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Scripture Reading: Gal. 6:10; Eph. 5:16; 4:27; Rom. 13:14
Today is the first Lord's Day of the new year. Therefore, let us listen to what the Bible has to say. Even though we do not care about the so-called new year, we should have a new impression whenever a new year comes. Even though to a Christian the new year is nothing, we should always have a new beginning whenever a new year comes. In the Old Testament there is also the record of the new year. Moreover, in the Old Testament the month and the day for the beginning of the new year were ordained by God. Hence, today we want to consider this matter. Whether or not you are a Christian, as the years pass by, do you have any special feelings or impressions, or do the years mean anything special to you? I do not know what you think, but for me, every year means a little more opportunity. To lose the opportunity is to miss the time. Today, whether or not you are a Christian, the first question to ask yourself is whether you have missed your opportunity.
One proverb says, "Opportunity enters by the door, but flies out through the window." This is true. You have to open the door to invite the opportunity to come in, but it can go out without waiting for you to open the door. Therefore, for those who are here, if you are not saved, you should seek the opportunity to be saved. If you are already saved, you should seek the opportunity to serve the Lord; you should seek the opportunity to love others, and you should seek the opportunity to save men.
We have just read the phrase, "redeeming the time" (Eph. 5:16). Redeeming in the original text means "buying back." Brothers and sisters, God gives us time. It is like capital to a businessman. Time is our capital. Perhaps year after year you have done many things which are excellent, or perhaps year after year, as a businessman who has suffered loss, you have just been wasting your time away. Perhaps some have had few opportunities but they have accomplished much, or some have had many opportunities yet they have not accomplished anything. However, this year we have to redeem our time. God has given us time and expects us to make good use of it in the same way that businessmen make good use of their capital. May we all use our time properly, and may we not allow it to pass by vainly and to become wasted.
Galatians 6:10 says, "So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do what is good toward all, but especially toward those of the household of the faith." Whenever there is the opportunity, we should do good. We should take care of this matter. If there is no opportunity, obviously there is no way to do good. However, when there is the opportunity, there is no more excuse for us not to do good. Today we shall briefly look at a few things which we should seize the opportunity to do:
Brothers and sisters, do you remember the woman in Mark 14 who poured ointment from an alabaster flask on the head of the Lord? Regarding this event, the Lord spoke well of her in this way, "And truly I say to you, Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be told as a memorial of her" (v. 9). Why did she do this? The Lord said, "She has anointed My body beforehand for the burial" (v. 8). Oh, some disciples thought that Mary was too foolish. Why this waste? Why not use the three hundred or more denarii to give to the poor? What did the Lord say? He said, "For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you do not always have Me" (v. 7). The Lord meant that one has the opportunity to help the poor every day but that there would not always be an opportunity to anoint Him because He was going to die. Once today's opportunity is missed, there cannot be another opportunity of today. The year 1931 is the year 1931. Next year will not be the same as this year. Today is today; tomorrow is not today. Today will pass away. The Lord is coming back soon! Whatever you can do for the Lord today, you should do it while there is still today. By the time you come before the Lord and meet Him face to face, it will be too late to turn back to do anything else. Who can say that the Lord Jesus will not come this year? Who can say that the Lord Jesus will not come today? Perhaps the Lord will come today. Perhaps today is the very last opportunity. Therefore, we should consecrate to the Lord today. There is only today. On that day when you meet the Lord, even if you had ten thousand hearts, you would surely give all of them to the Lord. Even if there were ten thousand worlds, you would gladly forsake them all. But it would be too late, for you would have missed your opportunity. You should serve the Lord while you still have the opportunity.
Why is there a difference between the five foolish virgins and the five prudent virgins in Matthew 25:2? What is the difference between the prudent and the foolish? They bore the same name — virgins. The oil was the same; they all took lamps. Their goal was the same, which was to go forth to meet the bridegroom. They heard the same cry; they arose the same way. What was the difference between them? Perhaps some would say that the foolish ones took the lamps but did not prepare the oil; the prudent ones took the lamps and also prepared the oil in the vessels. No doubt this is true, and I have not forgotten this. But I would say that the foolish ones also prepared the oil in the vessels; only they went to buy it later (v. 10). What is the main difference between them? This difference is that the five prudent virgins had their oil beforehand, before the coming of the bridegroom. The five foolish virgins had their oil afterward, after the coming of the bridegroom. There was oil, but it was bought after the bridegroom had come; the time had already passed. The question is not one of having or not having but one of timing. Time is a big question. The foolish ones are the ones who lose the opportunities.
A certain believer gave a gospel tract to an unbeliever in the park. That person, after reading it, said that it was something of Christianity and was sheer nonsense. This believer told him, "Even though today you do not believe in this, there will be a day when you have to believe that this is true. By the time you go to hell, you will believe. Everyone in hell believes, but the believing will come too late." What he said was true. Furthermore, the same is true for Christians. It is not that things are not done, but that they are done too late. An unbeliever can lose his opportunity, and a believer can also lose his opportunity.
I remember a story which goes something like this. There was a certain young man who had just started in the Lord's work. He prayed that God would give him a vision so that he would know how to labor. He had a dream in which he was advanced in years and was being judged in front of God. God said that on a certain day, at a certain time, he should have gained many people, but that he let the opportunity go and not many people were saved, and that on another day, at another time, he should have preached to a certain person, but that he let the opportunity go and did not preach. God said further that on yet a third certain day at a certain time, he should have done good to a certain person, but that he let the opportunity go again and did not do so. In every case, it was concerning a certain day and a certain time in which something should have been done, but the opportunity was missed. The believer then asked God for another opportunity to make up for this lack. At this point he woke up. He was relieved that this was only a dream and that everything was not over.
Oh, if there can be any regret in heaven, the only regret will be the loss of opportunity! If there will be regret in hell, the only regret will also be the loss of opportunity! Oh, when a sinner misses his opportunity, he will not be saved! When a believer misses his opportunity, he will not be able to serve the Lord fully! Only one week has passed by this year. Fortunately, there are still fifty-one weeks left. May we all not miss the opportunity.
There is a custom in Italy that when a girl is married, she receives a pocket. Every year on the first day of the first month, she must go to pick a rose and put it in this pocket. When she dies, this pocket full of roses will become her pillow in the coffin. The sweet scent of the roses collected throughout the years is thought to remain fragrant for her for eternity. As we go through life day after day, we should also pick our roses, so that their sweet scent will remain with us for eternity. We should redeem our time and not lose our opportunity. If you are not a Christian and allow your days to pass by one after another, there will surely be a day when you will regret that you have not been saved. If you are a Christian and allow your days to pass by one after another, there will surely be a day when you will regret that you have not served the Lord fully.
Not only do we need to seek the opportunity to love the Lord, we should also seek the opportunity to do good. Brothers and sisters, what do you think to do good means? What is the best kindness and goodness? I think it is said best in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. There is one English version which translates these few verses in a particular way with particular significance. Today let me read this translation to you:
"Love is very patient, very kind. Love knows no jealousy; love makes no parade, gives itself no airs, is never rude, never selfish, never irritated, never resentful; love is never glad when others go wrong, love is gladdened by goodness, always slow to expose, always eager to believe the best, always hopeful, always patient" (from The New Testament, a new translation by James Moffatt).
This is a very meaningful passage. It is our weakness to rejoice when others go wrong, but love will never be glad. "Covers" in "covers all things" is the same word as "roof" in Mark 2:4 in the original text. To cover means not to remove other people's roofs. To remove the roof is to uncover other people's affairs. Love is not like this. Love always hopes for others' good. Love always has trust in the good aspects of others. It is our weakness to think that others are not as good. How did Paul commend Philemon? "Hearing of your love and the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and to all the saints" (Philem. 5). Philemon not only had faith in the Lord; he also had faith in all the saints. This is what we need. We should earnestly believe in the goodness of others.
We have read Galatians 6:10. This verse tells us that as we have opportunity, let us do good. What God requires of us today is that we do good while there is the opportunity. In regard to doing good, I have to mention a few points.
First, I need to talk about forgiving others. We should realize that God gives us opportunities to forgive others. These opportunities to forgive others will pass away. Perhaps in the twinkling of an eye you will die or he will die. Brothers and sisters, I do not know if anyone among us today is unwilling to forgive others. If there are some, please forgive now. If you wait until later, the opportunity may be gone.
There was a Western couple who once quarreled at home. Later on the husband, seeing that it was time to go to work, held his wife's hand before he left, said good-bye to her, kissed her, and asked her for forgiveness. His wife ignored him and was unwilling to forgive him. At noon the police suddenly brought her husband home; he was already dead, covered with blood. When his wife saw this, she said, "O God! If I had known that he would come back like this, surely I would not have let him leave the way he did! Oh, the opportunity is gone!" Brothers and sisters, once you realize that opportunities will pass by, can you afford not to find the opportunity to forgive others?
Second, we should do our best to love others. There was a wife who had died. Her husband carefully put a bunch of flowers into her hand. A little child, leaning against the wall, said coldly, "This is the first time he gave flowers to her." Oh, if you give someone flowers when he is dead, why do you not give him flowers while he is still alive? I have seen many people neglected when they were alive, but when they died people sent them flowers! We should do good when there is still the opportunity. Many people are waiting for us to do good to them. One poem says:
O friends,
I beg thee tonight,
Withhold not thy kisses
From my chilly forehead.
How lonely is the pathway!
Let me feel thy closeness now.
May you think warmly of me!
Traveling over land and sea,
My strength is withdrawn from me;
My trembling feet,
Full of scars of thorns.
Forgive me! O cold heart!
Forgive me!
In that future dreamless rest,
Will I still need the love which
I long for tonight?
Many believers and many of God's children are waiting for our help. There is one thing among us which I feel is not good. The modernists speak much with their mouths concerning service, but they do not serve. This obviously is not good. But for us, we have neglected too much the matter of doing good and helping others. This is most pitiful. We should seek for opportunities to do good to others. Two years ago there was an unusual article in the news in the United States. A man had gone to work in some place. After he finished his work, he took a train home. When he was not far away from his home, he made a long distance telephone call to his wife, which cost him thirteen dollars and sixty-five cents. When his wife answered the call, she thought that he was in danger. However, he said only, "I still love you." His wife marveled that he would spend so much money to say these few words. When he reached home, his wife asked him concerning this. He replied, "I was afraid that I might die on the way and not reach home. So I called first to tell you those words."
There was a woman who suffered from tuberculosis and was about to die. Her husband was there and the doctor told him that his wife was dying. The husband then spoke to his wife, "If you die, I do not know what I will do because I really love you." His wife replied, "Everything would have been fine if you had told me this earlier." She said this because his conduct toward her before had caused her to doubt his love and had depressed her to the point that she had fallen sick.
Mr. Panton said, "Take the opportunity today to speak a little word of kindness, a word of praise, and a word of appreciation."
There was a very famous literary person in England. His relationship with his wife had been cold for many years. One day, his wife died. When he arrived home he spoke to the dead body, "I wish you had lived for another five minutes so that I could have had the opportunity to tell you that even though our relationship was so distant these many years, my heart has never left you."
If we do not take the opportunity to love others today and to do good to them, we will regret it one day. May we learn to forgive others today, and may we learn to love others and to speak a kind word to them today.
Third, we have to help other people with our money. A rich man said, "Whenever there is money it should be given away." Do not think that your money can be saved for some better use in the future, and that you will give more money when there is a better use. Actually, the "good use" of the present time is better than the "better use" of the future. Many people want to save fifty or a hundred dollars and take it out when there is a real need. But I must tell you that you may not be able to take it out on that day. Why not give the ten, twenty, or thirty cents to the beggar today? Perhaps when the real need comes, it will already be too late.
What does it say in the Gospel of Luke concerning the deeds of the unfaithful steward? He took advantage of his position while he was still the steward to speak to the man that owed his master a hundred measures of oil, "Take your bill and sit down quickly and write fifty" (16:6). And to the one who owed his master one hundred measures of wheat he said, "Take your bill and write eighty" (v. 7). He did not wait until he was out of his stewardship to do all this. To wait until he was no longer the steward would have been too late. Through this incident, the Lord taught the disciples to seize the opportunity to gain friends, that is, friends in eternity. Brothers and sisters, this is what we should learn today. Take the opportunity today to use the three or five dollars you still possess for the work of the Lord, for the poor believers, and for the poor. In the streets we meet poor people; in the meetings we come across poor believers. If we have the ability, we should take the opportunity to do good to them.
The above speaks of taking the opportunity. There is also another aspect, which is what Romans 13:14 says: "Make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts," and what Ephesians 4:27 says, "Neither give place to the devil." Not only do we have to seize the opportunity, but we have to avoid giving opportunity. Not only do we have to take the opportunity to love God and man, but we should not give any opportunity to the flesh or the devil.
The cause of the sin of the first man was due to his speaking a word incorrectly. If we do not wish to give any opportunity to the flesh or to the devil, there is only one way, which is to say "no." If we say "no" the right way, everything will be well, but if we say it the wrong way, we will fail. For example, if a young man was invited out to carouse with others, and his first word was "no," everything would be fine. I have a younger brother whose friends often invited him to play. I told him that he did not have to involve himself with whatever was wrong. He only muttered something without saying yes or no. If you can say "no" as the first word, the second word will be easy, and the third will be even easier. If you dare not say "no" on the first hand, your heart is shaken already. Initially, your conscience may not agree; but in the end you may not even care for your conscience anymore. If you do not resist the first time, you will fail the second and third time. Many people overcome because they will say "no" the first time. These people will not be sought after by others because the others know that they will refuse anyway. Many brothers and sisters fail because they will not say "no" at the beginning. Therefore they are wearing what they should not wear, eating what they should not eat, doing what they should not do, and going where they should not go.
Two weeks ago I read a magazine in which an old man wrote an article which said that if a young man does not know how to say "no," he should go to the wilderness and repeatedly say "no" until his tongue obeys him and is able to say "no." Of course, when we say "no," we should be polite, courteous, and respectful.
In the Bible there was a man who certainly knew how to say "no." That was John the Baptist. When the Jews sent some to ask him whether or not he was the Christ, he replied, "No." Because of such a clear word, a great deal of trouble was avoided. If he had replied a little ambiguously, he would have been able to gain a little glory. But he preferred to lower his status by saying "no," saving himself a great deal of trouble. Eve failed because she spoke one word after another. I know a number of brothers and sisters who fell because they could not say the first word, "no." In the end, it was too late even when they wanted to say "no."
Not only should we seize opportunity, we should also not give any opportunity for the flesh to make provision for itself, and we should not give any place to the devil. Besides this, we should also seek for opportunities to save men. There was a man from England who was well-known for saving souls. When he was dying, he spoke the following words, "I can see that not everyone will go to hell. If I did not see this, I would not be able to sleep in peace." The time is late. Brothers and sisters, may we see that if a sinner passes by, he is gone forever. The Bible teaches us to do good to all men, that is, to do good to those we meet.
There was a preacher who spoke a certain message in his first year of preaching, and in his fiftieth year he spoke the same message. However, there were only five men who had heard his message fifty years earlier. Perhaps the people you meet in a train will not see you again. If you do not give out tracts and do not testify, your opportunity will pass away.
Mr. Moody was preaching at one time in a chapel in Chicago. At the end of the meeting he said, "Friends, if there is anyone here who has not believed in the Lord today and has not repented, I hope that you will come again." That same evening, there was a big fire in Chicago. Even the chapel was burned down. Afterward, Mr. Moody preached again in a rebuilt wooden house. At the beginning of his speaking, he wept because those who were there that day were not the same ones who had attended the previous meeting. From then on, Mr. Moody always exhorted the people to believe immediately and not wait for another time because there might not be another time.
We still have fifty-one weeks before us this year. May we not lose the opportunity to love God, to love man, and to save souls.
To those who are here and have not believed in the Lord, let me say a few words. I advise you not to say that there is still much time, that there are many opportunities, and that you can take your time to consider. Have you not suffered enough from sins? In the Bible there is a record of a king called Pharaoh. He hardened his heart, and God caused frogs to enter into his house. He went to plead with a servant of God called Moses that God would cause the frogs to depart from him. The servant of God asked, "When shall I entreat for thee,...to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses?" He said, "Tomorrow" (Exo. 8:9-10). Are you not surprised with his answer? He still wanted to stay with the frogs another night and smell the bad odor another night. He said, "Tomorrow"; he wanted to wait until the next day. Many people think, "I have sinned; I do not have peace, but I think that I still have the opportunity. I still want to suffer another night and commit sins another day." But I tell you that such a matter cannot wait till the next day. Whenever there is an opportunity, you must plead with God. Salvation is a matter of this life, and salvation is a matter for today. If you wait for another day, you may not have the opportunity anymore. If you have already heard the gospel and know that Jesus has died for you and has resurrected for you, and if you still want to wait a while before you believe, I advise you to believe now because you may not have another opportunity.
Once I was preaching in a certain girls' school in Nanking. A student whose father worked for the government held strongly to her anti-Christian thoughts. After I had spoken for a few days, I invited those who had questions to ask them. She stood up and said, "I know that I must believe in Jesus, and I also know that Jesus is my Savior. But a minute ago, you told us that a robber believed right before he died. I want to wait until I am about to die before I believe." I replied, "Certainly, a man can be saved if he believes in the Lord right before he dies. However, I have three questions to ask you. First, do you know when you will die? How do you know at any time if you are going to die and that you should believe in Jesus then? Can you say that you will believe today and that you will die tomorrow? Second, can you say that you will die slowly, and that there will be sufficient time for you to believe? Will you never be killed by a car or by a stray bullet? Can you guarantee that your death will be a slow one and that you will have opportunity to believe in the Lord? Third, you can say today that you should believe in Jesus and that you have indeed sinned, but can you be sure that on the day you die you will still have this intention? Even if you knew that the time of your death was near, can you say that you would surely believe and that you would surely want to believe? If you are waiting for the right opportunity, I am afraid that the time will pass you by. You have sinned, and the Lord Jesus has already borne your sins; He has died for you on the cross and has already resurrected and ascended. I hope that you will not wait for tomorrow. I know what I am talking about because I have been at the side of dead men. I have seen many people who have said in the morning that they were not ready to die yet, but in the same afternoon they were not afraid anymore because they had already believed in Jesus."
Let me come back to the friend whom I mentioned earlier, who gave out tracts at the park. When an unbeliever saw the tract and despised it as being nonsense, her reply was very good. She said, "From my childhood my temper was very bad. After I believed in the Lord, I changed. Not only does my family say that I am a good person, even my teacher says the same thing. Sir, is this also nonsense? When my mother died, I saw that she passed away peacefully and joyfully. Sir, is this also nonsense? Many of my brothers and friends, like you, believe neither in eternity nor in heaven or hell, but they are not satisfied. They sinned; they fell sick; they are sorrowful. Sir, is this also nonsense? If there is such a big difference between believing and not believing, I am willing to be deceived even if it is `nonsense' to you. You think that this is nonsense only because you do not know God."
I hope that today no Christian would lose any opportunity. Moreover, I hope that none would give any opportunity to the flesh and the devil. I also hope that today there is not a sinner who would lose the opportunity of salvation.
To the brothers and sisters in the Lord:
This issue of Notes on Scriptural Messages contains a message released in the meeting on the afternoon of the first Lord's Day of this year. With this, we encourage ourselves and also all the brothers and sisters who have received the same grace with us. May God bless us that we may be able to redeem our time this year.
The Gospel Book Room has published a book this year entitled Once a Year through the Bible which helps the believers to read the Bible once every year. By reading some chapters and verses every day according to the arrangement of this book, that is, by reading a portion every day, one will be able to understand the meaning of each passage. Last year many of our brothers and sisters read the Bible in this manner. If you are willing to participate, please subscribe directly to the Shanghai Gospel Book Room, P. O. Box 323. (The price is ten cents per issue.)
Our brother, Mr. Watchman Nee, has gone to Swatow in Kwangtung province to preach the gospel and may make a trip to Amoy at the end of the month. After that, he will return. Please pray for this matter.
There is another announcement which is carried over from last year. On November 8, last year, three sisters were baptized. On December 12, Brother _________ and three sisters were baptized.
All those who are hungry and who love the Lord are invited to meet with us. Our meeting schedule is as follows: every Lord's Day, 10:00 a.m., breaking of bread to remember the Lord; 3:00 p.m., meeting to release the word; every Tuesday, 4:00 p.m., Bible study meeting; every Saturday, 3:00 p.m., prayer meeting.
