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Monday, October 12, 2009

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”

"

Eph. 5:16: KW—08.09.09 #1 in a series

Intro:

A.  Does any adult here have absolutely enough time in your day?  (Raise your hands if you do). 

      1.  Did any of you get 25 hours in any day this past week?

      2.  Most of the people I talk to believe that they would be more effective if they just had more time.

 

B.  Foundational idea #1: "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I

      myself should become disqualified."  1 Cor. 9:27

      1.  We typically think of this verse as a response to the false doctrine of "once-saved, always saved."

      2.  Note the phrase, "…I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…"

            a.  The Greek word translated "discipline," upotiazw, means to strike under the eye, to beat black and blue.

            b.  The Greek word translated "subjection," doulagwgw, means to lead into slavery, to make a slave or to treat

                 one as a slave. 

            c.  They only person I can really discipline and bring into subjection (i.e., control) is me—Mike Benson. 

            d.  The phrase "time management" is really a misnomer.  (Time management isn't really about time management

                  at all; it is about LIFE-management). 

                  .  I can't slow time down, move it forward (e.g., waiting for vacation), or pause it.    

                  .  All I can do is manage myself and how I use the twenty-four hours granted me by God. 

 

 C.  Foundational idea #2: "Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine…"  1 Tim. 4:16

      1.  It is easy to get caught up in the hectic demands of my day and leave the really important stuff undone.  (Henry

            David Thoreau said, "It's not enough to be busy, so are the ants.  The question is, what are we busy about?").  

      2.  Occasionally I need to stop and evaluate myself and the use of my time. 

            a.  "What am I doing?"  "How am I doing?"

            b.  "Is this THE most effective use of my time?"  "Then another of His disciples said to Him, 'Lord, let me first go

                 and bury my father.'  But Jesus said to him, 'Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.'"  Mt. 8:21-22

                 1)  There is a conflict in this passage about time (e.g., what activity should take precedence—follow Jesus or

                      make funeral arrangements)?

                 2)  Normally a man was exempted from a whole string of important religious duties in the event of a loved

                       one's death.

                 3)  Burial was carried out the day the person died (cf. Acts 5:6, 10), but mourning customs followed throughout

                       the subsequent week. 

                 4)  BTW, Jesus was not suggesting that we leave the deceased bodies of our loved ones lying about the

                       countryside.  (He was telling the man to let those who were spiritually dead to bury this loved one who was

                       physically dead).

                 5)  Many of our daily decisions, including the use of our time, do not involve good or evil, right or wrong, but

                       rather what is good, better, and best.

 

D.  I need to evaluate how I use my time and then learn how to control and manage myself.  4 truths: 

      1.  God has given me 168 hours each week, 24 hours each day—no more, no less. 

      2.  No one knows when time will stop.  "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor

            the Son, but only the Father."  Mk. 13:32

      3.  Everyone lives now.   

      4.  Becoming a Christian obligates me to view and use my time differently than the world does.

            a.  My goal is not to find more time, but to use my time more wisely.

            b.  If there is a leak in my bathtub, I want to patch it up.  If there are leaks in my time, then I need to repair them. 

 

I.  My time is limited.

 

    A.  I have to come to grips with this reality.  (I'm not going to get an additional hour today or any day).  "I must work

          the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work."  Jn. 9:4 

 

          1.  Gen. 1:14  "Then God said, 'Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the

               night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years."

 

          2.  Job 14:1-2  "Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble.  He comes forth like a flower and

               fades away; he flees like a shadow and does not continue." 

          3.  Job 7:6  "My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope." 

          4.  Job 9:25  "Now my days are swifter than a runner; they flee away, they see no good."

          5.  Gen. 47:9  "And Jacob said to Pharaoh, 'The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty

               years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life…" 

          6.  David said in 1 Chron. 29:15, "Our days on earth are as a shadow…" 

          7.  James 4:14  "Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor

               that appears for a little time and then vanishes away."

 

    B.  Thought: What I do with my life and time will have an impact on my eternity—where there is no time.       

 

II.  My activities are typically either pressing or consequential. 

 

     A.  Definitions:

           1.  Pressing means "demanding immediate attention or urgent" (e.g., emergency mode).

           2.  Consequential means "significant or important." 

                 a.  Question: Are these definitions identical?  No. 

                 b.  Why then do we treat them the same way?  (We often treat those things which are pressing as though they

                       are consequential, don't we)? 

 

     B.  Test:

 

           1.  Is this activity consequential or pressing?  (Note: Some things can be both consequential and pressing).  Ex:

                Joe Rhodes found a 5 ½ ft. rattlesnake in his backyard just a few feet away from where his grandsons were

                picking up golf balls.   

           2.  Examples:

                .  No milk for breakfast.

                .  An appointment for a blood test and biopsy to determine if I have bone cancer.

                .  A 10 page term paper due this coming Friday.

                .  Being 10 minutes late for a luncheon date with a friend.

                .  Being 30 minutes late for your child's ballgame.

                .  Being 3 months late with your house payment.

                .  Being baptized.

                .  A sore throat.

                .  A child's high fever.

                .  Playing a favorite game on Facebook.  "And he said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place

                   and rest a while.'  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat."  Mk. 6:31    

                .  Attending Bible class.

                .  Putting out a fire on the stove.

                .  Checking the oil in your car.

                .  Finishing your taxes. 

                .  Cleaning and picking up your house.      

                .  Getting dinner on the table for company.  "Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village,

                    and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who

                    also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she

                    approached Him and said, 'Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her

                    to help me.'  And Jesus answered and said to her, 'Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about

                    many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away

                    from her.'"  Lk. 10:38-42

                    a.  I don't hear Jesus saying that preparing a meal and eating is unimportant.

                    b.  I do hear Jesus making a distinction between what is consequential and what is pressing.  (Martha got the

                         the two confused). 

                    c.  When I am guilty of making that which is pressing into something consequential, I need to go back and

                         study 1 Tim. 4:16—"Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine…" 

                    d.  May I suggest that how I manage myself and my time is, in fact, a doctrinal issue.  "Redeeming the time…"

                         Eph. 5:16

                         1)  Redeeming the time refers to buying up the opportunity (as a wise purchaser who realizes the value

                               of certain merchandise and buys it before the option to make the purchase is no longer available).  Ex:

                               Brian finding a great deal on muzzleloaders 

                         2)   We all relate to time in different ways: referees call time, prisoners serve time, musicians mark time,

                               historians record time, loafers kill time, statisticians keep time.  (As a Christian I am to redeem time). 

 

III.  I need to learn to differentiate between the pressing and the consequential and act accordingly. 

 

      A.  Example: laziness 

 

            1.  Prov. 10:5  "He who gathers in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame." 

                  a.  What happens if I am napping during the time when the crops are ripe and ready to be picked? 

                  b.  Not only is it shameful to sleep when I should be working, but it is consequential.   

            2.  Prov. 19:15  "Slothfulness casts one into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger."

                  a.  What happens if I choose to be lazy instead of going out and trying to find a job?

                  b.  Laziness is consequential.  "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not

                        work, neither shall he eat."  2 Thess. 3:10 

            3.  Prov. 20:4  "The sluggard will not plow because of winter; therefore he will beg during the harvest and have

                  nothing."

                  a.  What happens if I wait for comfortable temperatures before I start working in my vegetable garden?

                  b.  A lot of people have learned that not working is consequential. 

 

     B.  Example: preparing for famine

 

           1.  cf. Gen. 41

                a.  Joseph had been cast into prison because he had allegedly attempted to rape Potiphar's wife.  cf. Gen. 39

                b.  While in prison, he correctly interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh's chief butler and chief baker.  cf. Gen. 40

                c.  Two years later, Pharaoh also had dreams which could not be interpreted.  cf. Gen. 41:1-8

                     .  The butler then remembered Joseph.  cf. Gen. 41:9-13

                     .  Pharaoh called for Joseph and asked him to interpret the dreams.  cf. Gen. 41:14-24

                     .  Joseph interpreted the dreams and told Pharaoh what was going to transpire over the next fourteen

                        years.  cf. Gen. 41:25ff

                d.  Question: Was preparing for the seven years of famine pressing or consequential?

           2.  There are often a number of things that are screaming for my immediate attention.

                 a.  From both a practical as well as a spiritual perspective, if I am constantly doing the pressing things, I may

                      find myself very hungry come "famine time"! 

                      .  If I spend too much time talking with my friends, I may have to stay up all night to finish a paper for class.

                         (I might even fail the class because the paper was late or was rushed and not prepared thoughtfully).

                      .  If I don't put out that little flame under the eye of the stove while it is small today, I may be looking for a

                         new place to live tomorrow. 

                      .  If I spend hours learning to play a game on the internet, but my best friend steps into eternity in a lost

                         condition because I never learned how to teach him, was it worth the trade?  

                      .  If I'm too busy to spend quality and quantity time with my children when they are young, I might lose

                         them to the world when they go out on their own.

                      .  If I did the pressing stuff and neglected taking my children to Bible study, I shouldn't be surprised if they

                         fall away because the word was never really ingrained in their hearts.

                      .  If I am constantly running around with my friends, but I neglect the emotional and physical needs of

                         my mate, I shouldn't be surprised when he or she starts talking about divorce.    

                      .  If I'm too busy with work or pleasure to be immersed and involve myself in the work of the Lord, I will

                         be lost.  "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a

                         man give in exchange for his soul?"  Mt. 16:26

                 b.  Are you willing to take a few moments now and make an honest appraisal of your time? 

 

Concl:

A.  How have you done this week?  Did you carry out pressing stuff or consequential stuff?

           1.  Did you do the stuff that really mattered or were you running around in emergency mode doing the pressing

            things?

      2.  What do you need to do with the time you have RIGHT NOW?

            .  Rethink what you'll do with your afternoon?

            .  Publicly repent and ask for prayers?  Be immersed?

B.  Illust: I read of an old Norwegian who had kept very careful notes of his life in a series of notebooks he kept on the

      shelf of his business.  On his eightieth birthday he went to the store and pulled the books from the shelf and began

      to compute his life.  He was surprised to find that he had spent five of his eighty years waiting on customers.  He

      had spent six months tying neckties, three months scolding children who had been running around the store, and

      eight days telling his dogs to lie down and be quiet. 

      1.  Some stuff is pressing; some stuff is consequential. 

      2.  We need to learn to distinguish between the two and then act accordingly.

C.  "Does anybody really know what time it is?"  (Lyrics)

 

      As I was walking down the street one day
      A man came up to me and asked me
      What the time was that was on my watch, yeah
      And I said

      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to cry


      And I was walking down the street one day
      A pretty lady looked at me and said
      Her diamond watch had stopped cold dead
      And I said


      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to cry

      And I was walking down the street one day
      Being pushed and shoved by people trying to beat the clock
      Oh, oh, I just don't know, I don't know, I don't know, oh
      And I said, yes, I said

      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to die

      Everybody's working
      I don't care about time
      I don't care

 

D.  "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of

      God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."  Col. 3:1-2

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Eph. 5:16: KW—08.09.09

Intro:

A.  Do you have enough time in your day?

 

B.  Foundational idea #1: 1 Cor. 9:27

      1.  Definitions:

            a.  "Discipline" means:

            b.  "Subjection" means:

      2.  The only person I can really discipline and bring into subjection is:

 

C.  Foundational idea #2: 1 Tim. 4:6

      1.  What is the danger of getting caught up in the hectic demands of the day?

      2.  What was the man's problem?  Mt. 8:21-22

 

D.  I need to evaluated how I use my time and then learn how to manage myself.  4 truths:

      1.

      2.

      3.

      4.

 

I.  My time is                                                                      .

 

    A.  Verses:  Gen. 1:14; Job 14:1-2; 7:6; 9:25; Gen. 47:9; 1 Chron. 29:15; Jas. 4:14

 

    B.  What I do with my life and time will have an impact on                                                                         .

 

II.  My activities are typically either                                        or                                                                            .

 

     A.  Definitions:

           1.  Pressing means:

           2.  Consequential means:

     B.  Are these definitions the same?

 

     C.  Test:

 

                .  No milk for breakfast                         

                .  An appointment for a blood test and biopsy

                .  A 10 page term paper due this coming Friday

                .  Being 10 minutes late for a luncheon date with a friend

                .  Being 30 minutes late for your child's ballgame

                .  Being 3 months late with your house payment

                .  Being baptized

                .  A sore throat

                .  A child's high fever

                .  Playing a game on Facebook

                .  Attending Bible class

                .  Putting out a fire on the stove

                .  Checking oil in your car

                .  Finishing your taxes

                .  Cleaning and picking up your house

                .  Getting dinner on the table for company

                   a.  What was Martha's problem?  Lk. 10:38-42

                   b.  Eph. 5:16

 

III.  I need to learn to                                                     between the pressing and the consequential and                           .

 

      A.  Prov. 10:5; 19:15; 20:4

 

      B.  Gen. 41

 

Concl: 

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Eph. 5:16: KW—08.09.09 #2 in a series

Intro:

A.  Illust: General Stonewall Jackson was involved in his famous 1862 campaign through the Shenandoah Valley of

      Virginia.  It was necessary for the general to get his army across a river one night, so he gave orders to the engineers

      to make a way for the artillery and wagons to go over.  He also called his wagon-master, who was a blacksmith, to

      headquarters and gave him instructions to get the wagon train across the river as fast as possible.  The engineers

      went to work in their usual manner to devise a bridge.  The blacksmith, knowing only that something was to be done

      in the most practical way, gathered a force and with logs and rocks and fence rails improvised a bridge of his own.

      Between midnight and day he awakened General Jackson and said, "General, we have got all the wagons and artillery

      across."  The astonished general asked, "Where are the engineers?"  The blacksmith replied, "They're over there in a

      tent still drawing pictures and planning a bridge."

      1.  To borrow from last week's message, sometimes I'm working on pressing matters (i.e., urgent), when I should be

            working on consequential matters (i.e., important). 

            a.  Sometimes I am drawing up plans and blueprints when I ought to be building bridges.

            b.  That's why we're asking the question in this series, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

      2.  In last Sunday's lesson we started talking about not so much time management, but life management.

            a.  The truth is, I can't slow time down (e.g., when I'm doing something I really enjoy), I can't move fast forward it

                 (e.g., when  facing hardship), nor can I put it on pause if I need to think.  (Time moves on whether I want it to

                 or not). 

            b.  I'm not in control of time; I am in control of myself.  "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest,

                  when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."  1 Cor. 9:27

                  1)  Subjection means "to treat one as a slave."

                  2)  Question: "Am I a slave to Jesus and His priorities for my life, or am I a slave to my ever urgent schedule?"

                        a)  Occasionally I need to evaluate how I use my time and then manage myself.  "Take heed to yourself and

                              to the doctrine…"  1 Tim. 4:16

                        b)   I need to ask myself, "How am I doing?"  "Is this THE MOST effective use of my time?"

B.  Observations from last week's message:

      1.  My time is limited.  (James said it is like a vapor; vapors typically don't hang around very long).  Jas. 4:14    

      2.  Most of my activities are typically either pressing or consequential.  Jesus told Martha, "…Martha, Martha, you are

            worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed…"  Lk. 10:41b-42a

            a.  Martha was so caught up in the preparations of a meal for the preacher, that she overlooked the fact that the

                 Bread of Life—the Son of God was sitting right there in her living room. 

            b.  Many times we confuse pressing stuff with consequential stuff.

      3.  I need to learn to differentiate between the pressing and the consequential and act accordingly.  (If Joseph had

           waited seven years before he had started on preparations for famine, a lot of people would have starved to

           death). 

C.  On a personal note, I have been somewhat concerned about this past week's impending schedule:

      1.  Schedule:

           .  Regular Monday staff meeting, plus other individual meetings

           .  Daily email devotional—KneEmail

           .  Bi-weekly Article for Forthright website

           .  Preparation for: a) New Christian's class on Wed. at 6:00, b) two sermons and Powerpoint, c) Sunday AM Bible

              class, 2 lessons and Ppt for SEC on Saturday in Birmingham, Thursday Shepherd's class, counseling, and

              visitation, email

              a.  Unexpected things: benevolence, email requests, phone calls, unscheduled meetings, etc.

              b.  We had company at the house and Lanore's birthday was Thursday. 

      2.  I thought, "How can I do everything that needs to be accomplished?"  "How can I live with the limitations of

           time?"

D.  Both God and I are involved in this equation of "time"management: 

 

I.  God has given me time.  "This is the day which the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."  Psm. 118:24

 

    .  The Lord is in charge of time; in fact, He transcends time.  (He created lights in the sky for signs and seasons, days

       and years).  cf. Gen. 1:14

    .  I am responsible for how I use the time God has granted me.  "Redeeming the time…" Eph. 5:16

 

     A.  Time has built in/inherent limitations.  "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they

           are eighty years…"  Psm. 90:10

 

           1.  With few exceptions, most people live to be in their seventies or eighties at best. 

           2.  At some intervals during that life there are things that have to be done (i.e., sleep, eat, etc.).  (As much as I may

                want to, I can't do everything and so it is futile to try).

 

     B.  Even Jesus was limited by time while He was on earth.  "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day

           the night is coming when no one can work."  Jn. 9:4  (Ponder that for just a moment—"Jesus was limited…"). 

 

           1.  God the Son is eternal.  "Jesus said to them, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."  Jn. 8:58

                a.  Notice he did not say, "I was," but "I AM" denoting eternality. 

                b.  His Jewish listeners could only interpret His statement as blasphemy. 

           2.  But Jesus the Son of Man was bound by the limitations of time. 

                a.  He couldn't heal and help everybody.  "And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place

                     and rest a while.'  For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat."  Mk. 6:31

                b.  Jesus in the flesh (cf. Jn. 1:14) needed to:

                     1)  Eat.

                     2)  Rest, sleep.  "And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the

                           waves.  But He was asleep."  Mt. 8:24

                c.  If Jesus was limited in time while He was on the earth, then I surely am!

                     1)  And again, to borrow from last week, I have to come to grips with that reality.

                     2)  Lance Armstrong said, "Time is limited, so I better wake up every morning fresh and know that I have just

                           one chance to live this particular day right, and to string my days together into a life of action, and

                           purpose." 

 

II.  God has given me talents and abilities.

 

     A.  I can't do everything, but I can do some things.  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country,

           who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and

           to another one, to each according to his ability…"  Mt. 25:14-15a

 

     B.  He has given me the ability to do certain things very well (i.e., in an excellent way).  "His lord said to him, 'Well

           done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things…"  Mt. 25:21a

 

           1.  Examples: 

                 a.  If you car broke down, you wouldn't want to call Mike Benson.  (I don't have the talent to do much more

                      than change a flat tire).

                 b.  If you needed medical attention for an emergency, you wouldn't want to call me.  (I don't have the talent,

                      training, or skill to do much more than apply a band aid). 

           2.  But if you were looking for someone who knows something about, for example, conflict management or art

                and photography, you might come to me.

                a.  I'm not trying to boast or be arrogant; I'm simply saying God has given me certain talents that I have chosen

                     to develop.

                b.  God has given all of us talents.  Ex: Write, cook, create and decorate, manage, teach, organize, etc.    

                     1)  What we do with our time and talents is critical!

                     2)  If I want to hear those words, "Well done, good and faithful servant" from God at the Judgment Day, I

                           have to use what He has given me in an advantageous fashion.  "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good

                           and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things…  Enter into the joy of your lord."  Mt. 25:21 

 

III.  God has promised me wisdom.

 

      A.  Promise: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will

            be given him."  Jas. 1:5

 

            1.  Note that James did not say, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him study philosophy or let him meditate…"

                  a.  Knowledge (i.e., the possession of facts) is gained through study.

                  b.  But wisdom, understanding, and insight is a gift of God as is salvation.  "For the wages of sin is death, but

                       the (free) gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Rom. 6:23 

            2.  Do you need wisdom in terms of how match your talents with your time?    

 

       B.  Watch the phrase, "…who gives to all liberally and without reproach…"

 

             1.  Liberally, aplws, means "simply, unreservedly, freely."  Ex:  

                   a.  When someone has made a request of you, have you gotten involved reluctantly, grudgingly, or made

                        objections?

                   b.  The phrase "without reproach" suggests that God not only gives generously, but He does so without

                        complaining, "You're always asking for something from Me!" 

             2.  God will grant me wisdom as I listen to Him in His word and go to Him in prayer, but it is my responsibility to

                  use the gift He has offered.

 

IV.  I need to know my priorities. 

 

       A.  Daniel 3:1ff

 

             1.  Details:

                   .  The year in which the events of Daniel 3 take place is not given in Scripture.  (Tradition says it was around

                      the 18th year of King Nebuchadnezzar's reign).

                   .  The king had a great image of gold constructed—probably in his likeness.  v. 1  (It was most likely created to

                      give glory to both Nebuchadnezzar as well as the god Marduk).

                   .  Government officials held a royal dedication ceremony.  vv. 2-3

                   .  A decree was made when then certain music was played, everyone was to bow down in homage.  vv. 4-7

                   .  Anyone who disobeyed this new law was to be cast into a fiery furnace.  v. 6

                   .  Certain Chaldeans came to accuse Shadrach, Meshack, and Abed-Nego.  vv. 8-12  (This may have been

                      because these Jews as foreigners had prestigious positions in the Babylonian kingdom, and Jehovah

                      had also received a place of prominence).  cf. 1:6-7

                   .  Nebuchadnezzar gave the three men an ultimatum—bow or burn!  vv. 14-15

             2.  "Shadrach, Meshack, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to

                  answer you in this matter.  If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning

                  fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king.  But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we

                  do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.'"  Dan. 3:16-18

                  a.  These three men understood that if God favored them then they would be delivered from the furnace; if

                       Jehovah chose not to miraculously intervene, they would be dispatched into God's eternal care. 

                  b.  Ex: On President Garfield's first Saturday in Washington as President, a member of the Cabinet insisted that

                       a Cabinet meeting must be called.  Garfield refused on the grounds of another engagement.  The Cabinet

                       member insisted.  Garfield still refused on the grounds that the other was a prior engagement.  The Cabinet

                       member then insisted that the nation matter was of such grave importance that the President should break

                       the engagement.  Garfield refused.  Then the Cabinet member remarked, "I should be interested to know

                       with whom you could have an engagement so important that it could not be broken."  Garfield replied, "I

                       will be as frank as you are.  My engagement is with my Lord to meet Him at His house and at His table at

                       10:30 tomorrow, and I shall be there."  The crisis passed.  The nation survived.  President Garfield had been

                       faithful to his obligation. (Note: Shadrach, Meshack, and Abed-Nego knew their priorities!)

                                                      

       B.  When I know my priorities, my schedule begins to fall into place.  (It is one thing to say and sing that I love God;

            another thing entirely to put that into practice in my daily walk)!

 

            1.  God has given me time, talents, and wisdom; assuming I know what is paramount in my life, THEN I can begin

                  to decide what to do and what not to do each day.

            2.  "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time."  Col. 4:5

 

Concl:

A.  When was the last time you heard yourself say the following words...?  "Not tonight."  "Later."  "I'm too tired!"  or

      "I'm too busy."

B.  Example:  The seven-year-old boy asked his father, "Daddy, could you build me a fort?"  Daddy said that he could.

      The child's every waking moment was filled with the excitement and anticipation of working on his own fort.

 

      The child was nearly bursting with enthusiasm as his father came home from work the next day.  "Tonight, Daddy,

      can we build the fort?"  "Not tonight, son, I'm just too tired.

 

      On the second night daddy postponed once more saying, "Tonight I have a report to do.  It must be finished by

      tomorrow."  On the third night, daddy's explanation was a bit longer, "Son, your mother and I have made a promise

      to go to a party.  Do you understand promises?"  Indeed, the child did understand about promises.  These were

      filled with other statements to postpone the building, but still the child persisted.

 

 

      On a Friday morning, the child heard his daddy say, "Tonight you hurry right home from school and we'll build the

      fort."  The excitement the little boy felt was indescribable.  Not one thing was gained from his day's experience in

      school because all he could think about was the moment he would be working with his dad on that special fort.

 

      The bell rang signaling the end of the day.  The boy leaped from his desk, bolted out the front door, and maybe he

      reasoned like this: "I can run all the way home; it's only seven blocks."  With a head full of dreams and happiness, the

      boy ran as fast as he could, not at all aware of the too familiar world passing by.  As he entered the busy road, he

      looked neither left nor right.  A truck appeared out of nowhere and the two collided.  An ambulance took the lad to

      the hospital emergency room where the first evaluation contained only one word…"Coma."  Dad received the call

      and drove recklessly to the hospital.  He pushed past people to enter his son's room and stood for what seemed like

      an eternity at the foot of his child's bed.  The father watched as his little boy opened his eyes and a smile appeared.

      He listened then as the child said, "Daddy, we won't have to build that fort tonight after all," and then he died.

 

      I believe that the little boy is okay, but Dad is not okay.  Dad is thinner now and he's quieter.  Dad loses his hair in

      circular patches and when it grows back, it grows back without color.  He wonders where to turn from relief from

      the guilt and the pain.  To whom can he say, "I wish I had never postponed those requests?"  We may lose daddy,

      too.  (Jim Kern, Build the Fort Today, 42-43)

B.  Brethren, are there any "fort projects" you need to attend to?

      1.  God has given you this day.

      2.  God has given you talents.

      3.  God has promised you wisdom.

      4.  What is your priority?

           a.  Some here need to repent of sin; others need to be immersed for the remission of sins!

                .  What is your priority?

                .  Getting to the buffet at the local restaurant, or being right with God?

           b.  What will you do with the next ten minutes God has granted you?  "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It

                Is…?"  "Does Anybody Really Care…?"

     

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Jn. 9:4: KW—08.09.09 #2 in a series

Intro:

A.  Illust: General Stonewall Jackson

B.  Review

      1.  My time is                                                               .

 

      2.  My activities are typically either                                                     or                                                            .

 

      3.  I need to learn to                                                                 between the pressing and the consequential and act

 

                                                                                       .

C.  "How can I do everything I want and need to do?" 

 

I.  God has given me                                                       .  Psm. 118:24

 

    .  Who is in charge of time?  Gen. 1:14

 

    .  What is my responsibility to that truth?  Eph. 5:16

 

    A.  Time has built in                                                     .  Psm. 90:10

 

    B.  Even                            was limited by time!  Jn. 9:4; 8:58; Mk. 6:31; Mt. 8:24

 

II.  God has given me                                                                                     .  Mt. 25:14-15

 

     A.  I can't do                                                  , but I can do                                                      very well.  Mt. 25:21a

 

     B.  What we do with our time and talents is                                                    !  Mt. 25:21

 

III.  God has promised me                                            .  Jas. 1:5

 

       A.  Where exactly does this come from?

 

       B.  Explain the phrase, "…Who gives to all liberally and without reproach…" in your own words.

 

 

 

 

IV.  I need to know my                                                  .  Dan. 3

 

       A.  Who were the main characters in this true story?  What were the circumstances?

 

       B.  When I know my priorities, my                                                     begins to                                                                             .

 

Concl:

A.  "Not tonight."  "Later." 

B.  "Fort projects…"

 

 

 

 

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Mt. 5:22-35: KW—08.09.09 #3 in a series

Intro:

A.  Someone has said, "Properly understood and managed, time is easily one of our best friends.  Poorly appreciated

     and mismanaged, it becomes a formidable enemy."

     1.  Examples:

           .  If you've ever had to stay up all night to finish a term paper, you understand how time can be an enemy.

           .  If you've ever waited until the last minute to do your taxes, you understand how time can be an enemy.

           .  If you've ever waited until the last minute to buy Christmas presents or to assemble them, you understand how

              time can be an enemy. 

           .  If you've ever wasted your time and then found yourself late for a big appointment, you understand how time

              can be an enemy.

           .  If you've ever listened to somebody who said they were going to come back to church and be restored, but kept

              putting it off and then died in that unrepentant state, you understand how time can be an enemy.        

     2.  On the other hand, if you've invested yourself wisely and you're able to enjoy, for example, a relaxing couple of

          days on the weekend because you didn't neglect something consequential, you also understand how time can be a

          best friend.     

B.  This is lesson three in our series, "Does anybody really know what time it is?"  (I need to remember that both God

      and I are involved in time management). 

      1.  God has given me time. 

           a.  "This is the day which the LORD has made…"  Psm. 118:24  (God is in control of time; He started it and He will

                 stop it).

           b.  Time has inherent limitations. 

                1)  "The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years…"  Psm. 90:10

                      (God hasn't given me eternity/unlimited time yet). 

                2)  Even Jesus was limited by time while on earth.  "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day;

                      the night is coming when no one can work."  Jn. 9:4  (Jesus couldn't heal and help everybody.  He had to

                      eat and rest). 

     2.  God has given me talents.

          a.  I can't do everything, but I can do some things.  cf. Mt. 25

          b.  I can do some things very well.  "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful

               over a few things…"  Mt. 25:21

    3.  God has promised me wisdom.  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and

         without reproach, and it will be given him."  Jas. 1:5

    4.  I need to know my priorities.  "But seek first the kingdom of God…"  Mt. 6:33a

         a.  Shadrack, Meshack, and Abed-Nego knew their priorities and wouldn't bow to the image when they heard

              music.

         b.  When I know my priorities and don't bow to the god of pressing matters, my schedule will begin to fall into

              place.

C.  Shakespeare once wrote, "Thus we play the fools with time; and the spirits of the wise sit in the clouds and mock us."

     1.  I don't want to be foolish with my time—I want to be wise.  "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside,

          redeeming the time."  Col. 4:5

     2. How can I redeem my time?

 

V.  I need to learn to accept unexpected OPPORTUNITES

 

     A.  Jesus often faced unexpected opportunities.  cf. Mk. 5:22-35

 

          1.  Doctor Jesus had a child in the emergency room. 

               a.  Luke's account tells us that Jarius' daughter was an only child, age 12.  cf. Lk. 8:42 

               b.  In a culture where children were viewed as tangible proof of God's favor, the death of an only child would

                    have been viewed as a catastrophic judgment by God.

                    1)  The daughter's condition was beyond grave; she was escatws, at the end or at the point of death.  v. 23

                    2)  With the multitude crowding around on all sides, Jesus started with Jarius for the child's bedside.  v. 24

 

          2.  On His way to see about the welfare of the child, the Great Physician encountered another very sick patient—a

               woman with an issue of blood.  v. 25

               a.  What did her "chart" say?

                    .  She had been hurting for 12 years.

                    .  She had become impoverished in seeking a cure from other physicians, and instead of being cured, her

                       condition had steadily gotten worse. 

                    .  She suffered many things.  (Given the state of medical knowledge in that day and time, it is likely that the

                       "cures" prescribed actually worsened her condition).

                    .  Because of her malady, she was considered unclean according to the Law.  cf. Lev. 15:19-25

                    .  She was therefore isolated both socially and religiously; because of her condition, she could not approach

                       the temple or the synagogues and she could not offer sacrifices or offerings.

               b.  Despite the woman's need, Jesus could have overlooked and "neglected" her because He had somebody in

                     the ER.  (He got a "Code Blue" and headed to the daughter's side).    

                    1)  He could have said, "I'm too busy with Jarius' sick daughter to stop and help this woman."  (From one

                          perspective, you could say the woman with the hemorrhage with "pressing," while Jarius' daughter was

                          "consequential").    

                    2)  Instead, He chose to stop and be involved with her because such effort was part of His overall priority.

                          "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good

                          and healing all who were oppressed…"  Acts 10:38

                          a)  Jesus was able to take care of both the woman and girl. 

                          b)  He wasn't faced with an "either or" situation and was able to manage Himself to see to both their

                                needs—the woman was healed and the girl was raised from the dead.     

         3.  Paul had an unexpected opportunity present itself.  cf. Acts 16:6-10

               a.  He planned to go to Asia, but wasn't permitted to do so at that time.  (God didn't say "no," He just said

                    "wait a while"—Acts 19). 

               b.  When he got an invitation to do a gospel meeting in Philippi, he adjusted his plan and went there instead.    

 

    B.  Occasionally I need to rethink and readjust my schedule in terms of new opportunities.   

 

         1.  Questions:

               a.  "Can I do both?"

               b.  "Should I try to do both?"  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…" Jas. 1:5

               c.  "Is one item pressing and the other consequential?" 

               d.  "Are both activities consequential?"

               e.  "Should this new opportunity take precedence over my other commitment?"  Ex: I had two appointments

                    this past Thursday.  If the doctor had called and scheduled me to have back injections, I would have

                    cancelled them and gone to Hattiesburg Clinic.        

         2.  Sometimes other people will be disappointed in me when I've accepted a new opportunity.  (They will want me

              to do something different from what I think is consequential).

               a.  Jesus took criticism from two sisters because He didn't move faster.  cf. Jn. 11:1-5, 19-21, 32

                    1)  Although He was not "blessed" with cell phones, freeways, computers, and fax machines, Jesus faced a

                          "time famine" of His own.  (He could have dashed breathlessly about Palestine trying to "get it all done,"

                          but He didn't)!

                    2)  Instead He knew exactly who He was and what He was trying to do, and He did it according to an agenda

                          that He set carefully and prayerfully with His heavenly Father.  (And even when He knew folks would fuss

                          at Him for being late, Jesus accomplished what was consequential and didn't fret about other people's

                          expectations).  "Jesus answered, 'Are there not twelve hours in the day…?"  Jn. 11:9a

                          .  BTW, was Jesus ever "late" for anything, including this situation with Lazarus?

                          .  Jesus was always on time. 

               b.  Ex: Staff birthday luncheon at Crescent City Grille for Ken.

                     .  I had a deacon my office discussing church matters when my realtor from Evansville called to talk to me

                        about our house.

                     .  I was very late (45 minutes) for lunch and Ken was disappointed.  (He had a right to be).

                     .  When I explained my dilemma and apologized, he was sympathetic and forgiving.  (One of the reasons the

                        two of us are good friends is because we can apologize and forgive as we need to).

                     .  I want to be careful that I'm not regularly late for appointments and then say, "Well, I had another

                        opportunity come up."  (That can become a copout, a crutch, and a lie for not learning to manage myself).

               c.  Sometimes folks want the church leaders to be at a certain place at a certain time (e.g., visitation). 

                    "Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church…"  Jas. 5:14

                    .  I don't know everybody else's schedules, opportunities, and priorities.  (Shepherds here at KW have a

                       large flock to oversee).   

                    .  I may think I know what a church leader's schedule ought to be, but usually what I think and what is

                       reality is two different things.   

               d.  While I need to learn to accept unexpected opportunities, I also need to learn to accept my limitations.

                    (Time is limited, I am limited, and even when I pray for wisdom—which God freely offers me—I cannot do

                    everything).

 

Concl:

A.  "Does anybody really know what time it is?"  (Lyrics)

 

      As I was walking down the street one day
      A man came up to me and asked me
      What the time was that was on my watch, yeah
      And I said

      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to cry


      And I was walking down the street one day
      A pretty lady looked at me and said
      Her diamond watch had stopped cold dead
      And I said


      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to cry


      And I was walking down the street one day
      Being pushed and shoved by people trying to beat the clock
      Oh, oh, I just don't know, I don't know, I don't know, oh
      And I said, yes, I said


      Does anybody really know what time it is?
      Does anybody really care?
      If so I can't imagine why
      We've all got time enough to die…

B.  Illust: Dr. Robert McCarthy was a man to be admired—a successful medical doctor with a lovely wife and three

     beautiful daughters.  He loved helping people and was greatly appreciated by his patients.

     Doc McCarthy knew the secret to maximizing time.  Every hour was 60 precious minutes and he didn't waste a tick of

     the clock.  When he wasn't healing the sick, he was playing with his little girls.  At night while his neighbors watched

     TV, Bob was busy with projects and new ideas.  He and his wife would lie awake in bed and talk for hours.  They were

     afraid to lose a minute of living.  And for a good reason.  The leukemia in his body was draining Bob's strength.  He

     knew he was dying and he wanted to live life to the fullest, loving every blessed breath.

     1.  The next time you're killing time, remember Dr. Bob McCarthy.

     2.  Make the most of every precious moment.

          a.  Our life on Earth is limited.

          b.  Let's make the most of it.  (The day will come when an accounting is due).

     3.  Time is your friend for the moment.  Will you use it wisely?

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Psm. 90:4: KW—08.30.09 #4 in a series

Intro:

A.  Every morning God doles out a limited amount of time to every soul on the planet. 

      1.  86,400 seconds, 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours—depending upon how you count time.

      2.  We can do what we want with this daily allotment: spend it, use it, waste it, kill it, invest it or just ignore it.

           a.  Whatever we do with it, our time for that one day will be gone.

           b.  There is no way to save any of it.

B.  This "seconds, minutes, and hours" approach to time is what the Bible calls chronos.

      1.  Whenever Scripture refers to clock or calendar time, it uses this word chronos—cronos.  "Then Herod, when he

            had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared."  Mt. 2:7

      2.  Chronos always refers to a space of time—whether short or long.

C.  Man looks at time differently than God does.

      1.  God exists outside of time.  "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the

            world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God."  Psm. 90:2

            a.  He started time; He will stop time.

            b.  He is on Eternal Sovereign Time—EST.

                  1)  "For a thousand years in Your sight are like yesterday when it is past, and like a watch in the night."  Psm.

                        90:4

                  2)  "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a

                        thousand years as one day."  2 Pet. 3:8

      2.  You and I exist inside of time—seconds, minutes, hours.  (We are on Human Standard Time—HST). 

D.  In this lesson I want us to, as much as possible, try to look at time from a divine perspective.

      1.  This is extremely difficult to do.

            a.  Ex:

                 .  We cook with microwave ovens.

                 .  We use high-speed internet connections.

                 .  We use cell phones instead of waiting until we get home to call our friends.

                 .  We go through the drive through at the bank.

                 .  We order "fast food" at the drive through at Wendy's and McDonalds.

                 .  We want test results from our doctor ASAP.

                 .  We don't want to wait in a long line to get our driver's license.

                 .  When we are hurting, we can't see how we're going to make it through the end of the day, much less years

                    and perhaps decades into the future.

                 .  We engage in the "Christmas rush."        

            b.  The truth is, time has us in its grip; we tend to look more by sight than faith. 

       2.  If we can get some, at least limited, understanding of how God views time, it can have a dramatic effect on how

            we live, work, look at life, view suffering, and what we choose as our priorities. 

 

I.  Abraham, Sarah, and Eternal Sovereign Time

 

    A.  God called Abram and promised to bless him.  "Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, from

          your kindred and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless

          you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him

          who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."  Gen. 12:1-3

 

          1.  Note at least two elements of God's promise:

               .  "I will make you a great nation…"

               .  "…in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

               a.  Abram was 75-years-old.  "So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him.  And

                    Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

               b.  Most men don't think about starting a family when they are ten years into retirement. 

          2.  After he had time to think about it, Abram decided to make sure he understood what God had promised.  "After

               these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, 'Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield,

               your exceedingly great reward.'  But Abram said, 'LORD GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and

               the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?'  Then Abram said, 'Look, You have given me no offspring…'"  Gen.

               15:1-3

               a.  God repeated His promise.  "And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, 'This one shall not be

                    your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.'  Then He brought him outside and

                    said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.'  And He said to him, 'So

                    shall your descendants be.'"  Gen. 15:4-5

               b.  One of Abram's problems with God's promise had to do with chronos. 

                     .  Abram had been drawing Social Security for at least a decade and wasn't getting any younger!

                     .  In order for all families of the earth to be blessed, Abram had to start having kids and that meant God

                        would have to intervene—and so far He hadn't.  cf. v. 18  (God, from Abram's perspective, was running

                        very late)!

                        1)  One of the greatest destroyers of faith is timing that doesn't fit our preconceived notions.

                        2)  Again, we live in a fast-paced world where we have come to expect instant responses to every desire

                              and need.  Ex:  Instant coffee.  Instant potatoes.  Instant grits.  Instant cash from the little money

                              machine.  Instant relief for sore muscles and minor backache.

                              a)  It's almost an American birthright to make the world jump at our demands.

                              b)  But God doesn't operate that way; He is never in a hurry.  (And sometimes, He can be agonizingly

                                    slow in solving the problems we bring to Him.  

 

      B.  Since it was evident that God was running late, Abram and Sarai decided to intervene themselves and help the

            Lord along with His rather "far-reaching" promise.  cf. Gen. 16

           1.  Have you ever made a promise, and then after you had done so, you realized that you had bitten off more

                 than you could chew and wished you could take it back?  (Abram and Sarai felt that God had done this). 

           2.  "Now Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the LORD has restrained me from bearing children.  Please, go in to

                 my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her…'"  Gen. 16:1-2

                 a.  Sarai felt so keenly the shame of her own barrenness, and seeing no other naturalistic solution, she made a

                      decision which must have been extremely distasteful to her.  (From her HST perspective, sharing her

                      husband with Hagar was the only solution to this problem).

                 b.  By this juncture, Abram was eighty-five years old, and Sarai seventy-five.  cf. Gen. 16:16

 

      C.   God renewed His covenant with Abram.  "And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply

             you exceedingly."  And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying, 'As for Me, behold, My covenant

             is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.  No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your

             name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations.  I will make you exceedingly fruitful…"

             Gen. 17:2-6a

             1.  Abraham fell on his face and listened to God.  cf. v. 3

             2.  Abraham fell on his face and laughed at God.  "Then God said to Abraham, 'As for Sarai your wife, you shall

                  not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name.  And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I

                  will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be from her.'  Then Abraham fell on

                  his face and laughed, and said in his heart, 'Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old?  And

                  shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?'"  Gen. 17:15-17

                  a.  Twice, God said, "I will bless her."

                        1)  QUESTION:  How long had it been since God had made His initial promise to Abraham?  Answer: Nearly

                              twenty-five years!  (That's a long time to wait for a baby!  Typically folks wait nine months). 

                        2)  QUESTION:  How many times in Scripture do you read of where Jehovah broke His word and didn't keep

                              His promise?    

                  b.  Sarah had been barren all of her life, and was now ninety-years old; so it would take a very special blessing

                       for her yet to have a son.

             3.  Abraham still thought in terms of his way and time instead of God's way and time.  "And Abraham said to God,

                  'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!'  Then God said: 'No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son…'"  Gen.

                  17:18-19a

                  a.  God assured Abraham He knew what He was doing.  "…My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah

                        shall bear to you at this set time next year."  Gen. 17:21

                  b.  QUESTIONS:

                        1)  What was Abraham thinking about God and time?  (God had lost His schedule book).

                        2)  What was God's thinking about Isaac's birth?  (He was right on time!  Abraham was thinking in terms

                              of Human Standard Time—chronos; God was thinking in terms of Eternal Sovereign Time).

             4.  Sarah still thought in terms of her way and time (HST) instead of God's way and time (EST).

                  a.  When she heard the good news, she laughed too.  "And He said, 'I will certainly return to you according to

                       the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.'  And Sarah was listening in the tent door

                       which was behind him.  Now Abraham and Sarah were old, well-advanced in age; and Sarah had passed the

                       age of child-bearing.  Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 'After I have grown old, shall I have

                       pleasure, my lord being old also?'  And the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I

                       surely bear a child, since I am old?'  Is anything too hard for the LORD?  At the appointed time I will return

                       to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.'"  Gen. 18:9-14

                  b.  My intent is not to be irreverent, but I can't help but notice that when God was talking, people were

                        laughing.

                        .  Envision this ninety-year-old with morning sickness.

                        .  Imagine Sarah shopping for maternity clothes. 

             5.  God kept His promise.  "And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had

                   spoken.  For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken

                   to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac.

                   Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.  Now

                   Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.  And Sarah said, 'God has made me

                   laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me.'"  Gen. 21:1-6

 

II.  Observations

 

      A.  What is long-term to us is short-term to God.  cf. Gen. 15:13-16

 

            1.  Abraham was thinking God should be moving faster in his life.

            2.  I want God to be in a hurry!  (But instant stuff is rarely good).

                 .  The Israelites waited four hundred years before they actually left Egypt to take the Promised Land.

                 .  Moses and the Israelites waited forty years in the desert before crossing the Jordan.

                 .  Abraham and Sarah waited a quarter of the century for the promise of a child to be fulfilled. 

                 a.  God was thinking in terms of hundreds of years and multiple generations.

                 b.  Actually He was thinking, not decades or hundreds of years, but thousands of years ahead.

                      1)    cf. Eph. 3:6-9

                      2)  "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son…"  Gal. 4:4

 

      B.  I may be tempted to doubt God when He's not running on my schedule.

 

           1.  The truth is, He's not running on my schedule!

           2.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than

                 your thoughts."  Isa. 55:9

                 .  When I am hurting and want a microwave answer to my pain, I need to remember Eternal Sovereign Time.

                 .  When I have a need that seemingly isn't being met, I need to remember that God never gets in a hurry.

                 .  When I am in a hurry doing pressing things instead of important things, I need to stop and think like God in

                    the long-term.

                 .  When I can't see myself making it until the end of the day and I'm tempted to quit, I need to ponder the

                    idea that God has never been late.  "…Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."  Rev. 2:10

                 .  When I am looking for purpose and direction in my life, I need to remember that God tends to take awhile

                    to accomplish His will. 

                 .  When I am looking for immediate answers to my important questions, I probably ought to remember that

                     Abraham got his answer a quarter of a century later—thirty-five years into retirement.  

                 .  When I think God is running late and I am tempted to try and help Him out, I need to remember that God's

                     looking at a different clock than I am and He can handle any issue on His own!

 

                 .  When I get impatient and demand that other people march to my time-line, I need to stop and be thankful

                     that Jehovah is patient with me.

                 .  When I want an instant miracle to fix a problem, I need to recall that God tends to work gradually.

                    a.  Many begin the Christian life with a vision or a dream.

                    b.  When their dream gets squelched, stepped on, or doesn't occur in an expected time frame, these

                         Christians stop waiting.  Ex: Think for a moment of trapeze artists in a circus.  Consider the flyer, who

                         releases the bar and soars through the air, and the catcher.  The flyer maintains absolute faith in the

                         catcher.  He extends his arms and holds perfect form as he falls.  If he tries to catch the catcher or if he

                         panics or breaks form, the situation could be disastrous.  Instead he waits until the strong arms of the

                         catcher snatch him from the air. 

                         .  When plans fail and dreams get sidetracked, we want to panic, but we must wait on the catcher.

                         .  Even when free-falling, we must trust that God, the great catcher, will catch us.    

 

Concl:

A.  God is working in my life and your life even when we can't see it.

      1.  Over time—chronos, a slow, steady stream of water will erode the hardest rock and turn giant boulders into

            pebbles.

      2.  Over time, God can take a little sprout and turn it into a giant redwood tree over 350 feet tall.   

B.  The only time I find God wanting folks to get in a hurry is when they need to be saved.

     1.  "And immediately he and all his family were baptized."  Acts 16:33

     2.  "And now why are you waiting?  Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins…"  Acts 22:16

     3.  "…Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  2 Cor. 6:2 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Jas. 5:7-11: KW—09.06.09 #5 in a series

Intro:

A.  It is obvious by just a simple trip down Hardy Street that folks are in a hurry.

      1.  Annual cost to Americans for running red lights (e.g., medical bills, car repairs, etc.): $7 billion.

      2.  Average amount of time saved by running a red light: 50 seconds.

B.  Some things can't be hurried. 

     1.  Recently I read this piece of graffiti: "Michelangelo would have made better time with a roller."

     2.  Yes, he would have made better time, but he would have sacrificed quality.  (It took him 5 years to complete). 

C.  When we turn to Hebrews 11, we learn that Moses was one of the heroes of the faith.  "By faith Moses, when he

     became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the

     people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the

     treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.  By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he

     endured as seeing Him who is invisible."  Heb. 11:24-27

     1.  In reading this summary, it is possible to miss the tension and time that was involved in creating this hero of faith.

     2.  "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and

          comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."  Rom. 15:4

          a.  This is lesson #5 in our series entitled, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?"

          b.  In the previous lesson we introduced the ideas of EST (Eternal Sovereign Time) verses HST (Human Standard

                Time) and how Abraham and Sarah struggled with God's idea of time.  (They wanted to "use a roller" so-to-

                speak).    

D.  They weren't the only Bible folks who had a hard time with EST. 

     1.  Moses also had difficulty with God's clock. 

     2.  Sometimes he was ahead of God, sometimes behind, and then sometimes he was right with God.  (Moses can

          help me set my clock with God's clock).

 

I.  Moses was ready to go to work for God when he was forty-years-old.  cf. Ex. 2:11-15

 

    A.  Moses had spent the first forty years of his life in the palace of Egypt.

 

          1.  When he saw an Egyptian beating one of his Israelite brethren, he went on the offensive and killed the

               Egyptian. 

          2.  Watch the tension and time issue.  cf. Acts 7:23-29

               a.  Moses was ready to lead Israel, according to HST, as the age of 40.  (He wanted to paint with a roller).   

               b.  But Moses, according to EST, wasn't ready to lead for another forty years at age 80.  (God said he needed to

                    use a little paint brush). 

                     1)  Moses was running ahead of God when he was forty.

                     2)  According to HST, God was running late once again. 

 

    B.  Setting my clock with God's clock is difficult because it requires patience. 

 

          1.  Ex:

                a.  God appears to be running late whenever I am hurting.  (The longer I suffer, the more "tardy" God seems

                     to be). 

                b.  Sometimes I think I'm ready for a certain responsibility, but God thinks I need to wait.

          2.  We live in a very impatient culture.  

                a.  Technology has trained us to expect instant gratification.  (We want it and we want it now.  As quickly as

                     possible.  We are the now generation.  The world has programmed us to be impatient.  We hate to wait.  We

                     despise delays.  We don't like anything that takes time.  We want it and we want it now.  We want overnight

                     success, instant wealth, quick solutions to our problems, rapid recovery from illnesses.  But the reality of life

                     is we spend a large part of our lives just flat out waiting).

                b.  There is always a period of time between sowing and reaping, asking and receiving, vision and fulfillment,

                     conception and birth, that requires us to wait.  

                      1)  We need patience!  But patience does not come overnight, it is developed over a period of time.

                      2)  In James 5 the inspired writer mentions the words patience or persistence six times.  (Why do we need

                           patience?  1) Because we need to remember that God is in control, 2) Because we need to remember

                           that God rewards patience not only in this life, but in heaven, and 3) Because we need to remember

                           that God is working out our issues and problems—we just need to obey and trust Him.

 

II.  Moses was hesitant to work for God when he was eighty-years-old.  "And when forty years had passed, an Angel of

     the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai."  Acts 7:30

 

     A.  Remember that God was still on the same schedule with Moses that He had discussed with Abraham.

 

     B.  When God was ready for Moses to paint with a roller, Moses wasn't ready to paint at all.

 

          1.  He gave excuses:

               .  "Who am I?"  Ex. 3:10-12

               .  "Who are You?"  Ex. 3:13-15

               .  "What if the people don't believe me?"  Ex. 4:1

               .  "I'm not a public speaker."  Ex. 4:10

          2.  Moses found it difficult to set his clock with God's clock.  (When Moses was 40, he had enthusiasm,

               assertiveness, and commitment—but God wasn't ready.  When Moses was 80, God was ready, but Moses was

               hesitant and afraid).

               a.  Am I willing to fit my life into God's schedule?

               b.  Questions:

                    .  "Will I have to wait forty years for my prayers to be answered?"  Possibly.

                    .  "Will I trust to keep His promises for 400 years?"

                    .  "Since I live with fast computers, pagers, cell phones, FAX machines and email, am I going to require

                       God to speed up if He is going to work with me?" 

                    .  "Will God have to do better with me that He did with Moses to develop my faith?"

                    .  "Since cars, airplanes, space shuttles, and Pentium chips are faster today, does God work faster today than

                       He did with Abraham, Sarah, and Moses?"

                    .  "Should I try to fit into God's schedule or should I expect God to fit into mine?"

 

Concl:

A.  Moses teaches me to wait for God—to have patience and to endure. 

B.  It is good to wait when God says "Wait," and to move when God says, "Move."  "We then, as workers together with

     Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.  For He says: 'In an acceptable time I have heard you,

     and in the day of salvation I have helped you.'  Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of

     salvation."  2 Cor. 6:1-2

                    

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Eph. 5:15: KW—09.13.09 #6 in a series

Intro:

A. Illust: Douglass MacArthur II, nephew of the famous WWII General, served in the state department when John Foster Dulles was Secretary of State.  One evening Dulles called MacArthur II at his home.  His wife answered the phone and explained that her husband was not there.  Not recognizing who the caller was, she angrily complained, "MacArthur is where MacArthur always is, weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and nights—in that office!"  Within minutes Dulles had MacArthur on the phone.  He gave him this terse order: "Go home at once, Boy.  Your home front is crumbling!"

       1.  Our lives are simply overcrowded; there is too little time for spiritual renewal and growth. 

       2.  Our "home fronts" are crumbling—literally.  Our schedules are so full that we are failing to tend to our

            most important priorities—our relationship with our children, our relationship with our spouses, and

            most importantly, our relationship with our God. 

B. Brethren, if we do not watch out, the cares of this world will choke God's word within us.  "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful."  Matt. 13:22; cf. Luke 8:14

       1.  Let me urge you not to diminish the seriousness of their problem with the excuse that your over-

            commitment is only temporary.

       2.  Because in truth your life is one unbroken chain of over-committed situations.  (It is one thing to do; it is

            another to overdo).

C. Rather than rationalize brethren, we need realize what we're doing with our lives.  We cannot fail to take the time for regular, personal, spiritual "maintenance" without serious, yes even—eternal consequences.

D. Observations:

       1.  Causes: The two primary reasons for the over-crowding of our lives are materialism and activity-

            addiction.

       2.  Consequences: We rob ourselves and loved ones a) relationally and b) spiritually.  cf. Mal. 1:8, 13

E. Luke 10:38-42

       1.  Part of us is Mary; we want to sit at the Lord's feet and learn.

       2.  But part of us is Martha—and there is just so much to do.  So many legitimate needs surround us,

            compelling us to work.  We hear Jesus' tender call to come away, and we respond, "Yes, Lord, we will

            come."  But then, the phone rings, or we're reminded of a check we were supposed to deposit

            yesterday.  Suddenly all of our good intentions about communing with the Lord disappear, swallowed up

            by the  tyranny of the urgent.

            a.  If any of this sounds familiar, then I urge you to listen closely.

            b.  Your daily time of prayer, Bible study and meditation must not be set aside for the endless

                 demands of the life.

 

I.  Scripture

 

       A.  The example of Jesus

 

             1.  As busy as the Lord was, He never once let His priorities get out of balance; He never became so

                  preoccupied with any set of concerns that He forgot about the others.

             2.  Jesus managed His time so as to spend needed hours in communion with His Father:

                  .  "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a

                     solitary place; and there H prayed."  Mark 1:35

                  .  "So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed."  Luke 5:16

                    .   "Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all

                     night in prayer to God."  Luke 6:12

 

       B.  The instruction of Paul.  1 Cor. 11:1

 

             1.  In his counsel to Timothy, it is no coincidence that things like meditation were linked to the

                  making of spiritual progress.  "Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that

                  your progress may be evident to all."  1 Tim. 4:15

 

2.  Christians are to aspire to live quiet and peaceable lives:

                  .  "For kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness

                     and reverence."  1 Tim. 2:2

                  .  "That you may aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your hands,

                     as we commanded you."  1 Thess. 4:11

                  a.  The word "quiet" is significant.  It suggests a way of life that is different from the way most

                       people are living right now.

                  b.  Illust: Lee Iacocca was a busy man running the Chrysler Corporation.  Even so, he recognized the

                       importance of balance in life.  He wrote, "I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who

                         can't seem to control their own schedules.  Over the years, I've had many executives come to me

                       and say with pride, 'Boy, last year I worked so hard that I didn't take any vacation.'  It's nothing to

                       be proud of.  I always feel like responding, 'You mean to tell me that you can take responsibility

                       for an $80 million project and you can't plan two weeks out of the year to go off with your family

                       and have some fun?'" (Iacocca, An Autobiography).  Illust: John Adams was a great leader in our

                       nation's history (e.g., lawyer, senator, vice president, president), but he lost a son because he put

                       loyalty to the colonies over his loyalty to his family. 

 

II.  Schedule

 

       A.  Illust:  Three stones in a wagon (Joanna Weaver, "The Cure," Having A Mary Heart in a Martha World,

               adapted from a story by Rosemarie Kowalski, 48-51).

 

       B.  Action—We need to learn to submit our schedules to the Lord for His approval, just as we seek His

             approval for everything else we do. 

 

            1.  Grasp the concept of time.  "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  Eph. 5:16

            2.  Prioritize; decide which stones need to be dumped from your overloaded wagon.

                 .  Make a list of all the activities you are involved in (i.e., children, work, church, etc.).

                   .  Pray over and prioritize the activities in terms of importance, assigning each one a number from

                     one to four, then eliminate all the fours. 

            3.  Don't confuse duty with devotion; the common with communion.  (That was Martha's downfall.  In

                 her effort to set a table worthy of the Son of God, she missed the real banquet).

            4.  Impose limits on how much time you spend on certain things.  Ex:

            5.  Focus your energies and enthusiasm.  (Energy is more productive when it is concentrated rather

                 than randomly dispersed).

 

Concl:

A.  It is not possible to be very, very busy and stay strong spiritually.

B. The life we ought to aspire to is a quiet life—one in which we mind our own business and tend our own work.

C. In this busy age, we especially need to take time to be holy.

D. With God's help, let's get a better grip on what we are doing with our lives. 

E. Illust: A few years ago, an unemployed cleaning woman in St. Louis, Missouri noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home.  Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them.  Over the summer the bees continued to fly in and out the attic vent while the woman remained unconcerned, unaware of the growing number of bees.  Soon the whole attic became a hive, and the ceiling of the second-floor bedroom finally caved in under the weight of hundreds of pounds of honey and thousands of angry bees.  While the woman escaped serious injury, she was unable to repair the damage of her accumulated neglect.

       1.  We must not get so busy that we neglect the really important matters in our lives.

       2.  Accumulated neglect can wreak havoc in the spiritual realm.  Are YOU too busy?  Are you more like

            Mary or Martha?

 


 

 

   "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Prov. 3:5-6: KW—09.20.09 #7 in a series

Intro:

A.  Recently we introduced two ideas in our current sermon series: EST or Eternal Sovereign Time and HST or Human

      Standard Time.

      1.  These are important concepts that deserve our personal attention, thought, and prayer. 

      2.  What we are really talking about in terms of time is:

           a.  Who is in charge of the universe?  (God or me)?

           b.  Do I feel a need to share or take over God's position?  (Since God is usually not on time—at least from my

                 perspective, perhaps I could do a better job of getting things done in a more expedient fashion).   

           c.  What do I do when God or other people do not recognize and respect my position as ruler of the world?

                1)  According to HST, God is usually running very late.

                      a)  Mary and Martha thought Jesus showed up four days too late to late to help Lazarus.  cf. Jn. 11  

                      b)  Abraham and Sarah thought God was at least 25 years late in giving them a son.  cf. Gen. 18

                      c)  Moses thought God was forty years late in giving him the job as leader of Israel.  cf. Acts 7

                2)  When I have a hurt, need, or a request, God typically doesn't delve out physical blessings like money out of

                      an ATM machine. 

                      a)  But if I were sovereign Master of the earth, folks would get stuff much faster. 

                      b)  And my impatience with people today serves as testimony to the fact that I would make a much more

                           time-conscious and efficient god than Jehovah.

                      c)  If I could share or take God's position, nobody would ever have to wait again. 

B.  This is lesson #7 in our series, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

C.  Perhaps it's appropriate to ask, "Does God Really Know What Time It is?"  Yes.  

      1.  I want to caution us about limiting God in terms of how, and how quickly, He solves our problems.

           a.  We assume that God can and will solve our problems in one single act—much like Jesus worked miracles in the

                 first century. 

           b.  But why can't He deal with our problems in a progressive way?  (Why does He have to deal with my hurt or

                 need all at once?)

                 1)  Can He deal with my need throughout time and then bring it to a climax on the Day of Judgment?

                 2)  Many of us assume that the only way for God to deal with pain is in one single act.  (The truth is, God

                       often solves problems today in a long-term fashion—in stages).    

      2.  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge

           Him, and He shall direct your paths."  Prov. 3:5-6

           a.  Ex:  Parents, have you ever taken the family on a long trip, like vacation, and barely 30 minutes into the ride

                one of your children asks, "Are we there yet?"

           b.  The reason that children ask this question thirty minutes into an extended journey is because they have no real

                concept of what it takes travel (e.g., traveling, hours, staying overnight, etc.)      

D.  What do I do when God is running late?  (It's been my observation and experience that a lot of our sins are related to

     time and our unwillingness to wait.) 

 

I.  Worry

 

    A.  When God moves too slowly for me and my problems, do I worry?

 

          1.  Illust: Far out in the Aegean Sea, in the Cycladic chain, lies a Greek island called Naxos.  Largely untouched by

               the march of technology and the information age, Naxos has remained the same for centuries.  Olive trees line

               the island's rocky shores as turquoise waters shimmer in the harbor.  Mount Za looms above; its lush meadows

               and cool streams rush down to meet the sea.  The pace of life is unhurried, the people willing to talk to

               passersby.

 

               One of the first things you notice when you step on this island is the strings of beads worn by many people.  Rich

               and poor.  Tall and short.  Both the young and the old—but especially the old men, for this is a very old Greek

               custom.  The islanders finger and manipulate the beads around their necks all day long.  They say the beads

               bring comfort, that the process of handling them cuts down on anxiety.  They call them komboloi—"worry

               beads."

               a.  A quaint custom, we may say, yet we have worry rituals ourselves, don't we?

               b.  While we may not wear anxiety around our necks, it certainly affects our lives.  (We bite our fingernails, pace

                    the floor, and lie awake at night because of worry.  Hour after hour, our mental fingers twist around a

                    problem, turning it this way, then that, like a Rubik's Cube.  We manipulate and postulate, desperate to solve

                    the puzzle).

          2.  The words used most often for worry and anxiety in the NT come from the same Greek word, meridzoe, which

               means "to be divided, to be pulled in opposite directions, to choke."  (Perhaps we wear anxiety around our

               necks after all)!

               a.  May I remind us again that God works on a different schedule than we do (e.g., EST), and when we worry

                    because He's not working fast enough for us, it means we are engaged in a form of  spiritual suicide

                    we're choking ourselves to death!

               b.  "The reason our problems often seem overwhelming is that we allow the things of time to loom larger in our

                     gaze than the things of eternity." 

    

    B.  "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made

          known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through

          Christ Jesus."  Phil. 4:6-7

 

          1.  Practical steps:

               .  Be anxious about nothing.

               .  Be prayerful about everything.

               .  Be thankful for all things.

          2.  Observations:

               a.  When Paul said, "Be anxious for nothing," he literally meant "not even one thing!"  (Nothing.  Not our

                    families, not our finances, nor our past). 

               b.  When Paul said, "But in everything by prayer…" he literally meant "every single thing!"

                    1)  There is nothing too big, nothing too small, that we cannot bring to the heart of our heavenly Father.

                    2)  "Any concern too small to be turned into prayer is too small to be made into a burden."

                         a)  Ex: Instead of worrying, "What if my loved one has wreck while he/she is on the road," why not pray

                               "Lord, please be with this family member as he/she drives today…?"

                         b)  You see, worry and fretting magnifies the problem, but prayer magnifies the Father!

               c.  When Paul said, "In everything by prayer…with thanksgiving" he meant look at everything God has done for

                    you.

                    1)  Song: "Count your blessings, name them one by one!"

                    2)  If we aren't grateful for what God has done in the past and in the present, we won't have the faith to

                         believe God for things in the future!

 

II.  Overwork

 

     A.  When God moves too slowly for me and my financial burdens, do I overwork?

 

           1.  Scripture addresses the concept of meaningful labor:

                .  Loving provider: "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has

                    denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."  1 Tim. 5:8

                .  Thankful consumer: "In everything give thanks…" 1 Thess. 5:18a

                .  Concerned giver: "Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is

                   good, that he may have something to give him who has need."  Eph. 4:28

           2.  Work is biblical—Paul said, "For even when we were with you, we commanded you this: If anyone will not

                work, neither shall he eat" (2 Thess. 3:10), but habitually overworking to provide for my needs may be a

                statement about my lack of trust in God's time and provision. 

                a.  cf. Mt. 6:25-34

                b.  Illust: Terence Fox was the president and chief executive officer of Iroquois Brands, Ltd., of Greenwich,

                     Connecticut.  When asked how he had become so successful so quickly he said that at fifteen his most

                     burning ambition was to be wealthy by thirty.  At twenty he quit Marquette University and went to work on

                     Wall Street, later getting his degree by attending night school.  The six years he spent on Wall Street told him

                     there was no better place to make a lot of money legally.  And what did that involve?  A twenty-four-hour-a-

                     day, seven-days-a-week commitment.  "My golf game faltered from a four to a twelve handicap; I stopped

                     hunting; my marriage faltered after five years.  I am never home, I am constantly traveling between our

                     fourteen plants, and on many a Saturday night while I am having dinner alone in a strange airport I say to

                     myself,  'You are here because you chose to be.'"

 

     B.  "Do not overwork to be rich; because of your own understanding, cease!"  Prov. 23:4  NKJV

 

           1.  Other translations:

                .  "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have wisdom to show restraint."  (NIV)

                .  "Don't wear yourself out trying to get rich; be wise enough to control yourself."  (NCV)

           2.  My schedule may say that I think I need to share control of the universe with God.  (Since He's either not

                 willing or able to provide for my needs, I'll just have to take matters into my own hands and trust my extended

                 labor). 

                 a.  Jesus rested.  "And He said to them, 'Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.'  For

                      there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat" (Mk. 6:31), but He still

                      accomplished everything His Father sent Him to do.

                 b.  Labor that is designed to benefit others and promote the cause of Christ must be tempered with balance,

                      lest I rob my family, destroy my health, and limit my effectiveness in the kingdom.

 

III.  Forsake

 

       A.  When God moves too slowly for me and my hurts, do I forsake Him?

 

             1.  I know a lot of people who have left the faith (and the church) because while they believed God existed, they

                   were convinced that either He had forsaken them or that He had waited too long to provide relief for them.

             2.  "Since He didn't keep His end of the bargain, then I'm no longer bound to keep my end of the bargain—in

                  terms of obedience and faithfulness—either."

                  a.  Examples:

                       .  I may cheat on my taxes because I think that God is not providing for my material needs with taxes as high

                          as they are, and besides, He doesn't understand modern politics.

                       .  I may commit adultery because God hasn't brought peace in my marriage as fast as I think He should

                          have.

                       .  I may commit mental adultery by looking at pornography on the internet because God hasn't provided

                          for my sexual needs with my mate as often as I think He should. 

                       .  I may steal because God appears to be late in His provisions.

                       .  I may lie because God hasn't provided what I want as quickly as I want it.

                       .  I may pull away from my duties and responsibilities to the church because I've experienced conflict with

                          my brethren in the past and God hasn't intervened soon enough, nor strongly enough, to resolve the

                          problem.  

                       .  I may covet because I'm convinced that God is not fair in His time management—He has blessed my

                          neighbor more quickly that He has me, and that isn't fair.

                       .  I may drink and take drugs because God's running late and hasn't taken care of my pain fast enough, so

                          I'm taking care of it myself. 

                  b.  Illust: In the Star Wars film series, Anakin Skywalker is a Jedi knight who is strong in the Force.  However,

                        over time he is seduced by the "dark side" of the Force and eventually commits entirely to it.  When we

                        think of brethren who have left the faith (i.e., forsaken the Lord), it is easy to think of them in terms of

                        the Star Wars motif.  That is, we often get the mental picture that those have forsaken God were once

                        "spiritual giants" with a strong faith but dragged away from their faith by Satan's work.  The problem is,

                        the Bible doesn't support this sort of romanticized notion.  Most of the people who forsake God and

                        fall away never had a strong, authentic faith in the first place.  Their apostasy is not so much a  complete

                        renunciation of a fervently held faith as losing something that was only tentatively held in the first place.

                        "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it

                        with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution

                        arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."  Mt. 13:20-21              

 

       B.  "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart."  Lk. 18:1

 

            1.  "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  Gal. 6:9

            2.  Jesus didn't quit when He was hurt by others.  "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who

                 for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand

                 of the throne of God."  Heb. 12:3

 

IV.  Vengeance

 

       A.  When God moves too slowly for me and my personal injuries, do I try to do God's job?

 

            1.  Not waiting to let God handle an injury is a statement about my faith or lack thereof. 

                 a.  Personal vengeance says, "I know the circumstances better than God does, and I'm  wiser than He is in how

                      to delve out punishment." 

                 b.  "If He's not going to move quickly in this matter, then I'll do it for Him, and we won't even need Him at

                      the Judgment!"

            2.  Can I wait and let God iron everything out, or do I need to try to do His job for Him? 

 

      B.  Vengeance is part of God's job description.  cf. Rom. 12:17-21

 

Concl: 

A.  Disobedience to God is often a time issue.

B.  What do you do when God is running late?  Do you worry, overwork, lose faith, take vengeance, or sin in some other

     way?

     1.  Sometimes God seems to take forever.

     2.  There is only one way to even begin to tune into God's sense of timing, and that is through waiting.  (Waiting

          transports us out of the temporal, out of our time-zone, and into His time-zone).      

C.  "And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."  Phil. 4:19

     1.  God is never surprised; never caught off guard; never frustrated by unexpected developments.  (God does as He

           pleases and that which pleases Him is always for His glory and our good).

     2.  Our lives are cluttered with a lot of "if only."  "If only I had done this," or "if only that had not happened."  (But

           God has no "if onlys."  God never makes a mistake; God has no regrets.  His way is perfect).  "As for God, His way is

           perfect…"  Psm. 18:30a 

D.  Do you trust Him and will you let him be in control?

          

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"

Prov. 3:5-6: KW—09.20.09 #7 in a series

Intro:

A.  Two ideas:

B.  What are we really talking about in terms of time:

     1.

     2.

     3.

C.  According to HST, God is usually:

D.  "Does God really know what time it is?"

E.  What do I do when God is running late?

 

I.                                                                             .

 

   A.  The words used most often for worry and anxiety in the NT come from the same Greek word, meridzoe, which

        means:

 

   B.  Phil. 4:6-7

 

II.                                                                            .

 

   A.  Scripture addresses the concept of meaningful labor.  1 Tim. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 4:28; 2 Thess. 3:10; Mt. 6:25-34

 

   B.  Prov. 23:4

 

III.                                                                           .

 

    A.  Many have left the faith and the church because:

 

    B.  Lk. 18:1

 

IV.                                                                          .

 

     A.  Not waiting to let God handle an injury is a statement about:

 

     B.  Rom. 12:17-21

 

 

Concl:

A.  Disobedience is a                                       issue.

B.  What do you do when God is running late?

C.  Phil.  4:19


 

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Lam. 3:25: KW—09.27.09 #8 in a series (or "Why Does God Delay?")

Intro:

A.  Scripture assures us that justice is coming:

      1.  "For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is

            evil."  Eccl. 12:14

      2.  "Because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has

           ordained.  He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."  A. 17:32

           a.  But why a future day of judgment?  (Why doesn't God simply reward each good and punish each evil as it

                happens?)

           b.  One author phrased it: "What kind of God allows the innocent to suffer while the wicked pop their champagne

                corks and sing loud songs?"

                1)  We may say, "Yes, Lord, we accept your wisdom in permitting evil and suffering for a season—but enough is

                     enough.  Why do You allow evil and suffering continue?

                2)  Others have asked the same question:

                      a.  "Righteous are You, O LORD, when I plead with You; yet let me talk with You about Your judgments.  Why

                           does the way of the wicked prosper?  Why are those happy who deal so treacherously?"  Jer. 12:1

                      b.  "When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word

                           of God and for the testimony which they held.  And they cried with a loud voice saying, 'How long, O

                           Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?"  Rev. 6:9-10

                      c.  Song: "Tempted and tired we're oft made to wonder, why it should be thus all the day long, while there

                           are others living about us, never molested though in the wrong…" 

B.  The Bible tells me that God will act in a definite way, but for now He's postponed His judgment and asks that we wait.

C.  This is lesson #8 in our series, "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It is?"  (One of the things that we continue to

      grapple with is this concept of Eternal Standard Time or EST.  Why does God make us wait?)

      1.  Chorus: "Farther along we'll know all about it, farther along we'll understand why…"  (We can understand "why"

            now). 

      2.  God is not some vending-machine in which a coin of righteousness produces reward, or a coin of evil produces

            swift retribution from heaven.

      3.  That's not how God functions today.  (He's in a different "time-zone.")

D.  Why does God delay justice?    

 

I.  In order to accomplish the greatest eternal good.    

 

    A.  The Bible explains why God postpones His judgment upon sin and why He allows evil and suffering to continue.

 

          1.  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not

               willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."  2 Pet. 3:9

               a.  "Is not slack concerning His promise" reveals that there is no indifference on God's part.

               b.  He does not loiter or delay in the discharge of His purposes as unbelievers argue. 

          2.  One of the primary reasons that God delays judgment and allows us to continue to suffer is so that others may

               obtain divine mercy.

 

    B.  God delays His judgment long enough to accomplish the greatest eternal good.

 

         1.  He postpones judgment against evil in order to provide time for more people to respond to the gospel.

         2.  He postpones judgment against evil in order to motivate Christians to draw closer to God.  "But the day of the

               Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements

               will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.  Therefore, since all

               these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness." 

               2 Pet. 3:10-11

               a.   "What manner of persons" is literally, "of what country."

               b.  We are citizens of the colony of heaven ("For our citizenship is in heaven…" Phil. 3:20); we are merely

                    strangers and sojourners here.  cf. Heb. 11:13, 16  Song: "This world is not my home…" 

 

II.  Not to make our lives miserable, but to make our lives possible.

 

     A.  Sin demands death—"For the wages of sin is death…"  Rom. 6:23a

 

           1.  If people are to live, justice must wait.               

           2.  God delays justice to give people time to come to Him, to grow in Christlikeness, and  trust Him more deeply. 

 

     B.  After the September 11 terrorist attacks, American politicians made this sweeping promise: "We're going to rid

           the world of this evil!"

 

           1.  No one can ask that the world be rid of evil without asking that the world be rid of himself!

           2.  Like Zebedee's sons, we would love to call down fire from Heaven to judge other' evil.  cf. Lk. 9:52-56

                a.  But we are slow to see our own sins.

                b.  We want selective justice, not true justice.  (We cry out for justice when we really want vindication and

                     special treatment—relief from injustices done against us, without being judged for injustices done by us.

                     (Since God is just, He cannot always give us the justice we want without also giving us the justice we

                     deserve). 

 

III.  Because He is our Father.

 

      A.  Illust: If your son disobeys when seated in the back seat of the car, you may postpone discipline thirty minutes

            until you get off the freeway and arrive at home.  (My daddy rarely postponed). 

 

            1.  If he's older, you may deprive him of a future privilege, such as attending a concert or staying overnight at a

                 friend's house.

            2.  In a sense, the anticipation of future punishment or loss brings the future event to the present, making the

                 son disappointed now.

 

      B.  God delays justice for greater durations and on a larger scale, but it's the same principle.  (If we can rightfully

            delay punishment, why shouldn't God?)

 

IV.  In order that we might be able to experience real joy and blessing.

 

       A.  Men like Joseph, Moses, and David suffered through many years of severe trial and hardship and were later

             blessed. 

 

             1.  We really appreciate things and people more after we have had to wait. 

                  .  Separation from your mate.  Ex: George Jordan in the South Pacific during WWII 

                  .  Being without basic, American blessings.  Ex: No showers in the San Blas islands

                  .  Question: When did Jesus experience glory?  (After He suffered.  I can't have resurrection until I have first

                     had crucifixion).    

             2.  David was blessed for waiting.  "I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me, and heard my cry.  He

                   also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my

                   steps.  He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the

                   LORD.  Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust…"  Psm. 40:1-4a

 

       B.  God's people have endured dark nights of the soul and felt abandoned by God.  

 

             1.  But God promises to reward their patience and faith.

             2.  "The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him."  Lam. 3:25

 

V.  To help us distinguish between temporary and permanent.

 

      A.  The Bible speaks of relative weights.

 

            1.  "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight

                 of glory."  2 Cor. 4:17

                 a.  Our burdens seem not only heavy, but crushing, at times.

                 b.  Paul said our hurts are a light, weightless trifle when compared to the weight of eternal glory!

            2.  When we face a lengthy period of great adversity, though it hardly seems momentary, in fact it is. 

 

     B.  When we get to Heaven, we will agree with Paul that our earthly sufferings were unworthy to be compared with

          eternal glory.  "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the

          glory which shall be revealed in us."  Rom. 8:18

 

Concl:

A.  God never promises immediate justice, but ultimate justice.  "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which

      all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good to the resurrection of life,

      and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation."  Jn. 5:28-29

B.  Illust: Charles Manson, member of the notorious "Manson Family" has never expressed sorrow for his crimes.

      1.  God says that though final judgment for evil doesn't come here and now, He keeps track of it all.  "But in

            accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of

            wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who 'will render to each one according to His deeds.'"

            Rom. 2:5-6

      2.  No one "gets away with" anything.  (Eternal punishment will come.  No one beats the system, not Charles Manson

            or anyone else. 

C.  Justice delayed is not justice denied.

D.  God doesn't stipulate when a man reaps what he sows.  Illust: Two men owned farms side by side.  One was a bitter

      atheist, the other a devout Christian.  Constantly annoyed at the Christian for trusting God, the atheist said to him

      one winter, "Let's plant our crops as usual this spring, each the same number of acres.  You pray to God, and I'll

      curse Him.  Then come October, let's see who has the bigger and better crop."  When October came the atheist was

      delighted because his crop was larger.  "See, you fool," he taunted, "what do you have to say for your God now?"

      "My God," the other farmer replied, "doesn't settle all of His accounts in October."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Lam. 3:25: KW—09.27.09 #8 in a series

Intro:

A.  Judgment is certain.  Eccl. 12:14; Acts 17:32

B.  But what a FUTURE day of judgment?  (Why doesn't God simply reward each good and punish each evil as it

     happens)?

C.  Others have asked the same question.  Jer. 12:1; Rev. 6:9-10

D.  Why does God delay justice?

 

I.  In order to                                                                                                                                                                                                      .

 

    A.  2 Pet. 3:9

 

    B.  Specific reasons:

 

         1.

         2.

 

II.  Not to make our lives                                                              , but to make our lives                                                                  .

 

    A.  Rom. 6:23

 

         1.  If people are to live, justice must                               .

         2. 

 

    B.  Political promise:

 

         1.  No one can ask that the world be rid of evil without asking WHAT?

         2.  Lk. 9:52-56

 

III.  Because He is                                                                            .

 

      A.  Did your father ever postpone punishment?  Why or why not?

 

      B.  Does delay mean denial? 

 

IV.  In order that we might be able to                                                                                                                                                     .

 

      A.  We really appreciate things and people more after we have had to                                                                             .

 

      B.  Psm. 40:1-4; Lam. 3:25

 

V.  To help us distinguish between                                                                                                                                                         .

 

     A.  2 Cor. 4:17

     B.  Rom. 8:18

 

Concl:

A.  God's promise.  Jn. 5:28-29

B.  October. 


 

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

Col. 4:5: KW—10.11.09 #9 in a series

Intro:

A.  Questions: 

      1.  Do you think Jesus would have carried a calendar and schedule program in His cell phone?

      2.  Would He have consulted it before making commitments?

      3.  Would He have bypassed a leper because His calendar said He was late for an appointment?

      4.  Do you think Jesus would have worn a wristwatch?

      5.  What would have been His reaction if the temple service extended past noon and somebody's watch alarm or

           phone had gone off in the assembly?

      6.  Would He have driven out the clock watchers along with the money changers?  (What would He have thought of

           a church member I read about who weekly timed the preacher's sermons with a stopwatch and reported the

           statistics on the way out of service)?

      7.  Do you think Jesus would have carried a cell phone in the first place? 

      8.  Would Martha and Mary have texted Him to come and raise Lazarus from the dead?

      9.  Can you imagine Jesus being paged out of the Lord's Supper?

B.  The clock and Christ are not close friends.

      1.  Imagine what God thinks of us now that we are so locked into schedules that we have many times locked

            ourselves out of the joy and peace that comes with being a child of God. 

      2.  We jump at the alarm, but sleep when the Almighty is speaking to us through the Word.

C.  What steps can I take to redeem my time?

      1.  "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."  Eph. 5:16

      2.  "Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time."  Col. 4:5 

 

I.  Expect interruptions

 

    A.   Jesus was often interrupted as He went about His business.

  

           Ex:

           1.  While teaching the disciples of John.  "While He spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and

                worshiped Him, saying, 'My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hand on her and she will live."

                Mt. 9:18

           2.  While on his way to raise the daughter of Jairus.  "And suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve

                years came behind and touched the hem of His garment."  Mt. 9:20

           3.  While He was at prayer.  "Now in the morning, having arisen a long while before daylight, He went out and

                 departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.  And Simon and those who were with Him searched for

                 Him.  When they found Him, they said to Him, 'Everyone is looking for You."  Mk. 1:35-37

           4.  While He was preaching in Galilee.  "And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and

                 casting out demons.  Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If you

                 are willing, You can make me clean.'"  Mk. 1:39-40

           5.  While He was preaching in Capernaum.  "And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard

                that He was in the house.  Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive

                them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them.  Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic

                who was carried by four men."  Mk. 2:1-3

 

    B.  A proverb in Ecuador says, "Everything takes longer than it does." 

 

         1.  To plan for the unexpected is not an invitation to sloppiness, but instead a concession to reality.

         2.  Jesus teaches me not to over-schedule and to expect the unexpected. 

 

II.  Learn to say, "No."

 

      A.  Saying "No" is a mathematical necessity.

 

           1.  If there are fifteen good things to do today and you can do only ten of them, you will need to say "No" five

                times.  (This is not rocket science, but kindergarten logic).

 

           2.  "But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath.  But let your

                'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No,' lest you fall into judgment."  Jas. 5:12

                a.  The key is learning to say the right word at the right time.

                      1)  Serving within the kingdom, to a certain limit, I need to say "Yes" to.

                      2)  Serving outside the kingdom, I may need to say "No" to. 

                b.  "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

                      Mt. 6:33

 

     B.  Saying "No" is not an excuse for selfishness, rudeness, or insensitivity.

 

           1.  When I am overcommitted, either something or someone suffers.  Ex: Wife, children, co-workers who are

                waiting, yard, etc. 

           2.  Illust:  I was asked by a sister on Friday to prepare a display for VBS which started on Sunday.  (The person who

                had agreed to do the work didn't come through).  I said, "No."  The sister was angry that I refused.  I was okay

                with that because I had other priorities, including finishing sermon preparation for Sunday.      

 

III.  Prune the activity branches

 

       A.  Illust:  For years we had a large apple tree in our yard.  If we wanted a healthy tree with better fruit, we needed

             to prune away branches.

 

             1.  Activities and commitments often have a way of adding themselves to our lives.

             2.  Since it is usually harder to stop something than to start it, periodically we need to get out the clippers and

                   prune away.

 

       B.  I read of one author who views her life as a sort of tree.

 

            1.  The trunk is the anchor of her life—a relationship with Jesus.

            2.  The limbs represent those major focus areas that God gives us—family, job, church, personal development.

                  a.  The branches represent the ever proliferating multitude of activities.  "Now he who received seed among

                        the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the

                        word, and he becomes unfruitful."  Mt. 13:22 

                  b.  If we are not careful, the activity branches can become more prominent than the trunk. 

 

IV.  Practice simplicity and contentment

 

       A.  Everything we own owns us in a sense.

 

             1.  We must maintain it, paint it, play with it, build space in our house to put it, and then work to pay it off.

             2.  If we had fewer things we would have more time.

 

       B.  Contentment is learned.  "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be

             content."  Phil. 4:11

 

             1.  Not too many years ago, the group U2 sang a song with the following words: "I have climbed the highest

                  mountains.  I have run though the fields.  I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled city walls.  But I still haven't

                  found what I'm looking for."

                  a.  That song, perhaps more than any other, describes American culture today.  (How many people are

                       searching, running, scaling, and looking for something, but not finding it)?

                  b.  Illust: I remember what a Mayberry episode in which a fancy New York preacher came to town.  He

                        preached a sermon about slowing down.  He said, "All we do is rush, rush, rush.  Slow down, enjoy life."

                        After the service the people of Mayberry decided to rebuild the band stand, drag out the old band

                        uniforms, and assemble the musical group again.  They were so busy trying to relax that they drove them-

                        selves crazy.

            2.   Verses:

                  a.  "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."  1 Tim. 6:6

                  b.  "And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content."  1 Tim. 6:8 

 

V.  Think more in terms of long-term vision than short-term flurry

 

      A.  Americans tend to be shortsighted.

 

           1.  We live in a state of myopic mania that blurs the future.

           2.  We must have a vision that extends beyond tomorrow.  (Living only from week-to-week is like a dot-to-dot

                life).

 

      B.  It's good to have five and ten year plans.  "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I

            do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead."  Phi. 3:13

 

           1.  Goals should be flexible.

           2.  Each of us needs a direction and a vision in order that we can gauge our progress.

 

VI.  Get less done but do the right things

 

       A.  Every activity needs to be assessed in terms of its authenticity.

 

             1.  If we have fifteen things to do and can only do ten, how do we select from among them?

             2.  We must have a "God-authored" criteria with which to judge our activities and then be willing to use them.

                  a.  I need to pray and ask for wisdom in deciding which things I need to do and then do them.  "If any of you

                        lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to

                        him."  Jas. 1:5

                  b.  Illust:  A woman went with her husband to the doctor's office.  When the checkup was over, the doctor

                        asked the man to wait outside so he could talk to the wife.  He had a very somber look on his face and

                        asked her to sit down.  "Your husband is suffering from a very severe stress disorder.  If you  don't do what

                        I ask and follow my prescription to the letter, your husband is not going to make it.  Here's what I want you

                        to do.  Get up early each morning and fix him a healthy, hot breakfast.  Make him a nutritious lunch and

                        then prepare him a really special romantic dinner every night.  Not only be pleasant to him, but make love

                        to him at least three times a week.  Don't burden him with chores or discuss your problems with him.  You

                        will need to do almost all of the work around the house.  And you can't nag him about anything.  If you

                        can do this for a year, your husband will regain his health, but if you won't, he's not going to make it.

 

                        As they were driving home, the husband turned to his wife and asked, "What did the doctor say?"  To

                        which she replied, "He said you're not going to make it."

                        1)  Am I willing to do the right things? 

                        2)  If I get the unimportant things accomplished, but fail in the important things, I will suffer.  Exo. 18:13-23    

 

       B.  For many people the barrier to spiritual growth is not a lack of commitment, but over-commitment to the

              wrong things.

 

              1.  Is this activity pressing, or is it consequential?

              2.  If pressing and urgent stuff is regularly eroding either your relationships or your time for rest, it's  time to

                   reevaluate.

 

Concl:

A.  Review: expect interruptions, learn to say, "No," prune the activity branch, practice simplicity and contentment, think

      more in terms of long-term vision than short-term flurry, and get less done but do the right things.

B.  God invented time and reserves the right to set the rules for its use.

C.  God never intended for time to oppress us and dictate our every move.

D.  Illust:  Some years ago, our family was together in Georgia for the holidays.  My father-in-law had tied the family

      dog, Lady, to the rear fender of his pickup so she wouldn't run off during the night.  Early the next morning Lucien

      got up early to go to the grocery.  He forgot that he had tied Lady to the back of the  truck.  Lucien drug her more

      than half way to the store (at least a couple of miles), before another motorist hollered over to him and told him

      about the dog.  By then it was too late; he had literally drug her to death. 

      1.  For many in our assembly, your life feels just like Lady's.  (The pace of your life is fast and relentless.  Sometimes

           you're on your feet running as fast as you can do.  More often than not, you feel like you're being dragged

           around by the neck).

      2.  There's really only one difference between you and Lady.  You chose your predicament, but she did not.

E.  Are you doing the most important things in your life right now?      

          

           

 


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