THE SLOWNESS OF GOD
Rev. Allan Langstaff (a Methodist Minister)and a leader in the Charismatic Renewal in Australia in the 1970’s & 80”s preached a classic sermon in my church (in the 70”s) on “The slowness of God”. I was greatly blessed at the time and appreciate its content even more today.
We know GOD DOES NOT LIVE IN TIME, and so often as human beings we get frustrated because “nothing seems to be happening”.
When God created Adam & Eve, He knew (because He is Omniscient that is all seeing & knowing) that they would disobey His command and sin and that sin would then pollute the whole of mankind. Because God does not live in time, He had even produced an answer to Adam’s sin long before He even created Adam. The Book of Revelation tells us that Jesus (the eternal son of God) was the “Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world”.
When Adam & Eve sinned I would immediately have sent the Saviour to deal with the sin problem, but time continued on for some four thousand years. God raised up the Children of Israel, eventually sent them into the Wilderness, where he introduced the Tabernacle worship program, which included the five sacrificial offerings, and the various Feasts, like Passover (which the Jews are celebrating this very week), of Pentecost, and Tabernacles. All these things were beautiful pictures of Jesus who was yet to come. St Augustine said, “The New is in the Old Testament concealed, and the old is in the New Testament revealed” He raised up Priests, Kings and Prophets who slowly began to speak of a coming Messiah and a New Covenant relationship which God was going to enter into. Through these many years, the Jews ran hot and cold, were dispersed around the known world, lived in rebellion, some times fearing God, but mostly being an exclusive religious and ineffective people.
Then, the day came, when the Lamb that had been slain before the world was created, was born and lived for 33+ years on the earth, and then was cruely crucified taking upon Himself the wrath of God and the sins of the whole world (past present and future). This we celebrate this weekend, but death could not hold Him, JESUS ROSE AGAIN for our justification, so we can now be declared NOT GUILTY when we respond to God’s claims on our life. Paul’s epistles especially outline too the glorious inheritance we can experience and enjoy now down here, as well as an eternal future in heaven.
The Apostles sincerely believed Jesus would return in their lifetime, BUT TWO THOUSAND YEARS LATER JESUS HAS NOT YET RETURNED.
Like the Jews the Church went into the Wilderness and darkess and error, then God shone His light again, through men like Luther & Calvin and began to restore truth to the Church that had been lost for many hundreds of years. WHY WASN’T TRUTH FULLY RESTORED INSTANTLY? We don’t know except the Bible says God’s ways and thoughts are different to ours. HAS GOD FINISHED RESTORING TRUTH TO THE CHURCH? Again I don’t know, all truth is in the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit “turns the light on” when He is good and ready”.
Jesus told the Disciples to” look up for our redemption draws near”, so often the Church has failed to do just that, preferring to get caught up with secondary matters, political matters, a social gospel and so many other things. There has always been a remnant that have sought to “continue to look up” but often get caught up with a pet doctrine, and start to lose the simplicity of the Gospel. Down through the years, there have been many apparent signs in the world that would suggest Jesus was returning, but still Jesus has not returned. At this present time, there are signs everywhere, like the Syrian war, the North Korean threats, the Israel/Arab disputes, and the list goes on and on.
Like the Jews, and Church we individually have often wandered in the wilderness, and sometimes walked into darkess and lukewarmness.
I honestly don’t know when Jesus will return, but it is high time the Church to wake out of it’s sleep, and let the Holy Spirit revive it, and bring the Church back to where it again is “building according to the pattern of the Word of God. During what much of the Church calls Holy Week, let us take the opportunity to reflect on where were are personally at, perhaps there is need for some repentance and a fresh commitment to the Lordship of Jesus in our lives, and a determination to be a man or a woman of God fulfilling the purposes of God in our generation
I sincerely hope JESUS IS RETURNING VERY SOON, I am looking forward to my new body (no more pain or sickness or death, and spending eternity in the presence of God in heaven, I sure want to be a part of that Church He will present to Himself, that is without spot or blemish or wrinkle. But, if He does not return soon, then I must patiently wait, and looking up, and being busy in the Kingdom, until He does.
At this Eastertime may it be a time of fresh decision and commitment.
God bless you abundantly.
