Join me in your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter 5.
! This Sunday and next Sunday we're going to talk about a topic that's just particularly dear to my heart.
! About redeeming the time.
Making the best use of the time that we have on this earth.
And so, as we've been talking about the last few weeks,
this will not be necessarily a large exposition of a large Bible passage,
which is what we usually do here.
If you're new, we're going to be starting the book of Romans pretty soon.
You'll get a really good taste of what that means pretty quick.
But this will be a topical sermon this week and next,
just focusing in on a couple of verses
and really trying to just wring out every bit of meaning we can from God's Word,
using the Scripture to support what we say.
But Ephesians chapter 5,
I just want us to look at a couple of verses and move on.
But we'll see.
Verse 15, chapter 5.
Paul says,
Look carefully then how you walk,
not as unwise, but as wise,
making the best use of the time,
because the days are evil.
Let's join me in a quick word of prayer.
Lord, we just lift up this time to you as an offering.
We just ask that you would be pleased,
that you would work through your Word,
by the power of your Spirit,
in the hearts of your people,
and those who have come to know you
and walk away today refreshed, challenged, convicted,
a renewed desire to be obedient,
and those who have never encountered you before,
that this would be heavy on their minds.
So we ask that you would just work in this time.
In Christ's name, amen.
So as we've already done,
we've already extended a really warm welcome back to our college students,
but I just want to say it again as someone who loves you
and cares a lot about this age and time of life that you are in.
We talked about how college years are a major crossroads for a lot of people.
You are figuring out what you believe, why you believe it.
You're thinking about the stuff that I've heard about the Bible and my faith.
Is it actually mine, or is it just what I heard from my parents?
A lot of times, it's a pivotal time in college
for a lot of professing Christians to either fall away and never come back,
or a chance for them to grow deeper in their faith.
It's usually a really serious, pivotal time for that.
But it's a special time.
And as I said, even this church was formed around the nucleus
of a lot of younger college students who had a desire,
a deep passion for God and His Word,
and for making disciples.
And so, for myself,
I strived really hard when I was in college.
I wasted a lot of my high school years.
But I really asked the Lord to help me
make the best use of the time when I was in college.
It's then that I met Nathan,
then that I met Wes,
and a lot of the stuff that began to happen here
at Christ's family.
But in our text today,
we're going to zoom in on a few phrases.
If we look closely,
we see in verse 16 the word time.
And we see that God has allowed each one of us time.
So, the time we're talking about, though,
is not a word that we're familiar with,
chronos, which means like clock time.
It actually means kairos,
which is a fixed season of time.
A fixed season of time within that time,
there's an opportunity to do something
that once it's passed,
you won't have it back again.
It's a unique, special time to accomplish something.
A time for us to be faithful to God
and do something to glorify Him
before that door closes.
Some people may refer to this as divine appointments,
a prearranged, providential season of time.
And God's word is full of these types of things.
It's kairos, time.
For example, Isaiah 55,
seek the Lord while He may be found.
Call upon Him while He is near.
So, a season of time for you to do that.
But also, Psalm 69,
O Lord, my prayer to you has come
in an acceptable time,
at the right time.
So, making the most use of the time
and stewarding is it well,
the time that's given to us by God.
There's a lot of different...
I particularly want to talk to students today,
but this is going to be an applicable message
for every single person here.
But in particular,
our younger students who are here today.
Young men and women, I will say.
So, what are some particular kairoses that we have?
Your childhood is one.
Your childhood years.
Your young adult years.
Your college years.
Your single years.
Mine was 34 years long.
There was marriage.
That's a unique season of time
where a lot of change happens.
And then when you think,
you've figured that out.
Children come.
And that's another unique season.
Unique is an interesting word to use.
Unique season of time.
Parenting.
Working.
Career.
And then older retirement years.
But, nonetheless,
we need to think about
the kairos in the span
of our entire life.
The season that you find yourself in
right now
in the picture of the bigger picture
of your life.
The small picture
and the bigger picture.
So, if you also look at verse 16,
you see the phrase
making the best use of the time.
And that's actually one word
that it just means to redeem.
To buy up.
To buy up and redeem
or purchase for one's use.
It's an image here
of you going to
back in this time
like a marketplace.
And you see something
that catches your eye.
It's something that you really want.
Something that's very valuable.
And you go to the person
selling it
and they say,
hey, like,
today
there's a deal on this thing.
You can get this
at a good price.
But you have to purchase it today.
If you leave,
someone else may buy it
or the price is going to go up.
Like, now is the opportune time
for you to do this.
Like, you have to make a decision.
You can't put it off.
You can't procrastinate.
It's kind of a now or never
type thing.
And so,
it must be seized on.
That transaction with the seller
needs to be secured.
And that's supposed to be
an image of
this world
that we live in.
Redeem and make the best use
of the kairos,
the season
of time
allotted to you
in the span
of eternity.
because it will come
and go
like the wind
and you won't see it again.
So,
zooming in on our text,
kind of a brief overview.
The book of Ephesians
is written by Paul
to the church
at Ephesus,
which is in modern day Turkey
close to the Mediterranean.
You actually can go
and see it today.
It's an incredible place.
But in the first three chapters,
Paul spends a lot of time
focusing on
our salvation.
Talking about
how it is
that Christ
has redeemed
His people.
The work of salvation.
All the beautiful things
that has been accomplished
through the work of Christ
and by the grace of God.
That's typically
the first three chapters
of Ephesians.
Who we are
in Christ.
Our identity.
And then,
the following chapters,
four through six,
are basically
how do we live out
this new identity
in Christ.
In all these different contexts.
In the family.
In relationships.
In the church.
Around the world.
How do we live out
our identity
that is in Christ.
So,
but I love how I did that.
I love that we
learn who we are
and what God has done for us
and then how to actually
live that out.
And that's where
these two verses fall.
Like how do we live out
who we are
in Christ.
But a couple observations
of this text
we can make some
clear connections.
you've been given
and me
a kairos.
A allotted season
of time
by God.
And we can choose
either
to redeem it
and make the most
of it
or we can
waste it
and squander it
and not get it
back again.
It's just
the truth.
It's just how
it is.
Wasting the time
means walking
carelessly
in foolishness
with this
present life
and view.
So,
there's a brief
outline.
Life is short.
Eternity is long.
Redeem the time.
That's the three points.
Life is short.
Eternity is long.
Redeem the time.
Point number one,
life is short.
Students,
we've talked about
this already,
but beware
that in a lot
of universities
they will seek
to indoctrinate you
to adopt
a secular
humanist
worldview
where
God is not
the center
of everything
but you are
at the center
of everything.
Your success,
your happiness,
your feelings,
your desires
and your rights
is a fallen
system
that
they'll tell you
strive to accomplish
just all you can
for your sake.
That life is not
about God.
There'll be many
voices out there
that are anti-God
telling you
this present life
is all there is.
Like,
this is it.
So,
eat it up.
Enjoy it.
Do whatever you need
to do that's necessary
just to enjoy
this life
because there's nothing
that comes after this.
And education,
they will say,
is your means
of achieving
success
in this world.
But,
as our man
Jim Elliott
said many,
many years ago,
wisdom comes from
God and not
from PhDs.
So,
look to God
for how he ought
to live this life.
But,
we are given
a sales pitch,
particularly
young men
and women
that are in school.
But,
we are given this
every day.
In Western society,
it's kind of a
propaganda type message
that goes something
like this.
Work hard in school,
get a degree,
right,
which will lead
to a good job,
which will lead
to a good income,
which will lead
to security,
then which will lead
to buying
a bunch of stuff,
accumulation,
possessions,
things,
big houses,
toys,
etc.
That's kind of
the goal.
Then,
get married
or don't get married.
Maybe have kids
or not,
as long as those kids
don't intrude
on your enjoyment
of this life.
That's kind of
the message
that we have now.
And then,
right,
later,
further,
eventually finish
working,
so you've had
all you want,
retire,
buy a couple houses,
buy some more toys,
and then sit back
and enjoy
the latter years
of your life
until your dying day.
But yet,
you will have
eternity
haunting you
later.
Is this
all there was
to it?
And so,
some people,
even in this
very room
that I know
are retired
or using
that retirement
well.
So this is not
an attack
on any of that.
It's not
the goal at all.
Just to reference
a dear brother of mine,
his name is
Stan,
Stan Kelly,
he worked for
the county
here in Lumpkin.
We have some
mutual friends
that are overseas
doing mission work.
I work out
with him
at the gym
in town.
But,
he just retired
and he looked
at me the other
day and just said,
man,
there are so
many people
my age
that are just
set on
being comfortable
in retirement
and just living
out their days
in ease.
And I recognize
that my good health
is a gift
from the Lord
to go
and make
disciples
and I don't
want to waste
my retirement.
I want to use
it for the Lord
and for eternity.
And so,
he's been going
to some unreached
peoples in
South Asia
over the last
couple years.
Just a beautiful
picture of a guy
who's using that
time,
redeeming that
kairos
of his life.
And so,
so life is short,
but we have
a deception
of invincibility.
Again,
younger people,
like,
physically,
many of you
are in the
prime of your
life.
Like,
you're not
going to
probably feel
better than
you do
right now.
You feel
invincible,
young,
fast,
knowledgeable.
It feels
like you
could just
go on
forever.
Your whole
life is ahead
of you.
But the
honest truth
is none
of us get
off this
planet alive.
Like,
something happens
and it's
the end.
It's over.
And we
don't know
how much
time is
in front
of us.
But that's
the sad
truth of
living in
a fallen
world.
We all
are going
to die.
Myself
and you.
And that is
recognized
universally.
And we do
all we can,
at least here
in America,
to negate
that.
Like,
we're not
going to
die.
Like,
this isn't
going to
happen.
So let's
just live
this way.
A Victorian
poet named
Matthew
Arnold wrote
about man's
fleeting and
seemingly
meaningless
life back
in the days
of the
British Empire
and, you
know,
where he was
surrounded by
rugby players
and tough
young guys
all the time.
He said,
what is the
course of
this life
of mortal
man on
the earth?
Most
eddy about
here and
there,
eat and
drink,
chatter,
love,
and hate,
gather and
squander,
are raised
aloft and
then hurled
down into
the dust,
striving blindly,
achieving nothing,
and then they
die.
A sad
reality of
someone who
has no
picture of
eternity and
of God.
But God
says,
no,
you are not
invincible,
you are not
immortal,
and you will
die.
God's word
is so vivid
about this,
so much
imagery everywhere
you turn.
It's really
actually hard
to turn
somewhere in
the scripture
without a
reference around
that's alluding
to death.
Job 14,
man comes
out like a
flower and
withers.
He flees
like a shadow
and continues
not.
In the New
Testament,
James 4,
15,
very familiar,
you are just
a vapor,
your life is
a vapor
that appears
for a little
while and
vanishes
away.
And the
Psalms are
filled with
stuff like
this.
Psalm 39,
take this
in.
Oh Lord,
make me
know my
end,
and what
is the
measure of
my days.
There's a
kairos there.
Let me
know how
fleeting I
am.
Behold,
you have
made my
days as
a few
hand
breaths,
and my
lifetime as
as nothing
before you.
Surely all
mankind
stands as
a mere
breath.
Surely man
goes about
as a
shadow.
Surely
for nothing
they have
nothing but
turmoil.
Man heaps
up wealth
and does
not know
who will
gather it.
Very
vivid picture
of this
life.
So Paul
says in
Ephesians
5,
don't be
foolish
to think
that this
life won't
have an
end.
Life is
short.
He calls
his readers
in our
text to
walk,
not as
unwise.
So
foolishness,
he's saying
you will
be a
fool,
you will
be an
imbecile,
and deceive
yourself if
you think
that this
present life
is all
there is.
If you
think this
is all
we have,
it's foolish
to believe
that our
existence is
only about
the here
and now
and won't
come to
an end.
It will
come to
an end.
And so
many of
us,
myself
included,
we put
our hope
in broken
cisterns that
hold no
water,
and we
look at
that,
and we
watch time
after time
things that
we think
are going
to give
us life
not give
us life.
Relationships,
possessions,
clothes,
nice vehicles,
big houses,
money,
big bank
accounts,
just name
it.
None of
those things
are evil
in and of
themselves.
When you
think that
they're going
to give
you life,
you're going
to be
brutally
disappointed.
It's going
to let
you down.
So don't
carelessly
waste your
life,
especially
your college
years,
looking back
through that
lens,
because you
will waste
and squander
the kairos
of your
life.
But wisdom
here,
in view
that life
is short,
wisdom
would recognize
the reality
that time
on this
earth is
short.
You have
a definite
start,
you were
born,
and you
will have
a definite
end.
And it
begs the
question,
what is
this about
in between
here?
Why are
we here?
So there's
a call to
wake up
and realize
that each
morning you
get out of
bed.
Each morning
you get out
of bed,
God has
graciously
sustained you
while you
slept.
That's right
out of the
scripture.
And by
his grace,
he's giving
you yet
another day
for the
sole purpose
of knowing
him,
walking with
him,
and making
him known
to other
people,
and making
disciples.
This is why
we're here.
Not just to
consume and
enjoy.
This leads
into our
second point.
Eternity is
long.
Eternity is
long.
It would be
foolish to
deceive yourself
into thinking
that there's
not another
life and
another world
beyond this
one.
That there's
nothing that
awaits for
you after
death.
Even those
who know
Christ,
like myself,
we so
easily just
throw away
and squander
so many
opportunities
and choose
comfort,
our laziness,
our mediocrity
over what
we ought to
do.
But Paul
says,
here's why
we cannot
be nearsighted.
Paul says,
because the
days are
evil,
in verse
16.
This fallen
world,
sinful man
will try
to lure
you into
that trap
of the
here and
now.
But because
we live in
dark times,
we need
frequent
reminders
to wake
up.
We need
frequent
reminders to
just wake
out of the
slumber
that we are
in.
That there
will be
a judgment
day,
even for
believers,
not the
same judgment
as for
unbelievers,
but we
will stand
before God
and give
an account
of our
lives that
we have
lived as
believers.
Without
getting too
much into
it,
if you
would like,
turn to
1 Corinthians
chapter 3
really quick.
A passage
that's always
kind of giving
me chills
a little bit.
1 Corinthians
chapter 3.
And I,
here's what I
don't want to
get into.
I know this
is just going
to make you
go,
what?
When you hear
this,
but ask me
later,
I'll explain
why.
But I
believe in
heaven there
will be a
measure of
holy,
not sinful,
but holy
regret that
we did not
do more
than we
did.
Because we're
going to see
like, wow,
it was all
going toward
this,
and I
should have
spent more
time doing
X, Y, and Z
instead of
this.
In 1 Corinthians
chapter 3,
and let's start
in verse 12,
this is Paul
talking about
that day,
and he's
writing to
the church,
he's writing
to Christians,
he says,
now if anyone
builds on a
foundation with
gold,
silver,
precious stones,
wood,
hay,
and straw,
each one's
work will
become manifest
for the day,
capital D,
day of
judgment,
will disclose
it.
Because it
will be
revealed by
fire,
and the
fire will
test what
sort of
work each
one has
done.
If the
work that
anyone has
is built
on the
foundation
survives,
he will
receive a
reward.
If anyone's
work is
burned up,
he will
suffer loss.
See that?
Suffer loss.
Like, how
can you
suffer loss?
Though he
himself will
be saved,
but only
as through
fire.
Man, let
your mind
soak in
that.
As an
old missionary
once said,
only one
life will
soon be
passed,
and only
what's done
for Christ
will last.
Burn that
in your
memory.
So wisdom
here, in
the view of
eternity is
long, is
not wasting
time that
God has
given you.
we need
wisdom to
know how
to walk
in this
evil age
when there
are so
many things
competing
for our
time.
So many
things saying,
invest here,
come here.
So, having
sovereignly
bounded our
lives with
eternity,
God knows
he's set the
beginning and
the end.
There's a
kairos of
space in
between that
he has
given us.
Paul was
very aware
of this,
how transient
and temporary
and fleeting
life is
compared to
eternity.
Colossians 3,
set your
minds on
things above
and not
on things
on the
earth.
So,
life is
short,
eternity is
long,
point three,
and lastly,
redeem the
time.
So,
with this
in mind,
God calls
you and
me to
make the
best use
of the
sacred
kairos that
we have
in this
life,
the season
that you
find yourself
in.
So,
wisdom says
redeem the
time,
buy it up,
secure it,
make the
best use
of it.
No matter
where you
find yourself,
no matter
where you
find yourself,
be conscious
of that
allotted
time,
and don't
waste it.
Make the
best use
of it.
Opportunities
that are going
to come
your way,
so,
here's what
this can
look like.
We're going
to get into
a lot more
application next
week.
Like,
how do you
redeem the
time in
certain areas
of life?
But just
by example,
relationships are
given to you
by God so
that you might
live with those
people in such
a way that
shows that they
are not your
treasure,
but God is.
That's sort of
what we're going
after.
chapter.
And we'll
get more
into that
next week,
but since
you're kind
of in the
Corinthians
area,
jump over to
2 Corinthians,
just one book
over,
and understand
this idea of
eternity,
things that we
see before us
are temporal,
but we have an
eternity that is
before us,
that awaits
us.
2 Corinthians
chapter 4,
verse 16.
2 Corinthians
chapter 4,
verse 16.
A passage
that's weighed
very heavy
over my life.
Paul says,
so we do
not lose
heart,
though our
outer self
is wasting
away.
Let that sink
in.
It's wasting
away.
All that you
are right now
and all that
you see is
deteriorating
before your
eyes.
Our inner
self is being
renewed day
by day.
For this
light and
momentary
affliction is
preparing for
us an eternal
weight of
glory beyond
all comparison
as we look
not to the
things that
are seen,
but to the
things that
are unseen.
For the
things that
are seen
are transient,
are temporal,
but the
things that
are unseen
are eternal.
eternal.
That ought
to really
make us
think about
the season
of life
that we
find ourselves
in right
now.
In closing,
just a couple
things.
Most of you
know, but
there's some
new folks
here today,
that I was
born with
cystic
fibrosis
40 years
ago,
almost.
This October,
I'll be 40,
which is bizarre.
I don't
see it as
a decrepit
thing.
I see it
as grace.
Like, wow,
I've been
alive for
40 years.
That's sort
of a little
different for
me, but I
have a
respiratory
disease that
I was born
with.
And so
throughout my
life, thoughts
of eternity
and death
really weighed
heavily on
my mind.
While I was
at North
Georgia, I
picked up
John Piper's
book called
Don't Waste
Your Life,
and it
still, today,
is seared
into my
brain.
God uses
the weak
and infirm
people a
lot of the
time as
reminders to
the strong
that life
is short.
You're not
going to be
here forever.
You may feel
great now,
but it's all
going to go
downhill one
day, no
matter how
strong you
think you
are.
But God
has used
my disease
as a blessing
of my life
to teach
me what
life is
about.
Growing up,
my lifelong
dream was
to be in
the Marine
Corps.
That was
what a lot
of my
family had
done,
and really
there was
mainly this
pride behind
it.
I wanted
to be
seen as
that bad
invincible
dude,
all about
me,
and God
was just
like,
oh yeah?
Cystic
fibrosis
cured.
And it
killed me.
When I
was 18
or 19,
9-11
happened,
and I
had probably
10 of
my buddies
actually
join,
while I
couldn't
join.
But that
was also
the same
time that
I really
think that
I was
born again,
around that
same time.
So God
was just
tearing my
loyalties
apart so
they would
just be
focused on
him.
And after
graduation in
2008 in
North Georgia,
I put in
for a double
lung transplant
at University
Alabama,
Birmingham,
and I
waited for
about a
year,
got the
transplant,
and a
few months
later I
got a
really bad
infection that
nearly killed
me.
I don't have
any actual
memory for
about a
month.
I don't
remember
anything that
happened.
I was sort
of on life
support for
a week.
They didn't
really know
what was
going to
happen,
but in
the CICU
at UAB,
I actually
was in
there,
I didn't
know,
obviously I
was out
of it,
but with
two other
people,
that one
had CF
like me
and was
waiting for
a transplant,
and one
had just
got a
transplant,
kind of
like myself,
all in
their early
20s,
and my
parents got
to know
their parents
very well,
and my
parents got
to bear
witness to
Christ,
to their
parents,
were both
just all
on life
support,
and for
some reason
I'm the
only one
that lived,
I'm the
only one
that made
it out,
and I
don't know
why,
but that
just weighs
on me so
much that
I just
want to
make the
most of
my life
for the
Lord.
It could
have not
been me.
I might
not be
here with
you,
and there's
nothing special
about me.
This is
about focusing
on the
greatness of
our God,
God,
but eternity
should weigh
heavily on
our minds,
and it
just created
in me a
deep longing
to want to
make the
best use
of this
time for
eternity.
But,
one thing
that I've
learned is
thanks to
good brothers
in this
church as
well as
to my
wife,
that I
can be a
little hard
on myself
about this.
I visited
UAB not
too long ago
with my
wife,
and I
took her
up to
the
transplant
floor,
where I
spent a
year plus,
and I
just broke
down like I
couldn't walk
down the
hallway.
It was
just too
much for
me to
take in,
just weighing
on me,
God,
have I
used what
you've given
me faithfully?
Have I
used this
kairos
faithfully?
But if
you're not
careful,
what can
happen is it
turns into a
works-based
acceptance thing,
where you're
trying to pay
God back for
what he's done.
And that's the
trap I've
fallen into
many times.
So a good
desire gone
wrong often,
where I'm
trying to
earn God's
favor,
earn what
he did
for me.
So here's
in closing,
as you study
the Gospels,
you see that
Christ was
very aware
of a
kairos that
the Father
had set
for him,
his life,
and how it
worked.
If you look
at the Gospel
of John,
in John 2,
he says,
my hour has
not yet
come.
Referring to
that last
hour,
the finish
line,
where he
would die
on the
cross and
accomplish the
work of
redemption
through his
death and
resurrection.
He had his
eye fixed on
that last
hour.
In fact,
people tried
to hurt
him and do
things to
him,
and it
said that
he would
just sort
of walk
away,
and it
would say
because his
time had
not yet
come.
Right?
His hour
had not yet
come.
In John
12,
Jesus says,
Father,
save me from
this hour,
but for
this purpose
I came to
the world.
And then a
very clear
one,
John 17,
verse 1 and
4.
Father,
the hour
has come.
Glorify your
Son that the
Son may
glorify you.
I glorified you
on the earth,
having accomplished
the work that you
gave me to do.
I want to be
able to say
that.
I hope you
do.
And then
finally,
John 19,
it is
finished.
That work
has been
accomplished.
So the
good news
for us
is even
as believers,
if we have
squandered
time,
if we've
wasted
so much,
we can
take hope
in Christ
that he did
not waste
any of the
time that
he lived
out for the
Father.
He stayed
faithful until
the end.
And he
secured an
eternal salvation
for us as
we go to
him in faith
and to be
saved.
And as one
man has
taught me
over the
years,
we don't
strive,
as we're
striving to
redeem the
time,
know that
we're not
striving to
enter God's
love,
but we're
striving in
the midst
of God's
love,
the love
that he has
already been
secured by
Christ.
We don't
strive to
earn it,
we just
strive in
the midst
of that
love.
But yet,
true faith
in Christ,
true faith
in Christ
will create
a desire
to redeem
the time
and to
make the
best use
of it,
of this
life on
earth.
So as
the psalmist
said,
Psalm 90,
talking to
the Lord,
so teach
us to
number our
days,
that we
may get
a heart
of wisdom.
So next
week,
we'll talk
about how
to redeem
the time
in three
different
areas,
in our
relationship
with Christ,
our relationship
with God's
people,
and our
obedience to
Christ's
mission.
How can we
make the
best use
of those
kairoses?