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The Twentieth Sunday After Trinity
Hear and Obey While You Have Time
October 5, 2008

TEXT: NKJ Ephesians 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.
 
Paul is admonishing Christians—those who have heard the Gospel—those who have the Holy Spirit within them—but they have become complacent in their journey through life—they are not yielding to the guidance of the Holy Spirit—they forget they are still flesh—they think their fight with the devil is all over—they boast of being Christians—but their conduct doesn’t indicate likewise
 
Paul is trying to warn new Christians that they must consider God’s will before they act—Paul uses the word circumspectly—it means to consider all circumstances before you act—he knows that if they lose sight of God’s will—they will be transformed into hypocrites following their own reasoning and not the things of God—they will cause factions in their congregations—they will be a hindrance to other Christians
 
Paul is teaching—stay focused clearly on the Word of God—every Christian must make this a personal concern—retain the pure Word of God in the Church—everyone must guard this truth!
 
There are pastors who become more focused on secular interests then on God’s will—they focus on accumulating worldly wealth and treat the office of ministry as a job instead of a calling—they become uncaring and unloving—they abandon God’s will and God’s Word—they exchange God’s Word for human doctrine—and his congregation will soon be just like he is—they will defend his actions and follow him—instead of following the ways of God
 
If we do not preserve the true teaching and preaching of the Word—what will become of the untaught masses?—we have no choice—we must preserve—and preach—the truth of God’s Word!—don’t be deceived by me or any other preacher—test what is preached against God’s Word—encourage and support every pastor and preacher and teacher of the truth to help him persevere in the war against Satan and his angels
 
Paul says in verse 16 of our text “redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”—what does that mean?—it means make use of every opportunity to spread the truth of the Word to the weak and unbelieving
 
If you are waiting for good times—happy times—healthy times—forget it!—this world is the playhouse of the devil—our citizenship is in heaven—our good times will be there!
 
NKJ Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
 
While on this earth—we must not delay—time is short—we must do whatever we can to accomplish good for the sake of the Kingdom—serve God at every opportunity—listen to these words of Jesus as He instructs us
 
NKJ John 12:36 "While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light." These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them.
 
Jesus spoke—and then departed—it will be the same with us—but we don’t know when we will depart to our heavenly home—but while we are here—we must let our light shine as a beacon to the world—because God wants everyone to be saved
 
NKJ 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
 
Our Lord wants everyone to be saved—that is the lesson Paul is trying to deliver to the Ephesians—and us—we cannot wait—we have a Christian duty to preach the truth of the Word
 
NKJ 2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.
 
Here again, Paul is saying don’t hesitate—your time on this earth is short—for the sake of others—preach!
 
The Psalmist—King David—says this about our time here in this world
 
NKJ Psalm 39:4 "LORD, make me to know my end, And what is the measure of my days, That I may know how frail I am. 5 Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, And my age is as nothing before You; Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Selah
 
And James says the same thing in his epistle
 
NKJ James 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."
 
Like a vapor—we don’t affect our environment much—we are not long lasting—we are not far reaching—we must work hard to have an affect on those near us—those we can reach “as a vapor”—we can’t push them or overpower them—we can only attempt to cover them with the truth of the Word—and let the power of the Word work
 
NKJ Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
 
The Lord comes to us—but will pass us by if we are not grateful—Song of Solomon speaks of this
 
NKJ Song of Solomon 5:6 I opened for my beloved, But my beloved had turned away and was gone. My heart leaped up when he spoke. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer.
 
You can scour the world seeking God—but you won’t find Him—unless it is His will
 
NKJ Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
 
Today we seek the Lord—not physically—not in this world—BUT IN THE SCRIPTURES!—the best example in Scripture is written in Hebrews—written to the Jews who rejected Christ
 
 
NKJ Hebrews 3:17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? 19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.  4:1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. 4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: "And God rested on the seventh day from all His works"; 5 and again in this place: "They shall not enter My rest." 6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, "Today," after such a long time, as it has been said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts."
 
Today is when we have to hear His voice—we may not be given a tomorrow—our neighbors—friends—relatives—may not be given a tomorrow on this earth either—we must cry the voice of the Gospel for all that will hear—while they are in this world to hear—consider the example of Jerusalem—totally destroyed because they refused to hear the Son of God—because they refused to recognize their opportunity to hear Christ while He was with them—they lost their nation—their priesthood—their public worship—their forgiveness of sins
 
This is the inevitable punishment of the foolish—who consider themselves wise—those who refused to recognize their opportunity when Christ was with them—the Scriptures are clear—INGRATITUDE WILL BE PUNISHED
 
Pray thanks for your redemption—pray thanks for God’s grace—work to preserve the ministry for our children—preserve the sacraments in their purity—God gives us opportunity—we either take advantage—or we will pay a price—perhaps a soul
 
NKJ Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, 25 Because you disdained all my counsel, And would have none of my rebuke,
 
We must redeem our time—for the days are evil—the time is good—as long as we are faithfully preaching the Gospel—but the devil will continue to pursue us through our flesh—our natural sinful “Old Adam” self—he will continue to draw our attention away from the divine will of our Lord—this can happen even though we hear the Gospel—we must make ourselves subject to the Spirit
 
Read the Scriptures—understand God’s will—live by His commandments—share the Gospel message—that is God’s will
 
ALL GLORY BE TO GOD!