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Series Code: BOLS
Program Code: BOLS000058S
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00:08 Sermon #S031 - Perfect Timing - (Part 1)
00:19 Pastor Snell: I want to invite you to stand to your feet for the reading of the word this afternoon, and so today, 00:25 our goal is to be a little bit briefer, as the sermon on communion is in the sacraments. 00:32 I want to invite you to turn with me, however, a couple of places. We're going to begin at John chapter 12, 00:37 and we're going to begin together at verse number 31, John 12:31, and then, if you don't mind, 00:44 put your finger over in Romans chapter 8. Then we will conclude in Matthew chapter 26. 00:52 John chapter 12, beginning at verse number 31, and when you get there, just say Pastor, I'm here. 00:58 John 12:31, Jesus speaking, says, now is the Judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out, 01:14 and he says if I am lifted up from the Earth. I will draw all people to myself, this. 01:24 He said, signifying by what death he would die. Now go over to Romans 8:32. Romans 8:32, when you get there, say, 01:40 Pastor, I'm ready. Romans 8:32, Paul says this, he who did not spare his own what? 01:53 [ Congregation: Son] 01:55 but delivered him up for us all. How shall he not be with him? Also, what? Freely. 02:04 Did you all catch this? If he gave us his Son, the word says he will freely give us what? All things. 02:12 Now, lastly, let's go to Matthew chapter 26. Matthew chapter 26, and we'll begin reading together verse number 1. 02:22 Matthew chapter 26, and we'll begin together at verse 1, through 5, and then we'll pick it up at verse 14. 02:29 When you get there, just say Amen. 02:31 Matthew 26:1, It came to pass when Jesus had finished all these things that he said to his disciples, 02:41 "You know, that after two days is the Passover, and the son of man will be delivered up to be crucified." 02:49 Then the chief priests, the scribes, 02:51 and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest called Caiaphas, 02:57 who plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill him, but they said not during the what? Feast, 03:05 lest there be an uproar amongst the people. 03:09 Then in verse 14, the Bible says then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, 03:14 went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I deliver him to you?" 03:19 and they counted out to him 30 pieces of silver so that from that time, he sought an opportunity to betray him. 03:29 Today, Saints, for just a little while, I want to talk to you about the subject. Perfect timing. 03:34 Perfect timing. Let's pray, Father, in this little while, would you say much? 03:41 Would you allow your spirit to be so dense in this space, so dense online, 03:48 that it smothers and overwhelms all rivaling principalities. 03:51 Father, I asked their God that you would overwhelm this service, 03:55 Lord, deluding every distraction and everything that would draw our attention away from the glory of the cross. 04:01 So, once again, would you hide in the shadows of the cross that at the end of our service today, 04:06 Christ Alone might be seen and heard and Jesus alone be praised. We ask this in the name of him, 04:12 who is altogether lovely. It is in the name of Jesus that we pray. Let God's people say together. 04:17 Amen, and amen. You may be seated in the house of the Lord. 04:27 As a child, one of the songs I would hear in and around Church was by Sister Dottie Peoples 04:37 and the People's Choice Chorale. I remembered Dottie Peoples saying he's an on-time God. 04:45 Yes, he is, and unwittingly, the choir raised a theological tension when they went to the chorus. 04:56 They said he might not come when you want him, but he'll be there on time. He's an on-time God. 05:07 Yes, he is, and the tension is that we serve a God, who may not come when I want him to come, 05:16 yet he is still on time. The tension that every believer must have to master 05:22 and manage is trusting a God that does not move in my time but moves at his own pace. 05:30 You see, one of the things that you will learn on the journey is that you can't rush God, even a little bit. 05:37 God cannot be hurried. God cannot be frenzied. God does not panic. God does not speed up 05:45 and know that there is no human circumstance that is time sensitive to God. 05:52 So, even when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, notice that Jesus did not amend his schedule, 05:59 but the Bible says that he spent an additional two days where he was. 06:04 When Jesus was on the way to heal Jairus' daughter, he stopped in the middle 06:10 and healed a woman with the issue of blood and listened to her, tell her 12-year testimony, 06:17 and even though he did not come when they wanted him to come, in both instances, 06:23 Jesus still showed up right on time. See, God's timing requires you to walk by faith 06:30 because the truth is that we want Jesus to pay the bill before the money runs out, 06:36 but sometimes God waits until there is not a dime left in the bank before he shows up to pay the bill. 06:43 Sometimes we want God to show us the spouse while we're still attached to Mister Wrong, 06:50 but sometimes God needs you to break up with the wrong one to show you the right one. 06:56 Sometimes, we want God to give us healing before we change our habits, 07:01 but sometimes it is the change of habits that is the evidence that we believe in God for healing. 07:08 You're mighty quiet today. Sometimes our students want 18 semesters of tuition stacked up before we trust God, 07:16 but sometimes God doesn't show up until the day of financial clearing just so that, you know, he's on time. 07:24 I guess what I'm saying today, church is, we've got to spend a little less time focusing on God's timing 07:31 and spend more time focusing on his character and his track record. 07:36 Let me repeat it. Focus less on his timing and more on his time, track record, and character. 07:43 It's amazing that earlier this year, my kids were getting ready to go on a field trip to school. 07:49 They were so excited about the trip that every day, they would come home and remind me, Daddy, 07:54 the money was due soon, and every day, they would come home reminders that the money needed to be turned in. 08:00 So one day, in frustration, I gave them two assurances. The first thing I said was, " 08:06 I need you to know I heard you, " and then I needed to call their attention to my track record. 08:13 The second thing I asked was when was the last time you ever missed a trip 08:17 because your parents didn't provide what you needed. I guess I'm saying today, friends, 08:22 that you don't have to keep begging God repeatedly. Number one, because he heard you. 08:27 [ Congregation Member: Shouts] 08:29 Anybody knows that whenever you call on the name of Jesus. 08:32 [ Congregation: Shouts] 08:34 something happens, but the second thing God is calling your attention to is his track record. 08:39 The words of Jehovah to somebody today is, when was the last time I ever failed you? 08:45 When was the last time you went hungry? When was the last time you slept outside? 08:50 [ Congregation: Clapping] 08:51 When was the last time I didn't answer my prayers? In other words, 08:54 I've allowed you to be inconvenienced but guess what? I have never failed you. 08:59 Where are you at today, Church? 09:00 [ Congregation: Cheers] 09:01 In other words, it may be inconvenient, but guess what? God has never failed. 09:06 He's an on-time God. Yes, he is, and so, friends, as we dig quickly into these brief texts, there are two 09:16 and a half points I want to make. 09:17 The first thing I want to say to the Church today is that as we maneuver in the Journey of Faith. 09:22 Number one, you've got to trust his word above what it looks like. Let me say it again. 09:28 If you're going to operate by faith, you got to trust his word more than you trust what it looks like. 09:33 Now, we read there in the text, in Matthew chapter 26, that Jesus said to his disciples, 09:40 "In two days is the Passover, and I'm going to allow myself to be delivered up and there, 09:48 I'm going to be crucified." Understand that this prophetic utterance takes the disciples completely off guard. 09:56 Number one, they're upset because they can't believe that Jesus will allow himself to be arrested, taken, 10:04 and crucified by force. But the second reason they can't believe this is 10:09 because it doesn't seem likely to happen. Do you see? Understand that this is Tuesday in the passion week, 10:17 and they can't believe this is going to happen because of the context of what took place. 10:24 You see, just two days before, they threw palm branches At His Feet. Just two days before, they shouted, 10:32 "Hosanna in the highest." Just two days before, they announced that he was the king of Israel. 10:39 They couldn't believe this was going to happen because circumstances suggested that things could not ship this 10:47 badly but uderstand that the crucifixion of Jesus nwas designed to teach the disciples how quickly things 10:54 can change. The other thing it's designed to teach us is that we've got to trust his word more than we trust how 11:03 it looks. 11:04 [ Congregation: Amen] 11:05 Can I just take a moment and speak prophetically, 11:08 because how many of us know that we are spiraling toward the Advent of Jesus Christ? 11:14 and as we get closer to the coming of the Lord, we've got to trust his word, more than we trust, 11:20 how things are going to look. Are you with me today, friends? Now, the reason I'm saying this Church is 11:26 because we live in a time of relative comfort and in a time of religious liberty. 11:31 For that, we say, Amen, are you with me? 11:33 In other words, it's cool and is in style to put spiritual sayings all over your Facebook page 11:41 because there is no cost or price tag for profession in Jesus Christ, 11:47 but how many of us know that you've got to trust his word? 11:50 Not just what it looks like because Daniel 12:1 says that there will be a time of trouble, 11:56 unlike any other time since there was a nation. 12:00 Remember that Paul says all who will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 12:07 Have you not read Revelation 1:3 about the beast that rises out of the Earth? 12:12 The one that has horns like a lamb and speaks like a dragon that he's going to reach, 12:18 as Ellen White says, across the gulf, 12:20 and he's going to shake hands with that other beast that rises up out of the sea, 12:24 the one that had the deadly womb that has been healed. He's going to pay homage to the first beast 12:30 and cause all those rich and poor, free and bound to worship the beast. 12:35 There's going to come a time when there only be two classes, those that have the Seal of God. 12:41 [ Congregation: Amen] 12:43 or those that have the mark of the beast, and if you don't have his mark, 12:46 you can't buy or sell or interact in society, 12:50 and the reason I'm saying this is some of you all are looking at me like I've got seven heads as I'm preaching 12:56 this sermon, and the reason you doubt its validity is that you don't see signs of it in culture. 13:02 It doesn't look like it's going to happen in our time. 13:05 It doesn't look like things are going to come to pass but remember, Jesus says, as it was in the days of Noah, 13:13 so shall it be at the coming of the Son of man. 13:17 The reason some didn't get on the ark is they didn't believe it was going to rain until they saw the rain, 13:24 and what I'm saying today, friends of mine, 13:27 is we've got to get to a place where we stopped waiting to see certain things unfold, 13:32 but you got to start getting rooted in Christ today. You've got to get your calling and election, sure, 13:38 because the truth is it can be Sunshine the day before the hurricane. The day before an earthquake, 13:46 the ground is not shaking, and these last moments are going to be final moments and quick moments, 13:53 and I've got to trust his word. 13:55 [ Congregation: Shouts] 13:57 Not just what it looks like. Are you all hear me today, friends? 14:00 Now again, I need you to know that the positive is true, as well, because remember, on dark Friday, 14:06 he told them, I'm going to be resurrected on the third day. 14:09 Still, the thing he needed the disciples to get was that on Friday, 14:13 it was going to look bad. When they put me in the tomb, it's going to look dark. 14:17 When they put a stone over the tomb, it's going to look like I can't come out, 14:23 but he came out of the tomb early on Sunday morning to remind the Church, don't function or what it looked like. 14:31 You've got to function according to the word, you all, not with me. 14:35 [ Congregation: Shouts] 14:36 Ain't it crazy that none of the male disciples showed up at the tomb Sunday? 14:42 The reason they didn't show up at the tomb was that they went by what it looked like. 14:48 Not by what he said, are you all hearing me? 14:52 What I'm saying to somebody today is that no matter how bad it looks today, 14:57 the promise of God shall come to pass that many are the afflictions of the righteous, 15:03 but the Lord shall deliver them from them all. 15:06 I heard an old lady say it once that it's going to be all right in the end. So if it's not, 15:12 all right, that just means it's not the end. Oh God, I'm all by myself here today. 15:18 [ Congregation: Applauds] 15:20 In other words, I need somebody to know, it's going to look like, you will never stop crying, 15:24 but the promise is he's going to give beauty for ashes, oil for mourning, 15:29 and a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. It's going to look for some like you're going to always be. 15:35 broke. It's going to look like your kids will never mature. It'll look like the dream will never come to pass. 15:42 It's going to look like Jesus is never coming again, 15:45 but I'm at a place where I'm not going to forecast the weather two years from now based on the outlook today. 15:53 I'm going to trust what his word says above what the outlook suggests. 15:58 [ Congregation: Shouts] 16:00 Okay, Let me say this way, seeing this is why you got to trust Jesus more than you trust your eyes. 16:05 Anybody ever been traveling down the road and you've been guided by your GPS, and every now and then, 16:11 as you see the little icon, you'll see that red line that says that there's a bunch of traffic ahead? 16:18 You all have been there before, and I remember I was on the highway one time coming back from Atlanta, 16:22 and we got stuck in a traffic jam, and that little red line came up, and it's more as much as I pushed it. 16:29 I saw more red which looked like maybe I needed to get on an alternative route, 16:34 but when you get stuck in traffic, the GPS, if she does not give you an alternative route, 16:40 she'll say something like you're still on the fastest path. In other words, 16:47 she's suggesting that I've looked at every option. I've evaluated every path. 16:53 [ Congregation: Shouts] 16:55 And it may be hard where you are, but you're still on the best road 16:58 and see as much as I'm tempted to change my path. I trust my GPS. 17:05 Why? Because she's not just looking where I am. 17:09 [Congregation: Shouts] 17:11 but she's looked down the road. She's seen what is going to be, and she gives me the best path. 17:16 There is somebody that's stuck in traffic today, but God's word is that you're still on the best path. 17:23 [Congregation: Cheers] 17:25 You may want to change your road, but God says, I see the end from the beginning. I've looked down the highway. 17:31 I see what's on the other side, and you have to be still and let me be God over your life. 17:43 Secondly, this teaches us that God does all things in his time. 17:50 Now, we read there Mathew 26:1 that they're making sure that they try to time the murder of Jesus correctly. 18:02 They say listen, man, we can't kill Jesus until after the feast because his popularity has reached its zenith, 18:08 its peak, and it will create an uproar amongst the people. 18:12 So they want to make sure that they manage the timing of the death of Jesus after the Passover is complete. 18:21 So, as not to make Jesus a martyr, but even the Providence of God, 18:28 would not allow them to hurry the death of Jesus or delay the death of Jesus. 18:37 You should remember there were times when they wanted to take Jesus almost a year, almost two years before this. 18:44 Still, there were times when he would just slip away in the crowd. 18:47 Still, then on this day, they want to delay the death of Jesus until after the Passover, 18:54 once all of the people have come back going back home but see, 18:58 one of the things even the death of Jesus teaches us is that humanity is not in control of nothing when it 19:07 comes to God. 19:09 [ Congregation: Cheers] 19:11 See you, you know, you are bad mamajama. Not only when you say when you are going to lay down your life 19:19 but you bad, when you can say, when am I take it up again? Not now, not only are you bad. 19:26 When you can say, when I'm going to die, I'm going to dictate the terms of when you kill me. 19:33 [ Congregation: Applauds] 19:35 Oh God, in other words friends of mine, I need you to know that there is a Divine timetable. 19:41 At work even around the death of Jesus Christ. 19:44 See, in other words, Jesus says I'm not going to let you hurry me up. 19:47 I will not let you slow me down because my death is on a providential timetable. 19:54 Some folk needs to be saved, and if you delay it, they won't be redeemed. You are all not with me yet. 20:02 In other words, Simon of Cyrene doesn't meet Jesus If he gets killed till after the feast, but he says, 20:12 I want to save my brother Simon so that he can take the gospel back to Africa. You all not with me today? 20:19 He says, if I died later, then Barabbas is going to have to die on his cross, 20:25 but I came to take the guilty folk's place. Oh God, you all did not hear me today. 20:29 [ Congregation: Shouts] 20:31 He says if I don't die on schedule, the two thieves won't make the invitation to join me in Paradise. 20:37 See, remember when Jesus spoke in John 12, he said, "Listen, man, if I be lifted up." 20:46 Now, understand that's not talking about a statement of praise and worship where we lift up Jesus and sing. 20:51 He says, "if I be lifted up from the earth," and he says, "I'm daring you to do it in front of a crowd. 20:57 I'm daring you to do it when a bunch of folks is there." He says, "I dare you to lift me like that because if you lift me, 21:05 I'm going to draw all men to myself." See, if he dies too soon or too late, guess what? 21:18 The gospel is compromised, and the Miracle of Pentecost gets missed by the masses. 21:25 Okay, so Pastor Williams. Remember, Jesus says, I have to die during the what, Passover. 21:30 You remember that Pentecost was 50 days from the Passover. 21:34 So, you would have a crowd that would show up for the Passover. 21:38 Then you would have another crowd that would show up at Pentecost at 21:42 Passover, what you had was the first roots of the ground that would break the ground, 21:47 which was the evidence or proof that the rest of the Harvest was going to come, and so guess what? 21:53 There is a crowd that sees the crucifixion of Jesus, but guess what? They don't believe and follow right away. 22:00 It looks like what Jesus said was a lie because he said, "I'll draw all men to myself," 22:06 but understand that the Harvest wasn't complete. 22:10 [Congregation: Cheers] 22:12 The first roots just broke the ground that Sunday morning, but fast forward 50 days, 22:17 and it says the day of Pentecost had fully come. The Holy Spirit came, and men of every nation, kindred tribe, 22:27 and tongue were there, and when they heard Peter preach, 5,000 got baptized in a day. 22:33 How many of us know that the 5,000 was just the delayed fruit? 22:39 [ Congregation: Cheers and claps] 22:41 Of the ministry and the eyewitness death of Jesus. Are you all hearing me today, friends? 22:47 See, I need us. Understand, beloved, that we sometimes see our problem when we look at the cross, 22:54 and we understand his timing. Ah, see, Jesus says I'm going to die on time. Okay. 23:06 [ Congregation: Claps] 23:08 Pastor Snell: I've got to go to the grave on schedule. We miss Romans 8:32, which says, "If God gave up his son, 23:18 won't he also freely with him, give us all things." Louis, they are not with me yet. 23:25 So, in other words, if God gave me the Son on time. 23:30 [ Congregation: Shouts and claps] 23:32 No, no. The word says if he gave us the Son, won't he, with him, give us all things? 23:39 [ Congregation: All things] 23:41 So if he gave me the Son on time, won't he give me everything else on time? You mean if Jesus died on time, 23:50 you think he won't pay the bills on time? If he died on time, won't he get you married on time? 23:57 If God died on time, won't he get you a house on time? If he died on time, won't he get that need on time? 24:06 Okay. See this issue. See the problem with the way we view the cross, 24:12 and it's primarily a western thing that's why we don't shout over Romans 8:32. 24:17 He says, if God gave us the Son, won't he with him give us all things? 24:24 Now the problem with some of us. We don't shout over the cross because, for some of us, 24:29 the cross is a theological truth. 24:33 For some of us, it is just theological terminology that speaks to atonement, 24:42 but we don't believe it impacts our day-to-day life. 24:49 That's why it goes over our heads when we take these emblems. 24:53 Because we see it as something that happened 2,000 years ago, 24:57 how many of us understand that the cross was not just some theological truth back then? 25:06 It is the proof of God's love today. 25:10 [ Congregation: Cheers and claps] 25:13 All right, listen, I'm almost done. I promise. 25:16 See, the problem is we put the cross in this theological box all by itself, 25:22 and what happens is we put the cross in a box by itself. Then we got another box for our bills 25:28 and for our job and our kids and our plans. 25:31 It's crazy because what we do is realize that everything else affects one another my family 25:38 and my health effects, my work, it affects my finances, it affects my stress level. 25:42 It affects how I deal with my enemies and my plans. We believe all that stuff touches each other, 25:49 but the cross is in a box by itself. But how many of us know that the cross doesn't remain in isolation? 26:01 [ Congregation: Shouts] 26:03 It is the evidence that he's going to take care of everything that's in any box you have in your life. 26:13 Thank you so much for joining us for the Breath of Life Television Ministries Broadcast. 26:19 We hope and pray that today's message by Pastor Debleaire Snell has been a blessing to you. 26:25 It's a blessing to know that things work out in God's timing. 26:29 Join us next week for part two of the message titled “Perfect Timing”. 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Revised 2023-03-01