Based on Luke 3: 1–6

Time’s Up!  How Jesus’ Use of Time Guides Us sermon notes

Luke 5:15-16 New Living Translation (NLT)  

¹⁵ But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. ¹⁶ But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.

Luke 6:12-13 New Living Translation (NLT)   Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

¹² One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. ¹³ At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. 

Luke 22:39 New Living Translation (NLT)  Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

³⁹ Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives.

How can I live my  life in a rhythm of peace as Jesus did?

1.  Pause in my busy day of life as Jesus did.
2.  Asked direction in all things big and small as Jesus did.
3. Seeking God’s will as Jesus did.

Based on: selections from: Matthew 6: 25-33

SERMON NOTES

#1 One of the worst uses of time for Christians is   Worrying.

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[a]?           Matthew 6:25-27 NRSV

#2 True gratitude leads us to trust the greatest blessing of all:  Jesus love for us.

³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.      Matthew 6:31- 34  NRSV

#3 Apathy  is never a Christian option.  True gratitude always leads us to to gracious action.

We are not designed to go constantly.  Just as in music, “rests” are important for us.  One of the 10 Commandments is “remember the Sabbath Day”.   Do we remember why this is a commandment, and how do we follow it?

Based on Luke 2:25-38

The two Greek words signifying time:

Chronos – quantitative, sequential, “chronological” time

Kairos – the proper moment that is right for something to occur

Average American spends:

• 25 yrs    Sleeping 
• 10.3 yrs Working (based on a 40 hr/wk week)
• 9.1 yrs  Watching TV or 2.8  hrs / day!
• 3.6 yrs  Eating  35 tons of food
• 4.3 yrs  Driving
• 290,000 times we will laugh out loud
• 12,000 cups of coffee 

Sermon Notes:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

For we live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

How can I have an up to date faith?

1. Trust my past to God’s grace .

“You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors. But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.”     Galatians 1:13-16a (NLT)

2. Trust my present to God’s care .

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Now all glory to God our Father forever and ever! Amen.”       Philippians 4:19-20 (NLT)

3. Trust my future to God’s promises.

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”    Romans 14:8 NRSV

Sermon Notes:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

For we live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NLT)

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? James 2:14 (NLT)

How does Jesus want me to express my faith?

1. Through on of the way and out of the way good works!

2. Through good works we reflect Jesus’ character . 

Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. James 2:15-17 (NLT) 

3. Through good works that reinforce Jesus’ mission .

Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.  James 2:26 (NLT)

In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.  Matthew 5:16 (NLT)

Sermon Notes:

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.  Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

For we live by faith, not by sight.  2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV)

¹⁴ When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, ¹⁵ and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. ¹⁶ And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” ¹⁷ Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” ¹⁸ And Jesus rebuked the demon,^[a] and it^[b] came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” ²⁰ He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a^[c] mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”^[d]  Matthew 17:14-21 (NRSV)

What can I do when I face an impossible mountain?

I can put my faith in _________________.  or

I can put my faith in the ________________________. or

I can put my faith in the _________________________________________.

(myself or the mountains; or I can put my faith in the mountain mover – God)