“NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE TIME”
SCRIPTURE TEXT: (NIV) 2 Corinthians 6:2-2
V: 2 For he says, “In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.
One of the greatest areas of stewardship that is overlooked by most Christians is the stewardship of your time. Many of us try to be good stewards of our money and resources, but we forget some very important things. I think God will hold us accountable for many things that we take very lightly.
The five foolish virgins never held the oil tanks accountable, and they took their responsibilities lightly. Some of us use our talents wisely, and purposefully invest our talents into the seed bank expecting a wise harvest.
My question to each of you this morning is, DO YOU INVEST YOUR TIME WISELY? I mean can you honestly say to yourself that your time is well spent. (And be careful how you answer because God knows how we spend our time).
Notice that we use the words SPEND TIME. SPEND TIME SIMPLY MEANS TO USE UP, TO PAY OUT, TO EXHAUST AND TO WEAR OUT. My brothers and sisters, understand, that time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. I heard the saying “ Who steals my purse steals trash, but who steals my time robs me, and thou shall not steal.
May I suggest to you today not to spend your time in vain.
My brothers and sisters understand that the enemy uses a sneaky time, he has us waste our time and he also gets us to think we have plenty of time. Understand that time is limited and of the essence. A rich man can buy no more time than a poor man. There are 60 minutes an hour, 1,440 minutes a day, 10, 080 minutes a week, 43, 200 minutes a month. But the question is still; DO we invest our time as well as we do our money? I understand that some might say that we have priorities, as many of us do. But what amazes me is the fact how we make time for things that are important to us.
The thing you should want most is God’s kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need, will be given to you. Satan’s greatest trick is to get you to think. There is plenty of time. Romans 13:11 says AND that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now salvation nearer than when we believed.
Understand that: WISDOM MUST LEARN TIME IS TEMPORARY! ( WISDOM-KNOWS)
PSALMS 90:9 SAYS THAT WE SPEND OUR TIME AS A TALE THAT IS TOLD.—Verse 12 says: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
In Childhood, TIME CREEPS, as a teenager, TIME WALKS, As a young adult, TIME RUNS (so little done and yet so much to do.) During middle age- times flies, As you travel on, “Time is gone”
Beloved we must understand that, TODAY IS ALL YOU HAVE… I’ve learned TWO DAYS TO NEVER WORRY ABOUT, YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW.
And the reason I don’t worry about yesterday, because I can’t change yesterday because yesterday is gone, and the reason I don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow may never be mine. Another thing about tomorrow is that there are some many things about tomorrow. My brothers and sisters understand THAT TODAY IS ALL YOU HAVE. USE YOUR TIME WISELY.
The reason that some may say they don’t have time for the things of God is because they are too busy. TOO BUSY…
My brother and sisters understand that the problem is not you are too busy, you see the BEE is praised for being busy! The Mosquito’s busy will earn it a swat! So the question is WHY ARE WE BUSY?
WE grow a veneer of busyness; it is just a veneer of busyness.
Veneer is a layer of valuable over inferior. A false show…
We can live in a shallow frenzy (no deep friendships), little commitments. Our days have great promise and dreams that can develop into hollow nightmares. We can be self-feeding and selfish just feeding our egos and superegos and STARVE THE INNER MAN. We can develop real good programs, without real change, and establish no priorities!
Understand that CONTENTMENT AND WISE TIME MANAGEMENT COMES FROM THE INSIDE NOT THE OUTSIDE! Phil 4:11 says: (Not that I speak in respect of want; for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. To wish to be another is to waste what you are.)
We waste time because there is little self-control and self-discipline. We have a serious lack of discipline-system of rules, control gained by training, Train, develop and instruction…. Let me say that to you we do have 10 suggestions that you can find 10 commandments! It’s been said that if you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything. Some people have no plans; some of us have grown impulsive, or compulsive. We are vacillating up and down, in and out, on fire---- I quit, we submit to no leader and to commit to no church. Seemingly we know how to start, but it seems we never finish anything. Situation ethics, lack basics, cheat lie—we compromise according to the crowd.
It seems as if peer pressure and popularity have become time’s goal. There are times when we find our self-struggling for everybody else’s approval. If we are going to be good stewards of time we must learn to act by faith not react to people problems, and learn how to act calm in storms. Many ignore and use denial, refuse to admit truth, to acknowledge… Competition Spirits thrive within the camp of God.
We have become trophy minded that we see victories and not people… Some think you have to be a winner or you not of God. Seems as though we only applaud winners and forget about the faithfulness. It has to be the best or quit.
I need for you to understand that God keep good records of this! Stewards-timekeepers
Eph 5:16 Let us know to “Redeem the time, because the days are evil. Some may ask the question, well what does “REDEEM TIME” means, Well I’m glad you asked the question. Redeem time means “to buy or get back, to change for better, to free captivity.”
We need to redeem the time. To buy back, to free from harm. Understand that our families don’t need us to buy them another toy, Jesus does not need another program, But what we need is TIME! Give JESUS TIME! GIVE YOUR FAMILY TIME… GIVE THAT ELDERLY PERSON SOME TIME… God doesn’t need any more excuses as to why we can’t get time. No more not making time for God because of lame excuses…Excuses are no more allebys that become lullabies, My friends understand that now is the time to make time…
I HAVE LEARNED MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT JESUS WAS ON A TIMETABLE-THAT TIMING WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM. THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T DIE IN A BAD CAMEL ACCIDENT, THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T DIE IN THE SECOND YEAR OF HIS MINISTRY, THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T GET BAPTIZED ON HIS 15TH BIRTHDAY, THAT’S WHY HE DIDN’T DIE IN 2002… BECAUSE HE IS ON A TIME TABLE. AND IF JESUS IS ON A TIME TABLE—YOU AND I MUST BE ON A TIME TABLE. UNDERSTAND THAT GOD HAS SOME THINGS CUT OUT FOR US, BUT AT THE RIGHT TIME.
THAT’S WHY CHILDREN SHOULDN’T TRY TO BE GROWN AT 12-IT’S NOT YOUR TIME
THAT’S WHY A 14 YEAR OLD SHOULDN’T HAVE BABIES-IT’S NOT YOUR TIME
THAT’S WHY A 9 YEAR OLD HAS NO BUSINESS WEARING MASCARA-IT’S NOT YOUR TIME
UNDERSATND THAT THERE IS A TIME TO MOVE FORWARD.. THERE IS A TIME TO STAY STILL.
THERE IS A TIME TO STEP OUT ON FAITH
THERE IS A TIME TO REST ON HIS PROMISES
THERE IS TIME TO OPEN YOUR MOUTH
THERE IS A TIME TO SHUT UP
THERE IS A TIME TO OFFER YOUR OPINION
THERE IS A TIME TO WAIT ON THE LORD
THERE IS A TIME TO GO TO SCHOOL
THERE IS A TIME TO START YOUR OWN BUSINESS
THERE IS A TIME TO DREAM DREAMS
THERE IS A TIME TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR FUTURE.
UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN YOU START GIVING GOD YOUR TIME, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL SOME PEOPLE TO GO TO…JUDEA
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL SOME FRIENDS, GO TO …JUDEA
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL SOME LOVED ONES, GO TO…JUDEA
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL SOME CHURCH FOLK, GO TO. JUDEA
CUT THE TIES, EMPTY THE GLASS, TEAR UP THE CONTRACT, RELEASE THE CHAINS…
BECAUSE IN TIMES LIKE THESE YOU NEED AN ANCHOR, IN TIMES LIKE THESE YOU NEED A SAVIOR BE SURE BE VERY SURE THAT YOUR ANCHOR HOLD AND GRIPS THE SOLID ROCK, THIS ROCK IS JESUS YES HE’S THE ONE, THIS ROCK IS JESUS THEE ONLY ONE… BE SURE BE VERY SURE THAT YOUR ANCHOR HOLDS AND GRIPS THE SOLID ROCK…
