Grow in Giving Time

Introduction

A. What would you be willing to do if someone offered you $86,400 today?

1. Would you quit your job? Move houses? Would you go skydiving? Would you sell your most prized possession?

2. To what lengths would you go to in order to receive $86,400? My guess is quite a bit, because that’s a lot of money

3. We have 86,400 seconds in a day. What would you give to make the most of it?

a. There are days we wish we could have back to either make a different decision or relive a wonderful memory. Sadly, we can’t

b. If we make a bad financial decision and lost a bunch of money it’s possible to make up ground and get those finances back. But we can’t get time back. When it’s spent it’s gone

c. So, we want to “make the most of every opportunity because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16).

B. We all have the same amount of time

1. 24 hours in a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year

2. Being good stewards of our time means using the time we have more wisely. We never get more time, so use the time you have to grow into the body of Christ.

I. (v. 1-10)

A. God has made a time (appointment, season, or hour) for every event (or delight) (v. 1-8)

1. A time to celebrate, a time to mourn, a time to work, a time to rest, a time to fix, a time to break, a time of silence and a time of noise, a time for investing in self and in others, a time to play and explore, etc.

a. Notice all of the things listed are opposites of each other: birth and death, keeping/throwing away, peace/war, throwing/gathering, embracing/shunning, etc.

b. As more time passes the more of these events or delights come to pass. As life develops so do opportunities and tragedies

2. We care about different things when we go through various phases of life:

a. The first 10-12 years we care about playing, sports, and having fun

b. 13-17 is about becoming an adult, being cool, having relationships

c. Finally, at 18-22 your moving out, going to college, starting a career

d. 20s-30s you want to get married and a house and kids

e. 40s-50s you’re congratulating yourself on not killing your teenagers so you can have grandkids

f. Then comes the golden years of retirement where you look to prolong your health, have neat experiences, and look forward to heaven.

3. Through these different stages of life we care about certain things and often leave out other aspects

a. Teens don’t care about health and longevity, but people at retirement age do

b. Kids don’t care about work and success they want to have fun, whereas, adults may not be concerned with having fun, but with meeting all of their responsibilities

4. Even with these general observations of a person’s lifetime there is still a moment for everything

a. It is unhealthy to obsess over one aspect of life at the neglect of others. “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”

b. We don’t want to hyper-focus on work and career success so much that we neglect our families. Likewise, we don’t want to wish away the winter time because we hate the cold and miss out on beautiful memories and experiences.

B. Sometimes life is hard. It can be difficult to see the greater good when we are facing the tragedies of life (v. 9-10)

1. Sometimes we are tempted to think, “What’s the point of all this? I keep doing the same thing day after day and nothing seems to change or improve in my situation. I’m still behind on my car payments, my home life is in shambles, it feels like I’m drowning and don’t know which way is up. Everything is going to keep on happening whether I step up to the plate or not. What’s the point?”

2. We can’t always see what is happening behind the scenes. Your situation may not be meant for you to change it but for God to change you through it. What you choose to do in those moments matters.

3. We all have 86,400 seconds in a day and how we choose to use them is up to us and that makes it a huge responsibility. There is a time for everything, so make the most of the time you have. Be intentional

II. (v. 11-15)

A. What you do with time matters because time is from God (v. 11-15)

1. Time is wrapped up in God. God created time (“In the beginning...”, Genesis 1:1)

a. He ensures that the seasons will continue until Jesus returns (Genesis 8:22 “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”” Colossians 1:16–17 “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”)

b. God waited for the perfect time to send His Son to die for us (Galatians 4:4–5 “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”)

c. He has promised to be with us while we obey Him (Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””).

2. We need to understand that if we want to use our time better then we must use it to honor God. We honor God with our time when we fear Him and use our time according to His purposes

a. God knows the end from the beginning. He knows all people and all things. Nothing can be added or taken away from what God has done or what He will do. God is ultimately in control and He makes the most of time.

b. Understanding that should change our perspective on time and how we use it

1. When we look at God’s plan we see His intelligence, His love, His power, His self-control, and His purpose. Even when bad things happen we know that God has something better in store for us and that better promise is wrapped up in Jesus

2. Scripture tells us what He has done in time. His plan, since before the foundations of the earth, was to send Jesus to pay for mankind’s sins (Acts 2:23–24 “this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” and Ephesians 1:4 “even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love”).

c. The appropriate response is for us to be in awe of Him (fear Him)

1. Put God in the highest place in your life and do the work God has given you to do (in a career, in a family, in the church)

2. God has given us the gift of experiencing work, food, and relationships. Let’s grow in using what God has given us to glorify Him

B. How can we use our time wisely so that God is glorified?

1. Balance

a. We must have the right priorities if we are to have true balance. Be intentional

1. Keep work in the right perspective. Money wastes away and ends in nothing (Luke 12:13-21, Jesus’ parable about building bigger barns). Yet, we work to provide for our families (1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”)

2. Don’t work so hard and for so long that you miss seeing your kids grow up or neglect your spouse

b. Eternity is going to be endless time with each other, so invest time in people and relationships. Have a work-life balance

1. When you’re at work then work hard as to the Lord, when you’re at home then be present and invest in your relationships

2. Put your phone away in a drawer, don’t check your email, turn off the TV, no technology at the dinner table, ask questions about what the other people are thankful for and the most impactful things that happened today. Spend time together

c. The greatest commandment is loving God with your whole self. The second greatest commandment is loving others as yourself. One of the best ways to show God you love Him is by keeping the second greatest commandment. So, give more time to your relationships. Maintain a balance of work and people.

2. Presence

a. God put eternity in our hearts, a longing for eternal life that is free from the pain and chaos of this life

1. But don’t let your longing for that next good thing make you miss the good things you have now

2. Instead of dwelling on the evil of the world around us, spend intentional time with God. Practice the presence of God in preparation for eternity while living in the moment.

b. Maybe you have devotions already or maybe you need to start them. Pick a dedicated time and place to be with God

1. Pre-decide what you are going to do (read a chapter or a few chapters of the Bible a day, memorizing a verse of Scripture, journaling through the Bible, reading a devotional book like Daily Bread, listening to the Bible in the car, praying through the prayer list in the bulletin, praying through the Scriptures, etc.), make your choice something easy and enjoyable.

2. There will be days where you won’t feel like spending time in the presence of God, but don’t let the devil win out

aa. If you do miss a day then make sure you don’t miss two

bb. Make it as easy as possible to get your devotional time with God in: the same place, the same time, setting it up the night before, etc. Be determined to spend more time in the presence of God.

3. Vision

a. Make sure you keep God’s vision at the forefront. Our vision as a church is “growing into the body of Christ”.

1. God has given us tasks to do so that we can keep growing in the character and conduct of Jesus

2. You may not have a handle on the God-given ability or skill you have and how to use it in ministry, but you can start growing by using your time for God more effectively and seeking for more ways to serve in the church and in the community

b. Keep God and eternity with Him at the helm of our lives

Conclusion

We all have 86,400 seconds in a day. What are you willing to sacrifice to be a better steward of your time? What habits are you willing to break, build, or adapt so that you live up to the responsibility of giving your time to God?

Be dedicated to having balance, presence, and vision. If you miss a day then make sure you don’t miss two.