SPEAKER_10: Good morning, everybody.
SPEAKER_10: Good to see you.
SPEAKER_10: You're kind of like a blur with these glasses.
SPEAKER_10: Good to see you.
SPEAKER_12: I can't get enough.
SPEAKER_10: Okay.
SPEAKER_10: I usually do anyway.
SPEAKER_02: Page six thirty.
SPEAKER_02: I'm sorry, I should have said that already.
SPEAKER_12: Six three zero pack.
SPEAKER_12: I'm like I'm on the edge of a cliff wrap now.
SPEAKER_12: If I start to run forward, I'm gonna have to jump over.
SPEAKER_09: Oh we come three.
SPEAKER_09: We should never be discussed, take it to the golden friend.
SPEAKER_09: Who will have shall have been the load of day to take it to the lady Take to the Lord dispatch for shaky take it to the Lord in his object Thou find the soundest man over a few pages two six three five pairs?
SPEAKER_09: I come to us.
SPEAKER_02: Okay, Mr.
SPEAKER_05: Jorning, everybody.
SPEAKER_05: Does anybody have anything they'd like to ask her for?
SPEAKER_07: Jerry Strout called me.
SPEAKER_07: Uh that's Miss Hunger's number.
SPEAKER_07: Said Miss Hunter had failed.
SPEAKER_07: They had called in hostess.
SPEAKER_07: And he said they didn't know which way it might go.
SPEAKER_08: Okay.
SPEAKER_04: We've got a couple of things, Jay.
SPEAKER_04: Um Josh gets married this week.
SPEAKER_04: Just pray that everything goes smooth, but more than that, it's God's presence through there for sure.
SPEAKER_04: We had a friend, um, Benny Breaks is his name.
SPEAKER_04: He's not felt well.
SPEAKER_04: He needs to go to the doctor, but he's stubborn, so just pray that he would get some relief and know that he needs to go to the doctor.
SPEAKER_03: We're gonna be heading out Wednesday to Seattle for a briefing.
SPEAKER_03: I just pray we have a safe flight.
SPEAKER_03: There's so much going on in the fire out there, but we'll be on the west side of Washington State.
SPEAKER_03: And Winnie's gonna be on the road.
SPEAKER_03: She probably already is right now, her and Lloyd going to Charlotte to visit their uh daughter and granddaughters.
SPEAKER_03: And I pray they have a safe trip.
SPEAKER_03: I know Charlotte's like my land.
SPEAKER_03: You just don't know what you're gonna do.
SPEAKER_05: Karen.
SPEAKER_03: Well, little Dawson's got ear infection, he's running fever last night, the reason we didn't leave this morning.
SPEAKER_03: But back talking to leave tomorrow, so I have to prepare for us for how the roads are.
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: Keith.
SPEAKER_02: Um I don't know her name.
SPEAKER_02: I wanted to see my doctor this week.
SPEAKER_02: And since I've since the one that I had quit, I've not seen the same one since.
SPEAKER_02: So uh her name is Lisa.
SPEAKER_02: Michelle Long.
SPEAKER_02: But uh I've never seen nobody that had the the honest color of skin and the whites in her eyes was yellow.
SPEAKER_02: A lot of people test jaundice or whatever, but I was only really worried about her being a a caregiver, you know, taking care of other people, and then you kind of worry about things too.
SPEAKER_05: Yeah.
SPEAKER_05: Anybody else have anything?
SPEAKER_03: I'm sorry, I have one more Katie Smith, a friend of mine.
SPEAKER_03: Uh she called me yesterday.
SPEAKER_03: She has had a kidney transplant several years ago, but she's having a whole lot of trouble right now.
SPEAKER_03: And she said they were getting ready to transported her to Asheville.
SPEAKER_03: She's got foil in her lungs, and her ears are all swollen up.
SPEAKER_03: Uh, she also has a long heart travel, and she really needs freak.
SPEAKER_03: She's she's in very bad shape.
SPEAKER_05: All right.
SPEAKER_05: Anything else?
SPEAKER_05: All right.
SPEAKER_05: We ask that you bring blessings of all kinds to everybody mentioned here today in our congregation and all the loved ones that we have, that you may heal those who need to be healed, and that you may provide safe passage for people who's going and traveling, whether it be near or far, that you be with them, and that you help guide them and those around them.
SPEAKER_05: We ask that you bless everyone of us, and we ask that you also uh we want to give thanks for all of the blessings that you've given us.
SPEAKER_05: And say, Father, we just ask that you be with them and heal them and give your spirit and lift them up both spiritually and physically, that way we can make it through.
SPEAKER_05: Jesus Christ take on Richard.
SPEAKER_01: For uh Thanksgiving prayer, does anybody have anything you want to bring to our attention this morning?
SPEAKER_00: Yep, yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_08: Cool, faith, hope, and love.
SPEAKER_01: Hope is one of the greatest things we've got.
SPEAKER_01: And love, love air conditioning.
SPEAKER_01: Linda.
SPEAKER_03: I w I am so thankful for my two daughters with the ordeal we've been going through the last month or so, and John Jones for the passing.
SPEAKER_03: And those two have to step up to the plate and took over to protect their dad each and every way they could.
SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
SPEAKER_03: And to be there for him.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_03: And I'm so thankful that I have raised daughters there.
SPEAKER_00: Yep.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Anybody else?
SPEAKER_04: Um just thinking about Josh getting married and think about where he was last year.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_04: God is so good.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
SPEAKER_04: He's good.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_04: I spray he just less than the other day last year, and now it's just like his future is so bright.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: Amazing how things can change, you know, whenever we take our eyes off the situation and put them on Jesus.
SPEAKER_04: Yep.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's amazing.
SPEAKER_01: Yep, Keith.
SPEAKER_02: Um, I'm thankful for a lot of things.
SPEAKER_02: I mean we honestly believe it is, but uh I try to thank God every day for the things I do that.
SPEAKER_02: And one of the things that's surprising to me, Josh moved out.
SPEAKER_02: And so far she's held it together.
SPEAKER_02: She's she's friendly, but she's uh yeah, she's getting through it, I think.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: That was uh one thing I always greeted was that separation.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_02: But now I mean you just have to look at the good parts about it.
SPEAKER_02: You know I've got an extra room.
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
SPEAKER_01: More groceries.
SPEAKER_10: A lot more.
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
SPEAKER_10: It's gonna be it's gonna be good.
SPEAKER_01: I'll just tell you from experience though, once they do move out, it's important that you break their plate.
SPEAKER_04: I think he was already back to the house cooking last night.
SPEAKER_04: And the the sink was full of dishes, and I was like, Josh is in here.
SPEAKER_01: Anybody else?
SPEAKER_01: Huh?
SPEAKER_01: Let's bow our heads.
SPEAKER_01: Father God, again, we come to you this beautiful morning, taking this time to just thank you for so many things.
SPEAKER_01: Um, each and every day that we're here, your goodness is just obvious to us, Father, whenever we take time to stop and look.
SPEAKER_01: We thank you so much that you are our God, that you have saved us, that you love us, that you provide for us, and that in each and every moment of our existence, Father, you are active.
SPEAKER_01: And you hurt when we hurt, and you care about the things that we care about.
SPEAKER_01: But we're just so thankful that you are so so great, so so wonderful, and you're just full of wisdom that of course surpasses us, and and the things that whenever we think that we've got the answers, we're just so thankful, Father, that you are in control of everything, and that ultimately you have all the right answers.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you, we praise you, and we just pray that you'd uh go with us today and this week and help us just reflect on your mercy and kindness and goodness in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_01: We pray.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_01: And we'll have merit with scripture.
SPEAKER_06: Good morning.
SPEAKER_06: I'm gonna read 1 John 4, 7 through 12.
SPEAKER_06: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.
SPEAKER_06: Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
SPEAKER_06: Whoever does not love does not know God because God is love.
SPEAKER_06: This is how God showed his love among us.
SPEAKER_06: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
SPEAKER_06: This is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
SPEAKER_06: Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
SPEAKER_06: No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
SPEAKER_06: So the church life have genuine.
SPEAKER_07: Good morning.
SPEAKER_07: Uh this church life is taken from a book of David Jeremiah, is the Holy Spirit you may not know.
SPEAKER_07: The spirit, the strength of the spirit.
SPEAKER_07: We need an inner strength to face our trials and troubles, those challenges that are part of our daily lives.
SPEAKER_07: This prayer in Ephesians may be the most wonderful prayer in the New Testament, apart from the prayers of our Lord.
SPEAKER_07: It's an incredible prayer to offer for ourselves and for each other.
SPEAKER_07: This prayer is found in Ephesians 3, 14 through 19.
SPEAKER_07: For this reason, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might through his spirit and the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith, that you may be rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all these saints what is the width and the length and the depth and height, to the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with the fullness of God.
SPEAKER_07: Notice that Paul's speech especially especially calls out that the position saying, For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.
SPEAKER_07: It was this kind of prayer that brought Paul to his knees.
SPEAKER_07: The possibility of Paul's prayers.
SPEAKER_07: In verse 16 through 19, we learn about the possibility of this prayer.
SPEAKER_07: Here's what Paul prayed specifically in verse 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might, through his spirit in the inner man.
SPEAKER_07: Paul asked God to fill the Ephesians with inward strength, with an inward power.
SPEAKER_07: Look at all these strong words he used in that verse.
SPEAKER_07: Rich glory, strength, and might.
SPEAKER_07: God gives might to us through the inner part of our being.
SPEAKER_07: That's important too, as Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians.
SPEAKER_07: Therefore, we do not lose heart, even though our outer man is pierced, yet the inner man is being you day by day.
SPEAKER_07: Paul wants Christians to have a strong center so that whatever happens, whatever takes place in our lives, we will have this power.
SPEAKER_07: This is my this strength that carries us through.
SPEAKER_07: Paul asked for the Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and then he told us three things that will be the result.
SPEAKER_07: You will embrace Christ's presence, you will enjoy God's fullness, you will experience Christ's love.
SPEAKER_07: First, when the Holy Spirit strengthens you, you will embrace the presence of Christ in your life.
SPEAKER_07: In Ephesians 3:17, Paul prayed for the Christians in Ephesus that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith.
SPEAKER_07: Paul was writing to Christian people, and he prayed that Christ might dwell in their heart.
SPEAKER_07: Stop and consider that for a moment.
SPEAKER_07: If Christ is already living in your heart, why would Paul want Christians to dwell there?
SPEAKER_07: The only explanation that makes sense is that there must be a difference between dwelling and living.
SPEAKER_07: And there is.
SPEAKER_07: The word dwell means to be at home.
SPEAKER_07: Paul prayed for all Christians was that Jesus Christ might live in our hearts and be at home there, that he might dwell there, that he might be comfortable there.
SPEAKER_07: Remember what Jesus said in John 14, 23.
SPEAKER_07: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
SPEAKER_07: That's what Almighty God wants to make a home with you, to be a welcome and treasure part of your life.
SPEAKER_07: Christ doesn't want to be just a resident in your life, he doesn't want just simply be he simply don't want to be a ticket to heaven.
SPEAKER_07: He wants you to be comfortable with him.
SPEAKER_07: He wants to be a part of your daily existence.
SPEAKER_07: You will experience Christ's love.
SPEAKER_07: Second, when the Holy Spirit strengthens you inner mind and strength will empower you to experience Christ's love.
SPEAKER_07: There's a progress involved.
SPEAKER_07: When you possess the inner strength of the Holy Spirit, Christ will be at home in your heart.
SPEAKER_07: Then if he dwells inside you, you will be able to comprehend the love he has for you.
SPEAKER_07: And in Ephesians 3 17 through 19 Paul prayed that you be rooted and grounded in love.
SPEAKER_07: May be able to comprehend with all these saints what is the width and the depth, the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge.
SPEAKER_07: What an incredible thing it is to know somebody loves you.
SPEAKER_07: Don't you enjoy that knowledge?
SPEAKER_07: Don't you appreciate the good gift of being loved?
SPEAKER_07: What an extraordinary wonderful thing to know that God has you as the object of his love.
SPEAKER_07: But stop and think about that for a moment.
SPEAKER_07: If you are loved by the creator of the universe he loves you.
SPEAKER_07: Yes he loves other people as well but he isn't defined which means his love for others is in no way diminished.
SPEAKER_07: His love for you God loves you.
SPEAKER_07: God wants us to understand that reality that reality with which passion that he actually gives four dimensions God's love the width and the length and the depth and height that seems like nothing more than a creative way of expression that God has a lot of love but it's not it's more considered for example an illustration of these four dimensions of God's love the verse says for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life for God so loved the world that the width of God's love the width in his love is as wide as the world and if anybody teaches anything even different than that they're not teaching the gospel.
SPEAKER_07: God loves the whole world he loves everybody in the world.
SPEAKER_07: So God so loved the world that's the width of his love that God gave his only begotten son how much did he love us?
SPEAKER_07: He loved us so much that he dispatched his only begotten son to this earth.
SPEAKER_07: That's the great length he went to show us his love.
SPEAKER_07: He didn't just say I love you he said I love you and he sent his son as the person of his love.
SPEAKER_07: That whosoever believed in him should not perish.
SPEAKER_07: That's the depth of God's love.
SPEAKER_07: God loves us so much that he didn't want us to go into the depths of the earth in hell he wanted to save us from eternal fate and his love reaches to the very depths of life but but have everlasting life what about the height of God's love that's eternal that's heaven.
SPEAKER_07: God loves us so much that he blesses us with eternal life.
SPEAKER_07: So every time you read John 316 of God's love the cross can also show these four dimensions the height the top part the lower part the death the arms are the length and the width you enjoy God's fullness according to Paul's prayer the Holy Spirit enables us to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God verse 19 His abundant love leads us to experience the fullness of God's presence within us.
SPEAKER_07: When you let the Holy Spirit have his way in your heart and God will control your life and the possibilities of that are overwhelming you will experience the strength true spiritual mind and his only what kind of strength that can make a real difference in our world today the potential of Paul's prayer to highlight the end of Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3 look at verse 20 through 21 these might be the most powerful verses in the entire Bible.
SPEAKER_07: What do I mean by that?
SPEAKER_07: These verses contain the potential for which life and fares if we only incorporate these truths in our life here they are now to him who is able to do exceedingly above all that we ask or think.
SPEAKER_07: According to the prayer that works in us to him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generation forever and ever amen.
SPEAKER_07: These verses reveal just how evil God is to bless his children including you.
SPEAKER_07: In fact these pages so packed with possibility is difficult to understand unless we take his apart and put it back together one piece at a time.
SPEAKER_07: Paul said God wants to do extraordinary abundance above all you could ask or think first exceedingly what does that mean?
SPEAKER_07: Well only eternity will reveal how God has answered all our prayers we might think ignore some but when we look back we're going to realize not only that he answered our prayers but he answered them exceedingly more than that he wants to bless us abundantly meaning God doesn't want to just make minor improvements in our lives more that more than that he wants to bless us abundant meaning God that wants to make us minor importance.
SPEAKER_07: He wants to overrule our plans and give them magnificent worth of himself he wants to give himself to us bothly exceedingly and abundantly then the Bible says he wants to go above God can take what we ask and enlarge it.
SPEAKER_07: He can take our thoughts and go beyond them he can only see the we can only see the here and now God sees the then and there.
SPEAKER_07: Therefore he is able to aim above all our little targets.
SPEAKER_07: More than that he can do exceedingly abundantly above all he's not restricted not one request.
SPEAKER_07: He can address all requests he can handle everything we could possibly throw at him and much more.
SPEAKER_07: More still he's able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask that's worth thinking about specifically what are we asking for?
SPEAKER_07: The Bible says we have not because we ask not the Bible says if we ask God will hear us so ask maybe you ask for peace in the midst of a storm maybe it's the salvation of a loved one maybe it's help to an emergency maybe it's guidance and direction maybe it's victory over sin.
SPEAKER_07: No matter what we ask, God is able to do it and to do it at the same time.
SPEAKER_07: Therefore we should ask as much as possible.
SPEAKER_07: The last part of verse 20 is especially difficult to wrap our minds around God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.
SPEAKER_07: God is able to hit the bar so high that we can't even think about such an incredible blessing.
SPEAKER_07: All of us has thoughts we never express we have yearnings we'd like to ask God about we're afraid to we think maybe it's too much to ask God for we have longings that are so entangled that we can barely put them into our own words but God is able to do everything.
SPEAKER_07: That says even down to honoring what you think when you pray God reads those thoughts and he's able to accomplish what is beyond our imagination.
SPEAKER_07: This is why God's prayer is so packed with potentials and that's why his prayers apply so powerful in our lives and mine.
SPEAKER_07: Right now today if you will put your life in God's hands he will do everything he promises.
SPEAKER_07: What a wonderful guarantee from the God of heaven the end of all prayer also includes a benediction to him be glory in the church of Jesus Christ to all generation forever and ever what a great God we have.
SPEAKER_07: He gives us all these promises and gives us the Holy Spirit to buy the strength necessary to grasp hold of these promises and put them into action.
SPEAKER_07: This is a lifetime experience for us.
SPEAKER_07: We grow in this every year as we turse the Lord but what a wonderful thing to know you're not alone.
SPEAKER_07: You're not trying to get through all this in your own strength.
SPEAKER_07: You have a God who cares for you.
SPEAKER_07: You have a God who knows what's going on in your life and do you know how much he loves you?
SPEAKER_07: He loves you extraordinary above above all that you can ask even think even so you have the willing even so you have to be willing to accept it you have to be willing to respond to it.
SPEAKER_01: Church life that was that was very good it's it's amazing amazing just how good of a God that we have okay well this morning I'll have you to consider a few things from the moment of our conception in our mother's womb until the time that we draw our final breath each and every one of us we're in a long battle with the clock think about it for just a minute after uh after being conceived we have to wait don't we gotta wait about nine months to be born then we gotta wait a few more years to be potty trained.
SPEAKER_01: I mainly throw that in there to give Jake some hope that there is life after diapers man what a raise you get we have to wait five years to begin school for the most part twelve more long years to graduate but then it seems like the clock kind of starts spinning a little bit faster on it we get a job we maybe get married maybe have kids we buy a house we're constantly running around never have time for anything and then after all the years of waiting on the clock that seemed like it moved at a snail's pace we shift our attention to desperately trying to slow the clock down we have grandkids we retire we get old and we look back and wonder where in the world did all the time go where did it go James 4 in verse 14 sums it up pretty good it says what is your life you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes Psalm 144 in verse 4 we read man is like a breath his days are like a passing shadow bow with me if you will Father God we thank you for this day again we are just so grateful for the opportunity to be before you here as a family and we pray that you would open our hearts and our ears give us the message that you would have for us and help us to focus on it meditate on it and equip us Father for righteousness through it and we thank you and praise you in Jesus' name amen the clock can also be one of the greatest burdens that we deal with in our Christian walk when we have a need what do we normally do we do what the Bible instructs us to do.
SPEAKER_01: We take it before the Lord when we have a need or a desire or just any request in general we take it to God expecting an immediate answer do we not?
SPEAKER_01: How many of us ever began a prayer God when you can get around to it or if you have time usually whenever we take our request before God it's Lord you already need you already know what I need but I'm going to ask you now can I have it tomorrow that's generally how our prayer life goes but God doesn't always give us an immediate answer and then what do we do?
SPEAKER_01: In our human nature we begin wondering maybe God's battery needs new or God's watch needs new batteries maybe his watch needs to be wound again I'll ask you this morning but you don't have to show your hands how many of you are waiting on an answer from God for a prayer that you prayed this morning if you think about it we ask God for stuff all the time don't we which we're supposed to some prayers get answered pretty quick some prayers we've been praying for years but scripture tells us that God's timing is perfect it's purposeful and it's never ever late the problem is that you and I live by the clock the Greek word we use for time is chronos which is where we get our word you know chronological chronos is quantitative sequential clock time which is measured in seconds minutes hours days years and that's how we're conditioned to live each and every one of us think about it I'm gonna get up at 530 I gotta be at work at seven I'm gonna take my dinner break at 12 I'm gonna leave at 330 I gotta pick the young ones up at four I gotta get them to practice by five I gotta get them fed by seven we're conditioned to live by the clock but the word used to describe God's timing is kairos kairos a word that you've probably all heard it means the exact critical or opportunity Moment for action.
SPEAKER_01: That's why many of the times when we ask God for something, he delays answering us, making us wait for his appointed time.
SPEAKER_01: In the little book of Habakkuk, I won't ask you to turn there because it's hard to find.
SPEAKER_01: But in the little book of Habakkuk, we find the prophet extremely distressed over the evil and the persecution that was taking place in Judah.
SPEAKER_01: And Habakkuk asked God, How long are you going to let this go on?
SPEAKER_01: How much longer do we have to endure this?
SPEAKER_01: And God's reply was that judgment on the wicked and the rescue of all of his people would come exactly at his appointed time.
SPEAKER_01: Habakkuk chapter 2 and verse 3 we read, For the revelation awaits an appointed time.
SPEAKER_01: It speaks of the end and will not prove false.
SPEAKER_01: Though it linger, wait for it.
SPEAKER_01: It will certainly come and will not delay.
SPEAKER_01: Waiting on God's timing teaches us to hold on to hope and to keep obeying God rather than giving up when times get hard.
SPEAKER_01: There are three important lessons that we're going to look at today that we need to remember when we're considering God's timing.
SPEAKER_01: The first is simply that God controls the clock.
SPEAKER_01: After all, God's the creator of time, is he not?
SPEAKER_01: And he is in no way whatsoever bound to seconds, days, months, or years.
SPEAKER_01: He created it.
SPEAKER_01: I guess you could say he's immune to it.
SPEAKER_01: Second Peter chapter 3 and verse 8, we read, but beloved, do not forget this one thing.
SPEAKER_01: That with the Lord one day is a thousand years.
SPEAKER_01: And a thousand years is one day.
SPEAKER_01: God doesn't care about that time piece on his wrist that goes around and around and around.
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't make any difference to him.
SPEAKER_01: After all, think about it.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever we leave this life, whenever we transition from this earth into our heavenly home, how long are we gonna be there?
SPEAKER_01: For eternity.
SPEAKER_01: Find that date for me on any calendar.
SPEAKER_01: Find that setting on any timepiece.
SPEAKER_01: How long is eternity?
SPEAKER_01: We can't even fathom how long eternity is.
SPEAKER_01: God will always answer our prayers.
SPEAKER_01: And he answers in one of three ways.
SPEAKER_01: When God answers us, he will answer yes, giving us what we want at that particular time.
SPEAKER_01: He'll answer no, not getting whatever it is.
SPEAKER_01: And then he'll also answer us not now.
SPEAKER_01: It's not that what we ask for is bad in and of itself, it's just the timing's bad.
SPEAKER_01: A lot of times we're delayed for our own protection.
SPEAKER_01: Now it would be real nice if we prayed, God, please let me buy this million-dollar house next week.
SPEAKER_01: But in his ultimate wisdom, he sees and he protects us from that$2,500 monthly payment that's going to start the further the next month.
SPEAKER_01: Every event in our lives has a specific right time appointed by God.
SPEAKER_01: Evidence of this we find in Ecclesiastes 3, verse 1, to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.
SPEAKER_01: Verses 2 through 8 goes on to give examples.
SPEAKER_01: And it must be a pretty popular truth because you know back in what the 60s or the 70s, there's a group that copied this down and sung it.
SPEAKER_01: I think it's called the Birds.
SPEAKER_01: Probably made millions of dollars just for reciting the Bible on a rock station.
SPEAKER_01: Mm-mm.
SPEAKER_01: When we feel as if God is delaying answering our prayers, we have to remember that He's actually preparing things.
SPEAKER_01: That's why we've said before, we can all appreciate the fact that God didn't answer those prayers that we prayed that we so desperately thought we had to have at that particular time.
SPEAKER_01: Because looking back, we see, oh, I was so stupid.
SPEAKER_01: Second thing that we need to consider is what's going on, what's happening while we're waiting on God to answer our prayers.
SPEAKER_01: Waiting on God tests our faith in Him.
SPEAKER_01: And it grows our patience, which builds in us a strong character.
SPEAKER_01: Psalm 11, verse 5, we're told that the Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence, his soul hates.
SPEAKER_01: God brings us through our trials and tribulations in life in order to strengthen our faith in him.
SPEAKER_01: Think about it if like this.
SPEAKER_01: It seems as if they get whatever they want.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever they want it.
SPEAKER_01: And unfortunately, it's hard for them to come into a relationship with a God who would rather have them wait in order for them not to harm themselves.
SPEAKER_01: But we see the effects of entitlement on the young people in our country today.
SPEAKER_01: We lock them up every day.
SPEAKER_01: We bury them every day.
SPEAKER_01: Because they've been given anything they want whenever they want.
SPEAKER_01: What do you think he meant by that?
SPEAKER_01: Because it sounds like there may be times in our lives when we need to be grieved, when we need to go through that fire, when we need that correction or reproof or whatever it may be to build in us that character that God has intended for us.
SPEAKER_01: James 1, verses 2 and 3 read, My brethren county all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
SPEAKER_01: But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
SPEAKER_01: You know, as hard as it is to fathom the idea that someday I could be perfect, right there it is in scripture, each and every one of us will at some point reach that level of perfection.
SPEAKER_01: But my the patience to get there.
SPEAKER_01: So when God doesn't immediately answer our prayers or deliver us from our circumstances, remember that it isn't because he doesn't care about us.
SPEAKER_01: It's not because he's not paying attention to us, it's not because he's off with something more important to do, but rather it's because he loves us so very much.
SPEAKER_01: He loves us so much he's not gonna let us hurt us, he's not gonna enable that to happen.
SPEAKER_01: The third thing to consider about God's timing is how should we respond to him while we're waiting on him to respond to us.
SPEAKER_01: Well, simply put, we need not fear.
SPEAKER_01: We've all been in situations where we've prayed, God deliver me.
SPEAKER_01: But it's hard to leave that fear at the foot of the cross there.
SPEAKER_01: We want to carry that with us, and that prompts us every few minutes that God, when are you gonna deliver me?
SPEAKER_01: When you gonna deliver me?
SPEAKER_01: This is gonna happen, God.
SPEAKER_01: This this here is gonna take place if you don't deliver me.
SPEAKER_01: That's what the devil wants us to do.
SPEAKER_01: He wants us to fear, and he wants us to doubt.
SPEAKER_01: But that's not what we're to do.
SPEAKER_01: We should continue to choose to trust in God's goodness and his wisdom and not to give in to worry.
SPEAKER_01: I know that's hard to do, that's a lifelong struggle as well.
SPEAKER_01: Psalm 37, verse 7, we read, Rest in the Lord and wait patiently on him.
SPEAKER_01: You think about that and think about the trials or the experiences of life.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever you're going through situations and you think, how in the world could I possibly rest?
SPEAKER_01: But there it is in song.
SPEAKER_01: We have that ability through the Holy Spirit living in us.
SPEAKER_01: We just have to focus on putting that situation out of our head at the time and let God do his work.
SPEAKER_01: God already knows our future, and he knows that we will enjoy the fullness of it if we wait on him to bring it about.
SPEAKER_01: Jeremiah 29, 11.
SPEAKER_01: We all know.
SPEAKER_01: The Lord says, For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
SPEAKER_01: It's like Jeannie in her church line.
SPEAKER_01: Read.
SPEAKER_01: God doesn't want to just bless us, He wants to bless us.
SPEAKER_01: Capital B-L-E-S-S.
SPEAKER_01: But with our little brains and our our little request, we we can't fathom that.
SPEAKER_01: What what are we told?
SPEAKER_01: Eye has not seen, ear has not heard.
SPEAKER_01: The little things that we think are necessary in life, but the abundance that God has in store for whenever we get there.
SPEAKER_01: We need not fear.
SPEAKER_01: We also need not fret.
SPEAKER_01: We shouldn't compare our season that we're going through to somebody else's harvest.
SPEAKER_01: God's timing for us is just that, it's for us.
SPEAKER_01: All of those fairy tale lives that you read about on the fake book, they're just that.
SPEAKER_01: They're fairy tales.
SPEAKER_01: Whenever we look at what the Joneses have down the street and say, Lord, I've been praying for this for years.
SPEAKER_01: Why do they get it?
SPEAKER_01: Why not why not me?
SPEAKER_01: It ain't fair.
SPEAKER_01: God's timing is for us individually.
SPEAKER_01: Again, Psalm 37, verse 7 goes on to say, do not fret because of him who prospers in his way.
SPEAKER_01: I think we can all agree it's easy to throw ourselves a pity party when we're waiting waiting on a response from God.
SPEAKER_01: But we see everybody around us, seems like everything's going so good.
SPEAKER_01: And then we get down.
SPEAKER_01: Well, my car's broke down, they bought a brand new Mercedes.
SPEAKER_01: My roof's leaking, they just brought in a brand new double widen.
SPEAKER_01: That's not what we're to do.
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to get in those ruts, but we have to immediately identify that is Satan's scheme and do away with it from our mind.
SPEAKER_01: We need not fear, we need not fret.
SPEAKER_01: And finally, we need not faint.
SPEAKER_01: We should continue in doing good while we're waiting on God to respond to our request.
SPEAKER_01: We should continue doing good, keep giving, keep loving, keep attending to the business that Christ has entrusted us to do.
SPEAKER_01: Each and every one of us has a mission.
SPEAKER_01: We're to keep doing.
SPEAKER_01: Knowing that if we keep working, our harvest will come at just the right time.
SPEAKER_01: It seems like so many people in today's society, when they don't get what they want, when they don't get their way, what do they do?
SPEAKER_01: They just give up.
SPEAKER_01: Oh, I love to see it at stake.
SPEAKER_00: I didn't get that raise.
SPEAKER_00: I ain't doing nothing.
SPEAKER_00: That's it.
SPEAKER_00: Why didn't you get that promotion?
SPEAKER_00: I ain't gonna do what they tell me to do.
SPEAKER_00: That shouldn't be so for us as Christians.
SPEAKER_00: It shouldn't be so.
SPEAKER_01: We're not looking for some little passing crinked or scenario or situation from God in this life.
SPEAKER_01: We're looking for a crown.
SPEAKER_01: Galatians 6 verse 9, we read, and let us not grow weary while doing good.
SPEAKER_01: For in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
SPEAKER_01: Jesus came and died to save each and every one of us from hell.
SPEAKER_01: And in doing so, whenever he left and ascended into heaven, what did he tell us?
SPEAKER_01: Alright, I'm passing the baton.
SPEAKER_01: Now it's up to you.
SPEAKER_01: Go out into the world, making disciples out of all the nations.
SPEAKER_01: Then he tells us what?
SPEAKER_01: That's when the end's gonna come.
SPEAKER_01: Because I've asked myself them same questions before.
SPEAKER_01: Lord, how much longer?
SPEAKER_01: How much longer are you gonna let this earth go on?
SPEAKER_01: How much longer, Jesus, until you rip open the sky and come and get yours?
SPEAKER_01: How much longer?
SPEAKER_01: But it's important that we finally remember that God's timing is never early.
SPEAKER_01: And it's never late.
SPEAKER_01: He's always right on time.
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes God answers our prayer speedily, but usually it's done in a manner that builds within us the very character of God.
SPEAKER_01: James 5, verse 11, we read, indeed, we count them blessed to endure.
SPEAKER_01: You've heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord.
SPEAKER_01: That the Lord is very compassionate and very, very merciful.
SPEAKER_01: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_01: Father God, we do thank you for your word.
SPEAKER_01: We thank you for leading us in righteousness.
SPEAKER_01: We thank you for encouraging us each and every day.
SPEAKER_01: And we just pray that you would continue to give us the strength and the determination and the grit to continue fighting this good fight of faith.
SPEAKER_01: Help us, Father, to just bring glory to you in each and everything that we do.
SPEAKER_01: Help us this week to be the eyes and ears, the feet, the hands of Jesus.
SPEAKER_01: Help us to shine brightly as we go out into this dark world.
SPEAKER_01: And in all things may we glorify and honor you.
SPEAKER_01: We thank you, we praise you, we love you in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_01: Amen.
SPEAKER_10: Seven sixty two.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, you guys are my hands.
SPEAKER_04: I'm missing it.
SPEAKER_07: No, there we go.
SPEAKER_08: Yeah.
SPEAKER_08: That was my massive.
SPEAKER_04: And I'll take her down to ourselves.
unknown: Yeah, so we're just trying to argue.
SPEAKER_04: She's all right.
SPEAKER_04: But you still knew I don't know what she's doing, but I was like, I thought I missed my.
SPEAKER_09: Yes, it is.
SPEAKER_07: I guess I'll be able to do it.
SPEAKER_04: That's a lot of lips.
SPEAKER_04: Sure works.
SPEAKER_04: You know, she made your third change.
unknown: Some reason for it.
SPEAKER_03: I was so much.
SPEAKER_04: Oh my gosh.
unknown: Yeah, oh my god.
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, winning this.
SPEAKER_04: I think that's pretty good.
SPEAKER_08: I didn't know he said.
SPEAKER_04: Oh, he went so long.
SPEAKER_08: But it's kind of like a hero.
SPEAKER_02: I don't just want to go to the thing.
unknown: And it's hard.
SPEAKER_02: So get a week off.
SPEAKER_02: And then she goes back to school.
SPEAKER_02: Oh, yeah.