Don’t Waste Your Life

Ephesians 5:15-20

Pre-Campaign Week

April 18, 2004

 

I once saw a bumper sticker one time that said, “Life is too precious to waste”. 

But how do you do that?  Well, the Bible says this in Ephesians, 5:15-17…Let’s read it aloud together, “Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise.  Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days.  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.”

 

It says, “be careful how you live”.  Literally in the Greek here it means “don’t stumble through life; don’t just drift through life”.  Think it through, know what you’re here for, know your purpose and, “make the most of every opportunity, be wise” and then it says, “try to understand what God wants you to do”. 

How many of you would say, you really would like to know what God wants you to do with your life?  How many would say it?  I think most of us, if not all of us. 

Well, you’re in luck…because starting in two weeks, we’re going to look, intently, for 40 Days at what God wants you to do with your life.  We’re going to look at the five purposes that God has created you for and it’s going to be quite a journey.   

 

But for today, I just want us to think about three important questions of life.  They’re there on your outline: What does God want? What does it take? And why should I do it?   

 

First, what does God want from you?  Well, when you read through the whole Bible, you can summarize it in a couple of words.  You can write this in - He wants my whole life.  He wants my entire life.  There is not a single verse in the Bible, not one, that says you can be a Christian and live your life any old way you want to.  It’s just not there.  God wants all of you.  He doesn’t want 10% of you, He doesn’t want 99 44/100% of you – He wants all of you. 

 

Now God is very clear about this.  Look at what the Bible says in Romans 6:13: ”Give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life.  And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God”.   

C.S. Lewis once said, “The only thing Christianity cannot be is moderately important”.  If that’s really true, then it deserves everything you’ve got.  If it’s not true, you shouldn’t be here right now.  It’s either all, or nothing. 

 

A lot of people try to sit on the fence.  They say, “Well, I’ll serve God in my spare time”.  It’s like I have this pie – I have my social life, and I have my career life, I have my family life and over here my retirement life and over here I have my spiritual life - as if your spiritual life is one part of the pie.  Wrong.  God wants the whole pie to be under His control.  He wants it all.  He wants your whole being. 

 

Now, there’s a myth that says that you can do it all, you can have it all-- but you can’t.  You have to give it all to God.  Look at the next verse; let’s read it aloud together, ”No one can serve two masters.  Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money”.  I want you to circle the word “cannot”.  He doesn’t say you “should not” serve God and money – He says you “cannot” serve God and money.  He says it’s impossible.  What’s He talking about?  He’s saying it is impossible to have two number one priorities in your life.  You’re always going to have a No.1, and everything else is going to be 2, 3, 4 and 5.  You can’t have two number one priorities. 

 

Now there are a lot of things besides money that can certainly push God out of First Place in your life.  Work can push God out of First Place; play, sports, hobbies, friends can push God out of First Place, school work, even your own family can push God out of First Place in your life.  And God is saying you can’t serve God and something else at the same time. 

God says, “You will have no other gods before me”.  And whatever is in First Place in your life is your god.  And any time you have something in your life that’s No. 1 that’s not God, that’s called an idol. 

 

Jesus told this story; He said, “it’s like a king who plans a big banquet and he goes out and invites everybody to come to this wonderful banquet.  He said people began to make excuses.”  This verse is not on your outline.  Look up on the video screen and it says here “they all alike began to make excuses. And the first said, ‘I just bought a field, and I must go and see it – please excuse me’.  Another said, ‘I just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way out to try them out – please excuse me’.  Still another said ‘I just got married, so I can’t come’”. 

Now, think about this.  These three guys are invited to a banquet by the king; they all turn him down.  The first guy uses his wealth as an excuse – I just bought some land and I have to go look at it.  The second one used his work as an excuse – I’ve got to go and plow my field.  The third guy used his wife as an excuse – I just got married. 

Where are you saying, “God, I’ll live for you, but let me first find somebody to marry.  God, I’ll live for you, but let me first finish my school.  God, I'll really serve you, but let me first get the kids out of the house.  God, I’m really going be on fire for you, but let me first achieve financial independence.”  Let me let you in on a little secret: if you would put God first in your life, He’ll take care of everything else. 

 

Look at the next verse.  The Bible promises in Proverbs 3:6 – “In everything you do (that’s everything), put God first, and he will direct you and (read it with me), crown your efforts with success.”  I don’t know anybody who doesn’t want to be a success.  You want to be a success?  You want to be the next “Apprentice?”  The Bible tells you how, right there – “in everything you do, put God first.  In everything you do, put God first and he will crown your efforts with success”.  So the first question of life is - what does God want?  He wants all of you.  And any time you sit on the fence, you lose.

 

Next, what does it take to not waste my life?  What does it take to become all that God wants me to be?  Well, I’m going to say it in one word.  It’s a word you’re not going to like.  It’s a very unpopular word.  We cringe when we hear this word. 

It’s the word “discipline”.  (And a groan went out across the land.) 

You cannot be a disciple without discipline.  The two words go together - disciple and discipline.  You can’t be a disciple of Jesus without discipline. 

 

Notice what the Bible says, 1 Timothy 4:7 “Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness”.  Now, what in the world is discipline?  Well, in two words – discipline is delayed gratification.  That’s all it is.  Delayed gratification.  Discipline is doing the difficult now, in order to enjoy the benefit later. 

Now some of you don’t even need this definition, because you’re incredibly disciplined.  You plan your day, you’re always on time, you’re conscientious in your work habits.  Some of you are very disciplined in your physical workouts.  It’s in your routine, in your schedule.  Some of you never miss a favorite T.V. show. 

And of course, many of us never miss a meal.  Shoot – I’ve never missed a meal in years!  Not in years. 

We’re all disciplined in some areas.  That is, in the areas you want to be.  The things that are important to you, you get done.  What if you were as disciplined in having a daily quiet time as you are in never missing a meal?     

 

You know, there’s another word for discipline – we like this one a little bit better, so you can use this one –It’s the word “habits”. 

Tell me what you do habitually, and I’ll tell you what your character is.  If you habitually tell the truth, you have integrity.  If you are habitually faithful to your spouse, you are a faithful person.  It’s what you do over and over without even thinking.  If it’s a habit, it’s a part of your life and your whole life is designed, shaped, controlled, by the habits.  And if you want to change your life, all you have to do is change your habits.  One of the major goals of 40 Days of Purpose, which we’re going to begin in two weeks, is to help you develop some new spiritual habits. 

 

Notice what the Bible says, 1 Timothy 4:7 – “Spend your time and energy in the exercise of keeping spiritually fit”.  Keep spiritually fit.  He says there are exercises you can do that will keep you spiritually fit, just like there are exercises you can do that will keep you physically fit.  Let me just mention two.  One I call the discipline of letting go.  The discipline of letting go.  That means you let go of things because you can’t keep adding things to your schedule without letting go of something else. 

 

Hebrews 12:1 – let’s read this verse together in the back of your outline…”Let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress”.  I want you to circle two words – the word “weight” and the word “sin”.  These are two things that hold you back.  These are two things that keep you from being all that God wants you to be.  These are two things that waste your life.  And God says, “You’ve got to let go of these things”. 

 

Now, you know what sins are…breaking one of the commandments of God.  But what’s a “weight”?  Well, a weight is something that’s not necessarily wrong; it’s just not necessary.  Have you thought of that?   

A weight can be all kinds of things.  It could be a relationship, it could be an expectation, it could be an activity, it could be a club, it could be a memory that you refuse to let go of, it could be a fear.  There are a hundred thousand different kinds of weights.  And the Bible says, “to grow, I must learn to say no”.  You have to say “no” often to good things in order to have time for the best things. 

But you have to make space for God in your life.  And if you’re going to make space for God in your life, you’re going to have to cut some stuff out.    

 

As your pastor, I’m concerned about you.  I’m concerned about the people in our church.  You’ve got way too much going on in your life right now.  And we’re getting ready, next month in 40 Days, to add three new habits to your schedule: 

A daily devotional reading of about 15 minutes a day, which will help you understand God’s purposes of your life; a weekly meeting in a small group for six weeks that will help you understand God’s purpose for your life; and a weekly verse to memorize that probably will take you about five minutes, which will help you understand God’s purpose for your life. 

I’m telling you right now as your Pastor who cares about you: you need to decide right now what you’re going to cut out before you start 40 Days of Purpose.  If you burn the candle at both ends, you are not as bright as you think you are.  So you need to ask, “What am I going to stop doing?”  Any time you take on a new habit, a new skill, a new commitment you should say, “What am I not going to do?” 

 

Maybe you’re going to need to give up and hour a week of T.V. during 40 Days.  That might kill somebody, I don’t know.  You can go home and watch Friends, or you can go to a group and make friends.  I don’t know which one you’d rather do. 

 

Maybe you need to go to bed 15 minutes earlier during 40 Days, so you can get up 15 minutes earlier to do your daily reading.  Maybe you’ll need to cut back on your physical workout and work on your spiritual workout for 40 Days.  There’s always a cost of putting God first in your schedule, but the rewards are worth it. 

 

Now, there’s another discipline I think you might consider as we get ready to go into this 40 Days, and that’s the discipline of putting first things first.  A good example is this verse on your outline, Luke 10:40-42.  It talks about a couple of friends of Jesus, Mary and Martha, who are sisters.  Jesus had come to visit at their home. And the Bible says, “Martha was distracted by her many tasks”.  Do any of you identify with that phrase?  Martha was distracted by her many tasks. 

So, she came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?  Tell her to help me.”  You see, Mary had gone and just sat at the feet of Jesus.  But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you’re worried and distracted by many things”, in other words, she had spiritual ADD. 

He said, “but there is a need of only one thing” (would you circle the phrase “only one thing”) and Mary has chosen the better part”.  What’s He talking about?  Jesus said, “If it comes down to spending time with me, or washing the dishes, there’s no competition”. 

 

Are you like Martha?  Do tasks on your to-do list distract you from focusing on God?  Is your life so busy, you don’t have time to stop, even for 40 Days and focus on God?  You will live an average of 25,550 days.  That’s what the average person lives.  Don’t you think it would be smart to take 40 of those days to figure out what you should do with the rest of them?  I think so.  I think that’s pretty wise.  

 

Notice the phrase there, “Mary has chosen the better part”.  You know why I like that?  Because it means it’s a choice.  Let me let you in on a little secret –You don’t have to do it all.  Nobody’s holding a gun to your head, saying you have to do it all.  God doesn’t expect you to do it all.  You’ve got the time to grow spiritually.  Will you make the time, make the choice?  Will you, like Mary, choose the better part? 

 

If you’ll just make the choice to let some stuff go by, to put some stuff on hold, to put God first, to focus on some things for 40 Days, and say, “I’m going to come home to my first love” – God will help you and you’ll find amazing things happening in your life.

 

What does God want?  He wants all of you, every part of you.  That’s what he wants.  What’s it going to take to grow?  I’ll tell you what it’s going to take to grow.  It’s going to take discipline.  You can’t be a disciple without discipline.

 

But the question remains, why should I make the effort to grow spiritually?  Why should I let go of some things to make time for God in my life? 

Well, there are many benefits and we can spend the rest of the day just talking about those.  Benefits today in your life right now, and benefits forever in eternity.  But I can tell you the reason why you ought to do it in two words – the Cross.  Jesus gave His life completely for you and He expects your life in return. 

 

Look on your outline, at 2 Corinthians 5:15 – let’s read that verse together.  “He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again”.   He died for all.  For every one of us.  Jesus gave His life for every one of us in this room.  Some of us have trusted Him and recognized that and enjoyed His forgiveness in our lives.  For others of you, it may the first time you’ve heard this – that Jesus died for you.  He loved you enough to die for you.  To offer you forgiveness. 

He died for us so that we wouldn’t do it just for ourselves.  We no longer live lives just for ourselves.  We live our lives to the fullest. 

How do you live your life to the fullest?  You live for Him, who died for us.  He knows us better than we know ourselves.  You live for Him, who died for us because He cares about us more than we can ever imagine.  And in the depths of His love and care for us, He has a purpose for our lives that cannot match anything we can ever dream of.  You can never bring the kind of fulfillment or joy to your life that He can bring to your life. 

 

He wants each and every one of us to take what happened at the cross personally.  Jesus died for you.  Jesus was resurrected for you.  He wants to give you forgiveness.  He wants to give you purpose in your life. 

 

Our church staff has been praying every week for the past month that God would do something wonderful in all of your lives, our lives, and the lives of your unsaved friends during the upcoming 40 Days.

I urge you, don’t miss out on what’s going to happen on May 1.  If you’re not in a group, get in one.  If you don’t have the time, make the time.  The Bible says this, 2 Corinthians 6:1, “We beg you, please don’t squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us”.   Nothing else is going to matter. 

Have you ever wanted to be a part of a miracle?  Well now’s your chance.  I have chosen this verse, Habakkuk 3:2, as the theme verse for 40 Days – “Lord, I have heard the news about you; I am amazed at what you have done.  Lord, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days”.  God has given you the opportunity of a lifetime in the next 40 Days…don’t let it pass by.  Don’t sit on the fence.  Don’t watch from the sideline.

 

I want to encourage you to take out this (green) card; you can do it right now.  If you’ve got somebody you want us to pray for this week, you write them down.  You say, “This is the person I’m thinking about inviting to a group this week”.  They don’t have to be a member of St. Paul’s, or even a Christian!

And if you still haven’t gotten into a 40 Days group, you fill out the other card and turn it in.  God is giving you the opportunity of a lifetime, starting next month.

 

Let’s bow our heads for prayer…Father we already know that you’re going to do some amazing things in our midst when we begin the 40 Days of Purpose. Lives are going to be changed, friendships are going to be made, miracles are going to happen.  We already thank you in advance.  And we thank you for what’s already happened in the hearts of people.  I thank you for the homes that stepped out in faith to host a group.  Help them to realize they are already a success because faith pleases you.  I thank you for all those who wrote down names of friends, relatives, loved ones that they want to invite to a group.  Thank you for their love for you and others.  I thank you for a church staff that is willing to weep and pray for the souls of others.  But most of all, I thank you for the Cross because we do this for Jesus’ sake.  Now, you pray.  In your heart say, “God, I don’t want to be a fence sitter anymore.  I don’t want to be a casual Christian, a part time believer, a lukewarm servant.  I want to give you my whole life, every part of me.  I need your help in developing the habits, the disciplines I need to grow spiritually.  So help me to let go of things that don’t really matter, and put you first in my life.  Help me to know what to cut out, so I have time for what’s important.  Thank you for giving your life for me.  I want to be a part of what you’re going to do here in the next 40 Days.  In your name I pray, amen”.