Summary: There are so many things to do. . . it seems like our lives get busier every year! How do you cut through the clutter and decide what you should put first? Eccelsiastes gives us some answers. *HANDOUT INCLUDED*

Today, I’m preaching to you about priorities. Here’s a guy who’s got his priorties mixed up:

Fans of the American Wild West will find in a Deadwood, South Dakota museum this inscription left by a beleaguered prospector:

"I lost my gun. I lost my horse. I am out of food. The Indians are after me. But I’ve got all the gold I can carry!"

As I taught last time, priorities are crucial. Priorities determine:

1. Your success vs. failure.

2. Your fulfillment vs. emptiness.

3. Your home in heaven vs. hell.

4. Your effectiveness vs. frustration.

It is rather comical when the primary things are made secondary. Victor Borge told about a couple going on vacation, standing in line waiting to check their bags at the airline counter.

The husband said to the wife, "I wish we had brought the piano."

The wife said, "Why? We’ve got sixteen bags already!"

The husband said, "Yes, I know-- but the tickets are on the piano!"

Let me give you some examples about how priorities can really impact your life:

1. If you spend an average of 2 hours a day watching television, and you live to be 70, then you will have spent 5.8 years watching television.

2. In our nation, a 40-hour work week is typical. But if you decide to spend 10 hours more each week at the job, you will have spent 4.15 EXTRA years at work!

What COULD you have put those years into?

A survey was taken recently of many people who were 70 years and older. They were asked, “If you had your life to do over, what would you do differently?” Three responses dominated:

1. I would risk more.

2. I would do more things that lived on after I’m gone.

Priorities allow you to focus NOW on the things that really matter in life.

Last time we talked about what the #1 priority of a person should be if they are to really be fulfilled. The answer is GOD. He’s got to be #1!

But what about #2? #3? What should be 4th?

Let’s turn to the Bible this morning, for some practical instruction on prioritizing our lives.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”

There is enough time to accomplish everything that needs to be done. But it won’t happen unless we go get it.

I saw a sign the other day that said: “God has put everyone on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now, I’m so far behind, I’m going to live forever.” But that’s not true – if we fail to accomplish what God planned for our lives, we die anyway!

How many of you want to do something with your life that LASTS? Well, here’s a great place to start:

Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.”

If you want your life to be lived for something that LASTS, you’ve got to live it for the things that God wants you to live for! In other words, you’ve got two options:

I live for God’s priorities: MY LEGACY IS FOREVER.

I live for my priorities: MY LEGACY ENDS WHEN I DIE.

Take time for GOD

Ec 3:11 ¶ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts,

I dealt more with this last Sunday – if you want to be fulfilled, you’ve got to turn first to the one who “put eternity in your heart”. When he made you, he made you to be fulfilled by himself, and nothing else.

There’s nothing else in this world that deserves the priority God deserves in your life! Nothing. Period.

Take time for RELATIONSHIPS.

Ecclesiastes Ec 4:9 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor.

10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.

11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 9:9 Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life which He has given you under the sun.

A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in two’s for the day. That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under an eight point buck.

"Where’s Harry?"

"Harry had a stroke of some kind. He’s a couple of miles back up the trail.”

"You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"

"A tough call," nodded the hunter, "but I figured no one is going to steal Harry."

There are basically three human relationships in life you’ve got to put priority on.

1. Your husband/wife.

2. Your kids.

Did you know how important God considers taking care of your kids? He considers it as one of your TOP priorities. I’ve heard people talk about their job like it was more important than their kids.

Let me show you in the Bible how important your kids are.

How many of you think that preaching is an important job to God? Well, did you know that kids are more important to God than preaching? God says that a pastor must be:

“...one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)” (I Timothy 3:4-5)

WOW! That means that if I can’t take care of my kids, I have no right to be preaching. God considers my family pretty important.

3. Other Christian friends.

There are no Lone Ranger Christians. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto. . . you don’t do it alone! God calls you to make the trip to heaven with OTHER Christians as well.

Now, let’s talk about how you can make those relationships a priority. I’ll give you three tips:

1. Let your wife/husband know you’re thankful for them daily. Spend 5 minutes at the beginning of each day thinking of one way to please him/her that day.

2. Don’t let the TV babysit the kids all evening.

3. Spend time with Christian friends - both inside and outside church. We’ve got a Wed. night service that is great for building relationships. After it’s over, we just stand around and chat for a while.

Take time for WORK.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;

God created you to work. That doesn’t necessarily mean “at a place of business”, but he did create you to work!

Take time for PERSONAL GROWTH.

Ec 10:10 If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.

You need to grow (sharpen the ax) in three ways:

1. Spiritually. God created you with something more than just a body and a mind. He created you with a spirit that will live on after your body is in the ground! God wants you to grow that part of you. . . there are several ways to do that:

- Going to church.

- Reading your Bible daily, and obeying.

- Praying daily.

- Sharing with others what God’s done for you.

2. Mentally. Keeping your mind sharp, filling it with the right kind of things, is a great way to honor God by growing the great mind that he gave you!

3. Physically. God calls you to keep yourself in good shape. A lot of people don’t know that. . . they think that being a Christian is just about coming to church. But being a Christian, and putting God and his opinion as a priority in your life touches EVERYTHING!

God says he doesn’t want us to be gluttons – eating too much.

God says he doesn’t want us defiling the temple of God (your body) – drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, etc.

God says bodily exercise profits a little. In other words, it’s not everything, but it does help!

Take time for MINISTRY.

Ec 3:12 I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,

Ec 11:1 ¶ Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days.

2 Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.

You know, God made you to give out, not just take in! I talked to someone yesterday who was wanting to get more involved in the church – to help out. That always excites me, because I know that when people take time for ministry, they’re doing one of the things God created them for.

Take time to RELAX.

Ecclesiastes 5:18 ¶ Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.

19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.

God made you to relax sometimes.

I knew a preacher who never took a vacation. When he was older, he had a nervous breakdown. He was basically out of it for several months. He sat down and added it up, and the time that it had cost him was the same as if he’d taken two weeks vacation every year, just to relax.

It’s true – you’ve got to have time to relax.

OK, so now you know the things that God says are important – the PRIORITIES in your life. Now, how can you have time to fit it all in, and still relax?

Next week, we’re having revival...

The following week, I’ll be preaching a sermon on how you can handle your time wisely. Does the Bible say anything about managing your time? I believe it does, and I’ll be teaching you how to do that.

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Handout (Landscaped, 1/2 inch margins, 2 columns)

_________________________________

Ordering Your Priorities God’s Way

Priorities are crucial. Priorities determine:

1. Your ______________ vs. failure.

2. Your _________________ vs. emptiness.

3. Your home in _______________ vs. hell.

4. Your _____________________ vs. frustration.

Here’s how priorities on a given day can impact your life:

1. If you spend an average of 2 hours a day watching television, and live to be 70, then you will have spent _______ years watching TV.

2. If you decide to spend 10 hours more each week at the job, you will spend _________ EXTRA years at work!

Priorities allow you to focus _________ on the things that really matter in life.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:”

Ecclesiastes 3:14 “I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.”

In other words, you’ve got two options:

I live for God’s priorities: MY LEGACY IS __________________.

I live for my priorities: MY LEGACY ENDS WHEN I _________.

What are God’s priorities for your life?

Take time for _________.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts...”

________________ in your life is more important than God.

Take time for ____________________.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Ecclesiastes 9:9 “Live joyfully with the wife whom you love all the days of your life which He has given you under the sun.”

Three human relationships in life you’ve got to put priority on:

1. Your _________________.

2. Your ____________. They are so important that God says a pastor must be: “...one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)” (I Tim. 3:4-5)

3. Other ________________, especially _______________.

Take time for ____________.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might;”

Take time for ________________ ____________.

Ecclesiastes 10:10 “If the ax is dull, And one does not sharpen the edge, Then he must use more strength; But wisdom brings success.”

1. Spiritually. (Going to ___________, reading your __________ daily, and _____________, ___________ daily, __________ with others what God’s done for you.)

2. Mentally. Fill your mind with the ____________ kind of things.

3. Physically.

Take time for ____________.

Ecclesiastes 3:12 “I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives,”

Ecclesiastes 11:1-2 “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days. Give a serving to seven, and also to eight, For you do not know what evil will be on the earth.”

Take time to _____________.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage. As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor-this is the gift of God.”