Redeeming the Time
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Eph 5:15-21 ; Col. 4:2–6
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
It sometimes feels as if we are constantly losing time, and the truth is that we only have a finite amount. Every single one of us has a timer of some sort. Jesus knew this, and lived with it all his life on this earth. What are we doing with our time?
Jim Henson is someone who I have a fondness and admiration for in terms of what he did with the Muppets, etc., but he only lived to the age of 53. He died of an organ dysfunction caused by a streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. Basically, he died of an untreated bacterial infection that progressed very quickly and very severely. Dr. David Gelmont, the director of medical intensive care at the hospital Henson went to, suggested that if he had gone to the hospital a few hours earlier, he might have survived. When he got there, pneumonia had already infected his blood and greatly harmed his lungs and various other organs.
Jim’s brother Paul Henson died in a car crash when Jim was 19. It has been said this event shook him so much that he was constantly driven to work as much as possible, to essentially make the MOST of his time. Even in terms of the creative pursuits Jim Henson followed in his career, he was essentially a “workaholic”. A colleague of his, Jerry Juhl, commented after his death: “Jim was always running from time. There just was never enough time for Jim. There never would've been enough time, and I think he knew that really early...”
Some suggested Jim’s Christian Scientist upbringing caused him to resist medical treatment, but the more likely reason is that Jim had no option to slow down and take care of himself. He did, however, run a multi-million dollar entertainment company all based on puppets. People comment on how he was able to perfectly balance art with profit, making worthwhile projects while at the same time making a fortune.
One might say that Jim Henson “redeemed the time”, but I’m not so sure he did. We often consider people who work themselves to the bone as respectable, honorable, admirable people who are giving and caring. And there is certainly much to admire about the man who walks in after a 10 hour day at a hard job to spend a little time with his children and wife before going to bed and getting right back to it in the morning.
But we have to ask, what are we working ourselves to the bone for? Why give our lives and souls to companies and businesses that care nothing for our soul? Why not spend our time working for the Lord of Creation and live forever with Him?
Hopefully, we can see that Redeeming the Time means much more than doing all we can with the time we have.
What does it Mean to Redeem the Time?
What does it Mean to Redeem the Time?
Make the most out of every opportunity.
Redeem - Gal. 3:13; 4:5
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),
How much effort did it take on God’s part to redeem us?
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
Why did He redeem us? That we might receive ADOPTION as SONS.
So, redemption takes effort, and involves an intent/motive behind that effort.
We are not just engaging in “busy work” but working toward a purpose.
What is that purpose? Hopefully we can answer that in a moment.
Time - Lk. 4:13; 22:41-44; Gal. 6:10; Heb. 11:15
Thayer’s: “opportunity to do something”
Luke 4:13; 22:41-44
Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.
And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Satan certainly wanted to make the most out of the opportunity to tempt Jesus, and waited until the “opportune time”, which seemingly would be when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane begging for the cup of wrath to be taken from Him.
Consider what is happening here.
I do not think we can properly comprehend how much it was going to hurt Jesus that Judas would betray Him... that Peter would deny Him... that His disciples would abandon Him at His most vulnerable time... that the Jews would not stand up for Him at the end of all that God had done for Israel... all of that pain came together in ways that we cannot understand, simply because we don't love people like Jesus did. That sounds like an opportune time to me. The temptation was great. It must have been immense while Jesus was on that cross, yet He stayed nailed to it for you and me.
Do Good to all - Gal. 6:10
Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Christians are commanded to do good to all as we have opportunity. NASB “while we have the opportunity...”
Old song sung by The Carter Family:
Wonderful things of folks are said
When they have passed away
Roses adorn their narrow bed
Over the sleeping clay
Give me the roses while I live
Trying to cheer me on
Useless are flowers that you give
After the soul has gone
Let us not wait to do good deeds
Till they have passed away
Now is the time to sow good seeds
While here on earth we stay
Kind words are useless when folks lie
Cold in a narrow bed
Don't wait till death to speak kind words
Now should the words be said
Don’t go back - Heb. 11:15
And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return.
If these heroes of faith had recalled where they came from (certainly in Abraham’s case, Ur of the Chaldees), they may have had OPPORTUNITY to return. However, their hearts of faith did not even consider that an option! No opportunity for evil, every opportunity for good!
The two words for REDEEM (buy back) and TIME (opportune moment) help us see that this is meant in the way of making the most out of every opportunity afforded to us.
Negative use: Daniel 2:7-8
They answered again and said, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation.”
The king answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
The Chaldeans, soothsayers, etc. were “redeeming the time” / “buying up time” in trying to avoid the punishment of not being able to tell Nebuchadnezzar his dream!
Make the Most of Every Opportunity with Each Other and Outsiders.
Eph 5:15-21
Walk in wisdom to redeem the time.
Why? Because the days are evil.
The goal here seems to be to buy back/redeem these opportunities to walk wisely, especially among each other.
How can we do this? vs. 18-21 cover that!
Col. 4:2–6
Continue earnestly and vigilantly in prayer, with thanksgiving. For those who are outside, walk in wisdom toward them as well, making the most of every opportunity.
How can we do this? v. 6 covers that!
What does Redeeming the Time look like?
What does Redeeming the Time look like?
Making the most of every opportunity to sit at the feet of the Master. Luke 10:38-42
Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”
And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha is concerned with appearances, serving a meal, everything going perfectly.
Is this wrong? NO!
Was it the most important thing in that moment? No.
In contrast, Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening.
This is the “good part” that will not be taken away from her.
Sometimes we need to keep ourselves from making our idea of “perfection” an idol, and simply learn to listen to Jesus. Then we will be “perfect” as He is “perfect”.
Making the most of every opportunity to cleanse our lives and our worship to please the Living God. 2 Chronicles 15:1-19
Now the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded. And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him: “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. The Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. For a long time Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law; but when in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them. And in those times there was no peace to the one who went out, nor to the one who came in, but great turmoil was on all the inhabitants of the lands. So nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every adversity. But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!”
And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the mountains of Ephraim; and he restored the altar of the Lord that was before the vestibule of the Lord. Then he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those who dwelt with them from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon, for they came over to him in great numbers from Israel when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
So they gathered together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered to the Lord at that time seven hundred bulls and seven thousand sheep from the spoil they had brought. Then they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; and whoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. Then they took an oath before the Lord with a loud voice, with shouting and trumpets and rams’ horns. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with all their soul; and He was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.
Also he removed Maachah, the mother of Asa the king, from being queen mother, because she had made an obscene image of Asherah; and Asa cut down her obscene image, then crushed and burned it by the Brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days.
He also brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and utensils. And there was no war until the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
Asa took the word of Azariah and ran with it! He knows the will of God and he busies himself with accomplishing it.
He “bought back” the time that had been lost in Israel’s unfaithfulness up til this time.
The result: REJOICING at the oath and covenant, and NO WAR until the 35th year of his reign. Likely not a coincidence!
Making the most of every opportunity to believe and trust the word of God. 2 Chronicles 20:20
So they rose early in the morning and went out into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the Lord your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.”
It took great trust in God to make this statement in the face of their opposition - v.1-2
We cannot believe in the LORD without believing His message.
Making the most of every opportunity to share how the Lord has had compassion on you. Mark 5:15-20; Matt 28:19
Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region.
And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
If I am a Christian, it means God has saved me from sin. I was uncontrollable in my wickedness. I was a monster in my sin. But God saved me and clothed me and put me in my right mind.
Have you shared what God has done for you with someone?
I must be obedient to the command! Matt 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Making the most of every opportunity to sacrificially love each other. John 13:1-17
Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.”
Peter said to Him, “You shall never wash my feet!”
Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!”
Jesus said to him, “He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Love means you serve.
Love means you accept the washing of Jesus.
Love means doing what you know.