Trusting God's Perfect Timing in Our Lives

### Summary

In this third week of our series "More Than a Song," we delve into the theology behind the worship song "On Time God" by Woman Evolve Worship, Abby Gamboa, and Chandler Moore. This song serves as a powerful reminder that God always shows up at the perfect time, even when it feels like He is cutting it close. My wife and I have been clinging to this song during a particularly challenging season, finding solace in its message that God loves the impossible and is never too late.

The song's verses reflect personal testimonies of God's faithfulness. The first verse speaks to moments when we felt too far gone, yet God showed up. The second verse highlights how, in hindsight, we can see God's hand at work even in our darkest times. The third verse acknowledges that storms will always come because we live in a broken world, but it is precisely in these storms that we need to remember God's faithfulness.

We live in the "in-between"—between the perfection of Eden and the future perfection promised in Revelation. This in-between is fraught with challenges, but it is also where we most need to rely on God. Even when it feels like the devil has won, God shows up and changes the narrative. This truth is confirmed by the testimonies of Scripture, the songwriters, and many of us here today.

However, there is often a disconnect between what we know to be true and what we feel in our experiences. In these moments, we must remember three key lessons: God is the on-time God, not the on-my-time God; He often wants to do something in us before He does something for us; and His timing is a demonstration of His love. The story of Lazarus in John 11 exemplifies these lessons, showing that God's delays are often for our good and His glory.

In the "not yet" space, we are called to keep watching, waiting, hoping, and praying. Watching means standing guard against doubt and discouragement. Waiting should be done patiently and courageously. Hoping involves placing our trust and confidence in God. Praying aligns us with God's will and prepares us to receive from Him.

As we close, let's remember that God is holding tomorrow in His hands. Our stories are not finished yet, and even when we haven't seen Him show up, we know He will because He is the on-time God.

### Key Takeaways

1. **God is the On-Time God, Not the On-My-Time God**: We often wish we could schedule our miracles, but God's timing is perfect because He is God and we are not. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, including the timing of His actions. Trusting in His timing requires us to relinquish control and have faith in His greater wisdom. [41:15]

2. **God Wants to Do Something in Us Before He Does Something for Us**: The waiting period is not wasted time; it is a time of growth and preparation. God uses these moments to develop our character, strengthen our faith, and mature us spiritually. Sometimes, the very thing we are waiting for is not what we need, and the waiting helps us realize that. [42:19]

3. **God's Timing is a Demonstration of His Love**: Sometimes, God's delays are a manifestation of His love for us. The story of Lazarus in John 11 shows that Jesus waited to go to Lazarus because He loved him and wanted to give a greater gift—a demonstration that it is never too late for God. This teaches us that God's timing, though often perplexing, is always rooted in His love for us. [45:01]

4. **Keep Watching, Waiting, Hoping, and Praying**: In the "not yet" space, we must stand guard against doubt and discouragement, wait patiently and courageously, place our trust and confidence in God, and align ourselves with His will through prayer. These actions help us stay focused and faithful while we wait for God to show up. [46:33]

5. **Testimonies of God's Faithfulness**: The Bible is filled with stories of God showing up right on time, from Sarah and Abraham to Paul and Silas. These testimonies, along with our personal experiences, serve as powerful reminders that God is always faithful. Even when we haven't seen Him show up yet, we can trust that He will because He has never failed to be the on-time God. [57:22]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[30:02] - Introduction to "On Time God"
[31:05] - Personal Testimony and Need for the Song
[32:42] - Lyrics Breakdown: Chorus
[33:17] - God's Track Record of Miracles
[33:54] - Verse 1: Testimony of God's Faithfulness
[34:23] - Verse 2: Hindsight and God's Faithfulness
[35:11] - Verse 3: Living in the In-Between
[36:35] - The Devil's Defeat and God's Victory
[38:01] - The Elephant in the Room: Feeling Like God is Late
[40:45] - Lesson 1: On-Time God, Not On-My-Time God
[42:19] - Lesson 2: God Works in Us Before He Works for Us
[43:20] - Lesson 3: God's Timing as a Demonstration of Love
[46:33] - Keep Watching, Waiting, Hoping, and Praying
[57:22] - Testimonies of God's Faithfulness
[01:05:08] - Declaration of Faith and Worship

### Bible Reading

1. **Romans 8:28** - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
2. **John 11:1-6** - "Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.' But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.' Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was."
3. **Isaiah 40:31** - "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

### Observation Questions

1. According to Romans 8:28, what does God work for in all things, and for whom does He work this good?
2. In John 11:1-6, why did Jesus delay going to Lazarus even though He loved him? [45:01]
3. What promise is given to those who hope in the Lord in Isaiah 40:31?

### Interpretation Questions

1. How does Romans 8:28 help us understand the concept of God's perfect timing, even when it doesn't align with our own? [41:15]
2. What can we learn from Jesus' delay in going to Lazarus about how God's timing can be a demonstration of His love? [45:01]
3. How does the promise in Isaiah 40:31 encourage us to keep hoping and trusting in God during difficult times? [53:33]

### Application Questions

1. Reflect on a time when you felt God was late in answering your prayers. How did you handle the waiting period, and what did you learn from it? [38:27]
2. The sermon mentioned that God often wants to do something in us before He does something for us. Can you identify a situation in your life where this was true? How did the waiting period help you grow? [42:19]
3. How can you practically "keep watching, waiting, hoping, and praying" in your current season of life? What specific steps can you take to guard against doubt and discouragement? [46:33]
4. The story of Lazarus shows that God's delays are often for our good and His glory. How can you remind yourself of this truth when you are in a season of waiting? [45:01]
5. Think of a personal testimony of God's faithfulness in your life. How can sharing this testimony with others encourage them to trust in God's perfect timing? [57:22]
6. How can you cultivate a habit of placing your trust and confidence in God daily, especially when facing challenges? What specific actions can you take to renew your strength in the Lord? [53:33]
7. The sermon emphasized the importance of prayer in aligning ourselves with God's will. How can you make prayer a more consistent and intentional part of your daily routine? [54:23]

Day 1: Trusting God's Perfect Timing
God is the On-Time God, Not the On-My-Time God

God's timing is often different from our own, and this can be challenging to accept. We may wish we could schedule our miracles and answers to prayers, but God's timing is perfect because He is God and we are not. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, including the timing of His actions. Trusting in His timing requires us to relinquish control and have faith in His greater wisdom. This means acknowledging that our understanding is limited and that God's perspective is infinitely greater. When we trust in His timing, we are also trusting in His character and His promises. [41:15]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are waiting for God to act. How can you practice trusting His timing today, even if it means letting go of your own expectations?


Day 2: Growth in the Waiting
God Wants to Do Something in Us Before He Does Something for Us

The waiting period is not wasted time; it is a time of growth and preparation. God uses these moments to develop our character, strengthen our faith, and mature us spiritually. Sometimes, the very thing we are waiting for is not what we need, and the waiting helps us realize that. During these times, God is often working on our hearts, teaching us patience, humility, and dependence on Him. It is in the waiting that we learn to trust God more deeply and to rely on His strength rather than our own. This process of inner transformation is crucial for our spiritual growth and prepares us for the blessings and responsibilities that God has in store for us. [42:19]

James 1:2-4 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you feel you are in a period of waiting. How can you see this time as an opportunity for growth and preparation rather than just a delay?


Day 3: Love in the Delay
God's Timing is a Demonstration of His Love

Sometimes, God's delays are a manifestation of His love for us. The story of Lazarus in John 11 shows that Jesus waited to go to Lazarus because He loved him and wanted to give a greater gift—a demonstration that it is never too late for God. This teaches us that God's timing, though often perplexing, is always rooted in His love for us. When we experience delays, it is important to remember that God sees the bigger picture and knows what is best for us. His timing is not just about when things happen, but also about how they happen in a way that ultimately brings us closer to Him and reveals His glory. [45:01]

2 Peter 3:9 (ESV): "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt God was delaying an answer to your prayer. How can you see His love and greater purpose in that delay now?


Day 4: Active Waiting
Keep Watching, Waiting, Hoping, and Praying

In the "not yet" space, we must stand guard against doubt and discouragement, wait patiently and courageously, place our trust and confidence in God, and align ourselves with His will through prayer. These actions help us stay focused and faithful while we wait for God to show up. Watching means being vigilant and guarding our hearts against negativity. Waiting involves patience and courage, trusting that God is at work even when we cannot see it. Hoping is about placing our confidence in God's promises, and praying aligns our hearts with His will, preparing us to receive His blessings. [46:33]

Psalm 27:14 (ESV): "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

Reflection: What practical steps can you take today to actively watch, wait, hope, and pray in a situation where you are seeking God's intervention?


Day 5: Remembering God's Faithfulness
Testimonies of God's Faithfulness

The Bible is filled with stories of God showing up right on time, from Sarah and Abraham to Paul and Silas. These testimonies, along with our personal experiences, serve as powerful reminders that God is always faithful. Even when we haven't seen Him show up yet, we can trust that He will because He has never failed to be the on-time God. Reflecting on these stories and our own experiences helps to build our faith and encourages us to trust in God's faithfulness. It is important to remember and recount these testimonies, as they serve as evidence of God's unchanging nature and His commitment to His promises. [57:22]

Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV): "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

Reflection: Take a moment to write down a testimony of God's faithfulness in your life. How can this testimony encourage you and others to trust in God's timing and faithfulness?

There we go. Hey, so here we go. We are in week number three of this series, More Than a Song.

And this whole series has been a little bit of fun where we get to just kind of dig a little bit deeper into the theology of some of the songs that we sing during worship.

Because remember, worship is not a concert; it's actually a sermon set to music.

And so the song that we're going to be digging into today is "On Time God." We sang it right there at the end of worship, or at least a little teaser of it.

And it was written by Woman Evolve Worship, Abby Gamboa, and Chandler Moore. And if you're looking for this one on Spotify, there's no album; it was released as a single last year.

And if you're like me and you have no idea what Woman Evolve is, this is actually an organization started by Sarah Jakes Roberts. That's T.D. Jakes' daughter, and she's actually one of the writers of the song.

She said in an interview about it that if I could write down what I've learned from my encounters with God and put it into lyrics, this would be the song my heart sings.

I still can't get over how God extracted the shame from my story and replaced it with His glory. That sounds like T.D. Jakes right there, doesn't it?

If I could put my relationship with God into words, this is what it would sound like. And I've got a feeling that by the end of today, you could have probably said that as well—that this is the song that best describes your journey with God.

And so today we're looking at "On Time God" because it's more than a song; it's the reminder I need. And yes, I said I need, because if I'm being honest today, I chose this song for today's message for very selfish reasons. I need it, and I'm sure you need it too.

But it's the reminder that I need in this season because this is a song that my wife and I have had on repeat on our playlist for a while now.

Because it's been rough in this season, and my theology—I recognize—I understand that the devil is not omnipresent, and I don't think I'm special enough to warrant his undivided attention.

But like, at the same time, it really feels like he's got a grudge against Sol and I in this season. And we're looking around going, "Can you just mess with somebody else for a minute or two? Like just give me some space."

Anybody else feel like that? Like it's like, man, these attacks—it's just enough is enough. It's rough in these streets.

But so every day we've been saying, "God, I don't know what's taking so long. I know you're the On Time God, but I could really use you like right now. If now could be On Time, that would be great."

And so Sol and I, we've been singing this. It really has a reminder that even when we feel like God is cutting it really close, the chorus still remains true.

And so we've been singing it over and over again. The chorus says, "On Time God, you love the impossible. On Time God, you love doing miracles. You're never too late. You never give up. Nothing's too far gone for the On Time God."

And I don't know about you, but I need that reminder because whenever He shows up, guess what? It was the perfect time for Him to show up.

Because He can do the impossible, which means for God, there's no such thing as being late. Because He can do miracles right when He shows up.

Miracles happen, giants fall, walls crumble, the sun stands still, armies flee, the blind eyes are opened, the dead are raised back to life.

Like God has an incredible track record. As Katie was saying, that He is the On Time God.

And I don't have a Bible verse telling me He's the On Time God; I have 66 books called the B-I-B-L-E that tell me He is the On Time God.

It is a truth that is confirmed by testimony—the testimony of scripture, but also the testimony of the people that wrote this song.

In fact, they put their testimony in the three verses of the song. We're going to look at all three of them.

Verse one says, "When I looked back, I didn't think that I would make it. I was sinking, and the shame came like a wave. I just knew that I was too far gone. Then you showed up."

Anybody else got that testimony? Or if you take the time to actually look back, it's like, wow, over and over again, God showed up.

The second verse says, "I see it all now. How your hand was always working. Even in doubt, you were faithful, never failing. Even when I thought the darkness won, you showed up."

And that's my testimony in so many places in my life. When I look back on the moments when I had the most doubt, God was faithful.

And what do they say? Hindsight is 20/20, right? And in those moments, I was like, "God, where are you?" And now looking back, I'm like, "Oh, that's where you were."

Right? Because literally in the greatest disappointment and discouragement of my life, I can look back on that moment today and say, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you."

Because I see what you were doing in it and through it—what you were doing in me and for me. I am grateful for what I once thought was a disappointment because of the faithfulness of God.

The third verse says, "Now that we're here, you know, on the other side of all this, I give you glory and the praise for all of the years your loving kindness kept me safe."

And then it continues, "I know that the storms will always come."

But why is that? Why is it that the storms are always coming?

So if I can just give you a little theology real quick, it's because we live in what's known as the in-between.

We live between the first two chapters of Genesis and the last two chapters of Revelation. Because in the opening chapters of Genesis, it's perfect creation—the Garden of Eden. Life is beautiful. God says, "It is good."

And in the last two chapters of Revelation, that's where Jesus returns, raises the dead, wipes away every tear from our eyes. There's no more sickness or death or sadness or anything else.

So it's good. It's introduced because of sin. All of it is wiped away, and it's perfect.

So it was perfect in the beginning; it's going to be perfect in the end. But right now, we live in between.

And so because of sin, the world is broken. And because the world is broken, storms will always come.

And it's actually in the storms that we need to be singing the song because it's during the storm that you need the reminder that God shows up.

When life is great, you don't really need God to show up so much. It's in the storms you need Him.

And so we live in this in-between. And then I love this next line: "Oh, but even when the devil thought he won, that's when you show up."

Anybody got that testimony? Or you can look back on your life, and there's some moments where you're like, "I know the devil was gloating because he thought he beat me."

And then God was like, "What's up?" Right? And it just changed the story. It changed the narrative.

And even if you don't think you have that testimony, every single one of us does. Because 2,000 years ago, Jesus died on the cross. The devil thought he won. He was taking his victory lap, not even realizing it was all part of God's plan.

And I know I'm kind of weird sometimes, but like I wish I could see the look on the devil's face when Jesus walked out of the tomb.

Like that's gotta be priceless. Like that would just give me so much joy to be able to see the look on his face because He's the On Time God.

And as I said before, that is a truth that is confirmed by testimony—the testimony of scripture, the testimony of the song, my own testimony, the testimony of a lot of people in this room.

In fact, if you're here today and you don't have a personal testimony of the On Time God, can we just encourage you today that our testimony can be your testimony too?

In fact, if you're here, you're online, and you've experienced the On Time God, can you clap your hands, make some noise, shout something out?

And here's what I love about God: If He did it for us, He'll do it for you. And He is the On Time God, and we can be encouraged by that.

But today, today, today we have to address the elephant in the room. And there's an elephant in the room, and he's quite large.

Because we can celebrate the truth that God always shows up on time, and we can shout at the devil, "Look at my testimony!"

And we can sing "On Time God" till we run out of breath. But sometimes, no matter how we know it, how well we know it, it can feel like He's late.

There's a disconnect sometimes between what we know to be true and what we feel like we're experiencing.

Like, "God, it's kind of past time for the On Time God. Like if you could show up like right now, that would be great because I've been waiting for this miracle for a minute."

And I've been needing you to show up, and sometimes it can feel like maybe God forgot to charge His watch.

Because I know He's always on time, but it really feels like He's running late. And I've been waiting on my healing, but I'm still sick.

And I've been praying for my kids, but they're still not with you. And I've been waiting for God to show up in this situation, and yet the situation keeps getting worse instead of better.

And I'm trusting you, but the longer I wait, the harder it's getting to really trust.

Anybody ever been there before? Anybody feel like that's where you are right now today?

Where I am, I'm in a place where what I know and what I feel don't match.

And so the question for us is, what do we do? What do we do when there's a disconnect between what we know to be true and what we feel in our experiences?

It's kind of like when the man came to Jesus and said, "I believe; help my unbelief." He's saying, "I know it doesn't feel, I need some help."

And honestly, that's where Sol and I have been for several months now. And so we put this song on repeat really just to build our faith.

Because we've been looking at you, and we're looking at each other going, "I know God can do it, but it's getting harder and harder because can He though?"

And even though we have testimony after testimony after testimony of God showing up right on time, we're looking at each other going, "I know He's done it before, and I know He can do it again, but the longer we wait, the harder it gets to believe He'll do it this time."

And so in this space that I'm in, there are three lessons that I've been teaching myself and slowly learning, and I want to pass them on to you.

The first is that He's the On-Time God, not the On-My-Time God. And I really wish He was the On-My-Time God because how many of you would like to schedule your miracles?

Like just be like, "You know what? Sunday at, you know, 11:42 would be a great time for God to do that thing I need Him to do."

But He's in charge of the timetable, not us. You know why? Because He's God, and we're not. And He's good at being God, and He's a good God.

So let Him cook. Like if I could just recognize that He knows a whole lot more than I do, can I just trust Him to be God and not try and take it on myself?

In fact, that's what Romans 8:28 tells me. It says, "We know that in all things God works for the what? For the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

And I'm convinced that this good that He's working includes the good of those who love Him, includes the time He takes to work it.

And God's timing is not my timing, but it is perfect timing. And the waiting is for my good.

Because the second thing that I'm learning is that God wants to do something in us before He does something for us.

And the waiting is actually doing something in me. It's developing me. It's strengthening me. It's creating a discipline in me. It's creating a patience in me. It's growing faith in me.

And sometimes I've learned that the thing that I want the most, I'm not ready for. And so the waiting is preparing me for it.

I've also recognized that sometimes the thing I want most is not what's best for me, and the waiting is maturing me so that I can get to a place where I go, "Oh, oops, sorry God, I don't even need that anymore."

There's a maturing process. And so He's the On-Time God, not the On-My-Time God. He does things in us before He does things for us.

And then the third lesson I'm learning is that God's timing is not what I want. Timing is a demonstration of His love.

And this is a hard one to wrap around because He loves us. Sometimes He makes us wait.

And we try and push back on that idea a little bit, but there's an amazing example of it in the Bible around this man named Lazarus.

John 11 says, "Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill."

And it says, "So the sister sent to Him saying, 'Lord, he whom you love is ill.'"

Why do they say it like that? Because all of us have this kind of expectation that if God cares about it, He'll do something about it.

And if He's not doing something about it, it's because He doesn't care about it. So we just gotta make Him care about it, then He'll do something.

So they're reminding Him, "Hey, you care about this." He says, "But when Jesus heard it, He said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'"

And so one of the other bonus lessons that I'm learning this season is that the waiting is for my good and for His glory.

And then it continues, and this is a hard part of the verse. It says, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He got up immediately and went and healed him."

But if you love somebody that's sick and you have the power to do something about it, this verse doesn't make sense.

So when He heard that Lazarus was ill, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

What we have to understand about the structure of this paragraph is that the "so" is based off of the feeling and it leads to the action.

Because He loved him, He stayed right where He was. Why would Jesus wait two days if He really loved him?

And here's what's crazy to me: I was researching this, and I was told that it was actually a two-day journey from where He was to where Lazarus was.

So it was actually four days by the time Jesus actually showed up. And yet He was right on time because He gave Martha and Mary and Lazarus and all the disciples that were there and all of us that read this story an incredible gift—that it's never too late for a God who can raise the dead.

That's the lesson we take from it—that death is not the end of the story; life is.

And so He gives this gift to Lazarus to prove to all of us that whatever problem we're facing, it is nothing compared to the On-Time God.

And here's the thing: Jesus could have healed Lazarus four days earlier. He could have just said a word, and Lazarus had been healed. He had done it before.

But He loved him too much to do something so small. The On-Time God is a truth that is confirmed by testimony, and it should lead us to something.

But the problem is, what do we do when the On-Time God hasn't shown up yet?

Like I know He's the On-Time God because the Bible recorded it; my own life has confirmed it. But what do we do in the in-between space?

In the space between needing God to show up and when God actually shows up, what do we do in the not yet?

We're going to go back to the song. The refrain says, "Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying."

And it repeats itself over and over: "Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying."

What are we doing? We're going to keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

We're in that in-between season. Just keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

These are the four things that we have to do in that yet space. Let me break them down.

First, keep watching, which means to stand guard against doubt and discouragement. Because between needing God and seeing God, we can easily become discouraged in the in-between space.

Discouragement and doubt try to sneak into our thoughts. "God hasn't shown up yet, but will He ever?"

And so we have to stand guard. In fact, 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men." I love that. Be strong.

What's interesting, this word "watchful," it actually has a very rich definition. It means to have the alertness of a guard at night.

And you kind of miss all that when you just read the word "watchful." But it's the alertness of a guard at night.

How many of you know that a night watchman has to be a little bit more vigilant than a daytime guard? Right? Because in the daytime, you can see clearly. You can see a danger from a mile away; it's real easy.

But for the night guard, you have to pay even closer attention. You have to be more alert.

And so what this is telling us is that in this in-between space, when we're waiting on God, we need to be watching like a night guard who is taking every thought captive, not allowing those doubts to creep in.

Because when the doubts begin to creep in and when our expectations turn into disappointments, don't leave the wall undefended.

We need to set up a guard in our minds in that moment to take every thought captive and turn quickly to praise, as Pastor Sol talked about last week, where we can say, "I don't see it yet, but I'm praising God until I do."

And so we take every thought captive; we set a guard there. So when the negative thoughts come in, we can just kick them out.

Okay? And so I'm watching out for negative thinking, but we're also being watchful for the move of God, that we have an expectation that He's gonna move.

So we're looking for it.

Okay, the second thing that we do after watching is we keep waiting patiently and courageously.

How many of you love to wait? I'm so glad nobody raised their hand because I would've been like praying for you, right?

We would've stopped service and just had an intercession for you because that's not normal, right? Like none of us like waiting. Waiting is not fun.

And so how do we usually wait? Very impatiently, right? We're tapping our foot, we're looking at our watch every two seconds, our blood pressure's rising the more we're waiting, right?

We wait nervously because we're like, "Man, is this line ever gonna move?" And we get nervous, and we wonder, "Did Amazon lose my package again?"

And we're getting nervous. We're like, "Is God ever gonna show up in this situation?"

And so while we're waiting, we complain, we question everything, we get frustrated. We just—we wait miserably.

And you know why? Because waiting is where faith becomes necessary. You don't need faith if you're not waiting for something.

But when you're in a place where you have to wait, that's where you need faith. And your faith is actually built in those moments.

Faith isn't built when life is great; faith is built when life has fallen apart.

And so we're waiting on God patiently and courageously.

And so this might sound a little bit weird, but you can appreciate that about me already, right? I'm weird.

And so I'm like, I've determined that when it comes to waiting on God, I'm gonna make it like the most awkward "after you" moment ever.

And so you know what I mean by that? So like when you and a friend walk up to a door at the same time, and you're like, "After you," and they're like, "No, no, no, I insist. After you."

And you're like, "No, no, no, please, you first." And then you both just stand there awkwardly staring at the empty door.

Yeah, I'm gonna make it like that with God, and I'm going to just stand there until He moves first.

Because I'm determined in this season of my life, I am not going to force the situation. I'm not gonna try and take this under my own.

Because I'm a do-it kind of guy, but I'm recognizing this season I need to stop doing and start waiting.

And I'm gonna wait on God to make the first move, and I'm gonna wait as long as it takes.

Because I've seen enough in scripture where people try to force God, and it didn't turn out good for them, so I'm not gonna do it.

In fact, Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord."

And so I'm not gonna be discouraged in the waiting; I'm actually gonna take courage in my waiting because I know that my faith is growing in that.

Because I know that if I'm waiting for God to move, it's because He loves me too much to move right now.

If I'm waiting for God to move, it's because He's actually doing something in me first.

And so I'm gonna embrace the wait. I'm gonna take courage in the fact that my waiting is for my good and for His glory.

So I'm gonna wait patiently and courageously.

And then I'm gonna keep hoping. Hope is when we place our trust and confidence in God.

And it's kind of weird today; hope and wish are kind of synonymous. But biblical hope is not like that at all.

So like, if I were to say, "I hope the Bears win tonight," that is not the same as "I hope in Jesus." You recognize that?

Okay, so here's the biblical definition of hope: It is the sure and confident expectation of receiving what God has promised us in the future.

And so when I'm waiting, I have a sure—like I know He's gonna show up because He's always shown up.

But I'm not just sure He's gonna show up; I have confidence that He's gonna show up.

This is an amazing word from the Latin: "Confide"—with faith.

So I am full of faith knowing that God is gonna do the thing He said He was gonna do.

I'm waiting with expectation because I'm not doubting or worrying or guessing if He's gonna do it. No, I'm expecting Him to move so that I will receive what He has promised me.

And so a few years ago, I had Joshua 1:9 engraved in Hebrew on my wedding band as a promise that I'm holding on to.

Joshua 1:9 says, "Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

And that's a promise that I hold on to in every situation.

What's the promise that you're holding on to? What are you putting your hope in in this season?

Isaiah 40:31 says, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint."

And so I'm determined that every morning I'm putting my hope in Jesus.

That the harder it gets in the waiting, the more I'm just waking up every day saying, "Jesus, my hope is in You."

I am declaring with faith, with a confidence, with an expectation that, "God, You are going to do what You promised to do, and I'm waiting on You."

And as I'm waiting, the longer I wait, it's okay because I'm not getting weary in the waiting.

I'm not getting faint in the waiting because my strength is being renewed because my waiting is on the Lord.

So don't give up. Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping.

And finally, keep praying because praying is what you need to do in your life where we align ourselves with God in preparation to receive from God.

And praying in this season is absolutely the most important thing you can do because worrying doesn't change anything, but praying can change everything.

And so we keep on praying. In fact, Romans 12:12 says, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

And so I'm going to be constant in prayer. I'm not going to stop praying just because I haven't seen God show up yet.

But even in the not yet, I'm going to keep praying.

And we haven't talked about this in a little while, but remember there's three reasons why we pray.

We pray, first of all, to connect to God—that the creator of the universe wants to be in relationship with you and me.

And prayer is how we communicate in that relationship.

And we pray to align with God. Sometimes this is a hard one for us to get because there have been times in my own life when I'm crying out for something, I'm praying for something that God doesn't even want me to have.

And I have to recognize in that moment that when Jesus prayed, "Not my will but Your will be done," that was a model for all of us to follow.

And so when we pray, we're aligning ourselves with the will of God. We're not trying to get God to align with our will.

And then finally, we pray so that we can receive from God. James said, "You have not because you ask not."

And so we're going to keep praying, "God's will be done."

And when it comes to God's will, if it is God's will, I'm just waiting on His timing.

And if it's not God's will, then He's waiting for me to come to my senses.

Either way, prayer is the solution to the problem, so I'm going to keep praying.

So when what you know to be true and what you feel in your experiences are not connecting, what do you do?

Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

That's what we do in this in-between space.

Now, as we begin to close this service, in a moment we're going to sing this song together as a declaration of faith.

But I just want to give you some more hope in what this is all about before we do that.

And so we're going to go back to the bridge. The bridge says, "My hope is knowing my God is holding tomorrow in His hands. My life, your story, you're not finished with me yet."

And so God is holding tomorrow in His hands.

And what we're told to do is just trust in His goodness, to just trust in His timing because He's holding it.

As long as you're breathing, the story's not over yet.

And even when you haven't seen Him show up yet, we know He will because He's never failed to be the On-Time God.

In fact, when you open up your Bible, you can go through it, and you can see time and time and time again where God showed up on time.

Sarah, Abraham's wife, was barren for 90 years, and then God showed up; she had a baby boy.

Moses and the people of Israel, they're running from Pharaoh and his army, and they get trapped between the army and the Red Sea, and God showed up.

The seas parted, and they're saved.

Three Hebrew boys, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, they're thrown into a furnace seven times hotter than normal. What happens? God shows up.

They walk out unbound and unburned.

In that moment, there's a widow and her son; they're starving to death. In fact, they've got enough food for one final meal.

And what happens? God shows up. The oil and the flour never run out, and they're saved.

There's a woman in the New Testament; she's got an issue of blood. She's been bleeding for 12 years—no hope. Nobody else can solve the problem.

God shows up; she's healed immediately.

Lazarus is sick and dying, and then he's dead and buried, and it looks like it's too late. And God shows up; Lazarus walks out of the tomb.

There's this paralyzed man who's been laying there for 38 years—no hope left. What happens? God shows up, picks up his mat, and walks healed.

Paul and Silas are imprisoned for the gospel, and they're saved, awaiting their execution. God shows up; prison doors open, and they walk out.

Over and over and over again in scripture, we see God showing up right on time.

And if the Bible doesn't give you faith, let my story give you faith.

Because it's not just what we read about; it's what I've lived.

My mother was pregnant with me, and her blood pressure was so high that the doctor said either she's going to go or I'm going to go.

She got the whole church together and started praying. God showed up; I was okay. I was born healthy and happy.

It was 2005; it was the lowest point of my life. I was crying on a bathroom floor, feeling like God had disappointed me.

But more than disappointed me, that He had lied to me, He had abandoned me, that He had made me excited about something and then ripped the rug out from under me.

That what He had promised me wasn't coming true.

And I was laying on that bathroom floor in tears, angry at God, and He showed up.

He fulfilled that promise to me in a way that I hadn't been expecting—completely took me off guard.

But it led me to meeting my wife; it led me to standing on this stage as your pastor because it was the On-Time God.

There was a process that my wife and I had to walk through. If you know our story, the immigration process.

And every step of the way, people were telling us, "It never works this way. It never is this easy. It's never this fast. They never allow this. They are completely going to reject. You're going to have to start all over because of this issue."

And you know what happened? Over and over and over and over again, in that same process, God just kept showing up.

To the point where people that do this for a living looked at us and said, "I have never seen this before."

Because God showed up.

I can't even tell you how many times we got a bill that said too much, and our bank account said not enough.

You know what happened? Over and over and over and over again, God showed up in those moments, and every need of ours was provided for—every single one of them.

My wife went into labor prematurely, so we rushed to the hospital, worrying and praying and stressing out.

And we get there, and you know what happened? God showed up. Kelsey was born—no complications.

Just a few weeks after that, my three-year-old son fell out of the second-story window of our home, landing on a cement slab in our backyard.

We rushed him to the hospital, crying and praying and worrying. And we get to the hospital, and you know what happened? God showed up.

God showed up so incredibly that the doctors had to come back to us five different times to get our story straight because they said it's impossible for him to have no issue, no damage whatsoever if what the story you just told us is true.

My mother-in-law, she was diagnosed with lupus. The doctor told her she had, at best, three months to live.

My wife was pregnant with our first child at the time, and my mother-in-law cried and prayed, and she said, "God, I just want to meet my grandson."

And you know what happened? God showed up and met Jaden.

And showed up, and she met Bennett.

And God showed up, and she met Kelsey.

God showed up, and showed up, and showed up, and she met, get this, all seven of her grandchildren in the eleven years we had with her.

From three months at best to eleven years.

Don't tell me God doesn't show up because He does.

And here's where I'm standing today: I know that over the last few months, my wife and I, we've been facing some things that are testimonies being written.

And even though right now I can't add them to the list yet, I know that one day I'm going to stand on this stage and tell you what God did because He is the On-Time God.

So my only question for you is, what about you? What's your story? What's your story going to be?

Because right now, I know it can feel like He's not showing up. And I know that right now it doesn't look good.

But can I remind you that it's not over yet? That God loves the impossible. He loves doing miracles. He's never too late.

And so if it's not looking good right now, it's just because God isn't done yet.

So keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping, keep praying.

He is the On-Time God.

And so I'm going to invite you to stand to your feet. We're going to sing this song as a declaration of faith that we are putting our hope, our trust in the On-Time God.

So Father, right now, we just say thank you. Thank you that you always show up, and the moment you arrive, it is the perfect time.

And so Father, we celebrate what you have already done in scripture. We celebrate what you've done, what you've already done in our lives over the years that we can look back and say, "That's where God was."

But God, right now, for every single person in the room or watching this message that is saying, "God, I know you've done it before, and I know you can do it again, but the longer I'm waiting, the harder it's getting."

For every single one of us in that place, we need you to show up.

And in this moment, we just ask that you would give us some faith, that you would encourage us, that you would just stir something up in our spirits where we could say, "You know what? I know He hasn't shown up yet, but I also know that He will, that He's the On-Time God."

So Father, I pray that you would build our faith in this season. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Let's worship together.

1. "And so Sol and I We've been singing this It really has a reminder That even when we feel Like God is cutting it really close The chorus still remains true And so we've been singing it Over and over again The chorus says On Time God You love the impossible On Time God You love doing miracles You're never too late You never give up Nothing's too far gone For the On Time God And I don't know about you But I need that reminder Because whenever he shows up Guess what It was the perfect time For him to show up." [32:42] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "Because he can do The impossible Which means for God There's no such thing As being late Because he can do miracles Right When he shows up Miracles happen Giants fall Walls crumble The sun stands still Armies flee The blind eyes are open The dead are raised back to life Like God has An incredible track record As Katie was saying That he is The On Time God And I don't have A Bible verse Telling me He's the On Time God I have 66 books Called the B-I-B-L-E That tell me He is the On Time God." [33:02] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "And in those moments I was like God where are you And now looking back I'm like Oh that's where you were Right Because literally In the greatest Disappointment And discouragement Of my life I can look back On that moment today And say thank you Jesus Thank you Because I see What you were doing In it And through it What you were doing In me And for me I am grateful For what I once thought Was a disappointment Because of the Faithfulness Of God." [34:38] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "So it was perfect In the beginning It's going to be perfect In the end But right now We live in between And so because of sin The world is broken And because the world Is broken Storms will always come And it's actually In the storms That we need to be Singing the song Because it's during the storm That you need the reminder That God shows up When life is great You don't really need God to show up so much It's in the storms You need him." [36:01] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "And even if you don't think You have that testimony Every single one of us do Because 2,000 years ago Jesus died on the cross The devil thought he won He was taking his victory lap Not even realizing It was all part of God's plan And I know I'm kind of weird sometimes But like I wish I could see The look on the devil's face When Jesus walked out of the tomb Like that's gotta be priceless Like that would just give me So much joy To be able to see The look on his face Because he's the on time God." [36:49] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




6. "And so the question for us is What do we do? What do we do when there's a disconnect Between what we know to be true And what we feel in our experiences? It's kind of like when the man came to Jesus And said, I believe Help my unbelief He's saying, I know it doesn't feel need some help And honestly, that's where Sol and I We've been for several months now And so we put this song on repeat Really just to build our faith Because we've been looking at you And we're looking at each other going I know God can do it But it's getting harder and harder Because can he though?" [39:47] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




7. "The first is that he's the on-time God Not the on-my-time God And I really wish he was the on-my-time God Because how many of you would like To schedule your miracles? Like just be like, you know what? Sunday at, you know, 1142 Would be a great time for God To do that thing I need him to do But he's in charge of the timetable Not us You know why? Because he's God And we're not And he's good at being God And he's a good God So let him cook Like if I could just If I could just recognize That he knows a whole lot more than I do Can I just trust him to be God?" [41:15] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




8. "And the waiting is for my good Because the second thing that I'm learning Is that God wants to do something in us Before he does something for us And the waiting is actually It's doing something in me It's developing me It's strengthening me It's creating a discipline in me It's creating a patience in me It's growing faith in me And sometimes I've learned That the thing that I want to do is The thing that I want the most I'm not ready for And so the waiting is preparing me for it I've also recognized that sometimes The thing I want most is not what's best for me And the waiting is maturing me." [42:19] (39 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




9. "And so while we're waiting We complain We question everything We get frustrated We just We wait miserably And You know why? Because waiting is where faith becomes necessary You don't need faith If you're not waiting for something But when you're in a place Where you have to wait That's where you need faith And your faith is actually built In those moments Faith isn't built when life is great Faith is built when life has fallen apart And so we're waiting On God Patiently and courageously." [49:35] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




10. "And so I'm determined that every morning I'm putting my hope in Jesus That the harder it gets in the waiting The more I'm just waking up every day Saying Jesus My hope is in you I am declaring With faith With a confidence With an expectation That God you are going to do What you promised to do And I'm waiting on you And as I'm waiting The longer I wait It's okay Because I'm not getting weary in the waiting I'm not getting faint in the waiting Because my strength is being renewed Because my waiting is on the Lord." [54:02] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)