'An Independent Baptist Church'

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME

Time is an equal opportunity employer. Each human being has exactly the same number of hours and minutes every day.  No one can buy more hours.  Scientists can't invent new minutes.  Any you can't save time to spend it on another day.  And so, time is amazingly fair and forgiving.  No matter how much time you've wasted in the past, you still have today to use it wisely.  Success depends upon how we use our time, whether we use it wisely, by planning, setting priorities, and making the right decisions.


Psalms 90:9,10,12 "....we spend our years as a tale that is told. 10  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.12  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom."


I. Everyone of us is allotted a certain span of time on this earth during our life.  It is a gift from God.

Every click on your watch...is another gift from God
Another opportunity to enjoy the life He has given you and the many blessings that come with it...

And it is another second....an opportunity to love and serve the One who created us!
Average lifespan about 70 years.....some more...some much less....


Text: Psalms 31:14,15
"But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
15  My times are in thy hand.."

II. The Amount of time we have is in God's Hands

I have funeral Bibles in my office...and each one is for somebody, most likely in this room, or someone very close to you...

We can all make our big plans....but eventually it is all in God's hands...

James 4:13-15 "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
14  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

III. Each of us has a choice on how we invest and use that time.  

God calls one choice WISE and one FOOLISH.

We can use it wisely by making our life count....making a difference...bringing honor to the One who created and loved us
Or....we can waste it away and really accomplish nothing of eternal significance.  God calls this foolish.

IV. God will hold each of us accountable for how we invest and use our time.

Each of us will stand before our Lord someday and give account.

V. How we spend and invest our time REVEALS what we value and what our priorities are...and what is really most important to us?

If one were to look at your schedule what would it show?


Ephesians 5:16,17 "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Redeem -  Grasp it...make the most of it....

There are so many things competing for our time today...
   "..The Days are evil..."

We live in a pleasure seeking Culture.....

2 Timothy 3:1-4 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

Sports  golfing    Hunting    fishing    Camping     Nascar Racing      Motorcycles     traveling      shopping    shopping

Television  -  Cable   150 channels


We each have 168 hours per week  -  40 hours work    56 hours sleep    72 hours left

What one does with that 72 hours really determines the story of our life....

I have found that God gives time for Pleasure, but there is also time for Him too.....When we put God first, there is a balance so that you can enjoy it all....the best of both worlds!

We must manage our time....Too much work can lead to becoming a workaholic...and is destructive..

(I've never heard anyone stand in front of a casket and say they wished this loved one would've spent more hours at the office...)

Too much pleasure and Leisure can lead to spiritual apathy and laziness on the other extreme....

It amazes me...I see people whom God has blessed and been so good to...and they no longer have any time for God....their weekends and evening so wrapped up with their hobbies....golfing, camping, cycling, hunting.....and they know better....I'd be afraid God would strike me dead......

and many end up down here in the emergency room with their life on the line, or worse, someone very close to them, and they wonder why did this happen?

We must all beware of Time Robbers!

If you will let them, these time robbers will take all of your time away from God and everything really important.....

******Most People Get around to making time for what they want to do....The way we spend our time reveals our priorities and what we value most.

Most of the time, when people say "I just don't have time for church and serving God" They're really saying I just don't want to...
It all really gets down to what we really want to do and what we don't want to do....

VI. It is so easy to drift

If we don't get a hold on our life and determine to use our time wisely and Manage our hours and days and make time for the Lord......Two things will happen:

(A) If we don't manage our time and take control of it, somebody else will for us......

   Pressure, demands, squeeze, obligations, commitments, etc.

  How foolish it is running frantically in every direction trying to see how many programs and projects we can become involved in...

Step back and look and it appears really foolish...we've got time for everything else, but no time for the One gave us the gift of life in the first place!

(B) We will drift spiritually farther and farther from the Lord

BEFORE WE KNOW IT.... we ask ourselves...  
What happened to this weekend?  Where did it go? What happened to this month?

What happened to this year?  How did I get completely out of church?       Or  I'll settle down and serve the Lord WHEN......

  and we're 17 years old and before we know it, we're 40....what happened  to the last 20 years?

VII. Everyone of us must come to the turning point in our life where we determine to take control of our life....

For many this is a crisis point or some tragedy....it doesn't have to be...

How would answer this question - WHAT ARE YOU LIVING FOR?

So many people in the world today are living for RETIREMENT!
How sad!

God spoke of the foolishness of that attitude when he spoke about the Rich farmer in Luke....Soul thou has many good laid up for many years....eat drink and be merry...and God said, Thou fool, tonight thy soul shall be required of thee....

Many say, "I'll serve God after this job..."  NO YOU WON'T!

Don't you see, that is the lie the devil has been pulling on you all of these years....It is all when you determine to start taking control of what TIME you have left.....

Don't be foolish or unwise.....Find out what the will of God is for your life!    

(A) Be Born-again

(B) Ascertain God's Will for the remainder of your time on earth . ASK GOD  WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO!

 God has something for you to do serving Him and helping other people.  

This is true Happiness and fulfillment and Joy in life!

Are You REALLY LIVING or just EXISTING?........

 bring home a paycheck from week to week....or really make a difference and enjoying life to its fullest....

1 Peter 4:10 "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

God has gifted everyone of you in a wonderful way....you can do things that other people in here can't do...and God has made you this way in order for you to be a part of His plan in helping other people in some way to turn their lives toward God.

Let's get back to that question, WHAT IS THE DIRECTION AND PURPOSE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?   

ASK GOD WHAT HE WANTS YOU TO DO WITH YOUR TIME AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

There is a difference between your VOCATION and GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE...

We must all earn a living at doing something....

But you'll be surprised if you do your best at where God has placed you in your career and find time to serve God too, God can use you in a wonderful way to advance His work.  And.....He might just free you up in an amazing way later on to do more things for him...

You might say, "I'm just a housewife...."  Well, during this phase of your life God's calling for you is to be the best wife and and mother you can be....and the next phase of your life could be something completely different.....and influence a great number of people...

You will never influence and have impact on MANY people until you have an impact on a few...and that could be in your own family..

FOUR CAUTIONS ABOUT TIME

(turn to John 9:4)

1. Don't take time for granted.

There is no assurance of tomorrow.  The only time we can be sure of having is what we have at this moment.  Let’s use it wisely.  Realize what's really important.  We only go through once, and that, too, is such a short time...Here and gone before you realize.   Let's truly enjoy everyday while it is here, but lets also be planning for tomorrow.  Use every day at its fullest! There will come a time when it is too late to serve the Lord and enjoy His blessings.  

If you're life were to end today, would you have any regrets?  Have you really given the Lord your best?

John 9:4 "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work."


2. Don't be misled to think you can get saved anytime you want to...

Acts 24:25 "Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."

I wonder how many people, in this room, and hearing my voice, have made this very reply to God, perhaps not even realizing they were doing it?

Today is the day of salvation.  You have no guarantee of tomorrow ...or that you will ever get another chance to be saved after leaving this room....

3.  Rest is important.  

The same one who told us how many days to work, also told us to rest.  If you don't you will pay for it physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Proper rest is a wonderful investment of our time.

4.  Don't underestimate the amazing timesaving power of prayer!  

It can help you save time.....avoid major mistakes, etc.

My friend if you were to die today, would you have any regrets?

Closing

Is your LIFE drifting....Are we filling up time or are we investing it?

Do we have anything to show for our time, other than a paycheck?

Ask God today what He wants you to do with the rest of you life!  
He will show you....perhaps one day at a time?

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

 Figure up how many days you've lived.  Subtract that number from 25,500 days (Which is the average 70 years span).

  What do you plan to do with the days you have remaining?

Only you can make that choice...