Dwelling Place

Guest (Male): Some people are so busy with the dos and don'ts of Christianity, they forget to be a Christian. Here's Pastor Al Pittman to explain.

Al Pittman: Sometimes reality is that we're so busy doing Christianity that we forget to be Christians. Jesus illustrated that in the story of the good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10. Remember, it was the religious people who didn't have time for the man who had been beaten and robbed and was laying alongside the road bleeding and in need. It was the priest who was on his way to church who didn't have time to stop. The temple assistant who had things to do that didn't have time to stop, but it was the lowly Samaritan who rescued the man. And it's sometimes that we're so busy we're running right past people that God wants us to minister to.

Guest (Female): Dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place. You are my dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place.

Guest (Male): Welcome to this edition of The Dwelling Place with Pastor Al Pittman, senior pastor at Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs. Today, we bring you Al's final message in his verse-by-verse series through Colossians. If you summed up this letter, it would be a loving warning to the church of Colossae that they had strayed from the true gospel and were more interested in philosophy and higher thought than the real message of repentance and salvation through Christ. Sound familiar? That's what's so great about God's word. It's as relevant today as it was when these words were written. Here's Pastor Al with our final study in Colossians.

Al Pittman: In an article in the Christianity Today authored by the name of Joel Belz writes this. It says that Christians of all people should understand that the MasterCard mentality is not the way to master life. The pattern Jesus established was one of the furring desires, not because the fulfillment of desiring is wrong, but because my time is not yet come. Most of us think that our time has come 5 minutes after the desire first pops into our minds. Close quote. TV commercial comes on and says you got to have this, you got to have that. You know, you you're not going to be fulfilled and the chicks won't like you if you don't, you know.

Not drinking this kind of beer. Go out and buy that kind of beer. Hey, give me that Heineken. Yeah. Chicks like it. And we believe buy into that stuff and we you know, we we we I got to be wearing these clothes or whatever. There's nothing wrong with like he said the desiring, but just because it pops into my mind doesn't mean it needs to be to be fulfilled right now. And many times we need to wait not to have the well just charge it because as we all know, charge cards have a payday. And when you don't pay on time, interest is compounded.

We have to pay the interest on it. But in the spiritual sense, the same thing applies. We can't just run out and do things. If we're going to redeem the time, maybe your time is not come. Wait upon the Lord, he will renew your strength. Maybe God has laid something on your heart and more you're chomping at the bit. Wait on the Lord because I've always learned that God is a shepherd and shepherd lead the sheep. He's not a a he's not he's not he's not somebody who started on raw hide. You know, he doesn't drive the sheep like cattle.

You know what I mean? God's not out God's not out Come on Calvary Worship Center. You know. Come on. You know You know. I mean that's not the way Okay, okay Lord, okay Lord. You know, he never drives us like that. He always leads us beside still waters. He restores your soul. He refreshes us. He takes leads us to green pastures. He doesn't drive us. You see. The Bible says in Philippians 4 6 and 7, be anxious for nothing, but in everything in prayer and supplications with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.

And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. God leads us, he doesn't drive us. Don't live life with a MasterCard mentality unless you end up wasting your time. The third thing is that we need to view life through the lens of eternity in order to redeem the time. An eternal perspective helps us to differentiate between the essential and the non-essential. Another author wrote this in a book called How Busy Is Too Busy? They said this and I quote actually the author is Jean Fleming. She said we we need to scrutinize the rush of our activities because even venerable exertions may be keeping us from becoming and doing what God wants.

A packed schedule may be detrimental not only to ourselves, but to those we seek to help. A few years ago, she goes on to say that our neighbors were drawn to us, but when we talked to them about the Lord, their response was we couldn't be Christians, we couldn't live at your pace. They had been attracted to Christ, but the busyness of our lives had scared them from a commitment. Close quote. I share that to not condemn you. We're all busy in one way or another. I often times I'm like Lord, I'm just too busy.

There's some things that we just have to do. And you know, people can employ time management uh systems to help them to do that and all and that's wonderful. And I I do that many many times. Put things on a priority list. What's the most important thing I need to do today and make that the priority. Of course, Jesus ought to be always in that that spot. Then under that comes the other things, but sometimes reality is that we're so busy doing Christianity that we forget to be Christians. And Jesus illustrated that in the story of the good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10.

Remember, it was the religious people who didn't have time for the man who had been beaten and robbed and was laying alongside the road bleeding and in need. It was the priest who was on his way to church who didn't have time to stop. The temple assistant who had things to do that didn't have time to stop, but it was the lowly Samaritan who rescued the man. And there's sometimes that we are so busy we're running right past people that God wants us to minister to. I'm on my way to church, I'm on my way.

You know, I don't have time to be bothered with you. I've got a program to run, you know. And we have to be careful of that and just keep that in mind that if I'm redeeming a time, then I want to be consciously aware of the needs that are around me and reach out in God's strength and power and be a Christian. Be the church, not do the church. We need to stop doing Christianity and be Christians. View life through the lens of eternity. You see, I could be over here doing this, you know, or it's more of a benefit in the eternal sense to give that brother or sister a call, to take 5 minutes to talk to that neighbor.

You know, whatever it might be. View life through the lens of eternity. That's where we end up wasting time. Here's the fourth thing. The fourth thing is redeem time with holy currency. Redeem time. We can't do anything about the past, but right now I can buy back right now. I can purchase back that which I have lost through the currency through the holy holiness of God's word through holy currency. Let's turn over to Romans chapter 12. I'll show you what I mean. Romans chapter 12 and we'll start in verse 9. Now, what I I've done here is is is looked at some of the things Paul has exhorted us to do as believers and I thought about their their counterpart, the the the the opposite of these things.

And the reality is that many times we spend our lives on doing the opposite of what Paul has mentions here within Romans chapter 12. And these things that we find ourselves doing which are the opposite of what Paul tells us to do here are simply time wasters of the flesh. It It's It's what the our flesh wants us to focus on and the result is that we spend our lives sometimes wasting our lives and our time because we're not doing what Paul tells us to do here because he really gives us practical ways in which we can redeem time.

We spend our time rather in in in the flesh, walking in the flesh and that's exactly where the devil wants you to be and that's exactly where we will waste a lot of time. But I want to go over this list with you quickly, as quick as I can for the sake of time and hopefully you can underline these things as we go through them in in the Bible. Romans chapter 12 beginning in verse 9. The first time waster that I think uh that we have here or the opposite of what Paul is speaking of here is is is the time waster of hate.

We spend our time hating others. Hate takes a lot of energy, a lot of time, for some of us a lot of planning, you know. And we just you know, we we were consumed with it and it ends up destroying us. But Paul says in verses 9 and 10, he says let love be without hypocrisy. In other words, love is the currency of God. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love in honor giving preference to one another. The currency of the church is love.

We can buy back, redeem that time rather than walking around hating each other. We can redeem that time through the currency of love. And then we have secondly, he talks about or I'm injecting these things, but in the opposite of diligence is laziness. How many times do we with the spirit of laziness, of putting things off? Oh tomorrow, Lord I'll do it tomorrow, whatever that laziness. God has called us to do something, but we don't want to do it and and we're just really lazy. Paul says in verse 11, he says not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit serving the Lord.

There's a lot of times people the things that needs church goes without certain things because God's people many times are just let's call it lazy. I know we don't want to say that well I'm I'm time challenged. No, you're lazy. You know. Serve the Lord with fervency, with zeal, with an excitement, man. I mean you know that you see the a need say well somebody else do it. No, you can do it. We God has called you to do it. We know I'll just pass No, the Lord says be diligent. If we want to buy back that time wasted in laziness, then use the currency of diligence.

And then he gives us three in verse 12 and uh uh three things that are time wasters. And again, I'm injecting this, but sorrow, impatience and unbelief can be bought back by the currency of rejoicing, patience and prayer.

Guest (Male): We'll pause right here, but Pastor Al will be back in a few moments with part two of today's message in Colossians chapter 4. We're all about sharing the gospel with the entire world. Would you pray about partnering with us financially to help accomplish that goal? To join our support team, please give us a call at 844 221 3363 or visit our website at cwcchs.org. And we have a brand new address to share with you for Pastor Al's podcast. It's anchor.fm/cwcchs-podcast. That's anchor.fm/cwcchs-podcast. Now, let's return to today 's message in Colossians chapter 4. Here's Pastor Al Pittman.

Al Pittman: Look at verse 12. Rejoicing in hope. You say you walk into it through a time of sorrow, then begin to rejoice in the Lord and what Christ has already done for you, not in your circumstances. So rejoicing can buy back that time we wasted in sorrow. Uh impatience can be bought back with patience as we patiently wait upon God in our time even of tribulation. And then prayer can buy back unbelief. Unbelief says uh don't pray. What's the use in praying? But prayer is an act of faith. And it can buy back. And so rejoicing and patience and prayer is the currency, the holy currency by which we can employ to redeem the time that sorrow, impatience and unbelief desire to rob us of.

Another thing is in verse 13, he talks about caring. The opposite of caring is uncaring. Uncaring an uncaring spirit. I don't care kind of attitude can rob you of the time that God has given you. Walking around with an uncaring attitude. He says in verse 13 distributing to the needs of the saints even and given rather given to hospitality. If you see the needs of the saints and distribute to the needs, don't say be warmed and filled. Don't say well we've got a program at church that I take care of that. No, you pray and say God how do you want me to address this issue?

God may want to use you to fill that need. You know, well what does Pastor Who cares what Pastor Al thinks? What is God saying to you? And if God is speaking to you to do something, you need to obey the spirit of God. The spirit of caring rather than uncaring, rather than you know, we've gotten so professional in the church that we delegated everything to the church office. No, we are the office of the church. Every individual in here God has called us to care. And we can buy back that that uncaringness that or the the spirit of uncaring that is in the world, that is in maybe our lives has robbed us of experiencing the glorious seeing God being glorified in the life of someone else.

We can buy that back by redeeming the time by actually showing genuine care for others. And then in verse 14, Paul says we can bless rather than curse. Cursing is a time waster. We can bless in verse 14 it says bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. And then in verse 15, insensitivity or being insensitive to others can be bought back. That time can be redeemed. The time we've spent being insensitive began to show empathy for others. In verse 15, Paul says rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep.

That's empathy. Let's say amen. I understand what you're going through. Maybe I haven't gone through that, but I I empathize with you and I sympathize with you as well. I have empathy toward that person and sympathy toward them as well uh in the Lord rather than being insensitive to them and you know, turning them away. In verse 16, we see another time waster. The opposite of humility in verse 16 is pride. Pride will waste your life away or rob you of precious time. In verse 16, Paul says be of the same mind toward one another.

Do not set your mind on high high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. You know, that's a person that's proud. Well, what matters is their opinion. No, what matters is the word of God. What matters is that we walk in humility. For those who are humble, God will lift them up. So humility is able to to purchase back that that which pride the time pride has robbed us of. And then he says in verses 17 to 20 that living in peace, living peaceably with everyone is able as much as it is possible is able to buy back if you will the time, redeem the time that vengeance has robbed you of.

And a lot of people live with vengeance in their hearts, but in verses 17 to 20, Paul says repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men if it is possible as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath for it is written, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.

Man, that'd be great to see your enemies with their heads ablaze. You know. Well, that's not you know, it is a it's not what that's not the point. Amen. But the point is is that uh you want to overcome the evil within you by doing good to others and and that fire they speak of is like a fire of conviction. People trying to do all they can to ruin your life and you're just continuing to be good to them. You bring them a baked cake, you never don't stick poison in it, you know. You you bring them a cup of coffee to you and you know it's it's good coffee, you know or whatever.

I mean in it why are you doing this? You know, I I don't even like you. Why are you doing this? I'm doing it because vengeance doesn't belong to me. See, I don't even have I'm not in the vengeance business. God is. And you have to stand before God just like I do. But notice he says as a footnote in verse 21 do do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. And I and I've pointed out many times before in the past the evil he's speaking of is not that evil person out that out there that I'm trying to be good to.

The evil he's speaking of is the evil within you. Don't be overcome with time wasters in other words. Don't be overcome wasting your time with pride and and vengeance and and hatred and and and holding on to things and all those things that you know, that that that are of the flesh that cause you to you know, 3 years from now you know, you go man for the last 3 years I could have been in the word, I could have been serving God, I could have been going on with my life, but I've been living here in the past wasting God's time.

God says it's time, it's enough. It's time to redeem the time with godly currency to move on because you know what? The Lord has a hope and a future for you. There's never an end for believers. There's always a beginning because his mercies are new every morning. Hold on to that truth. It was Mark Twain who said this in reference of time wasters and all. I think it's a beautiful quote. He said forgiveness is the fragrance fragrance that the flower leaves on the heel of the one who crushed it. That's the life of a believer.

Doesn't mean that we just you know, there aren't consequences for those who may crush us. They may have to pay that in in their lifetime or whatever, but you know what? Rather than waste my time being mad at you, I'm going to forgive you so that I can glorify God because I don't want to be overcome by evil because I don't want to waste anymore of my time. Paul says in conclusion of this letter, we're back in Colossians and I hope that you'll take those uh that list and go back and maybe read Romans 12 and wherever you find in your life that there are things that you're struggling with, you'll go and ask God to help you.

Had a brother stop me after the last service and say brother pray for me. I I have a problem with anger. And they confessed those things and we prayed and all and you know, it's not going to be the last time he's going to pray about it, maybe several times, but he he has decided I'm not going to be overcome by evil. I'm going to not I'm not going to let anymore of my time be wasted you know, walking around in anger or vengeance with vengeance in my heart. And that's a good thing. But in verse 18, Paul says this salutation by my own hand.

Now, why does he say that? He says it because there are many imposters are going around and who are uh writing letters to the church. And I know what they're writing, but probably stuff like send me money. I'm I'm the apostle Paul. Thank you. You know. And and so Paul saying no, this is written in my own hand so as you know this is really from me. It's not from somebody you know, I want to be apostle, you know. It's actually from me. And um but he says something interesting here at the end. He says remember my chains.

Remember my chains. And why would Paul say that? I'm just speculating, but I I I think I think number one he probably wants to remember to pray for him. But I think also it's it's like Paul is saying if you ever get discouraged, church, remember my chains. They have not kept me from redeeming the time. Neither should you allow Satan to use your circumstances or weaknesses to rob you of what God has promised to give you. I I think Paul is saying that I've got chains. I'm in a Roman jail. I've got Roman chains on me, but these chains are not keeping me from redeeming the time.

I'm taking the time to sit down and write a letter to you guys. I'm redeeming the time. I'm not sitting here sulking, feeling sorry for myself, saying I'm too old, saying I was I was born in the ghetto, uh I've got this and I'm the wrong color and I'm all these things and I'm too weak and I can't speak and I can't say I'm not saying those things. I'm saying despite these chains, regardless of what life has placed on me, Lord I'm still going to glorify you. Whatever you're going through, you can still redeem the time.

I'm going through a bad marriage, redeem the time. It's not time lost. I'm going through a difficult situation. I'm going through temptation, whatever, redeem the time. Don't allow the chains of life to keep you from fulfilling what God has called you to do. And that is exactly what he asked archippus here to do is to fulfill what the Lord has called you to do. I think the conclusion of the matter this morning is this is that number one we can fulfill what God has called us to do. And God has called us to redeem the time as believers, to not waste our time anymore in frivolous things, but to use our time for his glory to to maybe do an inventory in our own minds and heart how we've been spending our time and there's places we've been wasting time.

Say God help me to redeem that time for your glory. But in order to redeem the time, we first must be redeemed. Some people are trying to redeem the time, but they don't even know Jesus. Jesus said you must be born again because you can redeem all the time you want. You can get in the best time management seminar or whatever, but if you're still on your way to hell this morning, you do not have a relationship with God, then it would be for naught. But if you've been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and he's redeemed your time because now you can live for all eternity.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In fact, the Bible says in 1 Peter 3 18, for Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit. How much more time are you willing to waste? Christ has come to redeem you. It's time to redeem the time.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to The Dwelling Place with our Bible teacher Pastor Al Pittman, the pastor of Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs. As we close things out today, we want to remind you that you can hear today 's message from Colossians again at our website cwcchs.org. We can also supply you with a CD copy when you call 844 221 3363. That's 844 221 3363. And while you're at it, listen to our free podcast by going to anchor.fm/cwcchs-podcast. We always enjoy hearing from our listeners whether it's a prayer request, comment or question related to the study, we want to hear from you.

Email us today at amen at cwcchs.org. That's amen at cwcchs.org. At The Dwelling Place, we pray that your walk with Jesus Christ has been strengthened by these messages. And we're grateful to those who choose to partner with us to see this ministry continue and even expand. To make a secure donation, drop by cwcchs.org or text the word give to 719 354 2778. That's give to 719 354 2778. You can also write to us at Calvary Worship Center 505 Castle Road, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80904. If you missed any of that, it's all available at cwcchs.org. If you're in the Colorado Springs area, visit us at Calvary Worship Center.

We'd love to welcome you this weekend. Join us at our west side campus or our creek side campus. You can find service times and directions for both on our website. And we hope to see you soon. Beginning next time, we switch gears a bit and go back to the Old Testament for a journey through Ecclesiastes. If you've never studied this book, you're in for a treat. What's life all about? Why am I here? If you've ever asked those questions, you have something in common with King Solomon who wrote Ecclesiastes. Join us for a really great time in God's word.

This has been The Dwelling Place with Pastor Al Pittman, a presentation of Calvary Worship Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Guest (Female): Dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place. You are my dwelling place, dwelling place, dwelling place.