).
Do you believe this – your lifetime is given to you by God to prepare you for eternity?
Indian Proverbs states, “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced, live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries, and you rejoice.”
How do you want to use your time? Question are you willing to use it for the one who created it?
The Bible addresses the subject of time frequently listen to this thought from the Word which supports the teaching from Solomon.
Psalm 90:12 (NLT) “Teach us to make the most of our time…and make our efforts successful. Yes, our efforts successful!”
Psalm 37:18, “The days of the blameless are known to the LORD, and their inheritance will endure forever” (NIV). The TLB version reads like this “Day by Day the Lord observes the good deeds done by godly men and gives them eternal rewards.”
The Bible tells us not to grow weary in doing good because the Lord sees the good that you do and one day you will be rewarded for it.
So, we need to make sure that we use our time wisely and for eternal purposes.
We do not want to waste our time because when we use it up it’s never going to return.
We will be held accountable for the use of our time!
The Bible says that people will be held accountable for their words and actions on the Day of Judgment.?This includes being accountable for how they use their time.?
Bible verses about accountability
Matthew 12:36:?People will be held accountable for every idle word they speak on the Day of Judgment?
Psalm 10:13:?God will hold all people accountable before him on the Day of Judgment?
Romans 14:12:?Each person will give an account to God?
1 Peter 4:5:?God is ready to judge the living and the dead?
Revelation 20:12:?The dead will be judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done?
Other Bible passages about accountability?Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Hebrews 10:24–25, and James 5:16.?
T.S. - A proper understanding of time is essential for each of us today because time does matter – every moment matters - and it can never be replaced once it used. Solomon, who we heard from earlier in our Scripture reading learned from living his life that his most asset was his time.
Solomon learned from his life that the most valuable asset he had was his time.
Solomon lived the American Israelite dream: He was considered very wise and very intelligent, and people would come from far and wide to hear his decisions on certain cases. He helped Israel to prosper, and he took her into the “Golden Age.”
He was personally prosperous beyond measure. He would have been considered a millionaire in his day. He had a huge family. He knew what it was like to have 700 wives and 300 concubines. He had a palace to live in which was grandiose. He built great architectural masterpieces. He had fame which stretched worldwide. He had power and a huge army at his disposal. He had it all you could say!
He was living the dream – He had fame, fortune, and power!
Solomon experienced all of life’s pleasures and then toward the end of his life he wrote this thought-provoking book.
His most famous phrase from the book is “What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind. “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless.”
The word in Hebrew for “Meaningless is Hevel!”
It means to be a “vapor-or smoke”
It is used 38 times in this book!
It means to understand that life is like smoke or a vapor and when you try to grab a hold of it slips through your hand!
His point is to reveal that life is like that outside of God – it slips away with no meaning or any eternal purpose! It means you can waste your precious time doing things that mean nothing and have no eternal value:
Things like the pursuit of pleasure-wealth-career-status!
The book has two main thoughts – Time and Death
Time – 1:3-11
Death – 12:8
The author uses the subject of the teacher in our book today to teach us that time is a gift from God – use it wisely because when you use time – it’s gone never to return, and that time is what determines the eternal value of your life.
Time is like vapor - like smoke – it’s here and gone in a blink of the eye.
But time is also an enigma a paradox!
Ecclesiastes 1:2; 12-14:
This book helps us to understand how to come to terms with the reality of life.
This book is about real-life experiences Solomon had with all its toil, hardships and lessons to be learned.
He opens his book with this observation about life in Ecc. 1: 2 “Meaningless! Meaningless! …everything is meaningless.”
I read this and I thought he sounds rather distraught, even overwhelmed. What do you think!
But he opens this book with this phrase it pricks at your heart and then he takes the reader through his own journey of life. He points out what he did, what he accomplished, what he learned, what he experienced, what he regrets, and compares that to what is really the most meaningful part of life. He takes you through a thrill ride of his life and ends with a poignant thought on the true meaning of life.
He actually ends his book with an observation of what matters most in life. He concludes his book by making a very clear point in Ecc. 12:13-14, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”
Solomon tells us not to be deceived in life because life is meaningless when it used to pursue – fame, fortune and power.
He tells us “Don’t make the same mistake I did and waste your life chasing the wind!”
His power, fame, wealth, huge family, and extravagant lifestyle really was meaningless, even pointless. What mattered most in life according to our wise King Solomon was having a relationship with the Lord and following His purpose and plan for your life.
He knew the importance of timing! He knew that there was a law of timing. Solomon discovered that all the time that he spent doing things which had no eternal value to them were not worth the effort.
He discovered that it’s God who brings meaning and fulfillment to life and all the worldly things of power, fame and fortune have no eternal value to them.
He learned the value of time and how valuable this commodity of time is to each of us. Why because his time was just about up.
T.S. - Solomon learned that there was a time for everything in life. We are responsible for making sure that we do not waste our time or throw it away needlessly. Why, because it’s all we have to prepare for eternity. Life is about preparing for eternity and this life that you and I are living is all we get – when your time is used up that’s it – you are out of time.
Conclusion.
Quote: "The bad news is, time flies. The good news is, you're the pilot." Source: Michael Altshuler
You could say from looking at our Scripture texts today that, “Timing is everything!” There is time to study and time to take tests. There is time to listen and time to talk. There is time to ask questions and a time to be quiet. There is time to have fun and time to be serious. There is time to prepare for things and time to do things. You could make the case that timing is a major part of life -- “Learning to understand what time it is becomes crucial to success and to failure in life.” The truth is timing does make a difference in life as a matter of fact it’s critical.
Time goes by all too quickly and it impacts our lives every day. Time has come and gone during the 10 years since I last addressed this church and every one of you have experienced it – It seems that Time approaches so quickly and then flash right by us and before we know it’s gone. It can even become a blur at times because of how quickly it flies by.
But does the Lord in His Word encourage us to enjoy the journey of life with Him at our side and to make the most of our time? Each day brings with it a precious commodity and it is not money, power, fame or fortune its -- time. Every morning you wake up brings a new day and the Lord has placed 86,400 seconds of time into your hands which represents 1,440 minutes which also equals 24 hours in a day to be used for eternal purposes.
So, each day brings God’s gift of time. This time is precious, and it is not to be wasted or used unwisely. This priceless commodity is so important that it will determine your eternal destiny. So how are you doing with your limited amount of time?
