Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Hudson and the Batmobile - I’m going to break his heart!

You’re thinking about you want and what you want to give… I want you to think about what God has given you, and what He is calling you to give in response.

The

Christmas is a reminder that best way you can spend your life is to give your life away.

Christmas - we’re in a giving spirit.

Challenge is to be generous with what God has given us.

Next several weeks - generous with time, talents, treasures, and testimony.

None of us know the amount of time we have on earth.

Therefore, it’s not the duration of your life that matters, it’s the donation of your life that matters.

This morning: time.

Your days are numbered to live for God on this earth.

Some of us will live to an old age, some of us will not.

How will you use your time?

Therefore, it’s not the duration of your life that matters, it’s the donation of your life that matters.

Two truths:

1.

Time is not yours to spend.

· Time does not belong to you.

“I have time…” No you don’t.

Every second gift from God.

Time does not belong to you.

“I have time…” No you don’t.

Every second gift from God.

· – Business who had their lives mapped out.

Season of economic boom, so their plan was to move to the coastal cities for a year to make a profit.

– Businessmen who had their lives mapped out.

Season of economic boom, so their plan was to move to the coastal cities for a year to make a profit.

How do you map out your time for your gain?

(Mapping out career plans, child’s educational/sports goals, etc.)

For these businessmen, time was a commodity to be used for their gain.

No regard for what God’s will was for their lives.

· For these businessmen, time was a commodity to be used for their gain.

No regard for what God’s will was for their lives.

· James: “You’re foolish.

You don’t even know what tomorrow holds.”-

You’re making plans to spend the most precious gift you have.

You’re planning to spend your time on yourself, and you don’t even know if you are going to have time.

James: “You’re foolish.

You don’t even know what tomorrow holds.”-

You’re making plans to spend the most precious gift you have.

You’re planning to spend your time for your gain, and you don’t even know if you are going to have time.

· Similar to Ecclesiastes – “Your life is nothing but a vapor.”

Therefore, to lay out your plans and spend your time to profit you is a waste of your time.

If life is a vapor, then your time should be used for what matters.

Similar to Ecclesiastes – “Your life is nothing but a vapor.”

Therefore, to lay out your plans and spend your time to profit you is a waste of your time.

If life is a vapor, then your time should be used for what matters.

· Your time is not yours to spend.

Time belongs to God, so how will you use your time to do His will?

Your time is not yours to spend.

Time belongs to God, so how will you use your time to do His will?

· What happens when you see time as something that belongs to yourself?

You become enslaved to busyness.

When you view time as belonging to you, life becomes a rat race to get what you want.

We’re desperately trying to use time for our own gain – to gain wealth, happiness, material possessions, entertainment and recreation, education, and on and on.

You spend 60 hours a week at work, you run your kids from ballet to ball practice, you rush to get to the lake on Saturday to have a peaceful Saturday to rush back to try to do your housework before the week starts over again – You’re trying so hard to use your time to get the most out of life, and all you are is just really busy and really tired.

What happens when you see time as something that belongs to yourself?

You either become really lazy - no urgency to use what God has given you - or You become enslaved to busyness - urgent to do everything except that which matters.Life has becomes a rat race to gain – to gain wealth, happiness, material possessions, entertainment and recreation, education, and on and on.

You spend 60 hours a week at work, you run your kids from ballet to ball practice, you rush to get to the lake on Saturday to have a peaceful Saturday to rush back to try to do your housework before the week starts over again – You’re trying so hard to use your time to get the most out of life, and all you are is just really busy and really tired.

· Using your time productively is a great goal.

Being overly busy is not .

More often than not, our busyness is a result of misplaced priorities and a wrong perspective of time.

Using your time purposefully is a great goal.

Being overly busy is not - you’re busy but not purposeful.

Often, busyness is a result of misplaced priorities and a wrong perspective of time.

· If the constant refrain of your life is, “I don’t have time…” then your life is out of balance.

If busyness is robbing you of your joy then you have a problem.

A busy life = No joy in your walk with the Lord because you don’t have time to walk with the Lord.

No joy in your family because you don’t have time for your family.

No joy in serving God through your local church because you don’t have time for your church.

Busyness robs you of joy and contentment.

A busy life = No joy in your walk with the Lord because you don’t have time to walk with the Lord.

No joy in your family because you don’t have time for your family.

No joy in serving God through your local church because you don’t have time for your church.

· Your struggle with busyness is not a time management problem, but a heart problem.

Your priorities are out of whack.

You are not generous with your time.

You are not giving your time away for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Rather, you are selfishly using time to get what you want out of life, and it’s left you busy and burned out.

We look at busyness as a badge of honor, but it’s not.

Often, being overly busy reveals a heart issue.

Prideful heart - I’m busy, so I must be important.

Selfish heart - using my time to get what I want.

Wasteful heart - not using my time for what really matters.

Unwise heart - I don’t know how to manage God’s time and use it effectively.

Two uses of time - me cleaning house - Staci rewrapping books - I’ll look back and say, “So what?” She’ll look back and enjoy the tradition with the kids… One necessary the other purposeful - can’t avoid the necessary, but need to think about purposeful use of time.

2. Time is God’s for you to manage.

Your time is a gift given to you by God to use for His purposes and His glory.

· Your time is a gift given to you by God to use for His purposes and His glory.

Before you say, “This is how I’m going to spend my time…” Ask, “How does God want me to invest the time He has given me?” ()

· Before you say, “This is how I’m going to spend my time…” Ask, “What is God’s will regarding my time?

How does God want me to invest my time?” ()

To not consider God’s will when you determine how to use your time is arrogant - because you think you are lord over time instead of realizing that God is Lord over time.

To not consider God’s will when you determine how to use your time is arrogant - because you are viewing something that belongs to God as something that belongs to you.

· Helpful Scripture:

Helpful Scripture:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

What is best use of your time?

To purposefully invest your time for God’s glory and His Kingdom.

Not pursuing sinful desires and your will but God’s will.