Seizing The Day ( 2012)

Ephesians 5: 15. Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16. making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19. addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, always and for everything giving thanks in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

SEIZING THE DAY

Text: Ephesians 5:15-20

When we think about time, how do we spend it?

1.Someone (John R. Mott) once said "Time is the only possession that we have that we cannot replace. Wealth can be replaced. Even our health in may instances can be regained. But lost time can never be recalled."

2.To those (Mott's) comments someone else (Ernest A. Fitzgerald) replied, "That isn't altogether true, but it is true enough to merit attention. Our days are linked together, and the harvests of tomorrow are dependent upon the seeds sown today". (Ernest A. Fitzgerald. Keeping Pace: Inspirations In The Air. Greensboro: Pace Communications, 1986, p. 55).

Psalm 90:12 says, “So teach us to count our days that we may gain a wise heart” (NRSV).

So how do we honestly number our days (Psalm 90:12)? Consider

Ephesians 5:15-16: "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil" (RSV). When the Apostle Paul penned those words, he was exhorting the urgency and the necessity of "seizing the day!" with every passing day. Paul was and is talking about seeking to do God's will, striving to be filled with the Holy Spirit, praising God together and thanking God for everything. How well do we heed this urgent call to seize the day?

TIME IS PRICELESS

Brothers and sisters do we think that time is pricelss? "Three things come not back----the spoken word, the spent arrow, and the lost opportunity." (The Daily Study Bible: The Gospel Of Matthew. Volume 1. Revised Edition. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975, p. 371). Life does not always give us rain checks for missed opportunities. The definition of a rain check is this: "the stub of a ticket to a ball game or other outdoor event, entitling the holder to be admitted at a future date if the original event is rained out". (Webster's New World Dictionary. Second College Edition. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1982, p. 1173). How often have you received a “rain-check” for a missed opportunity?

Do we squander the time that we have been given or do we seize the day and invest the talent of time? The harvest that will be reaped in the future as someone has noted depends upon the seeds that are sown today. Consider this thought: “Sign over college classroom clock: "Time will pass; will you?" (Timeless Treasures). Are we squandering our time or are we considering the future with the seeds that we are sowing today?

Are we spending our time wisely?

Martha Stewart sleeps with a light on all night, so if she wakes up she can immediately start reading. It must work, because she finds time to have her own TV show, put out a magazine, write books, and be in American Express commercials. (McHenry).

“… Douglas MacArthur graduated from West Point at the top of his class, he continued to prepare himself for service to his country. He studied every military textbook he could get his hands on. He visited battlefields and personally reviewed the tactics which the victors and the losers used. While other young officers were playing cards or practicing their golf swing, MacArthur ignored the social whirl to make himself better prepared as a future leader. He even insisted on having his appendix removed just in case it would ever cause him to be incapacitated with an attack of appendicitis at a crucial time later in his career. Douglas MacArthur's preparedness proved wise. As the key military leader in the Pacific theatre of operations during World War II, he had personally responded to his country's call to duty years before the actual crisis of war by preparing himself to be a top general. Each Christian can have that kind of commitment to Christ's rule and prepare himself or herself for service. Are you preparing yourself to serve Christ? Are you responding to His call by being ready to lead?" (William P. Barker ed. Tarbell's Teacher's Guide. 86th Annual Volume. Elgin: David C. Cook Publishing Co. 1990, p. 123). Obviously, God does not want us to be obsessed people like Stewart and MacArthur, but God does want us to use our time wisely and responsibly with the future in mind. God does want us to realize how well or poor we spend today makes or fails to make a difference tomorrow!