I’m Bored …

Title: I’m Bored …

Text: Ephesians 5:15-17

PP: Take advantage of the time God has given you for his glory.

RTL: If not we will waste our lives.

Points:

1. Spend Your Time Thoughtfully (v.15)

a. Continually Renew Your Sense of Interest

b. Live Wisely

2. Make the Most of the Time (v.16)

3. Purpose Your Life for God’s Glory (v.17)

Intro:

Well one of my favorite shows growing up … was the show “Phineas and Ferb”

Have you guys seen “Phineas and Ferb”?

I was thinking about why I loved the show so much … besides of course Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Perry and Balgeet

The show let’s your imagination run wild

whether they’re…

building a rocket

fighting a mummy

or climbing up the Eiffel tower

discovering something that doesn’t exist

or giving a monkey a shower

The show is a lot of fun because they make some of those crazy ideas we all have … kinda come to life

The concept of the show is that Phineas and Ferb are bored during summer … so they do something about it

This is another reason why it is so good … it is relatable to all of us

We’ve all gotten bored at some point … especially during Summer

Speaking of Summer … it’s coming up .. for most of you it’s really really soon

Today I want to talk about … what to do when you are bored

This is super important for us because usually when you’re bored … you tend to waste a lot of time

I don’t want you to waste this summer … even more that I don’t want you to waste your life

because if you waste your time … you will end up wasting your life

I want you to take advantage of the time God has given you … for his glory

Turn with me to Ephesians 5:15–17

READ

This passage has a lot to tell us about how we should we spend our time

… To spend our time wisely and not squander it

The first thing it tells us is that … we should spend our time thoughtfully

1. Spend Your Time Thoughtfully (v.15)

We all know that feeling of being bored

beginning of summer we do all the exciting things we wanted to do

… then midsummer comes around and the excitement of summer begins to drain

… all the fun things we anticipated during those last weeks of school have been checked

… free time on your hands has become a pattern

you say to your parents “I am bored” … “there’s nothing to do”

Let’s think about “boredom”

What is it? … boredom is disinterest

it’s finding something or someone … uninteresting

Bc think about when you say there is nothing to do

you are really saying there isn’t anything I can think of … that interests me

which I learned when I was younger not to say that bc my parents would give me something to do

… so being bored is a lack of interest

Now you won’t find the word “bored” in your Bible

we find related concepts like “slothful, sluggard, and lazy”

but it’s not exactly the same as those words

Sin can fuel your boredom

like if you are lazy but are just covering it up with saying “you’re bored”

which is a valid question you need to ask yourself … “is this me?”

But doesn’t necessarily mean you are being sinful

So what does it mean? … See boredom tells us something

… When we feel bored, we are asking the question … “Where’s the delight in this?”

Bc think about it … you are not bored when you are doing something is grabbing your attention … something you are enjoying

Think of boredom as the low battery notification you get on your phone when your under 20%

it signals you because your interest level has dropped … it’s running low … and it’s draining your joy

There might be legitimate reasons for this

maybe your sick

emotionally you’re just not there

but most of the time what happens is that we’re being selfish … and we’re trying to drink from “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13)

Are you looking for true joy in the wrong places?

Are you looking for real nutrients in the junk food of easy entertainment … binging Youtube this summer … laying around doing nothing all day for multiple days … video games … distractions … selfish pursuits

True fountains of joy are found in have an understanding of who God is and who he is in relation to you

Thinking about this will give us a reality check

For that we need to think about our interest

a. Continually Renew Your Sense of Interest

Bc boredom also means we lost a sense of wonder

we can easily take 1) our own existence and 2) the world we live in … for granted

we can just think of them as things you need to know for your next science test … just facts

I thought about this yesterday … when i was at train retreat … the house is on hill and it’s next to these mountains

I am sitting there looking out towards the mountain way way out there … hawk goes by … a butterfly flying around … breeze is hitting me … and I am thinking I am so glad I am alive in this moment rn

I thought the same thing when the sun was setting … the girls taking pictures of it

How could it be that sometimes we can think video games or makeup tutorials are more exciting than this?

We can’t be so self-preoccupied! … we have to expand how we think about reality

You are presently alive & conscious

You are God’s creation … God intentionally thought I will give Josh life … I will give Lucy life … I will give Evan life

You have a functioning brain

that thing in your head that is allowing you to process what I saying to you right now

your brain is so complex

your sight … your hearing … your taste … your smell … your touch … your balance

different systems - your digestion … your cardiovascular system … your immune system

this is not to mention all the things your brain allows you to do

The reality of your existence … should be the thing that you go to when you are “bored”

you and the world we live in … are awesome, fearful, and wonderful things

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

when you are bored … this the Psalm you should go to … Psalm 139

You presently exist because God wanted you to exist … you are who you are because God wanted it that way - God has given you life

Psalm 8:3–4 “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?”

Now Paul says to “Look carefully then how you walk”

To look accurately … with precision … to be careful implies that you are calculated

“Walk” in the Bible refers to the way you live

Here he goes on to clarify how we should be living

… not as unwise, but as wise

b. Live Wisely

In the Bible … wisdom is not just knowledge … or lots of facts in your head

Wisdom is not just knowing the capital of Missouri - Jefferson City

… that’s knowledge

Wisdom … is skill

Skill for living … knowing how to live well

Applying the knowledge of God … it is Truth lived out

God has given us the ability to choose

We can choose to live in a way that honors Him … or we can choose to live in a way that seems wise to us

Being wise … is you thinking and being intentional with your life … so that you don’t waste it on selfish pursuits

This is hard for all of us because we a natural inclination to coast

Like floating down the lazy river at a water park

Most of us don’t want to exert the energy … in being alert to how we are living

1 Timothy 4:7–8 “7 train yourself for godliness;

8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Ik some of you will be working out this summer

More important than working out your body

…is your Spiritual life

Watching the way you live… is you being wise

Pray about it!

James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Don’t just go around sleep walking in life

Be on alert, attentive, and careful

Paul goes on to tell us how to be wise with our time (v.16)

READ

Ephesians 5:16 “making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

We gotta make the most of the time we have

2. Make the Most of the Time (v.16)

God wants us to be wise with … our resource of “time”

and summer will have lots of that resource

“Making the best use of the time” - in other translations it says “redeem the time”

he’s saying make every moment count … seize the opportunity

It’s like one time I remember I went over to a friends house to play Wii Sports

we were playing baseball

before this … I hadn’t even seen a Wii in years

so I was not good … a little rusty

kept missing the ball … striking out

I wasn’t swinging correctly

Make the best use of the time is … “taking your opportunities, swinging, and hitting the ball”

“Time”

There are 2 words in greek for the word “time” that he could have used

Chronos - the ticking of the clock

Kairos is the word he uses

Kairos - period of time … fixed amount of time

He’s saying take advantage of your fixed amount of time rn … your life stage … your junior high summer … of the summer before you go to high school

See we’re called to be good stewards of the time we have

Bc we are not in charge of our time … God is

We gotta think like a steward

You are a manager of something

You have been given a certain amount of time and God expects you to use it well

Jesus teaches us this principle in the Parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30)

The master began by wanting his managers to make an investment … to put his money to good use

The principle is true with “time”

In the Parable … the guy wastes what he was given and doesn’t make his stewardship valuable

He wasn’t thinking like a steward

a steward knows that he will be held accountable for what he is given

If we think like that … we will do what is useful

How much time do you have?

86,400 seconds every day

1440 minutes

24 hrs

If you live up to be 76 years - the Average life expectancy of an American

27,759 days

If you are 13 you have already lived close to 5,000 of those days

Bc we have a certain amount of time

… Moses in Psalm 90:12 “so teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

OT - Moses writing the oldest Psalm - over 3,000 years ago

… brings it back to wisdom

… we need wisdom when it comes to using our time

… a wise person understands that their life is short

… that every moment is special

We all get …

86,400 seconds every day

1,440 minutes every day

24 hrs each day

see the difference is in how we use that time

If you’re a Christian

… you have special opportunities … that no one else has … not any another Christian … only you specifically

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

There are good works that God wants you to do in your life

No can has these opportunities because God has specifically planned them for you to do

e.g. Spiritual Conversations with your neighbors when your hanging with them

e.g. Encouraging a friend

e.g. Telling others about the gospel

Do not let them go by

You cannot just let time happen to you

Have to be purposeful … attentive … intentional with how your spend your time

Now this leads us to naturally ask … why??

Why do all this?

God designed you for doxology (for praise)

We just looked at a theology of time … what God wants us to do with time …

… now he wants us to respond in praise

God brought you into existence with a purpose in mind

… That you would bring him glory

3. Purpose Your Life for God’s Glory (v.17)

I want you to honestly answer about yourself …

“what are you living for?”

How would you respond?

What does your life show?

Some questions that can help us think about our lives correctly

Why are you here?

Why are your eyes open?

Why are you capable of learning?

Why can you do what you do?

Why can you play that sport?

Why can you play that instrument?

One answer:

… To glorify God - this is your purpose

Maybe you’ve thought in this sermon

… well I’m not as bad as that guy in my class

… or that girl who I know does not use her time wisely

… so my application is just a little less video games

… or a little less TV

No first look at yourself … and think way bigger than just that!

What I am I living for?

For myself or for the Lord?

So how can we glorify the Lord and make the best of every opportunity this summer?

… and for the rest of our lives

I am going to give you a list …

Now we glorify our … unordinary God through our ordinary lives

… these are not extraordinary

… the key is knowing who you are spending your time for … yourself or for God

Will you be … wise or will you be a fool?

1. Rest

“Aren’t you saying to not rest … to work hard”

Rest is purposeful

God has given us rest so you can recharge and work

We rest to work … not work to rest

Don’t be like a sloth and just rest and no work

Enjoy your rest … so you can get up and put it to good use

Just don’t enjoy it too much

2. Worship God on your vacation

a lot of you will go on vacation

wherever you go … you’ll probably see something amazing … a view … a building … a beach

the fact that you can go on plane and travel across the country or across the world

praise the Lord on your vacation

See think big! Cultivate greater capacity in your heart for praise!

3. Food you eat - a lot of time to eat

lots of ice cream

Take time to praise God for these gifts

4. Bible Intake

Ask the Lord … pray … Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”

You will have lots of time … create habits of Bible intake (reading, listening, singing)

If you’ve been doing that … deepen your Bible understanding

what it’s in the Bible that makes your curious? … take some time and learn more about it

If you know how to TAN … TAN through a book

Wanna apply what you read this summer? … Resolve to the DBR Application Questions

5. Prayer

Again you will have lots of time … pray

Talk to the God … who you knows you … cares for you … more than any of your friends

Set out time and pray daily!

6. Work on Growing Spiritually

has there been something in your life that you know you need to deal with

a sin

a distraction that may not be a sin but leads to sin

DEAL WITH IT

Do you know that you are just not a joyful person? A disciplined person? A peaceful person?

DEAL WITH THE ISSUE

Ask your leaders for help … ask your parents

7. Memorize Scripture

I know this hard and not as fun as other things

challenge yourself … you’ll be surprised how much you can remember by just setting out 10 mins a day

8. Serve

serve in our church … lots going on … Camp Compass … Summer Kids Camp

serve at home … serve your parents while you have all this time at home

9. Fellowship with other people in this ministry

invite others in your small group who don’t normally hang out with your group

10. Read … Sing … Be Creative … to the Glory of God

11. Learn how play a new instrument

get better at playing an instrument

12. Play Sports/Games/ Have fun to the glory of God

direct thanks to God for being able to do this

I want you to imagine with me that every morning you received $86,400 and you can spend it on whatever you want

… the next morning you receive another $86,400 and every morning after that for the rest of your life

We’d all love that … that would be awesome

Now there’s a catch… any money that you didn’t spend that day it … goes poof … it’s gone … you can’t save it

If you remember what I said earlier … how many seconds do you have in a day? … 86, 400 seconds

See you get this every morning

And like the money example … if you don’t spend the time well … it’s gone … you will never get it back … not even one second

God gives each and single one of us the same amount of time

What will you do with it?

What will you do with it today?

What will do with it this summer?

How will you spend your time for the rest of your life?

Let’s Pray