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Don't you miss your privacy?

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People that have visited with us from other cities for a span of time will ask questions like...

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"How do you all keep up this pace - this is amazing?"

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...or "I need a good nine hours of sleep every night and I couldn't possibly live like this."

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...or "Don't you have time for your family?" That does come up from time to time.

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The fact is, that the time that most people call "family time" isn't family time anyway.

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It's usually TV time and a time for self-indulgence.

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They're not usually pouring out their lives and hearts into their children, their spouses or whomever.

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It's usually self-centered "entertainment time" that people miss the most.

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God actually does miracles in people's lives when they're seeking first the Kingdom. He promised to meet their physical needs.

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I remember one woman in another city that used to always need 9-10 hours of sleep a night because she was so busy.

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She was very devoted to God, but she just had to go to bed at 9 o'clock every night.

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So what would happen was this: When things would start happening around her that had God in them,

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then all of sudden staying up until midnight or 1am and asking questions and pursuing truth

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and then getting up early the next morning to help her children get ready for their day wasn't difficult for her.

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She didn't really "switch" gears and decide from now on I'm going to do this.

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It is like how Jesus and John the Baptist and the disciples all said, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand."

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In other words, there is leverage here. You can change these things in your life because the Kingdom of God is at hand.

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I don't even know that she needed to get less sleep just for the sake of getting less sleep.

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 But if Jesus was coming into town at 10:00 PM was she going to go to bed at 9:00 PM? I don't think so. Not if she loved Jesus.

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Nor would you have to have some certain amount of sleep if you love Jesus.

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I'm sure all those guys in Acts 20 that were up until dawn with Paul were used to sleeping at night.

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One of them demonstrated that by falling out the window.

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It wasn't as if it was automatically, totally easy for them, but their priorities were right.

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Repent, change your thinking about the way you do things in life and what your priorities are.

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Why? Because the Kingdom is at hand, and the more that God works in your environment, in your world,

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through your life, in your life, around your life, in your city,

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the easier you'll find it to be to give up that junk that's just chaff anyway.

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It means nothing and it doesn't contribute to your life or anybody else's.

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It's wood, hay and stubble and it's going to burn up.

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You'll see God drawing you into a more fruitful place...

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...if you'll put yourself in a situation - if you position yourself in a way - that you will do the things that you CAN do.

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If you're obedient in the little things, then God will draw you up into the bigger things and He'll give rest to those that He loves.

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He'll allow you to function possibly on less sleep. He'll allow you to be busy.

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When Jesus was infinitely busy up all night doing things, working and all, and then was off praying early in the morning,...

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they came after Him and they said, "All men seek You."

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And He said, "That's alright, that's why I've come. Let's go to the towns and villages. That's what I'm here for."

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He didn't say, "Hey, you're impinging on my private time." He came to be in the midst as one who serves.

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So that should be our heart attitude - "to have this mind in us that was also in Christ Jesus."

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We come to be a slave and to make ourselves nothing.

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If that mind is really in us - as it was in Christ Jesus and as He demonstrated for us - we're not going to demand rights.

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I saw one of the animated cartoons the other day and it was called "Forgive us Our Trespasses."

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Jesus had been up all night and for several nights in a row.

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He's sleeping and Peter comes running up the stairs and says, "I just have to talk to the Master. Jesus, I am SO sorry to wake you up.

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I don't want to wake you up. I know you've been up three nights in a row, but I just have to ask you something."

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And Jesus rolled over and said, "Peter, how can I help you?" Such poise, dignity, patience and kindness.

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It just cut me to the heart, because so often when I get very busy,

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it's easy for me to start drawing lines, making categories, being impatient, passing judgments on the value of this or that.

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He didn't do that. I know it was just an animation, but it was definitely a word of God for me.

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It's that kind of poise and sensitivity after coming out of a dead sleep and not sleeping for three straight days,

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then saying, "Peter how can I help you?" and patiently explaining and telling a parable, a story, and going at length to do that...

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and then rolling over and going back to sleep.

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That's precious. That's Jesus, and that's how all of us together want to be.

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So, about having enough time? Why did we come? To be in the midst as one who serves?

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Or demand our own private time? our own recreational, self-indulgent time?

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Now that's not to say there's not a place and a time for putting a note on the front door.

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Kathy has put a note on our front door at times that has said:

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"We're having a night together with just those of our household, I think the Murphy's probably need some company." Something like that.

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There has been many times that that kind of note has been on the front door.

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And that's ok, there's nothing wrong with that.

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But, if our life is characteristically that we control our own situation, our own destiny, our own time...

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(We're in total control and we make appointments to do things. We're in control... We might be busy, but we're in control.)

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Then, it's really not the Kingdom of God. You're not going to see the fruit of the Kingdom of God in your own life until you let go of the reins.

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If you're not like Peter and you're not willing to be taken someplace you don't want to go, dressed in clothes you don't want to wear,

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then you're not really going to experience the kind of life that Jesus wants,

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because you're not willing to experience the kind of death that Jesus wants for you.

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Unless you fall to the ground and die, you abide alone. But if you'll die, you'll bear much fruit.

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So there's a place for secret prayer. There's a place for time in just your own household.

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There's a place for all of those things and it's right and it's good.

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But the majority of what people demand along those lines is self-indulgent and unfruitful

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and uncharacteristic of the person of Jesus and the way He lived His life, which is the only standard.

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The way Jesus lived His life is the only standard.

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He was the Word that became flesh - the exact representation of the Father.

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The full glory of God is shining in the face of Jesus Christ.

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We know what God's heart is on how to spend time by the way Jesus lived.

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