What Could You do?

Good morning. I am so glad that we are here together this morning. This morning we are continuing this journey of following the Path. The Path toward Jesus and the path that moves us forward.

This morning I have a simple question that I want to ask you.

What could you do with Three hours of free time in your day?

Have you ever thought about it?

Many of us might be saying. Umm where will I get three hours from. Some of you might be saying I already have those hours and I do what I want with them. You are the lucky ones.

Truth is many people in our culture feel like they have no time in their day. To give them 3 free hours to do what they want each day would be amazing.

They could

Catch up on some sleep

Exercise

Read a Book

Play with their Kids

The List goes on...

I mean how many of us would love to have more time to do the things we want to do right?

So many things to do and so little time...

Let me share with you an interesting statistic.

3 Hours and 9 Minutes

This is the average time that Americans spend streaming some kind of media in their life.

This does not include statistics around those who watch traditional television.

The current trend and growing one is to stream services. Now, before we get to judgmental let me share some things with you. Don’t worry I don’t want any of you to feel left out.

Young people, We are the ones who stay up to late and watch something past probably when we should.

Peak hours for us is 8 to 10 pm. Doesn’t matter if we have to be up early in the morning many of us are willing to sacrifice sleep for the sake of watching one more episode.

My older friends. I have some bad new for you. Just in case you were nodding your head in agreement and disapproval of those younger than you.

You watch more TV than anyone. Your number is closer to 4 hours and 20 min. Given that many of you are retired this isn’t surprising but it is the truth.

Men We watch more television than women but ladies before you say that right you men watch to much TV we only beat you by a half hour. Neither of us are good.

What is the point of all of this.

Let me go back to the question I first asked you.

What could you do with?

What could you do with more time?

Now This is the point where as your pastor I am going to tell you about all the things that need to be done for the church.

We have lots of activities...Is this really what I should be focused on?

Absolutely not!

Don’t get me wrong I want more of you no matter how old or young you are to get involved but I have a more important issues I want to share with you.

I want you to Slow Down!

Jeremiah 2:24–25 NIV

24 a wild donkey accustomed to the desert, sniffing the wind in her craving— in her heat who can restrain her? Any males that pursue her need not tire themselves; at mating time they will find her. 25 Do not run until your feet are bare and your throat is dry. But you said, ‘It’s no use! I love foreign gods, and I must go after them.’

Constant State of Hurry

Jeremiah uses this bold and ugly image of a donkey to remind the people of Judah that they are a like a Donkey in heat consumed by their carnal lust.

It rings true for us though.

How often do we Run our feet bare and our throat dry pursuing the things of this world.

We may not call them foreign gods but we do run ourselves ragged chasing the things of this world.

I need to work more hours so i can make more money so i can pay for this and that. I can spend one more hour watching some netflix tonight.

I am so tired but It is worth it right.

The problem lies in the fact that this now keeps us from something more important.

Our relationship with God.

Let me ask you another question?

Why Do You Want a Relationship with Jesus?

Have you ever heard of the Sunday school answer before.

The idea behind the Sunday school answer is very simple. When in doubt if the Sunday school teacher asks a question you answer Jesus, God, or he died on the cross for us, or he loves us. Usually one of these answers will plug in and work for almost any question.

Now of course the easy answer for this question is a Sunday school answer.

He loves us and died on the cross for us.

Okay we can accept that as true and that may be many of our answers but let’s push past that answer. Why is that so important and what do you get out of it.

Many of us were sold on the promise of heaven and not going to hell and that is why we want to seek his forgiveness.

You heard a preacher share how if you don’t change your evil ways you will burn for all eternity but if you change and give your life to God you will be promised a mansion in heaven with streets of Gold.

Well Sign me up. That is reason enough.

The goal then is heaven?

Is that our motivation behind why we have a relationship with God?

What If I told you that if this is where you are at you are missing out on a huge part of what it means to be in a relationship with Him?

Don’t get me wrong its great to want to go to heaven but we need to seriously check ourselves if that is our primary motivation for why we enter into this relationship.

Think about this for a moment. Is your hope in the future or is your hope in the right now?

Relationship with Jesus

The truth is that many of us spend our time looking to the future when it comes to our relationship with God becuase we want to be in heaven. Need any proof there is a whole catalogue of hymns, southern gospel, and contemporary worship songs about it.

When we all Get to heaven. What a day of Rejoicing That will be.

Need some southern Gospel in your life.

I'll fly away, oh glory I'll fly away When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away

We all know it. Is it a bad song no but...is it why we are here?

I can Only Imagine, What it will be like when I walk By your side.

I am sure I can find even more if I really wanted to.

The beauty is that our relationship with Jesus is not some far off hope that one day we will walk with him and talk with him in heaven instead maybe we can take the idea that we can walk with God and engage him in the here and right now.

I can’t emphasize this enough.

BE WITH HIM!

We ware called to be with him to engage him and to know that he is with us.

Do the things of this world got you down?—BE with Him!

Not sure how things are going to work out in your life?—Be with Him!

Are you Hurting spiritual, physically, emotionally?—Be with Him!

We can be with our lord and savior and experience the power of his Spirit right here and right now.

The fears of this world have no hold on us because we know that he is Lord.

The Best part of the relationship we share with God is the fact that we don’t have to wait. He is with us now if we open ourselves up to recognizing it.

John 14:16 NIV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

Romans 8:14–16 NIV

14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

This no returns us to the opening question but I want to change it a little bit on you.

What Should You Do

With your Time?

Think about that. I admit I am as guilty as the next person. I probably don’t always use my day to the fullness that I could. I probably spend do much time on my phone and watching videos online. I probably could spend more time with God.

We have to open oursleves up to the idea that there are ways we all can draw closer to him. The beauty of this is is it simply takes us to step forward.

How do I do that though Pastor Andy?

One Step at a Time

The best thing I can tell you when it comes to helping us recognize that we need to come closer to him is by committing ourselves to taking one step at a time.

No matter where we are at are you willing to start taking those steps. To move forward.

Transformation is a life long journey that takes consistent movement toward the goal. The goal for us is not Heaven it is Jesus. It is drawing closer to him to growing in his Spirit.

It is becoming like Him.

WE will find out more about what that means next week though.

Let’s Pray.