JOHN 11:1-25

1. When You Are "On Hold," Remember That God's Timing Is Not Our Timing:
1. We like things quick, soon, immediate, right now: quicker Microwaves, faster and faster computers and shorter short-cuts are to our taste. We hate delays like long lines in the supermarket, stop lights, trains crossing, slow trucks, waiting rooms and being put on hold.
2. We even want God to act promptly when we call to Him! We want Him to use our time schedule! We cry out,
1. "Heal me, Lord, for my body is in agony. I am sick at heart. How long, O Lord, until You restore me?" Psalms 6:2-3 (NLT).
2. "O Lord, why do You stand so far away? Why do You hide when I need You the most?" Psalms 10:1 (NLT).
3. "My God, my God! Why have You forsaken me? Why do You remain so distant? Why do You ignore my cries for help? Every day I call to You, my God, but You do not answer. Every night You hear my voice, but I find no relief." Psalms 22:1-2 (NLT).
3. But think about it:
1. Time is really not a factor with the infinite, eternal God. A thousand years is but a day in His sight, though to us a day is like a thousand years when we are "on hold" and waiting.
2. As the song says, "He makes all things beautiful in His time." But it is "in His time" not in my time or your time.
3. Lazarus' sisters wanted Jesus on their time schedule! They wanted Him when they wanted Him!
4. Corrie Ten Boom learned a lesson about God's timing. When she was a little girl, she went to her father and said, "Daddy, I am afraid that I will never be strong enough to be a martyr for Jesus Christ." "Tell me," said Father, "When you take a train trip to Amsterdam, when do I give you the money for the ticket? Three weeks before?" "No, Daddy, you give me the money for the ticket just before we get on the train." "That is right," her father said, "and so it is with God's strength. Our Father in Heaven knows when you will need the strength to be a martyr for Jesus Christ. He will supply all you need - just in time."

2. When You Are "On Hold," Remember That He Is Never Too Late, Nor Is He Too Early:
1. The sisters waited. Jesus didn't come. Lazarus died. Jesus put them on hold. When He got there they were dismayed. He was too late! But His timing is not our timing, and He is never too late - but neither is He ever too early.
2. God is never sluggish, nor is He ever in a rush. He is never restrained, nor is He pushed to precipitous action; He is never like a quarterback who throws the pass too late and gets sacked, nor is he hurried like a quarterback being blitzed and throwing a careless pass too soon.
3. Things happening too late or too early can be disastrous:
1. Planting a crop too late can prevent proper production.
2. But planting too early can expose the crop to frosts which nip the buds and ruin a crop.
3. Putting on the brakes too late can result in a rear-ender and a lot of heartache.
4. But gunning away from a traffic signal too early, before it turns green, can be fatal.
5. Children having children because they were taught too late to wait for marriage let themselves in for years of grief and remorse
6. But kindergartners being taught sex education and contraceptive methods is far too early and is just ludicrous.
7. Events, even God's events, need to come in their season. Too late or too early both have attached negative consequences.
4. But God is never too late nor too early. Think about it:
1. Many of the Jews gave up hope of Messiah ever coming. But though He waited for 1500 years, and they thought He'd never come, "when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman," Galatians 4:4 (NLT). He came, not too late or too early.
2. Jesus is coming again, but some imagine that since He has not yet come, He will never come. Peter records it like this: "This will be their argument: 'Jesus promised to come back, did He? Then where is He? Why, as far back as anyone can remember, everything has remained exactly the same since the world was first created.'" 2 Peter 3:4 (NLT). He will come in His time and He won't be either late or early.
3. It does nobody any good for something to happen too late or soon. I've gone to meetings only to discover that I was a week late and had missed it altogether. Conversely, I once went to an OCEF meeting, or thought I was. I had rearranged my schedule to be at this meeting. When I arrived, nobody was there. So I waited - and waited. Finally someone drove up to the church and I asked about the meeting. They said, "Oh, that's next Friday!" It didn't do me a whit of good to show up a week late or a week early. Nor does it do us a whit of good for God to do what He will do before it is time for Him to do it. He is never too late, nor is He ever too early.

3. When You Are "On Hold," Remember That Delay Is Not Denial:
1. Many times we think He is saying, "No!" when He is only saying, "Wait!" We think He says, "Never!" when He is only saying, "Not yet!" We think the delay is denial; we think the delay is disastrous; we think the delay damages us.
2. But as Ray Stedman said, "The delay will help us. It will not hurt us. It will make us stronger. So Jesus deliberately delayed because He loved them and knew this would strengthen their faith as they learned the ultimate outcome when God would work." And, "I want to tell you there have been many times when I have cried out to God for help and said, 'Things are so bad it can't get any worse. Lord, do something. Help us.' But no answer came. That is hard. It is hard to believe. It is hard to wait. But I am gradually learning that delay is never the end of the story, gradually learning what God said so clearly through the prophet Isaiah, 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways,' Isaiah 55:8. That is what is so difficult. God is sovereign. He is not a man that He should act like we act. There are dimensions of the problems which He sees that we do not remotely imagine. There are possibilities and opportunities in every situation that we cannot conceive of. So we must wait and quietly trust, knowing that He is working out something." Yes, He is working out something - and though it takes some time, delay is not denial!
3. Think of these who waited and, in God's time, received what was promised:
1. Abraham and Sarah. When Abraham was 75 God promised him offspring; Ishmael was born 11 years later and Isaac was not born until 25 years later! But it did happen. Delay was not denial!
2. Israel in Egypt wanting deliverance from oppression. They were slaves for 430 years but finally they were freed. Delay was not denial!
3. The Jews waiting for Messiah. For over 1500 years the nation waited, and in the fulness of time God sent forth His Son. Delay was not denial!
4. The woman with a 12 year hemorrhage who touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. Delay was not denial!
4. Waiting is difficult, but it can bring us blessing. A grandfather was taking a nature hike with his 6 year old grandson. The child was impatiently running ahead, and came to a creek. Afraid that he was going to fall in, the grandfather shouted, "Wait for me and I'll get you across!" The child reluctantly obeyed, and when the grandfather got there, he lifted the child upon his shoulders, and waded across the creek. The grandchild said, "Boy, Grandpa, If I hadn't waited, I would never have got across!" How true of us. Let us wait on God! In His time and in His way, He'll get us across any obstacle that gets in our way. His timing is not our timing; He is never too late or too early; and delay is not denial.

Jesus was four days late but He was right on time. John 11:17-23. Even when He seems late, He will be right on time! So, don't give up hope. Even when it seems hopeless, God is in control. He may not answer until all hope seems to be gone, but believe it: He will answer. Maybe not when you want Him to. Maybe not in the way you want Him to. Maybe you are on hold. But remember, God is always on time and God's ways are always right. God just may be waiting for you to come to the end of you so you will come to the beginning of Him! There have been many times that I have wanted God to hurry up. I have not understood what God was doing in my life. I have been confused about what was happening and I have thought, "Lord, please just explain all of this to me. Please help me understand what it is You are teaching me. Please just make Your will known." Maybe you think the same thoughts. But know this: in your times of impatience, waiting, and yearning, the God who holds the future holds our lives in His hands. God is never in a hurry. But in one area He wants things to happen now: "Now is the day of salvation." Today He wants you to know Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Today He wants you to put your life in His hands. Today He wants you to learn to trust Him. You may do that today as we sing our song: "More Love, More Power" / "Softly And Tenderly" Jesus calls, don't put Him on hold.

Story about Grandpa from SermonCentral.com, Ray Stedman quote from sermon on SermonCentral.com. Corrie Ten Boom From "Preparing For Tribulation"

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