The Time Is Short

THE TIME IS SHORT

1 Cor. 7:29

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. We’ve all heard of the unsettling effect of fracking, possibly causing miniature earthquakes. I heard about some Texaco drillers who were drilling for oil in Lake Peigneur in LA.

2. After only a few hours they sat back, expecting the oil to come shooting up. Instead, they watched a whirlpool form in the middle of the lake.

3. Not only did it suck down all of the water in the 1,300 lake, it sucked down 5 houses, 9 barges, 8 tugboats, 2 oil rigs, a mobile home, most of a botanical garden and 10% of nearby Jefferson Island, leaving a half-mile wide crater!

4. No one told them there was an abandoned salt mine underneath! “A local fisherman said he thought the world was coming to an end!”

5. That wasn’t the end of the world, obviously. But the End will come to each one of us, so we must make the most of our time and be ready!

B. TEXT

11 And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh. Rom. 13:11-14 NIV.

“But the end of all things is at hand: therefore be sober, and watch unto prayer” 1 Pet. 4:7.

Rev. 10:6 speaks of a time when…"There should be time no longer." What a day that will be - when all the clocks suddenly stop. Big Ben, in London, and all the others will stop their movement after centuries. Time SHALL be at an end some day and it will never begin again.

C. 24 HOURS TO LIVE

1. The advertising firm of J. Walter Thompson of Chicago used a “shock” ad to gain attention, proclaiming in large type: "You have 24 hours to live." "Today, that is," says the smaller type below.

2. If we only had 24 hours to live:

a. Every hour would be precious;

b. Every hour would be worth more than gold.

c. The usage of every minute would be a rationed as if we were spending money. Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Ps. 90:12.

D. THESIS

1. In light of this "big picture," the Apostle Paul penned the words of 1 Corinthians 7:29; “What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short” 1 Cor. 7:29.

2. What does Paul mean when he states those insightful, prophetic words, "The Time is Short?"

I. THE TIME OF “OUR LIFE” IS SHORT

A. WE ALL THINK WE’RE IMMORTAL

1. It’s a curious trait that we think of other people as getting old but don’t think of ourselves as ever dying.

2. A few years ago, the Chicago Bears were coached by Mike Ditka. He was the ultimate tough guy, with a volcanic anger, until he had a massive heart attack.

3. His response to that heart attack was shock. His body had failed him. He said, "Up to that time, I thought I was immortal."

4. But we aren't; we'll only live 70 or so years. We all think like him; he just happened to put it into words.

B. VALUE OF TIME

1. To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.

2. To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a pre-mature baby.

3. To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.

4. To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.

5. To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.

6. To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.

7. To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have!

C. DEATH IS CERTAIN

1. HUMOR. One man went to the doctors and was told he only had 3 minutes to live. He said, “Doctor, is there anything you can do for me?” The doctor replied, “Well, I could boil an egg for you.” Nothing is so certain as death, and nothing is so UNcertain as the hour of death.