Once again, taking your Bibles and turn to 1 Corinthians chapter seven, look, starting at verse 29. But this I say, brethren, the time is short. It remaineth that both they that have wives be as though they had none and they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoice as though they rejoice not. And they that buy as though they possess not. And they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away. So the title this morning is Time Considered and Improved. Time Considered and Improved. Now I wanted to mention too that sermon audio The message I think last week I had for the afternoon, the seven different preachers, I can't remember exactly what time, they featured that on the website there. So I thought that was kind of neat. So I wanted to bring that to your attention. The preciousness of time is universally admitted. Time is precious, but few act as if it were precious. We take it for granted. We don't have a full comprehension of how we use our time. You know, I said that if you're gonna tithe your money, you need to tithe your time. So there's 24 hours in a day, so you need to give God a tenth of that time. And if you figure that, I think it's 2.4, but if you figure in this way, and I won't go through all that this morning, If you figure, okay, how much time you spend sleeping, how much time you spend eating, how much time you spend at work, and how much time you spend watching TV, so then how much time do you give to God? See, God only requires a tenth, and I doubt if we give him that on a daily basis. You may give him a tenth of your money, but do you give him a tenth of your time each and every day? That's what he requires. And a church is just responsible to give a tenth of what they receive in, and that's why we do mission work. That gives us the ability to give back. So that's why we do it that way. So it is so rare and valuable that we only possess a single moment of it at once. And you can't get it back. Once it's gone, it's gone. Our possession of another moment of time is a matter of great uncertainty. We don't know how soon Lord's coming back. We don't know how soon. So each day should be precious for us and not just for our own lives, for living our own lives, but it's so important for us to present the gospel. Time is precious because tomorrow might never come. We never may have that opportunity to tell somebody about Jesus Christ. The main thing is there to tell them, let God do the rest. You know, we sow the seed, we water the seed, you know, we do many other things to help something to grow, but God is the one who gives the increase. We can't make that plant grow no matter what, how hard we try, we can't make it grow. That's God's business. So you plant the seed, somebody else will come along and water that seed, but God's gonna give that increase. So just remember that when you're witnessing to somebody. Let us weigh heavy the truth here of our text. Time consider and improved. We need to consider time and we need to improve our time and it all comes down. If God isn't number one, then you're wasting your time. God has to be number one. There's no doubt about it. In fact, I was just talking to somebody and I always laid this out in my ministry. It's gotta be there. I think Brother Ray would agree with this. SB, if you're married, you got children, and even though there may be a little bit of static in your home about this, but it's God, church, wife, children. Everything else is, you know, somewhere in whatever priority you want. But that's the priority you gotta have. I mean, you start putting your children and your wife, which we know what happens when you put your children before God. We know what happens. You put your wife before God, we know what happens. It has to be that way. And you can't put the church before God. I mean, even though it's important, you know, you have to give your service, your duty to God. Then you can give your service and duty to the church, to your wife, to your children. And like I said, then you can line your priorities up any way you want to, you know, nieces, nephews, you know, grandchildren, however you wanna do that. So the first point I want to make this morning is a solemn truth expressed. The time is short. Time is short. Time from creation to its consummation is short when viewed in a contrast with the unmeasured and boundless eternity or the immutable God with whom a thousand years is as one day. We're not in eternity, folks. This is not our eternity. But one day we're gonna be in eternity. So that's why it's so important that we live each day for God and doing the things that he wants us to do, being obedient to God, because if we don't do that, then our eternity is gonna suffer loss. We're gonna be in eternity, we'll be with God for safe, but it's gonna suffer loss. And this is what people need to understand. Church members need to understand this. God has to come first. And it's going to show when we stand before Christ and he passes out the rewards. So it's however we do things here on earth that's going to count there at that particular time. So this text concerns the time of human life, which is short. I always said before, and many of you have heard me say it, what's the most you want to live for? A hundred years? Well, a hundred years is nothing, okay? It is really nothing. So you live a hundred years, you're going to die. There's no doubt about it. You're going to die. It's been given to us to die. We're going to die. So, but we'll be getting that a little bit more here, but our period of existence on earth, the seed time in which we sow for a golden harvest is immortal blessedness. These are just blessings that God gives us, because we have the ability to do so. You know, I've heard Brother Ray preach many times, the fields are right under the harvest. You know, that's a message that he gave, because that's what we have to look at. They're out there. We just got to tell them. We got to bring them in. I believe that there's elect of God in West Jefferson, Ohio. We just have to reach them. See, that's the thing. We have to reach them. And so there's where our responsibility lies for that. We have but a short time in this world, a short season for possessing and enjoying worldly things. It's not gonna last, okay? If you wanna go out there and spend $100,000 on a Mercedes, it's not gonna last. It's gonna rust. It's gonna break down. And you can't take it with you. Many people think that they're gonna be able to take their riches with them, and it's not gonna happen. It will soon be swallowed up in eternity, because that's where we're going to spend. That's where we're going to be for eternity. If you ever stop and think about it, we don't know how long eternity is other than we know that it's forever and ever and ever. There is no end. That's the best way I can describe eternity. There is no end. On earth, there's an end. We're born. The day we are born, we already have the appointment for death. We don't know when it is. That's why it's important that we try to live each day. And those of us that are saved, we need to try to live each day for the Lord. Our time is short when compared with the antediluvians. No account of death and childhood or youth. Adam lived to be 930 years old. Seth lived to be 912 years old. Methuselah, of course, the oldest one on record, is 969 years old. Can you imagine? I mean, imagine. That's almost 1,000 years that Methuselah was alive. And when we go into the millennial reign, that's the people that are gonna be there, because Christ is gonna rule and reign for 1,000 years. It's just kind of hard to comprehend. It's kind of hard to bring into our minds that. So our time is short when viewed through the medium of scriptural representation. We're gonna look at a couple things here. First, a day, turn to Job chapter 14 and verse six, see what Job says here about this. Job 14, six, he says, turn from him that he may rest till he shall accomplish as an, and in a hireling his day. So we have Job. Days, I mean there's gonna be but we're not guaranteed tomorrow We're living today Right now You're living in December the 8th 2024 You may never see December 9th 2024 so live in today You can't go back. You can't make it up once it's gone. It's gone. You know, it's already uh 1130 what has happened before that is gone. Well, you're not going to get that back If you weren't listening to brother Lonnie this morning You're out. You're lost. I mean as far as being able to hear it because it's gone Well, we got it on tape, of course, but you understand I'm saying when it comes to that in Job chapter 9 and verse 26 The flight of an eagle 926, it says, they are passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that hasteneth to the prey. Now, I stopped and thought about that a minute. Have you ever seen an eagle or a hawk or any bird of prey when they, when they dive for their prey? I mean, it's like, boom, it's gone. In that instant, it's gone. So that's what God is telling us here. that our time goes that fast, goes that fast. And the weaver's shuttle, I turned over too fast. Now the weaver's shuttle there in Job chapter seven, Job chapter seven and verse six. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle. are spent without hope. Understand how fast a weaver's shuttle goes. I mean, it's like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, you know? That section, that part of making that garment or that blanket or that rug or whatever it is, that's how fast it's passed before we can even actually really think about it. So that's what God's comparing it with here in the scripture. And then the fading leaf, withered grass, perishing flower. Look at Psalm 90. 90 in verse four and six there. It says for a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past and as a watch in the night. Think about that a minute. Do you remember what happened yesterday? How fast did it go? Does it seem like a thousand years? I mean, does it seem like it was that fast? Does it seem like it, you know, when you stop to think about what happened a year ago, it seems like way out there, you know, And that's how it is, that's how our life is. That's why each moment is so precious to us. Thou carryest them away as with a flood. They are as a sleep in the morning. They are like grass, which groweth up. In the morning, it flourisheth and groweth up. In the evening, it is cut down and weathered. That fast. You know what happens Then after that, it's gone. It's there no more. But that's how fast. Get up in the morning, it's growing, it flourishes, and in the evening, it's done. It dies, it's gone. And again, you cannot get it back. James describes it as a vapor, which we've used many times in lessons and messages. But chapter four there in James, And verse 14, whereas, you know, not what shall be on the morrow. So James is spelling this out for us, probably better than I am, of course, for what is your life? And he's asking a question here. He wants you to understand. He wants you to think about this because he's asking it in a question. What is your life? And he said, here's what he's going to tell us. It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanish away. Now, when I think of a vapor, I think it's maybe somebody smoking, you know, and the smoke rolls, and then you look and it's gone. So that's to me is a vapor. And it just disappears. You know, you're in a pooey. You'll never see that vapor again. It's gone. So that's what we have to look at when we're looking at our lives. And as I've already stated in Psalm 39.5, Psalm 39.5, and I've already stated this, nothing, and I want to stress that, nothing before God. I mean that, nothing before God. There's so many people that put things before God today. That's just, you're just asking for trouble. But verse five says, behold, thou hast made my days as a hand breath, and my age is as nothing before thee. Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity. And if you go into Ecclesiastes and you look up that word vanity, it's vapor. Vanity is what it comes down to. It's a big goose egg. Zero. That's what your life's worth if you don't put it in perspective. And that's what God is trying to reveal unto us when it comes to our time. Time is short. I turned my page too quick again. Sorry about that. But going Psalm 90 and verse four or six again. Time is short considered. abstractly. So we look at verse four and six there says for a thousand years in by sight are, but as yesterday, when it is passed and as a watch in the night, thou carry a stem away as with a flood, they are as a sleep in the morning and In the morning, they are like grass, which groweth up. In the morning, it flourisheth again and groweth up. In an evening, it is cut down and withereth. We may want to kind of meditate on that a little bit. We get the full effect of it. And then look at verse nine and 10. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of Our years are threescore years and ten, and if by reason of strength they are fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away." So the expression there is that here's how fast it goes. What did we do with it? I'm 73 years old. What did I do with the last 73 years? You know, how old you are, just, you know, just figure what have I done? And I'm sure there's been days we have failed to serve God. I mean, that's just, that's because of our depravity and that's going to happen. So these aren't, I mean, these are just kind of rough ideas, but just to give you that childhood and youth take 10 years. Sleep 20 years. Work 20 years, pleasure and relaxation five years, and you can just put it in any formula that you want, but that's how fast it goes. How many years missent? Think about that. And what I mean by that, to send incorrectly as to a wrong destination. What did we do on that day? Was that day dedicated to God? Did we use that, you know, I'm trying to think of his name. Moody, he made himself, or he made basically, he made God a promise that he would not go to bed until he had at least presented the gospel to one person. D.L. Moody, I was trying to get it all out. He was sick, and he was in bed, and it was very late at night, and he realized that he had not presented the gospel to anybody. He got up, he got dressed, went out on the street, and there was a young lady out there just about ready to take her life, and he preached the gospel to her, went back home, went to bed. I can't remember, it was months or a year later or months later, but as he was greeting the people at the back door, this lady come up and thanked him. And she says, well, I don't know who you are. He says, well, I was just about to end my life. And you told me about Jesus Christ. So his devotion and obedience to God, look what it cost. Look what it caused, excuse me. It caused a soul to be saved and saved from hell. Just because he made that in himself, that that what he was going to do each and every day. And that's all we have to do. God doesn't demand a lot, again, 10%. It's always asking, 10%. Don't set your heart on worldly things, nor be overwhelmed with worldly cares and troubles. And I've gone through the grieving process, whether Ray's gone through it, whether Gordon's gone through it, others have gone through that grief, that grieving part, but he's telling us not to be overwhelmed in that because it'll take us down. And I've been there now, it took me into a dark place, and that's just Satan, he's just ready to pounce. So we really have to be careful. And I can't tell you how many times I rebuked him in the last few weeks. Cause he's going to be out to destroy me. He's going to be out to destroy you. He's going to be out to destroy the church and we can stop him, you know. Rebuke the devil and he'll flee from you. He will flee. I mean, we have to do it in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, and that's how we have to do it. And we have to do it openly because he can't read our minds. So, you know, in the name of Jesus, I rebuke you, Satan. But it has to be that way because Jesus is the only one that can do it. He's the only one that can rebuke him. And if you don't believe that, go back to Matthew. I'm gonna get into that this morning anyway, sorry, this afternoon. But Matthew, go back in there and see what he did. He had to do it. He had a rebuking. No plan adopted with this thought in mind, no engagements made, no connection entered into. The time is short, may become an unwelcome intruder. I mean, Or if we just pass the time with no production, then it becomes an intruder. What did we do? We wasted the day. And of course, I've told you before, you have two choices. You can drown your sorrows or pick yourself up, nurse yourself off and get on with the program. But that's what you have to do. Because if you don't, then you're wasting the day. And that's what God don't want. He don't want the day wasted. He wants to bless us richly. He wants to shower us with blessings. And if we're going to sit there and drown in our sorrows, how can he do that? He's not going to bless that. He's going to bless us, our attitude and trying to do what we can to serve him. There must be moderation. And I'm not real keen on moderations and a lot of things because people overuse that. But there has to be some moderation in our attachment to and what use of things in our present fleeting state, so be careful what we do, you know, with our hobbies or with, you know, other things that we do. God's gotta come first. It just comes down to that. I mean, the very first thing we should do when we get up in the morning, that's where we need to start. Give God his due right off the bat. And at night, we should do the same thing. During the day, we should do the same thing. If I don't move along, I'm gonna be in trouble here. Second point is, the chain of practical interference deducted from this truth. So the first one here is the social ties of life. They that have wives. That's what he's talking about here. The same may be said of parents, children, and friends, and the list can go on. Aunts, nephews, uncles, you know, on and on and on. Don't be unduly attached to them. I mean, I know they're precious. My granddaughter's precious to me, but don't be overly, don't overduly be attached to them, but don't neglect them. It's a balance and understand that God will help us with that balance. nor let them hinder your service to God. And this is where in my ministry, and I'm sure brother Ray's ministry, he's has seen this too, that they have allowed their children to be an influence to their service on God. That's why the pews are empty this morning because they chose to do that. They hadn't chose to do that. Got them out of bed. I'm fond of, and people don't like me to say this, but I'm fond of, if you tell your child to get out of bed, it's time to go to church, and they don't do it, a good cup of water in their face will get them out of there quick. They may be madder than a hornet, but hey, whatever it takes, right? You need to get them here. We hold them by a very brittle and tender string. Did you ever hear that my granddaughter pulls up my string? You know, that's, you know, the hearts of my string, the strings of my heart. Make the best of your time with them. The sorrow of life. They that weep. This world is a valley of tears. Restrain and moderate your grief by the hope of the life to come. If you're gonna let your grief take you down the hill, then you're not gonna enjoy looking for the Lord Jesus Christ. How can you possibly, because your grief is taking you in another direction. And I was there, I've been there, I know what I'm talking about. That's exactly what happened. And keep up a holy joy in God, in the midst of your trouble, joy in sorrow and gladness, in grief, We're marching to Zion. What greater expectation can we have to know that where we're going? So why allow Satan, I always put it this way, why do we allow Satan to rob us of our joy? And he does it without our knowing it sometimes, until it's too late. And then you go smack yourself in the head, says, what did I do? allowed Satan to do the very thing he was out to do. We got to resist, resist the devil. I can get the verse, resist the devil and he will flee from you. And if you just think that's a bunch of words, then you're, you're looking at a wrong context. That's what it's, what it says. That's what it means. Resist the devil and he will flee the joy of time. They that rejoice. So those who have property, beloved families around them, good health, et cetera, it goes on, but always have moderation in mirth, which means humor and laughter, and rejoice with trembling. There's nothing wrong with having a good time. There's nothing wrong with laughing, but make sure that you do it in a moderation and your whole life's not made up of just a bunch of laughs and giggles. We don't wanna serve God that way. We can have fun. We can laugh, but we don't want to make that the focus of our life. We must not place our solace and sanction them in our lives. Don't be too much elated on this side of Canaan. Because if you put all your focus in this world, you're gonna be disappointed in the next. And brother Ray's preached on that. I mean, he taught that, you know, when he told us about that, the beam of seat of Christ, the judgment seat of Christ. And Paul tells us the same thing. So you're going to stand before Christ and you're going to be judged for your good works and your bad works, not for your sins, because Christ already paid it on the cross. So it comes down to this. Is your bad works going to outweigh the good works? I was listening to the, I went through the first six chapters of revelation this morning, And then, you know, I realized that Christ had given them the crowns and the jewels. Well, what did they do with them? He turned them right back and gave them back to him. Now, if you get a pile of wood, hay and stubble that's burnt, what do you, I mean, that's what you're going to have a pile of ashes. Are you going to give that back to Christ? I think not. So you need to focus on that. You need to think about that. Then we see the business of life, they that buy. It is right to buy and sell property, but businesses should not keep us from the things of God. And you know, I don't care where you work, that's what's happened. They have pulled you out because of your work schedule. And I mean, we have to work and we're kind of at the mercy of our employer. We really don't have much of a choice, but that's one of the areas that Satan's got his foot into, see? So don't be too deeply immersed again in that, too anxious about the riches of time, idolize creation, you know, comforts. And we think about that, we see that death breaks the title to our lands, houses, stocks, and bonds. What I mean thereby is if you put all your efforts to have property and money and riches and stuff like that, what would have happened to the man who says, well, I got, my barns are filled. So I tore them down and I built bigger barns. And what'd the Lord say? Today, my soul is required of thee. What was it for? Well, if you go in and read the book of Ecclesiastes, he said it was for nothing because you didn't get no enjoyment out of it all because you put too much stock in it and didn't put enough stock in God. Who gets it? Who gets it? Your children who's not gonna appreciate it, your grandchildren, they ain't gonna appreciate it because they didn't work for it. I went across so many parents, this is for my kids. Yeah, but you work for it. Why are you gonna give it to your kids when you're the one it worked for? Why can't you just enjoy that? I'm believing that. I mean, it's OK to leave your kids something, but just don't go out there and work and say, well, I'm doing this because I want my kids to have something when I die. Well, that's I won't get into that. The use of the world, how do we use the world, those that use this world to us? We use it for food, shelter, rest, clothing, medicine, protection. It is to be used for the glory of man's God'll take care of that. But there's so many people that are so engrossed in, you know, you go to the doctor anymore and they give you a pill. Well, I don't go to a doctor who's just gonna give me a pill, because I don't believe in that. I wanna go to a doctor that's gonna make me look at the natural way of doing things and do it without the pill. So that's what I'm looking for. So it is to be used for God's glory and man's good, and that's what the gospel is, right? As a steward, we must give a solemn account. Use it like a traveler, a motel, a passenger, a ship, a pilgrim, his staff. Never let it become the master or idol, because it can. Lastly, the impressive and forceful application of this truth. Fashion of this world passeth away, that's what we have to understand. Compare that with, turn over to 1 John, if you would, 1 John 2 and verse 17, and I've skipped some scripture here because for a time I got talking on over-talking and lost track, where is that? That's why I have notes. This morning I've kind of gone over that. Verse 17, 1 John 2 verse 17, it says, and the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever. There's where it's at. Our focus has to be on God. I mean, I can't stress that enough. This world is perpetually changing. We can't stop it, because it's doing it. It's just gonna keep going and keep going and keep going. Its riches, honors, powers, all pass away. They all pass away. Its cities, towns, countrysides, and empires, they pass away. The same may be said of beauty, of health, of strength, of life itself. Brother Lyon said he was in martial arts, okay? And I think that's fine. Anytime you want to try to make yourself a little bit fitter, But look at the hours and the time and the money spent on bodybuilders for what? Do they give God the glory? No, they're giving themselves the glory. Look what got the muscles, you know, mine aren't so good, but, but when, when you focus your whole entire life on that, it's on you. It's not about God. And you don't want to do that. The world itself groans with age and hastens to its bath in fire, because that's what's going to be their end. It's going to be the lake of fire. That's where they're going to bathe the rest of their existence. Eternity is going to be the same for them in hell, in the lake of fire, that it is going to be for us in heaven and glory. Today, it is gay, splendid, and I don't mean gay homosexualized, I mean, Can't hardly use the word game without thinking about that, but that's what I mean. Splendid, gorgeous, and lovely. Tomorrow it is gone. Succeed by new actors and new scenes. What aggravates me is most when people put so much money in trying to make themselves younger than they are. Why can't we just grow gracefully, old gracefully? I mean, I understand you want to look good. There's nothing wrong with that. hundreds and thousands of dollars and trying, you know, Botox and all that stuff. I mean, come on, you know, why can't you just grow old gracefully? Oh no, I can't do that. Well, then you've got a problem. So we make our entrance and then our exit. Psalm 39, six. Surely every man walketh in a vain show. Surely they are disquieted in vain. He heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them. See, that's what Ecclesiastes teaches. You know, I build barns and I build houses. I build forests. I build gardens. I do all this stuff. And then I die. So what good was it? I don't benefit from it because I'm gone. How anxious we should be for the real and unchanging scenes of another world. Heaven's not going to change, folks. It's the same today it was in the very beginning, and it's not going anywhere. It's not changing. It's going to be there. And that's how we're going to experience it. So highly value time and wisely use it. Live for Christ. And eternity. That's where we're going. So where are you spending your eternity? If you hear this message and you don't know, well, I can tell you one or two things. I believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell. If you're not serving Jesus Christ, if you have not been born again, if you do not know him as your personal savior, when you die, you are going to the lake of fire in the end. That's it. I know that sounds harsh. I used to say, well, I don't want to scare people, but anymore, I don't, I don't feel that way. I want to scare you. I want you to see the truth of the matter. I want you to be afraid. I want you to be scared because once you die, it's over. There is no more. Or do you want to experience what we have experienced? Love. Blessings from God who can only give blessings. Is that how we want to live our lives or we want to live our lives in doubt? This brings it up all the time to me. How can people believe that they're going to lose their salvation? How can they live that way? I said, I don't know, because I could never understand it either. How would you want? Why would you even want to talk about losing your salvation? I can tell you why, because you don't have the precious salvation that I have. That's what it is. Serve God, be obedient to him. And I guarantee you, he'll shower you with blessings beyond measure that you won't even be able to comprehend. May God bless his word to your heart today.