What we do with this gift is left entirely up to us.
Because of this gift of time this is why there is going to be a judgment to give an account of what we have done with our time. Some will have to give account for their teens, 20 years, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 or a 100 years.
• But we must not forget, every day is a gift from God!!!
• Some take the days God gives them and waste them.
Illus: That is, if time was something that could be thrown into a trash can that is what they do with the time God gives them each day.
Before we go to bed each night something we ought to do is evaluate how did we spend our time that day.
• HOW MUCH OF IT WAS USED FOR GOD
• HOW MUCH OF IT WAS USED ENTIRELLY FOR OUR SELVES!!!
That is, exactly what is going to happen as we stand before Him and give account of our lives!
Illus: For example, many will be judge they took the time God gave them Monday through Friday for themselves but they also took God’s day for themselves.
The Word of God has a lot to say about the time God gives us.
Look at…
1 Psalms 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
2. Psalms 39:4-5 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.
3. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace..
Illus: Someone has observed that life is like a dollar bill. You can spend it any way you want to, but you can only spend it once.
Now when you spend money there is really only one of two ways you can spend it.
• You can waste it,
• Or you can use it for something good.
The same thing is true with the time God gives us.
God gives us these days so that we might use them wisely. Some are wise enough to do this.
Let’s look at who is using time wisely…
(1) SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MEN
We humans have battled against time since the beginning of time. But some have used time very wisely.
For example, if you look at the past 200 years the invention of…
• The cotton gin,
• The assembly line,
• The telephone,
• The computer,
All of these things have made it possible for the business world to increase productivity in a greater way.
The business world knows these time saving devices will increase their productivity, and will put more money in their pockets. So they wisely invest in these things!!!
Who else use time wisely…
(2) SUCCESSFUL FARMERS
A farmer used to take his mule and plow all day in a field, and if he worked really hard, he might plow one or two acres. But today, successful farmers know that they can save all kinds of time by plowing with their large tractors, and in one day, they may plow 60 acres instead of 1 or 2.
They are wise farmers because they know the time they save plowing with tractors will put more money in their pockets. So they wisely invest in these tractors and farm equipment that increase their productivitiy.
The point I want to make is this; those who are successful know they can not waste the time God has allotted them. And they wisely used the time God has allotted them.
One of the smartest things a person can do is take a course in “Time management,” and learn to use the time allotted to them wisely.
Illus: Time is life,
• If I give you one hour of my time I am giving you one hour of my life.
• If I give you one day of my time I have given you one day of my life.
Because TIME IS LIFE!
We have to be careful how we spend the time that God gives us each day.
All of us need to be TIME CONSCIOUS!
Illus: Before we were bless to have wrist watches people would have to look at the sun during the day to have some kind of idea what time of the day it was.
But today we have wrist watches and they help us to know what time of the day it is. We often look at our wrist watch and we will say, “I have to hurry, I have a lot to do today!”
Illus: Speaking of wrist watches, that reminds me of One fellow who said:
• “My grandfather’s watch fell into a well and when it was found after 30 years, it was still keeping correct time. ”
• Friend said, What is so great about that? Once my grandfather fell into a well, and after thirty years when he was taken out, he was still alive. ”
• The other man said “How can this be possible?
• What was he doing in the well for thirty years? ”
• The other man said, “He was winding your grandfather’s wrist-watch.”
If we do not have a watch, we will find ourselves asking someone, “What time is it?”
Successful people recognize the value of time and they do not waste one precious second of it.
There are many ways we can waste our time, but one of the biggest ways we can waste time is to pray an “unacceptable prayers.”
You see, prayer is like many things in our life, there are GOOD PRAYERS and there are BAD PRAYERS.
Let's examine some types of prayers that fall into the category of wasted time and wasted prayers.
I. PRAYING WITH YOUR BACK TOWARD GOD
You are probably saying, WHAT IS THAT?
Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
Notice, the scripture tells us that Daniel prayed three times a day and when he prayed he looked toward Jerusalem.
WHY DID HE DO THIS?
He would love to be able to go to the temple in Jerusalem to pray but when it was not possible the Jews prayed looking toward Jerusalem.
Illus: The Muslims when they pray they look toward Mecca. Mecca in Saudi Arabia is the holy land for Muslims. Today, Muslims are asked to make a pilgrimage to the city if they can. If not, when they pray they look toward the east. To this day this is still being observed by all devout followers of Islam.
But the Jews when praying would turn toward Jerusalem where the temple was located. This is exactly what Daniel did in Daniel 6:10.
For a Jew not to turn toward Jerusalem would be an insult to God. THAT IS LIKE TURNING YOUR BACK AGAINST GOD.
We all know something about insults. And when a Jew would pray not looking toward the temple they were turning their backs on God which was an insult.
Look at Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
WHAT DOES THIS VERSE MEAN?
Notice, there were about 25 men at the inner court of the temple, with their backs turned away from God.
You could say they were “Thumbing their noses” at God by turning their backs toward God and facing toward their sun god.
Illus: In January of 2005 the police department in New York was carrying out a funeral service for a police officer who got killed in the line of duty.
When the very un-popular Mayor Bill DeBlasio of New York began to talk, dozens of New York policemen turned their backs on him as an insult to his leadership.
That is what these twenty-five men did at the temple. They were at the RIGHT PLACE, but they were FACING THE WRONG DIRECTION.
They were at the temple, but they were showing their hearts were toward the sun god that they worshipped.
Jeremiah addresses this problem. We read in Jeremiah 2:27 “…Thou hast brought me forth: for they have turned their back unto me, and not their face: but in the time of their trouble they will say, Arise, and save us.”
• People have always done God this way. They turned their backs on God but when they are in trouble they turned to God
• But then they are surprised when God turns His back on them
There are many Christians that are WASTING TIME and praying WASTED PRAYERS.
They wonder why God never hears and answers their prayers, and it is because they have turned their backs on God to serve other gods.
Many are like the twenty five men in Ezekiel 8:16, at the temple, they are in the right place, but their hearts are somewhere else.
The Lord said in Matthew 15:8, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
PRAYING WITH YOUR BACK TOWARD GOD IS A WASTE OF TIME AND PRAYING WASTED PRAYERS.
We need to realize that, because God is not going to waste His time on us when we come to Him in prayer praying such prayers.
Another prayer that is a waste of time is-
II. PUBLIC PRAYER WITHOUT PRIVATE PRAYER
Matthew 6:5-6 “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
Notice, these disciples wanted to know how to pray, and the Lord taught them that they must NOT PRAY AS THE HYPOCRITES PRAY!
WHY MUST THEY NOT PRAY AS THE HYPOCRITES PRAY?
Because to pray as they did is a waste of time!!!
HOW DID THE HYPOCRITES PRAY?
The Word of God teaches:
• That the only time they prayed was in public,
• The only reason they prayed was to be seen of men.
In other words, they were not using prayer as a means to communicate with God, but as a tool to be seen by men. God is not pleased with such prayers.
Illus: Before he retired, Rex Humbard literally had thousands of people attending his church. Every week, the television camera would sweep the congregation and it would show people singing and praying. When he retired, the television cameras were removed, and listen, a good portion of that congregation suddenly felt God was leading them to another church.
Could it be the only reason they were there to start with was to be seen of men? Yes!
We wonder why many times these television preachers that preach very little of the Word of God have thousands of people their listening to these so called preachers. BECAUSE THEY HAVE TELEVISION CAMERAS!!!
It is simple, it is a proven fact, they are there because the television cameras are there - take the cameras out and they will be out!!!
People will do all kinds of things to be SEEN OF MEN.
Illus: This is why many have…
• Orange and green hair
• Pants about to fall off
• Tatoos all over their body
• Jewelry all over their body
They have mirrors, they know this does not look good, but they know it certainly gets them some attention.
They evidently feel that bad ATTENTION is better than NO ATTENTION!!!
God is displeased when we take the sacredness of prayer and use it as a tool to accomplish something self-centered.
I want to remind you again:
• PRAYING WITH YOUR BACK TOWARD GOD
• PUBLIC PRAYER WITHOUT PRIVATE PRAYER
are a waste of time.
But another wasted prayer we need to consider is…
III. PRAYING AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE
Prayer is never a substitute for obedience.
Joshua and the elders of Israel were complaining before God after the Israelites were defeated at Ai.
They were putting on quite a show,
• Tearing their sackcloth,
• Throwing dust in the air,
• and complaining to God.
God broke in on this little prayer meeting. Look at Joshua 7:10-11 And the LORD said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.”
Notice, they are on their on their knees praying and God tell them to get up! Why? Because the Lord knows the prayers they are praying is a waste of time!!!
They had sin in the camp and God is not going to answer prayers with sin in the camp.
God's people were defeated because Achan had partaken of the accursed (forbidden) thing.
Disobedience in the camp had brought about this defeat, and they prayed, but PRAYER WAS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE.
Disobedience in the church and disobedience in the heart hinders the blessing of God.
In Joshua’s time:
• It was not MORE TIME SPENT IN PRAYER THAT WAS NEEDED.
• What was needed was the removal of the sin in the camp!
There are folks who know they have sin in their life, and they wonder why God does not answer their prayers. Listen to me:
• He never has
• He never will
Until the sin problem in their life is dealt with.
We read in Ps. 66:18, "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."
Their prayers are no more than a waste of time.
I want to remind you again that:
• PRAYING WITH YOUR BACK TOWARD GOD,
• PUBLIC PRAYER WITHOUT PRIVATE PRAYER,
• PRAYING AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE
ARE A WASTE OF TIME!
But let’s look at another prayer that is a waste of time, and that is-
IV. PRAYING TO ONE'S SELF
Luke 18:11a, "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself...."
This man is not really praying to God. He is praying. . . with himself.
HOW DOES HE DO THIS?
He is using prayer as a means to PROMOTE HIMSELF! Some will spend hours before God, trying to convince GOD that they are special.
Listen, you do not need to brag and tell God how special you are, HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT YOU.
If you are going this route, you might want to find someone that DOES NOT KNOW YOU!
There are many folks who do a lot of bragging about their greatness.
Illus: There was a Japanese man who went to America on a sightseeing trip. On the last day, he caught a cab and told the driver to drive him to the airport.
• During the journey, a Honda drove past the taxi. Thereupon, the man leaned out of the window excitedly and yelled, "Honda, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• After a while, a Toyota sped past the taxi. Again, the Japanese man leaned out of the window and yelled, "Toyota, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• And then a Mitsubishi sped past the taxi. For the third time, the Japanese leaned out of the window and yelled, "Mitsubishi, very fast! Made in Japan!"
• The driver was a little angry, but he kept quiet. This went on for quite a number of cars. Finally, the taxi came to the airport. The fare was $150 dollars.
• The Japanese exclaimed, "Wah... so expensive!"
• There upon, the driver yelled back, "Meter, very fast! Made in Japan!"
Listen, this crowd that is always bragging before man and God can’t be taken seriously.
Why? Because everything that comes out of their mouths is spoken to make them look good. That is all they are concerned about.
The biggest waste of time is to pray such prayers.
Conclusion:
I want to close this sermon on a positive note. The Bible says in James 5:16, “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
Illus: A Christian woman was at work when she received a message that her daughter was very sick with a fever. She left her work and stopped by the pharmacy to get some medication for her daughter.
Upon returning to her car, she found that she had locked her keys in the car. She was in a hurry to get home to her sick daughter, so she bowed her head and asked God to send her some help. Within five minutes an old rusty car pulled up, with a dirty, greasy, bearded man who was wearing an old biker skull rag on his head. The woman thought, "This is what you sent to help me?" But, she was desperate, so she was also very thankful.
The man got out of his car and asked her if he could help. She said, "Yes, my daughter is very sick. I stopped to get her some medication and I locked my keys in my car. I must get home to her. Please, can you use this hanger to unlock my car?"
He said, "Sure." He walked over to the car, and in less than one minute the car was opened. She hugged the man and through her tears she said, "Thank you so much! You are a very nice man."
The man replied, "Lady, I am not a nice man. I just got out of prison today. I was in prison for car theft and have only been out for about an hour."
The woman hugged the man again and with sobbing tears cried out loud, "Oh. Thank you God! You even sent me a Professional."
Prayer is no more than a Believer that is sincere, talking with God the Father.
Illus: Dr. Odell Belger tells how one of the best prayers he had ever heard was from a man who was gloriously saved. After a year, he was serving as an usher in the church. Dr. Belger asked him would it be all right to call on him to pray over the offering some time. He said, “That would be fine!” One Sunday when the church was almost packed, he called on him to pray. This man shut his eyes and shut everyone out in the congregation. He talked to God like a little child would talk to his father. And when he got through he said, “That’s all I got to talk about right now, I will talk to you later!”
Everyone opened their eyes, and they felt like they had been sitting in the presence of a man talking to God.
I want to remind you again, PRAYER CAN BE NO MORE THAN A WASTE OF TIME. When?
I. PRAYING WITH YOUR BACK TOWARD GOD
II. PUBLIC PRAYER WITHOUT PRIVATE PRAYER
III. PRAYING AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBEDIENCE
IV. PRAYING SELFISH PRAYERS
How are you praying???
