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Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 Git-R-Done

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 Git-R-Done

Last updated on: June 10, 2018 at 9:04 pm by Jim Erwin

Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 Git-R-Done 2018-06-10T21:04:10-05:00 Jim Erwin

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Ecclesiastes 7:8-10 Git-R-Done

I want to share with you a principle that we all have to learn and do. This principle is also my vision for the church for the next couple of months. To quote the imminent theologian Larry the Cable Guy, it is “git-r-done.”

Let’s say that together: “git-r-done.”

The Bible teaches that we should learn to git-r-done. It teaches that “gittering-done” is the best thing we can do.

“The end of a matter is better than its beginning; a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, HCSB)

The Bible teaches that it is better to finish something than it is to start something. Starting things is easy. Finishing things are harder. For example:

Finishing homework is hard for children,

Finishing a job can take longer than expected.

The fact is that we get impatient. Look at the end of (7:8).

BARRIERS TO GITTERING IT DONE:

Impatience

To “git-r-done”, we need to be patient with what God has called us to do.

“…a patient spirit is better than a proud spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 7:8, HCSB)

To finish something takes patience. We don’t have lots of patience. We live in an instant gratification world. If the hamburger at McDonald’s takes longer than two minutes, we get impatient. If the person in front of us in line doesn’t finish in a couple of seconds, we get impatient. If the bill for our meal doesn’t arrive before we are finished and we have to wait, we get impatient.

The same is true with the church. We can easily get impatient.

Indifference

The second barrier to “gittering done” is indifference. We get to the point that we don’t want to focus on what we need to do. We let it slide. We let it ride. We let it fall back and we get behind.

Paul warned this to both Archippus and Timothy:

“And tell Archippus, “Pay attention to the ministry you have received in the Lord, so that you can accomplish it.”” (Colossians 4:17, HCSB)

“And, oh, yes, tell Archippus, “Do your best in the job you received from the Master. Do your very best.”” (Colossians 4:17, The Message)

“But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:5, HCSB)

Irritability

“Don’t let your spirit rush to be angry, for anger abides in the heart of fools.” (Ecclesiastes 7:9, HCSB)

When we become impatient, we can become indifferent and procrastinate. The other way we act out our impatience is that we become irritable.

In the family, you try to be patient with your kids to get ready to go somewhere important. But it gets at you. So you try to rush them out the door and when they don’t do what you want them to do, you get angry.

We have to learn to be patient. When we get irritated because something isn’t done in the church, the problem is with me, not that thing that I am irritated about.

If you don’t like that something isn’t being done in the church, don’t get irritable, get resourceful. Find out a way to solve the problem. I will give you the freedom to find that solution. If you can’t just bring to our attention nicely, and we will work on a solution. But more on this process later.

Questioning Spirit

“Don’t say, “Why were the former days better than these?” since it is not wise of you to ask this.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10, HCSB)

People who don’t want to move forward usually are the ones who are asking this question. People who ask for the former days to return usually are the irritable, critical people. By always questioning what and why we are doing things, they are usually showing others that they don’t want to “git-r-done.”

Wiersbe explains this well when he said:

When life is difficult and we are impatient for change, it is easy to long for “the

good old days” when things were better. . . It has been said that “the good old days” are the combination of a bad memory and a good imagination, and often this is true.

This barrier can be the most difficult one to overcome. Why? Because these kinds of people can wear you out by nagging you to death.

“Because she nagged him day after day and pleaded with him until she wore him out,” (Judges 16:16, HCSB)

“Better to live on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a nagging wife.” (Proverbs 21:9, HCSB)

Why are these verses in the Bible? Because nagging is a form of questioning and irritable spirit which can wear people down.

Now I am not trying to give you strategies to wreck your home life. I just want you to know that if you have this kind of attitude, you are preventing this church from “gittering her done.”

We need to have a “cooperative” spirit when it comes to the tasks at hand. What are those tasks?

Well, I am glad you asked. I want to share with you a “honey-do” list for the church.

HONEY-DO LIST

Care (Deacons/Sunday School classes)

I am going to ask the deacons to come forward. These men are your deacons. As you walk out of the church today, you can choose which deacon you want to be your care contact. There will be a sheet as you leave today which will have all possible ways to contact your deacon. Some will have a phone, or email contact. Some will take text messages. Others will have Facebook. So choose your deacon.

The other way to stay connected is through the Sunday School class. If you are not in a Sunday School class, you should consider it.

Evangelism

We will work on a plan to reach out to the people who used to come but who are not coming right now. We are also going to use this same time for evangelism to those who are lost. You will hear about in the next couple of months how we are going to get as many people involved as possible.

Follow-up

This brings up another honey-do list item. We are going to work on the follow-up. Through the Sunday School classes, we are going to work harder at reaching those people who have fallen through the cracks.

Maintenance

Finally, we have some things which need to be finished or fixed up. You will hear over the next couple of weeks about opportunities you will have to help finish the inside of the Activity Center. You will also hear about ways in which you can help with the Clothes Closet and the church building. We will communicate this primarily through the Sunday School.

Some of you might wonder why I am bringing up Sunday School over and over again. Sunday School will be the tool we will use to build the care team element of our church.

Let me show you this graphic:

Base 1 – Worship service

Base 2 – Sunday School

Base 3 – Discipleship process

Base 4 – Ministry and missions opportunities

Let’s look at it from another angle

Places/phases of growth

Front porch – Clothes closet, Activity Center, special events

Front room/Foyer – Worship service

Living room – Sunday School

Kitchen – Discipleship process

Workshop – Ministry and Missions opportunities

In order to get ready for guests, we have to get the home ready. In order to do that, we need to “git-r-done.”

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October 8, 2012 Mark 6:30-44 My Burden for Lost People

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