I know you're tired and I know
you're full, but if you'll give me your attention, I promise
you I'll be done in 30 minutes. Then you can take a nap when
you get home. Turn with me to Psalm 90, if you will. Verse
12. Here is a text of scripture that
has been on my mind and heart so very, very much the last few
weeks, this past few days particularly. It expresses what I believe to
be one of the most important admonitions found in scripture.
It gives verbalization to the prayer of my heart, and I hope,
before we leave here to yours as well, as we stand here at
the close of this year, how fast it's gone. We're so prone to
forget how brief time is here. And as we anticipate the new,
whatever days God may give us in it, this is my prayer. So teach us. to number our days, that we may apply our hearts
unto wisdom. Just about the only thing we
won't number is our days. We sit down and calculate how
much money we've got in the bank or how much we hope we're going
to have in the bank if all the things go as we planned when
we get ready to retire. number of people in a place,
number of cattle in a field. We count up everything. But there
is no mathematical equation so important as this one. God teach
me to number my days. Teach me to number my days. I'm
convinced that the great thing needed to persuade us to prepare
for eternity is to be made aware of our mortality. And the great thing needed to
prepare us who know God to live for eternity is to make us constantly
aware of our mortality. Moses prayed, so teach us to
number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Not just,
Lord, teach us to number our days so we'll know we won't have
long to live on this earth, but so teach us to number our days
that we may, by your grace, set our hearts upon Jesus Christ,
who is the wisdom of God. Now I want this afternoon to
Try to stir our hearts as we think about the days before us,
whatever they may be, whether they be many or whether they
be few. And I want us to think about the time before us in these
five aspects. First, let me give you a word
of comfort. Turn to Psalm 31. I'll ask you
to turn to these. It'll help you pay attention,
and I trust it'll help set the text in your mind. Psalm 31 and
verse 5. Here's my first word. It's a
word of comfort. I'm sorry, verse 15. My times
are in thy hand. Thank God for that. My times are not in the hands
of my enemies. They're not in your hands, not
in the hands of my friends, and I thank God they're not even
in my hands. My times are in thy hand. Whatever time I have
that I shall live in this world is in the hand of God, ruled
by God, given by God, and determined by God. That means the times
of my trials Troubles and tribulations in this world are in God's hands. So that whatever comes to pass, whatever I experience, whatever
pain I endure, my father did it. He did it. He may have used you to hit me
in the head with something, but he did it. He may have used the
devil to bring me misery, but he did it. My times are in thy
hand. That makes whatever the trial,
tribulation, and trouble is, not only bearable, but a message
of comfort as well. My times of peace, prosperity,
and pleasure, they too are in his hands. He brings it to pass. The Lord gives peace, and the
Lord makes war. God does both. My times of darkness,
desertion, despondency, and I have them, as well as my times of
dancing and delight are equally in his hands. All my times, all of them, are
appointed of God ordered of God and disposed of by God. My times are in thy hand. So,
Pastor, what does that mean? The hymn writer put it this way,
I believe it was Isaac Watts, I can't remember, I should have
written it down and wrote down the hymn. He said, Our times are in thy
hand, Father, we wish them there. Our life, our soul, our all,
we leave entirely to thy care. Our times are in thy hand, whatever
they may be, pleasing or painful, dark or bright, as best may seem
to thee. Our times are in thy hand, why
should we doubt or fear? A father's hand will never cause
his child a needless tear. Our times are in thy hand, Jesus
the crucified. The hand our many sins had pierced
is now our guard and guide. Our times are in thy hand. Help us to trust in thee, till
we have left this weary land, and all thy glory save. Now this
is what I'm saying. Turn to Job chapter 14. When David said, My times are
in thy hand, those words, that fact, seems to quieten his heart
in the midst of great trial. So let it quieten our hearts
as we make our pilgrimage through this veil of tears. The fact
is our time in this world, all of it, has been appointed by
our God. Here in Job 14.5, seeing his
days are determined. Whose days? Yours and mine. Every
man's. His days are determined. Determined. And I don't want to appear fatalistic. I'm not a fatalist. I believe
God. There's a difference. Fatalists are philosophers. Dumb
philosophers at that. But I just believe God. That's not fatalism. The fact
is, I'm going to leave this world exactly at the second God ordained
from eternity. And I'm going to live by the
means he ordained. And nobody's going to prevent
it, and nobody's going to hurry it up. This is what he says. His days are determined. The
number of his months are with thee. Thou hast appointed his
bounds. You see it? That he cannot pass. In other words, Lord, you're
the one who determined where a fellow's going to live and
how long he's going to live there. and he can't step outside that
cage. That's just fact. God's determined our days. Now
for men who don't know him, that's horrible. For men who don't believe
him, that's a terrible consideration. For believers, my soul, what
could be better? He determined our days. He determined
them. My times in this world are so
ruled by my Heavenly Father that God Almighty has promised, you
can look at it later in Exodus 23, 26, He promised the number
of thy days will I fulfill. So that whatever that appointed
time is set by God from eternity that He has for me to live on
this earth and serve Him in this land, He will fulfill. he will fulfill it. Now then, look in 2 Timothy chapter
3. What a blessed word of comfort.
Our times are in his hands. Here's a word of warning. This know also That in the last
days, that's where we are. John said when Christ came, this
is the last time. Scripture talks about the last
days. It's not talking about some future era of prophecy.
It's talking about this last stage in this world of time. The last age is this gospel age
in which we live. In the last days, perilous times
shall come. That's just about as strong a
word as Paul could have used to scare the britches off of
you. And that's his intention. Perilous times. What's he talking
about? For men shall be lovers of their
own selves. You reckon we live in that age? Whatever makes you happy. What's in it for me? Boasters, covetous boasters,
proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
without natural affection, truth-breakers, false accusers, incontinent,
fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, hidden, high-minded,
lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. Boy, that's the
world we're living in. Now look what it says. He's talking
about the religious world. Look at it now. Having a form
of godliness. These people go to church every
Sunday. You find them in pews and in pulpits all over the world.
Having a form of godliness. But deny the gospel. Denying
the power thereof from such turn away. For of this sort Are they
that creep into houses and lead captive silly women laden with
sins, led away with divers' lust, never learning and never able
to come to the knowledge of the truth? Now, you can mark it down, and
I sure hope specific silly women get a hold of this statement
and listen to it. Any time you find a situation where A woman
leads the house, leads the worship of God, and a woman deems herself
theologian, and a woman imagines that she is a teacher of men.
She's led astray, and folks who listen to her are going to lead
her to be led astray with her. These are folks who lead captive,
silly women, laden with sins, religious sins. Read Bible, or
church history rather. Almost every, almost, not all
of them, not all of them, but almost every wild, I'm talking
about bizarre, heretical group that's ever sprung up, some woman
started it. Had a vision, had a dream, had
a word. Silly women. You ladies, be good wives. Don't try to be theologians.
Just be good wives. That doesn't mean don't know
God. Yes, study the words. Study the scriptures. But study
the scriptures as your husband teaches you. As you hear it under
the sound of the gospel. As you hear it being instructed
in God's proper order. Ever learning. Never able to
come to the knowledge of the truth. That's this age. Let's study the Bible. Let's
have more Bible studies. Let's establish another school for
the study of this part of the Bible. Study that part of the
Bible. Learn something. Or we will learn something. Learn
something. Learn something. There comes a time when mature people
have learned something. They just flat learned something. I've got hold of the gospel.
I've got hold of God's truth. And I'm not about to alter it.
I like what Brother David Pledger said. Somebody asked him one
time, how do you know you're not going to change your mind
down the road? He said, I ain't looking for anything. I'm not looking. I found God's
truth. He revealed it to me. I've come
to knowledge of truth. And this time you did too. Look
at verse 14. Now then, in the midst of these
perilous times, what are we to do? Continue thou in the things
which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom
thou hast learned them. Bobby Estes said it doesn't matter
what comes down the road. It doesn't matter who brings
it. It doesn't matter how impressive it is. Continue in the things
you've learned and been assured of, being taught of God, knowing
who taught you. If you got them from me, they're
pretty shaky. But if God taught them, continue
in it. Look at it now. And that from a child thou hast
known the Holy Scriptures. This book you're holding in your
hand. which are able to make you wise unto salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture, the whole totality
of the book, is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be perfect through the furnished unto all
good works. In these days of apostate, free
will, works, emotionalism, Pentecostal, charismatic, miracle-working,
tongue-speaking religion, we must tenaciously adhere to the
old, old paths of gospel truth. Find the old. Hold on to that.
I wrote to somebody the other day. I forgot which one it was. I wrote to several old friends,
and I addressed them in the letter. It was your brother, Pam. I had
just brought in my old friend, and I said, I have lived long
enough to know without question old friends are best. Old friends,
they've been around for a while, they're likely to stay around
for a while. Let me tell you something. When it comes to divine
truth, when it comes to gospel truth, when it comes to gospel
truth, the old is where truth is found. Turn to Jeremiah 6,
hold your hands, however you want to hold your hands, I won't
come back to it. Turn to Jeremiah 6 for a moment. Verse 16. All my life as a believer, since
I was 17 years old, folks have been telling me I was out of
date. Well, when it comes to things of God, I plan to stay
that way. I had a fellow who told me one time I was standing
in a bookstore, Brother Shelby was raised with in a church in
Florida, Virginia. He saw me standing looking at
a book, and he said, you ought to get that. That would bring
your doctrine up to date. So I put it back, and I said,
I'm not interested in that. Here in Jeremiah 6.16, Thus saith
the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and seek and ask for the old
paths, wherein is the good way, and walk therein. And you shall
find rest for your souls. There's no rest in anything new,
I promise you. There's no comfort, no stability,
no foundation in anything new. Walk in the old paths, foundation
truths of Holy Scripture, God's sovereignty, redemption accomplished,
Christ glorious person and work. But they said we will not do
that. We will not walk in those old paths. We want something
new. Okay, have it your way. Have it your way. But there will
be no rest for your soul here or in eternity. All right now,
let me give you a word of instruction. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Verse 29. This I say, brethren, the time
is short. That word means constricted,
tightened. The time is short. It remaineth,
since 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
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
passes away. Now what on earth is Paul saying? He's saying because time is short,
we must look upon all things And recognize, as the wise man
Solomon the preacher said, all is vanity. I heard some time ago a fellow
preaching from Ecclesiastes, and I read this in a number of
commentaries, I was just surprised to hear this fellow say it. He
said Solomon spoke as a frustrated man. He said all is vanity. Oh no. He spoke as an inspired
prophet. All is vanity. Those that are
married, that's really not much. Those that weep, that's really
not very significant. Just give it a little while.
Those that rejoice, whatever it is that causes you to rejoice,
it ain't much. All this vanity. Now that doesn't
mean that we live irresponsibly, it means we live truly responsibly. It means we live in this world
with our eyes on eternity, understanding that everything here is relative
only as it bears weight on eternity. Every day. The time is short. You who are without Christ, the
time for salvation is short. It's short. The prophet says,
seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while
he's near. That seems to suggest there may
come a time when he's not found and he's not near. The time for
our service is short. Oh, my soul. I've been thinking
a lot about this. I'm at that age where fellows
begin to think this way, you know. At the very best, Merle,
I might have 15 or 20 good years left. At the very best. 15, 20
years which to use my mind and body with sense. At the very
best. So whatever I'm going to do,
I'm going to do it right now. Right now. Let not my hands be slack. The
night cometh when no man can work. Children of God, hear me
and hear me well. Ask God to give you grace to
live every day to the fullest as though you knew it were your
last. I'd quit complaining about how
much I've got to do, wouldn't I? I'd learn to give myself to
what God's given me to do. and the time of suffering, whatever
it is, is short. Won't last long. Peter says,
the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while. Thank God it's just for a while.
He'll make you perfect. He'll use this little temporary
time of suffering to perfect your soul. Now then, turn to
Ephesians 5, 16. Here's an admonition. Redeeming the time. You see that? Redeeming the time. because the
days are evil. What on earth does that mean?
Buying up the opportunity. That's exactly what it means.
A good translation of it. If you were to be walking down
the road with your wife and she's looking for shoes and dresses
and blouses and frilly stuff and you're walking down the road
with her and suddenly you spot You spot a rare jewel and you
know your stuff, you spot it. You might walk by, wait a minute, how much is that? I'll never have this opportunity
again going by because you know, you pass it by. It's not going
to be there tomorrow. That's what it's all about. Whatever
opportunity, listen now, whatever opportunity you have or I have,
whatever opportunity we have as a body of believers to serve
our God, to serve his people, to serve the interest of his
kingdom, snatch it up right now. Buy up the opportunity. Buy it
up. because the days are evil. None of us has so much time that
we can afford to waste any. None of us has so many opportunities
we can afford to say no to any. I'm talking to our family now,
and so let me talk to you, my family, like I talk to my family.
Sometimes folks say, why don't we, you know, you're overdoing
it. You got to slow down. You got
to quit. My brothers and sisters, my sons
and daughters, we don't dare slow down. We don't dare quit. We don't dare pass up an opportunity
God's put in our hands. We don't dare do it. We don't
dare. How come? Because there are not
many left, the days are evil, the time is short. The best way to withstand the
temptations that come with idleness is to redeem the time that's
wasted in idleness and buy up the opportunity to do good. When she was growing up, I think
maybe faith may have made the mistake once or twice somewhere
along the way. of saying I'm bored. But she
learned in a hurry, don't talk like that around me because I've
always got something you can do. Always, I can find you something
to keep you from getting bored. Not any reason for any believer
to be bored. My soul look around you, buy
up the opportunity. One last thing, turn to Ecclesiastes
chapter 3. Here's a word of preparation. To everything there is a season, and a time appointed to every
purpose under heaven. A time appointed to be born,
and a time appointed to die. A time appointed to plant. and
a time appointed to pluck up that which is planted. The wise man tells us there is
a time appointed for us to die. It is appointed unto all men
what's to die. We're at the age, we're seeing
a lot of it now, visiting the funeral home real I wonder which of you I will
bury next or if you'll bury me next. Soon we're going to leave this
world at God's appointed time. You must be washed in Christ's
blood, robed in his righteousness, saved by his grace. So apply
your heart to wisdom. Apply your heart to Christ. Set
your heart on Christ. I promise you this, you will
not set your heart on Christ for nothing. You will not be disappointed
in your pursuit if you pursue Him. You will not be disappointed
in your quest if you seek Him. You will not be disappointed
in your labor if you labor for Him. Apply your heart to wisdom. Oh, when the appointed time of
my departure from this world comes, I want to be found in
Christ, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but the
righteousness of God in Christ imputed to me, washed in his
blood, robed in his righteousness. I want to leave this world in
confident faith, so that I can say like the Apostle Paul when
he was about to leave this world, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom
I have believed. I know. And I'm now ready to be offered
in the time of my departures at hand. I fought a good fight. I finished
my course. I've kept the faith. Henceforth,
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. And not to me
only, but to all of them also that love his appearing. Now,
as we have gathered once more around the Lord's table, this
time with our feet standing at the close of one year, crossing
over to another. in anticipation of that day that
will soon dawn upon us if the Lord permits. Let's eat this
bread and drink this wine in remembrance of Christ and ask
God to give us grace to set ourselves on him. As he set his heart on us, oh,
let me set my heart on him. Isn't that just reasonable? As
he devoted himself to us, let us devote ourselves to him. Let's
sing number 53 in the Songs of Grace book, Lindsay, while the
deacons come and serve the Lord's table.