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 is always on 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 never gives up on us.

The song's verses reflect personal testimonies of God's faithfulness, even when circumstances seemed dire. The first verse speaks to moments when we felt too far gone, only for God to show up and save us. 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 the "in-between"—between the perfection of Eden and the future perfection promised in Revelation. Yet, even in these storms, God shows up, often when the devil thinks he has won.

We explored three key lessons from this song: God is the on-time God, not the on-my-time God; He often does something in us before He does something for us; and His timing is a demonstration of His love. These lessons remind us to trust in God's perfect timing, even when it feels like He is late. We are encouraged to keep watching, waiting, hoping, and praying, especially in the "not yet" moments when we are still waiting for God to show up.

The song's bridge reassures us that God holds tomorrow in His hands and that our story is not finished yet. We are reminded of numerous biblical examples where God showed up right on time, from Sarah and Abraham to Paul and Silas. These stories, along with personal testimonies, affirm that God is always on time. As we sing this song together, let it be a declaration of faith that God will show up in our lives as well.

### 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, even when it doesn't align with our own. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things for our good, including the time He takes to work them out. Trusting in His timing requires us to relinquish control and let God be God. [40:51]

2. **God Does 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. Sometimes, the thing we desire most is not what we need, and the waiting helps us realize that. [42:27]

3. **God's Timing is a Demonstration of His Love**: Sometimes, God's love for us means making us wait. The story of Lazarus in John 11 illustrates that Jesus' delay was an act of love, providing a greater miracle and a stronger testimony. This teaches us that God's delays are purposeful and for our ultimate good and His glory. [42:55]

4. **Keep Watching, Waiting, Hoping, and Praying**: In the "not yet" moments, we are called to remain vigilant, patient, hopeful, and prayerful. Watching means guarding against doubt and discouragement, waiting involves patience and courage, hoping is placing our trust in God's promises, and praying aligns us with God's will. [46:25]

5. **Biblical and Personal Testimonies Affirm God's Timeliness**: The Bible is filled with stories of God showing up right on time, from Sarah and Abraham to Paul and Silas. These stories, along with personal testimonies, serve as powerful reminders that God is always on time. Our faith is strengthened by remembering these testimonies and trusting that God will show up in our lives as well. [57:19]

### YouTube Chapters

[0:00] - Welcome
[30:11] - Introduction to "On Time God"
[30:39] - Background of the Song
[31:11] - Personal Connection to the Song
[32:42] - Lyrics and Their Meaning
[33:06] - God's Perfect Timing
[33:29] - Testimonies in the Song
[34:17] - Hindsight and God's Faithfulness
[35:16] - Living in the In-Between
[36:29] - God's Victory Over the Devil
[37:23] - Encouragement for Personal Testimonies
[38:18] - Addressing the Elephant in the Room
[39:51] - Lessons from Waiting
[42:55] - God's Timing as Love
[46:25] - Keep Watching, Waiting, Hoping, and Praying
[57:19] - Biblical Examples of God's Timeliness
[01:05:18] - Closing Prayer and Worship

### Bible Reading
1. Romans 8:28 (NIV) - "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 11:5-6 (NIV) - "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days."
3. Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) - "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 promise to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose?
2. In John 11:5-6, how did Jesus respond when He heard that Lazarus was sick, and what does this tell us about His timing? [44:19]
3. What does Isaiah 40:31 say will happen to those who hope in the Lord?
4. How does the sermon describe the "in-between" period we live in, and why are storms inevitable during this time? [36:04]

### 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 desires? [41:25]
2. What can we learn from Jesus' delay in going to Lazarus in John 11 about the nature of God's love and His timing? [44:19]
3. How does the promise in Isaiah 40:31 encourage us to remain hopeful and patient during difficult times?
4. The sermon mentions that God often does something in us before He does something for us. How can this perspective change the way we view our waiting periods? [42:27]

### 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? [38:18]
2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of keeping watch against doubt and discouragement. What practical steps can you take to guard your mind against negative thoughts during challenging times? [46:58]
3. How can you cultivate patience and courage while waiting for God to act in a specific area of your life? Share a current situation where you need to apply this. [49:13]
4. The sermon encourages us to keep hoping with a confident expectation. What is one promise from God that you are holding onto right now, and how does it shape your daily actions and attitudes? [52:29]
5. Prayer is highlighted as a crucial practice during the "not yet" moments. How can you improve your prayer life to align more closely with God's will and prepare yourself to receive His blessings? [54:18]
6. The sermon mentions the importance of personal testimonies in affirming God's timeliness. Can you share a testimony from your life where God showed up right on time? How does this testimony strengthen your faith today? [57:19]
7. How can you support someone else who is currently in a waiting period, based on the lessons from this sermon? What specific actions can you take to encourage them? [37:23]

Day 1: Trusting in God's Perfect Timing
God's timing is often different from our own, and this can be challenging to accept. We may wish to schedule our miracles and have our prayers answered according to our own timelines. However, God's timing is always perfect, even when it doesn't align with our expectations. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things for our good, including the time He takes to work them out. Trusting in His timing requires us to relinquish control and let God be God. This means acknowledging that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts. [40:51]

Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you are struggling to trust God's timing. How can you surrender this situation to Him today and trust that His timing is perfect?


Day 2: Growth in the Waiting
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. Sometimes, the thing we desire most is not what we need, and the waiting helps us realize that. During these times, God is doing something in us before He does something for us. This process can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary for our spiritual growth and development. Embrace the waiting as a season of growth and trust that God is preparing you for what lies ahead. [42:27]

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: Reflect on a time when you had to wait for something important. How did that waiting period help you grow spiritually or personally? How can you apply that lesson to your current situation?


Day 3: God's Timing as an Act of Love
Sometimes, God's love for us means making us wait. The story of Lazarus in John 11 illustrates that Jesus' delay was an act of love, providing a greater miracle and a stronger testimony. This teaches us that God's delays are purposeful and for our ultimate good and His glory. When we understand that His timing is a demonstration of His love, we can find peace in the waiting. Trust that God's delays are not denials but are part of His loving plan for your life. [42:55]

John 11:5-6 (ESV): "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."

Reflection: Think about a time when you felt God was delaying an answer to your prayer. How did that delay ultimately demonstrate His love for you? How can you remind yourself of this truth in your current waiting season?


Day 4: Vigilance in the "Not Yet" Moments
In the "not yet" moments, we are called to remain vigilant, patient, hopeful, and prayerful. Watching means guarding against doubt and discouragement, waiting involves patience and courage, hoping is placing our trust in God's promises, and praying aligns us with God's will. These practices help us stay connected to God and maintain our faith during times of uncertainty. By keeping our focus on Him, we can navigate the waiting period with grace and confidence, knowing that He is working all things for our good. [46:25]

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

Reflection: Identify one area of your life where you are in a "not yet" moment. How can you practice watching, waiting, hoping, and praying in this situation today?


Day 5: Testimonies of God's Timeliness
The Bible is filled with stories of God showing up right on time, from Sarah and Abraham to Paul and Silas. These stories, along with personal testimonies, serve as powerful reminders that God is always on time. Our faith is strengthened by remembering these testimonies and trusting that God will show up in our lives as well. Reflect on these biblical examples and consider how they can encourage you in your current circumstances. Trust that God will be on time for you, just as He was for them. [57:19]

Hebrews 11:11-12 (ESV): "By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore."

Reflection: Think of a biblical story or personal testimony where God showed up right on time. How does this story encourage you to trust in God's timing for your own life? How can you share this testimony with someone who needs encouragement today?

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 we're going to be talking about—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 that 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 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, enough is enough. It's rough in these streets.

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. 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 look 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, 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 that was 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. It says, "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're going to win, 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 got to 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, 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 you, 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, 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 until 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?

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 a long time, for several months now.

And so we put this song on repeat really just to build our faith because we've been 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."

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 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 the middle of it. 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 us, 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 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.

And 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 one that's doing it. 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 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, I don't know, 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 us, "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 Jesus 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 doubt begins 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 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 had to stop service and just had an intercession for you because that's not what we do. 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.

You know why? 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'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, I couldn't. 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.

'Cause I am—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.

'Cause 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.

'Cause I've seen enough in scripture where people try to force God, and it didn't turn out right. It turned 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, "confident," 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 in this season? 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 on God 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 worry about that. Don't give up. Keep watching, keep waiting, keep hoping.

And finally, keep praying because praying is 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 pray. 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, right?

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.

And 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 from 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, 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 she couldn't breathe. It was so high that the doctor said either she's gonna go or I'm gonna go.

So 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, that the immigration process.

And every step of the way, people were telling us, "It never works this way. It never—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 I'm 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 eagerly, 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."

You know what happened? God showed up, and she met Jaden.

And God showed up, and she met Bennett.

And God showed up, and she met Kelsey.

And 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; he does.

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.

And so my only question for you is, what about 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 because 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 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 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 We've had on repeat on our playlist For a while now Because it's been rough." [31:11] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "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." [32:42] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "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 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." [33:06] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "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 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." [34:36] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "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 That was introduced because of sin All of it is wiped away And it's perfect." [35:16] (37 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




6. "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 It says Oh but even when the devil thought he won That's when you show up." [36:04] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




7. "And so in this space that I'm in There's three lessons that I've been I've been 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 1142 Would be a great time for God To do that thing I need him to do But he's in the middle of it 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." [40:51] (47 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 the most I'm not ready for And so the waiting is preparing me for it And 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." [42:27] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




9. "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." [55:35] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




10. "And so I'm determined That every morning I'm putting my hope On God 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." [54:05] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)