"God's Time vs. Our Time "

Hi there this is on Solomon and I like to welcome you to our program today. You know it's a tremendous honor to God's given us to be on stations all around the nation bringing the truths of God's word as it is uncompromising and straightforward and I'm so glad you tuned in to listen and be part of that.

Thanks again for your support and your generosity that keeps us on the radio and now let's get to the word of God must look at Luke chapter 2 and see the Lord Jesus Christ submit to God's time instead of his own. Let's begin at verse 41. Every year he is, that is Jesus's parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, and when he was 12 years old, they went up to the feast. According to the custom. Now the Old Testament says the Jewish people were to go to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year for three very important festivals and one of them was Passover, which commemorated the deliverance of the Jewish people while they were slaves in Egypt and Jesus's parents. The Bible tells us did this every year in obedience to God. The trip was about 100 miles and people normally traveled in caravans for safety and knowing that helps us understand what happened next. Verse 43 and after the feast was over while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it, thinking that he was in their company.

They traveled on for a day and then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. And when they did not find him. They went back to Jerusalem to look for him and they look for him. Verse 46,004 three days till they found is that when all on how in the world could parents misplace their kid for a whole day on a caravan like that. The reason is that in those days the way caravans work is that the women and the children went in the front of the caravan and the man brought up the rear of the caravan and very often the two groups.

That is, the women in the front and the men in the back would not see each other for the whole day until the caravan camped at night and suddenly they all got together. Now Jesus was 12 years old in the Jewish culture, you became a man, at 13 you were bar mitzvahed at 13 you could get married at 13 you could start having a family.

After 13 you became an official man in the community. At 13 and so Jesus was right on the cusp of being a man versus being a child and therefore unsure what happened is that when he wasn't with Mary.

Mary said wellies probably feel a little bit like a man right now. It's always probably hanging back with his dad and when his dad didn't see him. He probably thought well Jesus is probably up in the front part of the caravan with his mother and so when the two of them got together at the end of the day and they compared notes. Mary said you mean he's not when you and Joseph said how I thought it was when you and Mary said you think he was with me. Joseph said because he wasn't with me and some loving friend stepped in and said he's not here want you to go look for and so they did not know you can't relate to that argument, but anyone back to Jerusalem looking for him and for three days they couldn't find him.

He was lost and they had no idea where he was in the very crowded and busy city of Jerusalem panics that it I'm sure you have experienced that he never lost a child and you know, this sense of abject terror that Mary and Joseph must've been feeling after three days of not being able to find their son. I know what it's like I've lost mine yet.

I was actually today it is kind of funny but it wasn't for. We were at the pottery factory in Williams were true, and our second son Justin had just been born and he was about three or four months old and we were so stir crazy that we went away on vacation and took him and took our oldest son Jamie, who was then about four years old and we went down to Williamsburg and we went to the pottery factory and it was just me mom you know just people everywhere.

We were sitting in front of one of these huge buildings and Brenda had gone into shock and she was inside for what seemed like a week and we were sitting out on one of these little park benches outside the building and it was myself and it was Jamie and it was little baby Justin and I finally got so frustrated I couldn't take it anymore and I said to Jamie Jamie, you stay right here and watch Justin I'm going to look for your mom. Well I was young and I was. Jamie was a very responsible kid at four and so I went in the start looking for friend all around his building and I looked and looked and looked and looked, and finally I found her and I said there you are.

And she looked around and shoot first question out of her mouth was just one. Where are the kids all well in front on the park bench and she said who's watching them and I said will Jamie is watching Justin and she said she started running for the front door longer on the road behind her explaining myself and all Brenda really the gonna be okay for you is always very responsible and we came around the corner. We can hear Justin screaming and we went out in front and here is this strange lady that we've never seen before rocking him back and forth in the stroller and no sign of Jamie and I said to the lady who are you is you that is this your baby and we said yes and she said will I was walking into the building and she said the baby was just laying here in a stroller screaming is at all and I looked around, there wasn't anybody anywhere around it look like they belong with his baby so I thought I would sit down and rock even though the parents finally showed up just a little four-year-old kid anywhere said no. I said what he was dressed like a seasonal cutie got a big round face and you seem anywhere. No he wasn't here when you were here. No man, I can't tell you what went through my good right about that point. I mean there are aliens of people in the pottery factory and I all these visions of Jamie get hit my car run over by that don't train it runs right through the middle of the pottery factory or or will you know somebody kidnapping him. I mean I was frantic and I hadn't exactly died in a thousand Brenda so far this day, and I knew if I lost Jamie forever. She is to be pretty upset so I scoured out everywhere yelling and preening and running and looking in absolute panic and terror for this kid. Can you relate to luster to the department store and fight Susie. Susie today so say and slowly the panic begins to build up inside of you. As you realize that's what Mary and Joseph are going three days they look for this boy and look where they found in verse 46, after three days they found in the temple courts sitting among the teachers. The rabbis listening to them and asking them questions and everyone who heard he was amazed at his understanding and at his answers during the Passover festival rabbis would gather from all over the Jewish world and come to the temple and sit there and debate great theological questions in the temple and Jesus had joined up with his crew never occurred to them. Look for in there and was astounding them with his virtual insight and with his perception first 48 and when his parents saw him, they were astonished and they ran over to him and his mother said to him, son, why have you treated us like this.

How could you do this to me and your father your father and I have been anxiously the Greek word means in a panic stricken manner.

We have been in a panic stricken way looking for you everywhere. How could you do this to us, that's exactly what you are. I would do when we finally found our kids right when you say true when you find mommy's. I don't know what they do, that's what they said to Jesus not look at his response. Jesus said verse 49. Why were you searching for me. Didn't you know I had to be in my father's house. It's very interesting if you look back at the verse before that Mary said your father and I've been looking for you and Jesus said no I'm in my father's house, no they picked it up, but I'm sure Jesus said it on purpose as a way of communicating to them. Remember mom Joseph is not really my father, don't ever forget I'm in my father's house.

The temple of Almighty God. He's my father, and he's given me a special mission to carry out and I was merely here in his house getting ready to carry out that's all what Weiss also but they did not understand what he was saying to them what you mean. This is your father's house.

We talk they didn't get it, and as a result, they obviously asked Jesus to return home to Nazareth with them as to how you know that will verse 51 says.

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. Now it's possible that that means he was obedient to them as a boy for the rest of his life, but I think what it means is that they had asked him Jesus. We don't know what you're talking about. We have no idea what you mean you have to be in your father's house going about your father's business. We really don't have a clue as to what is this special mission that you're going on but we want you to come home you're not ready for this.

We don't think in the Bible says Jesus went back to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them, but his mother treasured all these things in her heart and Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.

You know the next time we hear about Jesus and the Bible is 18 years later when he comes back to carry out his spiritual mission that a 12 years old.

He sensed God had for, but he didn't get clearance to carry out for another 18 years at the age of 30 or so is our passage for this morning but it leaves us asking the question, yes to what you know what's interesting is that this is the only event from a childhood of Jesus that the Bible records so in 30 years of living. This is the only event from his childhood that we find in the Bible, she's able why would God choose to record this one and the answer is, I believe that it's a great lesson. There's a great lesson here for us as Christians in what Jesus Christ did in response to his parents. You see the age of 12. Remember I told you he was about to become a man. He was about to become recognized as a full-fledged man in Hebrew society and God had turned him loose.

I believe that Jesus was ready to start carrying out his mission of being the Messiah right here and right there.

He was ready to go. I mean he been in the temple he been debating theology with the rabbis and he held his own. They were amazed at his wisdom and his knowledge. He had a taste for what was up ahead, and he was ready but God's timing was not yet right not right by 18 years and God use Jesus's parents and their wish of.

Come on son, come on, Holderness to use this parents to indicate to Jesus that the time is not yet right yeah you might have the right idea times not right, and Jesus had a choice to make. Get a choice. He could either follow his own sense of timing, or he could hear God's gentle voice saying to him way. Not yet. It's too soon the times not right. Go back to Nazareth and submit to my time, we had the choice to. And Jesus chose the latter. He chose God's time versus his own time and we know we made the right choice only because the Bible says the Jesus was tempted in every way we are, yet without sin. Jesus never made a single wrong decision. He never made a single disobedient choice in his entire life, so we know that was the right choice to go back to Nazareth and for 18 years wait on God's time to do what he knew God called him to do. But the time he had been right you know that many great examples in the Bible and in real life. Of this principle of God's time versus our time we show you one other one want to turn back into the book of acts chapter 7. For those of you using our copy of the Bible is page 775 acts chapter 7 and is another man was a great example of this is name is Moses.

I want you to see what the great preacher Stephen said about Moses in acts chapter 7 verse 23 at seven verse 23 when Moses was 40 years old. He decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian now look at this verse 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God wanted to use him to rescue them but they didn't realize it DC. Moses had the right idea.

Did he understand it is hard what God was going to eventually calling to do. Yeah you know it, but the Bible says all the people were ready years. Verse 26 the next day Moses came upon two Israelites were fighting and he tried to reconcile them by saying man your brothers while you want to hurt each other like this but the man was mistreating the other push Moses aside and said made you ruler and a judge over us.

Are you ridicule me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday and when Moses heard this, he realized that he was indeed we and he fled to Midian, resettled as a foreigner and he had two sons, and after 40 years had passed an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai and when he saw this, he was amazing as he went over look, he heard the Lord's voice saying I am the God of your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Then the Lord said to him, verse 33 take off your sandals the ground you're standing on is holy ground. I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and come down to set them free. Now, I will send you back to Egypt. Verse 35 this is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words who made you ruler and judge over us, the same one was set to be there ruler and their deliverer by God himself to understand what this is saying it's saying is I like to put it that Moses had the right job at the wrong time in the right job at the wrong time he was off by 40 years, but he had the job right.

He knew what God was calling him to do. But he missed time and let's agree that with very few exceptions.

We all make the same mistake that Moses made when it comes to the timing of God to were not content to wait on God's timing. We wanted done, like now, we wanted done like yesterday we wanted done ASAP and usually the problem is God says wait and we say now God says later we say ASAP. God says the timing is not right and we say will I know what has to happen so all make it happen in my own time.

That's what most struck folks listen carefully.

More blessings are lost in the Christian life because we are unwilling to wait on God's timing and for any other single race in the Bible God says this, Isaiah 55.

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways.

Safe Lord. For as high as the heavens are above the so much higher on my thoughts than your thoughts. In my ways than your ways, and we could a my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways are not your ways and my timing is usually not your time as high as the heaven is above the earth.

So was my timing above your time best to talk to Frank Reich extra view me.

So where is God asking you to be afraid right in your life. Where is God asking you to walk by faith, even though you don't understand where is God asking you to submit to his timing instead of your own. Where is God asking you to humble your ego and your pride in your drive to exalt yourself and move yourself and advance yourself in and get what you want and where is God asking you submit to his plan and his timing and just let him be God. Listen, God has so many exciting things ahead if you just let them do it his way. He has so many blessings he wants to give you if you just let them do it his way. According to his time. But when we ram it and jam it and cram it in our time. We miss so many blessings God has prepared and the Lord Jesus Christ was smart enough to say, you know, even though I think I might be able to handle these rabbis right now in this mission right now is God's asking me to wait that on the way. It was 18 years, but he waited. Have you been praying for somebody's healing is not coming in your timing. Have you been praying for the salvation of somebody you love very much and it does not happen in your time. Have you been praying for your bow as you'll see them yet or your Ruth, you know, Syria and your saying to God why she now all God I'm sorry I am about to bust God's time you been praying about your job and is not going in the timing you wanted to go in about your marriage and the subproblems and on get this all the way you want them solved in your timing you been praying for guidance. It's not coming as fast as you want it made even praying to have a child you have been able to have one in your timing or financial breakthrough. And it hasn't come when you wanted and I don't know but I can't help but think that every single one of us hears Christians has at least one thing in our life for our timing hasn't matched God's time and we got angry we got frustrated.

Maybe even bitter, but if you are angry and your frustrated your bidder.I'll tell you why I tell you the reason it's because you been insisting on your time instead of being willing to wait for his time and you solve the bitterness and frustration. First of solve it by going to God, saying God I'm willing to give up my time and I'm willing to submit to an embrace.

Your time is a great verse in the Scripture it says this Psalm 46 first to be still some of you know these two and let God be God says be still and know that I am God to what it means is, be still and let me be God, not on God and the people who enjoy the greatest lesson from God. The people who know the greatest joy in the Christian experience are the people who are willing to say yes God I think I got the plan. I think I got the idea.

I think I know what were going, but that's only half the other half is timely. And Lord I'm gonna opt for your time, not mine. May God help you do that, they got help you trade-in your frustration and your anger and your bitterness for a humble dependence on God's time and God's wisdom. You'll be glad you did. If you're here this morning and what I've been saying is really spoken to you and you like to say God I've been frustrated and I've been upset and I've been angry because of wanted my timing the Lord this morning. I'm willing to trade that you for your time submit to you if you're willing to do that and I like you just raise your hand this morning so we can pray together. Thank you God bless thanks to anybody else. Come on now. Thanks heavenly father I thank you so much that you are God that we don't have to be afraid of turning loose control because you're in control. The Lord Jesus.

It's it's really only a mirage.

To think that we are in control.

I pray that you would work in the heart of every person, particularly those who raise their hand. Forgive us for getting angry and frustrated with you being bitter just because we're insisting on doing it our way, our time, Lord Jesus, help us to be like you and submit to the timing of God replace that bitterness and the frustration in our hearts this morning with your joy and your peace that comes from knowing that in your time you will make all things beautiful in your time.

Thank you. We can depend on you to be God direct our lives.

Lord is my submit to you. We pray these things in Jesus name Amen maintenance I went with Dr. Lon Solomon said, when is an outrage online, found in ministering to listen to today's message, or for more information visit our website. Lon Solomon ministries.org. Thank you for your support. If you would like to contact us, please visit our website or call us at 866788777 we had people join us next time in line to answer one of life question