I had a pretty normal week. Nothing extraordinary happened, yet no adversity came along either. I’ll take days like those. I call them ridge runner experiences. You know what I mean. Sometime you have a mountain top experience! A mountain top experience is where something super has occurred. These times are really good and quite desirable, but in reality are few and far in between. Then, there are the valley encounters; those low times in life when things aren’t going so well. Fortunately, they do not normally last too long. Most of life is lived somewhere in between -- not on top of the mountain, but not at the bottom either. Most of life is lived in the middle, on the ridge. That makes us ridge runners. I said in Church yesterday that life is nothing more than a series of events. Some are good, pleasant, and enjoyable, while others we’d rather avoid. One difference between life in Heaven, and life on earth is that life in Heaven is also a series of events, but they are all mountain top experiences and they are never ending.
They are never ending ---time no longer matters. For now, however, time does matter. Our time on earth is limited, and it sometime seems that it is getting away from us. My Sunday message was titled, “Funny How Time Slips Away.” Sometime we see time, and especially its passage as an enemy; but it doesn’t have to be. For a believer the passage of time can be a blessing, because it draws us closer to the day of our glorification; that day that we move to our Heavenly home. Remember, life is a series of events. The last event you will consciously participate in will be your passing. However, that same event will be your first one of Heaven. It will be good, and will be the first of gazillions more. Following are the sermon notes concerning time. Time is a gift to us from the LORD. As believers, we need to understand it, embrace it, and use it wisely.
Funny How Time Slips Away
Various
By Victor Cooper
6/25/11
Intro: Willie Nelson wrote a melancholy song titled, “Funny How Time Slips Away.” Time does march forward and there is nothing funny about it. However, it does not have to make us miserable. For a believer, a proper understanding of time makes it bearable, and possibly even an ally.
Ephesians 5:15-21
I. Key verse is v 16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
A. Redeeming> ex-ag-or-ad’-zo> to buy up as in to rescue from loss.
1. Time, then, is seen as a valuable commodity.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.
Believers then, are to walk (live) carefully, so as to be wise, skillful, and thus pleasing the Lord. The manner for this careful, precise walk is making the right use of every opportunity (cf. Col. 4:5), and the reason for this careful walk is that the days are evil. Many are walking in sin, and since the time is short believers must make full use of their time to help turn them from darkness to light. This necessitates wise conduct.
B. Redeeming the time comes by wisdom which is the end result of understanding the will of the LORD.
1. To understand the will of the LORD, you must first know the LORD, then be in fellowship with Him.
C. Redeeming the time comes by being Spirit filled.
1. Being filled with the Spirit and being indwelled by the Spirit are two entirely different and separate things.
2. All believers are indwelled by the Spirit at salvation. If not, eternal security would be impossible.
3. Being filled with the Spirit means a believer is controlled by the Spirit. Many are self controlled. That is simply not a Biblical concept.
Dr. Donald K. Campbell, Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary said, “Each Christian has all the Spirit, but the command here is that the Spirit have all of him.“
Hebrews 13:8
II. Christ has conquered time. Cf Malachi 3:6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
A. Christ has conquered time; it has not changed Him.
B. At our glorification we will conquer time, because Christ has conquered it.
1. This is why we will cast our crowns at His feet --- we are crown winners only through Him!
Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NLT)
1 I said to myself, “Come on, let’s try pleasure. Let’s look for the ‘good things’ in life.” But I found that this, too, was meaningless. 2 So I said, “Laughter is silly. What good does it do to seek pleasure?” 3 After much thought, I decided to cheer myself with wine. And while still seeking wisdom, I clutched at foolishness. In this way, I tried to experience the only happiness most people find during their brief life in this world. 4 I also tried to find meaning by building huge homes for myself and by planting beautiful vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks, filling them with all kinds of fruit trees.
6 I built reservoirs to collect the water to irrigate my many flourishing groves. 7 I bought slaves, both men and women, and others were born into my household. I also owned large herds and flocks, more than any of the kings who had lived in Jerusalem before me. 8 I collected great sums of silver and gold, the treasure of many kings and provinces. I hired wonderful singers, both men and women, and had many beautiful concubines. I had everything a man could desire! 9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me. 10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors. 11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
[The NLT helps clear up some of the old English words and makes for smooth reading, but be sure you also read this particular passage in your King James Bible] VWC
III. Solomon felt time had slipped away.
A. His focus was wrong.
B. He said it was like “chasing the wind.”
C. The King James rendering is “vanity,” coming from the Hebrew heh’-bel, meaning empty, transitory, unsatisfactory.
D. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
The godly Solomon had satisfaction in his riches and wisdom, when God gave them (2Ch 1:11, 12). The backsliding Solomon had no happiness when he sought it in them apart from God...
(preached 6/26/11 @ Friendship Harmony Baptist Church)
We had a very good service at the Church yesterday with good attendance. As a matter of fact, we have never had a service at Friendship Harmony that wasn’t a joy and a blessing to be part of. If anyone ever asks you , “Where is the Spirit of the living God?”, you tell them He is alive and well at the Friendship Harmony Baptist Church. His presence is definitely appreciated. Have a good week. Stay safe and I’ll see you next Monday Morning With Pastor Vic!
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