Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions video audio notes. Explore the biblical principle of making the most of every moment and living with purpose and urgency for God’s glory. It encourages believers to prioritize their Time wisely, overcome procrastination and distractions, and invest in what matters most. The sermon provides practical strategies for seizing opportunities, balancing responsibilities, rediscovering one’s calling, and ultimately leaving a lasting legacy by trusting God’s timing and walking in obedience.
TRUST GOD’S TIMING
By Pastor Delbert Young
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
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Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, Ephesians 5:15-17, Joel 2:25, Galatians 4:4-5, Ephesians 5:18-20,
We are discussing how and why we should Trust God’s Timing. We’ve talked about how every matter has a Proper Time set by God and how we must go through the procedure to reach what matters. We also discussed how we must Wait in Hope, as hope is a Key. Hope is necessary since we will likely experience misery through the required procedure. Today, I want to begin talking about Redeeming the Time. You could easily miss your healing, opportunity, goal, wish, settling an argument, restoring a relationship, your dream, and the answer to your prayer if you don’t redeem the Time, but what does Redeeming the Time mean?
Today, I want you to leave knowing what Redeeming the Time means and a few efficient and contextual ways to do it.
Next Time, we’ll talk about more ways to redeem the Time.
Life is flying past you. Once today is gone, it’s gone. There is no rewind button. There is no pause button. You will never get today back. The Time given to be here is your one shot at life. You won’t get a “do-over.” You can’t relive your twenties, thirties, forties, etc. There is a time marked out specifically for you.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 There is a TIME for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: A TIME TO BE BORN AND A TIME TO DIE, a TIME to plant and a TIME to uproot, a TIME to kill and a TIME to heal, a TIME to tear down and a TIME to build, a TIME to weep and a TIME to laugh, a TIME to mourn and a TIME to dance, a TIME to scatter stones and a TIME to gather them, a TIME to embrace and a TIME to refrain, a TIME to search and a TIME to give up, a TIME to keep and a TIME to throw away, a TIME to tear and a TIME to mend, a TIME to be silent and a TIME to speak, a TIME to love and a TIME to hate, a TIME for war and a TIME for peace.
Isn’t the passage beautiful and poetic? Of the twenty-nine “time to…” mentions, there are two overriding important ones for you. There was a time for you to come into this world, and there is a time for you to leave this world. It’s the way for all of us. The remaining twenty-seven “time to” mentions are happening now, represented by the “mark,” the dash, on a tombstone between the date of birth and the date of death. There are many “time to…” set by God specifically for you.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
God has placed hope in your heart. He’s placed dreams, desires, and goals you want to accomplish. We’ve all heard and likely said the terms “spending time” and “wasting time.” What are you “spending” your time on? Where are you investing your precious, valuable Time? What are you “wasting” your time on? You can’t afford to spend or waste the valuable limited Time you have left doing something you’re not passionate about. You can’t afford to spend the next three years on a job you don’t enjoy. God has given us this unique gift of Time called life. Don’t spend it frivolously. Please don’t waste it.
We all need to ask, “What’s my plan for my future? Do I have a plan other than making money? Where am I going to spend the majority of my Time? What will I purchase with my Time? Where am I investing my Time? How do I plan to use my Time left to accomplish my hopes, dreams, desires, and goals?” You will need to redeem your Time.
(KJV) Ephesians 5:15-17 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as FOOLS, but as WISE, REDEEMING THE TIME, because the days are evil. Wherefore BE YE NOT UNWISE, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
We know if we are wise by our redeeming the Time, but what does redeeming the Time mean?
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
(Amplified) Ephesians 5:15-17 Look carefully then how you walk! LIVE PURPOSEFULLY and worthily and ACCURATELY, not as the unwise and witless, but AS WISE (sensible, intelligent people), MAKING THE VERY MOST OF THE TIME[BUYING UP EACH OPPORTUNITY], because the days are evil. Therefore do not be vague and thoughtless and foolish, but understanding and firmly grasping what the will of the Lord is.
A wise person walks around thinking about Time – circumspectly. We must constantly think on purpose about what we’re doing with Time. Wise people redeem the Time because the days are evil. (evil – poneros {pon-ay-ros’} – full of labors, annoyances, hardships) Evil takes away your valuable, precious, and irreplaceable Time. Use your Time understanding what the will of the Lord is. A wise person understands and firmly grasps the will of the Lord, where your life is full, blessed, and victorious as you reach your destiny.
It says, “Live purposefully.” Are you an “on-purpose person?” The apostle is instructing us and causing us to ask, “How can I make the most of what’s left of my life?” Wise people live/walk on purpose – circumspectly (KJV). How you spend your Time shows if you’re wise or witless. It shows how intelligent and sensible you are. We all know unwise and witless people. People waste their lives because they waste their Time. Something evil happened. The Lord says to not be like them. You be wise. Walk around on purpose.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Are you redeeming the Time? What is your definition and understanding of “redeeming the time?” What does it mean to you? Most people think it means restoring or getting back Time. No. Restoring Time is not redeeming Time.
(KJV) Joel 2:25 And I WILL RESTORE TO YOU THE YEARS that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm…
Restoring is getting back years already gone. Redeeming the Time is making the very best of the Time we have now. You and I can’t restore our years. Only God supernaturally can. However, you and I can redeem the Time.
The Greek word translated as redeeming in Ephesians 5:15 is exagorazo {ex-ag-or-ad’-zo}. It means to redeem; payment required to buy from another; to buy up for one’s self-use; to make wise and sacred use of every opportunity for doing good: the metaphor of Christ freeing the elect from the dominion of the Mosaic Law at the price of his vicarious death.
Galatians 4:4-5 But when the Time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, TO REDEEM THOSE UNDER LAW, that we might receive the full rights of sons.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Jesus Christ redeemed those under the Law of Moses. He paid the price – his sacrificial death.
I want to give us another thought, and then we’ll move on to a real-life application for redeeming the Time. The dictionary defines redeem as to buy back, regain possession of, or exchange for money, goods, etc.; to pay ransom is to redeem from captivity by paying a stipulated price; to free, liberate, rescue, and save.
When discussing redeeming Time, we’re not talking about restoring Time. Think of it as taking a valuable heirloom or item to a pawn shop. It’s your possession. The pawn shop gives you money but holds your valuable heirloom. You can redeem your precious possessions from the pawn shop if you pay the agreed price in an allotted time or, if you will, pay the ransom.
Perhaps the best way to see redeeming the Time is as a kidnapping. Imagine your child kidnapped. Your child is valuable, precious, and irreplaceable. You give a ransom to redeem the child. Your child does not belong to the kidnapper. You are responsible for your child. However, they hold your child captive until redeemed. Your child is gone forever, and you will never get them back unless you redeem your child. It’s a video of Redeeming the Time. It’s your Time. You are responsible for your Time. You are to protect it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t restore it but can redeem it if willing to pay the ransom.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
So how does this unwrap concerning our redeeming the Time?
Well, what holds your precious, valuable, irreplaceable Time? What has kidnapped your Time? For what have you pawned your Time? The apostle is telling us to go and redeem the Time. Pay whatever ransom is required, but get possession of your Time. It belongs to you. The days are evil. Kidnappers and pawn sharks have your Time.
I want to remain in context as we look at some practical ways to redeem the Time. The following verses say;
Ephesians 5:18-20 DO NOT GET DRUNK ON WINE, which leads to debauchery. INSTEAD, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I’m not getting into the wrong or right of alcohol. It is not what the apostle is doing. We all know if you become a drunk, it will cause your life to be a debauchery – a wasted life. Have you ever heard the term “wasted” referencing an intoxicated person? The thought here isn’t only wine or alcohol. It’s any mind-altering substance. People are kidnapped by substance abuse. Our society is full of it. People pawn their lives to alcohol, drugs, marijuana, etc., literally. What is the ransom? Redeeming the Time is paying the ransom to be free, whatever the cost, and using the Time you have left to fulfill the Lord’s will – psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, etc.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Looking at this from a slightly different angle, what has kidnapped your worship? What holds possession of your singing, praising, worship, praying, giving, ministering, etc.? Does pride have your worship kidnapped? Have you pawned your worship for greed? Is your worship in the pawn shop? Redeem the Time. Worship is the Lord’s will.
I want to close with this.
‘”I’ll never be happy,” he says. “I believe I’ll die alone. I would want it that way. I’ve been a loner all my life with my secrets and my pain. I’m lost, but I’m trying to find myself.” “I’m a sad, pathetic case.” The divorced father of six is blunt, gregarious, funny, vulgar, outrageous, sad, angry, bitter, and sometimes reflective about the opportunities he squandered over the last two decades.
He discusses his drug use (“The weed got me”), lack of self-esteem, and sexual addiction. “MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN A WASTE – I’VE BEEN A FAILURE.” This is from an interview with former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in USA Today.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Tyson said, “My whole life has been a waste…”
It’s so sad. What a fighter he was. He wasted his life because he wasted his Time. Evil kidnapped his Time. He pawned his Time. We’ve all been given an amazing gift. It’s the gift of Time. Life is made of Time. Time is a gift from God every day. What if, before we went to sleep, we asked, “Did I make the very most of my Time today? Did I spend my Time wisely today? How much Time did I trash today? Did I pawn my Time today? Did anything kidnap my Time today?”
God has placed hope in your heart, dreams, desires, and goals you want to accomplish. Redeeming Time makes this possible. By redeeming Time, you are redeeming Time for your healing, the special opportunity taking you to the next level of living, your goal, the restoration of a relationship, your dream, and the problem you’re praying about.
Trust God’s Timing. Time is the most precious thing he has given you. The days are evil. Evil is attempting to take your precious, irreplaceable, valuable Time. God wants you to redeem it and live a blessed, full, fed, victorious life. Trust God with your Time.
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Redeem Time – How to Overcome Procrastination & Distractions
Related messages:
Specific Time – How to Find Peace in the Waiting
Trust God’s Timing sermon series
Specific with Time – sermon video audio notes
Redeeming the Gibeonites in Me sermon
Pay Taxes Should We or Not Luke 20:19-26
Also see:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2005-06-02-tyson-saraceno_x.htm