Stewardship Lesson 1: Managing Time

Pastor’s Bible Class

Thomas Road Baptist Church

Stewardship

Dr. Elmer L. Towns

Lesson 1: Managing Your Time

March 30, 2008

A. INTRODUCTION: PSALM 90:9-12

“We are wandering in the desert because You are punishing us for rebellion. We are spending our years as a story that is unfolding. You have promised us 70 years, and if we live longer, it will be with weakness and hardships, then we are cut off and we fly away . . . so teach us to wisely number the days we have left”(Ps. 90: 9-12, Amplified).

1. Moses writes because Israel rebelled against God at Kadesh –Barna, so they are punished to wander in the wilderness till all of them die.

a. Picture of our rebellion in sin.

b. Picture of our desert struggle.

c. Explains our aging and weakness.

d. Exhorts to use our time wisely.

2. Definition of stewardship: wisely managing our times, talent and treasure to the glory of God.

B. THE STORY/PARABLE OF OUR LIFE

1. We wander in the desert of life.

a. Like grass we are here, then gone.

Life is a Desert

· Same horizons no direction

· Stray back and forth

· More dangers than beauty

· Little life support

· Eventually will kill you

b. If God doesn’t rescue us, we are lost.

2. We are punished for our rebellion.

a. Israel refused the land of “milk and honey” because they had to fight for it.

b. Nothing good in life comes without a struggle. “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world” (I John 2:16).

· We struggle against our lack of discipline

· We struggle against an evil world system

· We struggle against our ego and pride

c. How does sin get to us?

· We are born in sin (Ps. 51:3)

· We have a sin nature (I John 1:8)

· Sin is imputed to us (Rom. 5:12)

· We do acts of sin (Rom. 3:23)

3. Our life is an unfolding story.

a. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is mystery, and today is a gift.

b. Everyone has the same amount of time today.

c. The best use of time leads to the best life.

d. Our life/time comes from God; we must manage it for Him.

God has a plan for your life.

e. When you manage your time wisely for God. God can manage your life.

f. You can buy your future. “Redeem the time because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16).

· Use your mind to control your future

· Develop discipline to control yourself

· Live by a plan and purpose

· When you say yes to God’s plan, you say no to other plans

g. Because of sin, we don’t have forever on this earth.

h. Every day outside God’s plan makes it harder to catch up.

i. When we lose time, we never get it back.

4. Weakness and hardships

a. Aging is a human mystery, but a fact of life. We all get older because time marches relentlessly on.

b. Manage your energy, because stewardship is managing your life.

You can’t do everything – never could

You don’t want to do everything – focus

There is always something else – say no

Chose your task, don’t let them chose you

c. Be happy in what you can do, forget about what you can’t do.

5. Learn lessons from Psalm 90.

a. Only God is timeless. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (v. 2).

b. We have small sight, God has the big picture. “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday” (v. 4, KJV).

c. Everything that lives must die. “Like grass which groweth up . . . in the evening it is cut down” (v. 5-6, KJV).

d. God knows our mistakes and sins. “Thou hast set our iniquities . . . our secret sins in the light of thy countenance” (v. 8, KJV).

e. The average life is 70 years if no accidents or illness, the next 10 years in “emptiness and pain” (v. 10, LB).

f. As a result, God tells us to “number our days so that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” (v. 12)

· Make our time count, i.e., give our best

· Number means make priorities

· Anticipate, “we fly away” (v. 10)

· Get ready as a child numbers days to Christmas

· Change your life style

6. Our prayer.

a. Pray for your children. “Let us see your miracles again, let our children see your glorious things” (v. 16, LB).

b. Ask for contentment. “Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery” (v. 15, LB).

c. Ask for spirituality. “Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days!” (v. 14).