You Might Need To Reschedule The Time Given To You If… Series

Introduction

We all get to use the same amount of time each week- 24 hours each day for seven days or 168 hours in the week or if you want to go down to seconds- there are 604,800 seconds in a week. Although we all get that same amount of time in a week, I can dare say that we all do not spent that time the same way that God would desire us to spend that time – serving Him.

On Wednesday night, in Bro Greg’s sermon, he went around the room getting testimonies from people. Jim Stewart gave one and what stuck out to me is that Jim said that his only regret in life is that I wasted so much time in my life not serving God. And if we are honest with ourselves, we probably can say that same thing Jim said: “I have wasted so much time in my life not serving God.”

So, if we are to return to God as we have been talking about over the last several sermons, a call that God gives us in Hosea 14:1 Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God (or it could be a call to you and me) then we have to look at how we spend the time given to us and probably reschedule that time to serve Him better. What I am telling you is that some of our spiritual struggles is that we mismanage the time given to us.

I think the Apostle Paul realizes this time management spiritual struggle we face, and I believe in an effort to help us that he gives us some guidelines as to know when we might need to reschedule the time given to us. So, if you have your Bible turn with me to Ephesians 5:15-17. Please stand!

Scripture

Ephesians 5:15-17 (NIV)

15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,

16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

Point #1

YOU MIGHT NEED TO RESCHEDULE THE TIME GIVEN TO YOU IF WE ARE MAKING BAD CHOICES AS TO HOW YOU USE THE TIME GIVEN TO YOU.

15 Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise,

If I needed dialysis because of kidney disease and had to be at the dialysis center three times a week for treatment at 8:00am, I certainly wouldn’t accept an invitation to do anything else during those times, no matter how appealing it seemed or how much I wanted to do it. I would know my life depended on guarding that time. We need to be that serious about our time with God. This world tries to rob us of our time with God; and Paul says that we must guard it. Paul warns us to be very careful.

Oh, I understand why we feel we would need to guard that dialysis appointments because if I am not there on my scheduled time the dialysis center might be booked up and cannot take me. And that would have dire consequences to my health. Now when it comes to God, I know if I miss my appointment with Him, it is not a big problem because God is always available for me. I can catch Him later. So, if I skip or reschedule my time with God to do something that I feel more urgent. No big deal! Paul says that is foolish living. We need to know that our appointments with God are the most urgent things we have on our schedule.

As a pastor right here at Bala Chitto over the past 26 years, I wish I could tell how many times I have had people tell me “I don’t have time.” On Wednesday night church, we average about 13-16 people in attendance during the pandemic and maybe about 20 people before the pandemic. That means a whole of people are not coming. If I would call up those who are not here, I am sure that I would get a number of church members tell me that on the weekdays I am just so busy, I don’t have the time. And as your pastor, being as loving as I am, I say that I understand. But here is the problem: you are not accountable to me, but to God. Will God understand that you don’t have time for Him? When you explain that to God, let me know how that goes for you.

If we are to manage life carefully, we must manage time God’s way. And in case you don’t know it, God’s way, He is first. The first commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, and soul.