Introduction
In a couple of hours I will begin the very first two-week vacation that I’ve had in over 15 years of full-time employment. I’ve taken a week off here and there over that time, but I have not taken off two weeks in a row in a long, long time. This last semester, I have been planting a church and running a small business. Lara has been teaching at the charter school in addition to her many roles here at the church. We’ve been really busy. Lara and I are looking forward to a break in our schedule to spend some focused time with the Lord and some focused time together with our family.
I’m going into my third summer here in the Verde Valley. One thing I’ve learned about the people who live here is that when the temperatures begin to increase, the number people who choose to stay here begins to decrease. Most of us this summer will have a “time out.” Many people will have a “time out” because, like me, they will be leaving for a vacation. But… vacations aren’t the only reason for “time outs” in life.
- An unexpected injury or illness or an extended hospital visit can be the reason for a “time out.”
- A long business trip can bring with it a “time out.”
- Losing a job can cause a “time out.”
- Having to wait at the doctor or having to wait at the DMV can make for an unwelcome “time out.”
- In William Tyndale’s case, being thrown in prison was the cause for a “time out.”
William Tyndale was a scholar who lived in the 1500’s. He is responsible for roughly 80% of the English translation of the King James Version of the Bible. He was a gifted linguist and was fluent in French, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Latin and Spanish as well as English. In the early 1500’s, the complete Greek New Testament was made available to Europeans for the very first time. With his impressive skill in linguistics, William Tyndale sought to translate the text into the common language of England so the masses could read the Bible for themselves. His efforts were impressive but they were also highly controversial.
When Tyndale began to translate the Bible into English, it stood in contradiction to some of the churches doctrines and practices in England. Instead of changing to conform to the scriptures, some leaders in the English church were afraid that Tyndale’s translation would tear down the framework of the English church and destroy it in the process. The reformation had not happened yet. The church in England was growing increasingly political and decreasingly spiritual. Some in the church were more concerned about losing their positions of influence than they were concerned about guarding the truth and making disciples.
As a result, the English Bible was banned. Anyone in possession of an unlicensed copy of an English Bible could have been given the death sentence. Shortly thereafter, William Tyndale was arrested and sentenced to death himself. During his imprisonment and shortly before his martyrdom in 1536, William Tyndale wrote to the governor-in-chief asking that some goods be sent to him:
A warmer cap, a candle, a piece of cloth to patch my leggings. But above all I beseech and entreat your clemency to be urgent with the Procurer that he may kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar, and Hebrew Dictionary, that I may spend time with that in study.
Both Tyndale and the Apostle Paul devoted their “time out” in jail and the last hours of their lives to the study of the scriptures.
When Paul took his “time out” in the Romans prison, he had three conscious needs. The first thing he asked for was a friend. Last week we looked at how Paul was lonely and he asked for Timothy to come soon, (before winter.) We discussed the value of Christian fellowship last week.
In 2 Timothy 4:13, Paul is cold and wants a coat. He also has a desire to spend his last days studying. He wrote to Timothy, “13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, (because he is cold) also the books, and above all the parchments.” There is a lot of speculation about what books and scrolls and parchments were in Paul’s collection.
When I was at the Shepherd’s Conference, they had on display a very old Torah scroll. It looked like this. Almost everybody agrees that in his collection of scrolls were heavy and expensive, handwritten copies of the Old Testament scriptures similar to this one. There is a lot of speculation about what else Paul may have been reading.
Paul was a well-read man. He was highly educated. In his collection there may have been works of Jewish history, explanations or commentaries on the law and the prophets or maybe even some of the non-Jewish poets that Paul sometimes quoted in his sermons and lectures. The parchments may have referred to blank pages for letters or unfinished letters to the churches he planted. Paul was a student of the scriptures to the very end of his life and even as he was waiting to die, he wanted to spend time studying.
#1 Give time to reading
“Time outs” can be highly effective when they are given to reading and studying. Serious disciples who intend to grow spiritually and intellectually read continually. Just like doctors are always reading the journals to keep up with the ever-changing world of health care and lawyers are constantly studying case-law, the disciple gives themselves to the consistent study of the scriptures.
Anybody who is at all interested in a pursuit of Christ is reading the Bible frequently. But a serious disciple does not only read the Bible, but they also read books written by men who God gifted with brilliant minds. Some people in this room cringe at the idea that reading books by imperfect men is helpful for spiritual growth. Some who claim to be “ultra Calvinistic” claim that a disciple who uses anything but the Bible for his personal study is unacceptable. Not even Calvin held that view.
John Calvin said these words about 2 Timothy 4:13:
“….This passage refute(s) the madness of the fanatics who despise books and condemn all reading and boast only of … their private inspirations by God. But we should note that this passage commends continual reading to all godly men as a thing from which they can profit.”
Charles Spurgeon was blown away by the idea that even an apostle must read. Spurgeon said:
“He is inspired, and yet he wants books! He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books! He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books! He has had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books! He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a man to utter, yet he wants books! He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books! The apostle says to Timothy…, “Give thyself unto reading.” (1 Tim 4:13)
Spurgeon continues, “The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own.”
A disciple reads to have fellowship with great minds. Through books we can share the thoughts of the greatest spiritual leaders from every age. Think of all that you and I could learn from the mind of Tyndale or Spurgeon or Augustine…or even from modern-day writers like MacArthur, Piper or Carson!
God created an incredible, dynamic and multi-faceted world, so I have never subscribed to the theory that Christians can only benefit from theology books. We can greatly benefit from good literature in addition to well-written biographies and books on science, history, politics, poetry and so-on. Writing that is excellent and praiseworthy is found in many genres. Paul is our example in diverse scholarship.
When Paul used the phrase, “All things are lawful for me,” in 1 Corinthians 6, he was likely quoting a popular non-Christian poet. It was a secular slogan that was probably written to minimize the immorality in Corinth in the minds of the people. Paul was well read and aware of the culture around him. He even sometimes quoted cultural sayings in the scriptures in order to show a better spiritual truth. (This is what the world says…here is what the Bible says…)
We should always be careful when reading a book or article written by a non-believer. Being careful does not mean that we live in a vacuum. Paul didn’t live in a vacuum. It means that when we read a book or an internet article or the newspaper, we do so with discernment. It means that we always double-check what we read against scripture.
On the other hand, not everything put out by Christian publishers is wholesome and truthful. Some false teachers have found their way into Christian publications and they are dangerous. Some Christian-bookstore-books are either shallow or self-promoting. Those kinds of books are a waste of our time.
Trusting a book just because it came from the Christian bookstore can be spiritually hurtful and even dangerous. We always have to check everything (Christian and secular) against God’s perfect Word. So, I implore you, be careful to fill your mind with excellent thoughts. (not with just any thought.)
Choosing what we put into our minds is like choosing a good meal: some food is nutritious and some is without nourishment at all. Some food makes us healthier and some food is downright poisonous. If you and I are careful about what we put into our stomach, then shouldn’t we be even more careful about what we put into our minds? Paul said to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7, “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.”
Again Spurgeon says, “Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the
If you and I have a “time out” this summer, it is not the time to fill up our minds and bodies and souls with junk. Paul tells us the best things to fill up our minds with in Philippians 4:8. He writes “8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Fill up your mind with excellent and praiseworthy thoughts and then think about them deeply.
#2 Take time to think
As the apostle Paul was sitting in that cell, he had a lot of time to think. From what he wrote in 2 Timothy, we can see that his mind was filled with concern for the new church plants and with affection for the Lord. In verse 18 he writes, “18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” Paul was able to write such Christ exalting words in such a horrible place because just like the Psalmist, he meditated on Scripture.
King David wrote these words in Psalm 1:
1 Blessed is the man[a] who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law[b] of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
The fallen man-made religions of the East stole the word “meditation” from us and I want to take it back. I have a Buddhist friend, he explained to me that when Buddhists meditate, they try to empty their minds through chanting and mantras. The words they say have absolutely no meaning at all. The chanting is intended to bring a person’s mind to nothing – to make it empty. My friend said to me once, “Most serious Buddhists chant every day. We take our religion very seriously. Do you think most Christian can say that about reading their scriptures?”
The Biblical view of meditation could not be more opposite than the Buddhist view! When the Bible speaks of meditating, it means to think about a truth thoroughly. The Hebrew word “meditate” (hagah) means to ponder or study deeply. It can also mean to “mutter.” It refers to the thing that is right under your breath.
You can tell a lot about the heart of a person by what they mutter underneath their breath. A worldly man might be muttering curses underneath their breath. The God-follower mutters scripture.
A disciple takes a text and he carries it with him all throughout the day. It is muttered underneath his breath. When he can’t sleep, that text is at the forefront of his mind. He’s looking at it from every possible angle. He is pondering the text day and night and extracting from it a little more and a little more and a little more of its inexhaustible supply each time.
Scriptures are not easy to read. The nature of the Bible is that is takes work to understand it. In fact, any book that you can “read at one sitting” is probably not very helpful at all. The best kind of book is the kind that makes you think. Sometimes in a well-written book, a single paragraph or even a single sentence is so carefully crafted that you have to close the book in order to really think through its implications.
I think it is helpful to know that most people read slowly. Legends surround men like Theodore Roosevelt. It is said that he could read a page at a single glance and fully comprehend what was written on the page without much effort. If that legend is true, that kind of man is exceedingly rare. He is as rare as a red banana or an albino alligator. The kind of people who can both speed read and think deeply about what they read at the same time are so rare that they are of no consequence at all to the ordinary student.
It takes time to think. A slow walk through a book will always teach you and I more than a sprint through it will teach us. The best way to read the scriptures or any other great book is with many stops and reviews. Spurgeon once said to his students,
“Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them… Let them go into your very self. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes of hasty reading.”
You and I should not be so concerned about our reading rate. When it comes to scripture, it is better to take one verse or one paragraph and think about it thoroughly and deeply than to read a large section of scripture with little or no understanding.
We learn well when we read well. When we meditate on the themes of good books, we nourish our minds. God often gives us “time out’s” in life so that we can nourish our minds. “Time outs” are wasted unless you and I are reading well and thinking deeply.
- What a shame it would be to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation only to look back to see it was an utter waste of time because you never challenged your mind.
- What a waste it would be to spend a whole day off pursuing a high score on a game instead of pursuing a greater knowledge of God or of His creation.
- How tragic it would be to spend hours in a hospital and only watch TV. Most sick people can still think. Paul wanted to read especially when he was suffering and uncomfortable.
But the most dangerous temptation we face during a “time out” is not the temptation to waste our time. The greatest temptation is to use our “time out” to explore evil.
#3 Keep away from evil
Paul begins verse 16 by saying, “ 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me…” Last week I explained that it would have been very easy for Paul to sit in that cell and dwell on how all his good friends abandoned him during his trial. Instead of allowing bitterness to fester in his mind, Paul let it go. Verse 16 ends with Paul saying, “May it not be charged against them!”
Paul refused to use this “time out” in prison as an opportunity to harbor evil thoughts. Paul had every reason to be bitter. He was in jail for doing the right thing and he had been abandoned by his Christian friends. Yet he followed his own advice in Ephesians 4:31 where he had written, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.”
It is very easy to fall into sin when you have extra time:
- The long isolation of the prison cell can give an inmate ample opportunity to harbor bitterness toward those who put him there.
- Affairs can more easily happen during the free time on a business trip than they can during the busyness of everyday life.
- Students are more likely to get into trouble on the internet when school is out than when they are studying for exams.
Using “time outs” effectively is a very intentional process and it takes discipline to apply God’s commands in every situation. It requires taking “every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) Solomon warns us against foolishness during our “time outs” all throughout the Proverbs. For example Proverbs 5:22-23 says:
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin. 23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.
Freedom of choice is one of the great privileges God grants to his children. Along with our choices, He also gives us His law to instruct us how to use those freedoms wisely. God’s law reminds me of Highway 89A going up Mingus Mountain. Here’s why:
I have quite a few choices on the road over Mingus. I can choose what car I’m going to drive. I can choose what I wear while I’m driving. I can choose what time I’ll leave. I can choose how fast or slow I drive. I can choose where to stop along the way. I can choose what I’m going to look at during the drive.
Highway 89A is a beautiful, scenic drive, as long as you stay on the road. There are a number of dangerous cliffs on Mingus. If I begin to veer off the road, there are guard rails in place to protect me. Hitting a guard rail would give me a gentle reminder that I’m driving dangerously. It is a guidepost that serves as a reminder that going over a guard rail could be deadly.
In the same way, we have a lot a freedom and a variety of choices of how to live within the context of God’s law.
- Psalm 119:1 says there is blessing within the context of God’s law. “Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!”
- If we begin to veer outside of those freedoms, God’s discipline is like the guard rail. It is intended to hurt a little bit in order to bring us back into safety. Psalm 94:12 says, “Blessed is the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law…”
- God knows that if we veer off of His righteous path, we could be in serious danger spiritually. Proverbs 1:31 says, “For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them”
If we use out “time outs” to indulge in sin and to disobey God’s Word, we can find ourselves in a kind of spiritual bondage that can’t easily be broken. Proverbs 5:22 says, “The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.”
It is impossible to sin without being bound by sin. One of the most deceitful things about sin is that it promises freedom and pleasure but what it delivers is misery and pain. Jesus said in John 8:34, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.” Paul writes in Romans 6:16, “16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”
As sin increases, our bondage to sin also increases. If you have a “time out”, don’t use that time to fuel your curiosity about sin. You will always regret taking your “time out” to explore sin. BUT… you will NEVER regret taking your “time out” to fill up your mind with the things of the Lord.
Life Application
I’m preaching this message to myself today – I need to hear it. I’m now less than an hour away from an extended “time out.” I need to be encouraged not to waste my time, but to use my “time out” effectively. I know for me, using the next two weeks well will take some thought and intentional effort. So I’m encouraging you and me: Don’t waste your “time outs,” but use them effectively!
A few years ago I had a few days off, and I read a Holy Ambition by John Piper. That book confirmed my resolve to plant a church. This vacation, I have a couple of books that I’m, going to try to finish. I’m going to spend some time in both thought and prayer about you, my family and this church.
I thought it might be helpful to end today’s message by giving you a summer reading list. Lara and myself in addition to a few of the pastors and elders at Canyon came up with a short list of books that have been really helpful to our spiritual growth. Besides reading the Bible on a regular basis, I want to encourage you and me to pick up at least one of these books during a “time out” this summer and read it slowly and carefully and thoughtfully.
One more quote from Spurgeon as we close: “. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service. Paul cries, “Bring the books”—join in the cry.”
Teaching Outline
Three Ways to Use “Time Outs Effectively
#1. Give time to reading – 1 Timothy 4:7, 13, 2 Timothy 4:13, 1 Corinthians 6, Philippians 4:8
#2. Take time to think – 2 Timothy 4:18, Psalm 1
#3. Keep away from evil – 2 Timothy 4:16, Ephesians 4:31, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Proverbs 1:31, 5:22-23, Psalms 94:12, 119:1, John 8:34, Romans 6:16
Application
Don’t waste you “time outs,” but use them effectively!
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