Reset- Time
Notes
Transcript
Last week we discussed a spiritual reset and the need for repentance in our lives and the continual renewal that we all need. This week we will discuss a reset of our time. Time is a funny thing, we often times feel like we have all the time in the world to do things or to get them done, at the same time we complain about how fast time goes. Have you ever done it? Ill call that person back later, later never comes and three months later you speak to that person. As I was preparing this message I had to stop and call my cousin. He called me on my birthday and I was in the middle of work and asked him if I could call him back. I never called him back. It is not like that relationship is not important to me it is just that I lose the importance of time. Does this happen to you? Are there people that you need to call and get back too? As we reset our spiritual compass we need to take a look at our view of time and how time should be viewed from a biblical perspective.
In a lifetime the average American will spend:
Six months sitting at stoplights
Eight months opening junk mail
One year looking for misplaced objects
2 years unsuccessfully returning phone calls
4 years doing housework
5 years waiting in line
6 years eating
Is time important to you? Do you have a biblical understanding of time? Turn with me in your Bible to 2 Peter chapter 3. In this chapter Peter is writing the church and reminding them to stay vigilant, making the most of their time and that any delay in Jesus return is salvation for others. This morning in the scripture we will see 3 things. First we will see that time is determined. Second we will see that time is is short. Third we will see that time tests. Lets read together
1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
Time is determined
Time is determined
1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
Just when the church started getting comfortable and things started to seem like they would calm down for them this letter from Peter comes in. Peter in this letter reminds the church to not grow comfortable thinking that time will not end and that they have all the time in the world. He encourages them not to listen to the scoffers who say that God is not real, the end is not real, and that there is nothing to worry about. Paul reminds them to remember what was said by the prophets about the fact that God has a designated time for all things to end in the earth we currently live in. As the time went on the believers of the early church just like us became comfortable. The longer things go and Jesus does not come back the more of us fall into this comfort zone. This area where we all know that time is short and we believe what was written but its really at the back of our minds and the reality is not at the front of our minds. Peter writes to the church to remind them not to get into this mindset. He tells them in this scripture that they are to remember the predictions of the holy prophets.
2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles,
You and I need this reminder today. Have you grown comfortable with time and the fact that it has not ended yet? With every day that Jesus does not return are you falling deeper into this comfort zone of believing that time has no end to it? The church must remember what has been said by the prophets. So what did the prophets say?
24 “Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. 25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time. 26 And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. 27 And he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.”
In this prophecy Daniel predicts the time frame for the coming Messiah and the end of sin including the end of times. Daniel states that life as we know it will come to an end. There will be a time after this when no sin exists.
4 The sound of a tumult is on the mountains as of a great multitude! The sound of an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering a host for battle.
8 They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.
11 The Lord utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? 12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the surface of the ground, except that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob,” declares the Lord.
There are so many prophecies in the Old testament about the coming time when Jesus will come back and the end of what we understand as time and life will come to an end. We must remember these. When is the last time you reminded yourself that time will come to an end? Why is it important? Well it is like driving a car and no reminding yourself about how dangerous it is. Many of us grow comfortable driving cars. The fact though is that it is one of the most dangerous things you will ever do.
Last year more than 36,000 Americans died in motor vehicle accidents.
Approximately 2.4 million Americans were injured in car accidents. that’s more than 5000 a day!
The things that make driving risky include: Speed, inattention, drinking and driving, or driving under the influence.
Motor vehicle crashes are number 8 in the list of causes of death in the US. The things that beat out driving- Heart disease killed 1 in every 6 Americans. Cancer killed 1 in 7 Americans, Lower respiratory disease killed 1 in 29 Americans, Overdoses killed 1 in 55 Americans, Suicide killed 1 in 87 Americans, Gun related deaths killed 1 in 89 Americans, Falls killed 1 in 92 and finally motor vehicle accidents killed 1 in every 93 Americans.
That means that plane crashes, train crashes, sun stroke, skydiving accidents, Lightning all killed fewer Americans than driving did. Does that make you reconsider your driving habits?
If you are like me you are looking for ways to transport yourself with a drone. If we are reminded of the dangers of driving it impacts the way we drive, the problem though is that every day we do not get in an accident we grow more and more comfortable with letting things slip, getting distracted, texting while driving, speeding, and all the other things that cause accidents. Why? Well because it didn’t cause an accident today. The same happens with our view of end times. Every day Jesus does not come back we grow more comfortable falling back into the things of our past because we are not looking to the end times. Peter reminded the church that time has a determined end and he did this so that they would remember not to fall into the trap that the scoffers would place of saying see your God is not real otherwise He would have returned already. Are you living as if time is determined and there will be an end? Even if the end of time does not come during your life time, your life time will come to an end.
27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
If you were reminded this morning that time is coming to an end do you think you would take every moment more seriously? How would you treat your time if you knew it was coming to an end. The fact is that most of us are not given a day we will die. When we are given a time-frame for life most people live life to the fullest, why not do that before hearing it from a doctor? God has already though the prophets and scriptures told us that time is coming to an end, it is already determined. Not only is that time already determined it is short.
Time is Short
Time is Short
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
The end of time has been determined and the time we have is short. We fall into the trap of thinking we will never die, into the trap of believing that time lasts forever. The fact is that time and our lives are like a vapor
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
You must remember that time is short. In this reset we need to get back to understanding the fact that God has determined time and that what we think is going to last is going to come to an end quicker than we realize it. I can tell you right now that I didn’t expect to already be back into pumpkin season. I felt like we had more time to prepare and to get ready. Our Fall festival will be here in no time. It is so foolish for us to think of time as if it has no end. We are eternal beings that will go on to live eternally based on our lives and choices in life now. Our life is short. I brought in a rope to give you a view of what life here really looks like.
Your life is this piece of tape, the rest of this rope represents eternity. Yet all we do is often time spend on making this piece of tape better.
Living in Overtime
A big-time sports fan was watching a football game with his grandchildren. He had just turned seventy-five and was feeling a little wistful. “You know,” he said to his grandson, Nick, “it’s not easy getting old. I guess I’m in the fourth quarter now.”
“Don’t worry, Grandpa,” Nick said cheerily. “Maybe you’ll go into overtime.”
There is no overtime in life. It is short and it should be used effectively. Are you using your time effectively? Here is where I am challenged with this. I have so many things that I consider important. I am needed in my children’s lives and my wife’s life and I struggle with giving them the time that is so important at times. I struggle to live life effectively in view of time being so short. How are you living your life? What about the others around you are you viewing their lives as short and necessary every day for you to present to them the gospel? The fact is that we need to reset our thinking about time. If we would daily wake up and view today as a gift then we may use it differently. We do not view each day as a gift though most of us think it is guaranteed that we will wake up tomorrow, or the next day, or next year.
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.
We are called to understand the importance of time. A spiritual reset reminds us that time is determined, time is short, but time also is the test
Time is the test
Time is the test
11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,
If you have a proper view of time then you will life a life pleasing to God. You will live a life that is constantly seeking to honor God and understanding the importance of your days. Peter tells the church that if they view time properly then they will be the type of people who live holy lives in godliness. They will look to the coming of the day of God. They will count each day as a gift of salvation for those who do not know Jesus. Are you viewing every day as a gift for you to present the gospel and a gift for someone in your life to hear the gospel. We often times do not understand how short time is until we are sitting in the funeral of a loved one or a friend. It is time for the church to stop letting funerals be the wake up call. Start living today like it could be your last or could be the last day for someone who God has called you to share the message with.
As many of you know I had a brother Alex who suffered his entire life with Cystic Fibrosis. He ultimately passed away because of the disease. I remember in his last few weeks he would ask me to play the PlayStation with him or play guitar with him. I was just too busy to spend the time with him. I had other obligations and I would often tell him Ill play with you later. I was at church one Wednesday night and recieved a call that I needed to get home immediately that Alex likely would not make it through the night. As I came in the house he was already in coma with his oxygen levels dropping. As I went over and hugged him I whispered that I was so sorry for waiting and losing that time. I still have to deal with that today and it takes a toll emotionally on me.
We must live like Christ today and not wait for the next funeral to bring us to live like Christ. Jesus gave of his time, energy, finances, and ultimately His life. What are you giving? Are you living a life that is found without blemish? Are you living at peace with others? Are you counting every day as the Lord’s patience both for you and for someone else? A spiritual reset will bring you back to the place of understanding that every day that we are blessed with is a test of our faith and belief. Some in here need to give up some things in your life that are meaningless and take you away from the people in your life. Some in here need to stop waiting around and give their hearts to Christ. Some in here need to make more effort in loving their children or spouses. Every believer in here needs to take each day as an opportunity to present the gospel. This happens in word, deed, and spirit. Are you passing the test of time? Are you using your time wisely?
