Sermon Central
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Postponing Your Procrastination
Contributed by Brandon Park on May 18, 2006 (message contributor)
Summary: How to Make Your Clock Count for Christ
Postponing Your Procrastination
How to Make Your Clock Count for Christ
INTRODUCTION:
I want to talk to you today about one of the greatest enemies you will ever face and that is procrastination.
- How many people know in their heart what they should do, (they
may have good intentions) but they keep putting it off.
- The interesting thing about procrastination is that it is so easy to justify.
o One day, I’ll get serious about my relationship with God or
o One day I’m going to forgive that person who hurt me…or
o One day, I’m going to get back in shape. One day I’m going to get my finances in order…One day I’ll find a ministry and start serving God.
- If the enemy can’t get us to be outright disobedient, his next plan of attack is to deceive us into putting it off…we know what we should do but we just don’t do it.
o Lord, I’m planning on tithing my income as soon as I get my finances in order.
o Lord, I’m planning on serving in the Children’s ministry as soon as it slows down at the office.
o What we’re saying is, “I have good intentions and I someday plan on being obedient…but not now.”
o GOOD INTENTIONS DO NOT EQUAL OBEDIENCE.
- Whenever God is speaking to your heart and you keep putting it off that is going to rob you of your joy and victory and keep you from God’s very best for your life.
- Remember: Procrastination is a Sin: DELAYED OBEDIENCE IS DELIBERATE DISOBEDIENCE.
- HUMOR: I can tell that some of you are already under conviction. (Ushers need to lock the doors) Some of you are wanting to get up and leave but you just keep putting if off.
- I want to challenge you today to be a NOW person…start doing what God has placed upon your heart TODAY.
- P/T: Now, if I’ve ever preached a sermon to myself, I am doing it this morning.
o And I am certainly not standing here this morning as a man who has achieved…I am a struggling pilgrim just like you.
o But this morning, I want to communicate to you some principles that I know are true from the Word of God.
- I want us to grow in God’s wisdom…AND do you know what wisdom is? Wisdom is the art of spending time wisely.
Psalm 90:12, “So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.”
READ Ephesians 5:15-16, “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
THOUGHTS CONCERNING OUR TIME:
1. Time is a Gift from God – “Redeem/Make the most of time.”
God is the Creator of time.
God’s great gift to you is #1-Jesus and #2-Time
The Lord has given us time to work, time to play, time to laugh, time to labor.
We need to learn to see that every day is a gift from God.
Has it ever occurred to you that for you to cease living, God would not have to take your life
All that God would have to do is to stop giving life to you.
Lamentations 3:22, “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed because His compassions fail not, they are new every morning.”
Every day is a gift from God.
ILLUS: Imagine if your banker called you with wonderful news. He told you that an anonymous donor had decided to deposit 86,400 pennies into your bank account. Now that’s $864 every single day, 7 days a week! But there is one stipulation. You’ve got to spend ALL that money the same day. No balance will be carried over to the next day. Each evening, the bank would cancel whatever sum you fail to use.
Did you know that every morning a gracious God, who loves you, deposits into your bank of time 86,400 seconds every day. (Or 1,440 minutes or 24 hours.)
Now the same stipulation applies because God does not allow any of our time to be carried over on credit to the next day.
- “Life is like a coin. You can spend it anyway you want to but you can only spend it once.”
2. Time Equals OPPORTUNITY
- Paul says, “Redeeming the time.” And that word “time” literally means opportunity.
- You need to see time not just as something that is passing, but as an incredible opportunity.
- So the Bible says, because the days are evil, we are to buying up the opportunity
- As Paul tells us how to live wise ways for evil days, he tells us to take advantage of every opportunity—and this coming year is jam packed with opportunity.
