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Redeeming the Time
William B. Riley
William Bell Riley (March 22, 1861 – December 5, 1947) was an American preacher, pastor, and fundamentalist leader whose 45-year tenure at First Baptist Church in Minneapolis and role in shaping early 20th-century evangelicalism earned him the nickname “The Grand Old Man of Fundamentalism.” Born in Greene County, Indiana, to Brice and Anna Riley, he grew up on a Kentucky tobacco farm in poverty after his family moved there in 1865. Converted at 17 during a revival, Riley felt called to preach, funding his education through farm work. He graduated from Hanover College in 1885, attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1885–1888), and was ordained in 1888, later earning a D.D. from the University of Chicago. Riley’s preaching career began with small pastorates in Carrollton, Kentucky, and Lafayette, Indiana, before he took the pulpit at First Baptist Church in Minneapolis in 1897, growing it from 585 to over 3,500 members by 1942. Known for his commanding presence—six feet tall, with a resonant voice—he preached expository sermons defending biblical inerrancy against modernism. In 1919, he founded the World Christian Fundamentals Association, rallying 6,000 pastors to combat liberal theology, and authored The Menace of Modernism (1917) and the nine-volume The Bible of the Expositor and Evangelist. He also established Northwestern Bible School (1902), later Northwestern College, training thousands in his fundamentalist vision.
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Sermon Summary
William B. Riley emphasizes the importance of redeeming our time for God, sharing a personal story of a boy he spoke to years ago who later became a pastor. He reflects on the profound impact that a brief conversation about Christ can have on someone's life and the urgency of making the most of our time with others. Riley expresses regret for not investing more time in conversations that could lead to conversion, urging listeners to recognize the potential for marvelous results in their interactions. The sermon calls for a commitment to use our time wisely in service to God and others.
Sermon Transcription
Twelve years went by, and I had a most astonishing and beautifully written letter one day, signed by that same boy. And he said, since you talked with me that day, I've been a Christian. And I'm happy now to tell you also, that since that time, I've not only finished a high school and university course, but I have taken a course also in theology. And today, I am the pastor of such-and-such a colored church in Texas. The church was a prominent one. As I have reflected upon the fact that it only required a few minutes that day of my time and years, I confess very frankly, I often hang my head with shame, that I have not put in more such time with people of possible conversion. And my moral would be, let us redeem the time unto God, knowing that it's short, and that marvelous results may be accomplished in a very brief conversation, if Christ is presented therein.
Redeeming the Time
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William Bell Riley (March 22, 1861 – December 5, 1947) was an American preacher, pastor, and fundamentalist leader whose 45-year tenure at First Baptist Church in Minneapolis and role in shaping early 20th-century evangelicalism earned him the nickname “The Grand Old Man of Fundamentalism.” Born in Greene County, Indiana, to Brice and Anna Riley, he grew up on a Kentucky tobacco farm in poverty after his family moved there in 1865. Converted at 17 during a revival, Riley felt called to preach, funding his education through farm work. He graduated from Hanover College in 1885, attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1885–1888), and was ordained in 1888, later earning a D.D. from the University of Chicago. Riley’s preaching career began with small pastorates in Carrollton, Kentucky, and Lafayette, Indiana, before he took the pulpit at First Baptist Church in Minneapolis in 1897, growing it from 585 to over 3,500 members by 1942. Known for his commanding presence—six feet tall, with a resonant voice—he preached expository sermons defending biblical inerrancy against modernism. In 1919, he founded the World Christian Fundamentals Association, rallying 6,000 pastors to combat liberal theology, and authored The Menace of Modernism (1917) and the nine-volume The Bible of the Expositor and Evangelist. He also established Northwestern Bible School (1902), later Northwestern College, training thousands in his fundamentalist vision.