The Confidence We Can Have in God’s Timing of the Events of Our Lives
Eccl 3:11
DATE: Aug 21, 2005 AM PLACE: BBC Ballincollig
I. Introduction (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
A. Still continuing in our attempt to swap-out faulty aspects of our lives with the perfect life of Jesus Christ – that is our goal this year and it is attainable!
B. We are learning this month how to develop Christian confidence, faith, assurance like Jesus had while on this earth – the faith of Jesus (Gal 2:20)
C. The Christian Life needs to be full of confidences - not doubts and uncertainty
1. Jesus was sure of Himself, sure of what he taught, sure of what He was doing, sure of His results – He never hesitated, or debated whether what He was doing was right or wrong – He never wasted time second guessing
2. The life of the Christian is to be one of confidence – not cockiness, or boastfulness, but assurance and authority based upon absolute truth
D. There are Four Areas where a Christian should have confidence – no doubts; no hesitations
1. Confidence in God’s Word (Heb 4:12)
2. Confidence in God’s Will – that it is best, and will work all things together for good (Ps 40:8)
3. Confidence in God’s Timing (Isa 40:28-31; Eccl 3:10)
4. Confidence in God’s Strength/Grace – not OUR strength (2Cor 12)
E. Last week we learned just how PERFECT God’s Will is and how we must discover it, and then get into it – just as the Children of Israel were to get into the Promised Land!
F. This morning I want to see that God has a unique view of time which we humans need - It is a view that helps us keep going, and not complain and give up when what we should keep doing is “waiting on the Lord” because His timing is always perfect!
G. God’s work in your life is PERFECT – even in His timing (Dt 32:4)
II. Message - STYLEREF “Heading 1” \* MERGEFORMAT God’s Perfect Timing ( STYLEREF ScriptureRef \* MERGEFORMAT Eccl 3:11)
A. God has a Good View of Time (Eccl 3:11). Some people hate time, and life - always think time is against them.
1. God created time (Gen 1:5) and said it was good
2. God never seems to be bothered/worried when we are under pressure, and when time is of the essence - will talk more about this next
3. God sees time as a good thing. Yet we hate time -
a. It makes us grow old
b. It shows off our mortality – getting weaker
c. It is never fast enough - and when it is, it is too fast - i.e., kids growing up, etc…
d. Yet God seems to think time is something we ought to enjoy, and treasure, and protect from being lost and wasted!
B. God has a Long View of Time (2 Peter 3:8) - Great patience about the Lord
1. God sees you not only as you are, but your potential, and what you can be
2. He doesn't worry about how long something takes to be accomplished - He is mainly focused on seeing you reach the goal He knows you can!
3. Examples:
a. God waited 400 years before He delivered His people Israel from out of Egypt's dominion (Ex 5:22,23)
b. God waited 13 years before intervening in Joseph's life and raising him out of prison and troubles in Egypt
c. Jesus waited 2 days past the DEATH of Lazarus before going to help him (John 11:6,7,17), and then ends up showing up 4 days late
d. God anointed young David to be king of Israel, and then let him run and hide from king Saul for seven long years
e. God promised Abraham and Sarah a baby boy, and then waits almost 25 years until giving Isaac to them!
4. No matter how long it takes for some of you to get a godly wife, it will be worth it - trust the Lord - He has the long view - don't get impatient
5. No matter how long it takes to read your Bible through - keep at it
6. No matter how long it takes to get to the place that some sin doesn't have dominion over you, just stay in the battle!!! AMEN and AMEN!
C. God has a Full View of Time (Eccl 3:1-8,17)
1. God has made time to be filled with lots of events in our lives
2. God designed time so that a lot of things would and could be enjoyed by people - doesn't want us to be hermits, afraid of life and the world
a. We should not just see life as just being born, and then sometime later, dying
b. But also see it as farming, building, tearing down, celebrating, weeping, dancing, hugging, thinking, earning profit, and losing, sewing and mending, speaking your mind, and shutting your mouth, loving, hating, defending your country, and making peace
c. God wants your life to be FULL
1) Full first of all of HIM – top to bottom, saturated with an intimate, and active relationship the Jesus Christ!
2) Full of the life which Christ died to obtain for you (Jn 10:10)!
d. Don't just sit on your thumbs all day - get a job, pay your bills, raise your family, finish your education, paint a picture, mow the grass, read your Bible, go soul-winning, drink some coffee, watch a sunrise, and then come back for the sunset, pray, and enjoy the answers to your prayers, teach a Sunday School class of young children, sing a special, do your home-work, eat lots of great meals, and through it all, find God's will and LIVE IT!!!
3. No matter what you experience - when you are living in obedience to God's word, and following Jesus, enjoy the trip - look for Jesus in every step of it – He is right there, ready to make each day FULL (Eph 2:1)
D. God has a Scheduled View of Time
1. Had a particular starting point (Gen 1:1) - not billions of years ago, but just about 6,000 years ago
2. Has a particular ending (Rev 10:5,6; 2Pet 3:7,10; Isa 46:9,10)
3. Had a particular time for Christ's coming (Gal 4:1-4; Rom 5:6)
4. Has an appointed time for people to get saved (2Co 6:2) – don’t put it off
5. Has an appointed time for death (Heb 9:28)
6. Has an appointed time for the Return of His Son to earth – are you ready?
E. Knowing How God Sees Time, Urges All of Us to do four things:
1. Redeem our time (time that WE have) - make it count (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5) - not squandered away, and lost. Why? Because we don't have all the time in the world. We only have a few short years - we used to "spend" all our time on stupid, empty and vain things that left us worse off - now we are challenged to buy it back - because time is against you (days are evil)
a. Pay the price to have time with the Lord everyday
b. Pay the price to possess time in your Bible everyday
c. Pay whatever the price to have a family, a godly family
d. Pay the price to spend your time with the Lord Jesus in mind!
e. Pay the price to preach the Gospel before it is eternally too late (1Tim 2:6) - don't put it off
2. Endure for a time (Rom 8:18,28; Isa 40:28-31) put up with a whole load of rubbish, because you CAN - now that you have the Lord in your life, you can endure anything!!! One of the greatest marks of the Christian is their steadfastness, and their patience!
3. Forget the Past Times (Philp 3:13,14; Cf Eph 2:2)
a. Repent and move forward every time you fail and fall
b. So many of you get caught up in remorse for your past, and never get going for God - wish they could "turn back the clock"
c. Many people never let OTHERS get over their past!
4. Look forward to No Time – Eternity!
III. Conclusion - How to See and Utilise Time Like God Does
A. God sees time very differently that most of us do
1. He sees it as something good
2. He sees the length of it - made it to be long - not too long
3. He sees it full of experiences
4. He schedules time so that His purposes come to pass
B. He wishes we would see it the same - asks us to:
1. Redeem our time
2. Endure for a time
3. Forget the past times
4. Look Forward to No Time - Eternity
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland