Futurist David Zach called what we do “hyperliving.”
We want to do more and more things in less and less time. Some of us carry around planners as tall as Terminal Tower. We say things like. “OK kids, let’s see who can take a bath fastest!” We buy time saving gadgets and don’t have the time to read the instructions to figure out how to use them. We do the multi-tasking thing, especially in the car. We drive, eat, drink coffee, listen to the radio, shave or apply make-up, talk on the cell phone, and make gestures – all at the same time!
At a stop light, if there are two lanes and each contains one car, we will find ourselves guessing – based on the year, make, and model of each car – which one will pull away the fastest.
At a grocery store, if we have a choice between two checkout lines, we find ourselves counting how many people are in each line, multiplying this number by the number of items per cart. After you get in line, we keep track of the other person who would have been you in the other line. If you get though and the person who would have been you is still waiting you feel like you’ve won! But if the person who would have been you is walking out of the store and you’re still in line, we feel depressed.
A Harvard economist says that the average American will work the equivalent of one month longer this year than twenty years ago.
It’s hyperliving.
A wise spiritual mentor once said to a hyperliving man, “You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life. There is nothing else.” Last week I shared with you these words:
I believe that God never piles on more than we can handle. I believe that God never overbooks us. I believe that God never drives us to the point of breakdown. I believe that God never burns us out. I believe that God never gives us tasks that are beyond the strength He provides.
One busy man who is seeking to slow things down is Ed Sabo. Even in this down economy, his business is growing and placing more and more demands on his time. But he’s making some tough choices to slow down. I’ve asked him to share a little of his story today.
* * *
Good Morning! My name is Ed Sabo.
My wife, Jodie, our family, & I have been attending CVCC since Feb. 1999. We joined as members in November 2000. Jodie & I have 3 children: 22, 16 & 5 ½. God had a plan, and obviously we did not!
Rick asked me to let you know how God’s Word is working in my life. Through my time of prayer, reading scripture & the teaching of God’s Word, I have come to a point in my life where God has caused me to reflect more deeply on His will & purpose.
I am you’re proverbial type A personality, driven & goal oriented. I took a step of faith and started a business in Jan. 1995. I have been blessed to be in a business I enjoy and one that is growing. I work long hours because I have the God given ability to manage. My problem is I am also involved in many other activities with everything from BSF, soccer, swimming lessons, Boy Scouts, business trade associations, the Ohio Roundtable and my ’69 Chevelle (which is in pieces in the garage right now. I wonder why?!). Many of you know the feeling. All of these things are good things to “do”. But I am feeling exhausted & confused. I don’t think God wants me to stay that way.
I am struggling with decisions I am making right now and will make in the future regarding my family, career, and ministry. I want to be able to look more through God’s eyes about who I am and what His purpose is for my life.
I entered into a personal relationship with Jesus in April 1987. Looking back, I had a lot to do to straighten out my life. In those days those decisions were relatively straightforward regarding the mistakes that needed correcting. They were easy to see.
But today, as I study His Word privately at our men’s Bible Study Fellowship and as I worship & learn with you here at CVCC, I am having a difficult time in knowing what God wants of me or for me in the future. What direction I should go?
I am trying to be a good steward with God’s blessing in every situation I am involved in. But I know I am not enjoying the relaxing satisfaction and peace of accomplishing The Lord’s purpose in my life. I am running from one activity to the next with Day Timer & cell phone in hand. At times, I rush through things, including my Bible study, just to get them done & fool myself by saying “I did it” and then move on.
I am finding in my quiet time the conviction of the Spirit challenging me to look at how I am utilizing the time, talents and skills. Am I doing what I want and think and feel is right? Or am I doing what is in God’s will for me? How will I answer Him when He asks?
I know that I am not taking the time to listen to Him and then receive the best that He has planned for me. It makes me wonder how many times I have missed His blessings over the years because of my own drive, ambition, and goals. I’m asking God to change me from my desire to please others or myself before pleasing Him who made me.
I am in the process of evaluating how I will spend the rest of my life. I am rearranging my priorities. I have completed a commitment I made to an industry trade association where I have been active for the last 8 yrs. I will be stepping back from other volunteer opportunities & causes in the next few weeks. I am trying to leave my time, my mind, and my will open to His calling. I see what Jesus has done with a sinner like me to this point. I wonder what He would have me do to further His kingdom NOW.
* * *
Series: Right on time:
What to do when you are overbooked, overworked, and overstressed
Doing a day with God
Text: Luke 10:38-42, p.
As of Sunday, April 27, 95 children have successfully memorized the 10 Commandments!
Next week, we’ll begin a new 6 week series: A Home that Runs.
Honing your parenting skills – a real practical tool to help kids pray for moms… and dads!
Building a stronger marriage – help and hope for making bad marriages good and good marriages better
Leaving home and letting go – a message to families about cutting the apron strings in a godly way
Meeting your spouse’s needs – avoiding the conflict that comes when we don’t know our spouse’s expectations
Keys to great communication – for families that want to be on the same team, want to interpret each other’s words accurately, and want to fight
A father’s legacy – for parents to learn how to consistently encourage a child and connect to his or her world.
So, whether you have a family or want to have one some day, I think this series will give you some helpful tools. Invite a friend to come with you and then take them out to brunch afterwards!
Today: Doing a day with Jesus. If you’ve opened your Bible to Luke 10, you’ll notice that we’re going to be thinking about Mary Martha and Jesus.
Martha lived with her sister, Mary, and their brother Lazarus. Their home was a place that Jesus had been many times, a place that he knew He was loved and accepted. In the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus Jesus and his disciples sit down for some relaxation away from the press of the crowds.
On this occasion, the two sisters invited Jesus to a meal at their house. Martha, the older of the two, gets busy with preparing and serving while Mary gets caught up in conversation with Jesus. A conflict quickly arises between the two sisters. Let’s read…
38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me."
41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42
If we didn’t know the punch line of this story and if we were honest we’d side with Martha. We’d expect Jesus to come down hard on her sitting sister. Our culture promotes busyness.
To do my day with God, I will…
1. … welcome Jesus into my world. v. 38
38 Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.
2. … deal decisively with my distractions. vv. 40-41
40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations that
The sense of the word translated “distracted” here is “to be pulled away” or “dragged away.” Literally, it’s pulled around in many different directions. It seems that the idea is that Martha wanted to hear Jesus herself. She wanted to be seated at his feet too, but she was pulled away by her sense of her “duties.”
I’ll know that I have been driven to distraction when I…
… start accusing Christ.
.
… and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care…
Martha links Jesus’ care for her with His willingness to tell Mary to get busy helping her. Martha thought that she knew how Jesus should demonstrate his care for her. I wonder do we do that? Do we ever accuse God of not caring for us, because we have already decided what His care for us looks like?
Are you so busy and your life is so stressed and out-of-control that you are tempted to think, “God doesn’t care about me? If He did, He’d slow things down for me!” I’ll know that I’ve been driven to distraction when I start accusing Christ. Maybe that one doesn’t apply to you. Maybe this one does:
… throw a pity-party.
… my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?
Martha wasn’t “burned out.” She was “burned up!” It’s bad enough to feel like you have to do everything. It’s even worse when you think of someone you don’t feel is pulling their weight and who has let you down.
If you find yourself focusing in on particular individuals or couples or families who you feel aren’t pulling their weight, you’re like Martha. Listen to Romans 14:4:
Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Romans 14:4
Charles Hummel in his booklet “The Tyranny of the Urgent” says, “Tension and frustration mount when we are… trying to cram too many… activities into a given period…. A critical spirit develops and we begin to judge and condemn others for what they do or don’t do.”
The Martyr Syndrome is a self-pitying, whining kind of attitude. It often happens when we’re doing too much of a good thing. “I do and do and do for you and this is the thanks I get?” I’ll know that I’ve been driven to distraction when I throw a pity-party. Maybe that one doesn’t apply to you. Maybe this one does:
… develop a demanding spirit.
Then tell her to help me.
“Hey, Jesus! If You really cared for me, You would tell Mary to get up and help me. You are a part of the problem, too, not just my sister. You tell her to get her sweet self in her and help me!”
Martha not only wasn’t sitting at Jesus’ feet, she actually began to tell Him what to do. She commanded Jesus to make Mary get up and help her. Ordering God around!
God is God and we are not. He’s the only One who has the right to make demands. I’ll know that I’ve been driven to distraction when I develop a demanding spirit. Maybe that one doesn’t apply to you. Maybe this last one does:
… lose the war over worry.
41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;
The way that Jesus repeats her name shows that while he disapproves of her attitude and words, he also has love and concern for her - he cares for her.
But He recognizes that her worry has hurt her relationships… with Him and her sister. Do you worry too much? Most of us do. Philippians 4:6 says:
Don’t worry about anything. Pray about everything. And the peace of God will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6
Everyday of our lives, things will come our way that will distract us from Jesus. We must learn to deal decisively with all the distractions if we want to do our day with God. The people that bother us, the things that make us worry, our own pity-parties, our disappointments with God – these things have to go!
3. … never choose the work of the Lord over the Lord of the work. vv. 39, 42
Now, let’s look at Martha’s sister, Mary. What’s she doing?
39 She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word.
42 but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
Notice that Jesus didn’t scold Martha for making preparations for Him. He’s not rejecting Martha’s attempt to serve Him. Martha’s problem was not that she was preparing food for Jesus to eat. This was necessary. Her problem was that she made serving the priority.
Martha looked around and said to herself “What a privilege to serve up a meal to the Master!” Mary looked around and said to herself, “What a privilege to sit at the feet of the Master!” Is one right and the other wrong? No. Duty and Devotion are both necessary.
Some pastors make this a serving vs. sitting issue. I don’t see it that way. Jesus never really condemns Martha for serving. And it appears that Mary served. Remember that Martha said, “My sister has left me.” Mary must have helped do some of the serving at some point. Sitting vs. serving is not an either/or situation. It’s a both/and situation. But there’s a priority that’s clear. Sitting takes precedence over serving.
Choose both. But be aware that because of our sinful nature, the work of the Lord always tends to threaten our time with the Lord of the work.
Sitting without serving is pointless.
Serving without sitting is powerless.
Serving after sitting is fruitfulness.
Work without worship? That’s futile.
Worship without work? That’s foolish.
Work after worship? That’s fruitful.
We say here that we need to be passionate followers of Christ. Here’s what’s needed: a passion for sitting and a passion for serving.
If you are sitting out there doing nothing, don’t use this as an excuse to be a sitter. Mary wasn’t just a sitter! The truth is that there are too many “sitters” now. We’ve included a brochure today to help you see the many, many opportunities for people to serve on mission for God. Please look through it and get involved. Mary served. Jesus served. So should you!
The book of James says that faith without works is dead. If we never do anything with our faith it’s likely that we never had any in the first place.
But having said that, we must never let the work of the Lord crowd out the Lord of the work. If we do, then we’ll never be able to do our day with God.
We live in a world where our worth is determined by our productivity. Wouldn’t God rather have us working really hard at serving Him instead of just sitting around?
Well, actually God would rather have us just sit still. God tells us in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Our first priority is to know God. The word used for “know” in the Bible means, “to know intimately,” as in a love relationship.
We don’t have to prove ourselves worthy to God, because he already loves us for who we are.
If you’re working for the applause of people then you need to it because it will only wear you out emotionally and spiritually. If you are working to earn God’s love then you have a faith problem doubting God’s grace and his unconditional love for you. Relax and enjoy living in God’s love! He loves you for who you are not for what you do! You can rest at ease.
As you spend time with him you will grow to love him more and more, and out of your love for God you will indeed serve the Lord with gladness. Service will no longer be work, but a labor of love.
To find unhurried time to listen to the Lord, I need…
… a place with no distractions.
Unless we make time to spend time with Jesus one-on-one, we will soon end up like Martha busy but not blessed.
No distractions. That really means alone. No phones. No people. No email. Just you and Jesus. What time of day can you find a place with no distractions? Early! Go to bed and get up early. That’s when the phones aren’t ringing! Do you actually want to stand before God one day and say to Him, “Watching the 11:00 news or Jay Leno or David Letterman was more important to me than spending time with You”?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer ( Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, Augsburg, 1970). Bonhoeffer believed that making prayer a daily priority is the most important “habit” that we can incorporate into our lives. He points out some valid reasons for practicing this discipline in the morning hours.
“Morning prayer determines the day. Squandered time of which we are ashamed, temptations to which we succumb, weaknesses and lack of courage in work, disorganization and lack of discipline in our thoughts and in our conversation with others, all have their origin most often in the neglect of morning prayer. Order and distribution of our time become more firm when they originate in prayer. Temptations that accompany the working day will be conquered on the basis of the morning breakthrough to God. Decisions demanded by work become easier and simpler where they are made not in the fear of others but only in the sight of God.”
A concert violinist does not tune his violin AFTER the concert! Having time with the Lord BEFORE the day begins is the best way to tune our hearts for the day ahead.”
A place without distractions.
… a pen to keep a journal.
Doesn’t it make sense to write down what God says?
… a plan for reading and praying.
Our family life survey says that 15% of you rarely /never read the Bible. 18% of you do so occasionally. 15% of you read it only several times a month. That totals to 48% of you are not regularly and routinely sitting at the feet of Jesus listening to Him. Is it any wonder, then, that you aren’t doing your day with God?
I believe there’s more of God in you more than that! I have to assume you want to, but you just don’t know how!
Helpful tools for sitting and listening to Jesus:
1. CVCC’s “Through the Bible in One Year!” reading plan. You can pick one up in the foyer.
Column 1 – reading through the gospels
Column 2 – reading through the NT
Column 3 – reading through psalms and proverbs and wisdom literature
Column 4 – reading through the OT
2. My Utmost for His Highest, a daily devotional by Oswald Chambers. Available today at our bookstore for $4.00.
To live at a sustainable PACE and get God’s agenda for your day, when reading your Bible, be asking Jesus, “Today, Lord, is there…
… a Project You want me to delegate?
… an Activity You want me to remove?
… a Command You want me to obey?
… an Experience You want me to pursue?”
How will I know it’s His voice? 1) His voice is always consistent with the scriptures – the written Word of God. This is why we must spend time in the Book – to know God’s heart, His ways. 2) His voice usually will prompt you to do something that requires an adjustment to your agenda. He says, “His ways are higher than our ways.” 3) His voice will lead us to show love to someone by word and deed. He says, “Little children, love one another.”
10% of you rarely/never have some concentrated prayer time. 19% of you occasionally have some concentrated prayer time. 14% of you have that kind of prayer several times a month. That totals to 43% of you are not sitting at the feet of Jesus talking to Him. Is it any wonder, then, that you aren’t doing your day with God?
I believe there’s more of God in you more than that! I have to assume you want to pray, but you just don’t know how!
Another helpful tools for sitting and listening to Jesus:
3. The Valley of Vision, a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. God willing, they’ll arrive next week and you can reserve your copy today at our bookstore.
Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
Psalm 46:10
When we finally realize we will be meeting God in 24 hours, one of our greatest regrets will be that we don’t know Him well because we did not spend enough time in His presence in prayer and worship.
