A Big Day

Time management can be a bear. Especially this time of the year.

Running young people to sports and birthdays and Christmas concerts and … Well you get the idea.

Then there is play practice at church, and Christmas parties for work and of course we can’ forget to go buy the presents.

Sometimes in life it just seems like 24 hours in a day isn’t enough. Especially when we sleep like 8-12 of them away.

How are we supposed to get it all done?

That is the question isn’t it. Although the simplest answer is probably...

It doesn’t need to all get done

In a lot of cases this is true. There are a lot of things we stress over that if they did not get done on the day you scheduled them to get done,

Well society wouldn’t claps, the sun wouldn’t fall from space, and no one would even die.

So in this regard it is important for us to remember the difference between want we want to accomplish and need to accomplish.

That said it doesn’t change the fact we are all often over booked, over committed and overly stressed out.

Is that fair?

So this evening as we steam role into one of the busiest times of the year let us ask the question...

How are we supposed to get it all done?

to answer this question I want to read a longer passage a passage that takes into account less than 1 24 hour period of Jesus life, and see if we can get to the bottom of this question...

Luke 8:22–56 ESV

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.

Oh my what a day.

How are we supposed to get it all done?

In God’s time!!!

In God’s time!!!

Me: Have you ever been late? Yeah me either. But rumour has it sometimes people loss track of time or over commit themselves and for whatever reason can not seem to operate within normal time constraints that civilized people have imposed.

With that said

Has God ever been “Late”?

We: See when it comes to time we think about things differently than the One true God who can see the end from the beginning. Truth is our time constraints or of none of God’s concern.

Let me clarify here. I am not, everyone say He is Not I am not saying we shouldn’t care about being on time or try hard to not over book ourselves.

A person who manages their time well shows respect to those with Whom they interact

It is just that when we plan we with a timeline in mind but often God is working with a completely different timeline.

God: When Jesus told the disciples to go to the other side what do supposed their timeline in their mind looked like.

Well for starters, the sea of Galilee isn’t actually a sea. I know mind blown right, this particular body of water is actually a large lake. Lake Tiberius in fact.

It is 166 square KM to put that in perspective the Washington DC. is 177 square KM

it is 21 KM long and 13 KM wide.

The disciples would have been sailing a time period appropriate fishing boat that would have looked something like this.

Based on the disciples position, experience and vessel that trip should have been doable in less than 2 hours.

Well that is on a normal day but this was no normal day. For starters it was night.

Is sailing easier or harder at night? Harder, this probably added time to their journey. Then came a storm. Was this storm planned or expected?

Probably not. Did it add time to the trip? We don’t know how much but it would be fair to conclude it probably took longer than a calm day trip across the lake.

Question do you think Jesus was surprised by the storm? So why did he tell them to go that way. They could have walked around the lake it was after all not actually an ocean and to make a full trip around the thing was only 53 KM. And they weren’t going all the way around just the smaller top portion.

But Jesus needed a rest from the people. He had already had a big day. He couldn’t sleep while they walked nor would he have been able to get away from the people, or show the disciples and the world He had power of the winds and the waters.

So they get to the other side, later than originally planned. But is God ever late?

Who should meet them but the demon possessed man the locals could not control.

He was like the head of the local welcome committee. And almost like God’s timing is perfect they arrive to be greeted by this unconventional welcome wagon.

Jesus delivers Him and in turn is asked to leave. Do you think this was what the disciples were expecting after traversing the lake, only to help one person then get back in the boat and leave.

If it were me I would have viewed this detour as a waste of time. We might as well stayed on the other side avoided the storm and certainly there are people on the other side we could have helped. Probably even more because we wouldn’t have lost 4 to 6 plus hours on the water.

But was it wasted time for Jesus? What about the man He helped? What about all the people who would believe because the man was asked to stay behind and tell his story.

Jesus gets back and surprise there are people waiting for Him one man in particular. His daughter is dying...

Women with bleeding

The raising of the dead.

Jesus had a full day didn’t He. At times others may have thought He was late But God is never late.

You: What does this mean for you. Work away following your plans but do not stress about distractions or interruptions or how you might not get something done.

We: With our faith in God we will accomplish just what we are supposed to in just the right time.