vocabulary

Sovereign- having supreme power

talent - (as referred to in parable in Matthew 25) means at least a thousand dollars from what the NIV said.

A Waste of Time

How we spend our time

Man in Matthew 25 who wasted the one talent (worth more than a thousand dollars) he was given. He wasted time. He didn't work for his master when he was given the chance.

As I've talked about in previous lessons, God perceives time differently than we do.

2 Peter 3

8 ¶ But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

Our lives are mere seconds long from God's point of view. How do I spend this second that I've been given? Do I spend it all in the pursuit of money? In looking out for myself? Or do I use it to God's glory? Showing love to those around me in His name. Telling other's about Jesus' ability to save.

The book of Ecclesiastes has many references to time and what we do with it. The writer maybe Solomon from what verses 1 and

Ecclesiastes 1 [this is KJV. May want to read from NIV]

1 ¶ The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.

3 What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?

4 ¶ One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever.

5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose.

6 The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again according to his circuits.

7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.

8 All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 ¶ The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

10 Is there any thing whereof it may be said, See, this is new? it hath been already of old time, which was before us.

11 There is no remembrance of former things; neither shall there be any remembrance of things that are to come with those that shall come after.

12 ¶ I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

14 I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.

15 That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.

16 I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.

17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.

18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.

This writer is very jaded. There is never anything new. We can never really discover anything because even if we do find something, it's always been there. It's all been done. Most things we can do or think of or invent or create in this world are a waste of time in this writer's point of view. Most of what we do will be forgotten by future generations anyway, he says.

If we think about this...do you know much about your great great grandmother? Maybe you know something if you've researched it. In some cases, they might even be alive. But many of us know very little about our great great grandparents. There. Only four generations ago and already most things they spent their lives doing are gone from memory and history.

Perhaps some people have been important enough to make a mark in history. But even then, will famous leaders and battles such as Napolean and World War I be remembered after the end of time when the saints have gone to heaven?

But look at the history of the people recorded for us in the bible. We believe in Jesus Christ who lived about 2000 years ago. The same with the apostle Paul. We believe in David and Moses and Noah and even Adam who lived around the beginning of time. These were important in the history of God's people. They have done things that matter and make a difference even in the eternal scheme of things. Jesus Christ made possible the salvation of those who will come to him in obedience. Souls will go to heaven eternally through him.

So many of the things we can do in this life are a waste of time...especially those involving sin. Sin is not only a waste of time in God's eyes, but it's destructive.

Various times

Ecclesiastes 3

1 ¶ To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

9 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?

10 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.

11 ¶ He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.

12 I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.

13 And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.

14 I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.

15 That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.

16 ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

17 I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

18 I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts.

19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth?

[Apparently the understanding of the life after this one was perhaps not very clear in those times. It may have been a similar issue as the two Hebrew sects arose...the Saducees who didn't believe in resurrection from the dead and the Pharisees who did.]

22 Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

As we read here, there is a time for everything. After tending to a day's work and the obligations we have, there often isn't time for much else. But this doesn't mean that we can't adhere to Paul's admonition in

Colossians 3

17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

For example, in my behavior at work, do I break the rules and try to get away with as little work as I can? Am I lazy? Do I complain about every little thing and gossip to my co-workers? Or do I do my work to the best of my abilities, happy because God has given me the chance to make a living. Perhaps to the point that people take notice and are curious. Even to the point that God is glorified.

Conclusion of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12

13 ¶ Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

So this wise writer of Ecclesiastes concludes that life is pointless without God. Nothing we do in this life makes a difference in the eternal point of view except the work we do for God. The most valuable use of our time is for God's purposes.

Again, we are told to pass our time in the fear of God.

1 Peter 1

17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

We'd certainly consider ourselves to be those who call on the Father through Jesus Christ. So we must pass our time here in the fear of God.

One way that we can waste our time is in pride and conceit...in thinking that we are better than others. We are less likely to do things to help them.

1 Peter 5

5 ¶ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

So instead of wasting our time in pride and conceit we should be servants to one another. God will raise us up in time.

As with many things in life, we are expected to be good stewards of the time we are given.

1 Cor 4

1 ¶ Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.

2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

Time is one of the things we are stewards over. We must be faithful to take advantage of our time to do God's will.

Hosea 10

12 Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Let's try in our lives to break new ground for God where we haven't before.