Time Of Our Lives

The Time of our Lives

Stewardship of Time

Introduction

“Consider a story from the February 1998 edition of Readers Digest, which tells about a couple who “took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30 foot trawler, play softball and collect shells.”

At first, when I read this (John Piper writes) I thought it might be a joke. A spoof on the American Dream. But it wasn’t. Tragically, this was the dream. Come to the end of your life – your one and only precious, God-given life - and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells. Picture them before Christ at the great day of Judgment: “Look, Lord. See my shells.”

That is a tragedy. And people today are spending billions of dollars to persuade you to embrace that tragic dream. Over against that, I put my protest: Don’t buy it. Don’t waste your life! (John Piper, Don’t waste your life)

This morning we are discussing the importance of being a good steward of our time. But time is life. How we spend our time will reveal how we will live our lives.

We have all heard the figure of speech, “wasting time” – For example, for me, I’m in the grocery store following my wife around like a lost puppy and then I bump into your friend who’s following his wife around (you know, spending good quality time together), And he asks me, “so, what are you doing?” Oh, just “wasting time” OR just “killing time”

I understand the figure of speech, but when we really think of it…

If we are “Wasting time” – We are really “Wasting our lives”.

We are wasting the God-given moments that He has entrusted to us, to live in such a way that is pleasing to Him.

This morning, my prayer is that we would not come to the end of our time here on earth, and say, “I’ve wasted my time, I’ve wasted my life”

In order to discuss “Time management” in our lives, as Christians– it becomes very apparent that talking about scheduling and using a daytimer – misses the true essence of what “Time management” is, and how we are to approach the use of our time.

We have all been encouraged in our lives, to “make” more time for God. In prayer, in reading Scripture, in serving others…We all have these ideals of the perfect Christian life and how it should hopefully look each day. And yet, if you are like me, these ideals – remain just that – ideals.

I have really sensed that we would benefit much more here this morning- by not necessarily pushing more “ideals” on us, although I believe the ones I mentioned are very important, and need to be a part of our lives.

But rather, to force ourselves to ask ourselves the real important questions about our life, and why we are here on this planet Earth.

At Breakforth last week, KP Yohannan asked us to all add a 100 years to our current age.

In a 100 years, none of us will be here. Our lives here on earth will be over.

The question for us, “What are we really living for?”

“Why were we created?

At the end of our life here on earth, will we be able to say that I made the most of my life!!

1. Our Sole Purpose is to Glorify God

For many here today, this is nothing new. But for all of us, it is a time to refocus, to evaluate how we spend our time. If we really believe this, we have to ask the question, “How can live each day, doing everyday, normal stuff, for the glory of God?”

First of all, I think we all need to be reminded of why our sole purpose in life is to glorify God.

First,

If you are a Christian…

A. You are not Your Own

- 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

* CONTROL – change of ownership

B. You are a New Creation

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”

* Power and slavery to sin -BROKEN

Focused on self to Focused on GOD.

C. You are Dead to This World

- Galatians 2:19-20 – “For through the law I died to the law so that I might be alive for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.”