8-30-09 Series: You Don’t Have What It Takes; Week #3 You don’t have enough time

How many of you have been slightly overwhelmed this week?  How many we’re in a hurry?  Rushed?  Late and stressed?  In fact, how many of you are so often in a rush that slow people really annoy you?  How many of you would say that?  Yeah, just the fact that it took some of you a long time to raise your hand, that annoys me.  You’re way too slow.  Any of you, you ever go to the grocery store and you get your groceries, and then you walk up to the line and you analyze which line’s going to be the fastest?  And then you get into line and you race?  Anybody ever do that?  Any of you with kids ever design mock races for your kids, and you say, “Let’s see how fast you can get ready for bed.  Ready?  Go, go, go, go, go.”  Why?  Because we’re in such a rush. 

 

This morning I’d like to show you four ways, perhaps, that you might just be out of it because you’re so busy.  For many of us, we are out of sorts physically.  I say to myself, “I don’t really have time to exercise and I can’t really eat right, because I’m so busy”  A good family meal for you might be finding a three-day old Big Mac under your car seat and sharing it with your kids on your way to soccer practice and that’s what you think of as having a sit down meal as a family. 

 

That’s one, the second one is that we are out of sorts emotionally.  You know, we would probably have a breakdown, except for we just don’t have time.  We’re so overwhelmed that emotionally, we are just completely a mess. 

 

Some of us, we are out of touch relationally.  There are people that we love, but we just don’t have anything left for them.  We can be with them at the end of the day, but we are not totally with them, because we are completely spent and life’s just going by, and we are not really connecting relationally with those around us. 

 

That’s three and the fourth one is really big to me, many of us are out of order spiritually.  We believe in God, but we just don’t really have time for Him.  For example, studies show that about one half of the poele that attend worship on a Sunday morning, about fifty only come to church one time a month or less.  About half of you, you would call yourself a regular churchgoer, and you would call yourself a Christian, but you only come to church one time a month or less.  Why is that? 

 

It’s not that you’re a bad person, but it’s just, you’re busy.  Your kids are involved in activities and sports and school commitments and you’ve got your yard to take care of, and your house to clean, and of course if you work hard, you got to play hard, and then sometimes by the time we can come to worship or life group or outreach, even if we don’t have anything going on, we’re just so fried from the week that we just need some time to just chill out. 

 

We’re really busy, but we think, “Well, we can handle it.  God won’t give us more than we can bear.  God won’t give us more than we can …”  Scripture says God will never give us more than we can handle, right?  The problem is, scripture doesn’t say that.  Now, the Bible does say God won’t let us be tempted beyond what we can bear, but scripture never says God won’t give us more than we can handle. 

 

Now, I want you to be honest with me here. How many of you would honestly say that you are at least occasionally overwhelmed?  You often feel stressed.  You feel like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done.  You feel like there is simply too much to do.  How many of you would say that that is you?  Lift, leave them up for a minute.  I want you to look around.  Leave them up. 

 

Right now I want you to acknowledge that virtually every hand is raised.  Something is wrong with this picture.  Think about it.  Do you really think that God’s intention for us is to be consistently overwhelmed, over burdened, and stressed out?  Something is wrong.  What our culture calls normal living today, I believe God would call insane.  Insane, unbiblical, dangerous, wrong, sinful, a cursed condition. 

 

Jesus has a word for us today to guide us toward who we were created to be. Matthew chapter 11, starting in verse 28, here is what Jesus said. 

 

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, worn out, stressed, fatigued, too much to do.  “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you,” what?  “Rest.”  Some of us, we don’t even know what rest is.  We don’t, because when we rest, we feel guilty.  Don’t we?  We feel guilty because we are not doing something productive, and if we’re not doing something productive, it couldn’t be good. 

 

I mean, we’re a society who doesn’t have any respect for the Sabbath, a day of rest.  We feel guilty when we rest because there is so much to do.  We feel guilty when we are obeying God, resting.  Jesus said, “Come to me.  Come to me.  Come to me all who are worn out and I will give you rest.”  He says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart.”  He says, “And what will you find for your souls?”  He said, You will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

 

What is a yoke?  Well, if you’ve ever been to omish country and seen two oxen plowing a field, or maybe a picture of it, they have a wooden or a steel yoke.  It’s what joins them together so that they can go at the same pace, the same rhythm.  We are called to be yoked, or joined, with Christ.  Why?  Because many of us, we are going much faster and doing far more than Christ would have us do.  Jesus was unquestionably busy, but He was never in a hurry, and there is a difference.  We can be busy and productive without being hurried, because busy-ness is out here, but hurriedness is a sickness of the soul.  It is a sickness of the soul, and what I had to do in my life is acknowledge that in almost everything that I did, I was hurried.  I still fight it.

 

Here’s the question. When are you going to slow down? I’m going to always slow down tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, when my kids are older, when I retire. Let me ask those of you who are older than me. Does life ever get slower? Most of us, when there’s a slight opening where we aren’t busy, we fill it up. “Oh, that means that I can do this and this and this.

 

What do you do when you have too many things to do and seemingly not enough time to do them?  Well, I want to show you three things to do with your things.  The first thing, if you are taking notes, is this.  We need to recognize that some things need to be shared.  Some things need to be shared.  You think, “I can handle it all.”  But you weren’t designed to handle it all.  God will often give us things to share with others. 

 

In fact, I love the story of Moses.  In Exodus 18, starting in verse 17, when he was overwhelmed, his father-in-law gave him some good advice and said, “Moses, what you’re doing is not good.  You and these people, they’ve come to you.  You’re only going to wear yourselves out.  The work is too heavy for you, and you cannot handle it alone.”  For many of us, what we are doing is not good.  What people consider normal today is not good.  You’re only going to wear yourselves out.  You can’t handle it alone. 

 

Now, chances are, the problem with many of you is similar to me.  I’m totally willing to help others, but I don’t know how to receive from others.  I rarely ask for help. 

 

We have Life Group at our home each week.  Not because we have time to do it, but because we choose to have time to do it.  And the reason we have it at our house most weeks is because then we can’t walk away from it; people are coming whether we want them to or not, whether we feel like doing life group or not, because it’s at our house. Why do we do that, because it’s important to us; it’s a priority to us, because every week after everyone goes home I think to myself, “Wow that was great!” I need those people to grow spiritually. When I’m left to myself, I wilt. I don’t grow, I forget to pray, I forget to keep God at the center. It’s too heavy for me to do alone.

 

In Galatians 6:2, Paul tells us to “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  That’s God’s will. That’s not just, I’ll help other people carry their burdens, but rather we all help one another. That means that I’m called to let other people carry my burdens as well. It makes the load lighter when we share.

 

Too many things to do?  Well, some things need to be shared.  Second thing if you are taking notes is this.  Some things need to be stopped.  Could it be that you are doing way too much?  I really relate to the story in Luke 10 about Mary and Martha.  They had Jesus over to their homes, and Mary took advantage of this situation.  She said, “You know what?  Jesus is here.  Guess what I am going to do?  I’m hanging out with Jesus.  I just want to spend time with him.”  Well, Martha, on the other hand, she was doing what I would do and what many of you would do.  She was in the kitchen going, “It’s got to be just right.  We got Jesus here.  Gotta make his favorite cookies.  Gotta make sure there’s a candle so the place smells good.”  And she’s in there totally wigging out, and she looks out and Mary’s just sitting there like a lazy bum, and she screams out, “Mary, get your lazy tail end in the kitchen right now, and, and help me.  Do something productive.”  She doesn’t really say that, but something like that, and Jesus responds this way.  His response really ministers to me.  Verse 41, “Martha, Martha,” sweetheart, the Lord answers, “You are worried and upset about many things,” and wouldn’t that verse just really speak to where a lot of us are.  You are freaked out about all sorts of things, but only one thing is needed, Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Mary made a choice.  There were some things she could have done, but she didn’t do them. Were they wrong? Where they bad? NO!  She chose not to do good some things so she could do what was better. 

 

Think for a moment, if you will, and ask yourself, “How would you fill in this blank?”  If only I had more time, I would … blank.  I don’t know what it would be for you.  “If only I had more time, I would spend time with my children.  If only I had more time, I would be in a Life Group, because I could see how that would be important.  If only I had more time, I would join others in reaching out on Saturdays.  If only I had more time, I would, I would journal.  I would write a book.    If only I had more time, I would go and help coach some kids so I could pour into their life.  If only I had more time I would mentor a kid down at the elementary school. If only …” 

 

I don’t know what it would be for you, but there may be some value that God has put in your heart that you’re not doing because you don’t have enough time.  And I am going to tell you right now, that is a cop out, because we do have time.  We are choosing to put other things in that time.  We are choosing what is lesser rather than what is better.  What our culture calls normal is totally insane.  Let me ask you this.  What do your actions communicate that you value?  What do your actions communicate that you value?  What value does all our actions communicate? The actions of our culture suggests that we most value things, money and possessions. 

 

Why is it totally normal and absolutely necessary for two incomes today.  Why?  So we can have a nice house.  So we can have the nice car.  So we can have the nice look.  What does that not communicate?  What it does not communicate is that family is important to us, because we don’t have it.  Because we’ve surrendered to a very sick culture. 

 

What does sports on Sunday communicate?  Because if your kids are good or playing in a good league, they’re going to play sports on Sunday, and some of us will totally abandon God for four months because of practices, tournaments and games. What does that communicate to our kids?  It communicates that we value sports above God.  We’ve got our kids in three or four different activities: piano, dance, tai quado, soccer, da da da da da.  But yet, we’re not home for family meals.  What does that communicate?  Why do we think that giving them more activities is better for their character?  Better for their soul?  It’s insane.  Some things need to be stopped. 

 

Some things need to be stopped, and I don’t know what those things are for you, because they are going to be totally different for you than they will be for me.  Here is what scripture says.  Psalms 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  The reason many of you, you are a believer, but you have not experienced the fresh wind of God in a long time.  You haven’t experienced the presence and the power of God in your life in a long time is because you don’t have time for Him.  You say He is important, but your actions communicate otherwise. 

 

I would argue all day long that instead of adding to your “to do” list, you need a new list, and I call it the “to don’t” list.  And these are some things that we are going to not do.  What do you need to add to your “to don’t” list?  What do you need to add, because some things need to be shared.  Some things need to be stopped. 

 

Number three, if you are taking notes, everything needs to be surrendered.  Everything needs to be surrendered unto our Lord God.  Psalms 62:1 says, “My soul,” where does it find rest? My soul finds rest in, in God alone.” 

 

Not on a vacation or in a newer house or in a newer car or in a car with butt warmers so I feel comfortable when I’m driving down the road in the winter, or in a better outfit, or in a swimming pool for my back yard.  My soul finds rest in God, alone.  My salvation, it comes from Him.  It comes from Him, alone.  Psalm 55:22 tells us this.  We are told to “Cast our cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.”  Cast in this case means to hurl, or it means to throw.  We need to take that which burdens us and throw it onto God, but most of us don’t.  Most of us don’t.  I like this story.  It’s a very goofy story, very silly, and I have to warn you up front so you don’t boo or throw something at me.  It’s very silly, but it’s a good point. 

 

There was a guy who had a big sack of taters.  If you’re not from the south, that means a sack of potatoes, but I like the word taters better.  And he was carrying this big sack of taters down the road.  It was very heavy, and a guy in a truck pulled up next to him and said, “Man, why don’t you hop in the back of the truck and I’ll carry you to the next town,” and the guy said, “Oh, thank you so much.”  So he climbed up in the back of the truck and sat in the back of the pickup truck with this sack of taters on his shoulder, just sitting there holding it as the guy was driving down the road, and midway down the road, the guy in the truck looked back and said, “Hey, old buddy, why don’t you put down them sack of potaters?”  And the guy in the back said, “Oh, no.  It’s so kind of you to take me, I wouldn’t dare ask you to carry my taters.”  I told you it was stupid.  I warned you.  Okay? 

 

But that’s exactly what we do with God.  “God, I’ll let you save me, but you’re, you’re not carrying my taters, you see.  I’ve got these burdens, and I’m going to carry them myself because I can handle it all.”  No, you can’t.  You can’t.  You weren’t designed to.  You’re not that good.  “God won’t give me more than I can handle.”  Scripture never says that.  In fact, some of you, God may allowed you to have more than you can handle so you can come to a breaking point where you cry out and depend on His people, and you cry out and depend on Him. 

 

Earlier on, most of us said we are often stressed and overwhelmed.  There is something wrong with that picture.  Here is the big question I want you to ask yourself, and that is this.  What radical change do you need to make?  If you are going to be yoked with Christ, what radical change do you need to make?  Now, you may say, “Well, Adam, I don’t need to make a radical change, but the truth of the matter is that you’re a very bright person and if some small change, if some minor tweak would have worked, you would have done that years ago. 

 

What radical change do you need to make?  I don’t know what it is because it’s different for each one of you.  I mean, for some of you, it may be that you move into a smaller home so that you can go to a, a one-income family, because for you, that would make the difference.  Or you, you become a one-car family so that you don’t feel the financial pressure and you don’t have to work two jobs, or, or whatever it is, or you, you educate your kids in a different way, or you put your hobby on hold, God forbid, for three years before your kids are grown and out of the house, because they need you there. 

 

I don’t know what it would be, but we need to make changes because the way that we have been doing life has been destroying us.  And Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened.”  That’s, that’s the majority of you.  Come to Jesus, not in a cultural Christianity, “Hey, we went to church.  We did our Jesus thing,” but a come to Jesus and say, “Jesus, if we belong to You, then lead us and we will follow you.  We are not following what is expected of us culturally.  We are following where you want to lead us.  And what most people call Christianity today is, honestly, it is a joke.  It is a cultural Christianity, and it does not give life.  We will not surrender to the values of this culture.  We will surrender only to the values of Christ. 

 

Life Link:

 

v     What causes you to hurry and get stressed?

 

v     Summary of the message – some things shared, other things stopped, with all things being surrendered to God

 

v     Was there anything in Sunday’s message that struck you, confused you, or that you disagreed with?

 

v     Do you ever feel guilty about resting?

o       If resting is God’s will, why do you think you’re feeling guilty?

o       What does it mean to rest?

o       Do you regularly rest on the Sabbath/Sunday? Why or why not?

o       Why does God call us to rest on the Sabbath?

 

v     What is the difference between being busy and being in a hurry?

o       Why is it sinful, and not good, to be in a hurry?

o       How do your relationship with God and others suffer when you are in a hurry?

 

v     Can you ever have to many good things in your life? Explain.

o       How do we determine what things are good and what things are better in our lives? (Relationships always trump things)

o       Is there anything in your life that needs to be stopped, shared or surrendered to God? Explain.