7: God's Timing vs. Our Timing

John chapter 11. I want to talk for the next few minutes why we will help us this morning as were continuing in. We have a word for the year that words victory over walking in 11 areas of life of where we can really experience victory and this month were doing little a miniseries. Basically on faith that WordPress this is all throughout the New Testament all throughout the Bible it says this is authentic, real belief, believing in the unknown, hoping for the unknown, unseen, putting action behind if faith requires action and other talking through that were also trying to unpack what that looks like in our life in real time this morning to talk about four ways that you can trust God four ways you can trust the promises of God again will talk about God's timing versus our timing. That's the main heading, and I know for me. Often times, the question isn't whether or not I believe God's real that's not really the question that I struggle with is out of the question that God has a plan for my life. I don't really struggle with that either. They got a plan or purpose for my life where I have a problem mostly is in my patients waiting on that plan, and I think that's probably true for many of us is probably true for a lot of us that the real struggle becomes the faith is God when Wendell lording it to do this when we can provide.

When is the answer to come and we seem to get wrapped up in that and so instead of waiting on God's timing week jump on the front of it or we move beyond its telling passage coming up this road to our own idea of success than God's got this other plan for and if we're not waiting on God become a jump on ahead of them and we had a moving all these different directions. John chapter 11 is a great little pastor Scripture with Lazarus and as we see in Scripture. Both the Old Testament and New Testament, there is really three foundational points to figures 3 foundational different categories. If you will save there is a covenantal category which means I have faith based on God's covenant that he made with us this what you see all throughout the Old Testament, God makes a covenant with his people and a basis as if you do this I'll do that. So there's faith that God spoke it. There's faith in the word of God that we have select part of it as well. This covenant that God gave us there is also faith where the pistols and Paul writes mostly about Annette's more experiential spiritual level of faith meeting. I feel the Holy Spirit. Plimmer this is probably most of us would call faith.

I think God saying this I feel like this is happening.

I think this is where God is leading me but I'm in a let the Holy Spirit to guide me in through the last part is eschatological faith which basically is the end times. It means that God I'm not just gonna put my faith in you today. I'm also going to put my faith in you for all of eternity would tell me know that requires a lot of faith, like when Jesus says on preparing a place for you. I have to have faith that he's actually repairing place right when he says that he saved me and made me new like the trust and that so is not just putting faith in here and now. It's also putting faith in then an eternity and it's all stuff that we we don't see we don't really hear it's just a faith that we have and on all three of those levels are faith, we tested our faith. We tested in God's word. We actually believe what his word says our faith will be tested when we think it's God but were not sure. And so we got free through it because it might just be my idea versus God's idea, and of course we have faith and just future things in the end times and eternity. All of that requires faith in any point along the way. Our faith is challenged it's rocks with questions about it. John chapter 11 is the passage where Lazarus dies and Lazarus is in the tomb for four days. Jesus and his disciples are 25 miles approximately away from Bethany, the 25 miles away.

So just think about where you just think 25 miles around where you are walking you would take you anywhere from 8 to 10 hours to walk it just a normal pace so they do have cars to get a jump in the car and go Moses on this walk everywhere.

They work riding horseback. There is walking you from town. The town's abuses disciples are to administrator account. Jesus gets word Murray Marcus and Jesus were that Lazarus is sick basis and Jesus come heal Lazarus.

We know you love them you're very compassionate form worked highly were close their buddies with Jesus.

They know them well and they're sending for help.

Please come Lazarus is sick Jesus and kind of a weird twist in the story if you will decide to stay two more days. Where is the fact disciples, Pushing ongoing name we we might want to yell while walk ahead of us. If you want to go heal Lazarus, you might want to start walking now. Juices listen Lazarus is fallen asleep.

The terminology fallen asleep. By the way I was looking into that one commentary. The discrete minor-league but it could be that that terminology fallen asleep in that context is the only place its use in Scripture.

Three. Interesting because when the disciples heard it, they would've heard it, basically thinking like all he's gonna wake up again and so they were debating that in Jesus finally got real blunt with them as a listen. Lazarus is dead. He's gone because what the terminology fallen asleep meant I got kind of as I thought through that and processes that terminology, I thought it resonate a lot with with maybe us because that terminology fallen asleep. What it alludes to is that there will be an resurrection. So as usual saying is that he's fallen asleep at the terms of use really actually pointed to but don't worry about because he's gonna raise again.

And so Jesus already knew that there was any life that was really brought back to life as we like brought back, and I thought about that often. I thought about what or how many times will we call dead. Jesus is just say this is fallen asleep and I could be in our relationships. It could be our careers are health our job, our emotional well-being dreams that we have in life like goals that we want to life this is what I want to be in life and at times we feel like this is dead either goners or hopeless and perhaps use another is is fallen asleep because they can come back to life. So honestly Murray marker upset with Jesus, wouldn't you be. I mean it if if you sent word to Jesus and hazy is somebody that we know you love is dying. We know you can heal them.

So would you come heal him and uses I'll be there in a few days and then he dies effect if you look at the four days we know that's four days because when Jesus got there and he went to the tomb. He bases that they open up the tomb and one of them said but he's gonna be's pretty stinky because he's been there for days with the with the Bible says some four days, which means the day he got word more than likely that they died. And then two days he stayed minutes ago.

1/4 data actually walked her at anything about that he think about how disappointed the disciples and Mary and Martha. Bethany is not a big area. Before I knew what was going on. The disappointment that was there and they get there and the tomb was sealed up and is dead and the literally got the Jesus imagine this. They got the Jesus they say hey you're late. And if you were here on time. Jesus, Lazarus would be alive.

Jesus surely only thing about God's timing.

I wonder how often we say the same thing. Maybe to God.

God, you're late.

Got if you had been here earlier this would've happened. Got a few to smoking clear this would've happened. Got here just showed up. When I asked you to show up. This would've been a whole different circumstance in a whole different situation.

Gradually and so Jesus does this amazing miracle read raises Lazarus from the dead speaking to God's timing and the way that people always will say, God, you're late. God you're not on time God where are you God when we have to understand that time is very different. As a young believer laid my teenage years.

This is one of those first concepts that that II consciously would think about. I really would a small group of guys that we get together in college and late in high school years in college and we would have these conversations in the bait around different doctrinal, theological questions about God and the snow is one of them that came up. How is God always been is a mirror thought that before. Do you how how do you have no beginning and no end. It was loose in your mind that will just make you good on these paths of road deep confusion because you we can understand that CA and God and God's creation and who is he's outside of time you there is no beginning to God. There is no end to God. He is not bound by our finite timeline.

Jesus not and in our life and this is what happens if this is true right we we have a starting point right there's there's birthright were born and literally our timeline is straight there. There is no deep. You can't time just keep sticking forward.

You can't posit you can't change.

You can go backwards and so you're born you know you're grown-up you go to school. All these things to be that special somebody in church to toast me love them another you know you really love three awesome. I got all these things and then one day, at the end you die and then that's it that we its kinda gloomy but is that not basically life and like a not mean you worn the new diet and there's a straight line to it. You can deviate from so we also think about God and our context of time going we think of God in our context that God you must operate the same way that we do when it comes a time that here I am here and I have a decision back here and so I'm moving forward and got you to show up here and that's how we think about see God use time very differently.

Time for us is like an hourglass one right row writer spoke of that humanity you turn over the hourglass and we don't know how many sand there is an hourglass.

We hope there's a lot we hope there's 80 9000 years of sand in the glass.

We don't know we don't know where millions could happen tomorrow. Would've those who happen next, you will know it's going to happen down the road.

All we know is right now. Got operates outside of our time, but there is the problem is and that's the problem because the problem is that in our faith in our timeline we have expectations. I got to come and meet us at a certain point when God use our time completely different radically different effect. There is an article that I read. It's from a guy named Joel Carini and Joel wrote an article called God's eternity. It's from the likes of survey of theology and I thought this is a really great way of looking at this. His words were I think just painted a really good picture. He said this he said to God, time is like a great campus ready form every moment of which he can take in simultaneously to him. All times are present.

A thousand years. In our experience are is nothing in God's eyes. I thought it was a good picture in my mind that if you just imagine with me for a moment that that there's a massive campus before God and and on that campus is all of time and he looks at all of time in one single simultaneous glance which makes sense now of why God is never panic sees never in a hurry make sense now.

While Jesus can just say what is the here two more days and will get there eventually.

Jesus was never panic's. He never rushed.

God is never worried God is never up against time. Why because he views all the time all the time. Now that would be Harvey get your mind around. Maybe sooner going either center worries that the less the minutes that's fine. Go back and watch again. Eventually you'll catch up. Every great half but when you understand that even if you struggle with it. It does help you in your patients a little bit because also the now you could say all right, so God you see all you know all all times before you something I why do I have to panic about time. Why drive a hard time trusting one have a hard time putting my life in your hands in your timing so you four reasons why we can do that what you write these down I think to be helpful to give us a couple supporting text on the way and I got a quick illustration that I use years and years ago that I think that will paint real good picture. I will talk about the four reasons to trust God's timing. Number one is this is of the gods, never late. He's just not he's he's never late. Now when we say that homage you immediately try think yabbies also never early ever feel that okay God here you're not late. Could you be early like once like you still up way ahead of time will relate while God like you can away but while you're here yours. Go get a God you're never late to God is the relate is always on time and we might debate that we might think otherwise how can a God who operates outside of time, or relate he sees it all. He knows exactly what we need when we needed and by the way, this is why we have to have faith right this is this is where faith kicks in. Because it's it's hard even to maybe comprehend that are even believe that.

That's why this faith. Faith is believing what we don't really fully understand or know or see including God's timing so we might be sooner thinking that were in a rush and we got a move move move God's likely all that we all the time that there is because I'm not bound to time is a great passage in second Peter chapter 3 verse 8 to 9 that says it this way, says do not overlook this one fact 11 that with the Lord in this is a reference back to the Old Testament as well. Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as one day and he continues and this is the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises, as we understand what slowness is with some count slowness blots what he does here, he actually turns this towards grace and forgiveness, salvation is a writer, turns and says he's patient for you so I have a circumstance that were wishing that guy would hurry up on but does not slow he's patient and he's patient for you meeting God knows what we need are also grateful that we don't get what we deserve. Either and I really don't know about you but I am so incredibly eternally grateful that God is patient with me, aren't you the gods not slow to get angry or got got got a slow to get angry with me is not that is fly off the handle. If I start going a different direction that is patient with us but see at times patients requires two things you can jot these down and requires courage and requires strength in Psalm 2714 It Says It Displaces Way for the Lord. This is to be strong and let your heart. Have courage so requires two things a requires strength requires courage. Why, because, well, because of course faith and I don't know God's timing so that strength and courage to wait on this time I want to see an example that I use years and years ago and I just think up this pizza to a good picture of what is so obviously and at times insulates you. Our team is so good at sizing today to what's what's tomorrow guys would throw Valentine's Day go Valentine's Day and at times really know about that fact. All the ladies in the house as you leave are getting arose by the way, so that's our gift to you.

And guys, if you want to take credit for. You can just take it first and handed to her. This is for you from me to you if you want to.

You don't go that route. I love this illustration is probably my favorite illustrations.

If you look at this Rose here and I kid you not.

This morning at any realizes were roses. I realized today that there's more than red and white roses.

I was like this is this is like a carnation or something like nope it's arose so now I know don't laugh because some you're going yet the same thing. So there you what I like about this illustration. This this Rose open naturally. An action is pretty beautiful. It smells good is beautiful and looks good because this Rose open in the time Dennis was open. It just naturally happen over time and want to think about your life very much the same way that if we allow God and God's timing in our life to open whatever door there is whatever opportunity there is whatever road there is whatever maturity wants to do in our life in God's timing.

It is beautiful it just as it does mean it's easy, doesn't mean that were not cut out panic at times it doesn't mean that's not hard sailing ahead at points, but it is the outcome is beautiful and God in Scripture has made you beautiful. He's called you his own, and if we wait patiently on God's timing. We become something beautiful because what God wants. The problem is this.

And here's the example the problem is that this is now close Rose Rose and what happens is we start out initially gone okay, got a little weight on your timing and it would just stare at it and looks like it's not doing anything to Gov. when I assign Lisa Moran. Nothing happens and eventually what happens there. And this is just what we deduces.

Unfortunately, the sinful nature of what we are and and our impatience is that we say okay okay got let me let me just take care of this and so we do as we start to just open it at and was come on Sunday like no your patience is destroying your life that take that highlight way I am destroying this rooster. But seriously, like if I if I try to hurry hurry this up and open it even try to be gentle. I mean, there you it is not very nice anymore and well above this illustration is I could spend an hour and try to do this row meticulously and oscillates than I can look as good as that because Andy put his hands in God's plan and try to force him to sell you the sum you here today.

Your life looks like this writer. Your marriage looks like this. Your career looks like this, your emotions, your health looks like this because you have not allowed God to lead you done it yourself and you force it open you force God's hand. You've picked your own path and you gone your own route and at the end of it. It's a mess. Now there's a beginning time where my look good. You might feel like you're doing good, but eventually eventually it starts to just fall apart an enforcer. There's just too many people's lives were you can look like this literally in your life where you like this Albert you but I rather look like this. This is less painful at the end of it. It's less messy now here's the good news though. The good news about who God is in his grace force is that how me know. You have to stay like this. This does not define you for the rest of your life, you can still become like this is is not not the greatest thing about his grace and mercy and forgiveness, is anybody here excited that God made you knew that he made to you that you were like this. Now your new. The second reason this morning. Is there some lip urine.

Now when you pick up your flowers in a way out. Got a nice remembrance of what's happened. The second resolving trust God is simply this, that God keeps his promises that this entire Bible is filled with promises for us and keeps every single one of them and then again this is based on faith. The whole thing is based on faith is all based on trust that that Habakkuk chapter 2 verse three is speaking about the vision of the Lord gave them but it still holds the same. It says for the for the vision awaits an appointed time it hastens to the end, it will not lie and speak about the vision that God has for our life. The vision that he has for each one of us that at the end of this. It says that if it seems slow wait for for maturely, it will not delay.

There are times in our life that we might feel that God's promises are really slow that we might be wondering where are you, alert you here yet it and why has this happened or such a recurring reminder all through Scripture that just simply says his weight patiently on the Lord weight on this time it will not delay it's not to show up late.

It's gonna be there.

Why because he keeps his promises force in Deuteronomy chapter 7 verse nine it says no therefore that the Lord your God is God and this is the faithful God who keeps his covenant, his steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commands and to a thousand generations.

I love that last part of Deuteronomy was just speaking to the Israelites of the time they're worried about what their next steps were worried about the promises of God. He's assuring them to listen, listen. It's not just for you because you keep his promises to a thousand generations beyond you and I'm so grateful that the Bible I read about the God of the Old Testament and New Testament that all those promises that I can still hold onto today there just for you just as much a was then about promises like a promise never to leave us never forsake they promised to make a snooty promise to rescue us. He promised that if we can build our burdens a bit. Take those burdens from us and it's filled with God's promises understrength and that is or gives us courage gives us hope what they are. The third reason we can trust in God's time this morning as this is simply because God's ways are higher than our ways. Now in Christianity. Oftentimes that verse is looked at as kind of escape outbursts of verse that we just got your hands up and there is a well God's ways are higher than our ways. I just don't understand it and we can say that attitude but it doesn't change the fact that it's actually true right God's ways are actually higher than our ways. There are actually bigger than our ways. Again the reminder. Proverbs 356 is trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding requires trust to do that in all our ways to acknowledge me makes our paths straight. This is what God does do is Isaiah chapter 55 is the reminder for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways for as high as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts. This is not just verse that we throw out there because we just don't know and we just throw your hands up, but actually is a trusting, faithful verse that says God I know your thoughts are higher than mine. I know your ways are greater than mind so therefore I'm in a trust in you before the final points ways.

This will close here is that, honestly, at the end of the day, God hasn't felt this before so why would he feel you know, does never failed us again this is this is all on your perception or your relationship with Jesus, but he hasn't filled us anyway. Sit there and think, well, you fill me in this. When I lost a loved one or he fill me here.

Why lost his job. Refill me here when this happened. My marriage of this happened in my life. How amazing it is that we often will throw all of our sin and all of our stuff that God is a God is all your fault, when really, truly God hasn't failed us. He has a leftist as a failed us. He has let us down and even as we are talking to Pat earlier news talk about his journey. Looking back on that and send God you had a plan all along and your plan all along was way better than my plan is in my life. In Joshua 2145.

This is not one word of all the good promises of the Lord is made in the house of Israel is failed is that all of them have come to pass all of God's word is come to pass out saith the same today to one of the ways that God never fails as honestly as in Psalm 31 Allen close this verse says, but I trust you. Oh God, I say you are my God, my times are in your hands, rescue me from the hand of my I love that verse.

There is be close because reminder of her prayer for us that you simply says God, put my time on puts time, including all my goals are my dreams all my ambitions are for all of that into your hands, trust that you can deliver that your to save that you can rescue cemented in the day again. It comes down to faith. It comes down to how we operate and how we live our life to be trusted God's word is true, to be.

Trust is a plan trust's ways are higher to be trusted. He never failed us to be trust to be trusted. We trust doesn't mean we have to understand that oftentimes we don't understand, but we trust, which is what faith is