Text: Ephesians 5:6-18Ephesians 5:6-18
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. disobedience: or, unbelief
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
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10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. reproved: or, discovered
14 Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. he: or, it
15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Topic: Motivate believers to seek opportunities for service and redeem the time for the glory of God
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The phrase “redeeming the time” is an interesting phrase that means “to buy up at a market place” and can be applied in one of two ways:
- Seizing an opportunity; “Making your market to the full from the opportunities of this life”
- The phrase can also be applied so as to mean that we must “buy back the time.”
“To buy back the time” means that we are willing to put our personal agenda aside and seek to accomplish the will of the Lord.
This life is all about opportunity. We have the opportunity to serve the Lord or to serve ourselves.
- We redeem the time by walking circumspectly
- Our lives described as a “walk
- Our walk can be characterized by foolishness
- Our walk can be characterized by wisdom
Apathy (also called impassivity or perfunctoriness) is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. We must fight apathy towards service for God in our lives that we may bring Him glory.
- Redeeming the time in our personal walk with the Lord
- Making the Most of our prayer time with the Lord
- Making the most of our Bible reading
- Redeeming the time within the community of the saved
- Making the most of our Church attendance
- Making the most of the time through church membership
- Redeeming the time in a lost and dying world
- Making the most of the time through witnessing to the lost
- Making the most of the time through living a consistent Christian life
It has been said that “a servant may not be worthy of his reward” – that if his effort and his pay were placed on two sides of a scale, the scales would not balance. How terrible would it be for God to say that we were not worthy of our calling! When He weighs our service against our high calling in Christ Jesus, will our lives be worthy?
Are you committed to redeeming the time in 2009
