Let's turn together to Psalm 90. How quickly time passes. How rapidly everything in this world changes. My text tonight contains a prayer that I have uttered more times than I can count in the last few weeks, particularly. It lays heavy on my heart and has for some time. Psalm 90 and verse 12. So teach us. Because if you don't teach us by your grace and your providence, we'll never do this. Teach us to number our days. that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Mortal man, all of us, have the fanciful idea in our heads that we are somehow something beyond mere mortals. We somehow have the idea that we're going to be able, after all, make it a while longer, live a little longer, and we make our plans accordingly, or make no plans at all.

We foolishly think we can measure others' mortality. You look at a man like Brother Hubert, frankly, I never expected him to live the last several years of his life. Look at him, he's gotten weak, wrinkled, his body frail, and you say, well, he won't be with us long. And you look at a young man and you see him, he takes care of himself, he exercises, he diets, he's strapping and strong and say, boy, he's got a life ahead of him.

And so we presume that we can measure others mortality, but never stop to take stock of this fact that we ourselves are just a breath from eternity. And that breath is in God's hands. And it will be taken from us precisely as God from eternity ordained it. Not one second longer, not one second shorter.

You say, well, but what about this? What about that? What about this factor? What about that factor? God Almighty set the number of our days before we drew our first breath. And that day is not going to exceed his time, not a second.

And it's evident that the great thing needed to prepare for eternity is the persuasion of our own mortality and our brevity of life in this world. We will never apply our hearts to wisdom until we're brought to the numbering of our days. And yet the fact is no one will ever be brought to number his days until God teaches him to do so.

Therefore, Moses prayed this prayer, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

As we reflect upon the brevity of time, we ought to be persuaded to set our thoughts upon things that are eternal. As we look into the grave, which must soon be the bed of these bodies, every one of us, we ought to be humbled and made to know just how frail we are. Just like the beast, these things came from the dust to the dust they're going. Only unlike the beast, when the beast dies, his spirit dies with him. When a man dies, his soul lives forever. but we're not wise, none of us, none of us. Only the grace of God can cause a mortal man to know the number of his days and apply his heart to wisdom. Now let this be your prayer and mine. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Now I want this evening to show you from the word of God, five words about time. Let's turn back to Psalm 31. I read this to the men back in the office a few minutes ago, but look at this 15th verse. Here is a word of comfort. Oh, what a word of comfort it is. We just sang it. Verse 15. Are you there? David is in the midst of deep trouble, deep trouble. And if you read the psalm carefully, you'll see that David speaks not for himself alone, but as a prophet speaking of Christ himself. Much in the psalm could only be interpreted really concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is what it says. My times are in thy hand. Thank God my times are not in your hands. I thank God my times are not in the hands of my enemies. I thank God my times are not in my hands. I even thank God they're not in the hands of this lady who loves me more dearly than any human being has a right to be loved. My times are in his hands, his hands.

The time that I shall live on this earth is in the hand of my God, It has been determined by Him alone. All my times in this world, the time of my trials, troubles, and temptations, they're in His hands. The time of my peace, prosperity, and pleasure, that's in His hands too. The time of my darkness, desertion, and despondency, as well as the times of dancing and delight, all are in His hands. All my times are appointed by my God, ordered by my God, and disposed of by my God for his glory and my good.

Now, if you can get hold of that, if I can get hold of that, oh, it'll help you. I can think of nothing in the world more comforting than this blessed assurance. My times are in thy hand. The hand of my God, my God who loved me with an everlasting love, my God who redeemed me with the precious blood of his darling son, My God, who sent his spirit to give me life and faith, my times are in thy hands. Father, that's just where I want them.

As this fact quietened David's heart in the midst of his great trial, and as it quietened the heart of our dear Savior as he as a man lived in this world, so let it quieten our hearts through this veil of tears.

Turn to Job chapter 14 for a second. Job chapter 14. I've already said this, but I want you to see it from the scripture. My time in this world has been appointed by my heavenly father. It was appointed by him before the world began. You remember how our Lord Jesus said, are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them shall fall to the ground without your heavenly father. That means, Merle Hart, that a worthless sparrow, that the most worthless bird, I guess the only thing more worthless would be a starling. Just a worthless sparrow cannot fall to the ground to pick up a little seed, except by the decree of God from eternity. Nor shall it fall to the ground by some mean little boy with a new BB gun shooting his brains out, except by the decree of God from eternity.

Now, why is that written? Does God care for sparrows? No, no, no. It's written for us. And he says the very hairs of your head are all numbered. That's the message. Look at this, Job 14 verse 5, speaking about man, seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee. Thou hast appointed his bounds that he can not pass.

Now, Don't be careless. Don't be irresponsible. Exercise proper responsibility to do what you can as a reasonable human being to protect your health and protect your life. God's put a head on your shoulders to use it for responsible action. But your best discipline, your noblest exercise, your most earnest efforts will not add one breath to your life. It's not going to. Bob Potts is going to leave this world when God ordained, and so is every child and every grandchild, everyone of them, exactly according to God's purpose.

My times in this world are not only determined by him, but they're ruled by my heavenly father. He brings nothing to pass except that which is for my good and allows nothing to be brought to pass except that which he has from eternity ordained for my good and the good of his people. Nothing, nothing. You mean, preacher, you believe God has, he's purposed everything, even the bad acts of men? Well, of course I do. My soul, I'd whole lot rather think the angels of glory were out of his control than think the demons of hell were. If I had an option, I'd whole lot rather think good folks were out of his control than think bad folks were. I'd whole lot rather think health was out of his control than sickness is out of his control.

I'm here to tell you that our God is God indeed. He rules everything absolutely. Nothing in this world takes God by surprise, and it ought not take us by surprise. Nothing in this world comes to pass by luck or chance or accident, but by the decree of God. My God has ordained the days that I shall live on this earth.

And listen to this promise. You can read it for yourself in Exodus 23, verse 26 later. Listen carefully. This is what it says. The number of thy days will I fulfill. What does that mean? It means this. Mortals are immortal here until their work is done. That's just what it means. The number of thy days will I fulfill. How long are you gonna live on this earth? Till God gets done with me. Well, what about till God gets done with me? Well, till God gets done with me! That's how long I'm gonna live here, and you too.

Now then, here's a word of warning. Turn to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy. Blessed cook, for this is about time. My times are in thy hands. Now hear this warning about time. Paul here warns us of the perilous times in which we now live. Second Timothy chapter three. Know this also that in the last days, perilous times shall come. He doesn't just say dangerous times, He doesn't just say hard times. He says perilous times. Peril is imminent, serious danger. Perilous times. for men.

As we read the context, listen, he's not talking about folks down at Honky Tonk, the bar room and the brothels. He's not talking about folks over in the prison. He's not talking about just average Joe. He's talking about religious men. He's talking about a religious age that doesn't know God. Now listen to what it says. Men shall be lovers of their own selves. Turn on the television and go home and watch any preacher you want until you can get on any national television broadcast. Just turn them on. They're lovers of themselves. And there are few exceptions. Covetous. Boasters. Proud. Blasphemers. Blasphemers. Oh, but they preach from the book. Blasphemers. They don't know God. They don't know God. The God they preach is not the God of this book.

Disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, you can't trust them as far as you can spit them, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, hairy, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Well, preacher, how do you know this stuff about religious folks? Having a form of godliness. You see it? having a form of godliness. They got religion running out their ears, got religion just painted all over them, wear signs and beads and crosses and funny costumes and look silly and talk silly, have a form of godliness, have rituals, religious ceremony, religious creeds, religious customs, a form of godliness, denying the power thereof.

And you know what the power of godliness is? He's not talking about this holy roller stuff. He's not talking about, oh, we had such a good meeting. I just felt like I just had a tingle down my spine. That's not what he's talking about. The power of godliness is that power by which God speaks to the hearts of men and calls them from death to life. The power of God unto salvation, buddy, is the gospel of his free grace. But this religious world denies it. They just deny it. They despise it. They're traitors, heady, high-minded, blasphemers. denying the power of the very gospel of God. From such, well, pray for them. No, it said, turn away from them. For of this sort are they which creep into houses. They come in under false pretense and lead captive silly women, laden with sins, led away with diver's lust. Ever learning. Got so many questions. So what do you think? What do you think this means? Ever learning, never able to come to the knowledge of truth.

Now then, skip down to verse 14, 2 Timothy 3, 14. How are you going to handle this, these perilous times? Oh, my brothers and sisters, my sons and daughters, continue thou in the things which thou hast learned. Plant your feet in concrete. I had folks all the time want to debate. I'd write back to them, I'd say, my feet are planted in cement, have been for years. I don't even consider anything else. Somebody asked me one time, well, what if your doctrine changes in 20 years? I said, it's not going to change. But how do you know that? Because I ain't looking. I'm not looking. I found it. This is it.

Continue in the things thou hast learned and be assured of, you've been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned. Now, if you got them from a man, you can lose them by a man. If you got them from the influence of a man's philosophy or man's personality, somebody else come along, better philosophy and better personality. But if you learned them from God, If God Almighty has inscribed them on your heart with the finger of his grace, you stay right here with that which you've learned because God taught it. And that from a child, oh, what a privilege. From a child, Timothy, remember your mama and your grandma, they taught you the scriptures. You who are children of this assembly, who've been raised up, taught the word of God. Oh, what a privilege. A privilege that involves tremendous responsibility, because God's going to hold you accountable for what you've been taught.

From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, this book, which are able to make you wise unto salvation. How? Through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. I had a letter the other day from a fellow taking me to task about something I'd written, and he's going to school to be a preacher. He'd been saved for six months, and he's decided he's going to be a preacher. And he wrote to me and wrote a long letter. And in the whole letter, trying to deny the gospel of God's grace, he just gave an opinion, and this thought, this thought, and this is what I think. Not one time did he even point to this book. And I wrote him a short letter back. I said, would you kindly give me some scripture?

The scriptures, the scriptures, this book alone is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. In these days of apostate freewill works religion, We must unceasingly, tenaciously, dogmatically, hold to the old, old paths of gospel truth. Listen to this word from Jeremiah. Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths. Any time somebody comes along and says, I learned something new, Big question mark. God doesn't have any new revelation. I want to study something new. Study the old things. Old paths. Wherein is the good way. And walk in these old paths. For in them you shall find rest unto your soul.

Some of you folks have been around a while. And some of you have been through Lots of pairs. Let me ask you, don't answer out loud, let me ask you. Just look at Bob and Sally. You were involved in free will, works, religion. Any rest? Your religion leave you restless. You who come to believe on the Son of God, to rest in free grace. to trust blood atonement, to rest in God's sovereign purpose. You interested in getting out of bed? We found rest for our souls. Why would you go somewhere else? Walk in these old paths.

I find these things sustain my soul in the face of my sin, in the face of my difficulties, in the face of trials and heartaches, in the face of bereavement, in the face of sickness, in the face of sorrow, in the face of trouble, in the face of great heaviness of heart. This sustains my soul. My God rules. And he rules this world for me because he chose me. He rules this world, and I have the token of His love, for He redeemed me. Not only did He redeem me with His Son's precious blood, effectually putting away my sin, He's called me by His grace, and I have confidence that this is the way it's going to be in the end, because He keeps me. That's it.

Well, Preacher, you've made Nothing for you to do? You got it. You heard what I said. You mean nothing depends on you? That's what I'm preaching. You mean, preacher, that God's work is permanent? That's what I'm saying. Permanent from forever. Do you understand that? There's no beginning with God. There's no starting point with God. That which is, he purposed from eternity and he will bring to pass in eternity. And I find rest there.

All right, now look at 1 Corinthians 7. Here's the word of instruction. Pastor, what do we do in the light of these perilous times? Verse 29. This I say, brethren, the time is short. It's constricted. It remaineth that both they that have wise be as though they had none. and they that weep as though they wet 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.

Now what does that mean? Does that mean a man's to be irresponsible toward his family? No, sir. Does that mean a man be irresponsible toward the possessions God has put in his hands? No, sir. Does that mean a man's to be irresponsible with regard to his work? No, sir. Well, what on earth does it mean? It means, Gary, you don't let that woman or those two boys or anything in this world come between you and the will of God. That's what it means. It means everything be subjected to him because the time is This world, these relationships, these delights are all just temporary. They're coming to an end. The time for salvation is short.

I don't know where this fits in with the scheme of grace. I quit trying to make everything jive in my mind a long time ago. My mind, nothing jives in it. Everything runs around loose. But I'm telling you, I'm telling you, men and women will bow to Christ and believe on Christ when he passes by or they'll perish in their sins. Bartimaeus sat by the wayside and he heard Jesus of Nazareth passing by. He may just come this way one time. He may just come one time. Well, Bartimaeus, what are you going to do? Well, I hear he's gracious and kind. I hear I can call on him anytime. No, sir. What are you going to do, Bartimaeus? Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.

This is the day of salvation. There is none other. Seek you the Lord while he may be found. call ye upon him while he is near. Not only that, the time in which I'll be able to do anything for my God in this world is short. I get more convinced of it every day. The night cometh when no man can work. Folks tell me all the time you ought to slow down. You do too much, you're going to wear out. My philosophy is I'd rather wear out than rust out. The time is short. Short. I'm nearly 50 years old. Whatever I'm going to get done for God. Whatever I'm going to do in this world for the glory of Christ, whatever I'm going to do in the interest of men's souls, whatever I'm going to do for the furtherance of the gospel, I got to get it done now. I haven't got a little while longer in this world in which I'll have any productive years at all if God leaves me here for a while. Got to be done now.

And I'll tell you something else. Whatever your suffering is, whatever your sorrow is, the time for suffering is short too. The God of all grace who has called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered for a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your heels shortly.

All right, turn to Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5, what do we do with this short, constricted time that we have? Here's a word of admonition, verse 16. Redeeming the time because the days are evil. Another translation would be this, buying up the opportunity. See a good deal, say I better buy that up, won't come again. Once in a lifetime opportunity. Let me tell you something. The time you have is all the time you have right now. That's all. Paul urges us to buy up the opportunity we have because we're naturally prone to squander it. It's our responsibility to be careful and diligent to use our time. That doesn't mean we have no time for recreation and relaxation, but recreation and relaxation ought to be just that, recreation and relaxation, not a way of life. It does mean we should study to improve our use of time and improve our opportunities. Nothing is more precious and more valuable than time. Time and the opportunity of the moment, once it's gone, is gone forever. How many times in your life have you said, I wish I had? I'd let that get by. That opportunity, that privilege, that blessing, that, oh, I wish I... Would to God we'd have enough sense never to let another opportunity go by. Buy up the opportunity.

Now then, here's a word of preparation. Look at Ecclesiastes 3. Ecclesiastes 3. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the sun, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted. The wise man says, there's a time for you to die. It is appointed unto men He wants to die. A preacher, what do we do? Prepare to meet your God. Prepare to meet your... You're fixing to meet Him. You're fixing to meet God. Steve Martin, you're fixing to meet God Almighty. If you'd ever stop and think about that, it'd send shockwaves through your soul unless you're prepared to meet God. Prepare to meet God. Prepare to become? How? Apply your heart to wisdom. Not to study. To Christ. He's the wisdom of God. He shows us the wisdom of God. He shows us the way to God. He brings us in the way. Apply your heart to You can't be prepared to meet God until you're robed in his righteousness, washed in his blood, saved by his grace, united to him. Redeem the time. Prepare to meet God. Number your days and apply your heart to wisdom unceasingly. Amen.