It's never too late!
Luke 1 :5-18 (sermon inspired by Dr Darryl Claybon, ITC)
It’s never too late!
Is it ever too late? Does time ever really run out, Before God decides to make his presence known?
It often seems like whenever we get close to reaching our dreams, the sands of time run out with out notice. For many of us we can do put forth our very best effort, but no matter how faithful or loyal we are to the dream, there is always something lacking in the dream becoming reality. Sometimes keeping you from reaching a place of peace and serenity and experiencing the feeling of accomplishment. Many times we feel as though we need to give up. Wondering if it is at all worth striving for. And all you can do, during your times of distress and suffering, is to cry out like David and say “O Lord consider my affliction...” But through all of your affliction God is still able to remove you from the snare of danger found in your moments of despair. Rescuing you to a place of freedom where you are no longer bond by the aggravation of worldly influences. Why does God rescue us? Because you magnify his work which all men behold. That’s why in the backsplash of this passage, we shall acknowledge 3 activities of human capability which we can control for the glorifying the Lord.
In our story we are introduced to a man named Zechariah, a priestly fellow who is married to a woman named Elisabeth. Zechariah was perhaps the most messianic of all the prophets in the bible. Concentrating his teachings and ministry on providing prophetic information about a savior called JESUS. The name Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers”. With a name like this you would think he and Elisabeth would have no problem trusting in God. Yet I can imagine doubt of ever having children had to have entered their minds over the years. Maybe the natural deteriation of the physical body begin to cause them to want to give up on God, because of her barrenness? Over the years this righteous, obedient couple must have become drained by the frustration of waiting. But it seems like just because of meaning of Zechariah’s name they should have been over flowing with faith and the reassurance that with God all things are possible and it’s never too late for God to manipulate time.
The first action we can control in human capability is our performance in deed.
The Bible advises us to treat others as we wish to be treated. Only what you do for Christ will last and secure your place in eternal bliss. The bible also informs us in verse 6 that Zechariah was righteous in all the commandments of God, as well as following all ordinances of God. My brothers and sisters, we must in all our effort begin to earnestly worship the Lord through our living. Christ has set the standard of how we are perform daily task, and relational duties towards each other. Zechariah knew that the work has done would speak for him. That’s why in verse 8 he executes the duties of the office of the Priest. He is performing in the order so designed by Christ. This is the day we as the people of God need to start executing the plan God has for our lives. Consult the Lord for you work order. For it is your performance in deed that dictates your reward. Zechariah knew that following the rules of the house carried great significance in his being blessed of God. Notice he only operated in the position he was selected to occupy. Be careful not to over step your boundaries. Don’t jump into something you weren’t appointing for. God won’t put more on you than you can handle.
Secondly, in harmony with our performance we must intensify our prayer life. Not only does the Bible state Zechariah was righteous but the text implies he and his wife were prayer partners. This example as a praying couple indicates to us that we must be dedicated and diligent in our communication with God. Praying without ceasing is vital to the revival of our spirit during times of barrenness. It is imperative we find ourselves in constant communion with God in order to witness the favor of the Lord upon our lives. This couple in the text knew that regardless of the trials and troubles, the God we serve is still providential in nature. And that’s why we can echo the words of David...” The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.” Because of this declaration of Faith in God. The angel of the Lord, in verse 14, makes a statement of reassurance when informing Zechariah that God has heard your prayers. Illustrating that it’s never too late for God to manifest a blessing from on high. My friends we all have prayed to God for specific desires. We’ve waited days, months, and years for those desires to be fulfilled. Many of us began to question God’s interest in our request. Wondering what is God waiting for?
Brothers and sisters, what may seem to be a delay may actually be sparing us from much heartache and pain? Only God knows the outcome of an anticipated blessing. For if God had answered our prayers in our timing we probably would have not received the fullness of a blessing.
Imagine if you will a young male child who wants a pocket knife. Some may say a good father may not mind giving his son the knife because of his good report in behavior, but the child needs to grow up a little more before he can be trusted with the knife. God fathers us in the same manner. Sometimes your prayer is not answered soon because God is waiting on you to grow up and mature spiritually in some areas of your life before he will trust you with what he has in store for you. That’s why I pray without ceasing to a God of all creation, through much prayer and supplication so he can prepare me for what he has prepared for me. It’s never too late for God to fill a void.
Lastly, in melodic agreement with our performance in deed and our prayer life, we must begin to produce change. Changing our bad habits into good behavior. As the angel of the lord appeared to Zechariah to propose answered prayer, we notice that Zechariah was fearful but not moved. Startled by the abrupt appearance of this angel he calms himself by his remembrance of his years of servant hood to God and his community. Surely his record of dedication speaks volumes above others in the community. Here is couple who has done many wonderful things over the years, surely they can create life. People of God in spite of what we believe is humanly possible, God is able to do more than we can conceive. For we are but finite creatures under the majesty of an infinite creator ,who produces change through a touch. Oh if I coulfd just touch the hem of his garnet I could be made whole. It is because of the obedience to the commands of God that this couple were rewarded with a gift of joy. Not just any gift, but a gift that would cause folk to rejoice and be filled with gladness. My brothers and sisters, when God gives you a gift to edify the kingdom he’ll raise the standard.
It’s what comes out of you, conceived out of righteous living, which will produce change in an unchanging environment. It’s never too late for God to change the world. Just as God saw fit to produce Jesus to change the world, so will God cause a Jesus to change your lifestyle. Only if you believe, because its never too late for God to move.
Conclude:
If God had been any earlier or later in the producing of John (the Baptist), it would have adjusted the arrival of Jesus. But thanks be to God, he saw fit to press pause. Stop earth from spinning long enough to strategically place Jesus in place on this chessboard called earth. So that now while all creation was unaware of the move of God, when he pressed play and the earth began to spin again, the enemy had no chance to counter God’s move. Ultimately surrendering to the checkmate of Christ, through his death, burial, and resurrection when he declared he has all power.
Aren’t you glad that its’ never too late for God to move in your life. Let go and let God have his way, so he can take you from a place of defense to a place of declaration; from a place of pain to a place of power; from a place of feeling inferior to a place of superior speech.
I can hear David saying “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” Now Lord remember the word to your servant upon which you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction.
And I can the Lord saying to David. Hold up, wait a minute. Stop crying over your affliction. Where is your faith? For I am God. And with me all things are possible. It’s never too late for me. And it’s never too late for you to learn a new trick for a treat.
It’s never too late for me to manifest an answer to your prayers.
It’s never too late for God to produce change in your spirit. For I am the God of all creation. I am he who laid the foundation of the world.
I am God; the one who determined the dimension of time.
I am God; the one who laid the cornerstone high for all to see.
Who else could have defined the boundaries of the sea as flows from the wombs of its existence? Who else could command the dawn to rise in the east and clap his hands for the morning to appear? I am God; who causes daylight to spread to the ends of the earth conquering the darkness that was set before you awoke this day.
It’s never too late!
Is it ever too late? Does time ever really run out, Before God decides to make his presence known?
It often seems like whenever we get close to reaching our dreams, the sands of time run out with out notice. For many of us we can do put forth our very best effort, but no matter how faithful or loyal we are to the dream, there is always something lacking in the dream becoming reality. Sometimes keeping you from reaching a place of peace and serenity and experiencing the feeling of accomplishment. Many times we feel as though we need to give up. Wondering if it is at all worth striving for. And all you can do, during your times of distress and suffering, is to cry out like David and say “O Lord consider my affliction...” But through all of your affliction God is still able to remove you from the snare of danger found in your moments of despair. Rescuing you to a place of freedom where you are no longer bond by the aggravation of worldly influences. Why does God rescue us? Because you magnify his work which all men behold. That’s why in the backsplash of this passage, we shall acknowledge 3 activities of human capability which we can control for the glorifying the Lord.
In our story we are introduced to a man named Zechariah, a priestly fellow who is married to a woman named Elisabeth. Zechariah was perhaps the most messianic of all the prophets in the bible. Concentrating his teachings and ministry on providing prophetic information about a savior called JESUS. The name Zechariah means “Jehovah remembers”. With a name like this you would think he and Elisabeth would have no problem trusting in God. Yet I can imagine doubt of ever having children had to have entered their minds over the years. Maybe the natural deteriation of the physical body begin to cause them to want to give up on God, because of her barrenness? Over the years this righteous, obedient couple must have become drained by the frustration of waiting. But it seems like just because of meaning of Zechariah’s name they should have been over flowing with faith and the reassurance that with God all things are possible and it’s never too late for God to manipulate time.
The first action we can control in human capability is our performance in deed.
The Bible advises us to treat others as we wish to be treated. Only what you do for Christ will last and secure your place in eternal bliss. The bible also informs us in verse 6 that Zechariah was righteous in all the commandments of God, as well as following all ordinances of God. My brothers and sisters, we must in all our effort begin to earnestly worship the Lord through our living. Christ has set the standard of how we are perform daily task, and relational duties towards each other. Zechariah knew that the work has done would speak for him. That’s why in verse 8 he executes the duties of the office of the Priest. He is performing in the order so designed by Christ. This is the day we as the people of God need to start executing the plan God has for our lives. Consult the Lord for you work order. For it is your performance in deed that dictates your reward. Zechariah knew that following the rules of the house carried great significance in his being blessed of God. Notice he only operated in the position he was selected to occupy. Be careful not to over step your boundaries. Don’t jump into something you weren’t appointing for. God won’t put more on you than you can handle.
Secondly, in harmony with our performance we must intensify our prayer life. Not only does the Bible state Zechariah was righteous but the text implies he and his wife were prayer partners. This example as a praying couple indicates to us that we must be dedicated and diligent in our communication with God. Praying without ceasing is vital to the revival of our spirit during times of barrenness. It is imperative we find ourselves in constant communion with God in order to witness the favor of the Lord upon our lives. This couple in the text knew that regardless of the trials and troubles, the God we serve is still providential in nature. And that’s why we can echo the words of David...” The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want.” Because of this declaration of Faith in God. The angel of the Lord, in verse 14, makes a statement of reassurance when informing Zechariah that God has heard your prayers. Illustrating that it’s never too late for God to manifest a blessing from on high. My friends we all have prayed to God for specific desires. We’ve waited days, months, and years for those desires to be fulfilled. Many of us began to question God’s interest in our request. Wondering what is God waiting for?
Brothers and sisters, what may seem to be a delay may actually be sparing us from much heartache and pain? Only God knows the outcome of an anticipated blessing. For if God had answered our prayers in our timing we probably would have not received the fullness of a blessing.
Imagine if you will a young male child who wants a pocket knife. Some may say a good father may not mind giving his son the knife because of his good report in behavior, but the child needs to grow up a little more before he can be trusted with the knife. God fathers us in the same manner. Sometimes your prayer is not answered soon because God is waiting on you to grow up and mature spiritually in some areas of your life before he will trust you with what he has in store for you. That’s why I pray without ceasing to a God of all creation, through much prayer and supplication so he can prepare me for what he has prepared for me. It’s never too late for God to fill a void.
Lastly, in melodic agreement with our performance in deed and our prayer life, we must begin to produce change. Changing our bad habits into good behavior. As the angel of the lord appeared to Zechariah to propose answered prayer, we notice that Zechariah was fearful but not moved. Startled by the abrupt appearance of this angel he calms himself by his remembrance of his years of servant hood to God and his community. Surely his record of dedication speaks volumes above others in the community. Here is couple who has done many wonderful things over the years, surely they can create life. People of God in spite of what we believe is humanly possible, God is able to do more than we can conceive. For we are but finite creatures under the majesty of an infinite creator ,who produces change through a touch. Oh if I coulfd just touch the hem of his garnet I could be made whole. It is because of the obedience to the commands of God that this couple were rewarded with a gift of joy. Not just any gift, but a gift that would cause folk to rejoice and be filled with gladness. My brothers and sisters, when God gives you a gift to edify the kingdom he’ll raise the standard.
It’s what comes out of you, conceived out of righteous living, which will produce change in an unchanging environment. It’s never too late for God to change the world. Just as God saw fit to produce Jesus to change the world, so will God cause a Jesus to change your lifestyle. Only if you believe, because its never too late for God to move.
Conclude:
If God had been any earlier or later in the producing of John (the Baptist), it would have adjusted the arrival of Jesus. But thanks be to God, he saw fit to press pause. Stop earth from spinning long enough to strategically place Jesus in place on this chessboard called earth. So that now while all creation was unaware of the move of God, when he pressed play and the earth began to spin again, the enemy had no chance to counter God’s move. Ultimately surrendering to the checkmate of Christ, through his death, burial, and resurrection when he declared he has all power.
Aren’t you glad that its’ never too late for God to move in your life. Let go and let God have his way, so he can take you from a place of defense to a place of declaration; from a place of pain to a place of power; from a place of feeling inferior to a place of superior speech.
I can hear David saying “It is good for me that I have been afflicted” Now Lord remember the word to your servant upon which you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction.
And I can the Lord saying to David. Hold up, wait a minute. Stop crying over your affliction. Where is your faith? For I am God. And with me all things are possible. It’s never too late for me. And it’s never too late for you to learn a new trick for a treat.
It’s never too late for me to manifest an answer to your prayers.
It’s never too late for God to produce change in your spirit. For I am the God of all creation. I am he who laid the foundation of the world.
I am God; the one who determined the dimension of time.
I am God; the one who laid the cornerstone high for all to see.
Who else could have defined the boundaries of the sea as flows from the wombs of its existence? Who else could command the dawn to rise in the east and clap his hands for the morning to appear? I am God; who causes daylight to spread to the ends of the earth conquering the darkness that was set before you awoke this day.
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