AUDIO RECORDING OF THIS SERMON

In Acts 1:7 Jesus said, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”  He gave this answer to the disciples who asked, “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?” Acts 1:6.  When God chooses to restore the kingdom to Israel is God’s business.  Jesus said, “It is not for you to know.”  When they interrupted him with their question, he was trying to teach them what to do when they were baptized by the Holy Spirit.

We get antsy when we don’t know the times that the Father has put in his own power.  We get used to checking the time on our watch, checking the date on the calendar, and planning our schedules.  And so when God knows something about time that we don’t know, we can get upset, if things aren’t working like we think they should.  Since we don’t know the times or seasons, what should we be doing?

We should mind our business – Acts 1:8 – Jesus said that his disciples were to be his witnesses, Acts 1:8.  That was their business.  And this is our business still to this day.  In our generation, we are to be good testimonies and faithful witnesses to the Lord.  People still need to be saved.  Don’t get sidetracked by fretting over what God is doing in his time.

The generation that sees the signs that come to pass in Matt 24 won’t know the day and hour of the second coming of Jesus, Matt 24:33-36.  The Lord instructs them to “Watch,” Matt 24:42-51.  That’s their business and the Lord expects them to do it, despite the fact that there will be scoffers questioning the promise of his coming, 2 Pet 3:3-4.  The consequences are terrible if they don’t watch and work and beneficial if they do.  

We should wait on God – Jas 4:13-16 – When we make plans, we should say, “if the Lord will.”  It’s vain boasting to think that God is going to work according to our plans.  In Prov 27:1 Solomon said, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.”  In Matt 6:34 we are to “take no thought for the morrow…”  We have to leave the timing to God.  It’s easy to get frustrated when the time doesn’t work out like we thought it should.  Our men have seen this on the ships.  Things rarely work out the way that they plan, but they always work out the way that God plans.

We should trust God – Mk 5:22-42, 35-36.  Jairus’s daughter was at the point of death.  He and his family were facing a real emergency.  There could be no delay.  But then this woman touched Jesus’s garment and Jesus stopped to deal with her.  Sure enough, before they could resume walking to Jairus’s house, the girl died.  What a tragedy.  Jesus told her father, “Be not afraid, only believe.”  And that’s what we need to do when what the Lord does with his timing doesn’t make sense to us.  Of course, Jesus raised her from the dead.

In Jn 11:1-7, 17, 21-26, 40-44, we see that the same thing happened with Martha when Jesus delayed to come heal Lazarus.  He waited until Lazarus had been in the grave four days.  You must believe that God is doing something despite the fact that you do not understand the times or the seasons.  “It is not for you to know.”  He’s doing what he wills and the outcome will be good, for sure.

Conclusion: you don’t know the times, but God does.  Keep up with your business, wait on God, and trust him.