The Community Church: Sermons and teaching

Well, for some of us, that will have transported us to a different world. For some of us, we'd never heard that song before. What? We were singing. I wasn't singing. I'm not going to sing it. I can't do as good a job as the bee, Armstrong.

So the song is We have all the time in the World. That's what it is. And there are certain times of life or of the year that sort of stress how we seem to have less time. Now, so many of the students still have deadlines, you know, SIMON saying essays to write presentations to make for some of us who are still in May.

Christmas seems to be arriving very quickly and we get to this time of year. Suddenly there's sort of all this activity that we have to trying to cram in to what seems to be an ever diminishing space of time. One of my guilty pleasures this year and haven't done before is to watch every episode of the Great British Bake Off, which has been great while I've been trying to lose some weight.

It's been really, really helpful. The fact that everyone's such amazing cookies is also very hard.

I don't know if many of you if everybody's aware of what that is, but it's a cooking competition and I want to do what they do. At the beginning. They have sort of three separate challenges they have to do and at the beginning of each challenge, they are told what they've got to make while for two of them to make for one of them, it's what they call a blind challenge to just literally lift a towel and see the ingredients.

And then they've got to make what they're told to make out of it. But at the start, they get the timers because they're given a certain amount of time. So the question is, how long do you want to get me ready? So I've got my timer.

It's a special time. It's got to be because you've got to of these two, two times. So I'm giving myself an amount of time. And what they do, they go I think I think the thing I've written the phrase down because I keep getting this phrase wrong. No, get ready on your mouth. Get ready. Bake that. I have fun.

Okay.

So they say they gave they in this competition, they're sold. We want you to bake a a sort of usually a dish you've never heard of. Sometimes it seems like a Victoria sponge, but it's more complicated than that. And they say you have 2 hours to bake. They say.

So they're given a set amount of time. And the challenge is set for them to use that time to achieve what they've been given to do. And for some of them, you look at it as watching it or doing that. So you never think. I mean, that's a long time. you think. Cor blimey. I mean this is going to make all that in that short period of time.

That song that we sang. no, you sang. Kath wanted me to sing, but that was a good one. We have all the time in the world with the theme. It's been used in two James Bond films. One of them was way back when I was a lad, which means that some of you want to be born. It wasn't in black and white.

It was on Her Majesty's Secret Service, which was the only James Bond where a guy called George Lazenby played James Bond. And it played after James Bond. He got married and he got married to Diana Rigg. Now for me is this sort of young boy thinking, cool looking James Bond, getting married to Diana Rigg. She was a very nice looking lady and they've got married, they're driving away and the song is played and she gets killed.

And the reality of what the song, the song was written and the reason they asked the guy to sing it, who sang the version we had guy called Louis Armstrong. It's the wanted. The irony that that wasn't all the time in the world. And Louis Armstrong, who sang it, is reputed to be the last song ever signed because he was dying.

That wasn't all the time in the world. And that song, again, has been used in the most recent James Bond film right at the beginning of the film. For those who know the history of James Bond, as soon as that song plays and you see James Bond driving and he's got this lovely lady by his side, you're thinking, this is not going to go well, because this song is some great irony.

But there is also a reality to this. You see, we have been given time. We have been given the amount of time that we need to do the things that God has for us to do.

We've been given a limited amount of time. It's a precious thing we've been given, but it's a finite thing. It's not going to grow, but we've been given sufficient.

So the question is, what do we do with it? Because there is a reality that we have all the time in the world, because God knows how long we have got. You know, the fact that you can get and you can you can put in the various things. I've never tried to, but you can put in various things and he'll tell you when you're going to die.

That's not really the sort of thing to build yourself up with or people are looking out, well, the life expectancy. Now, I wrote this down to encourage somebody is okay. So the life expectancy, if you are born in 2022, a boy is 17. I am for a girl is 83. The most common age to die in Britain. That's.

That's singing. That's in England. The most common age to die in England. The male is 86 and the female is 89. The question is, how are we going to spend this precious resource? Let's look in Ephesians chapter five and we're going to read verses verses. So let's give you. Yeah, just verses 15 and 16. You like to be down to 20.

Karen Yeah, okay. Very down to 20. Be very careful then how you live. Not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lords wills. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the spirit speaking to one another with psalms, hymns and songs, and the spirit sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.

Always give thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus. Be very careful then, how you live, not as a wise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil in the passion. Translation Those two verses say this, so be very careful how you live. Not being like those with no understanding, but live honorably with true wisdom for we are living in evil times.

Take full advantage of every day as you spend your life for his purposes. The words in all the translations in the in the King James version, the verse says Redeem the time because the days are evil and the word for redeem is x, y or z or zo x yea, x add or add. So and that means basically take full advantage of to rescue it from loss.

Some of us are probably like me now. Ali will occasionally I'd be my wife, occasionally come across in the in our bathroom with a tube of toothpaste that is not like standing a police hand, but he's like rolled up. Now, I'm fortunate. I don't have one of those. And I could have just got onto a new one after several months of trying to make out late.

But I do have a tube of savlon that is rolled up when I've tried to eek out the last bit of this before I go on to the new one. And that's what this verse is saying. We've got to eke out exploit to its full extent every day that God has given us to rescue it from loss, not to just let it pass.

There's a song by Pink Floyd is called Time, and it talks about and kicking around on a piece of ground. And you just watching the days going by and suddenly you realize ten years has gone. We need to be people who redeem the time. There's a saying by a that's a quote from a gentleman called c c c t stood that says Only one life will soon be past only what's done for Christ will last.

We've got to make the most of this opportunity that God's given us, because the reality is we have all the time in the world for the things that God has for us. But we don't have all the time in the world just to let it figure away. There are some people that think, Yeah, I'm fine, no problem whatsoever.

We're going to look at a parable that Jesus told If I can find where I've left my Luke Chapter 12, I'm going to look and we're going to start at the 16th. I can remember a conversation I had with one of Ali's brothers going back. This is a number of years ago now. At least Brother had made a decision for Jesus in his teenage years and he came to visit us soon after.

Remember to think. And I remember talking to him and he was basically saying, yes, I made a decision for Jesus, but I'm just going to part that I want to live my life for me for a bit. And then a bit later on I'll come back and I'll pick God up again. The 16 of Luke Chapter 12 says this, and he told them this parable, the ground of a certain rich man yielding an abundant harvest.

He thought to himself, What should I do? I have no place to store my crops. Then he said, This is what I'll do. I will tear down my bones and build bigger ones and then store my surplus grain and I'll say to myself, You have plenty grain laid up for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink and be merry.

But God said to him, You fool, this very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you prepared for yourself? This is how it will be for whoever stores things to themselves. But he's not reached towards God this very night. You've sold this very night. Your life will be demanded from you. When we were in the church you went to in Cuba mid-week meeting, they had up on the on the wall just a message which says Accept a crystal holy manana.

Podria Saturday, accept Christ today. Tomorrow may be too late. We cannot park a decision for God because we don't know what tomorrow will bring. So if you're in this room today and you're thinking, I'm, I'm hearing about this Jesus and this thing's sort of stone inside me thinking I need to find out some more. Accept Christ today.

Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to get to know Jesus. Because the reality is tomorrow may be too late. A little parable that Jesus told was in Matthew chapter 24, a sort of 25, Matthew, chapter 25. And we're going to start the first verse. At that time, the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lumps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lumps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lambs. The bridegroom was a long time in coming and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out. Here's the bridegroom come out to meet him.

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish one said to the wise, Give us some of their oil lamps are going out. No, they replied. They made them. May not be enough for both of us. Both of us knew. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.

The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet and the door shut. Later, the others also came. Lord, Lord, they said, Open the door for us. But he replied, Truly, I tell you, I don't know you therefore keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour. And this is a similar verse to that last one just in the parable before that.

That's Matthew 24 of us, 42. Therefore, keep watch because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. No warning. I've got all the time in the world and this is towards this church. We don't know when the master is coming back. This people who will spend hours, days, months, years trying to work out. Well, this event happens and that event happens.

And Jesus returned. It's going to be on this day, on this month. And that's not how we can live. We do not know when the master will return. We need to be ready. We need to have the oil in our lamp so that we are prepared for the bridegroom. So are there things that we have been putting off?

Are there things that God has been talking to us about in our lives, whether it's things that we're doing and we should be stopping, whether it's places we should go when we're not going, whether it's people we need to speak to them. We're not speaking to, whether it's people we should be praying for them. We're not praying for them today.

Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden hearts. We do not know when the master is coming back. So we cannot say, I'll sort that problem out in a few days time. God, I've all the time in the world to get right with you. Baloney. Today is the day he. We're going to look at another parable now and yeah, we need to be redeeming the time.

Let's just look at a couple of verses on the way to this next parable we can look at John Chapter nine and verse four. Karen, I do thank you for keeping up with my jumping around the list that you've got. See Jesus speaking As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me.

Night is coming when no one can work. As long as this is day, we must do the work of Hayden, who sent me. Night is coming when no one can work. To some people. And it really struck me as we as we were breaking bread. Jesus, for those of us who have as Jesus to forgive us, to be Lord of our lives, He has brought us out of darkness into light and what we just partook of to me.

And he shook me afresh in Sofia. Thank you very much for excellent way to you. You led us into that, that by his death on the cross, Jesus has shut the door to darkness. And by my I acceptance of what he has done, that door is closed. It cannot get past that point. But there are people who are still in that darkness.

A guy called William who's they can find me piece of paper. King says this. Put your ear to the Bible and hear him beg. You go and pull sinners out of the fire. He thought William Booth and the Salvation Army were all about, Well, maybe they're all out. Let's look after the bodily stuff and people's welfare now, which is good.

But this guy was a firebrand. This guy saw God and said this as well. Most Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible College for five years. I would like and I would like to send them to hell for 5 minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry. C.S. Study we spoke about before with his only one life to be passed down from Christ.

The last said this as well. Some wish to live within the sound of church or chapel Bell. I want to run a rescue shop within the yard of how there are people in darkness today, guys, There are people. We have been in darkness through Jesus. We are in light, but there are people who are in darkness. Let's read in Luke chapter 16, and we're going to read from verse 19.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and find and in our lived in luxury every day, and his gate was laid. A beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked. He saw the time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side.

The rich man also died and was buried in Hades, where he was in torment. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus by his side. So he said to him, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue because I'm in agony in this fire.

But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things while Lazarus received bad things. But now he's comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you, a great chasm is set in place so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us, he answered.

Then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my family for my five brothers. Let him warn them so they will not also come to this place of torment, Abraham replied. They are Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them. No, Father Abraham, he said. But if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. He said to him, If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced.

Even if someone rises from the dead. William Thebes again said, Go and stand by the gates of hell and hear the The damned entreat you to go to their fathers. That father's house and bed, their brothers and sisters and servants and masters not to come there. We don't hear about how much, but that's where we've been saved from as much.

Yeah, as much as we've been saved to eternal life. There is an eternal alternative. Matthew 2546 says This is Jesus talking at the end of another of parables. And this is about the sheep and the goat. They will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. We have all the time in the world to do what God wants us to do.

Some people are living as if they've got all the time in the world, and it's only every now and again that eternity butts up against their life. I was talking to a gentleman at work a couple of weeks ago, ten days ago, who was taking a sabbatical for two years from work so that he could spend time with his elderly parents whose health was deteriorating and eternity blasted off against him.

Because these people who had brought him up, who we'd known and he'd loved for many years, their health is declining, his mother's very rapidly declining, and he wanted to have time to spend with them. But the reality of life and the reality of death was hitting against his life, his comfortable life all the time in the world. Not only read something that some of you might know, some of you will have heard, I've heard it many years ago, and in reading it again recently, yeah, my heart breaks.

This is hard. Okay. Health is not an easy thing, but we've been looking recently about the need for us to reach out. Well, what are we reaching out for if it's not to rescue people from where they are? Yes, we're reaching them out with good news because Jesus is good news. And part of the good news is I will take you out from that pit that you're in.

I will take you out of that darkness. I will take you out and I will put you on solid rock. That is the good news. But the reality is that if people choose to stay and ignore that, that parable, Jesus, surely somebody were to raise from the dead, come back from the dead people who believe that has been somebody who came back from the dead.

And he wants to reach those three, wants to reach down and to pick people out of the pit that they're in. But if they choose to stay there or if they don't hear, the reality is not good. So this is by a lady called Amy Carmichael, who for the vast majority of our life lived out in India and ran this sort of orphanage.

But it was more than that. And this is what she said, the TomTom stuff straight on at night, all night. The darkness should have rang, should it around me like a living feeling thing. I could not go to sleep. So I lay awake and looked and saw as it seemed. This. This is a vision that God gave him.

But I stood on a grassy patch and on my feet a ravine broke straight down into an infinite space. I looked but saw no bottom, only cloud shaped black and furiously coiled and great shadows shrouded hollows and unfathomable depths. Back I drew dizzy at the depths. Then I saw forms of people moving towards the edge. There was a woman with a baby in her arms and another little child holding onto a dress.

She was on the very edge. She left that foot for the next step. Then, to my horror, I saw that she was blind because before I could say anything, she was over and the child with her. The cries pierced the air as they fell into the inky blackness of the ravine. Then I saw more streams of people flowing from all quarters.

All were blind, stone blind, all walked straight towards the egg. There was shrieks, as they certainly knew themselves falling and are tossing up have helpless arms catching, clutching at empty air. But some went over quietly and fell without a sound. Then I wandered with a wonder that was sheer agony. Why no one stopped them at the edge. I could not.

I was glued to the ground. I couldn't even yell, though I strained and tried. Only a whisper would come out. Then I saw. But along the edge there were sentries set at intervals, but the intervals were too large. There were wide and guarded gaps between them and over these gaps. The people failing their blindness and warned. And the green grass seemed blood red to me.

And the ravine yawned like the mouth of hell. Then I saw like a little picture of peace. A group of people under some trees with their backs turned towards the ravine. They were making daisy chains. Sometimes when a piercing cry cut, they quietly reached them. It disturbed them and they thought it was rather crude noise. And if one of their group started up and wanted to go and do something to help, then all the others would pull them that one down.

Why should you get so excited about it? You must wait for a definite call to go. You haven't finished your daisy chain yet. It will be really selfish. They said to leave us to finish the work alone. There was another group. It was made up of people whose great desire was to get out, get more sentries out. But they found that very few wanted to go.

And sometimes there were no sentries for miles and miles along the edge. Once a girl stood in her place, waving the people back. But the mother and other relations called and reminded her that she needed to rest. She must not break the rules and being tired and needing a change. She had to go rest for a while, but no one was sent to guard her gap.

And over and over the people fell like a waterfall of souls. Once a child grabbed to the touch, the grass grew at the very edge of green. It clung, convulsed simply and cold, but no one seemed to hear. Then the roots of the grass gave way, and with a cry, the child went over its two little hands, still holding tight to the torn of punctured grass and the girl who longed to go back to a gap thought she heard the little one cry and she sprang up and wanted to go, which her friends reprove.

No reminding her that no one is necessary anywhere. The gap will be taken care of. They said. And then they sang a hymn. Then through the hymn came another sound, like the pain of a million broken hearts rung out in one full drop, one sob and a horror of great darkness was upon me, for I knew that it was the cry of the blood.

Then the voice thundered. It was the voice of the Lord. And he said, Offer it out on the voice of I brothers Blood cries unto me from the ground. What does it matter? After all, it has gone on for years. It will go on for years. Why make such a fuss about it? God forgive us. God arouses shame as out of our kindness, callousness, shameless and lonesome as sin.

There's a story in the Bible of a city in siege place. Call some area and the people are starving with all sorts going on, even cannibalism within the city. And these four guys who had leprosy said, We're going to die in the city. We might as well go outside. We're not welcome. We've got this disease. And God did a miracle and the army that have been surrounding this city, God caused them to hear another army.

There was no other army that caused us to hear it. And they went they scattered. And these four guys who'd gone outside the city, they walked to the camp not knowing this had happened. And when they got there, they found the enemy's camp empty and they started to enjoy some of the food that was there and the things they could plunder.

And then they came to their senses and it says, and this is in Two Kings chapter seven, it says, This is a day we are not doing right. This is a day of good news. And they knew the responsibility. They had to tell the good news and to relieve that famine that was in that city. This is a day of good news.

We know the good news. There's too many gaps on that cliff. I just people are just wandering off to a lost eternity. The challenge is for us to redeem the time. There's a song I mean, finish with this. There's a song by band called Delirious. This is a song written by a guy called Matt Redman. And then the band Delirious is called Now Is the Time.

Now is the time for us. And I'm not singing this one either. Now is the time for us to shine. Shine with the face of Christ Divine No compromise for all Heaven cries Now. Now is the time I'm on the verse He says I want to follow. But what does it mean to live in a world and keep everything clean?

It harks back to what we read right beginning Ephesians chapter five. Be careful how you live. I want to follow, but what does it mean to live in a world and keep everything clean? Nothing. I own here is ever my own. When I live in the mercy and blessing you've shown, I lay down my rights, see the world through your eyes and fight for the hungry who pay for their lives.

I want to have you in all of my world So Jesus consume me, flows through me. Cause now is the time musicians just going to come up and we're going to go into a song of dedication, really. We have all the time in the world to do what God wants us to do. We need to put our lives into His hands so that we can be the people that he wants us to be, to reach the people that we need to reach.

It isn't about just just putting our lives in his hands so that we can be blessed. They need to be more watchmen on that cliff edge because around us there are people. And he said old phrase, But I will say who will march into a lost eternity. Now is the time for us to shine, to redeem the time