Right on Time (Kenya 9 - 2023)
Right on Time • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 views“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.” ― Carl F. H. Henry
Notes
Transcript
There’s a quote that was shared during that message that I want to share with you today because I believe it sums up something important about the Gospel and the burden to proclaim it effectively.
“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”
“The gospel is only good news if it gets there in time.”
― Carl F. H. Henry
By his own admission, old Joe was not a religious man. He had never gone to church. He lived a pretty wild life. He drank too much, gambled a lot, swore without even thinking about it, and was not above lying and cheating when it was to his advantage. He thought that Christians were missing out on all the fun in life. He never thought much about God.
Joe had retired and was looking forward to doing a lot of fishing. He had been having some stomach troubles. “Probably too much beer”, he thought. But then the doctor’s report came back: cancer. It had spread to several organs. There wasn’t much they could do. Joe might have six months to live, maybe less.
Joe had a nephew who was a Christian. One day his nephew’s pastor dropped by the hospital and began to talk to Joe about spiritual things. For the first time in his life, Joe listened with interest.
What the pastor was saying seemed to make sense. It dawned on Joe that he had lived his whole life in a selfish, sinful manner. He knew that if he died, he would face God’s judgment.
But the pastor said that Jesus Christ had died on the cross to pay the penalty that he deserved. He offered forgiveness of sins and eternal life as a free gift if Joe would receive it. Joe prayed to receive Christ. He died in peace shortly after. He was saved just in time.
I think about this story in a couple of different ways. First, I am sad for Joe because he didn’t get to experience a lifetime of walking with the Lord. Secondly, I am thankful that there was a faithful man of God to share the Gospel at just the right time.
You see, Joe could have died without the opportunity to surrender to Christ if that Pastor didn’t take the time to visit him in the hospital.
I sincerely believe that we are all called to share the good news…right now. Eternal life and death are at stake. It’s really important to give a “right on time” word to people who are desperate to hear the truth that Jesus Christ has the power to redeem them, restore them, and give them true life.
As believers we have a responsibility. Actually, we’ve been commissioned by Jesus.
18 Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth!
19 Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world.
This is part of our purpose.
I’ve spoken to people who are searching for a purpose and meaning to this life. I’ll tell you what I tell them: until you walk in the purpose of making disciples for the Lord then you’ll never truly find fulfillment in life.
I have the extraordinary opportunity to return to Kenya in a few days to check in on the work our church is doing in there. I’ll be able to preach, teach, and pray for many people while I’m there. My prayer is that there will be people open to receiving from the Lord. My prayer is for divine appointments to reach the lost and hurting.
I’ll only be there for two weeks, but the work of the Lord will continue in people hearts until the day He calls them home. As we do the work God has called us to do, I’m convinced, that we won’t know the effects of that work until we enter the gates of Heaven.
Here’s the deal. We’ve got to keep on keeping on! Our job is to trust the Lord, as we are led by His Spirit, to take us to places right on time to bring some to repentance and salvation.
In Acts 16 we see series of events that happened as Paul and his team who were working to share the Gospel.
Paul got around. In the book of Acts, if you added up all the miles Paul walked, it would be over 10,000 miles! That’s a lots of walking!
In this particular chapter of the Bible he was walking across modern day Turkey.
6 Paul and his friends went through Phrygia and Galatia, but the Holy Spirit would not let them preach in Asia.
7 After they arrived in Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not let them.
8 So they went on through Mysia until they came to Troas.
Have you ever felt stuck in your life?
Jobs, looking for a spouse, physically looking for healing, or in your personal ministry.
It seems as though the Lord isn’t clear or that He keeps shutting doors.
This is what I imagine that Paul could have been feeling at this moment in ministry. He was looking for opportunities to further the Gospel. He was following the great commission of the Lord, but everywhere he turned, it seemed as though the Lord was telling him no, so he just kept walking.
Let’s look at a map of this journey.
Paul’s missionary journey in Acts 16 -
From Antioch to Troas is about 358 miles. It would have taken at least 15 days and over 118 hours. During that time the Spirit of God would not give them any other direction than the word: NO!
There are seasons of life where God is taking us on a journey that seems pointless. Don’t give up during these seasons of transition. The enemy loves to get us off mission. Distracted. Even tries to get us to doubt God’s wisdom and timing.
Stay the course. Put God and His work first and you’ll be able to claim a promise.
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
God provides for those who are committed to His work.
Paul was stuck in a town called Troas. Why? There was no were else to go! He was stuck in a place he’d never been before. He couldn’t walk any further west because he’d walk right into the sea!
When he got stuck, God gave him a vision.
It’s ok to get stuck. The Lord uses times of uncertainty to build our faith.
2 My friends, be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble.
3 You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested.
What was the vision given to Paul?
9 During the night, Paul had a vision of someone from Macedonia who was standing there and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!”
He was told to go to a place no believer had even been before. It was a new Continent!
God wants to give us visions and dreams of new ways to reach people with the truth of the Gospel.
From Troas they ended up in a place called Neapolis and then they walked to a town called Philippi and they met someone named Lydia.
Talk about Map Again
14 One of them was Lydia, who was from the city of Thyatira and sold expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of the Lord God, and he made her willing to accept what Paul was saying.
She heard the Gospel and was the first convert in this new place where the Gospel had never been preached! And then her whole family believed in the Lord!
15 Then after she and her family were baptized, she kept on begging us, “If you think I really do have faith in the Lord, come stay in my home.” Finally, we accepted her invitation.
Now, this is not something we should skip over to quickly. Lydia sold purple cloth. Why would the writer of Acts tells us that little detail?
Well, people who sold purple cloth had lots of money!
All this travel and work for the Lord was not cheap. It cost Paul money to travel, eat, and sleep in all these different places.
God made a promise that if you put His work first then he would provide the resources to get the job done.
Paul obeyed the Lord and resources were unlocked.
I wrote this quote down, and I want to share it with you today:
“We are pregnant with miracles that can never be born until we walk in faith!”
One miracle can change everything in your life. But you’ve got to be willing to step in faith. Our future is FILLED and READY with all the provision needed to accomplish God’s will in our lives. Never allow lack of resources to quench your faith. God provides in miraculous ways.
Lydia gave Paul a place to stay. Her home basically became the first church in Philippi.
As we move on in the story, Paul and Silas were ministering in the city of Philippi and a girl with an unclean spirit kept on bothering them as they worked and preached. Well, it started to tick Paul off:
18 This went on for several days. Finally, Paul got so upset that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I order you to leave this girl alone!” At once the evil spirit left her.
That upset some people who were making money off this enslaved girl and they had Paul thrown into prison.
.
22 The crowd joined in the attack on Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off the two men and ordered them to be beaten with a whip.
23 After they had been badly beaten, they were put in jail, and the jailer was told to guard them carefully.
Working for the Lord and walking in faith comes with provision, but it also comes with persecution.
My heart is humbled when I read these words about Paul and Silas being beaten for helping a helpless girl. It makes be question how far I’d go to help another person.
They could have turned the other way and avoided this brutal attack, but the life of that girl was worth everything to them. They were there are the right time to set her free, but it put them in prison!
What do we do when we are treated badly for doing the work of the Lord?
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing praises to God, while the other prisoners listened.
We need to keep the main thing the main thing!
We worship the creator of the universe who has set us free from our sin!
We lift up the one who gave us mercy when we deserved death!
Even in the prisons of life we can thank the Lord for the freedom we have in Christ.
Miracles happen we we keep our focus on Christ!
Our struggles aren’t really struggles, they are “set ups”!
God can take what seems impossible and turn it for His glory.
26 Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the jail to its foundations. The doors opened, and the chains fell from all the prisoners.
But Paul didn’t run away. He took the time and opportunity to preach the good news to the jailer. He was right on time because the Jailer believed in Jesus and was saved. His whole house was saved!
31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”
32 Then Paul and Silas told him and everyone else in his house about the Lord.
33 While it was still night, the jailer took them to a place where he could wash their cuts and bruises. Then he and everyone in his home were baptized.
34 They were very glad that they had put their faith in God. After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas to his home and gave them something to eat.
Folks, I’m telling you, the Lord is looking for people who are willing to be right on time with the Good news.
We need to MOVE closer to the Lord in our spiritual walk.
Don’t forget the Spirit of God in everything you do!
He wants us to listen to His voice, Sit in His presence, and MOVE according to His plan.
We need to get caught up in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus doesn’t owe anything to us. We get to partake just because of His grace.
Let’s repent of just going through the motions. Open your heart to a fresh work of the Spirit in your life.
Now, I want you to think about something from our scripture today. These people mentioned. Lydia, her family, the set free demon possessed girl, the jailer, and his family.
And maybe even some of the prisoners who heard the good news where all part of a new church there in that town of Philippi.
This is the “Church” Paul was writing to when he wrote these words:
6 God is the one who began this good work in you, and I am certain that he won’t stop before it is complete on the day that Christ Jesus returns.
GOD started a good work in them! He was right on time!
How and why? That church wouldn’t have existed if Paul hadn’t listened to the Spirit of God, walking in faith, and trusted the Lord for provision.
The Philippian church, the FIRST church in Europe, was planted after Paul was “stuck” in Troas, was given miraculous provision, was beaten, thrown in prison, worshipped the Lord, was set free, and HERE’S THE BEST PART - PEOPLE came to the Lord!
WHERE and WHO can you identify with in our story today?
Paul - He was the guy on the Go. Where is God calling you to go?
Maybe it’s a short term mission trip or long term
Maybe we are just called to go into our community and neighborhoods.
In some ways we are all called to GO.
When we Go we position ourselves to be Right on Time.
Lydia - She was a giver.
After she came to Christ she wanted people to find what she’d found.
Just because she didn’t GO with Paul doesn’t mean she wasn’t a missionary.
Giving is an essential part of being Right on Time.
Jailer - He asked, “What must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Have faith in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved! This is also true for everyone who lives in your home.”
Once he was saved He told his whole family!
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Get Stuck more often.
Worship Jesus more often.
Trust the spirit to move more often.
Move in the impossible more often.
And guess what? God will be right on time - EVERY TIME.