Whats’ the Time?

January 19, 2025 Study Guides

Sermon Study Guide

“What’s the Time?”

Main Passage: Various Scriptures, including Genesis 1:1-2, Ecclesiastes 3:1-3, Isaiah 55:6-11, 1 John 5:16, and others

How to Use This Study Guide

Personal Bible Study 📖: Reflect on the concepts of time presented in the sermon, meditate on the Scriptures, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide your understanding and application.
Small Group Discussion 💭: Use the discussion questions to engage with fellow believers, share insights, and encourage one another in living with a biblical perspective on time.
Sabbath School Classes ❓: Introduce the various views of time, explore their biblical foundations, and discuss the implications of salvation time in the context of Christian hope.
Family Worship ✍️: Teach your family about the importance of understanding time from God’s viewpoint and encourage daily repentance, restoration, and hope in Jesus.

Section Icons Guide:

📖 Scripture Focus: Key Bible verses to anchor the teaching.
💭 Teaching Points: Important insights and explanations from the sermon.
❓ Discussion Questions: Thought-provoking questions to deepen understanding and encourage sharing.
✍️ Personal Application: Practical steps to apply the message in your daily life.

Session 1: Violent Time – The Battlefields of History (Various Historical Battles)

Opening Scripture: “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.” (1 Corinthians 15:25, implied in context)

Teaching Summary 💭

The preacher opens by explaining “violent time” as a way to understand history through its major battles. Over the last 4,000 years, key battles have shaped civilizations, nations, and the world’s culture. These battles are not just military events but represent conflicting worldviews, such as tyranny versus democracy, or religious supremacy.
Historic battles like Marathon (490 BC), where Greek city-states defended democracy against Persian despotism, and the Battle of Tours (732 AD), which stopped Muslim expansion into Christian Europe, have directly influenced freedoms and values we cherish today—liberty, free speech, and democracy.
The Battle of Hastings (1066) led to the rise of the British Empire, spreading English language and Protestantism worldwide. The Spanish Armada’s defeat (1588) preserved Protestant England, while the Battle of Vienna (1683) prevented Ottoman conquest of Europe, preserving Christianity and European culture.
Later battles such as Yorktown (1781) led to the birth of the United States and its global influence, while the Battle of Waterloo (1815) paved the way for British global trade and missionary work. The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) was pivotal in ending slavery in America, and the Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43) marked a turning point against fascism in World War II.
Though violent and costly, these battles have shaped our global history and freedoms. The preacher reminds us that we are the beneficiaries of violent time, standing on the shoulders of those who fought for the causes we now inherit, including liberty of conscience and freedom of speech.

Discussion Questions ❓

How do you see the impact of historic battles shaping the freedoms and values we enjoy today?
Why is it important to recognize that violent time, though tragic, has contributed to our current world order?
What lessons can Christians learn from understanding history as shaped by conflict between competing worldviews?
How does acknowledging the cost of violent time affect your appreciation for peace and freedom?

Personal Application ✍️

Pray for peace in your community and nation, remembering the sacrifices made for freedom.
Reflect on the values you hold dear—such as liberty and conscience—and consider how you can defend them in your daily life.
Commit to living as a witness of Christ’s peace in a world still affected by conflict.

Session 2: Chaotic and Cyclical Time – From Chaos to Order (Genesis 1:1-2; Ecclesiastes 3:1-3)

Opening Scripture 📖: “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” (Genesis 1:2)

Teaching Summary 💭

The sermon transitions to “chaotic time,” illustrated by the early state of creation described in Genesis as “without form and void,” a world of chaos and formlessness. The Spirit of God moves over this chaos, bringing order and life. This is a powerful reminder that God can bring beauty and purpose out of disorder in our own lives.
Chaotic time is terrifying because it implies randomness and lack of direction. Eastern religions like Buddhism accept chaotic time as a reality to be transcended by detachment. However, Christians reject chaotic time as the ultimate reality, trusting instead in God’s purposeful design.
The preacher explains “cyclical time” through Ecclesiastes 3, which teaches that life moves in seasons and cycles—birth and death, planting and harvest, breaking down and building up. This cyclicality is reflected in the natural world and human life, providing predictability and rhythm.
Ancient societies built great monuments aligning with cycles of the sun, moon, and stars, showing a deep awareness of cyclical time. Yet, Western society increasingly values breaking free from cycles to plan and control the future, leading to the next concept: linear time.
Understanding chaotic and cyclical time helps us see where God’s Spirit brings order and purpose. Even if life feels chaotic, God is at work to restore and direct us through the cycles of life.

Discussion Questions ❓

Have you experienced a season of chaos in your life? How did God bring order or hope?
What comfort do you find in the idea of cyclical time and seasons in life?
How do you respond to the notion that time might be random or meaningless?
How can you invite the Holy Spirit to bring peace in times of chaos?

Personal Application ✍️

Identify areas in your life that feel chaotic and pray for God’s Spirit to bring clarity and peace.
Embrace the natural cycles in your life—rest, work, seasons—and seek God’s presence in each.
Practice daily gratitude for God’s sustaining order amid life’s ups and downs.

Session 3: Linear Time – God’s Purposeful History (Genesis 1-3; John 16:33)

Opening Scripture 📖: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Teaching Summary 💭

Linear time is the biblical worldview of history as a narrative with a beginning, a middle (complication), and a climax (resolution). It starts with Creation (Genesis 1-2), moves through the Fall (Genesis 3), and culminates in Redemption (Revelation 22). This structure mirrors the story arcs we see in movies and novels.
The preacher highlights that time has direction and purpose in God’s plan. Unlike chaotic or merely cyclical views, linear time moves toward a definitive climax—the second coming of Jesus Christ and restoration of all things.
Western culture, especially post-Reformation and during the Industrial Revolution, embraced linear time as a framework for progress, improvement, and hope. This worldview undergirds ideas like Manifest Destiny and American exceptionalism.
However, the horrors of World War I and II challenged the optimism of linear progress, showing that technology and progress do not guarantee moral improvement. This gave rise to postmodern despair and competing worldviews, including Marxism, which also shares a linear time concept but with a different end goal.
The Christian hope in linear time is distinct: it leads upward to eternal life with God. This hope shapes our faith, purpose, and endurance amid life’s challenges, assuring us that despite present troubles, victory is assured in Christ.

Discussion Questions ❓

How does understanding time as linear affect your view of life’s challenges?
What does it mean for your faith to live with the hope of the second coming?
How can you respond to competing worldviews that also claim to have a “linear time” but with different goals?
In what ways do you see the tension between progress and despair in our world today?

Personal Application ✍️

Anchor your daily decisions in the hope of Christ’s return and eternal life.
Encourage others with the assurance of God’s plan and purpose amid difficulties.
Resist despair by focusing on the ultimate resolution God has promised.

Session 4: Circular Time – The Spiritual Cycles of Life (Judges 2-16; Isaiah 55:6-11)

Opening Scripture 📖: “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

Teaching Summary 💭

Circular time describes the spiritual cycles each believer experiences: rebellion (sin), retribution (consequences), repentance (turning to God), and restoration (renewal). The Book of Judges illustrates this national cycle repeated in Israel’s history, with each cycle ending in deeper moral decline until God’s ultimate deliverance.
These cycles are not just historical but personal. Every believer faces moments of sin and repentance. The good news is God’s mercy and grace allow restoration, leading to growth in Christlikeness rather than a downward spiral.
Stories of judges like Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, and Samson show God’s sovereignty and faithfulness even in human weakness and failure. God’s work is often unexpected and miraculous, delivering His people despite their flaws.
Isaiah 55 encourages seeking the Lord while He may be found, highlighting God’s abundant pardon and higher ways. When we repent, God’s word accomplishes His purposes and brings refreshing from His presence.
The preacher emphasizes the difference between sins “not unto death” (one-time mistakes) and “unto death” (willful, ongoing sin). God promises forgiveness and cleansing for those who repent and walk in the light, encouraging a life of ongoing repentance and victory over sin.

Discussion Questions ❓

Can you identify moments in your life that fit the cycle of rebellion, retribution, repentance, and restoration?
How does God’s mercy and restoration encourage you in your spiritual journey?
What is the difference between “sin not unto death” and “sin unto death,” and how does this affect your daily walk with God?
How does understanding these cycles help you support others who are struggling spiritually?

Personal Application ✍️

Examine your heart regularly to confess sin and seek God’s restoration.
Embrace God’s promise of abundant pardon and live with confidence in His forgiveness.
Encourage accountability and support within your Christian community to break destructive cycles.

Session 5: Salvation Time – The Urgency of Today (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Corinthians 6:2)

Opening Scripture 📖: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)

Teaching Summary 💭

Salvation time is the critical concept where time meets eternity—our personal decision to accept God’s gift of salvation. The sermon traces the origin of sin to Lucifer’s pride and fall (Ezekiel 28, Isaiah 14), highlighting the great cosmic conflict between good and evil that shapes our world.
God’s plan of salvation unfolds in linear time, culminating in Jesus Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection. Jesus is both fully human (a child born) and fully divine (a Son given), sent at the perfect time to redeem humanity.
Christ’s first coming completed the sacrifice for sin, and His promised second coming will bring salvation to those who eagerly await Him. Being an Adventist means not only knowing about Christ’s return but living expectantly and joyfully in that hope.
The preacher warns against hardening hearts to God’s call and urges immediate response to the gospel. Time matters—our decisions today affect our eternal destiny. We cannot change the past, but we can change our tomorrow by committing our lives to Jesus.
The sermon closes with an invitation for repentance, consecration, and receiving the Holy Spirit’s power to live victoriously. God’s mercy is abundant, and His desire is for all to be saved and restored. Now is the time to choose salvation and walk faithfully with the Lord.

Discussion Questions ❓

What does it mean to you personally that “now is the day of salvation”?
How does understanding the origin of sin and the cosmic conflict influence your view of salvation?
Why is eager anticipation of Christ’s return essential for the believer’s life?
What are some ways you can respond today to God’s call for repentance and consecration?
How can you encourage others to recognize the urgency of salvation time?

Personal Application ✍️

Make a personal commitment today to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior if you have not already done so.
Confess any known sin and ask God for the infilling of the Holy Spirit to empower your Christian walk.
Live each day with the expectation of Christ’s return, encouraging others to prepare their hearts.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of time and for revealing to us the many ways You work in history, in our lives, and in salvation. Help us to understand that every moment is precious and that Your Spirit is always ready to bring order from chaos, restoration from sin, and hope for the future. Guide our hearts to live with purpose in Your linear plan of redemption, embracing the cycles of repentance and renewal. We ask for Your mercy and forgiveness, and invite Your Holy Spirit to fill us anew. May we live today as those who eagerly await Jesus’ return, shining as lights in a dark world. Bless us as we go forth, committed to Your service, until that glorious day when we see You face to face. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.