Sermon Central
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When You’re In A Hurry & God Isn’t
Contributed by Vernon L Caruthers on Dec 3, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: This message centers upon the Christian virtue of PATIENCE & learning to WAIT upon GOD & upon practicing this GODLY VIRTUE.
When You Are in a Hurry But GOD Isn’t:
Scripture Reference: James 3: 7-11 December 06, 2009
‘Be patient therefore, brethern, unto the coming of the LORD. Behold the husbandman (farmer) waits for the precious fruit of the earth, & has long patience for it, until he receive the early & latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts, for the coming of the LORD draws nigh. Grudge not one against another, brethern, lest you be condemned; behold the judge stands at the door. Take, my brethern, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the LORD, for an example of suffering affliction & of patience. Behold we count them happy which endure. You have heard of the patience of Job, & have seen the end of the LORD, that the LORD is very pitiful (compassionate) & of tender mercy.’
Introduction:
How many of you have heard the saying “I have MORE TIME than I DO MONEY?”
Or how about this one, “If you have the MONEY then I have the TIME.”
STATEMENTS such as these seem to SUGGEST that we have an ABUNDANCE of TIME.
However, we HONESTLY do not know HOW MUCH TIME we have left.
Have you NOTICED that the OLDER we become the MORE PRECIOUS TIME becomes to us? TIME is an EXPENSIVE COMMODITY.
One of the things that helps DETERMINE the VALUE & the PRICE of a certain COMMODITY is its SCARCITY. The MORE SCARCE it is then the MORE VALUABLE it is.
TIME is VALUABLE because TIME is SCARCE. Can we have TOO MUCH TIME?
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In FLORIDA a BUSINESS MAN bills his DOCTOR for KEEPING him WAITING for an HOUR. To him TIME was MONEY.
In CALIFORNIA a WOMAN HIRES somebody to do her SHOPPING for her out of a CATALOG.
PEOPLE pay other PEOPLE to PICK UP their DRY CLEANING & to DELIVER FOOD to their HOMES.
What PEOPLE used to DO for THEMSELVES they can NOW PAY SOMEONE to DO for them.
WHY DO THEY DO THAT?
It’s NOT to SAVE MONEY. They are often WILLING to PAY MONEY if it SAVES THEM TIME.
& with TIME becoming SO PRECIOUS --- is it ANY WONDER that WAITING has BECOME the MOST HATED & the MOST FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE in LIFE?
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We WAIT in line at the DRIVE THRU.
We WAIT in line at the SUPER MARKET.
We WAIT at the DOCTOR’S OFFICE.
We WAIT in TRAFFIC JAMS.
& while we WAIT we FRET because we are WASTING TIME.
ONE of the MOST FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCES is when we GO OUT to EAT.
Think about it:
We go to a RESTURANT & we WAIT to be SEATED.
Then after we are SEATED we WAIT for SOMEONE to BRING us a MENU.
Then after we are BROUGHT a MENU we WAIT for SOMEONE to come back & TAKE our ORDER.
Then after they take our ORDER we WAIT for SOMEONE to BRING our FOOD.
Then after our FOOD is brought we WAIT for SOMEONE to BRING our BILL.
Then after they bring our BILL we WAIT in line to PAY it.
& they CALL the PERSON who PRESIDES over all of this a WAITER.
We are the WAITER.
WAITING is FRUSTRATING isn’t it? WAITING will either BRING OUT the WORST in us or the BEST in us. It will REVEAL either OUR STRENGTH or OUR WEAKNESS.
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I heard a STORY about a man whose CAR was STALLED on the FREEWAY. No matter WHAT he tried he could not get the CAR to START. The TRAFFIC was PILING UP behind him. For the MOST PART the CROWD was ACTING FAIRLY CIVILIZED. However, there was this ONE MAN in a PICK UP TRUCK who literally LAID on his HORN.
Finally the man having the CAR TROUBLE walked to the man in the PICK UP TRUCK and said,. “SIR, I have having TROUBLE getting my car STARTED. I have tried EVERYTHING. If you would go up there & give it a TRY I’ll stay here in your TRUCK & BLOW your HORN for you.’
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There was a GREAT PREACHER, PHILLIP BROOKS who was KNOWN for his CALMNESS & his POISE. But his very CLOSE FRIENDS knew there was a DIFFERENT SIDE to the PASTOR that some had never seen. Often he SUFFERED MOMENTS of FRUSTRATION & IRRITABILITY. One day a FRIEND saw him PACING the floor like a LION CONFINED to his CAGE. He asked, “Pastor Brooks, “WHAT is WRONG?” He replied; ‘The TROUBLE is I am in HURRY & GOD is NOT.’
How many of us have ever been in HURRY but GOD wasn’t.
I think we have ALL BEEN THERE haven’t we?
This morning I want us to take a LOOK at a SUBJECT that MOST PEOPLE really DON”T WANT to TALK ABOUT because they FEEL like it is ONE of the MOST LACKING of CHARACTERISTICS in their lives.
