The Time of Your Life | Part 1

Difficulties the gift from God. Listen to Adrian Rogers. The worst thing that could happen to us would be not that many difficulties would never know our need of the Lord. So God everyday says I'm going to give you sufficiently sufficient difficult. What you say, God gives us enough difficulty to bring us to him. But then God gives us enough grace to meet those difficult everyday findings featuring powerful teaching of love astronaut Rogers enough were not careful, we may spend the time time of our lives chasing the wrong goal. This is why we have to learn how to use and maximize our time for God's glory.

How can we prioritize what God is calling us to do with our time. What opportunities have we been given with each passing day. If you have your Bible turn to Ephesians chapter 5 will be looking at verse 14 is Adrian Rogers begins this insightful message. The time of your life that God's word please and turn if you would Ephesians chapter 5 Ephesians chapter 5 and I want to begin reading in verse 14 adjustable one of the most memorable games took place some years ago was the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the University of California was playing Georgia Tech and it was a quiet game because both of these schools. At that time were undefeated and it was late in the second quarter and tie The ball and they were pressing hard on the 33 yard line. When a man named Thomason was hit and the center believers to California scooped up the ball spun around and began to run with the crowd started to cheer and he took this fumble and I headed toward the goal is eyes were watching peripheral vision. He's moving to the right and the left is neither applies, legs spread apart. He's he's running but with one problem he's headed toward the wrong goal he had somehow gotten confused and spun around. He is literally headed for the wrong goal with this scooped up from now the incredible thing is his own teammates are trying to tackling and the opposition is running interference for and find battle in the 1 yard line. After running almost 67 yards in the wrong way. Roy wriggles is tackled by Benny lawn, one of his own teammates on the 1 yard line. Can you imagine the shame the humiliation as he walked back toward the bench the jeers the catcalls the coating Rory's they went into the half and the coach put his arm on the shoulder.

Rory goals and spoke to them words of admonition and encouragement and he came out the second half and played brilliantly by tell a story because not only is it one of the Grady box in the football history but is such a parable of so many of us when we think we are doing so good maybe doing well, except for this one thing when headed toward the wrong goal. I mean, you're doing fine in your business and you doing fine and you're out the neutering five in your relationship with the problem is you've lost sight of the right go and it seems that Satan himself is leading interference for you. I want to do the same thing for you today that Benny lawn bid for Roy wriggles. I want to tackle you today by Dan I want to I want to stop you if I can, God helping me, and help you to find God's goal for your life and to live life to its fullest and to be all that you can be that. Look, if you will hear in verse 13. The Bible says, but all things are reproved and made manifest by the light and what server does make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith weight about all that sleepless, and arise from the bed and Christ shall give the light see then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wines read deeming the time map that phrases not underscored in your Bible. I suggest you may do so read deeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore, be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is and be not drunk with wine when his access but be filled with the spirit not in the Bible there two words that are translated time because we see one of his words right here in verse 16 redeeming the time, one of the words four times the word Chronos's word, we get chronology from that's not the word that is used here. Chronos just simply means the passing of time, like so many hours in so many minutes in so many seconds, and that some people call the watch is a chronometer that is, he just keeps on account of time as it passes segments of time. Chronos. But that's not the word that is used to the word that is used here is Kinross, which means time, but it means like seasons of time.

It literally means opportunity. Let me show you how that is used in Galatians chapter 6 and verse 10. The Bible says, as we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men. Now the word that is translated in Galatians 610 opportunity is the same word that is translated here in chapter 5, verse 16. As time so when the Bible says redeeming the time here in verse 16 it speaks of the days the hours and the minutes but more than that. It really speaks of the opportunities that we had because you see, you need to see time not just a something that is passing what you need to see time as an incredible opportunity, and when your redeeming time. What you're really renaming is opportunity so the Bible says the days are evil. But we are to be buying up the opportunity. What he's trying to tell us is how to live our lives. Ways for evil days.

The days are evil. So therefore take advantage of every opportunity that God has given us and so I want to talk to you today about the time of your life if you been going toward the wrong goal argue been sitting on the sidelines either one. I want to show you from God's word. How to take time and use time and maximize your time for God's glory.

Another three or four things I want to know this would mean first of all time is a provided opportunity. Know what I mean by that is this what you will, in verse 14. Wherefore he saith, all Lake thou that sleepless. Now we need to jolt some people awake. There is a day of opportunity that you dare not let pass by. We need to awaken from our stupid some of us have been chloroform by these evil days and somehow we need to be jolted away. God has provided for you and opportunity you see it is God who is the create tour of time, God's great gift to you. Number one is Jesus a number two is time. Number one is Jesus.

Number two is time God is giving you time to work.

Time to serve time to love time to laugh time the labor but like any gift how you use it is really up to you and we need to see every day.

This day and every day as a gift from God. Has it ever occurred to you that for you to cease living God will not have to take your life. All God would have to do is stop giving you your life is too on-site to see the Bible says in Lamentations chapter 3 verse 22 is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning, every day is a gift from God. Time is something that God gave you today, and God will give you tomorrow is not something that you own. God is the creator of the possessor of time and so therefore I am a steward of the time that God has given me and one day I will have to answer to God for what I did with this day and every day that God has given me 24 hours in the day. 1440 minutes in the day. 86,000 seconds in the day and every one of them is a precious gift from God, who first wrote these words with their meaningful to me for them since I was a teenager I have only just a minute only 60 seconds and it did seek didn't choose it forced upon me.

I can't refuse it but is up to me just how I use it, I must suffer if I lose it. Give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute but eternity is in my dear friend, God has given us time don't go around saying well.

Thus and such a person has more time and I have that's wrong. We all have the same amount of time.

Everybody has 24 hours in the day. The difference between people is not that some people have more time than other people. The difference in people is how people use time that God has given them. So I want you to see this time as a provided opportunity, something that God has given you, and something that God wants you to awaken to. But secondly, I want you to see this time, not only as a provided opportunity, but a present opportunity something that is here right now. Notice in verse 15 C, then, that you wall circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because days are evil. May speaks here of days. This is the day that the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in their two days that can steal the joy from today. There two days that can steal the productivity from today. One is yesterday and the other is tomorrow I'll have a lot of folks who live in yesterday.

The Bible warns us against that the apostle Paul said in Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 13 brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. That is, I don't think I have arrived. I don't think I'm already perfect, but this one thing I do know Paul was a man of many ambitions. He narrowed everything to one focus there's one thing I do for not getting those things which are behind and reaching all on those things which are before I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. He said I forget the past limitations on the things that the apostle Paul therefore had the forget he had to forget past due. The apostle Paul was one who was guilty along with others for the stoning of St. Stephen. He said himself find the cheapest of sentence, but he married that guilt in the grave of God's forgetfulness made a somebody here today. You've done something so terrible so horrible your face would turn red of people in this congregation knew what happened. My dear friend, I want to tell you that the blood of Jesus Christ. God son cleanses you from that if you confess and don't be haunted by the ghost of guilt. Paul said I forget those things which are behind, past due past glory. I mean not only was this man. Guilt is a center but as a saint. He was the greatest Christian I suppose Evelyn the greatest missionary the greatest church planter but Paul didn't sit around and rest on his laurels past grief he suffered as few men suffer you read the account of Paul suffering but he just said that's our light affliction. He said the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.

He said I forget that and past grudges. I mean there were many people did Paul wrong. Paul was abuse lied on this treated cheated overload, but Paul refused to feed a fever and nurse a grudge and Paul said, I take my past due. I take my past glory I take my past grief I take my past grudges and I forget those things which are behind, I want to suggest, as we face a new year that you do exactly the same thing you bundle all of those things up and you just forget Paul said I forget those things which are behind one thing that can take the joy out of today's yesterday as you carry along the load from yesterday. Something else that can take the toy out of today is tomorrow.

You know I was a psychologist whose name was William Marston and he surveyed 3000 people and asked them what they were living for, and out of that survey of 3000 persons. An incredible thing, he found that in 19 for percent of the 3000 people that he surveyed were in during today in order to get to tomorrow. 94% of today was not the day that they were living. They were only anticipating tomorrow they will waiting for tomorrow.

The problem with that is my dear friend is that tomorrow never come will always looking forward to what's going to happen.

We want friends, and so we we look forward to having friends when we get friends we weep when we lose friends, but many times we fail to enjoy the friends while we have women are strange creatures on the look forward 20 years getting married and having children and after the children are grown and out of the house. They spent 20 years looking back at the time when I used to have the children, but I can't stand him for the 20 years that friendless and in joy. Enjoy what God has given you right now some people waiting for tomorrow and some people worrying about tomorrow. Let me give you some advice not advised more than advise old wonderful truth from the lips of the very son of God. Matthew chapter 6 and verse in verse 34 Jesus said, take no thought, therefore, for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. And then Jesus said something very interesting. He said sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Though worry about tomorrow. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Now think with me.

What did he mean by that. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. That is, that God in the crucible of his wisdom, and in the ecology of his grace has ordered some trouble for you today and every day of your life.

The Bible calls it evil. It doesn't mean sin is like an evil smell.

It means something bad. All of us have difficulties we all need difficulties, we have been blessed with difficulties.

God gives us enough difficulties to cause us to come to him. The worst thing that could happen to us would be not to have any difficulties. We never know our need of the Lord in that right. So God everyday says I want to give you sufficient evil sufficient difficult but you see, God gives us enough difficulty to bring us to him.

But then God gives us enough grace to meet those difficulties every day know more about tomorrow.

Sufficient unto the day sufficient lot sufficient grace for a while for the evil. Sufficient unto the day is the evil and so there's that perfect balance.

God gives you a certain amount of difficulty today, and God gives you a certain amount of grace. Today God brings you gives you enough difficulty to draw you to him. And then God gives you enough grace to live this day.

As you all know what happens when you worry what when you worry you reach out into tomorrow and you take tomorrow's difficulty and bring it into today.

We'll God didn't give you grace for tomorrow's difficulty sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

And so God says in his word as your days are so shall your strength be.

Deuteronomy chapter 33 in verse 25 as your days are so show your strength me. What happens is this that when you reach into tomorrow and you bring tomorrow's troubles at a real or imaginary and you cram them into the day you overload the circuit I made you upset God's divine ecology. You see, worry doesn't take the sorrow out of tomorrow.

It takes the strength out of today and then when you meet tomorrow you meet tomorrow out of breath because you're already overloaded from today and you already are run down when you meet tomorrow worry, therefore, does not make us ready for the future. It really makes us unready and we been fighting tomorrow's battles today and therefore we meet tomorrow out of breath. Somebody put it well.

This way when I said that worry pools. Tomorrow's clouds over today's sunshine and so prove that is missing.

Listen. Time is a provided opportunity. Time is a present opportunity yesterday. That's just a canceled check tomorrow.

That's just a promissory note today is all of the cash that you have, you better learn how to spend it wisely. Thousands of years ago. A wise man said this look well to this in one day for it and it alone is life.

Are you listening yesterday is only a dream, and tomorrow is but a vision. Yet each day lived well makes yesterday a dream of happiness and tomorrow a vision of hope hatched great folks, listen, listen yesterday is but a dream. Tomorrow is motivation. Life is today and the Bible says in verse 15.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, now that brings me to 1/3 thing I want to say. Not only is time a provided opportunity and not only is time a present opportunity, but all my dear friend it is a precious, precious, precious opportunity. Look again.

He says here that we are to read deem the opportunity to read deeming DC, it redeeming the time, what are you going to redeem something you pay for. I mean, dear friend. There is something you must give in exchange if you would live up to the opportunities that God has given you see, we need to see how valuable time is to waste time is to waistline because time is the stuff that life is made out of a person who is killing time is not killing time is killing himself.

He is committing suicide by the agreements a murderer in the truest sense, doesn't take someone's life. That person is going to die anyway what it takes is that person's time is that one thing you just cause that person to die soon.

You see, time is life time is why how precious it is powerful words as we end today's portion of the lessons from Adrian Rogers to waste time is to waste life because time is the stuff that life is made out of will hear the conclusion of this important message coming up tomorrow but maybe you have questions about who Jesus is about what he means to you. How to begin a relationship with God through Christ we encourage you to go to were discovered. Jesus page@lwf.org/radio to find resources and materials that will answer questions you may have about your faith in LWF.org/radio and click discovered Jesus that you like to order a copy of today's message. Call us at 1877 love God and request the title the time of your life. This message is also part of the powerful series standing for light and truth for the complete audio collection featuring 11 insightful messages. Call that number 1877 love God will go to LWF.org/radio where you can write us to order it. Love worth finding box 38, 600 Memphis, TN 38183 thanks for studying God's word today and listening to this convicting message now what you intend to do with your day be a good steward of the time that God is given should tune in tomorrow for part two of the time of your life would here's a note from a listener in Colorado that really encouraged us. He wrote my dad's favorite preacher was Adrian Rogers, my parents could no longer go to church. Due to my mom's stroke, and Alzheimer's.

They enjoyed Adrian's messages together. Thank you for being available.

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