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Redeeming the Time - Part 1 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

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Join me in your Bibles and turn to Ephesians chapter 5.
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! This Sunday and next Sunday we're going to talk about a topic that's just particularly dear to my heart.
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! About redeeming the time.
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Making the best use of the time that we have on this earth.
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And so, as we've been talking about the last few weeks,
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this will not be necessarily a large exposition of a large Bible passage,
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which is what we usually do here.
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If you're new, we're going to be starting the book of Romans pretty soon.
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You'll get a really good taste of what that means pretty quick.
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But this will be a topical sermon this week and next,
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just focusing in on a couple of verses
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and really trying to just wring out every bit of meaning we can from God's Word,
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using the Scripture to support what we say.
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But Ephesians chapter 5,
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I just want us to look at a couple of verses and move on.
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But we'll see.
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Verse 15, chapter 5.
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Paul says,
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Look carefully then how you walk,
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not as unwise, but as wise,
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making the best use of the time,
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because the days are evil.
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Let's join me in a quick word of prayer.
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Lord, we just lift up this time to you as an offering.
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We just ask that you would be pleased,
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that you would work through your Word,
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by the power of your Spirit,
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in the hearts of your people,
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and those who have come to know you
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and walk away today refreshed, challenged, convicted,
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a renewed desire to be obedient,
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and those who have never encountered you before,
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that this would be heavy on their minds.
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So we ask that you would just work in this time.
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In Christ's name, amen.
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So as we've already done,
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we've already extended a really warm welcome back to our college students,
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but I just want to say it again as someone who loves you
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and cares a lot about this age and time of life that you are in.
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We talked about how college years are a major crossroads for a lot of people.
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You are figuring out what you believe, why you believe it.
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You're thinking about the stuff that I've heard about the Bible and my faith.
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Is it actually mine, or is it just what I heard from my parents?
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A lot of times, it's a pivotal time in college
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for a lot of professing Christians to either fall away and never come back,
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or a chance for them to grow deeper in their faith.
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It's usually a really serious, pivotal time for that.
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But it's a special time.
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And as I said, even this church was formed around the nucleus
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of a lot of younger college students who had a desire,
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a deep passion for God and His Word,
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and for making disciples.
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And so, for myself,
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I strived really hard when I was in college.
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I wasted a lot of my high school years.
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But I really asked the Lord to help me
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make the best use of the time when I was in college.
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It's then that I met Nathan,
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then that I met Wes,
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and a lot of the stuff that began to happen here
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at Christ's family.
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But in our text today,
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we're going to zoom in on a few phrases.
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If we look closely,
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we see in verse 16 the word time.
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And we see that God has allowed each one of us time.
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So, the time we're talking about, though,
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is not a word that we're familiar with,
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chronos, which means like clock time.
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It actually means kairos,
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which is a fixed season of time.
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A fixed season of time within that time,
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there's an opportunity to do something
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that once it's passed,
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you won't have it back again.
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It's a unique, special time to accomplish something.
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A time for us to be faithful to God
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and do something to glorify Him
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before that door closes.
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Some people may refer to this as divine appointments,
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a prearranged, providential season of time.
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And God's word is full of these types of things.
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It's kairos, time.
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For example, Isaiah 55,
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seek the Lord while He may be found.
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Call upon Him while He is near.
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So, a season of time for you to do that.
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But also, Psalm 69,
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O Lord, my prayer to you has come
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in an acceptable time,
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at the right time.
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So, making the most use of the time
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and stewarding is it well,
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the time that's given to us by God.
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There's a lot of different...
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I particularly want to talk to students today,
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but this is going to be an applicable message
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for every single person here.
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But in particular,
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our younger students who are here today.
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Young men and women, I will say.
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So, what are some particular kairoses that we have?
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Your childhood is one.
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Your childhood years.
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Your young adult years.
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Your college years.
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Your single years.
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Mine was 34 years long.
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There was marriage.
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That's a unique season of time
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where a lot of change happens.
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And then when you think,
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you've figured that out.
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Children come.
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And that's another unique season.
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Unique is an interesting word to use.
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Unique season of time.
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Parenting.
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Working.
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Career.
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And then older retirement years.
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But, nonetheless,
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we need to think about
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the kairos in the span
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of our entire life.
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The season that you find yourself in
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right now
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in the picture of the bigger picture
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of your life.
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The small picture
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and the bigger picture.
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So, if you also look at verse 16,
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you see the phrase
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making the best use of the time.
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And that's actually one word
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that it just means to redeem.
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To buy up.
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To buy up and redeem
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or purchase for one's use.
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It's an image here
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of you going to
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back in this time
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like a marketplace.
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And you see something
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that catches your eye.
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It's something that you really want.
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Something that's very valuable.
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And you go to the person
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selling it
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and they say,
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hey, like,
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today
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there's a deal on this thing.
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You can get this
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at a good price.
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But you have to purchase it today.
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If you leave,
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someone else may buy it
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or the price is going to go up.
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Like, now is the opportune time
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for you to do this.
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Like, you have to make a decision.
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You can't put it off.
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You can't procrastinate.
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It's kind of a now or never
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type thing.
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And so,
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it must be seized on.
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That transaction with the seller
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needs to be secured.
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And that's supposed to be
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an image of
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this world
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that we live in.
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Redeem and make the best use
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of the kairos,
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the season
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of time
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allotted to you
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in the span
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of eternity.
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because it will come
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and go
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like the wind
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and you won't see it again.
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So,
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zooming in on our text,
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kind of a brief overview.
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The book of Ephesians
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is written by Paul
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to the church
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at Ephesus,
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which is in modern day Turkey
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close to the Mediterranean.
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You actually can go
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and see it today.
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It's an incredible place.
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But in the first three chapters,
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Paul spends a lot of time
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focusing on
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our salvation.
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Talking about
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how it is
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that Christ
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has redeemed
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His people.
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The work of salvation.
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All the beautiful things
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that has been accomplished
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through the work of Christ
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and by the grace of God.
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That's typically
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the first three chapters
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of Ephesians.
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Who we are
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in Christ.
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Our identity.
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And then,
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the following chapters,
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four through six,
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are basically
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how do we live out
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this new identity
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in Christ.
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In all these different contexts.
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In the family.
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In relationships.
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In the church.
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Around the world.
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How do we live out
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our identity
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that is in Christ.
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So,
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but I love how I did that.
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I love that we
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learn who we are
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and what God has done for us
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and then how to actually
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live that out.
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And that's where
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these two verses fall.
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Like how do we live out
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who we are
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in Christ.
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But a couple observations
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of this text
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we can make some
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clear connections.
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you've been given
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and me
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a kairos.
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A allotted season
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of time
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by God.
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And we can choose
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either
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to redeem it
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and make the most
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of it
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or we can
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waste it
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and squander it
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and not get it
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back again.
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It's just
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the truth.
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It's just how
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it is.
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Wasting the time
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means walking
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carelessly
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in foolishness
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with this
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present life
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and view.
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So,
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there's a brief
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outline.
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Life is short.
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Eternity is long.
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Redeem the time.
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That's the three points.
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Life is short.
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Eternity is long.
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Redeem the time.
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Point number one,
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life is short.
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Students,
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we've talked about
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this already,
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but beware
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that in a lot
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of universities
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they will seek
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to indoctrinate you
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to adopt
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a secular
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humanist
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worldview
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where
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God is not
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the center
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of everything
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but you are
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at the center
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of everything.
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Your success,
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your happiness,
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your feelings,
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your desires
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and your rights
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is a fallen
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system
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that
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they'll tell you
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strive to accomplish
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just all you can
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for your sake.
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That life is not
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about God.
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There'll be many
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voices out there
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that are anti-God
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telling you
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this present life
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is all there is.
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Like,
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this is it.
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So,
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eat it up.
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Enjoy it.
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Do whatever you need
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to do that's necessary
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just to enjoy
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this life
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because there's nothing
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that comes after this.
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And education,
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they will say,
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is your means
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of achieving
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success
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in this world.
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But,
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as our man
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Jim Elliott
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said many,
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many years ago,
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wisdom comes from
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God and not
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from PhDs.
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So,
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look to God
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for how he ought
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to live this life.
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But,
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we are given
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a sales pitch,
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particularly
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young men
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and women
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that are in school.
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But,
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we are given this
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every day.
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In Western society,
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it's kind of a
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propaganda type message
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that goes something
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like this.
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Work hard in school,
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get a degree,
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right,
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which will lead
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to a good job,
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which will lead
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to a good income,
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which will lead
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to security,
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then which will lead
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to buying
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a bunch of stuff,
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accumulation,
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possessions,
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things,
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big houses,
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toys,
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etc.
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That's kind of
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the goal.
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Then,
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get married
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or don't get married.
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Maybe have kids
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or not,
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as long as those kids
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don't intrude
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on your enjoyment
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of this life.
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That's kind of
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the message
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that we have now.
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And then,
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right,
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later,
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further,
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eventually finish
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working,
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so you've had
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all you want,
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retire,
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buy a couple houses,
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buy some more toys,
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and then sit back
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and enjoy
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the latter years
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of your life
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until your dying day.
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But yet,
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you will have
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eternity
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haunting you
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later.
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Is this
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all there was
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to it?
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And so,
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some people,
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even in this
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very room
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that I know
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are retired
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or using
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that retirement
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well.
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So this is not
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an attack
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on any of that.
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It's not
12:21
the goal at all.
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Just to reference
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a dear brother of mine,
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his name is
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Stan,
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Stan Kelly,
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he worked for
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the county
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here in Lumpkin.
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We have some
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mutual friends
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that are overseas
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doing mission work.
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I work out
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with him
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at the gym
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in town.
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But,
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he just retired
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and he looked
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at me the other
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day and just said,
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man,
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there are so
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many people
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my age
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that are just
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set on
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being comfortable
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in retirement
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and just living
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out their days
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in ease.
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And I recognize
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that my good health
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is a gift
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from the Lord
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to go
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and make
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disciples
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and I don't
13:00
want to waste
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my retirement.
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I want to use
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it for the Lord
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and for eternity.
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And so,
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he's been going
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to some unreached
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peoples in
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South Asia
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over the last
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couple years.
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Just a beautiful
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picture of a guy
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who's using that
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time,
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redeeming that
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kairos
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of his life.
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And so,
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so life is short,
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but we have
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a deception
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of invincibility.
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Again,
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younger people,
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like,
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physically,
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many of you
13:29
are in the
13:29
prime of your
13:30
life.
13:30
Like,
13:30
you're not
13:31
going to
13:31
probably feel
13:31
better than
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you do
13:32
right now.
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You feel
13:34
invincible,
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young,
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fast,
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knowledgeable.
13:38
It feels
13:39
like you
13:39
could just
13:39
go on
13:40
forever.
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Your whole
13:43
life is ahead
13:43
of you.
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But the
13:45
honest truth
13:46
is none
13:47
of us get
13:48
off this
13:48
planet alive.
13:49
Like,
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something happens
13:50
and it's
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the end.
13:52
It's over.
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And we
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don't know
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how much
13:55
time is
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in front
13:56
of us.
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But that's
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the sad
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truth of
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living in
14:00
a fallen
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world.
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We all
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are going
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to die.
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Myself
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and you.
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And that is
14:08
recognized
14:09
universally.
14:10
And we do
14:10
all we can,
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at least here
14:11
in America,
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to negate
14:13
that.
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Like,
14:13
we're not
14:13
going to
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die.
14:14
Like,
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this isn't
14:15
going to
14:15
happen.
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So let's
14:17
just live
14:17
this way.
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A Victorian
14:20
poet named
14:21
Matthew
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Arnold wrote
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about man's
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fleeting and
14:24
seemingly
14:24
meaningless
14:25
life back
14:27
in the days
14:27
of the
14:28
British Empire
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and, you
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know,
14:31
where he was
14:31
surrounded by
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rugby players
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and tough
14:33
young guys
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all the time.
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He said,
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what is the
14:36
course of
14:37
this life
14:37
of mortal
14:38
man on
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the earth?
14:40
Most
14:41
eddy about
14:42
here and
14:43
there,
14:43
eat and
14:44
drink,
14:45
chatter,
14:46
love,
14:46
and hate,
14:47
gather and
14:48
squander,
14:49
are raised
14:50
aloft and
14:52
then hurled
14:52
down into
14:53
the dust,
14:55
striving blindly,
14:56
achieving nothing,
14:58
and then they
14:59
die.
15:00
A sad
15:01
reality of
15:02
someone who
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has no
15:03
picture of
15:04
eternity and
15:05
of God.
15:06
But God
15:07
says,
15:07
no,
15:08
you are not
15:08
invincible,
15:10
you are not
15:10
immortal,
15:11
and you will
15:12
die.
15:13
God's word
15:14
is so vivid
15:15
about this,
15:16
so much
15:16
imagery everywhere
15:17
you turn.
15:18
It's really
15:18
actually hard
15:18
to turn
15:20
somewhere in
15:20
the scripture
15:21
without a
15:22
reference around
15:23
that's alluding
15:24
to death.
15:27
Job 14,
15:29
man comes
15:30
out like a
15:31
flower and
15:32
withers.
15:33
He flees
15:33
like a shadow
15:34
and continues
15:35
not.
15:37
In the New
15:37
Testament,
15:38
James 4,
15:39
15,
15:39
very familiar,
15:40
you are just
15:40
a vapor,
15:41
your life is
15:42
a vapor
15:42
that appears
15:44
for a little
15:44
while and
15:45
vanishes
15:45
away.
15:48
And the
15:48
Psalms are
15:48
filled with
15:49
stuff like
15:49
this.
15:50
Psalm 39,
15:51
take this
15:51
in.
15:52
Oh Lord,
15:53
make me
15:53
know my
15:54
end,
15:55
and what
15:56
is the
15:56
measure of
15:57
my days.
15:58
There's a
15:58
kairos there.
15:59
Let me
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know how
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fleeting I
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am.
16:03
Behold,
16:04
you have
16:04
made my
16:04
days as
16:05
a few
16:05
hand
16:06
breaths,
16:07
and my
16:07
lifetime as
16:08
as nothing
16:09
before you.
16:10
Surely all
16:11
mankind
16:12
stands as
16:13
a mere
16:13
breath.
16:14
Surely man
16:16
goes about
16:16
as a
16:17
shadow.
16:18
Surely
16:19
for nothing
16:19
they have
16:21
nothing but
16:22
turmoil.
16:23
Man heaps
16:24
up wealth
16:24
and does
16:25
not know
16:26
who will
16:27
gather it.
16:28
Very
16:29
vivid picture
16:30
of this
16:30
life.
16:31
So Paul
16:32
says in
16:32
Ephesians
16:33
5,
16:34
don't be
16:35
foolish
16:36
to think
16:37
that this
16:38
life won't
16:39
have an
16:39
end.
16:40
Life is
16:40
short.
16:41
He calls
16:42
his readers
16:42
in our
16:44
text to
16:44
walk,
16:45
not as
16:46
unwise.
16:47
So
16:48
foolishness,
16:49
he's saying
16:50
you will
16:50
be a
16:50
fool,
16:51
you will
16:52
be an
16:52
imbecile,
16:54
and deceive
16:55
yourself if
16:55
you think
16:56
that this
16:56
present life
16:57
is all
16:57
there is.
16:59
If you
16:59
think this
16:59
is all
17:00
we have,
17:01
it's foolish
17:02
to believe
17:02
that our
17:03
existence is
17:04
only about
17:05
the here
17:05
and now
17:06
and won't
17:07
come to
17:08
an end.
17:08
It will
17:09
come to
17:10
an end.
17:10
And so
17:12
many of
17:12
us,
17:13
myself
17:13
included,
17:14
we put
17:14
our hope
17:15
in broken
17:16
cisterns that
17:17
hold no
17:19
water,
17:19
and we
17:19
look at
17:20
that,
17:21
and we
17:21
watch time
17:22
after time
17:23
things that
17:23
we think
17:24
are going
17:24
to give
17:24
us life
17:25
not give
17:25
us life.
17:28
Relationships,
17:29
possessions,
17:30
clothes,
17:31
nice vehicles,
17:32
big houses,
17:32
money,
17:33
big bank
17:33
accounts,
17:34
just name
17:34
it.
17:35
None of
17:36
those things
17:36
are evil
17:37
in and of
17:37
themselves.
17:38
When you
17:38
think that
17:39
they're going
17:39
to give
17:39
you life,
17:40
you're going
17:41
to be
17:41
brutally
17:42
disappointed.
17:43
It's going
17:44
to let
17:44
you down.
17:45
So don't
17:46
carelessly
17:46
waste your
17:47
life,
17:47
especially
17:48
your college
17:48
years,
17:49
looking back
17:49
through that
17:50
lens,
17:52
because you
17:52
will waste
17:53
and squander
17:53
the kairos
17:55
of your
17:55
life.
17:56
But wisdom
17:57
here,
17:58
in view
17:59
that life
18:00
is short,
18:00
wisdom
18:01
would recognize
18:02
the reality
18:03
that time
18:03
on this
18:04
earth is
18:04
short.
18:05
You have
18:06
a definite
18:06
start,
18:08
you were
18:08
born,
18:09
and you
18:09
will have
18:09
a definite
18:09
end.
18:10
And it
18:11
begs the
18:12
question,
18:12
what is
18:12
this about
18:13
in between
18:14
here?
18:14
Why are
18:15
we here?
18:17
So there's
18:18
a call to
18:19
wake up
18:19
and realize
18:21
that each
18:21
morning you
18:23
get out of
18:23
bed.
18:25
Each morning
18:26
you get out
18:27
of bed,
18:28
God has
18:29
graciously
18:29
sustained you
18:30
while you
18:31
slept.
18:32
That's right
18:33
out of the
18:33
scripture.
18:35
And by
18:35
his grace,
18:36
he's giving
18:36
you yet
18:37
another day
18:38
for the
18:38
sole purpose
18:39
of knowing
18:40
him,
18:41
walking with
18:41
him,
18:42
and making
18:42
him known
18:43
to other
18:43
people,
18:43
and making
18:44
disciples.
18:45
This is why
18:45
we're here.
18:47
Not just to
18:48
consume and
18:48
enjoy.
18:50
This leads
18:50
into our
18:51
second point.
18:52
Eternity is
18:53
long.
18:55
Eternity is
18:56
long.
18:57
It would be
18:58
foolish to
18:59
deceive yourself
19:00
into thinking
19:01
that there's
19:01
not another
19:02
life and
19:02
another world
19:03
beyond this
19:04
one.
19:06
That there's
19:06
nothing that
19:07
awaits for
19:08
you after
19:09
death.
19:10
Even those
19:11
who know
19:12
Christ,
19:13
like myself,
19:13
we so
19:14
easily just
19:14
throw away
19:15
and squander
19:16
so many
19:17
opportunities
19:18
and choose
19:19
comfort,
19:20
our laziness,
19:21
our mediocrity
19:22
over what
19:23
we ought to
19:24
do.
19:25
But Paul
19:26
says,
19:26
here's why
19:27
we cannot
19:28
be nearsighted.
19:29
Paul says,
19:31
because the
19:31
days are
19:32
evil,
19:33
in verse
19:33
16.
19:34
This fallen
19:35
world,
19:36
sinful man
19:36
will try
19:37
to lure
19:37
you into
19:38
that trap
19:38
of the
19:39
here and
19:40
now.
19:41
But because
19:42
we live in
19:43
dark times,
19:44
we need
19:44
frequent
19:45
reminders
19:46
to wake
19:47
up.
19:48
We need
19:49
frequent
19:49
reminders to
19:50
just wake
19:50
out of the
19:51
slumber
19:51
that we are
19:52
in.
19:53
That there
19:54
will be
19:55
a judgment
19:56
day,
19:57
even for
19:57
believers,
19:58
not the
19:59
same judgment
20:00
as for
20:01
unbelievers,
20:02
but we
20:02
will stand
20:03
before God
20:04
and give
20:04
an account
20:04
of our
20:05
lives that
20:05
we have
20:06
lived as
20:07
believers.
20:08
Without
20:09
getting too
20:09
much into
20:10
it,
20:11
if you
20:11
would like,
20:12
turn to
20:12
1 Corinthians
20:13
chapter 3
20:14
really quick.
20:16
A passage
20:16
that's always
20:18
kind of giving
20:18
me chills
20:19
a little bit.
20:20
1 Corinthians
20:21
chapter 3.
20:24
And I,
20:25
here's what I
20:26
don't want to
20:26
get into.
20:27
I know this
20:27
is just going
20:27
to make you
20:28
go,
20:28
what?
20:28
When you hear
20:29
this,
20:29
but ask me
20:30
later,
20:30
I'll explain
20:31
why.
20:32
But I
20:34
believe in
20:34
heaven there
20:35
will be a
20:35
measure of
20:38
holy,
20:38
not sinful,
20:39
but holy
20:40
regret that
20:42
we did not
20:42
do more
20:44
than we
20:44
did.
20:46
Because we're
20:47
going to see
20:47
like, wow,
20:47
it was all
20:48
going toward
20:49
this,
20:50
and I
20:52
should have
20:52
spent more
20:53
time doing
20:54
X, Y, and Z
20:55
instead of
20:56
this.
20:57
In 1 Corinthians
20:58
chapter 3,
21:00
and let's start
21:00
in verse 12,
21:01
this is Paul
21:02
talking about
21:02
that day,
21:04
and he's
21:04
writing to
21:05
the church,
21:05
he's writing
21:05
to Christians,
21:07
he says,
21:08
now if anyone
21:08
builds on a
21:09
foundation with
21:10
gold,
21:11
silver,
21:12
precious stones,
21:14
wood,
21:14
hay,
21:15
and straw,
21:16
each one's
21:17
work will
21:18
become manifest
21:19
for the day,
21:21
capital D,
21:22
day of
21:22
judgment,
21:23
will disclose
21:24
it.
21:24
Because it
21:25
will be
21:25
revealed by
21:26
fire,
21:27
and the
21:28
fire will
21:29
test what
21:29
sort of
21:30
work each
21:31
one has
21:31
done.
21:33
If the
21:33
work that
21:35
anyone has
21:36
is built
21:37
on the
21:38
foundation
21:38
survives,
21:39
he will
21:40
receive a
21:40
reward.
21:42
If anyone's
21:42
work is
21:43
burned up,
21:43
he will
21:44
suffer loss.
21:46
See that?
21:47
Suffer loss.
21:48
Like, how
21:48
can you
21:48
suffer loss?
21:50
Though he
21:51
himself will
21:51
be saved,
21:53
but only
21:54
as through
21:55
fire.
21:56
Man, let
21:57
your mind
21:58
soak in
21:58
that.
22:00
As an
22:00
old missionary
22:01
once said,
22:03
only one
22:03
life will
22:05
soon be
22:05
passed,
22:07
and only
22:07
what's done
22:08
for Christ
22:09
will last.
22:11
Burn that
22:12
in your
22:13
memory.
22:14
So wisdom
22:15
here, in
22:15
the view of
22:16
eternity is
22:17
long, is
22:18
not wasting
22:19
time that
22:20
God has
22:20
given you.
22:21
we need
22:22
wisdom to
22:22
know how
22:23
to walk
22:23
in this
22:23
evil age
22:24
when there
22:24
are so
22:25
many things
22:25
competing
22:26
for our
22:27
time.
22:28
So many
22:29
things saying,
22:30
invest here,
22:31
come here.
22:33
So, having
22:35
sovereignly
22:35
bounded our
22:36
lives with
22:37
eternity,
22:39
God knows
22:40
he's set the
22:41
beginning and
22:41
the end.
22:42
There's a
22:42
kairos of
22:43
space in
22:44
between that
22:44
he has
22:45
given us.
22:45
Paul was
22:46
very aware
22:47
of this,
22:48
how transient
22:48
and temporary
22:49
and fleeting
22:51
life is
22:52
compared to
22:53
eternity.
22:54
Colossians 3,
22:55
set your
22:56
minds on
22:56
things above
22:58
and not
22:59
on things
23:00
on the
23:00
earth.
23:02
So,
23:03
life is
23:03
short,
23:04
eternity is
23:05
long,
23:07
point three,
23:07
and lastly,
23:08
redeem the
23:09
time.
23:11
So,
23:12
with this
23:12
in mind,
23:14
God calls
23:15
you and
23:15
me to
23:16
make the
23:16
best use
23:17
of the
23:18
sacred
23:19
kairos that
23:20
we have
23:20
in this
23:21
life,
23:21
the season
23:22
that you
23:22
find yourself
23:23
in.
23:24
So,
23:25
wisdom says
23:25
redeem the
23:27
time,
23:27
buy it up,
23:28
secure it,
23:28
make the
23:29
best use
23:29
of it.
23:31
No matter
23:31
where you
23:31
find yourself,
23:33
no matter
23:33
where you
23:33
find yourself,
23:34
be conscious
23:35
of that
23:36
allotted
23:37
time,
23:38
and don't
23:39
waste it.
23:39
Make the
23:40
best use
23:41
of it.
23:42
Opportunities
23:43
that are going
23:43
to come
23:44
your way,
23:45
so,
23:46
here's what
23:47
this can
23:47
look like.
23:51
We're going
23:51
to get into
23:52
a lot more
23:52
application next
23:53
week.
23:53
Like,
23:54
how do you
23:54
redeem the
23:54
time in
23:55
certain areas
23:56
of life?
23:58
But just
23:58
by example,
23:59
relationships are
24:00
given to you
24:01
by God so
24:03
that you might
24:03
live with those
24:05
people in such
24:05
a way that
24:07
shows that they
24:07
are not your
24:08
treasure,
24:08
but God is.
24:09
That's sort of
24:10
what we're going
24:11
after.
24:11
chapter.
24:12
And we'll
24:13
get more
24:13
into that
24:14
next week,
24:14
but since
24:15
you're kind
24:15
of in the
24:15
Corinthians
24:16
area,
24:17
jump over to
24:18
2 Corinthians,
24:18
just one book
24:19
over,
24:20
and understand
24:21
this idea of
24:22
eternity,
24:23
things that we
24:24
see before us
24:25
are temporal,
24:27
but we have an
24:28
eternity that is
24:29
before us,
24:30
that awaits
24:31
us.
24:32
2 Corinthians
24:32
chapter 4,
24:34
verse 16.
24:40
2 Corinthians
24:41
chapter 4,
24:41
verse 16.
24:43
A passage
24:43
that's weighed
24:43
very heavy
24:44
over my life.
24:47
Paul says,
24:48
so we do
24:48
not lose
24:49
heart,
24:51
though our
24:51
outer self
24:52
is wasting
24:53
away.
24:55
Let that sink
24:55
in.
24:56
It's wasting
24:56
away.
24:57
All that you
24:58
are right now
24:59
and all that
24:59
you see is
25:00
deteriorating
25:01
before your
25:02
eyes.
25:03
Our inner
25:04
self is being
25:05
renewed day
25:06
by day.
25:07
For this
25:08
light and
25:09
momentary
25:10
affliction is
25:11
preparing for
25:12
us an eternal
25:13
weight of
25:14
glory beyond
25:15
all comparison
25:17
as we look
25:18
not to the
25:20
things that
25:20
are seen,
25:21
but to the
25:22
things that
25:23
are unseen.
25:24
For the
25:25
things that
25:25
are seen
25:26
are transient,
25:27
are temporal,
25:28
but the
25:29
things that
25:29
are unseen
25:30
are eternal.
25:31
eternal.
25:32
That ought
25:33
to really
25:33
make us
25:34
think about
25:34
the season
25:35
of life
25:35
that we
25:36
find ourselves
25:37
in right
25:37
now.
25:39
In closing,
25:40
just a couple
25:40
things.
25:42
Most of you
25:43
know, but
25:43
there's some
25:44
new folks
25:44
here today,
25:45
that I was
25:46
born with
25:46
cystic
25:47
fibrosis
25:48
40 years
25:49
ago,
25:50
almost.
25:50
This October,
25:52
I'll be 40,
25:52
which is bizarre.
25:53
I don't
25:54
see it as
25:55
a decrepit
25:55
thing.
25:56
I see it
25:56
as grace.
25:57
Like, wow,
25:57
I've been
25:57
alive for
25:58
40 years.
25:58
That's sort
25:59
of a little
26:00
different for
26:01
me, but I
26:01
have a
26:02
respiratory
26:03
disease that
26:03
I was born
26:04
with.
26:05
And so
26:05
throughout my
26:06
life, thoughts
26:07
of eternity
26:08
and death
26:08
really weighed
26:09
heavily on
26:11
my mind.
26:12
While I was
26:13
at North
26:14
Georgia, I
26:15
picked up
26:16
John Piper's
26:18
book called
26:18
Don't Waste
26:19
Your Life,
26:20
and it
26:20
still, today,
26:22
is seared
26:23
into my
26:23
brain.
26:25
God uses
26:25
the weak
26:26
and infirm
26:27
people a
26:28
lot of the
26:29
time as
26:29
reminders to
26:30
the strong
26:31
that life
26:31
is short.
26:32
You're not
26:33
going to be
26:33
here forever.
26:34
You may feel
26:34
great now,
26:35
but it's all
26:35
going to go
26:36
downhill one
26:36
day, no
26:38
matter how
26:38
strong you
26:39
think you
26:39
are.
26:41
But God
26:41
has used
26:42
my disease
26:43
as a blessing
26:44
of my life
26:45
to teach
26:46
me what
26:47
life is
26:48
about.
26:50
Growing up,
26:51
my lifelong
26:51
dream was
26:54
to be in
26:55
the Marine
26:56
Corps.
26:56
That was
26:56
what a lot
26:57
of my
26:57
family had
26:57
done,
26:58
and really
26:58
there was
26:59
mainly this
26:59
pride behind
27:00
it.
27:00
I wanted
27:00
to be
27:01
seen as
27:02
that bad
27:02
invincible
27:03
dude,
27:05
all about
27:06
me,
27:06
and God
27:07
was just
27:07
like,
27:07
oh yeah?
27:09
Cystic
27:09
fibrosis
27:10
cured.
27:13
And it
27:14
killed me.
27:15
When I
27:15
was 18
27:16
or 19,
27:18
9-11
27:18
happened,
27:19
and I
27:19
had probably
27:20
10 of
27:20
my buddies
27:21
actually
27:21
join,
27:22
while I
27:22
couldn't
27:23
join.
27:25
But that
27:26
was also
27:26
the same
27:27
time that
27:27
I really
27:28
think that
27:28
I was
27:28
born again,
27:29
around that
27:29
same time.
27:30
So God
27:30
was just
27:31
tearing my
27:32
loyalties
27:33
apart so
27:34
they would
27:34
just be
27:35
focused on
27:36
him.
27:37
And after
27:39
graduation in
27:40
2008 in
27:41
North Georgia,
27:42
I put in
27:44
for a double
27:44
lung transplant
27:45
at University
27:46
Alabama,
27:47
Birmingham,
27:48
and I
27:49
waited for
27:49
about a
27:50
year,
27:51
got the
27:52
transplant,
27:53
and a
27:55
few months
27:55
later I
27:56
got a
27:56
really bad
27:57
infection that
27:59
nearly killed
27:59
me.
28:00
I don't have
28:01
any actual
28:02
memory for
28:03
about a
28:03
month.
28:03
I don't
28:03
remember
28:04
anything that
28:04
happened.
28:05
I was sort
28:05
of on life
28:06
support for
28:07
a week.
28:08
They didn't
28:09
really know
28:09
what was
28:10
going to
28:10
happen,
28:11
but in
28:12
the CICU
28:13
at UAB,
28:16
I actually
28:17
was in
28:17
there,
28:19
I didn't
28:19
know,
28:19
obviously I
28:20
was out
28:20
of it,
28:21
but with
28:21
two other
28:22
people,
28:23
that one
28:24
had CF
28:24
like me
28:25
and was
28:25
waiting for
28:26
a transplant,
28:27
and one
28:27
had just
28:28
got a
28:28
transplant,
28:29
kind of
28:29
like myself,
28:31
all in
28:31
their early
28:32
20s,
28:33
and my
28:34
parents got
28:35
to know
28:35
their parents
28:36
very well,
28:37
and my
28:38
parents got
28:38
to bear
28:39
witness to
28:39
Christ,
28:40
to their
28:41
parents,
28:42
were both
28:43
just all
28:43
on life
28:44
support,
28:45
and for
28:45
some reason
28:46
I'm the
28:46
only one
28:47
that lived,
28:47
I'm the
28:47
only one
28:48
that made
28:48
it out,
28:50
and I
28:51
don't know
28:51
why,
28:53
but that
28:53
just weighs
28:54
on me so
28:55
much that
28:55
I just
28:56
want to
28:56
make the
28:57
most of
28:57
my life
28:58
for the
28:59
Lord.
28:59
It could
28:59
have not
29:00
been me.
29:01
I might
29:02
not be
29:02
here with
29:02
you,
29:03
and there's
29:04
nothing special
29:05
about me.
29:06
This is
29:06
about focusing
29:06
on the
29:08
greatness of
29:09
our God,
29:09
God,
29:10
but eternity
29:11
should weigh
29:12
heavily on
29:14
our minds,
29:14
and it
29:15
just created
29:16
in me a
29:16
deep longing
29:17
to want to
29:18
make the
29:18
best use
29:19
of this
29:20
time for
29:21
eternity.
29:22
eternity.
29:24
But,
29:24
one thing
29:26
that I've
29:26
learned is
29:28
thanks to
29:29
good brothers
29:29
in this
29:30
church as
29:30
well as
29:31
to my
29:31
wife,
29:32
that I
29:32
can be a
29:33
little hard
29:33
on myself
29:34
about this.
29:37
I visited
29:38
UAB not
29:38
too long ago
29:39
with my
29:39
wife,
29:39
and I
29:40
took her
29:40
up to
29:40
the
29:40
transplant
29:41
floor,
29:42
where I
29:42
spent a
29:44
year plus,
29:45
and I
29:46
just broke
29:47
down like I
29:48
couldn't walk
29:48
down the
29:48
hallway.
29:49
It was
29:49
just too
29:49
much for
29:50
me to
29:50
take in,
29:52
just weighing
29:53
on me,
29:53
God,
29:53
have I
29:54
used what
29:55
you've given
29:56
me faithfully?
29:58
Have I
29:58
used this
29:59
kairos
29:59
faithfully?
30:02
But if
30:03
you're not
30:03
careful,
30:04
what can
30:04
happen is it
30:05
turns into a
30:06
works-based
30:06
acceptance thing,
30:08
where you're
30:09
trying to pay
30:09
God back for
30:10
what he's done.
30:12
And that's the
30:12
trap I've
30:13
fallen into
30:14
many times.
30:15
So a good
30:16
desire gone
30:17
wrong often,
30:19
where I'm
30:20
trying to
30:20
earn God's
30:22
favor,
30:22
earn what
30:22
he did
30:23
for me.
30:24
So here's
30:25
in closing,
30:27
as you study
30:28
the Gospels,
30:28
you see that
30:29
Christ was
30:30
very aware
30:31
of a
30:32
kairos that
30:33
the Father
30:33
had set
30:34
for him,
30:35
his life,
30:36
and how it
30:36
worked.
30:37
If you look
30:38
at the Gospel
30:38
of John,
30:39
in John 2,
30:40
he says,
30:40
my hour has
30:41
not yet
30:42
come.
30:43
Referring to
30:44
that last
30:45
hour,
30:45
the finish
30:46
line,
30:46
where he
30:46
would die
30:47
on the
30:48
cross and
30:49
accomplish the
30:50
work of
30:50
redemption
30:51
through his
30:51
death and
30:52
resurrection.
30:53
He had his
30:54
eye fixed on
30:55
that last
30:55
hour.
30:56
In fact,
30:57
people tried
30:57
to hurt
30:57
him and do
30:58
things to
30:58
him,
30:59
and it
30:59
said that
30:59
he would
30:59
just sort
31:00
of walk
31:01
away,
31:02
and it
31:02
would say
31:02
because his
31:03
time had
31:03
not yet
31:04
come.
31:06
Right?
31:06
His hour
31:07
had not yet
31:08
come.
31:09
In John
31:10
12,
31:11
Jesus says,
31:12
Father,
31:13
save me from
31:14
this hour,
31:15
but for
31:15
this purpose
31:16
I came to
31:17
the world.
31:18
And then a
31:19
very clear
31:20
one,
31:20
John 17,
31:21
verse 1 and
31:22
4.
31:23
Father,
31:24
the hour
31:24
has come.
31:26
Glorify your
31:27
Son that the
31:27
Son may
31:28
glorify you.
31:30
I glorified you
31:31
on the earth,
31:33
having accomplished
31:34
the work that you
31:35
gave me to do.
31:37
I want to be
31:38
able to say
31:38
that.
31:39
I hope you
31:41
do.
31:42
And then
31:42
finally,
31:44
John 19,
31:45
it is
31:45
finished.
31:47
That work
31:47
has been
31:48
accomplished.
31:50
So the
31:50
good news
31:51
for us
31:52
is even
31:53
as believers,
31:53
if we have
31:54
squandered
31:55
time,
31:56
if we've
31:56
wasted
31:56
so much,
31:59
we can
31:59
take hope
32:00
in Christ
32:00
that he did
32:01
not waste
32:01
any of the
32:02
time that
32:03
he lived
32:04
out for the
32:04
Father.
32:05
He stayed
32:05
faithful until
32:06
the end.
32:07
And he
32:07
secured an
32:09
eternal salvation
32:10
for us as
32:12
we go to
32:12
him in faith
32:13
and to be
32:14
saved.
32:15
And as one
32:16
man has
32:16
taught me
32:17
over the
32:18
years,
32:18
we don't
32:19
strive,
32:20
as we're
32:20
striving to
32:21
redeem the
32:21
time,
32:23
know that
32:24
we're not
32:24
striving to
32:25
enter God's
32:26
love,
32:27
but we're
32:27
striving in
32:28
the midst
32:28
of God's
32:30
love,
32:31
the love
32:31
that he has
32:32
already been
32:32
secured by
32:33
Christ.
32:34
We don't
32:35
strive to
32:35
earn it,
32:36
we just
32:36
strive in
32:36
the midst
32:37
of that
32:37
love.
32:39
But yet,
32:39
true faith
32:40
in Christ,
32:42
true faith
32:42
in Christ
32:43
will create
32:44
a desire
32:45
to redeem
32:46
the time
32:47
and to
32:48
make the
32:48
best use
32:49
of it,
32:49
of this
32:50
life on
32:50
earth.
32:52
So as
32:52
the psalmist
32:53
said,
32:53
Psalm 90,
32:55
talking to
32:55
the Lord,
32:56
so teach
32:57
us to
32:57
number our
32:58
days,
32:59
that we
33:00
may get
33:00
a heart
33:01
of wisdom.
33:03
So next
33:03
week,
33:04
we'll talk
33:05
about how
33:05
to redeem
33:06
the time
33:06
in three
33:07
different
33:07
areas,
33:08
in our
33:08
relationship
33:09
with Christ,
33:10
our relationship
33:11
with God's
33:12
people,
33:13
and our
33:13
obedience to
33:14
Christ's
33:14
mission.
33:15
How can we
33:15
make the
33:16
best use
33:16
of those
33:17
kairoses?