SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21ST, 2021

MEMORY VERSE: -“Redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16)

INTRODUCTION: -One of the greatest wealth God gave to mankind is TIME. Every man, whether rich or poor, old or young, male or female has equal share – Eighty-six Thousand, four hundred (86,400) seconds daily. No one has an extra one second above other. Neither can anyone claim monopoly of time nor buy time. Though, the devil makes people behave the can “buy time”, while in actual fact, they are wasting it. Yesterday is gone and can never be regained, tomorrow is not own by anyone. Today is the time you have that is why it is called “Present”, so make the best use of it.

i)Reasons For Redeeming Time

* The Time is Short (Ps.89:47): - When you see the day breaks, and various activities begin, before you know what is happening, the day is already done and night has come. “And the evening and the morning “were” another new day (Gen.1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, and 31). Truly the time is very short (1Corint.7:29).

The Brevity of Life (Ps.90:9): - Shakespeare said in Macbeth, Out, Out, Brief candle. Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more. It is a tale told by and idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing (Macbeth, Act5, scene5).

The Holy Spirit talking about the brevity of our lives likens life in the Bible to

• A shadow (1Chro.29:15)

• A flying shuttle (Job 7:6

• A wind (Job 7:7)

• A vanishing cloud (Job 7:9)

• A swift post (i.e.) a fast messenger (Job 9:25)

• An hand breadth (Ps.39:5)

• A vanishing vapour (James 4:14)

• A grass and a flower of the field (Ps.105:15; Job 14:2)

Thus, no one should joke with time or waste it on frivolities.

* The Days Are Evil (Eph.5:16)–Jesus affirm that every day has sufficient evils in it (Mt.6:34). So redeem the time you have, lest it is taken over from you by evil.

ii) What Does It Mean To Redeem The Time

Like some Bible translator put it to “redeem the time is “making the most of every opportunity” or “to rescue time or opportunity from loss or to pay a price to recover or reclaim time from frivolities.

The complete word dictionary defines it as “by prudent and blameless conduct, gaining as much time and opportunity as possible in view of persecution and death. The word generally means to buy up, to buy all that is anywhere to be bought and not to allow the suitable moment to pass by unheeded but to make one’s own.

As Christians we are not to idly sit by and let the darkness of this world dictate events but rather to make a conscious choice to do good works and let the light of God shine through us to the world (Matt.5:14-16; Phil.2:15-16).

Even if evil personally comes upon us, or on our way we are encouraged to not respond to it in kind but instead overcome it by doing what is right and good (Rom.12:20-21)

Time is a gift from God; everyone is allotted to the same amount daily. But no one knows how much of it is allotted to him or her in lifetime, only God knows how much time each of us has on this earth. God wants us to live in constant awareness of that tickling clock and make the best of the time we have. Thus, we are enjoined to be careful how we live, we are to seek out and employ wisdom. We are to seize every opportunity and use it to glorify God. Our plans must align with God’s will, avoiding empty, harmful and corrupting activities like surfeiting, drunkenness etc (Lk.12:34; Rms.12:21).

1. What does it mean to redeem the time?

2. Why must we redeem the time?