First things first.
Are you like me in feeling like there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done that you need to? Lately I’ve moved from that mystery to another one—why does it seem like I need to get this crazy amount of trivial stuff done in the first place?!
And why do I shove most of the “God things” in my life to the back burner first? I say I want to get closer to God—well, then spend time with Him first thing! I say I want to be more generous—then give God the first fruits. I say I want to put others first—then think of them first and myself second (or, preferably, further down the list than that). To do any less is stealing time from what’s really important—what really matters. Before I know it, I’ve become a Time Bandit!
Our Midweek service has been back for three weeks now—each week more people than the last. God is really renewing some souls and bringing cleansing to many. But one interesting thing that I have observed is the absence of many who say they need this the most. All I can tell you is that if you truly know you need this, then you shouldn’t wait for God to create the 25 hour day—it’s not going to happen. He wants you to be a better steward of the time given—the same time we all have—24/7.
So, Brookies—THIS Wednesday (as in tomorrow night @ 6:30) we will gather for week four of our study as well as a time to gather at the Lord’s table for communion. What better opportunity to reprioritize and place God at the head of the table? And, while you’re at it—why not help a fellow Christ follower make it back to Midweek @ Southbrook? Bring someone with you this week and come ready to see God move!
Now, on to the real Time Bandits deal…
Look at 2 Peter 2:1–9,
1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
4For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them into gloomy dungeons[b] to be held for judgment; 5if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8(for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.[c]
I call this “Time Bandits” b/c we end up robbing God of His position of righteousness and we steal from Him worship because of ‘time.’ Because we feel like He didn’t do this or that for us in our time—almost as though we believe the Almighty somehow steals from us every time He doesn’t bless us in 3.5 seconds or deal with our enemies in the 24 hour time frame we generously give Him, etc.
You say, ‘I don’t get the connection?’
Don’t you?
If you or I feel cheated by God enough then we will allow earthly things to rob Him of His rightful place in our lives and it all started with our own impatience and a basic misunderstanding of the grace and mercy of God. Understand these things and you’ll understand His slowness (or what you and I perceive as slowness).
Look at 2 Peter 3:3–13,
3-4First off, you need to know that in the last days, mockers are going to have a heyday. Reducing everything to the level of their puny feelings, they’ll mock, “So what’s happened to the promise of his Coming? Our ancestors are dead and buried, and everything’s going on just as it has from the first day of creation. Nothing’s changed.”
5-7They conveniently forget that long ago all the galaxies and this very planet were brought into existence out of watery chaos by God’s word. Then God’s word brought the chaos back in a flood that destroyed the world. The current galaxies and earth are fuel for the final fire. God is poised, ready to speak his word again, ready to give the signal for the judgment and destruction of the desecrating skeptics.
The Day the Sky Will Collapse
8-9Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change.10But when the Day of God’s Judgment does come, it will be unannounced, like a thief. The sky will collapse with a thunderous bang, everything disintegrating in a huge conflagration, earth and all its works exposed to the scrutiny of Judgment.
11-13Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we’ll hardly notice. We’ll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
You see? God’s not forgetful and slow! He hasn’t missed your faithfulness and obedience (if in fact you’ve been faithful and obedient). He’s just showing the same patience and grace to your lost friends that He showed you and I before we came to know Him as Lord and Savior.
We need to stop holding God’s character hostage to His timing—if we don’t we will forever be fickle followers of the Most High God.