Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction: There once was a teenager named Jonathan.

Jonathan was a pastor’s kid from Connecticut, and as a teenager Jonathan understood something that most other teens did not.

Jonathan understood that life is short and time is important and so Jonathan purposed to maximize the use of his time.

Jonathan enrolled at Yale when he was thirteen years old and went on to pastor a church at the age of seventeen.

Understanding the importance of time, when he was nineteen he started writing down resolutions about how to use his time.

He wrote, “Resolved, never to lose one moment of time; but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, never to do anything which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, never to do anything, which I should be afraid to do, if I expected it would not be above an hour, before I should hear the last trump.”

We all know him as Jonathan Edwards.

Known as America’s Greatest theologian, Jonathan Edwards went on to preach a sermon that would spark the Great Awakening.

When he passed, at the age of 54, no one could say that he wasted his life, and his use of time traced back to how he resolved to spend his time as a teenager.

As we approach the topic of time, let’s begin by asking the question: Why do we need to talk about our use of time?

Jonathan Edwards argued that time is actually even more valuable than money.

His reasoning was that money lost could be regained while time lost is unredeemable.

Ephesians 5:16

We are called to buy up our time in order to bring honor to Jesus and proclaim Him to others.

We are also called to redeem time because our time ultimately does not belong to us.

We often lose sight of the fact that the gifts we receive from God do not belong to us.

The world tells us that we are the masters of our own fate and the trailblazers of our own destiny, but the Bible teaches us that since God has given us this life it belongs to Him.

We are simply caretakers (stewards) of what God has given us.

Redeeming the Time

Doing Your Best

Colossians 3:22-2

It ought to be said that Christians are the best workers.

By working well in a “That’ll do” culture, Christians use their time well by putting the spotlight on the God of excellence.

The sad truth is, we live in a culture where teens are neither expected nor encouraged to work hard.

Don’t fall into the temptation of doing whatever will bring you the maximum amount of recognition for a minimal amount of effort because you are not serving men, neither are you serving yourself, you are serving the Lord, and so we ought to work, not with eyeservice, but in sincerity of heart.

Sacrificing Comfort

Just like we live in a culture that encourages us to just get by, we also live in a culture that elevates comfort.

There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with comfort.

God has placed every single one of us in America where there are many blessings to enjoy.

However, just like everything else, we must be careful to not let comforts become an idol.

Example: Evaluate our prayer lives.

Part of redeeming time is being willing to sacrifice comfort and be placed in uncomfortable circumstances so that you can have an opportunity to grow.

Example: Sharing the gospel

Can you think of anything uncomfortable that we are called to do?

Farsighted Living

Randy Alcorn describes eternity as a line that stretches infinitely and our life on earth is the dot that is the beginning of that eternal existence.

He says that the wise man doesn’t live for the dot, but he lives for the line.

Our lives here on earth are short and it is during this life that we have an opportunity to invest in eternity.

Conclusion: Our time on earth is short.

Psalm 20:12

Will you waste your life being lazy or adequate or or discontent or distracted?

Or you can allow the truths of God’s Word to drive you to do your best, to sacrifice comfort, and to live a farsighted life.