Momentous Pt.1 - "The Momentous Moment" - Pastor Mark Killingsworth

Momentous “It is all about one moment” “The Momentous Moment” Dec. 1st 2019 S.Q. Out of all of the moments of your life, which moment was the most significant? I. THE MOMENT: Jesus Came At The Right Moment Gal. 4:4 “But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son.” People in Jesus’ day missed him in the moment - because they were too busy with life. We each get about 24.5 million moments - if we live the 70 promised years. In Jesus’ day they were too busy to pay attention to a young, unmarried, girl giving birth to her first child in a stable over in a small town called Bethlehem. Although almost everyone missed this one seemingly insignificant event, this singular event changed the world and can still change your eternity also. People in our day are still too busy and therefore we still miss Jesus. We miss Him in the moment in our everyday busyness. We miss Him because of teaching that we have received that contradicts His Word. We miss Him in our willfulness and rebellion against Him. We miss Him in our political agendas that go against His instructions for life. We miss Him in the idols we have allowed into our lives. We miss Him when the MOMENT of His calling on us is ignored or refused. You see we are bombarded daily with information overload, so when something of real significance happens we may not even know that it happened. Back to Galatians 4:4 1. Time had fully come (Is. 46:10) “I make known the end from the beginning.” At the specific time in history that God had predetermined - He sent Jesus His only Son to become the sacrifice for the sin of mankind. Galatians 4:4 “But when the set time had fully come, The coming of Jesus in to the world was not a matter of chance or coincidence. His coming was a part of God’s divine plan established before the foundation of the world. When Jesus came the Roman world … 1. Was looking with great expectation for a deliverer. 2. The old religions of the day were dying 3. The old philosophies were empty and powerless to change men’s lives. 4. Strange and new mystery religions were growing within the empire. 5. The general spiritual life of the people would be described as RELIGIOUS BANKRUPTCY leading to a growing spiritual hunger. 6. God was preparing the world for His Son. It was into this condition that Jesus was born. God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.” 2. God sent His Son (John 1:1-5 & 14) Read The Gospel writer John said it like this to a Greek culture… HE WAS THE WORD OF GOD: In the beginning was the Word And the Word (Logos: Truth, Wisdom) was with God, And the Word was God. HE WAS IN THE BEGINNING WITH GOD: He was with God in the beginning. ALL THINGS WERE MADE THROUGH HIM: Through Him all things were made; Without Him nothing was made that has been made. IN HIM WAS LIFE: Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. HE IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD: The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. HE TOOK ON HUMAN FORM: The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, Who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 3. Born of a woman {Conceived by God’s Spirit with human genetics} Luke 1:26-31”In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, [Mary’s Cousin who was carrying John who would become John The Baptist the one who was to prepare people to hear and receive Jesus] God sent the Angel Gabriel [On of the Highest ranking angels in heaven] to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The Virgins name was Mary. the angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what king of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son and you are to call Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord will give Him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” b. Born under the Law {Jew from the linage of David under the OT Covenant} II Sam. 7:12-16 c. To redeem those under the Law {For the Israelites whom God divorced} Jer. 3:8 d. That we might receive adoption to sonship {Gentile redemption} Gal 4:4-8 ILLUSTRATION: So think about all of the moments that have made up earth history. Millions of moments have come and gone. Much of those moments came and went with nothing very significant happening. Now we HAVE had significant moments: 1. Our Birth 2. Our Salvation 3. Our Wedding 4. The Birth of our children 5. Starting the job or business 6. Retirement 7. Death But looking at the millions of moments of events on earth, the ONE AND MOST IMPORTANT MOMENT happened in a Bethlehem cattle stall, when an unmarried young lady named Mary gave birth to the Son of God - Jesus the Messiah. APPLICATION: The only way for Gentiles to attempt to be right with God before Jesus was for the gentile to convert to Judaism and to observe the Old Testament Laws, Feasts & Festivals. And to have their sins atoned annually through a sacrifice by the High Priest in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur the Day of Atonement. But when Jesus came, He started a New Covenant, this time it is a covenant in His own blood sacrifice on the cross. Instead of Law, it is now based upon Grace. Grace: the undeserved favor of God. S.Q. Out of all of the moments of your life, which moment was the most significant? II. THOSE MOMENTS: Jesus Provides At The Right Moments Some of us will just busy ourselves through big moments like this Christmas season. Others this Christmas season need nothing short of a miracle in your life. God’s timing is not always our timing, but He is always right on time to meet our needs according to His riches in Heaven. Psalm 145:15 “The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.” God is still meeting us in our greatest need Rom. 5:6 “For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.” ILLUSTRATION At the right time God called Abraham to be the father of God’s chosen people At the right time God spoke to Moses to lead His people out of bondage At the right time God released Joseph from prison to fulfill God’s plan At the right time God declared Gideon to be a Mighty Warrior even in his fear At the right time God healed the woman with the issue of blood At the right time God sent Jesus His Son to be the Savior of the world APPLICATION At the right time God called you out of your sin to follow Jesus At the right time God used you to share the message of hope with someone At the right time God equipped you to fulfill His design for your life. 1. There are divine moments happening in our lives all the time. *Today you are here in worship with this group of people that will never again meet together exactly like we are today. *God delays our car to miss an accident *God frustrates our plan in order to make sure we are in the right place a the right time. S.Q. Out of all of the moments of your life, which moment was the most significant? III. THIS MOMENT: Jesus says, “Now Is The Right Moment.” II Corin. 6:2 “In the time of My favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation. Ok, what does this mean? It means right now the right time for you to give your life to Jesus? Right now bring your sins, your failures, your damages and ask God to forgive you, cleanse you and come to live within you. Ask Him to be your savior and your master. Surrender your life to Him. The realization is that one moment in time will determine your eternal destiny. To reject Jesus equals Hell To accept Jesus equals Heaven To reject Jesus’ payment for your sin means you keep the guilt and payment for it. To accept Jesus’ payment for your sin means He trades His righteousness for your sin Illustration When I was 8 I really began to be disturbed about salvation. I thought my Dad was a pastor so that surly would take care of it for me.. But it didn’t I heard that each of us had to come to Jesus personally. I wrestled with this conviction. I tossed and turned about my need for salvation. Then my family traveled to the Southern Gospel Singing Convention in Memphis Tenn. and on Sunday morning a piano player named Hovey Lister, preached at the convention and I was broken before the Lord and my Dad explained how to be saved and I asked the Lord to forgive me that day and to take over my life. Application I want to offer to you right now in the moment an invitation of Jesus to you, “Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will given you rest. (Matt. 11:28) Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” If you’ve never given your life over to Jesus I want to offer you this MOMENT of decision. Raise hand saying I need to be saved. Pray this prayer: Dear God, I don’t want to live one more moment without you. I ask your forgiveness for my sins, for not recognizing your great love for me. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe He left heaven and came to earth to die on the cross for my sin. I believe He rose from the dead and is alive today. He came at just the right moment just for me. Today I want to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me Fill me with your Holy Spirit I choose this moment to receive the greatest gift ever given - the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. In trust of Jesus name I pray. Amen! Come forward and let us answer any questions and help you get started.