Would you turn back to 1 Timothy
chapter 6. I've entitled this message in
his times. Look in verse 15, which in his
times he shall show who is the blessed and only potentate or
power, the king of kings. and Lord of Lords. Now those
times are not yet. Will Show is in future tense
while he is the blessed and only potentate. While he presently
dwells in the light which no man can approach through. While
he presently possesses honor and power The great majority
of this population is completely ignorant of that. They have no
idea. But in his times, all will know. Some to their everlasting will
and blessedness and some to their everlasting woe. Now there is
time and there is eternity. Time is measured by seconds,
minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries,
millenniums. There's a sequence of events
in time. There's always a sequence of
events. There's the past, led up to right
now, everything that happened before while I'm talking. There's
the present right now, and then there's the future, that which
has not yet been. There's time, and we're creatures
of time, and there is eternity. I'm talking about something that
I can't grasp, but I'm gonna give it a shot anyway. Everything in eternity is present. I don't even know how to say
that. Everything in eternity is right now. There's no starting
point. There's no ending point. There
are no days and there are no nights. There are no segments
of time in eternity with one event leading to another. Now
somebody says, how do you know there is such a thing as eternity?
Well, I just do. I don't know how else to explain
it. The Bible says it, but somebody says, well, how do you know there's
a God? I just do. I know that innately. I know
it intuitively. I know it so, and I know there
is such a thing as eternity. Now, I realize that we're dealing
with something that's beyond our comprehension, but God is
always I am that I am. He's never, I wish I was, He
never I was or would be or could be or want to be or will be or
should be. He's nothing like that. He's always I am that I
am. He never began. He never ends. He's from everlasting to everlasting. He's eternal. He's not bound
by space or time the way you and I are. Listen to this scripture. Thus sayeth the high and lofty
one who inhabiteth eternity. Since he is eternal, he is immutable. That means he doesn't change.
Aren't you glad there's someone who never changes? He never told
thou that changes not abide with me. And because he is eternal,
because he is immutable, all of his works were done in eternity. Now turn with me to Hebrews chapter
4. This is once again something that we don't understand, we
just believe it. We believe it because the book says it, not
because we understand it. Look in Hebrews chapter 4. Verse 3, for we which have believed
Do enter into rest, oh what a rest there is in believing. The rest
of knowing there's nothing to do, it's already been done. Now that's what it means to rest
in Christ. We rest in, there's nothing to do, because it's already
been done. When was it done? Let's go on
reading. As I've sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into
my rest, although the works were finished, from the foundation
of the world. Everything God has done, he has
done before the foundation of the world. Everything we have
was given us in Christ Jesus before the foundation of the
world. 2 Timothy 1.9 says he saved us, he called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his
own purpose. and grace which were given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. All of his works were
finished in eternity. Acts 15, 19 says, known unto
God are all his works from the beginning. Everything that happens
in time, it doesn't matter what it is. Everything that happens
in time was decreed in eternity and done in eternity. to the
extent that Christ is called the Lamb having been slain. Not
just the Lamb that would be slain or will be slain, but the Lamb
having been slain from the very foundation of the world. Now
in the creation, he made time. There was no time and all of
a sudden there is. Turn to Genesis chapter one for
a moment. Genesis chapter one. In the beginning, God created
the heaven and the earth, and the earth was without form and
void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. That word was
could be translated and sometimes is translated became. I don't
believe God created the earth without form and void, but it
became. without form and void. And darkness
was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon
the face of the waters. And God said, let there be light.
And there was light. And God saw the light, that it
was good. And God divided the light from
the darkness. And God called the light day
and the darkness he called night. Days and nights and the evening
and the morning were the first day. Look down in verse 14. And
God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and
for seasons and for days and for years. Time began at this
time. And then we read in Revelation
chapter 10, verse six, that there's a time when time shall be no
longer. I almost feel like an idiot trying
to talk about this because I don't know what I'm talking about.
I believe it. I see it in the scriptures, but
I can't conceive of eternity. I can't conceive how God never
began to be. I can't conceive how God's always
known me. But scripture says that before
I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee and ordained thee. before I had any existence. God knew me. Now somebody says,
does that mean we were people then? I don't know. I don't know. But I know somehow God's always
known his people. And he has never viewed me independently
of Jesus Christ and him crucified. I've always been accepted in
the Lamb's flame from the very foundation of the world. Everything
that happens in time was purposed in eternity. Listen to this passage
of scripture from Isaiah 46. I am God, and there is none like
me. Boy, isn't that so? Who could you compare him to?
Any comparison you made would be bringing him down to human
levels. It'd be making him like a creature, and it would be an
insult. That's why idolatry is so evil.
No one can be compared to the living God. I am God and there's
none like me. Listen to this. Declaring the
end from the beginning and from ancient times, the things that
are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand and I will do all
my pleasure. I have spoken it. I will bring
it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. Isaiah chapter 46 verses 9 through
11. Now, I don't know if there's
a good illustration, but let me try this. I like in Time and
in Eternity to think of being in a rowboat going down a mighty
river and all of a sudden the river forks. And you go along,
one fork say to the left side, but you don't know that all it
is is an island in the river. And all of a sudden you get past
that island and it's one river Again, it didn't really fork.
It was just an island in the river. And if you could see above
it, you would see it was not a fork. It was just an island
in the river, the river that never had a beginning and never
has an ending. I liken that to time and eternity. Time is that little island that
you see temporarily in the middle of the river. It looks like a
fork. You don't really know what it is. But, well, I tried at
any rate. God made time, and the scripture
says, a thousand years in thy sight are as yesterday, a watch
in the night. And one of these days, he's going
to wrap up time, listen to this scripture from Psalm 102 verses
25 through 27, he said of old has now laid the foundation of
the earth and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall
perish, but thou shalt endure. Yea, all of them shall wax old
as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they
shall be changed. It's like God taking an old blanket
and folding it up and putting it away. There goes time. It's over, there's no more use
for it. And they shall be changed, but
thou art the same and thy years shall have no end. But let's
look at a passage of scripture regarding time in Ecclesiastes
chapter three. We're in time. His times are
going to be in eternity. When it says in his times, he
will show who has that blessed and only potentate. But in the
meantime, we're in time. Now look in chapter three, verse
one. To everything, there is a season and a time to every
purpose under heaven. People say, well, I believe there's
a reason for everything that happens. There is. He controls everything. I love that. I mean, you think
of things in your life that just trouble you and that just seem
wretched and you just wish it wasn't. But you know, He's the
first cause behind that. Evidently, it's for your good
and His glory. He controls everything. Aren't you glad it's that way?
There's a purpose for everything. You know, and with the Lord,
it's not hard for him. It's not difficult for him. It's
not like he has to strain to control everything. He's got
a purpose for everything because he's the God of glory. He's so
infinitely great. Now look at verse two. There's
a time to be born and a time to die. There are no untimely
births. There's no premature births.
There's no untimely deaths. Everybody dies when God wills
for them to die. Everybody lives when God wills
for them to live. And you know, also, there is
a time to die to yourself. There's a time to die to any
hope of self-salvation. And there's a time to be born
when he gives you birth from above. He says there's a time
to plant and there's a time to pluck up that which is planted.
There is a time to reap is what that means. And there's a time
to sow. There's a time to reap and there is a time to sow. He
says in verse three, there's a time, a purpose to kill when
it's the right thing. And there's a time to heal and
mend. And it's the right thing. You
know, God's timing is always perfect. I've, I love his timing. We don't have good timing, but
actually our timing is his timing, and yes it is, because he ordered
it. And there is a time to kill,
and there is a time to heal in men. There is a time to break
down, break down walls, and there's a time to build up, build up
those walls. There is a time to weep. where it's appropriate to cry
and mourn and weep. In loss, mourning over your sins,
mourning over situations, there's a time to weep and there's a
time to laugh. Laughter, such a gift of God,
laughing in joy, laughing. And, you know, as far as that
goes, I want to say this, I want to say this very reverently and
carefully, but the Lord does have a sense of humor and he
gave humans a sense of humor. And there is a time to laugh. There's a time to mourn in verse
four at times. You know, the Lord said, blessed
are they that mourn. It's a good thing to mourn over
your sin. It's a good thing to mourn. When you mourn, you mourn
when When somebody's dead, you mourn. You can't do anything
to bring them back. You mourn over your sin when
you see there's nothing you can do about it and you're totally
in his hands. But that's a good place to be.
There's a time to mourn, but not only is there a time to mourn,
there's a time to dance for joy. I can't express to you the joy
I feel in knowing that Jesus Christ is my personal righteousness
before God. and that all that God requires
of me, I have in Christ Jesus. Right now, I've had it eternally,
I've been that way eternally, and I always will be that way.
You know what makes me happy? That makes me glad, that makes me
rejoice. I rejoice in the freeness of His grace. I rejoice in His
presence. Oh, I rejoice that He enables
me to call on His name in prayer and have fellowship and communion
with Him. I rejoice in that He enables me to see the awe and
the glory of His person. And I'm filled with awe at his
greatness. What a wonderful thing that is. Time to dance. Verse 5, it says,
there's a time to cast away stones. There's a time to remove obstacles
and barriers. Time to remove them. But there's
also a time to gather stones together, to build something
good. There's a time to embrace, he says in verse five. There's
a time when it's appropriate to embrace rejoicing in this
person. And there's a time to embrace. And there is a time to refrain
from embracing when everything's not all right, where there is
a restraint. There's a reason for restraint.
And you ought to refrain from embracing. There is a time for
that. And not everything is all ooey gooey. There's a time. when
it's proper to refrain from embracing. Verse six, there's a time to
get, a time to seek. A time to seek is what that means.
That's what my marginal reading says. There's something to seek,
isn't there? You know, it's always time to seek the Lord, isn't
it? You know, when I think the best thing that could happen
to me or you is for the Lord to say, Seek ye my face. And David said, My heart said
unto thee, thy face, O Lord, I'll seek. There's a time to
seek, to seek the Lord in his favor, in his presence, in his
grace. And there's a time to cast away,
to forget it, to lose. He says in verse 6, there's a
time to keep, to cherish, to cherish the memory of it and
rejoice in it. And there's a time to cast away,
to just forget it. Forget past injustices done to
you. Forget offenses against you. Don't remember them as the Lord
doesn't remember your sins. There's a time to cast away. Verse 7, there's a time to rend,
a time to tear something up. And there's a time to mend. There's a time to keep silence. Silence is a powerful thing.
It's a powerful thing. You know when you really keep
silence? I'll tell you, the only time
you really keep silence is when the Lord is speaking. You know,
when the Lord is speaking, I wanna hear what he's got to say. I
wanna, I want to, I don't, I don't need to make any contribution
to what he's saying. It's time to keep silence and
hear. Speak, oh Lord, thy servant heareth. And there is a time
to speak. When the Lord is being dishonored,
there's a time to speak out against that. Verse eight, there's a
time to love. You know, I love that scripture,
a friend loveth at all times. at all times. You know, love,
this kind of love he's speaking of, the love that is given in
the new birth is never reduced to inactivity. Paul said it never
fails. There's a time to love and there's
a time to hate. Ye that love the Lord hate evil. There's a time for everything. And you know, time means more
than minutes and seconds. You know, when we think of time,
I think of what the wise man said, boast not thyself of tomorrow. For thou knowest not what a day
may bring forth. You know, we read in First Chronicles
1232 of men that had understanding of the times. And the Lord said,
how is it that you can't discern the times? Now this thing of
time, this is a, it means more than minutes and seconds and
days and segments of time and so on. It means more than that.
The times means an era. The life and times of so and
so. What he was like back then. You
know, we read of the devil only having a short time. He knew
he only had a short time. And when the millennium is over,
the time is over, there are certain times when certain things happen.
When certain things, according to God's purpose, happen. Eras,
if you want to call them. Generations. Time. You know, think of the time of youth. when
you're a kid. Think of the time of being a
teenager. Think of the time of being a young person. Think of the time of middle age. Different. And think of how things
have changed. Think of becoming old. The changes you see in your body.
And becoming older and infirm. Time. Time. And I was thinking
about this thing of of time, how time changes things. Think
of relationships from your past that you don't have anymore.
How time changes things. You know, I was thinking how
technology has changed so much, but you know, men are no different.
Technology really has changed things. I mean, think of how
different things are than they were 100 years ago, even 50 years
ago, 100 years ago, 200 years ago. I mean, but men are the
same. They haven't really changed.
But think of how time changes. Here's something I was thinking
about when I was in grade school. I didn't know one divorced person
or one of my parents. I didn't know anyone that was
divorced. Not a one. That seems like it's pretty much
the norm. When I was in grade school, I did not know what gay
rights were. I didn't know what homosexuality
meant. I didn't know any. I didn't, I mean, we just, we
were just, we didn't know anything about that kind of stuff. But
now look how prominent it is in the newspaper. And I'm not
doing this in order to be one of those homophobic people. I
can't stand that kind of stuff when people are just homophobic
and they want to just attack people. On that line, it's, as
a sin, it's no worse than adultery or any other kind of sexual sin.
It's sin, no doubt. And I have no doubt that the
reason the Lord is so against it is because of what it represents.
It represents human religion. It can't produce life. That's
why it's wrong. It can't produce life. But as
far as being homophobic and people thinking, feeling good about
themselves because they're not that way and they hate other people
for it, no. But still, look how different it is from when I was
a boy and the way it is now. The values have changed so much. Now let me give you some reminders
about time. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7,
29, but this I say, brethren, the time is short. And me and you don't have much
time left. The time is short. James said,
what is your life? but a vapor that appears for
a little while and vanishes away. Time is short. I'm glad to. Would you turn with me for a
moment to Galatians chapter six, while you're turning there, Paul
said, redeem the time. Redeem the time for the days
are evil. You know what that means? That
means make the most of every opportunity. Redeem the time. Galatians chapter six, verse nine. Well, let's begin in verse seven.
Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever
a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his
flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that soweth
to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let
us not be weary in well-doing." In preaching the gospel, in hearing
the gospel, in being a servant, let us not be weary in well-doing,
for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not, as we have therefore
opportunity, and that word opportunity is the same word that's generally
translated time or due season. As we have time, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household
of faith. You see, the time is coming when
there will be no more time. when there will be no more opportunity,
when the door will be shut. As we have opportunity, let us
do good. As we have time, let us do good
to all men, especially they who are of the household of faith.
Now think of what Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 6. He says,
now is the accepted time. Today, is the day of salvation. Now let me tell you of two false
refuges that people destroy themselves by. The false refuge of the past
and the false refuge of the future. Now the false refuge of the past,
if you're looking For some kind of evidence that you're saved
because of something that happened to you in the past, it's a false
refuge. If you're looking for evidence
of salvation because of something you've done in the past, it is
a false refuge. That's looking somewhere other
than Christ. The only reason for assurance
is the Lord Jesus Christ. If I'm looking somewhere in the
past, I'm making an idol of something. Don't tell me, I remember when
this happens, or I remember when I learned this, or when I started
believing this way. Just forget all that stuff. You
look to Christ right now. Faith is always in the present.
It's never in the past. Look to Christ right now. Let
me tell you another false refuge, the future. I'm going to get
things straightened out in the future. I'm going to believe
in the future. For one thing, you're presuming on something
that you don't have the ability to do. You're just presuming.
What makes you think you'll believe tomorrow? For one thing, what
makes you think you have tomorrow? What makes you think you'll be enabled
to do it? And it's procrastination is all it is. You know, somebody
once said the road to hell is paved with good intentions. And
it is. Two false refuges with regard
to time, the past and the future. Today is the day of salvation. Now, Proverbs 17, 17. I love
this verse of scripture. A friend loveth at all times. I want to be that friend, don't
you? A friend loveth at all times. And then the wise man says, there
is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. You know who
he is? The sinner's friend. What a name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, the sinner's friend. If you ever find a sinner, you'll
find him who is the friend of sinners. Oh, I'm so thankful
for the sinner's friend who, in the fullness of time, when
the fullness of time was come, God sent him forth, made of a
woman, made under the law to redeem them who are under the
law. And then the scripture says regarding him who, when we were
yet without strength in due time, at just the right time, at God's
appointed time, Christ died for the ungodly. And you know what
his word is to everyone who is ungodly and without strength. Would that describe you? Ungodly
and without strength. His word to you right now is
come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will
give you rest. He's got the willingness to do
it and he's got the ability to do it. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me. Not learn about me. You're not
going to do any good learning about him. for I am meek and lowly in heart. What a description of our Lord.
And you'll find rest for your souls, for my yoke is easy and
my burden is light. The sinner's friend. Now, in
his times, and this is talking about eternity, in his times,
oh, I'm looking forward to these times. This isn't life. It's really not. Wilma Ward had
died a couple of weeks ago. I got to looking in that picture
phone book we've had. Seven people in that have died.
Seven people. Many of you, you've lost your
spouses. How time changes things. But to be in life, worshiping
him, this is not really life. But in his times, he will show. Who is that blessed and only
potentate? Now don't miss that word only.
That word potentate just simply means power. Do you know there's
only one power? Him. Power belongs under the
Lord. I don't know of anything that
is more offensive than people talking about men as powerful
men. They got no power. None at all. He has a monopoly on all power. He's the blessed. Oh, how blessed
He is. He's the blessed God. He's blessed. And He's the only potentate. Aren't you glad it's that way?
Aren't you thankful it's that way? Don't you rejoice that He's
the only potentate? And He is, when His times, He'll
show that He is the King of kings. And the Lord of lords. This speaks
of His absolute reign and control. Proverbs 21.1 says the king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord. As the rivers of water, he turneth
it whithersoever he will. I love him being King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. Now, most people don't know this
now. Most folks don't know that he's
the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They will then in his times. Who only hath immortality. That word is deathlessness. He
has life in himself. You know what that means? He's
independent. You think about how dependent you are and how
dependent I am. Why? The Lord can take our next
breath just like that. We're utterly dependent. utterly and completely dependent
on an utterly independent God. That He is independent. He only
has immortality, deathlessness, life. He has life in Himself.
He has no needs. And He gives this life away.
And He dwells in the light that no man can approach to. Now,
God is light. Do you know if a man saw God,
what he would do? Kill him. No man has seen God
at any time. He's absolute light. The scripture
says He covers Himself with light as with a garment. I mean light
to Him, physical light. Sunlight would be a covering
to Him such as the brightness and dazzling of His glory. And
Christ dwells in that light. And the only way I can get into
that light is if He brings me. John 14, 6 says no man cometh
to the Father, but by me. The only way I come to the Father
is when He comes to the Father, and I'm in Him, united to Him. I love thinking about that. When
He comes into the Father's presence, and the Father looks at Him,
and He's pleased, you know who else comes into His presence?
I do. And the Father looks at me, and He's pleased with me. No man comes to the Father in
that light that no man can approach to. but Christ Jesus himself. And look what he says back in
our text, 1 Timothy chapter six. who only, verse 16, who only
hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach
into, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honor and
power everlasting. Amen. To whom be honor. Now that word is preciousness. Preciousness, value. And I think
of the preciousness. When Peter writes, he speaks
of four precious things. First, he speaks of precious
promises. Aren't you thankful that the
Lord promised before time began your salvation and didn't leave
it up to you to get something done? Is that precious to you?
We read of precious blood. the precious blood of Christ
and how precious his blood is that actually washes me and makes
me clean and pure in God's sight to where I really am pure. Somebody read, I don't remember
what this is, in the background here, Psalm 86, where David said,
I'm holy. First, he said some bad stuff
about himself at first, in the first verse. I'm poor and needy. I understand that. But in the
next verse, he said, I'm only and that is that I'm only if
Christ is holy, I am too. That's the preciousness of his
blood. It makes the believer holy. We read of like precious faith,
isn't faith precious to be enabled to believe the gospel? You know,
if you have faith, you know, it's his gift and you know, it's
precious. But the one I like the best is 1 Peter 2, verse
7, to you who believe. Know the rest of the verse? To you who believe, He is precious. To whom be preciousness, honor,
and power. You know, I stand in awe of the
power of the Lord. I am utterly impressed with his
power to create. I stand in awe of his power to
control providence. But this is what I stand most
in awe of. His power to make my sin to not
be. And to make me perfectly conformed
to the image of his son. to whom be honor and power everlasting. And I love when Paul in his writing
says, amen. You know what amen means? It
means let it be so. When I hear that, oh, that's
the way I want it to be. Let it be so. It means I agree. You know, I love to hear something
true regarding the person of the Lord Jesus Christ through
the gospel. And I agree with that. I agree. It doesn't make
any difference whether I agree or not. It's true anyway. But
I agree. That's what amen means. I agree. Amen means this is what
I desire. Amen means this is the confession
of my heart to whom be. To whom Be O the excellency and
glory of Christ, to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen. Now we're stuck here in time
right now. And seems like all kinds of events are whirling
along and things we don't like, things we do like and not knowing
what's going to happen. We're in time, all these sequence
of events and things that we have. We're going to be out of
time one of these days. No more time. And I'll spend eternity either
in the presence of Christ or cast away. And so my prayer is, oh, that
I may win Christ and be found in him. And when God comes looking
for me, there's only one place I want to be found. in the Lord
Jesus Christ, just like that song we just sang. When he shall
come with trumpet sound, oh, may I then in him be found, dressed
in his righteousness alone, faultless to stand before the throne. Let's pray.