Word of Salvation – Vol.13 No.01 – January 1967

 

Time Has Grown Short

 

Sermon by Rev. G. de Ruiter on 1Corinthians 7:29a & Revelation 22:10,11

Scripture Reading: Philippians 4:4-8, Revelation 22:1-13

Psalter Hymnal: 187, 96, 327, 368, 385

 

Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ,

When the job of making sermons is in discussion, one of the main points under discussion is always the relation explication and application.  Some people say, “Just explain the text, let the Bible speak, and leave the outcome to the Holy Spirit.”  Others say, “No, you have to apply that part from the Bible to the special situation of those who are listening.”  I think the latter is the more Biblical method.  Paul, for example, always finished and closed his epistles with very practical remarks, following the example of the Lord.

Even the whole Bible has been summed up (in the last chapters from the Bible), as a kind of application, a closing conclusion in our text verse from Revel.22.

The Lord is at hand – the time is near – time has grown very short.  “I am coming soon.”  That is: “I am on my way with haste,” says the Lord.

Well, these sayings are clear, aren’t they?

Let us start with the first one from 1Cor.7: “…time has grown very short.”  This is an interesting expression.  All kind of translation have been given, like: “The interval has been shortened – the time we live in will not last long – time is straitened”.  Literally translated Paul says: “Time is compressed!” or even better: “Time has been packed!”  This word was used by sailors rolling up and putting away their sails; or by travellers packing their things.  So time has been packed; time has been put in the suitcase.  Time has been compressed in a bag, and just another moment and then time will be removed, will be taken away.

Paul wants to make clear that the Lord Jesus has put time in his bag.  He has packed time in between His first and second coming, and since the Lord is coming with haste (probably a better translation then “the Lord is coming soon”), since the Lord is on His way to this world, to judge mankind and recreate His Father’s creation, time on earth for mankind is short, is compressed, time has been packed already!

So time and life on earth are not a matter of making money, of making a career, of making pleasure in the first place, our time and our existence in this world are determined by the great facts of God’s salvation-work: Bethlehem, Golgotha, the resurrection, the second coming of our Lord – these are the great facts, the highlights of history.

And exactly in view of that last event, the Lord’s return, time is short, time, as the Lord’s time, has been packed already by the Lord Himself.

This is what Paul means: time is not just going, but time is definitely going somewhere, namely in the Lord’s suitcase going to the last day of world history and the beginning of the new eternal kingdom of divine peace and perfect happiness for all Christ’s followers.

We are a world on our way, on the Lord’s way and it is the Lord’s idea to press into our hands the pilgrim’s staff and His advice is: “Maranatha, I am coming, and My Kingdom shall have no end”.  It is as with a removal.  The furniture van is in front of the house.  The removal men have packed everything.  And now they are going to put the trunks in their car.  And so everybody can leave.

That is how we stand and live in this world: the fashion of this world is already fading away, it is in the last period, it is the last chance.  Christ is upon the throne.  And here upon earth everything hastens to the final episode, that last final event: Christ’s return and the great judgment day.

So don’t forget: the Lord makes haste and is in a hurry to reach His world and His people.  And knowing all this, everything and everybody looks different.

When a doctor must say to his patient: “I am sorry but I cannot help you anymore; I am afraid it won’t last long”, then in a way everything is the same, the room, the bed, the blanket, and yet everything has changed completely, because of that knowledge: “My time is short!”

And that is the application from the Bible with regard to the Lord’s return: “You are living in the final episode of history, so please don’t live as if life will last forever, do not act as if this life is it.  It is not!  It definitely is not!  It is as relative as anything can be.  It is just for the time being, for a short time being.  And since time has been packed already we must be ready to drop everything and everybody related to time and our living in this time.”

And here Revel.22 vs.11 comes in: All right, if you are not interested in all this, if you think it is all nonsense, all moon-shine, just plain intimidation, okay, just have your go; let the evildoer still do evil, and the wicked still be wicked; just go on; if you really want to make a tragedy out of your life, just go on; soon enough you’ll find out how great and terrible a mistake you are making, but then it will be too late to correct your attitude and to revise your opinion; too late to repent, when you are face to face with King Jesus, your Judge.

Here is the greatest tragedy for a man, that a man can so long refuse the way of Jesus Christ, that in the end of time, in those last days, he cannot take it anymore, this great way of salvation.  It is not yet that far; you still can go the Jesus-way, you still can prepare your home, your life, your heart to meet Jesus.

Please, don’t postpone your decision!

Young people, who still don’t know what to do: to follow Jesus, to follow Him accepting all consequences involved, or run away from Him: young people don’t run away from the Lord Jesus.  Do stay!  Don’t think you are too young; don’t think following Jesus will spoil all the fun in your life.  You will find out that the opposite is true.

That is why Paul could invite believers to rejoice.  Living with Jesus and following Jesus is great fun, the greatest fun in the world.  Real Christians are the happiest people in the world.

Do you really want to write here and now your eternal destiny, making it a matter of eternal misery by saying “No!” to Jesus, by taking your life, your time in your own hands?

Don’t be so silly.  But if you really are too stubborn to repent and to bow down before Jesus as your Lord and King, just go, have things your own way and you’ll find out which way that is: a hopeless dead end, without any prospect and future; but know that you will find out so too late, when all your time has gone, and the Lord has arrived for the final judgment.

And you will never have any joy.

No, you better start rejoicing in the Lord, here and now already, and you will have joy forever, joy, more joy, unfailing joy with your friend Jesus, at His everlasting party.

“Rejoice” – Paul says.

Could you sing a happy song, in an old cold jail, damp and draughty, chained all the time to a rough tough soldier?  Paul could.  Could you whistle a cheerful tune, your back torn and bleeding, your limbs chained to the dank wall of the filthy inner prison?  Paul could.  Because Paul knew that the Lord Jesus would take care of him, because he knew that a great future was ahead of him, because he knew his Friend and Helper King Jesus, the Son of God, close by, very near, and He was going to make everything perfectly and eternally new.

So let us keep faith and trust in the Lord, people, and you will find out that our Lord won’t fail and disappoint us.

Rejoice in Him, let He be your source of gladness, all the time.

Didn’t He leave heaven for our sake?
Didn’t He die on the cross in our place?
Didn’t His resurrection prove the reality of His victory
over satan and death – that being our victory?
Didn’t He promise us eternal life,
i.e. eternal peace and happiness through faith in Him?

And isn’t He on His way to reorganize everything, to recreate this old world with all its misery?

And shouldn’t all this be one great reason for appreciation, gratitude, joy, for making out of life an increasing, growing affair of service and devotion?

So let him who is righteous in Christ practise righteousness, now already, let him who is holy in Christ be sanctified more and more, becoming holier day by day, or as we find it in another translation of Revel,22 vs.2 “Let the dedicated man be true in his dedication.”

Now for believers here is another reason for feeling ashamed.  On this point of dedication to the Lord’s cause you can’t be too proud, can you?  Many church people are still too busy with earthly things, making money and spending money, having fun and making plans for new parties, that in many cases unbelievers don’t even notice that we, their friends, mates, colleagues, neighbours are Christians.

We know that time goes over the earth as a cloud-shadow over the sea, as a wind-wave over a cornfield, as a meteor in the sky.

We know that the whole dispensation in which our earthly life and work is to be done, is rapidly moving towards its end.

We do know; but does all this and the final coming of our Lord and all its consequences affect us, touch us and through us also unbelievers?  There ought to be a marked difference between the conduct of a Christian and an unbeliever, spending and making money, marrying and being married, educating children, in behaviour and the subject of discussion at parties, in facing adversities, in experiencing misery etc.

There ought to be a marked difference.

It is up to you to say whether there is such a difference.  It is up to you to say whether your life and behaviour is a matter of doing more and more the right things, a matter of growing in holiness and increasing in dedication.

For if Christ should come today
and find your hands
so full of future plans,
however fair,
in which your Saviour has no share, what would He say?

If He should come today,
and find your love so cold,
your faith so very weak and dim,
you had not even looked for Him, what would He say?

If He should come today,
and find out that you had not told one soul
about your heavenly Friend,
Whose blessings all your way attend, what would He say?

If He should come today,
would you be glad, quite glad
remembering that He died for all,
but none through you had heard His call, what would He say?

Let us therefore close with a prayer; a prayer to the Holy Spirit:

Eternal Spirit, God of truth,
our contrite heart inspire.
Kindle a flame of heavenly love
and feed the pure desire.

Amen.