The God Moment Of Revealed Truth Series

THE GOD MOMENT OF REVEALED TRUTH

ACTS 1:1-13

INTRODUCTION:

WHEN TRUTH IS REVEALED TO PEOPLE IT’S FASCINATING. RELATIONSHIPS ARE FORMED WHERE WE NEVER WOULD DREAM POSSIBLE. CONNECTIONS THAT WE WOULD THINK TO BE INCONCEIVABLE ACTUALLY BECOME A REALITY. WHEN GOD REVEALS HIS TRUTH TO US, IT IS INDEED A SPECIAL AND DYNAMIC MOMENT, ESPECIALLY AS WE SEE IT HERE ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST.

BUT I JUST REALIZED THAT THERE IS A TRUTH THAT THE APOSTLES SHARED WITH SOMETHING YOU WOULD NEVER GUESS IN A MILLION YEARS. THERE IS A SHARED TRUTH BETWEEN THE APOSTLES AND DAYTIME SOAP OPERAS. NOW THE ONLY THING TRUE ABOUT DAYTIME SOAPS IS THEIR TITLES, BUT IF YOU CONSIDER THE TITLES OF THE DAYTIME SOAPS AND THE APOSTLES A VERY FASCINATING STORY EMERGES.

OUR STORY BEGINS WITH THE APOSTLES BEHIND LOCKED DOORS ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. THERE WAS GREAT FEAR AMONG THEM, CAUSED BY THE RECENT DEATH OF CHRIST, AND THEY FEARED THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD COME AFTER THEM. WITH ONLY ONE LIFE TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD, I’M SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND THEIR FEAR.

THEY DIDN’T HAVE MANY OF THE ADVANTAGES THAT WE HAVE TODAY. THERE WAS NO GENERAL HOSPITAL NEARBY, NO REAL DOCTORS, AND THE CONTINUOUS PRESENCE OF ROMAN SOLDIERS, ALL THESE THINGS CERTAINLY ADDED FEAR TO THE YOUNG AND RESTLESS APOSTLES, BUT INDEED THESE WERE THE DAYS OF THEIR LIVES AND THEY HAD TO FIND WAYS TO COPE WITH THE FEAR.

THE APOSTLES WERE IN NEED OF A MIRACLE. THEY WERE IN NEED OF A GOD MOMENT, AND HE DID NOT FAIL THEM. HE DIDN’T TAKE THEM OUT OF THE TROUBLE, INDEED HE MADE THEM CONTINUE THE STRUGGLE OF CHRISTIANITY, MANY BECOMING OUR FIRST KNOWN MARTYRS FOR THE FAITH. I CAN JUST HEAR GOD SAYING TO US TODAY AS HE SAID TO THE APOSTLES THAT DAY, “IF ALL MY CHILDREN WILL FOLLOW MY GUIDING LIGHT, THEN I WILL TAKE YOUR FEAR, AND AS I DID WITH THE APOSTLES THAT DAY, I’LL TRANSFORM YOU FROM WORRISOME AND FEARFUL FOLLOWERS INTO DYNAMIC BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL REVOLUTIONARIES FOR MY SAKE.”

ILLUSTRATION: DAVID BEATY AND HIS WIFE BETH, WERE SAYING GOODBYE TO OUR CONGREGATION AFTER TWENTY YEARS OF SERVICE. THEY WERE TO PASTOR A SISTER CHURCH STARTED BY THIS CONGREGATION. WHEN HE SAID “THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR ONR CHILDREN” HIS VOICE BROKE.

THEY HAD BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO HAVE CHILDREN. SOME WOMEN AT THE CHURCH PROMISED TO HAVE A WOMAN FASTING AND PRAYING EACH DAY UNTIL THEY CONCEIVED.

IN JANUARY PAT BEST, DESPITE HER OWN BATTLE WITH CANCER, TOOK HER TURN FASTING AND PRAYING FOR THE BEATY’S. SHE APPROACHED THEM AND SAID “I BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS REVEALED TO ME THAT YOU’LL HAVE A BABY NEXT FEBRUARY.”

CHARTING THE CALENDAR THEY KNEW THAT A FEBRUARY BABY WOULD MEAN A MAY CONCEPTION. BUT THE MONTH OF MAY CAME AND WENT JUST LIKE ALL THE MONTHS BEFORE. NO CONCEPTION, NO SEEMINGLY REAL WORD FROM GOD.

HOWEVER IN JUNE AFTER MORE THAN FIVE YEARS, DAVID AND BETH CONCEIVED THEIR FIRST CHILD. LATE IN BETH’S PREGNANCY PAT SUCCUMBED TO HER CANCER. THE WOMAN WHO HAD FORESEEN THE MIRACLE WOULD WITNESS THE BABY’S BIRTH ONLY THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN. SHE ONLY GOT THE TIME WRONG, OR DID SHE.

I’M SURE THAT PAT WAS NOT SURPRISED WHEN DAVID AND BETH’S BABY ARRIVED EARLY. ANNA BEATY THEIR FIRST CHILD WAS BORN IN FEBRUARY, AND LATER WOULD HAVE A BABY BROTHER.

THAT IS A GOD MOMENT THAT WILL LAST FOREVER. IT GIVES NEW PERSPECTIVE ON EVERY TASK IN LIFE DEALING WITH THEIR DAUGHTER. THE STAIN OF SPIT-UP ON A SUNDAY DRESS TOO LATE TO CHANGE, TEETHING, CHANGING DIAPERS, AND THE THREE O’CLOCK FEEDING ALL ARE NOT ONLY EASED, BUT A CONSTANT REMINDER OF GOD’S BLESSING THEM WITH A CHILD, AND THAT THIS BLESSING WAS REVEALED TO THEM BY A WOMAN NOW IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

THIS WAS A GOD MOMENT OF REVEALED TRUTH. BY REMEMBERING AND SHARING THE MOMENT THAT GOD SPOKE TO THEM THROUGH PAT, DAVID AND BETH REGULARLY RENEW THEIR CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S CALLING FOR THEM TO BE PARENTS.

TODAY WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT TWO EXAMPLES OF GOD MOMENTS OF REVEALED TRUTH RECORDED IN SCRIPTURE AND HOW THEY CAN RELATE TO US.

POINT ONE: THE WOMAN AT THE WELL

“ARE YOU REALLY TALKING TO ME?”

TURN WITH ME TO JOHN 4:1-26)

THIS WOMAN AT THE WELL WAS STUNNED THREE TIMES OVER:

1. MEN DIDN’T SPEAK WITH UNKNOWN WOMEN IN THE FIRST CENTURY MIDDLE EASTERN WORLD.

2. A JEW DID NOT SPEAK WITH A SAMARITAN. THE JEWISH PEOPLE CONSIDERED THE SAMARITANS IMPURE – A MIXED BREED WHO HAD INTERMARRIED WITH PAGANS.

3. FOR A RABBI TO EVEN DRINK FROM A SAMARITAN’S CUP WOULD MAKE HIM CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN.

SO THIS SAMARITAN WOMAN COULD NOT BELIEVE HER EARS WHEN JESUS STARTED TO TALK TO HER, AND TO ASK HER FOR A DRINK.