Redeeming The Time

Disclaimer: Source material for this sermon has been gleaned from many different sources. I have attempted to acknowledge these sources whenever possible.

REDEEMING THE TIME

EPHESIANS 5:13-20

Introduction: I would be more involved in church but, I just don’t have enough time. I would _________ (you fill in the blank) but I just don’t have the time. How often have you heard those words or perhaps have said them yourself. Today men and women are overbooked, overscheduled, and overcommitted. Not having enough time that precious commodity that has been allotted to each of us to use to do His will. God has entrusted us with 24 hours each day to use as wise stewards. David said in Psalm 39:5 “Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah” To the Eternal God our time on earth is brief, but he has demands our stewardship not only of our tithe and talent but our time also. If you had a bank that credited your account each morning with $86,000 that carried over no balance from day to day...Allowed you to keep no cash in your account, and every evening cancelled whatever part of the amount you failed to use during the day, what would you do? Draw out every cent every day, of course, and use it to your advantage! Well, you have such a bank, and its name is TIME! Every morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it rules off as lost whatever of this you failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balances, it allows no overdrafts. Each day it opens a new account with you. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow. (Copied) God has given us enough time to carry out His plan for us. If we don’t have enough time it is not that God has not given us enough time, but that we need to redeem time.

I. What does it mean “to redeem” the time?

A. Lit – to buy up for one’s self

B. “make the most of the time” (HCSB)

C. “Making good use of the time” (BBE)

D. “Buy up your opportunities” (WEY)

E. Redeeming the time is a Christian concept which, basically, means to convert time into value, to recover, to not waste.

F. Prioritizing

II. Why should we redeem the time?

A. We should redeem time because of the prevalence of evil

1. Ephesians 5:16 “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

2. The days of life in general are so exposed to evil, as to make it necessary that we make the most of every opportunity to do the will of God.

3. Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

4. 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

5. Matthew 5:14 – 16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

B. We should redeem time because of the fleeting nature of opportunity

1. Isaiah 55:6 6Seek ye Jehovah while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near:

2. Galatians 6:9 - 10 9And let us not be weary in well-doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10So then, as we have opportunity, let us work that which is good toward all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith.

3. Four things come not back: the sped arrow, the spoken word, time past, and the neglected opportunity. - Arabian Proverb

4. 2 Corinthians 6:2 2For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

C. We should redeem time because of the brevity of life

1. James 4:13 – 14 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.