Message Preached Sunday (January 23, 2011) @
Milford Assembly of God, in Milford, Ohio...
By Rev. Don Allen, Jr.
God Give Me Time!
I continued to struggle with this message from the very beginning as God laid it on my heart, it didn’t make since, why now, why me, this is a message that Pastor Les should preach. However, In light of the news that I received at work this past Friday that a dear friend that I have worked with for the past four years, and have know for over 14 years passed away, my message that God laid on my heart seem more relevant than ever... I stood looking out the window talking to Diaz about our plans for the evening; he shared about the next Bible Study he was going to teach with his Small Group. I later even heard him on the phone finalizing the plan with the travel agency for him and his wife cruise to Alaska this summer. However, the plans stopped at some point Friday Morning … He had No more time!
Hezekiah faced the same dilemma BUT:
"Hezekiah cried to God GIVE ME TIME”...
Two texts for this message:
Isaiah 38:1-5 & II Kings 20: 1-6
Scripture tells us that Hezekiah was sick, and going to die. However, he cried to “God Give me Time” and God heard and he was given 15 years to make an impact. If God told you that you only had a certain amount of time what would you do?
What would you want to do if God gave you a short period of time?
I believe that my list would include!
1. Serve God more faithfully than ever before!
a. Read my Bible
· Henry Ward Beecher[1] … The Bible is God's chart for you to steer by, to keep you from the bottom of the sea, and to show you where the harbor is, and how to reach it without running on rocks or bars.
· Find a quite place to spend time learning and receiving from God’s word.
b. Pray and fellowship with HIM every moment of the day
§ Jesus taught the Disciple to Pray … 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation
c. Disciple (Teaching) my family and friends
· Teaching them the things of the Lord …
§ I know some Christian that knows more about their favorite professional sports player, than about Jesus.
· Matthew 28 … 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
2. Teach my Children about HIM
a. Teaching them the importance of attending Church
· Hebrews 10:25 … 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
§ Important FACT … Monkey see, Monkey do applies to church as well as life … if you don’t find church important neither will your children!
b. To have a testimony and what it should be like
§ Teaching them to walk the walk and talk the talk.
c. That Sin is Sin, and nothing in the world is going to change it.
3. To be a Witness (Soul-winner)
a. Share the Gospel wherever and whenever I can
· Acts 1:8 … “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
b. Do everything in my power to keep people out of Hell’s grasp
· Peter Kreeft [3].."The national anthem of hell is, "I Did It My Way."To be the True-Witness (sharing the facts with my)
· Proverbs 12:17 … “An honest witness tells the truth, but a false witness tells lies.”
§ Family
§ Friends
§ Co-workers
§ Individual within the church
2. To see a Revival …
a. II Chronicles 7:14 … “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
b. Charles Finney[4] … “"A revival is nothing else than a new beginning of obedience to God."
c. When it comes to Revival I want to …
· To be a part of it
· To be encouraging in it
· To be faithful to it
3. To Get Saved!
a. Today is the day … No better time!
· God has given you this moment …Hezekiah, said “Give me Time” what you waiting for!
· How will you stand before God
§ Will HE know you or reject you?
My friend stood before God this morning, and his testimony was that of a true SAINT … God knew him and he knew God, and I know that today he sits in the very lap of ABBA, Father …
[1] Henry Ward Beecher, (1813-1887) … Prominent American Congregational minister. Son of Lyman Beecher; sister was Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.
[2] John Bunyan(1628-1688) was an English Christian writer and preacher, famous for writing the classic Pilgrim\'s Progress.
[3] Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Boston College. As an author of over 40 books and a regular contributor to several Christian publications,
[4] Charles Grandison Finney (August 29, 1792(1792-08-29) – August 16, 1875(1875-08-16)) was a Presbyterian and Congregationalist figure in the Second Great Awakening. His influence during this period was enough that he has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism.[1]
