Redeeming The Time Series

I’d like you to imagine with me…that your bank account has just been credited with $1440. And let’s imagine that this happens every single day. No balance is allowed to be carried over from one day to the next. The entire balance is deleted each evening. What would you do?

Hopefully…you’d withdraw the entire amount every day and spend every penny!

I want to encourage you with this thought. You have such a bank. The name of the bank is TIME. Every day…we are credited with 1440 minutes. Every night…what we havent’ used is debited from our account. There are no overdrafts…there is no savings account…there is no setting aside for a rainy day…no going back for a second chance. TIME bank won’t allow you to borrow from tomorrow…and…of course…there are no roll over minutes. You’ve only got access to what’s in your acount TODAY.

Sometimes you’ll hear it said that “TIME is money.” But in reality…time is not money. If you lose money…you can always make it some other way. You can save money. You can borrow money. Whatever time is lost…it’s gone forever. Time…by a long shot…is infinitely more valuable than money will ever be.

Because our time is so valuable…we usually try to SAVE IT and MANAGE it. We save time using microwaves and automatic dishwashers. We take shortcuts. We fly on non-stop flights. We pay other people to do our yard-work, clean our house, or wash our car. We order online…we order fast-food…we drive faster than we should. Did you know there are actually drive through funeral homes? All…in an effort to save TIME.

“Time Management” has become of on the buzzwords of American Culture. Everyone is busy pushing harder…multi-tasking…trying to accomplish more in the same amount of time. We have services…programs…apps on our phones…all to better organize the most valuable asset we have…TIME.

Today…I want to talk with you about the importance of how we use our time…and today my goal is that you will gain: (1) A better appreciation for the time you’ve been given, and (2) A plan for using the time you’ve been given as wisely as possible.

FIRST…let’s make some basic observations about TIME:

TIME is LIMITED.

Time is the distance between two events.

Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed unto men once to die.”

TIME is FLEETING.

Psalm 144:4 - “Man is like a breath, his days like a fleeting shadow.”

You see…time isn’t just limited…it’s running out…it’s passing by.

TIME is EASILY LOST.

TIME can’t be BORROWED.

TIME can’t be STORED. … It can only be consumed!

TIME can’t be STOPPED.

TIME can’t be STRETCHED. (Rubber band)

TIME IS VALUABLE. We need to treasure every moment. And…because TIME is so valuable…we need to use the time we’ve been given wisely.

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NKJV) - “See then that you walk circumspectly (that means…take inventory…take a good hard look at your life…evaluate how you are spending it), not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

It’s interesting that within the covers of the BIble…we don’t find a lot of emphasis on saving time or managing time. Without question…we are all called to be good-stewards of the time God has given us. BUT…we’re called to be more than managers of our time. We are specifically called to REDEEM the time. That’s different than managing it.

Did you know…other than souls…TIME is the only other thing the Bible says can be redeemed? So…what does it mean to REDEEM the TIME?

The original word that is translated “redeeming” in this verse means “to buy up”, “to cash in”, or “to convert.” The word “TIME” is this passage is not the Greek word, “chronos” which referrs to “clock time” or “time that is measurable.” Instead…the word here is “kairos” which refers to “an appointed time” or “a moment of opportunity.”

Other translations of Ephesians 5 word this verse as:

“make the most of each opportunity”

“make the best use of your time, buying up each opportunity.”

We get our word, “opportunity” from the Latin phrase “ob portu”. It was a term used for when a ship had to wait for the tide…before it seized the chance to ride the tide into port. “ob portu”

The thing about Opportunity…is that…it often comes at the most inoppotune times. You see…you very well may be given another 24 hours…but the opportunities you have TODAY may not be there TOMORROW.

Again…we are not called to simply manage the time we have…we’re called to take the time we’ve been given and to REDEEM IT…to convert it into value. WHY? “Because the days are evil.” And…if we aren’t careful of how we redeem our time…it is easy to be led astray.