Generous with Time
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Intro:
Openhanded Generosity is a cycle that begins with provision from God flowing through us to others in worship of HIM!
11 You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.
I want to take a moment and share with you a few ways that our LCBC members are showing this in real time...... and then break it down from the Bible....
Interview people who are exemplifying generosity with their time
Bob - Laotian Church
Craig - Worship leading
Linda - Letters to those in need of encouragement and prayer
Scott - Leading Bible Study at church and work - Head of Deacons
Susan - Going on a mission trip
Cindy - Volunteering at church and in youth
Beverly/Gary - Prayer @ Hospital
Bill/Bruce - Chairs
Let’s look at being Christians who are generous with time together....
1. Time is Generously Given
1. Time is Generously Given
a. God is eternal.... not bound by time.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God does not need a clock, alarm, etc.
b. God created time
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.
He ordered the world to have time… for it to repeat.... day and night..... and it was good
c. Every Day is the same length
27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
“If people threw away their money as thoughtlessly as they throw away their time, we would think them insane. Yet time is infinitely more precious than money because money can’t buy time” (Spiritual Disciplines, 137–138). Donald Whitney
d. In Christ we have eternity
11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Right Now Counts Forever - RC Sproul
We do not just live for eternity.... but we know that now is just the beginning of an eternity ahead!
What we do now matters!.... What will we do with what we have been given?
The Question for all of us this morning.... How are we to be Open-handed and generous with our time?
Generous with Time
Generous with Time
a. Redeem the Time
15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,
16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
- Live with awareness.... Live with a 360 degree view of your life.
- Redeem the Time.... Buy Back the Time.......
- The Days are evil.... but you have the decision to look at the minutes, hours and days and decide as a follower of Christ to purchase back evil and use it for good.
Going to chuck E Cheese and tickets to redeem prizes.... with Jesus we have endless tickets to redeem time!
But what are we to do with our bought time?
Last week we looked at the predisposed sin nature in us to curve inward....... here we see again a call to look to God and and look outward to others in generoisty.....
b. Time for the Will of the Lord
At the heart of Generosity..... is a first priority of worship to the Lord.... and then to do His Will
A. Paul in 2 Corinthians where we see the cycle of generosity....
5 and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.
B. Here in Ephesians..... Time can be used foolishly or wisely.....
17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Using time to do the will of the Lord.... we obey the greatest command......
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”
37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
38 This is the great and first commandment.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There are books written on how to best prioritize your time..... color coded systems...... books… seminars.... Yet without the right priority in life.... right goal..... is what your are prioritizing loving God and others?
b. Generous Time for God
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,
Ephesus was filled with people trying to discern their gods will by having large parties, orgies, and drunkeness..... they were filling themselves with experience in order to find the true meaning of life...... and Paul here says..... don’t be filled with that..... be filled with the Spirit!
Walk with Him
Pray with Him
Follow Him
You are going to be lead to read the Bible.... be a part of the church family.... to pray.... to give… to go… to be obedient as a follower of Jesus! To be all in.... not a bystander of the church!
Proactive - You are going to prioritize the will of God in your life.... seeking him in spiritual disciples
Consider Jesus - Who regularly pulled away in isolation to pray and be alone with God.... If Jesus did.... so should you.... and being filled with the Spirit enables you to do this!
and reactive - noticing how God is at work in your life.
Consider Peter - he was going he merry way reaching Israel for Jesus.... and God gave him a dream and plopped bacon in front of him...... and then he responds and goes to proclaim the gospel to Cornelius and his family!..... Peter was receptive and reactive to God at work in His life!
This morning.... you are probably one or the other here in your journey with Jesus.... and no two of us are at the exact same spot in our journey’s..... so here let the Holy Spirit work.... You may need to be more proactive with the Spirit filling your life to more scheduled time with God..... or you may need to be more reactive..... you are so scheduled that you are not aware of the Spirits prompting during your day!
c. Generous Time for Others
19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart,
Gathering with other believers to sing the Scripture, songs of praise, making melody to the Lord.....
21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Submission to one another is a sign of generousity in Christ
Relationship in Marriage.... Eph 5:22-30
Relationship with your parents and children
Proactive - You are going to prioritize time for others in your life
Jesus was proactive with his time with others..... John 4 … He had to go to samaria to see the woman at the well..... He told Zaccheus… I am coming to your house today!.....
Reactive - You will find moments to give time to others in your life
The man dropped through the roof in Mark 4! The children that rush Jesus in Matthew 19......
See examples from the intro..... We have people in our church that get this.... so let’s multiply this throughout our church!
Openhanded with Time - How do you see time this morning?..... maybe one of these songs describes your TIME
a. Time is on my side…… Rolling Stones - You are capitalizing on everything right now
b. Time Goes by So Slowly…..Elvis…. Madonna…. - Maybe you feel Elvis or Madonna is hitting all your heart strings.....
c. Does Anybody Really Know What Time it is?.... Chicago - Maybe you really have no clue what day or time it is!
d. Im in a hurry and don’t know Why…. Shaking hands with the clock….. Alabama - Maybe Alabama hits the nail on the head
e. If I Could Turn Back Time…. Cher - Most of us.... after seeing the gift of time and holding up our schedule to see how we have used the time.... we will be held accountable for it.... we feel the guilt and shame of not using it to the fullest potential.
I think we need to take a moment and recognize that Cher’s words penetrate our heart because we all have moments where we want to turn back time.... to change the way the past has gone.... to look at our weekly phone usage and feel convicted that we could have spent more time doing God’s will and not our own.....His mercy is new every morning....
Throw Out Comparisons - You are not someone else on FACEBOOK>>> You do not have their giftings, schedule, age, etc.
Mind Your Seasons - You may be pregnant, you may be an empty nester, you may be retired, you may be a father or grandfather...
Work Urgently - Make the best use of the time......
Kill Half-Heartedness - Do nothing halfway!
Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”
What time have you proactively set aside time to give to God and others?
In what ways are you ready to react and give your time to God and others?
Take the next step in following Jesus today.
Repent and be openhanded instead of close handed with your time.
Believe in Jesus and experience eternity NOW!
Be baptized or Join our church family!