Balancing Your Life

My pastor friend put hot air hand dryers in the rest rooms at his church and after two weeks took them out. I asked him why and he confessed that they worked fine but when he went in there he saw a sign that read, "For a sample of this week's sermon, push the button."

 This week I want us to have fun, If you keeping notes, today we are taking about balance. I don’t mean standing on one leg but I mean BALANCING YOU LIFE!!!!!!!.

  We all need to learn a little about how to add balance to our lives. Over the past several months I hope you have listened to a couple of my sermons. If you haven’t I’m about to find out, because by know you should have as a church and as a Christian learned why we are here, our purpose or better yet the meaning of life.

 Turn with me to:

Ephesians in the New Testament before Philippians after Galations

Ephesians 5:15-17

15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.

We live in a sinful world so Paul writes in v15 “Be very careful then, How you live. We are to be wise or skillful so we can please God. Paul says we “ to make use of every opportunity.

    But why? Paul is telling us that “the days are evil” Many are walking in Sin, and since time is short, We the believers must make full use of our time to do the Great commission. We are called to bring the lost from darkness to light.

 V17 says “we are not to be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is” (Now I can say these for some of us we are really pushing the envelope on the foolishness part). But only after we understand what the Lords will is or what pleases God, can we carry it out in our lives.

    Paul is screaming WAKE UP!!!! QUIT WALKING IN YOUR SLEEP!!!!! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!! Make the most out the day God has given you!!!!!!!

  It is sad to see some Christians drift through life like they are sleepwalking. They never the most of opportunities to live for Christ and serve Him.

V15 says : It’s a mark of wisdom—only fools drift with the wind or tide, but a wise man marks out his course.

V16  life is to short to pass up any opportunity. We need to meet it!!!!!!! and seize it!!!!!!!!

 We need balance…..

  Blessed are the balanced; they shall outlast everyone.

2 Peter 3:17

17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.

 In other words “Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance.

       If you watch the summer Olympics they have an event call the pentathlon. It is made up of 5 events;

1.  Pistol shooting

2.  Fencing

3.  Horseback riding

4.  Running

5.  Swimming

The object is to be good in all 5 not just 1 or 2 but the Pentathlete must be balanced.

 Your life is a Pentathlon of he 5 purposes, in which we must keep in balance.

These purposes were practiced by the 1st Christians in Acts 2, Explained by Paul in Ephesians 4, and modeled by Jesus in John 17. Do you know what they are?

 Well if your ready I’m going to give you the 5 purposes of your life.

1.  “Love God with all your heart”: You were planned for God’s purpose not yours, So your purpose is to love God through worship.

2.  “Love your neighbor as your self”: You were shaped for serving, So your purpose is to show love for others through ministry.

3.  “Go make disciples”: You were made for a mission, so your purpose #3 is to share God’s message through evangelism.

4.  “baptize them into the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit”: You were formed for God’s family, So your purpose #4 is to identify with His church through fellowship.

5.  “teach them to do all things that I have commanded you”:  you were created to become like Christ, So your last purpose is to grow to maturity through discipleship. 

Now listen to what I’m going to say Church:

A GREAT COMMITMENT TO THE GREAT COMMANDMENT AND THE GREAT COMMISSION WILL MAKE YOU A GREAT CHRISTIAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   X2

But keeping these 5 purposes in balance is not easy. Because we all tend to overemphasize the purposes we feel most passionate about and we neglect or push aside the others.

 A lot of churches do the same thing, but you can keep your life balanced and on track by joining a small group for accountability. For instance, I was having a problem with my quite time with God, I was having such a problem with time management with my job full time, school full time and the church. I found myself not getting up early enough to spend time with God. So I talked with a friend of mine in class and asked him if he would call me everyday and make sure I spent time with My God, My Lord and Savior.

  I also started to keep a journal to keep track of my spiritual health, plus I can pass on what I learn to others.

      I can not stress to you how important it is to find a group of people to hold you accountable

 The bible says in:

Proverbs 27:17

17     As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

What this means is when iron is rubbed against another piece of iron it sharpens and shapes it.

 Just like us, Now I’m not saying to start rubbing up against other people you just might get arrested and for Heavens sake do not say my Pastor told me to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  But by holding someone accountable or being held accountable we see it sharpening and shaping there minds and skills

 Proverbs 13:20 says

. 20     He who walks with the wise grows wise,

but a companion of fools suffers harm.

Does that not say it all, Listen if we walk with other Christians we will have a better Christian life. But if we walk with non believers, like our youth today, we would all be lost.  Most of our youth today are not being raised in God fearing Christian homes. I know most would say Pastor I would expect from you but why is that important. Let me tell you this. With out God as the leader and head of your household your marriage will not last, with out God as the leader in your household your kids will rebel and go there own ways. People are to much into themselves to put God in a leadership role in there homes. The enemy has made it so that we do not have time for God at all . 

Before we have any balance in our lives we need to that God made us to put Him 1st, it’s that simple.

Matthew 6: 33

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

We are to seek the Kingdom above all else. If you want balance in your life then learn how to covet Gods word. Spend time with God and let Him balance your life for you. God knows what are needs are and He will give us all these things as He see’s fit.

We get so out of wack because we spend so much time on other things and are so busy doing our own will we do not have time to put God In. I know If I had learned this before I was married I would have never started off like I did. If some one would have sat me down and showed me how to balance my life by doing Gods will I would have never done the stupid things I did.

Proverbs 19:21-23

21     Many are the plans in a man’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

23     The fear of the Lord leads to life:

Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

God wants you to stop living the rest of your life and start living the best of your life today.

 V21 say’s that man has many plans for everything. But God’s purpose will always prevail. We must learn to fear God and teach our children to fear God.

   True balance in your life starts in the heart, Give your heart to God, learn His purpose for your life and let Him put the life He created for you into action.

Lamentations 3:40

                        40     Let us examine our ways and test them,

                      and let us return to the Lord.

We will all learn that our way does not and will not work. The book of Lamentations has a unknown author but they think it was Jeremiah who was called the weeping prophet because his job was to bring Gods people back to Him and if any of you have ever tried to do that It would make you cry to. But Jeremiah says look at your own ways and they come back and let God take control.

Philippians 4:9

    9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Paul writes in Philippians we are to take what we have learned from Christ and put them into practice. That is the essence of the Christian life that is what will give you true balance.

   Most of you are going through trails in your life that you will not share with others but God knows your heart and He is telling you to let Go of the world and start living for Him, Let everything you do Glorify His name.

As I close I want to leave you with this from the book of John. Jesus is praying to God

John 17:26

26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”

True balance is love, Love for God, your neighbor and a love for doing Gods work. And when we let God love us like He wants to everything falls into place our life becomes balanced

Is your life out of balance, Do you want to get back on track, do you want to put the world behind you and start to live with a purpose. All it takes is a decision to follow Christ and let Him lead and guide you. All it takes is one step.

   You step out and I will come to you. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by, we all need true balance that only Christ can give. I’ll be standing here for a few moments, if you have any prayer request or if you just want to pray at the cross, if your looking for a church home, I don’t believe you can find a better place to worship than here. So you come today.