Redeeming Time: Living with Eternity in Mind

[00:00:04] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:00:04] Ephesians chapter 4. I have preached before in my tenure at this location more than once about redeeming the time. If you've been in my classes, if you've been around my teaching much, you know that this is a phrase that I'm fond of. I think we've got it now. Are we good now with the microphone? Very good. Thank you. As a matter of fact, I was reminded
[00:00:40] Brother Jason came to our church, the first sermon that he ever heard here was September 26, I believe, 2021, so getting close to five years ago, and the first sermon that he heard, he remembers exactly the title.
[00:00:56] What was the title?
[00:00:58] Redeem the Time.
[00:01:00] So if you look at your bulletin today, the title of this sermon is Less Time to Redeem.
[00:01:09] Those of you who've been around a while can understand what that means.
[00:01:12] Less time to redeem, brother.
[00:01:14] We're called to redeem the time, but as we get older, we have less and less time to redeem.
[00:01:20] Amen?
[00:01:21] We're going to look at a disjointed section here.
[00:01:24] We're going to read Ephesians 4, 1 through 6, and then pick up in verse 23 and end in 520.
[00:01:30] So let's turn now to Ephesians 4.
[00:01:34] I'm going to begin reading in verse 1, but first let me pray briefly.
[00:01:38] Dear Lord God in heaven, thank you so much for your holy word.
[00:01:42] Now prepare us, Lord, give us ears to hear, hearts, we pray, warmed by your Spirit's influence that we might receive the impression of your Holy Spirit, your words in our heart, that we might not sin against you, but be saved, converted, and Lord, that you would be glorified
[00:01:59] in this reading of your Scripture and this message, we pray, that would honor and please you in Christ's name.
[00:02:06] Amen.
[00:02:07] Ephesians 4, verse 1.
[00:02:09] I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
[00:02:26] And by the way, our sermons entitled Redeeming the Time or Less Time to Redeem, this is explaining what it means to redeem the time in a Christian context.
[00:02:37] Verse 4, there is one body and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.
[00:02:50] Ephesians 4.23, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
[00:03:03] Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
[00:03:09] Be ye angry and sin not, let not the sun go down upon your wrath, neither give place to the devil.
[00:03:15] Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands a thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
[00:03:24] Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
[00:03:34] And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
[00:03:39] Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
[00:03:47] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.
[00:03:55] 5.1.
[00:04:26] Let no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater have any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
[00:04:34] Let no man deceive you with vain words, for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
[00:04:41] Be not ye therefore partakers with them, for ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord.
[00:04:49] Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.
[00:04:56] proving what is acceptable unto the Lord, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
[00:05:04] For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.
[00:05:09] But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light.
[00:05:13] For whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
[00:05:15] Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
[00:05:24] See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, redeeming, but as wise, redeeming the time, for the days are evil.
[00:05:36] Therefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is, and be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs,
[00:05:49] singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to him be glory, honor, and praise.
[00:06:01] Amen?
[00:06:03] This idea of redeeming the time.
[00:06:06] Notice again these verses.
[00:06:08] I think this is one we could maybe put right up here somewhere, or a sign behind me or something.
[00:06:15] Here, Ephesians 5, verse 14, Wherefore he saith, Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, in Christ shall give thee light.
[00:06:24] See then that you walk circumspectly not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.
[00:06:30] And this is our focus. Redeeming the time. And as I put in the bulletin, less time to redeem.
[00:06:37] Those of you who have been with us a while, we have less time to redeem.
[00:06:40] And tomorrow even less.
[00:06:42] Amen? And next year even less.
[00:06:48] Brother Tony Delbin's back there.
[00:06:49] He was in our church many years ago.
[00:06:51] and I remember we were going through some problems and we were discussing and praying the issues and he made a comment.
[00:06:59] He said, well, something to the effect of, if nothing else, you can outlast them.
[00:07:06] Right?
[00:07:06] Because those men were a lot older than me.
[00:07:09] And he was right.
[00:07:11] Here I am and they're no longer here.
[00:07:15] But how many of you know as we get older, there'll be a time that we can't outlast them.
[00:07:21] We have less time to redeem.
[00:07:24] brothers and sisters. Why is it so important? Time. Time is so important. Time really is the most precious commodity that we have. First and foremost, if we are created in God's image, as the Bible says, and as our catechism says, that the chief end of man, what's our purpose?
[00:07:42] Why are we here? Well, ultimately, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. So then how should we spend our time? If our purpose is to glorify God, then our life should be spent a life of time
[00:07:56] to the glory of God. And those things which we do that are not to the glory of God is a wasting of that time, you see, and not a redeeming of the time. And that has to do with, you know, it's like
[00:08:12] a tool, a certain tool. You might use a screwdriver as a chisel, but it doesn't always work, especially if it's a cheap Chinese one, and you hit it with the hammer, you know, it used to be that long,
[00:08:23] now it's this long, and it broke, it didn't work so well. Well, we are created for a purpose.
[00:08:29] You can deny that purpose, but if you do, you'll live a frustrated life. No, we are to be living for his glory, because we're made in his image, and we have an eternal destination.
[00:08:41] And that is what we should be living for in redeeming the time. Time's the most valuable commodity we've got. You know, this idea that if you lose money, you might be able to get it back.
[00:08:55] But if you lose time, you'll never get it back. Time is the most precious commodity that we have.
[00:09:04] Some people, if we spent our time, if we spent our money the way we spent our time, we wouldn't have any money left. Interesting. Money you can get back, time you can't.
[00:09:18] What makes things precious in this world?
[00:09:20] One of them is its scarcity.
[00:09:24] Well, as we get older and older, we have less and less time.
[00:09:29] And how many of you know, young people, today I go to a funeral for a sister in Christ who was only 19 years old.
[00:09:39] She was here, she went through catechism, she professed faith, 19 years old.
[00:09:45] How much time do we have?
[00:09:47] Something that there's just a little bit scarcity makes it value.
[00:09:51] How much time do you have left?
[00:09:54] How much do we know?
[00:09:56] And another thing that makes things valuable is if we're not certain about the continuance of it.
[00:10:03] Right?
[00:10:04] And that's time.
[00:10:06] Are we certain about tomorrow?
[00:10:09] No.
[00:10:10] Time should be very valuable.
[00:10:11] If there was one thing, you know, you think about, God forbid, you know, people in a concentration camp or something like that where their life is in danger of being lost.
[00:10:24] And if there was one thing that you had that could keep you alive, you know, we think of our sister Peggy.
[00:10:31] That oxygen is important.
[00:10:33] Praise God.
[00:10:35] And, you know, if someone were to try to take her oxygen away, I believe she'd put up a fight.
[00:10:40] and rightly so, rightly so.
[00:10:44] If there was one thing in your life that could keep you alive, let's say, God forbid, concentration camp or something, there was just one thing for which you could ransom your life from being killed,
[00:10:56] you know, that one thing would be very valuable, wouldn't it?
[00:11:02] Well, folks, that's what time is all about because it is in this time that we have the opportunity to ransom our life from eternal death.
[00:11:11] and there is no other time given for that opportunity.
[00:11:15] And so this time is of extreme value and importance.
[00:11:21] Nothing more valuable than our time.
[00:11:25] Maybe you don't agree.
[00:11:27] Well, what about the people who have already finished their time on earth?
[00:11:33] Especially those who are in hell.
[00:11:36] If they were to come to us today, what would be their understanding of the value of time?
[00:11:46] Let's turn to the Gospel of Luke and see a picture.
[00:11:50] Remember the rich man and Lazarus?
[00:11:54] The rich man, Luke chapter 16, verse 19.
[00:11:58] There was a certain rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuous every day.
[00:12:04] And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.
[00:12:13] Moreover, the dogs came and licked his sores.
[00:12:15] and it came to pass that the beggar died and he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom the rich man also died and was buried and in hell he lift up his eyes being in torment and
[00:12:27] seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom and he cried he's in torment oh father Abraham have mercy on me send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for
[00:12:40] I'm tormented in this flame.
[00:12:41] He's looking for some type of relief.
[00:12:44] And Abraham basically says there's no relief, more or less.
[00:12:47] There is no more time for you.
[00:12:49] There is no relief.
[00:12:51] No one can come to you and offer you relief.
[00:12:53] There are no more second chances.
[00:12:55] There is no second chance.
[00:12:56] There is no more time.
[00:12:57] That's what you're going to see here.
[00:12:59] Verse 25, but Abraham said, son, remember that thou and thy lifetime, there's time, received the good things and likewise Lazarus evil things.
[00:13:09] but now he is comforted and thou art tremented.
[00:13:13] And beside all this, between us and you, there is a great gulf fixed, so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.
[00:13:23] So it's impossible.
[00:13:25] So then what does he ask for?
[00:13:26] He asks for more time for his living relatives.
[00:13:29] Essentially, notice, he says in verse 27, Then I pray thee, therefore, Father, that thou wouldst send him, that is Lazarus, who is now dead, heaven essentially to to my father's house for I have five brethren that he
[00:13:46] may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment notice he doesn't ask for more money he doesn't ask for more food he doesn't ask for a bigger house doesn't ask for a bigger chariot he doesn't ask for any what does
[00:14:01] he ask for more time oh how I've wasted my time and I'm in hell forever and and there's nothing I can do.
[00:14:07] But at least there's still time left for my brethren.
[00:14:10] Go send someone to them.
[00:14:13] In hell, there is nothing more valuable than time, though they cannot use it.
[00:14:21] Time.
[00:14:22] They understand the value of time because it is now over for them.
[00:14:27] And there is time no more.
[00:14:29] And of course, Abraham says, look, they have Abraham and Moses.
[00:14:35] They have the Bible.
[00:14:35] They have the Old Testament.
[00:14:37] If they don't, he says, No, no, essentially they're not going to believe that.
[00:14:41] They're not going to believe Joseph and Andy and those preachers.
[00:14:45] But if somebody rose from the dead, they'll believe.
[00:14:48] Isn't that interesting?
[00:14:50] When Jesus rose from the dead, did most of the Jews believe?
[00:14:54] He says if they don't believe the Bible, they don't believe Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe if someone rose from the dead.
[00:15:02] You have it from a man in hell.
[00:15:06] Here it is, Scripture.
[00:15:07] The most important thing to Him is time.
[00:15:11] Sometimes we don't know how important something is until we've lost it, right?
[00:15:17] And they've lost it forever.
[00:15:18] They understand all too well.
[00:15:21] Time goes quickly.
[00:15:22] How about anyone know about that?
[00:15:25] Have you ever heard as you get older, time moves faster?
[00:15:29] Justine, is that right?
[00:15:30] Yeah?
[00:15:32] I remember being a kid and someone said, you know, I went over to my friend's house to play.
[00:15:36] You've got an hour to play.
[00:15:38] I went to my friend's house.
[00:15:40] We've got an hour.
[00:15:40] An hour?
[00:15:41] Oh, wow.
[00:15:43] What are we going to do?
[00:15:44] You know, I don't know.
[00:15:46] We'll probably get bored.
[00:15:48] Yeah, an hour.
[00:15:50] Now an hour, it's like a second.
[00:15:53] And there is something to that.
[00:15:54] As we get older, time, you know, seems to move faster.
[00:15:58] It's just going away.
[00:15:59] You know, Job understood this well.
[00:16:01] He said in chapter 7, verse 6, My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle.
[00:16:07] You know, you see the weaver and the loom, and they throw that back and throw it back, and they keep going, you know, Boom, boom, boom.
[00:16:11] Have you ever seen that?
[00:16:13] He says, my days are passing away.
[00:16:15] It moves so quickly.
[00:16:17] And then, how long is our life?
[00:16:19] Pastor Andy had a call to worship from Psalm 90.
[00:16:22] Turn with me, if you would, to Isaiah chapter 40.
[00:16:25] You've heard this passage before, talking about human life.
[00:16:29] You know, people talking about living a long time.
[00:16:32] Well, what is 70 or 80 years as eternity goes?
[00:16:37] Isaiah chapter 40, right after the comfort that is going to come through John the Baptist, here are these words, verse 6.
[00:16:46] Isaiah 40, verses 6 through 8.
[00:16:52] Behold, the day has come.
[00:16:54] That's the wrong verse, sorry.
[00:16:56] Isaiah 46.
[00:16:57] The voice said, cry.
[00:16:59] And he said, what shall I cry?
[00:17:01] All flesh is grass.
[00:17:04] And all the goodliness thereof is as of the flower of the field.
[00:17:08] What's he talking about?
[00:17:08] Us.
[00:17:09] Humanity.
[00:17:10] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it.
[00:17:16] Surely the people is grass.
[00:17:18] The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of God, our God, shall stand forever.
[00:17:25] Amen?
[00:17:28] All flesh is as grass.
[00:17:29] It's here today, gone tomorrow.
[00:17:32] James 4, verse 14.
[00:17:35] For what is your life?
[00:17:36] it is even a vapor that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away.
[00:17:44] Think about Luke chapter 12, this rich man who had great fruits and great produce and he decided a good way to use his time in his own understanding.
[00:18:00] Luke chapter 12, we find in verse 15.
[00:18:09] He says, Jesus says, Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
[00:18:17] You can't take it with you. Amen.
[00:18:20] And he spake a parable, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.
[00:18:24] And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?
[00:18:29] He's got so much, he doesn't have enough barns big enough to fill his produce.
[00:18:34] He said, This will I do. I'll pull down my barns and build greater.
[00:18:37] And there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.
[00:18:40] And I'll say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years.
[00:18:47] Take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.
[00:18:52] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.
[00:18:58] Then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided?
[00:19:03] So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.
[00:19:10] He says, ah, I've got it made.
[00:19:12] You take it easy now.
[00:19:15] Tonight you're going to stand before God and that will not be easy.
[00:19:20] We're not promised tomorrow, brothers and sisters.
[00:19:24] Time is of the utmost importance.
[00:19:29] You know, it's interesting.
[00:19:30] An old Puritan writer says, you know, it's like a ship and a man is on a ship and the ship is sinking and he knows it's going to sink.
[00:19:39] And you know, they're out in the middle of the ocean in these days and there's no one to save them.
[00:19:45] And he's bringing over lots of bags of gold, heavy gold coins, right?
[00:19:50] And he says, so the ship is sinking and he loves his gold.
[00:19:54] And so what does he do to save himself?
[00:19:56] He grabs on to these heavy bags of gold as the ship is sinking.
[00:20:01] How will that save him?
[00:20:05] It's time to let go of those bags of gold and learn how to swim.
[00:20:08] Amen.
[00:20:09] How many of you know, as the hairs turn gray, as the years and the calendar passes away, this is a sinking ship.
[00:20:22] Amen?
[00:20:23] The older people are saying amen.
[00:20:25] The younger people, I'm not sure yet.
[00:20:29] It's a sinking ship, okay?
[00:20:35] Be loose to all of your possessions.
[00:20:38] Think how much we take care of the body and the medicines and the health care and the this and the that.
[00:20:44] and, oh, I don't know all the things we do for our bodies and take care.
[00:20:48] You know, how precious is your eye, for example, you know?
[00:20:53] Someone says, well, I'll give you a million dollars for your eye.
[00:20:56] I don't think most of you would do that.
[00:21:00] But how much more precious your soul?
[00:21:04] We take so much pain and so much time and so much money to take care of the physical body, but what about the precious immortal soul that will live for eternity?
[00:21:14] Our time should be refocused.
[00:21:16] Redeem the time, for the days are evil.
[00:21:19] Just look at the news and you'll see that's true.
[00:21:23] Redeem the time.
[00:21:24] We're called to redeem the time.
[00:21:26] As we move on, as less and less of it, turn to the Gospel of Luke to chapter 19, if you would.
[00:21:31] God gives us time as his servants.
[00:21:35] He gives us time.
[00:21:36] He gives us a life.
[00:21:37] It's a point on demand, once to die, and after that, the judgment.
[00:21:41] And how many of you know, we're going to be held accountable for what we've done in this life.
[00:21:47] It's not just, well, I said a prayer and I'm good to go and I live the rest of my life for myself, but Lord, remember, back in such and such, I said that prayer, so let me in.
[00:21:57] Doesn't work that way.
[00:21:59] Luke chapter 19, verse 12.
[00:22:03] A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
[00:22:08] Who's that talking about?
[00:22:10] That's Jesus.
[00:22:11] When Jesus dies, he goes to a far country.
[00:22:14] What country is that?
[00:22:15] Heaven.
[00:22:15] and what's he going to do receive a kingdom at return okay and when he returns what's that that's a second coming right you got it okay and so he goes to a certain uh to a far country to
[00:22:28] receive for himself a kingdom and return and he called his 10 servants that's us and delivered uh unto them 10 pounds money and said unto them occupy till i come so they're supposed to use what
[00:22:43] he gives us. We're supposed to use what he gives us for his glory, for his kingdom, and for his praise. That's our main purpose on earth. Not here. Take the kids on vacation. Go to Disney
[00:22:55] World. Have fun. It's great. I'll see you when I get back. No. Here is my trust that I'm giving you to do my work upon the earth. And when I return, there's going to be an accounting.
[00:23:07] And that's what we have here. And so it says in verse 14, but his citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying, we will not have this man to reign over us.
[00:23:17] That's the unbelievers, right?
[00:23:18] The unbelievers all around us, ah, the heck with Jesus.
[00:23:21] Who cares about that?
[00:23:22] We'll live our life the way we want.
[00:23:24] We'll spend our time the way we want.
[00:23:26] Verse 15, it came to pass that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
[00:23:38] Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
[00:23:42] And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant, because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
[00:23:49] And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
[00:23:53] And he said, Likewise to him, be thou over five cities.
[00:23:56] Now, when we get born again, does God give us a million dollars and say, Hey, here you go, let's see what you can do with it.
[00:24:03] If so, we'd have a lot of people in this church if we were the one giving it out, right?
[00:24:07] But what does he give us?
[00:24:09] He gives us time.
[00:24:10] He gives us time in which to live our life and opportunities to serve Him.
[00:24:16] Redeem the time, right?
[00:24:18] And opportunities.
[00:24:19] Seize the day and the opportunity for the Lord.
[00:24:22] And He is going to have an accounting of how we've spent our time.
[00:24:26] That's what the pounds really are.
[00:24:27] It's not money.
[00:24:28] It's time.
[00:24:29] How have you spent your time?
[00:24:31] Have you made the best of it for His glory?
[00:24:33] And our kingdom rewards, not our salvation, but our kingdom rewards in heaven will be based on what we've done with the time that he's given us.
[00:24:42] We have to redeem it for his glory.
[00:24:44] One did great.
[00:24:46] What, he had five?
[00:24:46] He got ten.
[00:24:47] And then the other, he has what?
[00:24:50] Let's see.
[00:24:51] One had given ten pounds, right?
[00:24:53] We come back here to verse 16.
[00:24:56] Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound, one pound, hath gained ten pounds.
[00:25:00] Each had one.
[00:25:01] He gained ten.
[00:25:02] That's quite a great increase.
[00:25:05] And then the second came, says, your pound, one has gained five.
[00:25:09] And he commends both for doing the best that they can with the time that had been given them.
[00:25:14] And then the last one has a different point of view.
[00:25:17] Notice.
[00:25:18] Verse 20, and another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I've kept laid up in a napkin.
[00:25:25] What did he do with the time God gave him?
[00:25:31] In this parable, God gives him money to use for the kingdom.
[00:25:35] He says, oh, I kept your money.
[00:25:37] Oh, by the way, here it is.
[00:25:38] So then what was he doing all that time?
[00:25:41] Living for himself, not for the Lord.
[00:25:45] But here's your pound.
[00:25:46] Aren't you happy?
[00:25:50] And he says, another came saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin for I feared thee because thou art an austere man taking up where you did
[00:25:58] not lay down, reaping that you did not sow.
[00:26:01] And he said unto him, out of your own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant.
[00:26:05] Thou knewest that I was an austere man taking up that I laid not down and reaping that I did not sow.
[00:26:10] Wherefore then gavest not my money unto the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury, or at least interest?
[00:26:18] And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
[00:26:24] And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.
[00:26:27] For I say unto you, that unto every one which hath shall be given, and from him that hath not, even that he hath, shall be taken away from him.
[00:26:36] But those mine enemies, which would not, that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me so the person who has the one pound who is this i go to church i'm god's servant on judgment day what have you done with your life well you know that remember
[00:26:54] that prayer i said well what have you done with your life well i said the prayer yeah but have you been living for me well no but i said the prayer he who says the prayer he who truly is
[00:27:09] born again, we'll live for Christ. Because we understand we're born again. We've been purchased with the very price of the blood of God, and we are now his and not our own. But this man does not
[00:27:20] get it. And therefore, even that little bit which he hath, coming and hearing these sermons, even that is taken away on judgment day. God will hold us accountable for the time that we have been given
[00:27:33] and how we have used it.
[00:27:37] Redeem the time, for the days are evil.
[00:27:39] And so, so much wickedness is going on, but we're to redeem it.
[00:27:43] We're to use.
[00:27:44] How much do we have left?
[00:27:46] Well, maybe I haven't lived so good.
[00:27:48] Maybe, pastor, I haven't done so good with what I've had before.
[00:27:51] That's okay.
[00:27:52] Whatever's left, redeem it for God.
[00:27:54] Take it away from the devil and the evil purposes that everyone would have you to do, which is to do anything except for God, even the devil who tries to disguise that in.
[00:28:06] Do it for yourself.
[00:28:08] Look out for number one.
[00:28:09] That's you.
[00:28:10] No, number one is God.
[00:28:11] Redeem the time.
[00:28:13] Make the most of it.
[00:28:14] For the time that we have now is less than when we first believed.
[00:28:18] We have less time to redeem.
[00:28:21] Redeem the time.
[00:28:21] Beware of idleness.
[00:28:23] The Proverbs are filled with things about idleness.
[00:28:26] I'll just give you one among many.
[00:28:28] Proverbs chapter 19.
[00:28:30] We read that, oh, maybe a month ago in our Sunday school, Proverbs 19, verse 15.
[00:28:39] Among many that talk about slothfulness, laziness, but this particular in Proverbs 19, verse 15 says, Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.
[00:28:57] A deep sleep.
[00:29:00] What's that talking about?
[00:29:01] Well, yes, there are people that sleep in church.
[00:29:04] That's true.
[00:29:06] If you don't believe me, come see it from my point of view.
[00:29:11] But I don't think it's so much talking about that in particular.
[00:29:15] I think we can better get the sense from the Scripture itself, Romans chapter 13 beginning in verse 11, which says, And that knowing the time, that is now high time to awake out of sleep,
[00:29:29] for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe, right Jason, four and a half years five years nearer, for some of us 20 years nearer, for some of us 30, 40 years maybe 60, 70 years
[00:29:41] nearer, one thing's for sure we have a lot less time now than when we believe and who knows how much time we have until the Lord returns and more than likely we will die before he returns and it could
[00:29:53] even be tonight, God forbid but look at what's going on around us. Verse 12, The night is far spent.
[00:30:04] The day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
[00:30:10] Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to
[00:30:21] fulfill the lust thereof. We have to wake out of sleep. What is this sleep? What is this slumber?
[00:30:26] It's like the Pied Piper of Satan.
[00:30:28] Ah, vanity fair. Go get a new car, a new house, enjoy the life, a boat on the lake, a vacation here, there, and everywhere.
[00:30:35] Get your kids in a good school, make a lot of money, have some social friends, and this, that, and the other thing. Oh yeah, throw a little Bible study in there, go to a church, probably not
[00:30:44] Pastor Joseph's, but have a great life. It'll be wonderful, and then you'll go to heaven. Won't that be nice? You're asleep. You're asleep. We're just asleep. Yeah, yeah, I'm a Christian. Oh yeah, back to work, back to sleep, back to work, back to sleep, back to work, back to sleep,
[00:31:04] eat, sleep, work, and before you know it, it's time to die.
[00:31:10] You know, I used to say when I get old, I'll get religious.
[00:31:14] Now I'm old and I don't think I can.
[00:31:19] Would you believe there's a lot of people who say that?
[00:31:23] Time to wake up!
[00:31:26] Redeem the time!
[00:31:28] Understand what this is all about.
[00:31:30] But life is not here just for us.
[00:31:33] It's not the secular humanistic view that we're just a lump of flesh.
[00:31:36] We're just an advanced animal.
[00:31:38] It's not evolution.
[00:31:39] That ended up bringing Nazism and the Second World War and the Holocaust.
[00:31:43] No, we are made in the image of God.
[00:31:45] We are made to live for God.
[00:31:47] We are made to redeem the time and spend this time on earth because this little tiny bit of time that we have, oh, 60 years, 70, 80 years, oh, 90, good for you, is absolutely nothing but a vapor compared to the eternity before.
[00:32:02] God has given us this tiny amount of time for us to be patiently following Him, honoring Him, using this time well so that we may have an eternity of full salvation and life with Him forever and ever.
[00:32:16] Your eternity depends on how you use your time right now.
[00:32:23] What could be more valuable?
[00:32:26] Your whole eternity depends on how you use the time right now, which will be gone before you know.
[00:32:37] Remember, there is this aspect that there is a certain time that we all have, and after a while, we don't have time anymore, right?
[00:32:50] Matthew chapter 25, beginning in verse 1.
[00:32:53] Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like another ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom, and five of them were wise and five were foolish.
[00:33:02] They that were foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them.
[00:33:05] But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps and while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
[00:33:12] And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh.
[00:33:16] Go ye out to meet him.
[00:33:18] Who's the bridegroom coming?
[00:33:21] It's Jesus.
[00:33:24] He's coming back.
[00:33:25] Are you ready?
[00:33:27] Well, here we have half of them were, half of them weren't.
[00:33:30] the wise and the foolish and they all went and said yeah i'm ready i'm here i'm let's go but five really prepared and they had the oil is that a picture of the holy spirit i don't know being
[00:33:43] born again but they had faith and they were ready and they were desirous and they lived their lives in a way that they were ready for his coming back noon or night notice verse 7 then all the
[00:33:55] virgins arose and trimmed their lamps and the foolish said unto the wise give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out.
[00:34:01] But the wise answered saying, Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you.
[00:34:05] But go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.
[00:34:09] And while they went to buy, that takes time, right?
[00:34:14] The bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut.
[00:34:22] You try to go get oil at the very last minute, you're going to miss it.
[00:34:27] You try to hold off getting right with, You know, on the sign it says, sooner or later, you must deal with Jesus.
[00:34:34] Amen?
[00:34:35] You can push it off and push it off and push it off, but sooner or later, you must deal with him.
[00:34:42] And there'll be no deal.
[00:34:44] He will be your judge.
[00:34:47] And so here's these people, oh, well, we're ready.
[00:34:50] And then all of a sudden, oh, let me go to the store and buy.
[00:34:53] You don't have enough time.
[00:34:55] And the ones that are ready go in.
[00:34:58] Boom!
[00:34:58] The door is shut.
[00:35:00] Then those come back hoping to get in.
[00:35:03] Look what happens.
[00:35:06] Afterward came also, verse 11, those other virgins saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
[00:35:10] But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
[00:35:18] Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.
[00:35:26] Reminds me of the ark.
[00:35:28] Remember the ark.
[00:35:29] How long was Noah building that ark?
[00:35:33] Some people say up to a hundred years.
[00:35:36] Of course, he didn't have modern machinery, and he and his sons, the best we can tell, the mains of one door.
[00:35:41] So they were working on that.
[00:35:42] I mean, Noah lived to be, what, 600 some years.
[00:35:44] So a hundred years, not that big of a deal, right?
[00:35:47] But a hundred years, that's a long time for us, right?
[00:35:51] And what was he doing?
[00:35:52] He was building the ark.
[00:35:54] Was that all he was doing?
[00:35:56] It's interesting.
[00:35:57] In 2 Peter 2, verse 5, it says that Noah was a preacher of righteousness.
[00:36:03] He had quite a ministry, preaching for a hundred years.
[00:36:07] What do you think he was preaching?
[00:36:08] We don't have any information, but what do you think he was preaching?
[00:36:10] He was preaching righteousness.
[00:36:11] What do you think he was preaching?
[00:36:12] I don't know, but could it be come into the ark and be saved?
[00:36:18] Ah, a flood, to flood the earth.
[00:36:22] The best we can tell from the Bible, it had never rained before.
[00:36:28] And he's talking about a flood.
[00:36:31] Building this huge boat out here on 150.
[00:36:35] Big, huge boat on I-77.
[00:36:38] What you doing?
[00:36:39] Waiting for the flood.
[00:36:40] Better pull those pants up.
[00:36:43] They thought he's nuts.
[00:36:46] 100-year ministry.
[00:36:49] How many converts?
[00:36:51] Not one.
[00:36:53] And what was God doing all of this time?
[00:36:55] 1 Peter 3.20, if you read it, go back and study it.
[00:36:58] as God was patient and long-suffering towards those people.
[00:37:05] Oh, he's been working on that thing since I was a kid.
[00:37:10] If the flood comes, we'll see it, we'll get in.
[00:37:15] It comes, the door is shut, and it's only Noah and his family and all the rest perish.
[00:37:23] And that, Jesus says, is the same picture of the last day.
[00:37:29] I think in Matthew 22, he says the very same thing.
[00:37:31] Just as Noah, just in the days of Noah, people were eating and drinking and being married and giving in marriage until the flood came.
[00:37:40] They all perished.
[00:37:41] Same thing with the coming of the Son of Man.
[00:37:43] Ah, yeah, right.
[00:37:45] Jesus is coming.
[00:37:45] Yeah, we've heard it, Pastor.
[00:37:47] It's cool, yeah.
[00:37:48] And then when he comes, there is an acceptable time of salvation, an appointed time of salvation for Christ to come to live the perfect life, to die on the cross, to raise from the dead
[00:37:59] on the 40th day ascending to heaven.
[00:38:01] and there is also an accepted time in God's providence for you to receive the gospel and be saved.
[00:38:08] I don't know, I don't understand it, but I understand this, that everyone has a time and they may not have time forever to decide, just like in the days of Noah.
[00:38:25] We see this in Scripture.
[00:38:27] If you look in Isaiah chapter 49, it says there's a certain time of salvation.
[00:38:34] Isaiah 49 verse 8 Thus saith the Lord in an acceptable time an acceptable time versus a non-acceptable time an acceptable time have I heard thee in a day of salvation have I helped thee and I will preserve thee
[00:38:50] and give thee for a covenant of the people to establish the earth to cause to inherit the desolate heritages I believe the Father is here talking to the pre-incarnate Son the second person of the Trinity
[00:39:00] that thou mayest say to the prisoners go forth that's what Jesus does To them that are in darkness, show yourselves.
[00:39:08] They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all the high places.
[00:39:12] They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them.
[00:39:16] For he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by springs of water shall he guide them.
[00:39:21] That's the good shepherd, amen?
[00:39:23] And I will make all my mountains as a way, and my highways shall be exalted.
[00:39:29] Behold, these shall come from far, even from Mooresville.
[00:39:32] Lo, these from the north, and from the west, and those from the land of Sinim, which may be China.
[00:39:39] Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains, for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.
[00:39:50] Praise God.
[00:39:51] An acceptable time of salvation.
[00:39:54] Also, turn a few chapters to the right, Isaiah 55, just two verses, verse 5 and 6.
[00:40:00] Behold, thou shalt call a nation thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee.
[00:40:14] That's redeeming the time.
[00:40:15] Run unto the Lord.
[00:40:17] Seek ye the Lord when?
[00:40:19] While he may be found.
[00:40:22] Call ye upon him while he is near.
[00:40:26] The Apostle Paul picks up on this in 2 Corinthians chapter 6.
[00:40:30] essentially quoting these passages in Isaiah and he says in 2nd Corinthians 6 1 & 2 we then as workers together with him beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain for he saith I have heard thee in a time
[00:40:48] accepted and in the day of salvation have I suckered or strengthened thee behold now is the acceptable time behold now is the day of salvation there is a a time coming, if you have not yet bowed the knee to Christ, if you have not yet believed
[00:41:03] on him, if you have not yet truly trusted in him, there's a time coming after which you cannot.
[00:41:09] But now is not that time.
[00:41:11] Now is the accepted time, acceptable time.
[00:41:14] Now is the time of salvation, right now.
[00:41:17] And there's no time like now, amen?
[00:41:20] I think it's been said the Japanese have a proverb, when's the best time to plant a tree?
[00:41:28] 30 years ago.
[00:41:32] The second best time is right now.
[00:41:38] When's the best time to get born again?
[00:41:39] Oh, as early as you can.
[00:41:41] But I haven't.
[00:41:43] Then when's the best time?
[00:41:44] Right now.
[00:41:48] An acceptable time.
[00:41:49] But brothers and sisters, the door is going to be shut.
[00:41:53] That ark is a picture of salvation.
[00:41:55] And sooner or later it's going to be shut.
[00:41:57] Just like with the virgins, the door is going to be shut.
[00:42:00] And no matter how hard you beat on it, no matter what you cry, it's not going to be opened.
[00:42:05] When the door shuts, we cannot dally with the Lord.
[00:42:10] As a matter of fact, in Revelation chapter 10, one of the trumpets, I believe, maybe just before the seventh trumpet, has to do with time and the judgment on time.
[00:42:23] Look at Revelation chapter 10, just a few verses.
[00:42:27] Revelation 10, beginning in verse 5.
[00:42:30] And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven and swear by him that liveth, how long?
[00:42:40] Forever and ever.
[00:42:41] Praise God, he's outside of time.
[00:42:43] He made time.
[00:42:44] Who created heaven and the things that are and the earth and the things that there are in and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer.
[00:43:00] Time is going to end.
[00:43:01] But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished as he hath declared to his servants, the prophets.
[00:43:14] Will you live to see that?
[00:43:17] Will we live to see when time shall be no longer?
[00:43:20] I don't know, but I know this.
[00:43:26] You will live to a point at which time will be no longer for you.
[00:43:34] Because once we die, we are immediately out of time.
[00:43:39] I don't watch sports anymore, but I used to when I was a young person.
[00:43:48] When I was a child, I did things as a child, but now I've grown up.
[00:43:52] Anyway, if you watch sports, God bless you.
[00:43:56] The point is, I learned something about basketball.
[00:44:00] Well, not just basketball, football and other things.
[00:44:02] You know, I remember I used to watch, was it NC State and North Carolina or some of these rivalries.
[00:44:08] I haven't watched this in decades.
[00:44:10] But when I did, one thing I learned for sure, some, maybe, for example, let's just take Carolina and Duke, make somebody mad.
[00:44:20] Carolina is ahead, but then later in the game, Duke is ahead.
[00:44:24] Have you ever seen that happen?
[00:44:26] And have you ever seen it that Carolina comes back and wins?
[00:44:29] And so, or whoever, you put in the teams, Michigan and Ohio State, whatever you like.
[00:44:36] Have you ever seen it, how, and especially with basketball, right?
[00:44:39] who has the lead, it might change many times. It might change ten times. Have you seen that?
[00:44:47] But what's the most important thing? Who is in the lead when time runs out?
[00:45:00] Each of us has a clock.
[00:45:03] That old heart, Brother Jason is only going to beat so many times.
[00:45:07] And it's set. God knows.
[00:45:10] We only have so many more times that this heart will beat.
[00:45:14] It's set. It's inofferable.
[00:45:15] There's only so many more times that these lungs will be filled with air.
[00:45:21] And then time will be no more.
[00:45:24] And what's most important is that you are right with Jesus when the clock runs out.
[00:45:33] Say, Pastor, I'm only in the first quarter.
[00:45:39] That's what Ella Ayers thought, or her family and friends, 19 years old.
[00:45:46] She's in heaven now.
[00:45:48] You might think you're in first quarter, but you might be in overtime.
[00:45:55] Or in soccer, they call it sudden death.
[00:46:00] Where are you with Christ?
[00:46:02] The clock will run out.
[00:46:05] Before we come to the table, I want to talk to you about three suppers.
[00:46:11] And that one over there is not included.
[00:46:14] That's lunch over there.
[00:46:16] Three suppers.
[00:46:19] You think about, as we come to the table here in just a moment, 1 Corinthians chapter 11 is where we generally go for the institution of the Lord's Supper.
[00:46:29] And the Apostle Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 11, verse 26.
[00:46:35] He says, For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till He come.
[00:46:44] That's interesting.
[00:46:46] You show the Lord's death till He come.
[00:46:49] How does that have to do with time?
[00:46:54] This is an interesting sacrament the Lord has given us that every time we partake, we recognize that we are in the midst of a season of time between the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.
[00:47:07] This links us back, chains us back to the death, burial, and resurrection.
[00:47:14] You do show the Lord's death till He comes.
[00:47:18] And it links us forward to the second coming.
[00:47:22] And we are in the middle.
[00:47:24] And every time we partake, we are to remember two suppers.
[00:47:28] The Last Supper, when Christ is with His disciples and they eat the Passover and He is to be offered on the cross.
[00:47:37] And then the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
[00:47:43] For those who are believers, we didn't, none of y'all were at the Last Supper, I don't think.
[00:47:50] We got some old folks here, but not that old.
[00:47:53] But, but, if you're a believer, you're going to get in on the Second Supper.
[00:47:58] What's the second supper?
[00:47:59] Real quick, Revelation chapter 19.
[00:48:01] I just mentioned it.
[00:48:02] Take a look with me if you would.
[00:48:04] This is the supper we have to look forward to.
[00:48:06] Much better than what's over there.
[00:48:07] I'm sure it's going to be great, though.
[00:48:09] I have a green bean casserole.
[00:48:11] I hope you enjoy.
[00:48:12] But Revelation chapter 19 talks about the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:48:18] Let me just read a handful of verses for you to get your idea on this.
[00:48:22] Verse 6 of Revelation 19.
[00:48:23] And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and the voice of many thunderings, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
[00:48:33] Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready.
[00:48:43] Who is the Lamb here? Jesus.
[00:48:46] And who is His wife?
[00:48:48] And what have we been doing all this time?
[00:48:51] Making ourselves ready.
[00:48:53] For what?
[00:48:53] The marriage.
[00:48:54] That's redeeming the time.
[00:48:57] We're making ourselves ready for the marriage.
[00:49:00] To be with Christ forever and ever.
[00:49:04] Verse 8.
[00:49:05] And to her, you, if you're a believer, was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.
[00:49:14] And he saith unto me, Write, blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:49:20] And he saith unto me, These are the true saints of God.
[00:49:25] And I fell at his feet to worship him.
[00:49:27] And he said, And do you see thou doest it not?
[00:49:30] I am thy fellow servant and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus.
[00:49:34] Worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
[00:49:38] So we have three suppers.
[00:49:39] The first is the last supper.
[00:49:42] The second is the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:49:44] I hope every one of you are going to be part of that.
[00:49:49] But we said there's a third supper.
[00:49:51] Which one is that?
[00:49:53] Read a little bit further.
[00:49:55] Revelation chapter 19, verse 11.
[00:49:59] And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
[00:50:09] His eyes were as a flame of fire, on his head were many crowns.
[00:50:13] He had a name written that no man knew but he himself, and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God.
[00:50:22] and the armies which are in heaven followed him upon white horses clothed in fine linen white and clean and out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword that with it he should smite the nations
[00:50:34] and he shall rule them with a rod of iron and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty God and he hath on his vesture on his thigh a name written king of king
[00:50:48] and lord of lords where's the third supper Verse 17, And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven,
[00:51:01] Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God.
[00:51:06] There's the third supper.
[00:51:08] There's a supper you don't want to go to, folks.
[00:51:11] That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men,
[00:51:24] both free and bond, both small and great.
[00:51:31] Three suppers.
[00:51:33] The last supper.
[00:51:36] The marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:51:39] And verse 17, the supper of the great God.
[00:51:43] When all who are not invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb themselves will be the main course.
[00:51:53] Their dead bodies eaten of fowls and flying.
[00:51:57] Isn't that what it said?
[00:51:59] Ultimate destruction and perishing and cast into the lake of fire ultimately with the beast and the false prophet forevermore.
[00:52:08] Which supper would you rather choose?
[00:52:11] The marriage supper of the Lamb or the supper of the great God?
[00:52:20] I said I was going to talk about three suppers, but brothers and sisters, there's a fourth.
[00:52:28] And that's what God is calling you to right now.
[00:52:33] The Lord's Supper.
[00:52:34] For he who partakes of the Lord's Supper in faith, trusting in Christ alone for salvation, being born again, washed in his blood, cleansed and sanctified, redeeming the time and living a life for Christ, will no doubt be a partaker of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[00:53:00] Brothers and sisters, oh, is it before?
[00:53:05] It is, isn't it?
[00:53:05] Forgive me.
[00:53:07] One second.
[00:53:07] Thank you.
[00:53:07] Thank you for correcting me.
[00:53:09] Brothers and sisters, before we come to the table we are going to hear from the choir, right?
[00:53:17] And we're going to be blessed.
[00:53:19] But I want you to meditate as the choir sings and also as the offering will be taken.
[00:53:25] I want you to meditate on this offer.
[00:53:29] Which supper will you choose?
[00:53:33] There's a time when time will be no longer.
[00:53:36] And each and every one of us has a time set that for us time will be no longer.
[00:53:42] There'll be no more time to choose nor any opportunity now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation if you have not yet been made right with Christ by grace through faith and repentance
[00:53:56] in him now is the time partake of this supper in faith by grace that one day we together might take part in the marriage supper of the Lamb married to Christ for all eternity time will be no more
[00:54:14] but we will live forever and ever and ever with him reaping what we have sown.
[00:54:21] God is not mocked but so whenever a man soweth that shall he also reap.
[00:54:27] If you sow to the flesh, live the life for yourself you will of the flesh reap corruption but let us sow to the spirit by God's grace and the power of his spirit that we might inherit eternal life
[00:54:43] with him forever and ever.
[00:54:45] Amen.
[00:54:46] Amen. Praise the Lord.
[00:54:47] The choir can come up, and as they do, we're going to be taking up the tithes and offerings.
[00:54:55] Once they get set, I'll pray for that.
[00:55:01] And thank you, Pastor Andy, for helping me, correcting me.
[00:55:11] Let's pray, shall we?
[00:55:13] Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this wonderful gift of salvation, the gift of our life and the time that we have.
[00:55:20] Lord God, our times are in your hands.
[00:55:23] Help us, Lord.
[00:55:23] even now, as you will require of us what we do with our time, also our money.
[00:55:29] All that we have is yours, for you have purchased us with the blood of the Lamb.
[00:55:34] Help us now to give the tithe and the offering in faith and with a cheerful heart unto your glory, honor, and praise.
[00:55:40] In Jesus' name, amen.

[00:55:42] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_02]
[00:55:42] Amen.

[00:58:49] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_01]
[00:58:49] You may be seated.
[00:59:04] And now we come to the fourth supper.
[00:59:15] It's easy, I think, for us as Christians today in 2026 in Mooresville to feel far removed from Jerusalem 2,000 years ago almost now since he died on the cross.
[00:59:30] But I think God gave us this to help us, to link us back to that last supper that he had with the disciples the night before he died on the cross for us.
[00:59:41] But also to remind us to look forward to that wonderful day of his return.
[00:59:50] For those who do not believe, this is a scary thought.
[00:59:53] They prefer not to think of it.
[00:59:54] But for those of us who truly believe, we're not to be afraid.
[00:59:59] We're not to be worried about that time.
[01:00:03] We're to be looking forward and expecting his glorious return.
[01:00:08] There's a wonderful supper prepared for us in heaven where the marriage spiritually of the church and Christ is consummated forever and ever.
[01:00:17] There's no more crying or dying.
[01:00:20] 19 years, some lost infants, some in the womb, little children dying, no more wars, no more sickness, no more sadness, no more lying, no more tears, no more failure, perfect joy and peace and love in the presence of God forever and ever.
[01:00:41] All of that laid before us, and he just asked us for a very small, tiny thing called our life to live for his glory he died for us is it too much for him to ask of us to live for him
[01:01:01] the apostle paul says the passage that we looked at earlier first corinthians 11 he says though he was not at the last supper he received this from the lord jesus in revelation verse 23 for i have
[01:01:24] received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed, that's the first supper, he took bread, and we find it says when he had given thanks, he break it, he'd given thanks, do you pray at your meals and
[01:01:47] give thanks, this is the most important of all, let's stop and pray, dear heavenly father, we do thank you and praise you for this wonderful gift this fourth supper as it were for the strengthening of your body
[01:02:02] for our faith Lord God this wonderful sacrament of your spiritual presence strengthen us as we partake in a figure of your body and blood your life poured into us drinking into one spirit your Holy Ghost
[01:02:17] and so Lord we do thank you for this wonderful privilege of partaking in the benefits of your perfect life.
[01:02:25] You redeemed the time perfectly.
[01:02:27] You never wasted any time.
[01:02:29] We know, Lord God.
[01:02:30] You spent your life for us.
[01:02:33] You gave your life for us that we might live for you.
[01:02:38] And Lord, help us repent of our sins knowing that if we truly repent, if we are believers, you're faithful and just to hear our prayers, to forgive our sin if we confess them and repent.
[01:02:51] yes and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and Lord if there be anyone here who's not certain that they're a believer help them Lord to remember sooner or later their clock too shall run out
[01:03:06] help them Lord I pray to bow the knee to you this day and to partake of this wonderful sacrament this gift of your son Jesus Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world
[01:03:22] in his name we pray Amen.
[01:03:27] Christ, after he gave thanks, and what was he giving thanks for?
[01:03:32] The meal that signifies him going to the cross.
[01:03:38] He gave thanks for the privilege to die for you.
[01:03:43] Shouldn't we give thanks for the privilege of everlasting life through his death, death, and resurrection?
[01:03:50] He gave thanks, he took bread, and he break it.
[01:03:55] And he said, take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you.
[01:03:59] this do in remembrance of me.
[01:04:01] After the same manner also he took the cup when he had supped, saying, This cup is the New Testament in my blood.
[01:04:09] This do you as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.
[01:04:12] For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he comes.
[01:04:20] Everyone here who has been born again, who has trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, is welcome to come to this table if you have trusted in Him.
[01:04:39] If you have not, we invite you to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that you too might partake of this wonderful supper so that you with us might have the joy one day of partaking of the marriage supper of the Lamb.
[01:04:58] And what a wonderful ceremony that will be.
[01:05:00] if there's anyone here who has not believed, we ask you to refrain and to sit and pray and if there's anyone here who is a believer and has trusted in Christ and has any sin that they have not
[01:05:13] confessed, you just had a chance to confess that you should have, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins cleanse us of all unrighteousness, but if you know there's something that you're holding, don't come
[01:05:23] pray, but if you've been saved and if you have confessed your sins and you're trusting in Christ alone, I invite you to come. Come and dine. God has provided and prepared a feast, and he invites
[01:05:40] all who will to come and partake of the body and blood of his Son given for you. Those of you who are coming, you can come, form two lines, pick up the elements, and take them back to your seat.
[01:05:54] Come, the body of Christ broken for you, the blood of Christ shed for you.
[01:06:09] As we partake of this meal again, we look back to the meal that made this possible.