Sermon
#1333[1] Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: A Sermon About Time
Text: Psalm 90:12
Reading: Psalm
90:1-17
Subject: The Brevity of Our Time
in this World
Date: Sunday Evening - January 24, 199
Tape # V-8b
Introduction:
My
message tonight is A Sermon About Time. You will
find my text in Psalm 90:12. How quickly the time passes! How rapidly things in
this world change! My text this tonight contains a prayer that I have uttered
to God more times than I can count, especially in the last few weeks. It is a
prayer that weighs more heavily upon my heart than ever before. “So
teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
Of
all mathematical problems this is the most difficult. Men can number their
herds and their flocks. They can estimate the revenues of their farms and
businesses with relative ease. We can count our cash, balance our check books,
and calculate what our retirement income should be.
Yet, mortal man foolishly
imagines that he is immortal. Most are persuaded that their days are infinite
and innumerable. Therefore they do not number them. We look at a strong young
man, one who watches his diet, exercises regularly, and seems to sparkle with
life, and say, “He has a long life ahead of him.” And we look at an old woman,
weak, worn, wrinkled, and ever weary, and say, “She will not be with us very
long. Her days are few.” Thus, we imagine that we can number the days of
others, but few will number his own days. What folly!
It is
evident that the great thing needed to persuade us to prepare for eternity is
the persuasion of our own mortality and the brevity of our lives in this world.
We will not apply our hearts unto wisdom until we are brought to the numbering
of our days. Yet, the fact is, no one will number his days and apply his heart
unto wisdom until he is taught of God to do so. Thus Moses prayed, “So teach us to number our days, that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
As we reflect upon the
brevity of time, we ought to be persuaded to set our thoughts upon things that
are eternal. As we look into the grave, which must soon be our bed, we ought to
be humbled and made to know how frail we are. But we are not wise. Only the
grace of God will cause a mortal man to number his days and apply his heart
unto wisdom. Let this, then, be your prayer and mine: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.”
Proposition: A sense of mortality ought
to make us wise and cause us to apply our hearts unto wisdom.
In
this message, I want to show you five words from God about time, about our
brief, brief time in this world. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher and
apply these things to our hearts.
I. A Word of Comfort - “My times are in thy hand” (Ps. 31:15).
Thank God, my times are not in the hands of
my enemies, or even in the hands of my friends, or even in my own hands. “My times are in thy hand!” The time
that I shall live is in the hand of my God, determined by him alone.
·
The
times of my trials, troubles, and temptations are in his hand.
·
The
times of my peace, prosperity, and pleasure are in his hands too.
·
My
times of darkness, desertion, and despondency as well as my times of dancing
and delight are in his hand.
·
All
my times are appointed by him, ordered by him, and disposed of by him for my
good and his glory.
·
I
can think of nothing in all the world more comforting.
“Our times are
in Thy hand,
Father, we
wish them there:
Our life, our
soul, our all we leave
Entirely to
Thy care.
“Our times are
in Thy hand,
Whatever thy
may be,
Pleasing or
painful, dark or bright,
As best may
seem to Thee.
“Our times are
in Thy hand,
Why should we
doubt or fear?
A Father’s
hand will never cause
His child a
needless tear.
“Our times are
in Thy hand,
Jesus the
crucified!
The hand our
many sins had pierced
Is now our
guard and guide.
“Our times are
in Thy hand,
Help us to
trust in Thee;
Till we have
left this weary land,
And all Thy
glory see.”
As this fact quietened
David’s heart in the midst of great trials, so let it quieten our hearts as we
make our pilgrimage through this vale of tears. “My times are in thy hand.”
A. My time in
this world has been appointed by my heavenly Father (Job 14:5).
Job 14:5 "Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot
pass;"
B. My time in
this world is ruled by my heavenly Father
C. My God will
see to it that I fulfill all my time in this world.
He has promised, “The number of thy days will I fulfil” (Ex.
23:26).
II. A Word of Warning
The apostle Paul warned us of the perilous
times in which we now live (2 Timothy 3:1-7, 14-17).
2 Timothy 3:1-7 "This know also, that in the last days
perilous times shall come. 2 For men
shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead
captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come
to the knowledge of the truth."
2 Timothy 3:14-17 "But continue thou in the things which
thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast
known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation
through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
In
these days of apostate, free will, works religion, we must tenaciously adhere
to the old, old path of gospel truth that hold our hearts in peace.
Jeremiah 6:16 "Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the
ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your
souls. But they said, We will not walk therein."
·
Divine
Sovereignty
·
Electing
Love
·
Particular
Effectual Redemption
·
Efficacious
Grace
·
Special
Providence
III. A Word of Instruction
(1 Cor. 7:29-31)
1
Corinthians 7:29-31 "But this I say,
brethren, the time is short: it
remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; 30 And they that weep, as though they
wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that
buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And
they that use this world, as not abusing it:
for the fashion of this world passeth away."
Because
the time is short, we must redeem the time we have (Eph. 5:16).
C.H. Spurgeon wrote, “A short life should be wisely spent.
We have not enough time at our disposal to justify us in misspending a single
quarter of an hour. Neither are we sure of enough life to justify us in
procrastinating for a moment.”
A. The time
for salvation is short (Isa. 55:6; 2 Cor 6:2).
Isaiah 55:6 "Seek ye the LORD while he may be
found, call ye upon him while he is near:"
2
Corinthians 6:2 "(For he saith, I
have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I
succoured thee: behold, now is the
accepted time; behold, now is the day
of salvation.)"
B. The time
for service is short. -”The night cometh when no man
can work” (John 9:4).
C. The time for suffering is short (1 Pet. 5:10).
1 Peter 5:10 "But the God of all grace, who hath
called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a
while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
Romans 16:20 "And the God of peace shall bruise
Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen."
IV. A Word of Admonition
(Eph. 5:16)
Ephesians 5:16 "Redeeming the time, because the days
are evil."
Paul
urges us to redeem the time, to buy up every opportunity we have, because we
are naturally prone to squander the opportunity God gives us in this world. It
is our responsibility to be careful and diligent in our use of time. That does
not mean that we should have no time for recreation and relaxation. But it does
mean that we should study to improve our use of the time and opportunities we
have to the best advantage of our own souls and the souls of others.
Nothing
is more precious and valuable than time. Time and the opportunity of the
moment, once it is gone, is gone forever! It cannot be recalled or even
prolonged. We must not neglect any opportunity God gives us to serve him or one
another, to worship him in private or in public, to gain spiritual benefit for
our souls, or to minister to the bodies and souls of others for the glory of
God.
NOTE: The best way to withstand
the temptations that come with idleness is to redeem the time that is wasted in
idleness, buying up the opportunity to do good.
V. A Word of Preparation
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the
heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a
time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"
The wise man Solomon tells
us that there is for us all “a time to
die” (Eccles. 3:1-2). “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27).
God help you to hear me now. “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12). Shall
a mortal, sinful man meet the holy Lord God? Indeed, we must. That thought
would send waves of shock and terror through your soul, if you ever gave a
moment’s reflection. There is only one way you can prepare to meet God. You
must trust the Lord Jesus Christ. You must flee away to him like the manslayer
in the Old Testament fled to the city of refuge.
·
You
must be washed in his precious blood.
·
You
must be robed in his perfect righteousness.
·
You
must be saved by his grace.
·
If
you would be saved, you must apply your heart to Wisdom - That Wisdom is
Christ! - Christ is our Wisdom before God. - Christ teaches us the Wisdom of
God. - Christ gives us Wisdom as we walk with God.
When
the appointed time of my departure from this world comes, I want to be found in
Christ, not having my own righteousness, but the righteousness of Christ
imputed to me. Washed in his blood and robed in his righteousness, I hope to
leave this world in confident faith, like the apostle Paul.
2 Timothy 1:12 "For the which cause I also suffer these
things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am
persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against
that day."
2 Timothy 4:6-8 "For I am now ready to be offered, and
the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also
that love his appearing."
Application:
As we
gather once more around this blessed table, remembering what the Lord Jesus
Christ has done for us, let this be our prayer: “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto
wisdom.” Let us set our hearts upon
Christ, as he has set his heart upon us!
AMEN.
I want us to sing number 53 in your Songs of Grace book, The Time is Short, while the deacons
come to serve the Lord’s Table.