Wake Up

[00:00:00] Good morning. I'm going to greet you in Jesus' name this morning. It's good to be here. I told Tom yesterday he might have to have a message prepared. I was chilly, I was cold from the rain and the wet weather yesterday, but I do feel good this morning. I have a little bit of an itchy throat, so it's good to be here. I've entitled my message this morning, Wake Up, Playground or Battlefield? [00:00:34] Where are we at? What are we doing? What am I doing with my life? Romans 13, 11. Let's turn to that. Romans 13, 11. I wrote my minister's musings for the courier this week. A lot of what I'm going to talk about I talked about in there too. I guess it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately. I read a book that got me thinking about what am I doing with my life? [00:01:08] What's my drive in life? Materialism. How much am I controlled by materialism? How much do I realize that we are living in the last days? How much do I realize that the time is short? There's a lot of things that I've just kind of had on my mind in the last couple months. Romans 13, 11 says, And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep. [00:01:40] For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Do I view this world as a battlefield or just a playground? Is it really my call in life to get ahead? Often we are just trying to get ahead. We're working to get ahead. Am I really just trying to support my family? Or am I really trying to be able to afford everything I want to have? [00:02:11] I'm not sure if I gave this illustration before or not, but there was a pro football player that was in negotiations with, he was refusing to work, he was refusing to play because he wanted more money. He had already signed the contract, and it's a common thing with the football, the terms and deals that they have. When you sign the contract, if you do well, in a couple of years you have, and negotiation power. You can demand more pay. But I don't remember the numbers exactly, but it was around, I think, 7 million a year that he was making. [00:02:45] And he was demanding, I don't know, 9 or 11, something like that. And one of the lines he gave to one of the reporters was, Hey, I'm just trying to feed my family. Are we really trying to just feed our family? Or are we trying to afford everything I want to have? What is important to me? If time was the only food my children had to eat, would they be healthy or would they be starving to death? [00:03:17] Three things that I would like for us to look at and evaluate this morning are work, play, and time. All three can kind of be put into one, but I want to look at each one a little bit separately. Let's turn to John 6, 27. John 6, 27. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you. [00:03:54] For him hath God the Father sealed. Ephesians 4, 28. Let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Another thought, another phrase that I heard, probably the first time I actually heard the phrase, the doctrine of non-accumulation, I heard that about a month ago, and that's something I've been thinking. [00:04:30] We take, we as Mennonites, we maybe take pride and we believe the Bible is taken literally. We, when the Bible says it, we do it. We don't reason it away. What about when it says, labor not for the meat which perisheth. And in the end of, that's in John 6, 27. In Ephesians 4, 28, the last half of the verse says, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let him labor, working with his hands, the things which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. [00:05:10] How often have you got up and went to work so that you could afford to give more? Why are we working so hard to get ahead? Ahead of what? Or ahead of who? Who are we trying to keep up with? What motivates me? Why do I have to have so much and work so hard and obtain so many things? I'm just trying to make ends meet. I want to be very careful. I realize there are people in tough financial situations that have to work hard to make ends meet. [00:05:54] Some of that is an inability to make a lot of money. Depending on your situation, maybe your health or your limitations in some way. Some of it might be past choices. Now you have a lot of bills you need to pay. I understand, I want to be sensitive to that. But why, how many of the payments that I am struggling to make [00:06:25] are payments that are because of something I didn't want to wait for? I think we need to take a look at ourselves and question our motives. What am I really after? What is our standard of living? Do I really need a new X, whatever it might be? Maybe I should have said Xbox, huh? When the one I have now is still working fine. [00:06:59] Does the interior of my house really need to be updated? Because it's outdated? It's not what people are putting in the new houses now? It doesn't look as nice as I would like it to? I don't think there's any of these things that we can put a finger on and say this is absolutely wrong to do this. It's wrong to update your house. I want us to think about it. What are my motives? What drives me? Why do I do the things I do? And are they justifiable? [00:07:31] How much of the money I spend is spent because of what others will think or not think of me? How much do I believe that I deserve it? Tony talked about that a couple of Wednesday nights ago. Whatever it may be, I deserve it. It's something I've saved up my money and I can buy it. Or it's something that I can afford that payment and I'm going to get it. How often do I tell myself no? [00:08:03] Just because it's a good discipline to have. I can remember being a kid and asking Dad, can I do this, go there, whatever. No. Why not? Because I said so. And that was the only answer I got. I remember talking to a guy and he said, you know, he said, I used to hear that when I was a kid and I didn't like it. But he said, now I know kids that have never heard no. [00:08:39] Unless there's a real good reason that dad can give them, they don't have to take no. And he said, you can't impress them. You can't, nothing, they've always had everything they want. You can't reward them. They do something for you, you want to take them out to eat? Well, they go out to eat all the time. There's all these things that they're just used to having whatever they want. And after a while you feel like you deserve it. Nobody can treat you because, well, I deserve that. [00:09:12] How often do we tell ourselves no? I don't like payments. How many of you like payments? You're glad you have payments. We would all say, I think, I don't like payments. But when I get a payment paid off, that means I can afford a new one. I would really like to see a change in our attitude. [00:09:54] We had Dave Ramsey here, however, a couple years ago, a few years ago. Dave Ramsey knows a lot about making money. I've come to agree with him a little less than I used to about hoarding money, making money to be mega rich. One thing I remember he said that made me wonder, He said, when I go to a place, he knows a lot of people and a lot of circles. [00:10:29] He said, I used to want to go sit at the table with the millionaires because I wanted to know the way they thought, the way they did things, you know, because I wanted to be like them. But he said, now when I go places, I go where the ten millionaires, the multi-millionaires are sitting. Because now I need to learn from them. What drives us? When is enough enough? How far do we need to go and what are we after in life? Scripture warns us again and again about riches being a detriment. [00:11:01] Riches and things, things of this world, the cares of this world. And that's talking about caring for our things. It's not talking about the cares that Sheldon and Ellen have right now. It's talking about taking care of everything. Pretty soon we don't have time for the things that matter. Maybe I need to work hard so I can retire young and go into service somewhere. I'm not saying that's not an honorable intention. [00:11:36] I'm not saying that's wrong. But I want us to think about it. When we say we're going to send a missionary somewhere, the first thing we look for is are they missionarying here? If someone wants to go to Africa and witness to the people, are they witnessing to their neighbors here? Are they involved in missions here? And I think if we think I'm going to work and work and work so that later I have time to minister and to serve the Lord, I think we're going to find that when we have enough money to retire, we're going to still not have time to minister for the Lord. [00:12:12] I think we need to be ministering now. I'm not saying that it's wrong to try to retire young. Save your money. Do whatever. Have that goal so that you can go into mission. Go into service. But am I using the excuse, I'll do that later. Right now I need to do all this. And later I'll go into, then I'll start serving the Lord. What if you die young? That's a possibility. Daniel, we had that conversation a couple weeks or months ago [00:12:46] about people wanting to go into service. They finally get to where they can afford it. And then maybe it's a couple that wants to. One of them dies. Or different things can happen. We think we know what we're going to do. And then it turns out we can't do it. Are we doing what we can now? Are we taking the time now to serve or do we not have time? 2 Timothy 2 verse 4 says, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this world, affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. [00:13:30] God has given us a job to do. He has sent us to, we are soldiers for Christ. Are we entangling ourselves with the things of this world, or are we keeping ourselves focused on Christ? Matthew 6, 19-21, this is another command. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust have corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [00:14:08] We often talk about laying up treasure in heaven. The Lord bless you, you're laying up treasure in heaven. How often do we talk about lay not up treasures on earth? How much do we drive to accumulate, to have, to have that security, that security blanket where I don't have to worry about things because now I have enough money. No matter what happens, I can take care of it. 1 John 2.16 says, For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [00:14:46] If you take out the middle part of that, it says, For all that is in the world is not of the Father, but is of the world. Why do we drive so hard to accumulate the world's goods that God has told us are dangerous and it's hard for a rich man to enter into heaven? Have work or money and the power that they bring. I think we can lose ourselves in our work. When I'm working, I don't have to think or I, you know, that's where I get fulfillment or it could be the ability to earn money. We know that work brings us money and we want money to do things. I think there may be other motives, I don't know, but I think those are our two main motives for working. Either our work brings fulfillment or the money that the work brings in. [00:15:36] If my work or my ability to earn money were my God No, I'm sorry, I got on the wrong line there. Have work or money and the power that they bring become a God to you or to me. Finish this line. If my work or my ability to earn money were my God, I would what? What would you have to change in your life if you were going to say, [00:16:08] Okay, I'm going to make work my God, or money my God, or the things I can get from money. If that was going to be my focus in life, I'm turning away from God and I am turning to this to find fulfillment. How much would have to change? Would we have to change anything? Where are we at? What are we driving? What are we serving? How close are we to letting our work control our lives? Luke 21.34 [00:16:39] And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and tears of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. I want us to look at that word surfeiting. Does anybody know what that word means? Lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness. Literally, it means a hangover. A guy goes out, it happened all the time when I was in the factory. [00:17:16] Guys would come in, oh, I feel sick this morning, I got a headache and bellyache, and they're hungover. They couldn't function right because they were hungover. How often do we not function right? We come to church and fall asleep. People asking you help with so and so. We can't function. We can't do it because we're hung over. The effects of our job, the effects of our work, the effects of what we drive at [00:17:51] has us hung over to where we're not effective at working with God, helping God, working for God. Are we on a playground or a battlefield? Second thing I'd like to look at is play. Philippians 3, 18 and 19 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. [00:18:27] Gluttony. You can all look at me and know that that is something I deal with. Gluttony is a serious thing. Is gluttony any less serious than any other sins that are listed in the Bible? Why is this one so often and so easily overlooked? This is something I've really been faced with lately. The Lord is working on me with this one. [00:18:59] And I think what really, it's easy to look at gluttony and say food, and I do believe it applies to food. How often do I overeat and eat when I'm not hungry? We have food everywhere. We always have food available. Why do I look at the drunk who dies young and leaves a wife and children to support themselves And we say shame on him, he died of alcohol poisoning at 40 [00:19:31] If he had just put away the booze he could have lived and been there That is very irresponsible and it's wrong for him to do that But we look at overeating and eating junk, being unhealthy And like I said this is where I have really, the Lord has really spoke to me about this Why is it any less irresponsible for me to be unhealthy, die young, because of overweight, die of a heart attack, or diabetes, or all these other things that come from being out of control, unable to control yourself. [00:20:14] Now realize, there's different circumstances. I want to understand that. But what do we do? How often do we tell ourselves no? The sin of gluttony is not only referring to how much I eat, and I do believe it is a sin, the sin of gluttony. How many toys do I have? How about what I buy my kids? Why do we so seldom tell ourselves no? It's easy to go look at that new truck and say, well, I can't afford it, and tell myself no. [00:20:49] But if I'm at Walmart and there's a gizmo that I like or something I've been wanting and it's on sale for half price, I can afford it. Do I just snap it up because I've got the money and I can buy it? Or do I think about it? Why do I need it? What am I telling myself no and disciplining myself? How often do we die to ourselves? I want to look at the thing of playing. How much play time is good and when does it become negligence? [00:21:20] I realize I just got done talking about work and now I'm talking about play. You can't work or play. What are you supposed to do? I do believe there's a balance. You can be the other way. We can be irresponsible. We play all the time. Or, work hard. I saw this a lot in the factories. These guys come in and they work and they want to get out early because they're going to go home and party. Or they're going to go to the lake, do whatever. But work hard so you can make a lot of money, so you can afford more toys, so you can play hard. Are we on a battlefield or are we on a playground? [00:21:53] If you give your kids a job to do, you send three kids out to weed the garden. You want them to have fun. You want them to enjoy doing that. But you don't want to come out and find them playing on their bikes. They're supposed to be about the work you gave them. How often do we take the job that God has given us and turn it into playtime? We're living here on earth for a purpose. To reach others, to encourage each other, to be about our Father's business. [00:22:26] How much of our time do we turn into playtime? These are just some questions we each need to answer ourselves. How much is too much? When am I spending too much on having a good time and not enough on helping others? Going back to let us labor that He may have to give to those who are in need. Is there a percentage or formula that I need to go by? How often do I say no to something I can truly afford? [00:22:59] Maybe we don't have to have a payment. Maybe we can pay for it. Do we need it? Is it something we can better use the money to help someone else? Going back to that same verse, talking about play now. Take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. So often we saw it Monday morning at the factory. Guys come in, even if they're not hungover. [00:23:30] Oh, I just tore it up all weekend and just have a real hard time getting going Monday morning because of too much play, too much doing whatever. Not being serious about working for, in that case it would be working for the factory, in our case it would be working for God. Are we coming to church? Are we coming to God? Maybe it's in our devotional time. Are we coming in with a hangover? We've got so many other things going on that we can't function right in our time with God. [00:24:04] Number three is time. Who gets my time? What is important to me will get my time. I don't think we can get around this. I do believe the things that are important to us will get our time. What investments am I making? I'm talking about eternal investments. Am I investing in earth or am I laying up treasures in heaven? Dads, I'm going to say it again. [00:24:35] I've talked to the dads a little bit. I guess it's really, I just really feel this is important. Your kids need you and your interest in their lives a lot more than you need that extra money or they. I'm doing it for the kids. I'm doing it so I can afford to send them to college. I'm doing it so I can buy them this or that. They need you a lot more than they or their mom need that extra money you're going to make. [00:25:12] Just some things I thought about. Do you really need to take on that extra ground? Do that extra side job after you get home from your regular job. Work overtime at your regular job. Have two jobs. I really feel we're going to regret it. We're going to pay for it. Our children are going to pay for it. Because dad doesn't have time to invest in me. [00:25:49] What are we striving for? What are we trying to accomplish? Think back ten years. What was it you were trying to accomplish then? Most of us, if we had a financial, an object we were trying to work to afford, in ten years, if it's an object, not an empire, we're going to be able to have accomplished that. Maybe it was a new car you wanted or whatever. Did it satisfy? Think of something you really wanted. [00:26:20] You saved your money and you got it. Or you made the payments, and you have it, and the payments. Did it satisfy? I'll give you an illustration. I had a bow that was a, some of you will know what I'm talking about, a lot of you won't. I had a Hoyt. It shot okay. It was not a new bow. I even bought it on an auction. And I wanted a Matthews bow. And I had the money. I got it. I didn't use the credit card to pay for it. I had the money and I bought it. [00:26:56] And that was the latest and greatest. And I liked it. Well, that bow is three years old. And you know how much I'd like to have a new Z7, Matthews? That bow I've got still shoots like it did when I got it. It still does everything it did when I got it. But that new Z7 is a lot nicer boat. If I would go get that Z7, do you think that in two or three years I'd still be happy with my Z7? [00:27:27] I'd want the latest and greatest. And I think we need to realize we keep reaching for things, and then when we have that, we realize, well, this didn't satisfy me, so we go for the next thing. I picked up that extra 100 acres of ground last three years ago. and that was the ground I wanted and now there's another 100 acres I can pick up how much do we push ourselves and how much do we drive ourselves I was talking to a guy about that and he was saying you know there's just not enough time to do everything hardly [00:27:58] and I said so are you telling me that if 200 acres came up for sale for rent beside you you wouldn't pick it up this guy wasn't from our church he said I think I would he said I'd be a challenge I'd see if I could hack it What are we driving at? What is our focus? What are we pushing for? What gets our time? Luke 17, 26-28 says, And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man. [00:28:31] They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Life-wise also, as it was in the days of Lot, they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built it. Those things are not wrong. I've seen those verses used that these people just, they were eating and drinking and getting married. Well, those things aren't wrong. What was wrong was that they didn't believe that there was a flood coming. [00:29:06] They kept going on just like nothing was going to happen. Noah warned them and warned them. They kept getting married, eating, drinking, planting, building, the same as in Lot, the days of Lot. They were selling, they were planting, they were building. If you really believed that the world was going to end next week, you probably wouldn't plant, well this isn't the right time of the year, but you know what I'm saying. You wouldn't go plant corn if you really believed that the world was going to be destroyed a week later. How much of what we do do we really believe the Lord is coming back? [00:29:42] Do we really believe that or is it just something that's way out there? The world is just going to keep going on and on. 1 Thessalonians 5, 2-3 says, For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. as to prevail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape. Suddenly, the world will end. Suddenly, all that we've labored for will be accounted for. [00:30:16] I saw an illustration, I read an illustration, and I thought it made a really good point. If you were living in, we'll just say America, And you were told that you were going to be asked to go to Africa. And when you moved to Africa, you were going to live there until you died. That was just going to be your new residence. [00:30:47] You were also told that no matter how much money you made between now and then, None of it was transferable None of it could be taken with you None of it could be used in Africa How much time would you spend working and saving and scrimping and piling up money in America? And yet we're told that the Lord's going to come back any day [00:31:18] He could come back now And I'm not talking about not being responsible with our money. I'm not talking about not having a savings account. I'm not. Use some reason. But how much of it do we act like this life is all that's here? This is what it is. The more I make, the better off I am, the more money I have, the happier I'll be. And we've proven to ourselves over and over that every time we get what we're after I get that new truck and in a year I want another one I get that new whatever it is [00:31:51] And it's just stuff, it doesn't bring satisfaction And yet we keep thinking that the next thing will be it And we drive ourselves so hard and work so hard At the expense of our families, at the expense of our children And at the expense of God's kingdom So what are you on? Is it a playground or a battlefield? Let's stand for prayer. Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank you, Lord, for your mercy. [00:32:31] Thank you, Lord, that you remember that we are made of dust, that we have weaknesses, That we are human, that we are frail. Lord, I pray that you would give us a mind and a heart that is after you. That we would question our motives, that we would do inventory. Why do I do the things that I do? And Lord, that where there's changes that need to be made, that we'd be willing to make those changes. [00:33:04] Give us wisdom. Give us discretion. Discernment. Lord, we just want to be pleasing to you. We want to be not hung over with our work and our play. Ineffective in serving you. Help us, Lord, to lay aside the weights, the things that drag us down, that keep us from being able to serve you with all our hearts. Give us a real heart to serve you. [00:33:36] Thank you for caring and thank you for your blessings. We want to give you the honor and the glory. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.