Over Time - Week 1

Introduction

Opening Question/Illustration: Anyone ever had a time in your life where you committed to something and you expected immediate results? A few times in my life I had a gym membership. I wanted to see immediate results. I wanted like a 6 pack of abs in a week. It didn’t happen. I like to play music and, anytime I pick up and try to learn a new instrument, I want to be able play it like a pro within only a few days. But you know what? That never happens!

It’s kind of silly to expect immediate results. I bet many of us have felt that way about a lot of things before. Maybe you’ve been frustrated because you can’t automatically shoot 99 percent from the free throw line, or you’re not rocking the drums, or you’re not as fit as your favorite celebrity.

I want to talk about this today because I think a lot of us feel this way about God too.

Maybe you feel like you tried God and it didn’t work. Maybe you came to church and didn’t feel anything, or you listened to a talk like this one and didn’t notice anything change in your life. Or maybe you prayed a prayer and nothing happened. Maybe you sang some songs and didn’t feel any of the warm fuzzies you thought you were supposed to feel. Maybe you’ve tried this Jesus thing, but you haven’t seen any major or immediate changes in your life, so you assume it’s simply not working.

Maybe you feel like you tried God and it didn’t work.

Maybe you came to church and didn’t feel anything, or you listened to a talk like this one and didn’t notice anything change in your life.

Or maybe you prayed a prayer and nothing happened.

Maybe you sang some songs and didn’t feel any of the warm fuzzies you thought you were supposed to feel.

Maybe you’ve tried this Jesus thing, but you haven’t seen any major or immediate changes in your life, so you assume it’s simply not working.

Transition to text: And this is what I want to talk about today. What do we do when we feel like this whole “God” thing just isn’t working?

Text: There’s this verse in the New Testament in a letter written by a guy name Paul. Anyone ever heard of Paul?

Paul’s life was changed by Jesus.

Paul wrote letters to Churches - and he wrote this one letter to a Church in a place called Galatia.

They were confused over what it meant to follow Jesus.

Maybe they were tempted to give up - like us

Paul writes to remind them to hang in there.

Galatians 6:5–7 ESV

5 For each will have to bear his own load. 6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. 7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Galatians 6:7–9 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:7 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.

Points

You Get what you plant

Does anyone in here know what “reaping” and “sowing” actually mean? Probably not…unless you’re a farmer.

Have any of you ever planted a garden or maybe even a tree?

Sowing simply means planting. If you’ve ever planted something, you’ve sown a seed.

Reaping is what you do when the seeds you’ve sown are full-grown.

But here’s the thing - You get what you plant. If you plant orange seeds, you get an orange tree, if you plan sunflower seeds, you get sunflowers..etc.

Paul used this analogy because he knew the same is true in our lives.

The seeds you spend time sowing will eventually turn into the plants you end up reaping.

Do you want to be a better basketball player this year? Then you’d better practice your free throw today. Do you want to learn how to cook, get better grades, or be a better friend? Then you’d better do something about it now because the things you choose to do today, whether good or bad, will become your habits.

And habits are important. Because what you choose to do repeatedly and consistently this year is going to determine where you end up when it’s over.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PLANT

Seeds often grow slowly..Over time

Here’s the thing though - We want things to magically happen fast in our lives. Like snap - and I’m a great basketball play, snap - I’m a good cook. Snap - I’m a good student.

We think it happens the same with God - Snap - and everything is great with God.

But our relationship with God is like a seed planted.

We water it

We take care of it

and it grows.

Time with God over time equals relationship

A relationship with God doesn’t just magically happen when you download the Bible on your phone or show up at church a couple of times a month. It requires action. It requires repetition. Just like your basketball skills or your grades, knowing God better requires you to develop some habits over time.

What kind of habits? Well, if you’re looking for a closer relationship with God, then here’s a good place to start: Spend time with Him. Because time with God over time equals a relationship—a real, live, fun, deep, meaningful, and powerful relationship with the God who made you, who loves you, and who has a plan for you.

But time with God looks different for everyone. We all grow and learn and experience God in different ways. I can’t tell you exactly what your time with God should look like, but I can tell you that spending time with Him is a habit that I try to strive for every day.

But time with God looks different for everyone. We all grow and learn and experience God in different ways. I can’t tell you exactly what your time with God should look like, but I can tell you that spending time with Him is a habit that I try to strive for every day. Think about this. For you, what’s one way you could consistently invest in your relationship with God? Maybe it’s taking a picture of what you see in His creation. Maybe it’s reading one chapter or story in the Bible. Or maybe it’s spending time listening to music that makes you think about God. Maybe it’s talking to Him for five minutes a day. How you connect with God is up to you. The point is, if you consistently invest time in your relationship with Him, then you will reap a better relationship with Him. Because time with God over time equals a relationship.

Think about this. For you, what’s one way you could consistently invest in your relationship with God?

Maybe it’s taking a picture of what you see in His creation.

Maybe it’s reading one chapter or story in the Bible.

Or maybe it’s spending time listening to music that makes you think about God. Maybe it’s talking to Him for five minutes a day.

How you connect with God is up to you. The point is, if you consistently invest time in your relationship with Him, then you will reap a better relationship with Him. Because time with God over time equals a relationship.

The passage that we read - I want to reread verse

Galatians 6:9 ESV

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

What’s the point? Don’t give up on God. A relationship with Him takes time over time.

That’s what I want for you! To know God because you invested the time and didn’t give up.

If you’re frustrated because you don’t know God the way you want to, or you don’t see immediate answers to your prayers, or you’re not sure this Jesus thing is working, don’t give up. Most of us expect immediate results in whatever we do. We expect to show up at church and immediately feel close to God. But it doesn’t work that way. You reap what you sow. You get what you plant.

I want you to get a relationship with God that you love and that you can’t wait to tell others about. So if you want to know God better, just go spend some time with Him this week. Because time with God over time equals the relationship with Him that you want to have.

As you go to small groups think about this question: How can I make a habit of spending time with God this week?