From our Pastor
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Time Management until the Day of the Lord
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19, Malachi 4:1-2 November 17/18, 2007
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Time seems to slip by so quickly. How quickly times goes when you’re on vacation! How quickly time goes by when you have a big assignment due in school. How good are you at managing your time? Are you able to make the most of the 24 hours you’re allotted each day? Sometimes we have good intentions about how we’ll use our time, but it can just get away from us. Have you ever asked someone for help, and they say just a minute? You know how that minute can grow. We don’t always use our time the way we should. A person can spend hours in front of the T.V. instead of being productive. I’m not saying that T.V. is evil and you shouldn’t watch it. There should be a proper balance between rest and work. But that there should be a proper balance also means not too much T.V., not too much playing games, not too much just being idle.
The Bible warns us against idleness. “In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to avoid every brother walking in idleness…” (2 Thes. 3:6) The words are pretty strong here. We command you to avoid, not to associate with, fellow Christians who are lolly gagging. Seems like pretty strong reaction to not doing anything. We should avoid them? This is that important to God. Don’t be slothful. St. Paul uses himself as an example. He sure didn’t waste any time. He worked amongst the people, telling them the good news about Jesus. He also earned a living by making tents. He says, “we didn’t eat anyone’s food without paying for it, we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to you.” (8) Paul offers himself as a model for us. We’re not always so eager about serving our Lord, telling people the good news about Jesus. It’s easy to think ‘I’m too tired.’ No goofing off, says Paul.
Why the rush? What’s your hurry? Isn’t it easy to think that the day of the Lord is a long ways away? It hasn’t come for hundreds of years. Why rush? It’s so easy to put off things until later. I take my tax return to the post office on the evening of April 15th each year. It’s interesting to see all the people rushing around. Why do people work on their returns so late? Because it’s a long time until April 15th. There’ll be time. April 15th seems a long ways away. But then comes the deadline, and so many of us are not ready.
A lot of people think that way about the end of the world. It’s a long way away. I’ve got time to tell people about Jesus. I don’t have to do it today. I have a whole lifetime ahead of me. There’s plenty of time. But April 15th sneaks up on you. Well, some people will just file an extension. I’ll do it later, is the thought. There is no extension to file at the day of the Lord. It’s coming. “Certainly the day is coming. It will burn like a furnace. All arrogant people and all evildoers will be like straw. The day that is coming will burn them up completely says the Lord of Armies. It won’t leave a single root or branch.” (Malachi 4:1) The day of the Lord is coming. It’s an impending certainty. We don’t know when, so it’s easy for us to put it off and not think about it, but it is coming. We tend to put off things that we don’t like, like a visit to the dentist. You don’t have to send most people a reminder to about when their vacation will start. But ask any dentist. You need to remind people about their dentist appointment. Since we tend to put off unpleasant things, you can understand why people would not want to think about the upcoming day of the Lord as described in this verse of Scripture. Who wants to think about being burned up like chaff? No one does. No wonder it’s put off.
But all that burning is for the arrogant and the evildoers. Well that’s us. We’re all evildoers. That is we’re evildoers until changed by our Lord. This next verse gives us reason to look forward to the day of the Lord not as much worse than a trip to the dentist, but rather much more enjoyable than a vacation. For “the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings for you who fear my name.” Jesus is the Sun of Righteousness. He is himself righteous. He is holy from all eternity, holy in that he never sinned. He is holy, righteous. But he is also the Sun of Righteousness in that he makes us righteous by his sacrificial death for us. We were in the darkness of sin and death. The sun (s-u-n) shines on us and brings us into the light of his holiness. He shined the light of forgiveness and life on us. “The Sun of Righteousness rises with healing in his wings.” He heals us from our sin sickness. He makes us righteous. Now we no longer fear the day of the Lord. We embrace, we anticipate it with joy.
That day is coming. While looking forward to that day, we want to make the most of the time that’s left until then. Jesus doesn’t pull any punches. He lets us know there may be some very difficult days between now and the day of the Lord. He says there will be wars and insurrections, great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in some places. You’ll be persecuted, thrown into prison on account of my name. (9-12) Then Jesus said, “this will result in a witness.” (13) Even when they haul you before the authorities, you’ll have an opportunity to witness. No matter what you go through. Especially as you go through difficulty, you’ll have opportunity to witness to the faith that you have in Jesus by your example of the way you hold on to your faith. Actions and words about your faith speak very loudly in times of affliction. Remember that when you’re in the hospital. Remember that whenever you’re suffering. Give a witness to Jesus. Don’t worry about what to say at times like that, (14) God will give you the words to say. (15) Don’t be hesitant. Speak boldly. God will use your testimony. His word will accomplish what he sends it to do: his word which you speak, his Spirit doing the heavy lifting.
The time is short. Make the most of it. That the time is short is a relief, because there will be terrible things to come. But the end will come shortly. That doesn’t give us much time. Don’t put off what God is calling you to do. Use the time, the opportunities God is giving you. The time will slip by before you know it, and then there will be no more time.
Hold on to your faith. “In your endurance you will gain your soul,” says Jesus. (19) Let’s get to work!
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MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH
2001 N. Alpine Rd.
Rockford, IL 61107
815-399-3171
Pastor Ken Krause: kkrause@mtolivelutheran.com