Timing Is Everything*

Call to Worship

The Lord is in His Holy Temple.

Let all the Earth keep silent before him.

I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the House of the Lord.

Our feet shall stand within Thy gates Oh Jerusalem.

Give Scriptures: Jeremiah 1:4-5 & Ephesians 1:1-6

Read Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-5

Jeremiah 1:4–5 KJV 1900

4 Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.

Introduction

If you have ever become invested in a television show then you will understand the suspense of not know what comes next.

Television is a unique experience because it can force you to develop patience as you observe the story of the characters on screen unfold from week to week and season to season.

Television shows air each week or so and you have to be patient and consistent enough to catch the latest episode at a pre-determined time and if you miss it you may have to wait a week until you are able to re-watch the episode unless you are lucky enough to catch it on a rerun.

And so you watch the drama unfold.

You watch the action happen.

You laugh on the edge of your seat.

WHY?

Because you knew that you had a limited window of time to watch your favorite show and you could not afford to miss anything.

Of course, the introduction of streaming services has altered this dynamic to some degree but the basic idea still remains.

You sit back each week as the story is brought to life through the screen.

And as you watch, you react and if you watch long enough…

You see as the characters grow, develop, change, die, get married and all manner of things.

Things happen in the lives of these people who have entered your life, as though they are family.

We do all of this through what Konstantin Stanislavsky called, “the grandest lie...” of acting.

Questions

But what about the television shows we have already seen?

What about the story we have already watched unfold?

What about the drama that is a playback in our psyche?

What about the action sequence we have already observed?

What about the joke we have already laughed at?

God sees us like the movie that has already played. He is so touched by what he sees that he can mourn with you when you cry but he is God enough that he is already beyond time and rejoicing as you overcome.

Read Scripture: Ephesians 1:1-6

Ephesians 1:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

Give Subject: Timing is Everything