November 2007 “Getting More”
Stewardship Series – “Redeem the Time”
Ephesians 5:15-18ff
Sermon preached at Curwensville Presbyterian Church – November 11, 2007
Prayer Introduction: November is a time we traditionally talk about Thanksgiving and Stewardship. Stewardship is, in fact, thankful giving. This November, instead of focusing on giving, we are focusing on what the Bible says about getting. Last Sunday we saw what God’s Word said about Getting More Talents – by taking our talents to the cross of Christ where they could be sanctified into spiritual gifts. And we can get more spiritual gifts by growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ, and by all of us sharing our gifts with the church – the Body of Christ.
This morning we will see what God’s Word says about getting more time. Anyone wish they had more time? Me too. Let’s pray…We pray now for the preacher in the pulpit. He is not worthy, but by your grace he is able. And so it is through Jesus Christ that we pray – Amen!
Sermon Introduction:
I don’t think the subject of getting more time needs much introduction. Most of
us feel the time pressure on a regular basis. We often feel like we’re running
around like chickens with our heads cut off and yet can never seem to stay ahead
of the seemingly endless tasks in our life. Our Scripture Reading this morning
is
I. Kairos Moment
Look again at verse 16 – which the NIV translates “making the most of every opportunity.” The King James Version translates it “redeeming the time.” Most other translations say, “making the most of your time” (or “the best use of time”).
There are two Greek words for time. The first is chronos – from which we get the word chronology or chronological. It means the time that keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking, into the future (“Fly Like an Eagle – Steve Miller Band).
The other Greek word is kairos and refers to those key moments in time: a moment of decision, of action, an opportunity. Perhaps you’ve heard someone refer to having a “kairos moment” – a moment when something “clicked.” If you’ve ever been reading God’s Word, and suddenly the Holy Spirit gripped you and transformed your heart, soul, mind and life. That is a kairos moment.
Jesus talked about
returning at the “appointed time.” That will be a kairos moment. In fact, when
Jesus says, in
How do we do this?
The King James says “redeem the time.” Again there are two Greek words for
redeem. The word here is the same one that the Apostle Paul uses in
Make the most of opportunities with outsiders (unbelievers) so that they may come to know Christ through your words and actions.
Strong’s definition says, “make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good, so that zeal and well doing are as it were the purchase money by which we make the time our own.”
Redeem the time; make the most of every opportunity. This isn’t natural. The natural course of time leads us to feel overwhelmed. “The days are evil” says verse 16. If you want more time, you must redeem the time.
II. Four Big Rocks
So let’s talk about how to do that specifically. How do you redeem the time? How do you make the most of every opportunity – and, thus, get more time?
You’ve probably heard the illustration (and if you were in the Sunday School opening a few weeks ago you saw Becky Baroni do this) where you take a jar and put in some big rocks. And ask, “Is this jar full?” Everyone looks at the rocks and says, “Yes.” Then you pull out some gravel and the gravel fills in the little spaces left by the big rocks. “Now, is the jar full?” By this time people are catching on. Then you take some sand and it fills the little spaces left by the rocks and the gravel. “Now, is this jar full?” Then you pour some water in that jar. “Well, what's the point?” And somebody might say, “If you work really hard you can always fit some more things into your life.” “No. The point is this: If you hadn't put the big rocks in first, you would never get fit any of them in.”
God tells us, in His Word, that there are 4 Big Rocks – 4 areas of life that need to take TOP PRIORITY or we won’t be able to cram them into busy schedules – and thus the feeling of never having enough time. However, if we give these 4 areas top priority, the other lower priorities will still fit around them; and poof you will feel like you have more time.
A. Corporate Faith (Ephesians 5:19-21)
The first of the four priorities is in verses 19-21.
Paul is referring to our “Corporate Faith” –the faith that we share in with the church. Worship, (sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs), Sunday School, Bible Studies, fellowship, service. Verse 21 concludes, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” You cannot say, “I’ll submit to you, Jesus; but not to your people.”
Lots of people would say, “I don’t have time for all the church stuff: worship, Bible studies, committees, teaching. I just don’t have time.”
We need to redeem the time. Make the most of every opportunity. Just coming to church is a waste of (kairos) time. Verse 19 says we are not just to come and fill a pew and go through the order of worship. We are to “sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.”
Going through the motions is an unwise use of the time. But fully engaging our hearts is wise – and redeems the time.
You know how time seems to stand still when you are bored, but “time flies when you’re having fun.” Kairos time – redeemed time is exciting time.
Thinking about this with jar and rocks illustration. Our rocks become sand, unless they are done “in Christ” who is the solid rock.
Busy people do not want to waste time. And going to church, to grow through the motions, is wasting time – the rock has turned into sand; and we have too much sand as it is.
Our corporate faith needs to be a priority, but it needs to be a Christ-pursuing priority. Don’t just come to church; come to Jesus – with the church. Don’t just serve on a church committee; serve the Lord – with the church.
Build this priority on the solid rock of Christ as one of the 4 big rock priorities in your life.
B. Family (Ephesians 5:22 – 6:4)
The second of the four priorities is in verses 22-33 and then the first 4 verses of chapter 6.
Family is to be a priority: our spouse, as well as our children. Depending on where you are in your life this may change. Instead of taking care of children, you may be taking care of parents. Or perhaps taking care of grandchildren.
Notice, though, that taking care of your spouse takes precedence over children. When on an airplane, you know the emergency procedure described by Flight Attendants? They say when the oxygen mask falls from the ceiling to put it on yourself before putting it on your children. Why? Because if you put it on your child and then pass out you are no longer any help to your children. You need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your children.
My friend Matt Mitchell said, “The place where I see couples going wrong is in elevating the importance of their children over their marriage. Now, hear me! I’m not saying that your children aren’t important. They are precious…But I am saying that your marriage is supposed to be the foundation that your parenting is built upon. Kids are safest and happiest when there is lots of attention given to the marriage. This can be overdone, too, but I don’t see that as much as I see people who take their marriage for granted and think that their children are the most important relationships that they have.”
Let’s remember to redeem the time with family. Simply being married isn’t the goal. Husbands loving leadership and wives humble helping makes the most out of the opportunity.
It is not just spending quantity time, but quality time with your kids that redeems the time. Build your family on the solid rock of Christ, or family time just becomes sand in the ever running hour glass with time that always seems to be running out.
C. Work (and Rest)
The third of four priorities is in verses 5-9 of chapter 6.
Work is to be a
priority. Let me be a broken record, lest we lose sight of the overriding point.
We must redeem the time spent working. We should work, but we should work well.
“Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men.”
Work is a huge
priority. The Lord calls us to work. We are not to be idle. But along with
making our work holy, is making our rest holy. The Lord made a whole commandment
about it.
I love how Matt Mitchell puts it, “There is supposed to be a rhythm of work and rest worked into our lives. 1-2-3-4-5-6 REST. 1-2-3-4-5-6 REST. 1-2-3-4-5-6 REST.”
If you deny the rhythm your work turns to sand. Build the rhythm of work and rest on the solid rock of Christ and redeem the time you work – make the most of the time.
D. Personal Faith (Ephesians 6:10-18)
The fourth of the 4 big rock priorities is
in
Personal faith is in view – putting on the full armor of God. Personal faith is
not just a head knowledge – “I believe in God.” Remember
Redeem the time spent on personal faith. It is not just about believing. It is not just about reading your Bible and saying your prayers. It is about getting equipped for spiritual battle.
Make the most of your opportunity to pray. Make the most of your opportunity to read God’s Word. With the Bible God speaks to us and with prayer we speak to God. Redeem the time you spend doing both.
III. Balance & Redeem the Priorities
A final word. Paul does not prioritize the 4 priorities above each other; but above all other things. Each of the 4 priorities are equal priorities.
There must be an appropriate balance to the priorities. “The rocks” are all the same size. Corporate Faith, Family, Work & Rest, Personal Faith – they need to be equal priorities.
You shouldn’t skip church to work; but neither should you skip work for family, or skip family for faith; or skip faith for church.
It is easy to make work the priority – worrying that if we don’t work we won’t be able to feed our family. Jesus tells us not to worry about such things. He says, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life…Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:27, 33-34).
Find the balance by making all four an equal priority – not so much in equality of chronos time, but in equality of kairos time. Do not view them as “things to do” but as Christ-centered, God-ordained gifts. Church, family, work (& rest), faith are God’s gifts to us.
Think your family isn’t a gift, talk to the person who has lost all of their family.
Think your work isn’t a gift, talk to the person who has lost their job.
Think your faith & church isn’t a gift, talk to the person perishing in everlasting damnation
Each of these can become sand, unless they are done “in Christ” who is the solid rock:
-Church becomes sand if it’s just another thing to do, rather than built on the solid rock of Christ.
-Family relationships becomes sand, unless it is rooted in our relationship with Christ.
-Work becomes sand, without holy rest – Christ is the Lord of the Sabbath.
-Personal Discipleship becomes sand unless it is time at the cross of Christ.
Make the most of every opportunity. Redeem the time.
MAY THE TRUTH SET YOU FREE – AMEN!