Stewardship: Our Time // Luke 12:13-21// Pastor Jose Brevil

Stewardship stewardship. So last week we started talking about stewardship as we continue our series on growing together in Christ and one area of our life where we need to grows in our stewardship. And last week. We'll look at stewarding our tots. Although our minds. Our touch live is just it's invisible to us, but it affects everything in our life. I love that more. I move The Hollies. Ali said all vitals is wrong, is one with the mind, not with the 5th. Last week. We learned how to control our thoughts, knowing that there is a battle for our minds and our actions, because our thoughts lead to actions weather, good actions or bad action. So, we need to store dower mine. Steward our tots. Well, so today, We going to look at stewarding our time. We want to be good stewards of our time of our most precious asset that we have from God. Because the Bible says, every good and perfect gift comes from God. And none of us are owners. We don't own anything. Someone in my house, really? If you have a mortgage on it.

And if you end up owning it, you done paying the mortgage still paying the taxes for a while and ceilings with your house. We are not owners. We don't own anything. Everything that we have is a gift from God and God gives it to us so that we can be good stewards to be good managers of what we have. If you have a gift, you have the talent to. It's not yours. You are supposed to manage that gift or Talent. Just like the touch that God gives us. And, you know, we need to manage that and manage it. Well, because why is it that some people, we all have the same amount of time that some of the people are very successful and some people aren't that some people manage their life better than others and some of us just dumped. It is the same thing for time time. One of our most precious commodity that we have is our time. So I'd like to start by asking you a question in the, how do you spend your time? Today might be one of them that after we leave. Today. We all feel very guilty. I bet it's going to be good. Let it not be just being Soulful, but the Bible says Godly sorrow leads to repentance. So, may we all repaired today as we talked about our time and how we use our time. Let's see whether we are being good managers or if we're being bad, managers of our time. So, how do you spend your time? And how is that helping you in your relationship with God? And your relationship with others? How is it that the way that you spending your time? You know, how is that helping you fulfilling your purpose in life or meeting your short-term and long-term goals. You see a lot of us. We don't even think about our purpose or our goals. We just go about life. We just go, we just get up, go to work. Come back home, watch some TV and go to bed and we just keep repeating that cycle over and over and over weekends. That's my time to sleep in Sunday. I show up for church for a couple hours. And then after that I just relax. But is that the way that God wants us to use our time. I always stewarding our time. Well, you see successful people always strive to begin with the end in mind. Beginning with the end in mind. That's what it means to have a goal. And we all need to have a purpose. That's why when you have a company, they said, go this month. We want to make x amount of money, and then I start, why do they do, they give you some gold Atelier? We need you to do this. So that why? So at the end of the month? There's no surprise that we meet. Our goal is the same for us with our time. We need to live as such. We need to think and began with the end and mine. What is it? Do. I want to accomplish in my life? And then we need to have some goals that we always have something that we aiming at every single day of our life. So that we are stewarding our time. Well. And if you don't know what your purpose is coming Wednesday face, because that's what we are studying now, but all of us, if we don't know for sure. What is h y. Why did God put on this Earth with all of us have gold things that we want to accomplish financial goals? Personal goals, whatever those goals are. We need to be thinking about them. Otherwise, we are not going to hit them as the saying, says, if you aim at anything, you will do what you will hit it every time if you aim at anything every time.

So that's why our time we need to Stewart it well, so you need to ask yourself. What is important to you? What is important to you? And my goal this morning is to help us realize that our time is one of the greatest gift we have from God and challenged. Each one of us distorted. Well. All of us are Frank are working progress in this area, including me. So let's look at the passage and then after that, I'll just live through that back door here. So that nobody told rocks at me. All right, so Luke 12:13 to 21 father as we study your word. Now may your word not return void and that you help us to be good Steward of your word. Luke chapter 12, if you would put that on the screen, please Junior. Luke chapter 12 verse 13 to 21. The story about the Rich Young Ruler play someone in the crowd said to him. Teacher tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. But she said to him, men who made me judge or arbitrator over you and he said to them, take care and be on your guard against all covetousness for one's life. Does not consist in the abundance of his possessions. What's happening? You in the story? Just Jesus just thought them about spiritual things about, you know, focusing on the things that that really matters. But this gentleman here. Although Jesus just stuck them in the beginning of the chapter about spiritual thing. The only thing that was in my in his mind was inheritance in those days are typically, the Earth inheritance would go to the first born male child. And, and this man here, obviously was not happy about that, is a telling Jesus, do something about this. Let my brother share the inheritance with me. And the reason Jesus gave him that answer, hear a wolf made me judge, or arbitrator Over You. Jesus say to him, take care and guard against all covetousness. That means, Greed for one's life, does not consist in the abundance of his possessions, or Jesus is trying to tell him. I just told you about spiritual things. And this is the one thing that you really want to be asking me right now. But before you start judging that guy, don't we all do the same? Sometimes we might come to church. We just learn spiritual things and then when we leave, what do we do? We just go back to our same routine. We just go back about, you know, focusing on our possession. You know, how do I prepare for my work day tomorrow? And then we just go and only thinking about those things, the physical things, the tangible, the material things of life, just like this man, pretty much when Jesus was speaking and teaching them in the beginning of the chapter where Jesus was teaching them pretty much. He was not listening. Jesus was teaching about the holy spirit that he was not listening. He was focusing on his inheritance and Jesus was trying to tell him a life. Is that Consist in the abundance of a possession. Then now here is the parable that we're going to focus today. It says he told him to do so plentifully. I do for, I have nowhere to store my crap. Well, some people are struggling and they say, how am I going to meet my niece? But this guy had like a problem. The problem for him was that he had too much.

And inverse 18. He says I will do this. I will tear down my Barns and build bigger ones. And there, I will store all migraines and my goods to this guy is not thinking about any other people. He's only thinking about himself. I have tons of stuff. I got tons of possessions. But what I want to do now, my storage is not enough. Let me tear it down, and build a bigger barn. And then I'll go ahead and store all my grains there. And then verse 19. I will say to my soul. So you haven't told good laid up for many years, relax eat drink, and be merry.

I'm going to show show it. My little Vine is not enough. Let me build a bigger barn and as a elevating my position, people can look and say, wow. Look at his burned that big. And then he went to pleasure saying that I'm going to relax. I'm going to eat. I'm going to drink and I'm going to be married, sounds familiar. Do the three Temptations in the Bible 1st, John 2:15? Possession. Lust of the eyes. He had those possessions and he was hanging onto those possessions, they all for me and me and me and me alone. So pretty much this guy was wrapped up in his position. In his possession and he wanted to build, bigger Barnes. He was wrapped up in his position because now people can see that a, I got bigger barn. And now people can look on and say, wow, look at all the barns that he has. And then pleasure is going to relax. She's going to eat, is going to drag and he's going to be married. Before you start judging him, isn't that what a lot of us do? We leave for our work. Why do know that I need to provide for my knees? I have kids. I need to provide. Yeah, it's all good. But that's not. Just what it is? We go beyond. And a lot of us are just consumed with our possessions and our work is equivalent to our possession cuz that's where we get our money. So we can buy the things that we want to have an all of us struggle with position. We all want to be elevated in society. We want to show up and I've been working on, I need to show up for it. Anybody ever told you that I need to start showing up? And then why do we work so hard and have fun? That's the most stuff. I won. I can relax. I can have a good time and be happy. Isn't that what life is all about?

That was this man's problem. And so the same that what, that's the problem for a lot of us. What was where? We focus on the material things. And then neglecting the spiritual. Look at this man. Did he talk about anything spiritual? Everything was about his possession, his position advancing in society, and his pleasure, and he didn't care about helping anybody else, not look at verse 20. This is striking. But God said to him. Fool. God is saying hey you are a rich full.

The really God is saying if you only living for a position for possession for pleasure, God is saying and you are just a fool. You are the biggest pool ever created. In God was telling this rich, man, that you are a fool. I didn't make up the word. Okay. He said to the man is required of you and the things you have prepared Woo's. Will they be? Here's the thing. When we go about the material things in life. We just go in. We go in and go in and going, we're giving all our time to our work. We just everything we have. We just spent it on ourselves and then just build bigger Barnes for ourselves. And we just enjoy it, you know, go out and buy everything that brings us all the things that are really important. Because Jesus is telling this man a, why this man was making this man saying, I'm going to have him pull stuff for years. I'm going to relax drink and be merry. He didn't know that was his last day. Aziza says he's a fool because this night, his soul will be required of him. So God is saying this is your plans. Whispering I enjoy those things. Now, Answer somebody else but not him. That's why we cannot be consumed by our possessions, neither of our position or just live for pleasure. Because all those things are simply temporary, an invoice 20. It says, so is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God? Translation. Jesus is a use your time, to be rich toward God more. So instead of just being rich here on Earth because there's things are simply temporary. So let's learn some lessons. Now. Let's learn some lessons as we go. The first thing that we need to learn from the story is that our time here on Earth is time-bound. There's a starts and there is an end date. Our time here is limited. It is time bound and it is short. If you tell app you like it was yesterday. I was in high school. Yesterday, I was in college. And then sometimes am I really good soul. I know somebody who does not even ever think about her age. Every time I asked about her age. She really has to think because you really does not say about it. I'm not naming any names here, but somebody never think about her age. I always have to remind her. How old she is.

Our life is time-bound. See we don't live forever right here on Earth. It is limited and it is short and not only that. It is unpredictable. We do not know when the end will come. It is unpredictable. Just like for this man and it's totally outside of our control and that's why we need to stay well. So that we really focus on the things that matter most

Other things we can learn from this passage is that our plans are subject to to God's will. Our plans are subjected to God's will, a man May propose. But God disposes. It's going to let anything happens that happens. Your plans are subjected to God's will over the spiritual and a lot of us. That's the way that we are living our life. We are prioritizing the physical over the spiritual. You see what this man? Counted as Game Jesus counted it as what as lost to him, what he was working all for. He was not even going to get to enjoy. You see the man had time pretty much for everything except God. So in other words, in other words, he had nothing.

When you have time for everything and then you have no time for God. Translation that you have nothing at all. The Bible says, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. If you lose your soul, everything that you've done in this life is worthless. Even if you are Bill, Gates, Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Jeff be. So if you don't know Christ, it doesn't matter. What you have in this life at the end of the day. You have nothing all that. You get to enjoy just in that brief time that you had on Earth. You see the encouragement for us today is not to fall into the same trap. We don't want to fall into the same trap and just live for our work, you do for building possession and just advancing in society. And then, just enjoy and just have fun and never think about spiritual things. Cuz the Westminster Confession says, you don't all that we've done in this life will not last. Only what with them for Christ will last. So we want to Steward our time. Well, so when our time and That's why you see in the grave. There's a beginning dates and dates and in between does a dash. That bash is very small, isn't it? That's you all life. What is going to be sad about your life? In that does not Franco? I'm very young right now. I'm in college and high school and middle school. I thought Sunday school was a four-year four-year of 4th grade. And one of the students I thought that year passed away from a car accident, growing up, young kid with me growing up a passed away in babies passed away. Just make is just a matter of age. I love the way that Tony Evans put it in his very relative. You know, I was thinking that I'm much older than you, but if you die before me, you are much older than me. It doesn't matter whether you were a teenager or whether you are baby. Sleep time. Is very relative. That's why we need to Stewart our time. Well, that's a gift that we have from guy. Cuz Bible says every good and perfect gift comes from God. So we need to Steward that time. Well, you see it was Alfred Nobel, the guy will, he was sitting one day, and then just reading an obituary because his brother had died, and as he was reading the obituary, The title was like as finally died also. They just went and talked all about about it. Cuz if you didn't know he made dynamite and that's why countries were using to blow up other countries. See, that's when he made a determination that day. That's what that's how people are going to remember me. That's why he went on and started to use his time and resources, better. He created the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, when you hear about the Nobel, Peace Prize, you think that's a great man behind, you don't even remember about the things he did before. She, that's the same thing. We need to do. We need to change our story. It's not, this is that for guilt trip, but it's for us to say, hey, this is the way I was going. Now. I'm going to turn around and do different do like Alfred Nobel used his wealth, you know, to make the world better essentially using stewarding his time. Well, You see all of us need to start thinking about a, what will be said at my funeral. What will be said at my funeral or people, just going to say, oh man. Nobody's going to miss him. Or are people going to look on and just say, man. What a life? Well-lived. This man impacted me in this way. And in that way and in that way. And that way this woman was a blessing to everybody that she came in contact with what would be setting our obituary. Let's not fall into the same trap as that. Which fool? He thought he had everything he didn't care about anybody else's didn't care about spiritual thing. But his time had come. Here are some practical things. You are some things that we can do to help us keep the main thing. The men thing, the first thing we need to know our purpose. We need to know our purpose as we learning on Wednesday night. The way, you know, your purpose is that you need to think about what do you think about, what do you cry about and what do you dream about? What are the things that are important to you? And Rick Warren tells us, you know, our purpose in life is to is for worship is for sharing the gospel with others is for praising God. You were created, you are more than the physical aspect of your life, you know, think about spiritual things, know your purpose. If you don't know yet, keep searching God will reveal that to you and then set some goals. Don't live life without setting some goals in. Set some goals yearly go in them monthly goals daily. Go set some goals in life. So that life doesn't pass you by, but you, you are mastering your time to schedule, it will help you on till it becomes second nature to you. Get on a schedule, get on a schedule. That will help you. So that your life is much more productive. Do some self assessment about your life. Just look at your life saying as a Christian, what is most important to me? As a Christian ask yourself, what is, what is, what are the things that I always find time for? And what are some of the things that I really want to find x 4? But somehow I'm never able to find time for maybe prayer. Maybe reading your Bible.

You see, we got trapped into the world. We do everything else, you know, we woke up, get in the shower, get dressed and head to work and get some work. We're so tired. Let me just have some pleasure your feet up by some TV. And then, once you pick up your Bible, you fell asleep.

Any Witness? That never happens to me. It, just you and me.

All of us that fall into that trap, that's why Stephen Covey say. Put first things first. The habits of successful people. You put first things first. So, how's your Bible reading? How's your prayer time? How's your worship? Probably. When you wake up in the morning, that's the first thing you want to do to your Bible, put the spiritual things above the physical things, prioritize show up, late for work. That means you need to get up earlier. Because stewardship is all about responsibility. We want to be responsible in our lives. See, who are you serving? You know, who is being like a blessing or are you blessing in life you to war? Are you serving because God created us to serve one another. You know, how are your relationships in life. Just think about you. No possessions positions and pleasure. But focus on the things that matter, most It always see you like, you know, I see people like giving so much to their work. Which is commendable, but if something happens to you before your funeral, that bet you that position will be posted.

And it's not that they're being mean. It's just life goes on.

It doesn't matter. I understand that life does go on.

It's just that's just a fact of life. Whatever position that you were fulfilling, still needs to be filled.

She doesn't matter and one of us will think that we are so important, you know, whatever your career, whatever your job is, you name it. You know, I'm a teacher my my my students really need me. You know, I need to be there. Yes, you need to be there. You need to be responsible. Be a great teacher, but everybody is replaceable. Including the president of the United States. And you see how well they do that. If the president die matter of hours. Somebody else is sworn in. Just wanted to say, didn't ever want to have a vacuum in leadership. Sea life goes on, and that's why we need to Steward our time. Well, we don't want to focus on the physical that focus on the spiritual, one where you can practically do. This is to get a to-do list, get to do this, whether it's everyday or every week have a to-do list where you write down exactly the things that you want to accomplish for that day. And I think three things are very important. I think you can have like three categories one for your relationship. One for your work and wondering for your professional and personal goals your relationship. Remember, the greatest commandment is to love God, and the second is to love people. So, how's your relationship with God? So, you start with Dad as your prayer as your worship. Has your Bible reading? Are you serving others, are you putting first things first, like, showing up for church being together with other believers, those things, other things that are really important in a relationship in your life. With other people. This things are more important than possessions. Your family relationship is more important than no possessions that you can have. I love it when you buy gifts for kids, they left the leave the gifts on the floor. They don't last we have a big house. Everybody has their own room. But we have a child that will never sleep in her room.

If we had just one bedroom and would be fine.

I think I need to get this. I need to get that. I need to get that kids don't even care about it. Your relationship with your kids is of you wrap. Kids is even more important than the things that you can buy for them. What they need more is you Not the stuff that you give them, you know, what about fellow Believers? Are you cultivating good relationship with fellow Believers? Because at some point you're going to face some struggle in life where you going to need somebody in your life. That will be there for you. Are you cold evading those relationships now? So that when you need somebody to be there for you, that they will be there for you. Remember, whatever you put in is what you get out. Are you call, debating this relationship friendship, the Bible, the Book of Proverbs talks about friendship. Friendship is important. You need to invest in good friendship. Relationship. How are you spending your time? How are you? Just strategically a meeting? Other people who are non-believers, so that you can share the gospel with them. Are you building a relationship with people who are not Christians so that that you can share the gospel with him or your work again? Work is commendable. The Bible says, if you don't work, you should not eat. The Bible says a man who does not take care of his family is worse than an unbeliever. So you got to work all that I'm saying is that puts things into perspective, put your priority in the right place for your work, you want to be productive, you want to be known as the best worker in your building in whatever you do because God created you and God created you for good works you do for your work. If you do a lot of reports in a set a time you like put it on your checklist. I'm going to the reports during that time. I'm not going to answer phone calls and not going to do this. I have a set time where answer my phone calls, you know, so that you become more productive. If and you're working in customer service. It depends on who comes up. Put a reminder for your That I always smile that I always smile when somebody walks into those door, but you need to put on do some checklist so that you become more productive. Once you do it, you write down the things you want to get them for the day. At the end of the day, when you put those checks, you are satisfied customer. I don't know about it. But it is this something about it. You do a checklist and you meet those goals at the end of the day, man. You feel good. But even if you feel it's better to fail with a plan than without one, probably you would not have done anything at all productive that day, but at least if you have it, you did three. That's success. Let's drive to do all 5 that you had in place to do set some goals, about your professional and personal life. You know, you are he'll take care of your health man. Go to the doctor. Get your physical. I got mine done. I went the other day. I got sick. So I had pushed on it later. You see man. We don't like going to the doctor's to go. You never know what's going on. You got to take care of your health. You never know what they will find out. Take care of yourself. You do self-care financial goals again. Does nothing wrong with possession. It's what you do with it. Does The Possession have you? Or do you have a handle on your possession for as we need to do something with never done before? Challenge yourself. Everyday do something that you've never done before? And I'm relaxed. Just be flexible when it doesn't all work out and then you know, it's more important that we all need to do. Stop doing this. Not just a to-do list, but we need a stop doing this but you never sleeping back there. And he's not moving the slides, but we also have to do this. But we also need to stop doing this where we decide we need to stop doing like, for example, somebody would call you all the time and gossip about somebody else or tearing down somebody else. You need to put a stop to it. It'll probably don't answer their call. If you're not ready to confront or when you answer the call you tell. And you know, I don't, I don't feel right about, you know, everytime you talk and you talking about sewing self. Because would you say the same thing in front of them? That's a still doing later. Just know, I'm not going to do that anymore. What about showing up late? Do things at 3. I'm going to walk through the door here. Look at some people who want to show up on time. I was late to

But we don't want to keep showing up late to things because it shows where our priority is. See sometimes if we would bring up late to church, the way we show up late to work, when we still have a job.

You see God is telling us. We need to Steward our time. Well, we need to look at our lives and do some self evaluation and telling our self and plan to do better and do something with never done before bed. Don't beat yourself up. When it doesn't all work out the same day, habits takes a while. It took you a while to build up those bad habits and it's going to take some time for you. Also to gain some new habits in life, but it's not a big deal. We want to change those habits that we have. The thing that matters like a good accountant. In Psalm, 90 verse 12, to teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. So it's a God is saying right now. How old was matters, don't just go through life, but but think about what other things that are going to help me meet my goal member. Think with the end in mind. What are the things that are going to help me be more spiritual? What are the things that are going to help me be more productive at work? What are some of the things that are going to help me live a healthier lifestyle? Think about those things, and then do a checklist set some goals and make them happen today or tomorrow. We will go into search and search up town, and spend a year there and trade and make profit yet. You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life for you, or what?

Just a miss. That appears for a lot for a little time and then vanishes away.

You know, at my age now, I got to really experience those things, you know, people used to work with and you heard they just had an accident. It's over, you know, people used to know you grew up with you. That's it. All of us will face this in life, but all of us try to put it up in the back of our mind and never focus on what really matters. Because there will come a time where it all vanish away, and we need to be good. Stewards Bible says seek the Lord. While he may be found call up on him, while he is near. The assumption is that. At some point you will not be able to seek the Lord. You see? Make the most of your time make the most of your time. Colossians 4:5 stitches. Walk in wisdom to Wood Outsiders making the best use of your time to God is saying a focus on what matters most Galatians 6:10 say. So then as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone and especially to those who are of the hausa love face of God is saying focus on relationship. Help others, who are in need, So really what we see in this passage, what God is trying to tell us in a nutshell, is simply this, your time is one of your most precious assets you worded well and do not neglect. The things that are most important in life. Colossians. 3:16 Says, let the word of God dwell in you. How Richly. Remember don't be rich toward material. Thing with Rich toward God, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. That's Fellowship. Singing, Psalms and hymns and spiritual song that's worship and thankfulness in your hearts to God, that sprayer. See you get in the word fellowship with others building relationship, praising God and spend time in prayer, your focus on the things that matter. Most, why don't you read that with me? And it says, and I will say to my soul soul. You have ample Goods laid up for many years, relax, eat drink, and be merry. But God said to him, say it with me. You're soul is required of you and the things you have prepared wolves. Will they be? So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God. That's what you sending me.