REDEEMING THE TIME We have been studying on Sunday mornings the responsibility we each have as stewards of what God has entrusted to us. We touched briefly on finances because everyone is thinking about money these days. Things are tight. Everyone’s budget is crunched, stretched and completely strained. We recognize that the government is taking more of our money for “their” programs, and all the while the cost of everything is sky-rocketing. This means that every believer is at a moral and spiritual crossroads: do we remain faithful in our giving to the Lord, or do we withhold financial support because of our limited discretionary dollars? If you have been with us on Sunday mornings during the month of February you know that our messages took a bit of an unexpected turn. Instead of focusing so much on being stewards of our finances, which is still a biblical concern to each of us, we have been focusing on our stewardship of the Gospel message that has been placed in our care. We know by looking at Scripture that things are continuing to worsen in our world, and that many signs and events point to the real possibility that Christ’s return is nearer than ever before. With that knowledge, we have a spiritual duty to perform. We have been entrusted with the message of salvation, the Gospel of Reconciliation. And we must not waste any time. We are to encourage one another in the work of ministering to others. That’s what servanthood is all about. We are servants of Christ, yes. We are servants in the Church, yes. But we have nearly forgotten that we are here not to serve ourselves, but others. It has been said that the Church is the only organization in history that exists for its non-members. We are here for the benefit of unbelievers and are to be using our energy and strength to reach them with the good news that Jesus Christ died to redeem them from sin. You see, we know the end of the story. For the believer, it matters not to us how difficult things get in this life because we know “it will be worth it all when we see Christ!” We know that in the end, we who are in Christ Jesus win and reign with Him. But we cannot afford, beloved, to forget the other side of the coin. Unbelievers, have no hope of things getting any better. The only thing that awaits unbelievers is the “weeping and gnashing of teeth” in the pit of hell. As we share that message people ought to be motivated to escape that bleak picture. But until we acknowledge the reality of eternal hell, we won’t get serious about sharing the Gospel. In his commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, William Barclay writes this interesting parable: There is a fable which tells of three apprentice devils who were coming to this earth to finish their apprenticeship. They were talking to Satan, the chief of the devils, about their plans to tempt and ruin men. The first said, “I will tell them there is no God.” Satan said, “That will not delude many, for they know that there is a God.” The second said, “I will tell them that there is no hell.” Satan answered, “You will deceive no one that way; men know even now that there is a hell for sin.” The third said, “I will tell men that there is no hurry.” “Go,” Satan said, “and you will ruin men by the thousand.” The most dangerous of all illusions is that there is plenty of time. (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2, (Philadelphia, Westminster Press, 1975), p. 317). Folks, we must understand that the only reason God has delayed the return of Christ is because He is merciful and full of grace. He patiently waits for people to turn to Him for salvation. But we don’t know how much longer He will delay. He may be turning right now to Christ, preparing to say to Him, “Go claim Your Bride. I’m ready to pour out the full fury of my wrath on that wicked evil world!” Let’s redeem the time and tell the news (Ephesians 5:15-17). See you Sunday!! Holding Out Hope! Mike |
| Mike's Minute Taken from this month's Newsletter |