Redeeming the time Eph 5:16

1
Redeeming the time Eph 516

• because the days are evil.

2
Redeeming the time

• What does redeeming the time mean?
• It is recovering the time already lost.
• Time is lost through our neglect,
  procrastination, indifference, and non-committal.
• Redeeming the missed opportunity of sharing the
  gospel with others
• It is doing what we ought to do in the first
  place.

3
What do we know about time?

• There is an appointed time for everything.
• Ecc 31 To every thing there is a season, and a
  time to every purpose under the heaven
• People have different perspectives about time. To
  the young, their perception of time is that there
  is no urgency. They have time on their side.
• To the older, time is shorter in comparison.
• Eccl 121 Remember now thy Creator in the days
  of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor
  the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have
  no pleasure in them

4
What do we know about time?

• Time is at a premium as each day passes by. How
  do we make the best use of each day?
• Do not think we have ample time that we can wait.
  The field is already white for harvest.
• Jn. 435 Say not ye, There are yet four months,
  and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you,
  Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields for
  they are white already to harvest.
• Time waits for no one. Before we realize it, time
  has already flown by us. The time that is past
  cannot be recovered again. It is past and gone
  forever.

5
What do we know about time?

• Whatever our thinking is, we know that all of us
  have a time limit or expiry date.
• Psa 9010
• The days of our years are threescore years and
  ten and if by reason of strength they be
  fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and
  sorrow for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
• Jas 414
• Whereas ye know not what shall be on the
  morrow. For what is your life? It is even a
  vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and
  then vanisheth away.

6
What do we know about time?

• A medical director treating cancer patients for
  23 years wrote in a recent article,
• Some patients will speak of unfinished business
  and unfulfilled dreams as death approaches.
• All our days are numbered the difference is
  merely that the number is a clearer one for
  terminal ill patients.
• All of us should make the most of each day of our
  lives. It matters not the number.
• Christians need to be aware of the preciousness
  of time. Others through neglect and carelessness
  came to know it sometimes too late for them to do
  much.

7
What do we know about time?

• As we live the minutes of today, let us consider
  time is a precious gift from God. Knowing that
  time is precious, let us not waste it.
• As we reflect on our past, we can't help but
  notice how time has passed us by. We look back
  with nostalgia, either regretting on those things
  we should have done, or the missed opportunity,
  we should have seized upon.
• God helps us to live one day at a time. His
  sustaining love sees us through difficult times
  in our lives.
• Mat 634 Take therefore no thought for the
  morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the
  things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the
  evil thereof

8
How do we redeem time?

• Every Christian should seize and use well
  every opportunity to do good and give the glory
  to Christ.
• There are many opportunities to do that which
  are good but we fail to seize them. By doing
  things that are pleasing to God attending to
  others who are in need especially to the
  household of God.
• Have a heart of compassion toward those who are
  hurting, giving of your time to them and praying
  with them and for them.
• Occupying ourselves with things of spiritual
  values, helping others to know the Lord.
• Making right with those whom you have done wrong
  and asking for their forgiveness if we cause
  hurts or utter any thoughtless and insensitive
  comments.

9
How do we redeem time?

• There is a need for repentance of our sins, turn
  to God with all our heart. Joel 212
• Live each day worthy of the Lord. The lives of
  Christians are the Bible the world reads. They
  watch our walk more than our talk and judge and
  measure our talk by our walk.
• Eph 515 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not
  as fools, but as wise,
• Eph 517 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
  understanding what the will of the Lord is.

10
How do we redeem time?

• Living a consistent Christian life of godliness
  will strengthen our spiritual character. Only by
  obeying Gods word can this transformation
  happen.
• We need to mortify (put to death) the deeds of
  the flesh through our willingness to let the Word
  of God transform us.
• Let us begin each day with meditating on His word
  and to reflect whether our fleshly nature that
  once controlled and dominated our lives have less
  sway in our lives now.

11
Why do we need to redeem time?

• For the days are evil. Sin abounds in the world
  and Christian should seize every opportunity for
  doing that which is good. We want to do those
  things required of us by God.
• Many demands are made of life and if we allowed
  these demands to fill our lives, it will create a
  cluttered life for ourselves. Sometimes when
  there are pockets of time, we have a tendency to
  fill it with activities and we find ourselves yet
  again hard pressed for time. We need to
  prioritize our time.
• Time is very important in our spiritual life.
• Our faith in God should grow daily through the
  study and meditation of His word. To grow we have
  to allow His word to transform us. This is
  possible through putting His word into practice.

12
Why do we need to redeem time?

• We should be careful how we live life. By
  reflecting on His word daily, we are able to see
  clearly and objectively how well we live life for
  God.
• We have a tendency to neglect this area of self
  examination. Instead of examining which aspects
  of life we need to change, we tend to find a
  convenient time to do so.
• This always never happens. An easy way to delay
  or avoid change of self is to put blame on others
  for your own spiritual state.

13
Spiritual markers

• There are three spiritual markers that remind
  us of where we are at each time of life-
• 1. How is my relationship with God?
• Rom 121 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
  the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a
  living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
  which is your reasonable service.
• Rom 122 And be not conformed to this world but
  be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
  that ye may prove what is that good, and
  acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

14
Spiritual markers

• 2. Where is my direction in life?
• Col 31 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek
  those things which are above, where Christ
  sitteth on the right hand of God.
• Col 32 Set your affection on things above, not
  on things on the earth.

15
Spiritual markers

• 3. How is my spiritual conditions?
• Mat 619 Lay not up for yourselves treasures
  upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
  where thieves break through and steal
• Mat 620 But lay up for yourselves treasures in
  heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
  and where thieves do not break through nor steal
  
• Mat 621 For where your treasure is, there will
  your heart be also.

16
Exhortations

• Brethren, we do not have the luxury of time. Let
  not the devils deceive you by telling us that
  time is on your side. Now is the time for
  everyone to put our hands on the plough for the
  kingdom of God and not to look back anymore from
  henceforth.
• Luke 962 And Jesus said unto him, No man,
  having put his hand to the plough, and looking
  back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
• Jas 417 Therefore to him that knoweth to do
  good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

17
Exhortations

• The questions for each of us to ponder are
  these-
• 1. Do we have a heart for the lost? Do we reach
  out for them?
• 2. Are we living a life that encourages our
  brethren to keep on, keeping on in the faith by
  our examples?
• In the final analysis, God's perspective is the
  only one that matters.