The Timing of God!

Series: The Life and Ministry of Jesus

Text: Galatians 4:1-12

Have you ever wondered why Jesus did not start His ministry until He was about 30?

How come there was nothing written about Jesus from the age of 12 to 30 except, “He grew in wisdom and stature” even though by the age of 12 He knew he had to be about His Father’s business. 

How did Jesus know when to get baptized? How did He know when to step out?

Why did He have to wait for God’s timing and His season to come before He started His ministry?

God has assigned a purpose in life to all his children and He expects us to fulfil this purpose in the time and season which He has appointed. 

According to Ecclesiastes 3:1; “To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”

Even Jesus had to adhere to God’s timing and season to fulfil His purpose while on earth. We cannot beat Jesus because He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8).

His template for living life which he practised while on earth is still sufficient for us today.

We live in modern times when the art of timing using watches, calendars and seasons created by man has been perfected with so much sophistication and precision. However despite all the innovation, sophistication and precision achieved over the years in the field of timing, God’s timing appears to have become a myth. It has become a myth because people no longer understand God’s timing.

So with all the ambiguity about God’s timing around us, how do we then know God’s timing for us?

The answer is simple: How did Jesus break into the time appointed by the Father?

There were some key issues Jesus had to settle with God before he could step out.

1. Sonship – The first thing God did was to bring Jesus to sonship. He did this by breaking free from the slave mentality. In other words, Jesus had to move from being a child (ordinary son) to become a son (begotten son). The first hallmark of sonship is commitment, not necessarily surrender. Jesus had always been committed to the father’s business as a child but in order for him to move to the level of sonship he had to surrender himself. When you live your life solely to please God, you enter into sonship. Some Christians are not able to establish their sonship because they are strong willed and have not surrendered to the will of God for their lives. Abraham and Isaac set the pace many years ago so also did Jesus display sonship many years later and God expects the same from us today.

The question then is:  How do you move from being children to becoming sons?

  i.            Start making decisions on your own

When you are a child you are no different from a slave as decisions are made for you. God will not give you instructions as long as you are still relying on other people.

  ii.            Move from the guidance of governors and stewards to direct access to God

Governors and stewards can be likened to the guardians of boarding school students who often possess a strong level of influence over these students. The guardians, however, do not have the final say in the decisions or instructions the pupils carry out; their parents have the final say.  So likewise our father in heaven has the final say in our affairs not our pastors and prophets.

iii.            Start to know God as a father

There are ordinary sons born of the flesh and there are begotten sons born of the spirit. A father starts to share deep things with a son when he becomes begotten.

2. Priesthood – The next thing God did was to introduce Jesus to His ministry. Just like Jesus, we have been called to order of Melchizedek (who was a king and the priest of the most high).

God led Jesus to pray before His ministry was introduced. Brethren, is God leading you or placing a burden on your heart to pray; it might be time break into you calling in life. Heb 5:6

3. New ministry – God will introduce you to a new ministry. Jesus had to submit to the ministry of John the Baptist even though he was soon going to start His own ministry. We often miss God’s timing by not being faithful in the ministry he places us in or in some cases, not seeking out the ministry that will help us discover our ministry. This period requires spiritual sensitivity because (1) God might send someone who we could easily be despise due to familiarity, difference, age and relative obscurity (2) There will be similar ministries in operation in your environment and you have to be sensitive enough to God’s choice. Acts 5:7

 4. Announcement – The last thing God did before Jesus could step out was to announce Him “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.” You ability to please the father will determine when He announces you.

God moves in dimensions of times and seasons, and He has a way of making things right in His time. His timing is critical to living a successful and purpose driven life and understand that there are consequences when you allow God’s timing and season to leave you behind. You will succeed in jesus name!

Pastor Dele Osunmakinde

Sunday Service Message of The Baptizing Church delivered on September 18, 2011.

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