What A Waste!

Ephesians 5:11-15
Don't waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It's a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ. Wake up from your sleep, Climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

There is a sauce which exists on this planet which is rivaled by none other. If there is such a thing as ambrosia, for me, this is it. The tangy taste of this tart treat makes my mouth water even as I write this. Is this the fruity concoction which ends up at so many picnics in the summer time? Absolutely not. That so called "ambrosia" pales in comparison to this substance. I'm sure you're desperate to know. You want to get right out to the grocery store before it closes for the evening, I'm sure.

What is this delectable delight?

Jellied cranberries. Oh yes, you know them. I'm not talking about real cranberries here. I'm not talking about the chunky kind with real berries in them. I'm talking heavily processed, jellied cranberries. They come in a can. You open the can, and they slowly slide from their home and glop out into a bowl waiting to be sliced and served. I especially like mine with turkey gravy poured over the top.

Jellied cranberries are one of life's love-hate experiences. You either love 'em or you hate 'em. Obviously you know where I stand on the issue. I've discovered, however, the vast majority of the population doesn't love 'em. I'm sure you sense my disappointment. It is such a terrible thing to have to see everyone passing the bowl around the table, occasionally taking a polite sliver and then nervously passing them along.

I however, am anxious. In fact, I usually make sure that I sit where the bowl is located so I am the first to pass the bowl around the table, thus insuring that I will be also be last to receive them. I get the leftovers. And there is usually much leftover.

And I let nothing go to waste when it comes to my cranberries.

Is this the case with the rest of my life? How much of my life do I let go to waste? How often do I spend a whole hour in worship, only to come home and mindlessly pop in a DVD to transform my mind into a complete vegetative state? How often do I fellowship with my brothers and sisters in the faith and then fall flat on my face in a futile attempt at what I think will be a time of rest? How often do I share the Gospel with those in my congregation on a Sunday morning, only to walk out the doors and push the pause button on my mouth and heart, waiting until next Sunday morning to once again share?

What do I do with my time? Is it spent in wasted hours of video games? Is it spent mindlessly watching sports? Am I really even investing in my children? At least that would be an investment. Often I am more passionate about my cranberries going to waste than the hours of my life.

Paul writes to both encourage and exhort the church in Ephesus. Encourage: to cheer on. Exhort: to give warnings or advice. In fact, Paul goes so far in this passage to tell the church they've not just been asleep...but they've been sleeping the sleep of death! Ouch. Is your church asleep? Is your church dead? Paul's giving a wake-up call here. And he's not beating around the bush or pulling his punches. He's telling it straight up: "Look church, you're not just asleep...it's as if you're dead. You are wasting time! What mindless pursuits you engage in! Knock it off! Stop killing time and start filling time purposefully."

How much T.V. do you watch? Do you read your Bible at least as much as you watch T.V.? How much music do you listen to each week which does not glorify God? Do you listen to at least as much music which praises Him and puts Him first in your life? Do you spend at least as much time worshiping Him as you do with this music...as you do with shopping...as you do surfing the internet...as you do playing computer games...as you do watching sports?

How many people have died and gone to hell while we were wasting time? That's the real question isn't it. As we pursue barren, and trivial activities there are people all around this world dying and going to Hell because they do not know the love that is in Christ Jesus.

But you do.

You have what they need. You have a relationship with a Savior who died on a cross for your sins. And so do they...they just don't know it yet. Friends, they are running headlong into an eternity of fire. If you saw your child or friend about to be burned by a hot stove, wouldn't you warn them? And why? Because you care...you don't want them to be hurt.

I guarantee you Hell is a lot warmer than a hot stove.

Jesus didn't go on vacation. But He intentionally took times away from His flock. He intentionally withdrew, not to get away from people, but to draw close to His Daddy in Heaven.

How often do we intentionally withdraw and in fact, sometimes purposefully withdraw even from our Father in Heaven? In fact, sometimes, we turn our backs because we don't want to be good for a while.

The Church which is described in Acts 2:42-47 got together everyday to worship as a body and then break up into small groups and share meals in each others' homes. They worshiped together every day. They became family to each other, sharing meals. They encouraged each other. They exhorted one another.

They were the Church...capital "c."

They didn't come home, pop in a DVD and "veg out." The wives worked each day, ministering to their homes and families while husbands worked a trade. And at the end of the day, they got together, worshiped, and then broke bread.

They didn't waste time. Apparently, this church in Ephesus began to waste some of its time, and so Paul, being a pastor to them, wrote to encourage and exhort.

Friends, I write to you today to do the same. If you're reading this and finding that you have a desire to draw closer to the Lord, to spend more time with Him, to read His word, to get together with other brothers and sisters in worship...keep it up! And go for it! Talk to your pastor. Tell him you want more! Challenge him to have more opportunities for growth, worship, and prayer in your church. And if you're reading this and feeling uncomfortable? That feeling you have right now is called conviction. It's where God is revealing something to you about your character or your life and calling for a change. What changes do you need to make to fill your time with more of the Lord, rather than just kill it in mindless, barren pursuits?

What would happen if we worshiped together everyday and then shared meals in one another’s homes? It's not feasible, is it? No, we couldn't do that, could we?

Why not? What if we did? The Acts 2 church added daily to their numbers. Friends, we get excited when a visitor comes to our church for a second Sunday to check us out. How many of them stay, accept the Lord, and get baptized?

When I see my Savior face-to-face, I imagine two possible conversations. One goes like this: "Shane, I gave you the gift of one life...one chance to share My love with this world and what did you do with it? You spent your time watching movies? You spent it "vegging out." How come you didn't spend it with Me? How come you didn't spend it feeding My lambs, the sheep of My flock? How come you didn't spend it sharing My Good News? How come you didn't spend it trying to warn people about Hell? What a waste!"

And then I imagine this conversation and hope is restored within me: "Shane...yes! Woo hoo! You did it! Well done, My good and faithful disciple! You died to your self and you found life in Me! Come and enter into the eternity which I have prepared for you!"

What's it going to be, friends? Will you fill time...or settle for killing it?

How will you waste your life? Will you waste it according the "wisdom" of the world on Jesus? Or will you truly waste your life, squandering it on worldly pursuits?

It's your choice...and your eternity.

Be WILD For Christ!

Pastor Shane