Divine Appointments
OPEN: For three weeks now the Lord has been dealing with me. It seems like everywhere I turn I can¡¦t get away from this one area, or subject if you will. I have finally concluded that he not only wants me to listen to him on this subject, but that he also wants me to speak to you about it as well.
TITLE: The subject and the title of my message this morning is ¡§Divine Appointments¡¨.
DEFINITION: Now just so you¡¦re clear as to what I¡¦m talking about, let me explain. Webster¡¦s Dictionary defines ¡§divine¡¨ this way:
Divine ¡V ¡§of or relating to God: proceeding from God¡¨
And it defines ¡§appointment¡¨ like this:
Appointment ¡V ¡§an arrangement for a meeting¡¨
So if you put the two together a ¡§Divine Appointment¡¨ is ¡§a meeting arranged by God¡¨
And that¡¦s what I want to talk to you about this morning:
¡§MEETINGS ARRANGED BY GOD, OR ¡§DIVINE APPOINTMENTS¡¨
TEXT: PLEASE TAKE YOUR BIBLES AND STAND. WE ARE GOING TO READ SEVERAL VERSES OF SCRIPTURE AND THEN I AM GOING TO ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HELP ME TIE THEM ALL TOGETHER, SO HE CAN SPEAK TO YOU AND TO ME THIS MORNING.
(Acts 3:1 NIV) One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. (Acts 3:2 NIV) Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. (Acts 3:3 NIV) When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
(Acts 3:4 NIV) Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" (Acts 3:5 NIV) So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. (Acts 3:6 NIV) Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk."
(Acts 3:7 NIV) Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
(John 4:4 NIV) Now he had to go through Samaria. (John 4:5 NIV) So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. (John 4:6 NIV) Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. (John 4:7 NIV) When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?"
(Mark 6:8 NIV) These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. (Mark 6:9 NIV) Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. (Mark 6:10 NIV) Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. (Mark 6:11 NIV) And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."
SHOW VIDEO: (AFTERWARDS) NOW NOTHING SPECTACULAR RIGHT? JUST SOME PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET RIGHT? BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THIS VIDEO HAD A RED SHIRT, OR JACKET ON? YOU DIDN¡¦T EVEN NOTICE DID YOU? WHY? BECAUSE YOU WEREN¡¦T LOOKING!
I BELIEVE IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT GOD SENDS US DIVINE APPOINTMENTS EVERY DAY AND WE MISS THEM BECAUSE WE AREN¡¦T LOOKING FOR THEM!
FIRST LET¡¦S LOOK AT PETER AND JOHN¡K
ć THIS WAS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT
ć THEY HAD SEEN HIM BEFORE BUT TODAY WAS DIFFERENT
ć THE HAD BEEN BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY GHOST
ć THE MAN GOT THEIR ATTENTION THIS PARTICULAR DAY
ƒá NOTICE WHAT THEY DIDN¡¦T SAY¡K ¡§OH MAN! PETE, YOU GOT A DOLLAR MAN? NO? HOW ¡¥BOUT A QUARTER? NO? ¡§SORRY MAN, WE CAN¡¦T HELP YOU¡¨ ¡§WELL GOTTA GO!¡¨
God sent them a divine appointment and I want you to know that this man¡¦s life was changed forever because of it.
FOLKS WE MUST STOP LOOKING AT WHAT WE DON¡¦T HAVE AND START LOOKING AT WHAT WE DO HAVE. IF YOU KNOW JESUS THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE LOVE FOR PEOPLE¡KAND THAT¡¦S REALLY WHAT THE WHOLE WORLD IS LOOKING FOR!
NOW LOOK AT THE STORY OF JESUS AND THE WOMAN AT THE WELL.
ƒá THE KEY TO THIS PASSAGE IS FOUND IN VERSE 4. IT SAYS JESUS HAD TO GO THROUGH SAMARIA¡K
ƒá IF YOU STUDY THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF THIS TIME AS WELL AS GEOGROPHY YOU WILL KNOW THAT THIS VERSE DOESN¡¦T MAKE SENSE.
ć JESUS WAS A TRAVELING FROM JUDEA ON HIS WAY TO GALILEE
ć THE NORMAL ROUTE FOR ANY JEW WOULD HAVE BEEN THE EASTWARD JOURNEY THROUGH THE JORDAN VALLEY. AVOIDING ANY CONTACT WITH THE SAMARITANS.
ć BUT JESUS HAD A DIVINE APPOINTMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS A LADY THAT GOD LOVED WHO WOULD BE COMING TO THE WELL THAT DAY.
ć HE LOVED HER DESPITE HER SIN
ILLUSTRATION: CHRISTIAN, WHAT I AM TRYING TO TELL YOU TODAY IS THE LORD WANTS TO USE YOU!
HE IS SETTING DIVINE APPOINTMENTS FOR YOU ON A DAILY BASIS, BUT THE QUESTION IS ARE YOU KEEPING THOSE APPOINTMENTS?
AND FINALLY, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MARK 6:8.
ć JESUS WAS SENDING THE TWELVE DISCIPLES OUT
ƒá NOTICE THIS, HE TELLS THEM TAKE NO CLOTHES, NO FOOD, NO SUIT CASE, NO MONEY. I MEAN WE KNOW THAT THE FIRST DISCIPLES WERE ALL MEN BECAUSE JESUS SAID ¡§DON¡¦T EVEN TAKE AN EXTRA PAIR OF SHOES FOR THE TRIP¡¨
ć THERE ARE SOME PRINCIPLES HERE THAT THE LORD IS TRYING TO TEACH US:
1. ¡V HE IS SETTING APPOINTMENTS FOR US ALMOST EVERY DAY
2. ¡V THE LOVE OF CHRIST IS THE MEDICINE THAT HEALS THE HURTING AND WOUNDED
3. -HE WANTS US TO TRUST IN HIM
ILLUSTRATION: NOW I WANT YOU TO VIEW THIS VIDEO WITH ME AGAIN. IMAGINE THAT EVERY PERSON WITH A RED SHIRT ON IS A PERSON THE LORD HAS SET A ¡§DIVINE APPOINTMENT¡¨ FOR YOU TO KEEP.
