Good evening.  Tonight we are going to continue in our series by Andy Stanley called, “Take It To The Limit.”  Again, the main point behind this series is to learn how to get the most out of life.  If you were not here with us last week, we began and we were all reminded that we all have limits.  In every area of life, we have limits.  But our culture tells us to push everything to the limit.  Take it to the edge.  But the problem is that we squeeze out the margin in our lives.  And without margin, we can’t have a close relationship with our Heavenly Father.  We all need margin in order to get the most out of life.  We need to move back from the extremes and gain margin in our lives.

And what we learned last week is that God wants us to lead lives that have margin in them.  The best things in life happen in the margin, in the extra time in our lives.  Now as we move on this week, tonight’s particular lesson is titled, “Downtime.”  Tonight we are taking a look at out time, and our schedules.

But before we take a look at this clip, let me open by asking you a question.  What are some of the factors that determine how your time is spent?

Well, before we take a look at this message by Andy Stanley, allow me to open our time with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

(PLAY CLIP (it is about 38 minutes))

Well, today we are talking about creating margin in our time.  Its funny, Andy began by saying that what we will say is this, “I don’t have time, to create time in my life.  I don’t have time to create margin.”

As we get started in our time of discussion for tonight, what were the 3 things that Andy said were Facts Of Life?

1. Your time is limited.
   1. We schedule our lives as if we have unlimited time.
   2. The truth is that our time is limited.
2. All of your time is going to be spent doing something.
   1. You can save money, but you cannot save time.
   2. You cannot save you time till later.
   3. We act as if we can find extra time.  “…I’ll do that later…”
3. Somebody will determine how your time is spent.
   1. For most of you, it is you that determine how your time is spent.
   2. You plan and you determine what you do.
   3. Sometimes, kids, boss, and some other people determine how your time is spent.

At the end of the day, or at the end of the month, or the year, we tend to let the urgent things push aside the important things.  If we know it is important, why doesn’t it get done?  Tendency is to do the urgent things instead of the important things.  And we learn tonight, that in that kind of living, there is no margin.

But here is what God suggests.  “You have tried to be in charge, and you see what happens when other people are in charge of your time.  Now, how bout you let me be in charge?”  So why should we allow God to be in charge of our time?  The answer is simple.  It is because He is the one that gave you your time to begin with and He alone knows how much time you have left.

What would it look like if you surrendered you time and schedule to God?

Job 14:5 – “Man’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.”  You see, God alone knows the number of days that we have left, and we cannot do anything about it.  So doesn’t it make sense that we should go to Him for wisdom about how to get the most out of life.

You have 6 months to live… would you pray?  Why is that?  Well, it is because in your heart you believe that god controls your days.  Even people who don’t believe in God at all, when on their death bed, they want prayer concerning their lives, and how long they will live.

When you surrender your time to God, you end up with margin.  He leads you to taking care of the most important times in life.  And the important things in life all happen in the margin.

Then, as he began to wrap things up this week, Andy gave 3 very important statements:

1. Recognizing that your days are numbered by God.
   1. You live life once.  You only get to be 20 once, 30 once…
   2. This is the first step to remember.
   3. Psalm 90:12 – “Teach us to number our days rightly, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
   4. You want wisdom about your schedule; learn the fact that your days are numbered.
   5. What if you found out tomorrow, that you only had one week or one month left to live?  How would you rearrange things based on that fact?
   6. Well God tells us that we only have one life to live; the question is, “Will we do it wisely?”
   7. Your time is limited, how should you spend your time?  On the important things in life.

2. Prioritize accordingly.
   1. Ephesians 5:15-17 says, “1”
   2. Because your days are numbered and limited, don’t be foolish, but be wise and get the most out of the days you have left.  Prioritize and get the most out of your time.
   3. When making out your schedule and calendar, ask yourself this question: it is the same question that we answered in the series by Andy Stanly called “The Best Question Ever”  And that question is: “What is the wise thing to do?”  In light of my past experiences, in light of our future hopes and goals and dreams, in light of what is going on right now, “What is the wise thing to do?”
   4. It begins when we understand that our time is limited.
   5. There is a fear of giving God our schedule and not being productive.  But what we need to realize is that God is a God of productivity.  Applying this principle will not make you less productive, in fact, it will probably make you more productive.  Why, because your capacity is not determined by how much stuff you cram into your schedule.  Priority determines capacity.
   6. When you pack in the trunk, you do things is a specific order to get the most into the car.  Our lives are the same way.

7. I could do the jar with rocks, water, sand, golf balls M&M’s, …?????

8. As you begin to allow God to help you prioritize, you will be amazed at your capacity and you will be amazed with your productivity when you add margin to your life.
9. And what we learn tonight is that the only way to do that is to surrender your calendar and schedule to God.

3. Make time alone with God a priority.
   1. This is the one that requires your time.
   2. It is important to give God the first few moments of each day.
   3. Can’t explain it, but when that is the habit of your life, things go much better.
   4. Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well.”
   5. Practical application of that verse is to begin each day by giving God the first few moments of each day.
   6. Sometimes, the mornings that are missed, things feel out of order.  There seems to be something wrong.

So, why is it that we are reluctant to give God control of our time?

Well, Andy said that it was out of fear once again.  We say things like:

“If I don’t do as much as I possibly can, I will never make it.”

“If I don’t do as much as I possibly can, I will fall behind.”

“If I don’t do as much as I possibly can, I will be poor.”

All of that fear can come to an end if we will learn to order our days and prioritize things in the way that God wants us to.  If we will do that, God will give us margin in our lives.

Now, as we begin to wrap things up this evening, allow me to end with just a few more questions.

Why do we tend to overlook God as a source of wisdom for our schedules?

What are some criteria you could use to help you determine the wise thing to do with regard to your schedule?

What are some of the things that compete for the first few moments of each day?

What might be different if your habit was to spend the first few moments of each day with God?

Does anyone have anything that they would like to add this evening, before we close?

Well, if there is nothing else, hopefully we will leave here tonight with a sense of how to get the most out of life when it comes to our time.  May we recognize that our days are numbered.  May we begin to prioritize and get the important things done.  And may we begin each day by spending a few moments with God and making our time with Him a priority.

Let’s Pray!