IT IS NOT TOO LATE

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE

We said someone is late when the person arrives after a deadline has passed, when he comes in past a designated time. If the resumption time is 8:0o o’clock in the morning, and you arrive 08:06am, you are 6minutes late and they will call you a late comer. it is a common occurrence with us, but could God be late?

Joh 11:18-32 KJV 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

The text we read talked about the familiar story in the Bible. The death and the raising from the dead of the man called Lazarus. At the beginning of the story when Lazarus was sick, his sisters sent message to Jesus to come an see him but the Bible says that Jesus tarry few more days before going.

By the time Jesus and his disciples got to where Lazarus was, he was already four days in the grave. All hope as far as the people were concerned was lost. There was nothing anybody can do again, his case his done with.

It was the same thing that made Martha when she saw Jesus, it was obvious was angry with Jesus from her statement. She said unto Jesus if you had been here when we sent for you, my brother would not have died. In order words, she was more or less putting the blame on the Lord Jesus.

When Mary came to the tomb too, she expressed the same thing and said unto Jesus, if had come on time, if you had been here as soon as you heard about his sickness, he will still be alive today. 

Literally they were saying in their mind, you don’t care about us as we thought, we thought you are our friends.

I really know this sound familiar with many of us. There are many Christians today that are putting the blame of the problems on God. They said if God had answer two years ago, five years ago, last month, I wouldn’t be in this predicament now. Many of us are already discouraged and depressed. We feel like God has failed us.

We feel like we have stay too long in that condition, we are yet to marry, we are yet to buy our cars, we re still staying in that apartment, we are yet to own our own business, we are yet to gain admission to higher institution, It is like God is not answering us again or that God is too slow.

But I want to tell you this morning that it is never late. It is not too late. When Martha accused Jesus of not coming on time, the Lord told her that her brother would rise again. Even though Martha did not get it and was thinking it would be resurrection morning, the Lord explained it to her better that,the resurrection and life was the one speaking to her and it will happen right now. It is not too late.

I am telling you too that it is not too late, God is much more interested in your case and in my case. That very day, Lazarus that had ben dead for roar days came out of the grave walking.

Joh 11:44 KJV And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

I pray for you too, what ever has been consider dead in your life is coming back to life in Jesus name.

There are many of us that why we are not happy is because, we feel things are dead around us but in the name of Jesus, life is coming on them . They shall rise again. Your business shall rise again, your destiny and marriage shall rise again in Jesus name.

I Know very well that people would have mocked Martha and Mary for putting their trust in Jesus and sending for him. They will say where is your Jesus now? Why has he not come to rescue you? 

They may have been talking to you like tat, why are you still going to church, why ar you still fellowshipping at that place? Why are you still committed to God who is not answering you?

But that day when they saw Lazarus, all the adversaries were put to shame. God brought them into shame. Can I pray for you, everyone mocking you will be put to shame. Your answers is coming in Jesus name.

When God made a promise, He always keep it. He is not a man that he should lie. As we study scripture, we see how God keep to time and His promise.

Abraham and Sarah had been believing God for God supernatural intervention and visitation in their marital life. Many times God made promise to them like in Genesis.

Gen 17:19 KJV And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

Gen 18:10 KJV And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.

Just like any human being, Sarah had heard this kind thing several times. Her heart has started doubting God, the Bible says she laughed at the word of God.

Gen 18:11-12 KJV 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?

This is jus like many of us, we have the men of God praying and making prophetic declaration on us many times. And yet the problem is yet to be solved. We laughed in our heart. We say will it come to pass just like Sarah. Sarah even went to the extent of trying to help God achieve his promise, that human solution is the problem we are having today in the East.

But did God make good his promise? Did it happen? And if it happened, did it happened as at the time God promised? Let us see the scripture

Gen 21:1-2 KJV 1 And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken. 2 For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

It came to pass just as God said and as at the time he promised. If it happened for Abraham and Sarah, it will happen for you. In this month of supernatural visitation, the Lord shall visit your business, he shall visit your marriage, He shall visit your working place in Jesus name.

Abraham attitude during the waiting period

What was Abraham doing that made him not to be discouraged much like Sarah? What was he doing while waiting for the promise of God to come? Because if we know what he was doing, it will help us too as we wait on God. I searched the scripture. Paul talked about Abraham to the Romans.

Rom 4:18-21 KJV 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations; according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah’s womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Even though humanly speaking, it seems it was over for them and Sarah could not behave like a normal woman, the Bible says Abraham was not weak in faith. He did not staggered in unbelief. In order words, Abraham believed that He God that promised is able to bring it to pass. He was not up today and down tomorrow. He was constant, he held fast unto the promise of God.

This is what Hebrew says about him

Heb 6:13-15 KJV 13 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, 14 Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. 15 And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

He was very patient, it was not easy for him, people were mocking him for his faith and trust in God. Especially when God changed his name. that is why Bible says after he had endured. You don’t endure good tings but bad things. You enjoy good things. It was hard on him, but he endured and at the end of the day, God fulfilled his promise. His Isaac came.

I don’t know your own Isaac, it may be your marriage, home, career, job, finance, blessing, miracles, this month and this year it shall happen, it shall come to pass in Jesus name.

God do things at the right time

The lord Jesus came at the right time when everything was ready. the Greek language was dominant, the roads were constructed by the Romans and there had been a vacuum of 400years. This is how Paul expressed it.

Gal 4:4-5 KJV 4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

Eph 1:10 KJV That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:

The full time appointed by the Father; the completion (filling up, πλήρωμα plērōma ,) of the designated period for the coming of the Messiah; see the Isa 49:7-8 notes; 2Co 6:2 note. The sense is, that the time which had been predicted, and when it was proper that he should come, was complete. The exact period had arrived when all things were ready for his coming. It is often asked why he did not come sooner, and why mankind did not have the benefit of his incarnation and atonement immediately after the fall? Why were four thousand dark and gloomy years allowed to roll on, and the world suffered to sink deeper and deeper in ignorance and sin? 

he came at the right time in the sight of God. Zechariah says, He came to visit His people and redeemed them.

God does nothing prematurely, but, foreseeing the end from the beginning, waits till all is ripe for the execution of His purpose. Had Christ come directly after the fall, the enormity and deadly fruits of sin would not have been realized fully by man, so as to feel his desperate state and need of a Saviour. Sin was fully developed. Man’s inability to save himself by obedience to the law, whether that of Moses, or that of conscience, was completely manifested; all the prophecies of various ages found their common center in this particular time: and Providence, by various arrangements in the social and political, as well as the moral world, had fully prepared the way for the coming Redeemer.

The children of Israel were to spent 400years in bondage and the reason is stated by God Himself.

Gen 15:13-16 KJV 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.

The Amorites are here put for the whole inhabitants of Canaan, as being the most considerable for their power, Amo 2:9 and being also the people among whom Abram lived, ch. Gen 13:18. compared with ch. Gen 14:13. There is a certain measure of wickedness, it hence appears, beyond which God will not spare a sinful land. There is a certain pitch of iniquity to which nations may arrive before they are destroyed, and beyond which Divine justice does not permit them to pass

God was giving them grace period, but when that period was over, the children of Israel will be set free from Egypt to take over the land of the Amorites.

OUR OWN ATTITUDE 

1. Be patient with God. Stop visiting natives doctor and secretly visiting fake prophets. Heb 6:12 KJV That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
2. Stop being anxious and apprehensive, it will damage your heath. Don’t develop high blood pressure
3. Be consistent and committed in your service
4. Abraham was praising God. It was the evidence that he believed. He was not complaining and murmuring.
5. Speak about your faith to other people to encourage them. Don’t be bothered about what they say unto you.
6. Continue praying and believing and act your faith