Prioritizing Time with the Father

To be Used with Session #1: Spending Time with Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 14:22-25

Connection with Unit Theme: To complement the Bible study “Spending Time with Jesus,” this sermon reflects upon the importance of prioritizing time with the Father, no matter what may be going on around us. The sermon will use Jesus as our example in that He did not let anything distract Him from spending time with the Father.

Introduction: Let’s start today’s message with a question: Who has control of our schedule? Before we roll our eyes and say that it is everyone but us, we should truly exam the question. Yes, we have things we must do, like go to work or school. But we also have things that we say yes to and thereby say no to other things that may have been a higher priority. Today, we will explore the life of Jesus and see how He did not allow people or circumstances to distract Him from spending time with the Father.

We need not let crowds distract us. (v. 22)

In looking at this passage, we find the context to be that Jesus is showing compassion for a large crowd that had come for healing and gathered to hear His teaching. After feeding 5,000 men, besides women and children (vv. 13-21), He dismissed the crowds. While the context indicates the crowds had eaten to the point of being satisfied, we do not see an indication that all who had gathered had their needs met. Therefore, we can easily conclude that some physical needs had been left unmet. Yet, Jesus still sent them away. This fact does not indicate a callous heart. His actions of feeding them showed that He had compassion for them.

Jesus, however, was not going to let the needs of the many distract Him from prioritizing His time with the Father and we would be wise to follow His example. While we will not have thousands coming to us for healing and nourishment, it is highly likely that we will have many coming to us with unmet needs, asking for more of our limited time. Saying “no” or “not right now” so that we can spend time with the Father is not wrong. We need to prioritize our time so that we are better equipped to deal with a crowded schedule when others approach us asking for time and help.

We need not let close friends distract us. (v. 22)

Some of us may find it easy to say “no” or “not right now” to a crowd. But, if we are being honest, we struggle with these words when we are talking about close friends or family members. Yet, as we continue to study this passage, we find Jesus making the disciples get into the boat ahead of Him. If we study the life of Jesus, we see that He spent the majority of His time and teaching effort with the disciples. The disciples were not the ones who were only in it for the food. Yet, Jesus sent them away too. Once again, His purpose in doing so was not out of a lack of concern. Instead, Jesus was prioritizing His time and knew the importance of spending time with the Father.

For those in the congregation this morning who are adults and have a family, one of the greatest gifts you can give your family is a vibrant and growing relationship with the Father. If our family sees us prioritize our relationship with the Father, they will discern that casual Christianity is oxymoronic. Also, when we prioritize our time with the Father, we are better equipped to handle the crisis situations when they arise. For those who are younger and may not have a family of our own, prioritization is still a need. As followers of Jesus, we engage in spiritual warfare daily. We are better equipped for battle when we consistently say yes to time with the Father, even if we have to say “no” or “not right now” to those close to us.

We need not let chaos distract us (vv. 23-25).

Upon dismissing the crowds and the disciples, Jesus went up on the mountain to pray. He was there by Himself. If Jesus had a smartphone, we may even say that He turned it off. Before we reach the conclusion that it would be impossible to turn off our phones because we are too busy, let’s remember that Jesus came to Earth to be our substitute and to offer His life for our salvation. I do not think that He was any less busy than us and He was on the mountain for an evening, not a lifetime.

While on the mountain praying, chaos begins to happen. The disciples, some of whom were fishermen and thereby familiar with boating, found themselves in a storm. The storm was causing the boat they were in to be battered by the waves. The word battered, in the original language, indicates that the waves were literally tearing the boat apart. The passage also does not indicate that Jesus was surprised by the storm, nor did He conclude His time with the Father unnecessarily early. He stayed focused on spending time with the Father and once that time had concluded He then dealt with the crisis.

Crisis is a rather interested word. If we gather five people in a room and ask for a definition, we may have 10 answers. What one describes as a crisis may be an everyday occurrence to someone else. Now, if a true crisis is at hand, we can continue to pray while dealing with whatever is in front of us. But, if the chaos is self-imposed, the best response may be a delayed response. Jesus showed up right on time as the boat was coming apart. He offered Himself as the solution and the disciples responded in worship (v. 33).

Conclusion: We all have the same amount of time in our day. We may not all have the same amount of financial resources, but we all have 24 hours in a day. Therefore, the question becomes, how are we prioritizing the time that we do have? In looking at the life of Jesus, we see that He made spending time with the Father a top priority and we should strive to emulate this behavior. If we would commit to spending at least 1% of our day with the Father, we might be shocked at how He changes the other 99% of our day.

Written by Tod Tanner