Christ is Life Podcast

In 1978, this church was formed to reach the people in the south Tyler area with the good news of Jesus Christ. And the Lord has blessed us with a great building to gather in for worship, to serve and to proclaim the gospel with others. And he has certainly been using this space to produce a lot of fruit over the last 45 years bringing glory and honor to his name. But on Christmas Eve, we suffered a flood which caused significant damage. As you can see, it started up here in our balcony area and came through and this whole area got flooded here and came all the way down into the worship center and washed all the way up and down next to the stage, there were inches of water began to collect together and then even ran underneath the stage and out into our welcome center area and the pre K area, just doing a significant amount of damage. And of course, as you can tell, in here, we're obviously going to need new flooring, we're going to have to repair a lot of the walls, we're going to have to do some repainting in here. And it would of course, be wise for us to do some other things in here that need to be done, while we're out of the space and doing all of the other work in here. And you know, it's going to look beautiful when we get it all put back together. And it's going to be a great place for us to continue to gather for worship and to invite the community to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and how he can bring them abundant life. But over 42 years of being in this building, much of the rest of our space has also begun to deteriorate as well. God allowed this flood to happen for a reason. And he is going to use it for our good and for His glory. And I believe that he is saying to us now is the time to take care of what I've blessed you with for ministry, for the guests that I'm going to bring you and really to build up the next generation. So people of colonial hills, what a blessing and privilege it is to get to participate with Jesus in His Kingdom work that he does in us and through us to reach those around us. And he has brought each of us together as His Church to impact this community. And He has blessed us again with this great building to be used for his mission in the ministry that he calls us to. And now, at this time, he is working through us to take care of this space and to ensure that his work continues here for the long haul. Will you join him in what he is doing? Will you allow him to show you what your part is in this building campaign? Now is the time. There it is, now's the time. Many of you were a part of an informational meeting, we had one of two different meetings, where you saw an extended version of that video and went into a little bit more detail about some of this campaign and some of the things with that are going on with our building. But if you missed that meeting, that gets you a little up to speed on what we're talking about when we say now is the time. And these are things that we've been talking about with key leaders and praying about for a while. And through those discussions. And through that prayer time. We can't get away from the feeling that God is saying to us that now is the time to act, especially with the flood and the way he allowed that to happen to move us out of that particular space. And this whole thing about God moving at certain times and leading us to say now's the time to do things is something that he's been up to ever since the beginning of time. It's what he's been doing all throughout history. He's always moving things along, according to His perfect timing, not our timing, but his timing. We sometimes look at the situations and the circumstances around and feel like okay, now now is probably not the best time to act on certain things. But he's the one who sits above all things can see them from a different perspective and says now, now is the time, you may think that it's not the time but I'm telling you from the chair I sit in that now is the time. There's other times that we look at the situations and circumstances and we can tend to think okay, now is the time for us to go and move and do something in the situation or circumstance we're in but God taps the brain akin says, No, now's actually not the time for you to move forward in this particular way. Again, we don't have the luxury of sitting in the chair that he does, it's really kind of like us walking around in a maze on the ground, the difference between us walking around in a maze on a ground and him sitting high above the maze and seeing down below which way everything goes and where it dead ends, and where it cuts and turns and the way out of those particular things. He can see how all of those things are fitting together. And when it doesn't seem to make much sense to us. We just trust that he is leading us from a place that we don't see everything that he does. But one of the greatest examples in Scripture, I think of this as found in the life of Joseph all the way back at the pretty much the beginning of our Bibles in the book of Genesis, many of you are familiar with the story of Joseph and you know that he was one of 12, sons of Jacob, and he was the youngest son, being the youngest, his father may or may not have given him some special treatment being the youngest. And there were certainly some other things that were going on. But his brothers because of that were were jealous of him. And, again, if you're familiar with the story, you know that they took advantage of an opportunity to throw him into a cistern and to sell him into slavery into Egypt. And you begin looking at that, and you immediately think, why, why in the world, would God allow this to happen at this time? I mean, why in the world, would he allow it to happen at all right? This doesn't seem to be a good thing. And as a matter of fact, after this happens, it even gets worse. I mean, Joseph, it gets accused of doing something that he didn't do, he ends up in jail. And then even after spending time in jail, he finally thinks that there's a way out, he interprets a dream for some leaders within the Kings cabinet, if you will. And he asks the King's Cup bear to remember him when he gets out of jail because he had interpreted this dream for him. And he said that he would, but he didn't. Joseph thinking now's the time, now's the time that I'm finally going to be able to get out of jail. And God says, No, now's not the time. And he sat in jail for two more years, until Pharaoh himself had a dream. And then the cup bear remembered Joseph and tells him about that. And Pharaoh ended up reaching out to him, Joseph interprets his dream, and now was the time for him to be released. And Pharaoh made him a key leader and began to run a program of storing of grain during a time of famine, which was all revealed through the dream that God had given to Pharaoh and he had interpreted through Joseph, God was saying, now's the time to do something about a situation that you don't see coming. You don't know it's coming, because you don't sit in the chair that I do. But because I sit in the chair, I can see what's coming. And now doesn't seem to make much sense that you would be doing what I'm asking you to do to store up grain. But trust me, now's the time to do this for what is coming later. Several years later, that famine, of course, did hit and things got really bad. And we know that Josias brothers eventually show up asking Him for help, although they don't know it's him. They had no idea what had happened to him and where he had been throughout this entire time. And finally, when Joseph revealed Himself to them a bit later they they of course feared for their lives, they thought that Joseph might kill them. And and here's what Joseph says, in Genesis chapter 50, verses 19 and 20. Don't be afraid, am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done the saving of many lives, so then don't be afraid, I will provide for you and your children, and he reassured them and spoke kindly to them. Joseph says what happened to me at the time didn't seem to be make much sense but because God was sitting above all things, knowing what was coming it was all part of his plan to take care of all of us didn't make sense didn't make sense to anyone out the time, but now it does God know owes when it is time to act and how it is going to work out for our good. And for His glory. To us, it can look crazy. But to him, it's part of his plan. He knows that now's the time to act because of what is coming. And we see this over and over again. Throughout Scripture, really we see it in the life of Abraham and Sarah, when God finally told them in their old age that they were going to have a son, and they're jumping for joy thinking now's the time. But guess what, even though God said, Now is the time he didn't really mean the exactly like right now is the time. And it didn't happen for a while. And they lost focus of that. And they actually began to take matters into their own hands because they had stopped trusting in God's timing. And after they took matters into their own hands. Of course, that became worse, the situation became worse until eventually, God said now is the time and that's when Isaac was born, who became the father of Jacob. And Jacob, of course, was Josef's father, who we just got through talking about and God's timing of it all. We see it in the life of Moses, he's told to go to Pharaoh and said, now's the time to tell him to let my people go. And he goes and says, now's the time to let my people go. Although God says, we all know it's not really the time to go and we don't really understand that and get it and he makes him do this 10 Different times before he finally says, Okay, now is the time to take my people and flee. We don't always understand God's timing. But there are times that he says, of course, okay, now's not the time. Just wait. And other times, he says, No, go, now is the time. Another person we see this in the life of pretty clearly in the Old Testament, especially when it comes to this idea of God's timing in different matters is in the life of Esther. Through a set of unique situations and circumstances. She being a Jewish woman, became the queen married to King Xerxes of Persia. And later on, of course, I'm skipping a lot of things here, there's a plan put in place to kill all of the Jewish people within the land, but Esther's cousin, Mordecai comes up with this plan. The plan is for her to approach the king and talk to him about this, but she's terrified she's scared to death, because this is the kind of thing that could get her killed. She doesn't want to do it, she reaches back out to Mordecai and shares her concerns with him. And he sends back this answer in Esther chapter four, verses 13 and 14. But do not think that because you are in the king's house, you alone of all the Jews will escape for if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish in who knows, but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this are the words God through Mordecai was saying to Esther now is your time. This is your time I've put you in this particular position. For this moment in time. This is the time that I'm going to work in you and through you to further my work in this world. Then God knows the right time, of course, to act in all of these situations. And he even does the same thing in each one of our lives. Several years ago, when I was still teaching and coaching. At the very end of our school year or tennis season, I would always kind of make it a point to have short little 15 to 30 minute end of the year meetings with each one of my players. And we would sit down and we would talk about the season and we would talk about putting a plan together of things that they could work on over the summer to improve and would make our team better and how they can make themselves better and all of the above and one time I was having one of those particular meetings with the girl who was a freshman on our team and her family. She came from a family with a Muslim background and I knew that a lot of her friends were Christians. Most of the girls on the team were strong, mature believers involved in their church and loved Jesus and she was really good friends with them and I knew that she had gone to church and been to different youth functions a few times with them and it anyway we're sitting there talking about the season and about tennis and all the things We talked about in those meetings, but all of a sudden, the conversation began to shift. All of a sudden, we were talking about her friends, and we were talking about Jesus. And I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, Jason, now is the time to ask her if she's ready to trust me, as her lord and savior. Not I said, No, God, it's it's not the time. This is an end of the year tennis meeting, we're sitting here talking about tennis, and what she can do to get better. And he's like, if you had noticed, you're not actually talking about tennis. Right now. You're talking about me, I'm telling you now is the time to ask her if she's ready to take a step of faith. And so said, Hey, I'm just gonna come out and ask you. You've mentioned your friends, you've mentioned how you've been to church with them. And several things about this. And I just wonder where you're at? Are you in a position or a place right now where you're ready to trust Jesus as your own personal Lord and Savior? And there was an immediate Yes, yes, I'm ready to do that. Like, can we do that right now. And at the end of the year, tennis evaluation meeting, she bowed her head. And I got to be the person that Jesus worked in and through to lead her to a place where she trusted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And our life was transformed and changed forever. That wasn't me. But that was God sitting in his chair, orchestrating that I've put you in this position for such a time as this, I had no idea. Just the way he worked it out and couldn't get away from what it is that he was doing. Didn't seem like the right time, but it was God's time. This is what he does in all of our lives. Another group that we see this happen to I'll kind of shift from the Old Testament to the New Testament on you is Acts chapter one in Acts chapter one, beginning in verse four. It says, On one occasion, while he referring to Jesus was eating with them, talking about the disciples, this is after his death after his resurrection and appearing to them. He says that Jesus gave them his this command, did not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift of my father, or that my father promise, which you have heard me speak about For John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. In other words, Jesus says Now's not the time. We've been talking about what you might do and what's going to happen after I left, but now's not the time for you to go about doing all of those things. Now's the time to just wait to sit here and wait until the Holy Spirit comes, which you've heard me talk about, and then you'll know what to do. They hear this, but they're still wondering if something big is going to happen right now. But Jesus, now could be the time for you to do something, right? Verse six, then they gathered around him and asked, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel, they're still thinking that maybe Jesus is going to establish a political or military kingdom. They want Him to do this. Now's the time for you to do that, though. Right? Jesus in verse seven, he says to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. So Jesus says, now's Now's not the time, for all of that, that you're wondering about that you would like to happen right now. But what it is time for soon, is for you to receive the Holy Spirit. And then I'll be the one that's working through you. You've been with me, I've been with you. And now I'm going to be in you through the Holy Spirit. And I'm going to use you to be my witnesses in this particular area and throughout Samaria, and all the way through the ends of the earth. And so, Jesus says to wait, and they wait. And then we get to x two, and we're told that after they spent some time waiting that the Holy Spirit did come and His power in this moment, we're told is causing a pretty big scene. Things are happening right and people are confused and wondering what's going on in this moment. There's 1000s of people apparently that are watching this event happen and with The Holy Spirit now in Him, the Holy Spirit taps Peter on his heart and says, Peter, now is the time. The Holy Spirit's come, I'm now dwelling in you, you need to stand up, make yourself available to me, and I'm going to speak through you, you're just going to be my vessel, Peter, but I'm going to give you the words to say they're going to come out of your mouth, it's going to look like you're saying them. But make no mistake about it, it's me, I'll be the one doing it in you and through you. But now's the time for you to stand up and make yourself available to me. Peter does he stands up, and Jesus begins to speak through him to all of those around and we know that 3000 people's lives were transformed and changed that day, now was their time to hear the good news of Jesus. This is just how God works. Sometimes. It's not the time. But sometimes, it is the time. Now's the time, he says. And as we trust him in those moments, we get to watch him work through us to produce the results that he's going to cause to happen, it doesn't always produce the results we would think would happen. Sometimes it's more, sometimes it's less, but either way, it's still his activity to do what it is that he was wanting to do in and through us at that time. And so for those of us who are here, those of us who are partners, those of us who are members of colonial Hills Baptist Church, again, through much prayer and conversations with each other, and of course, ultimately with Jesus, we cannot get away from what we sent him saying is the time now, now is the time for you to move forward with taking care of really this ministry tool that I've blessed you with, because that's, that's what this building is, is a ministry tool. Remember, this is not a church, you are the church, I am the church. This is just the building, that the church meets in, and that God uses as a ministry tool for the church, and those who aren't yet a part of the church, to gather in and hear the good news of Jesus Christ. Jesus, of course, as the head of this church, the head of the overall Capitol universal church has put us together as one of his local churches right here, at this moment in time, in this particular area of Tyler, Texas, to minister to and serve those in this community, first and foremost, and this building is the tool that he's used to gather us together and to invite the community to hear the gospel throughout much of our 45 ish years together for some of you. Think about all the ministry that has gone on in this building. Think about all the activity that Jesus has been involved in, throughout this building over 45 years. Think about all the different people who have come to know Jesus in 45 years in this building. Think about all the people who we've got to celebrate new life in Christ through baptism with in this particular building, think about all of those and even us who are here today have found a church home in a place that we belong a people group that we've found great friendships in support and encouragement in people that God has used to speak life into us and to grow us up in Christ. place where many of you have gotten to raise your children and see them come to know Jesus and grow up in Christ in some of you are watching your grandkids do that. Now in this moment, some of you are longing and wishing for your kids or your grandkids who may have even been a part of it at one time to come back and be a part of it now. But no doubt God has used this building to lead many of his children, many of his people to come To know him, think about how many kids have been involved in our Vacation Bible School program, how many 1000s of kids in this building, over all these years have heard the good news of Jesus Christ in our community. And we don't know how far that even goes. Sometimes, every year, there's a number of those kids who come to know Jesus, and we get to celebrate with him and their families, and even bad ties, some of them, but many of them are just involved in the community. And they're a part of something. And we don't really know God what God was doing at that time. And they don't even tell us but maybe there are a number of them who came to know Jesus, and are a part of his family, but now are a part of a different church, which are still our brothers and sisters in Christ. Or maybe it was the seed that led to the next seed and the next one, and it played a role all throughout, there's there's no telling, you just can't count the number of things that God has done in and through this particular building, he's done so much. We have a school that meets here now 250, kids, three to four times a week get to meet here in this particular building, and learn and grow up learning from a Biblical world view. Because of a number of people that God had worked through 40 something years ago, to give out of the resources that he had blessed them with, to be able to build this building in the first place, knowing that there was a time coming, when a school would meet here. And we wouldn't even be just using this space on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights. You see how God sits above all things and works in and through the people at a particular time, not just for what He's doing in that time. But to reach even beyond that to affect people way even further down the road. And you and I get to be a part of that. I mean, we could go on and on about all the things that he's used this building for and all the fruit that he's produced in the woods, and don't get me wrong, it's it's not the only place that God does His work. Again, it's just one of his ministry tools each and every week, he sends us still out as the church into our neighborhoods and workplaces and other schools and, and all the above, to be a part of His kingdom work there. And he's doing much in and through us in those places as well. But much of it happens here. This is one of the primary ministry tools that he uses as a part of his mission through us as colonial Hills Baptist Church. And in order for it to continue, continue to be a tool in his hands over the next 45 plus years to come. Again, he's leading us to come together at this time to make necessary updates and necessary improvements. Much of that will take place in our worship center areas affected by the flood. But a lot of it, as many of you know will be made all throughout the building to make it even a better place for the ministry and the work that he does in our Sunday school classes for adults and for kids and for our kids and youth programs. And for again, King's Academy school where we've seen a lot of growth in a number of these areas with the school and with our own kids and youth programs. And again, everything else that Jesus is calling us to in his mission through us as one of his local churches here. And again, many of you were able to be here a few weeks ago when we had one of our more detailed informational meetings. But if you missed that, please let us know I can share a link with you where you can watch that and get all the details I think that you'll need about what this now the time is the time campaign is about. And as I said at those meetings, I'm available, if you need to come by and visit with me anytime or call me anytime, email me anytime about any questions that you may have. But what I want to encourage those of us who are part of this church who are members who are partners of this church to do is to begin praying about how Jesus is leading you, us to be a part of this and to participate in this campaign two weeks from today, we will come together as one church family. We only do this a few times a year. But this is one of those Sundays where we're going to come together as one family, we're going to have one worship service. We're going to split it right between the two times and do it at 10 o'clock in the morning. We're still gonna have Sunday school that day. It'll just be moved a little bit earlier and we'll do Sunday School at nine to 945 10 o'clock is when we'll do our worship. I just think as important as this thing is. I want us to come together as one family. I want us to commit together and see what the Lord is doing young No first and second services all together, and how he's leading us to make those commitments. During that service on that day on that day, we'll be considering how the Lord worked in us and through us to give a one time cash donation on that particular day, so that we can begin to use that for immediate work that can be started. And then to turn in commitment cards on how the Lord is leading us to commit to giving systematically over the next three years, so that we'll have an idea of how we can phase out the work that the Lord is leading us to do in all of these areas. Our goal is $2 million. That is a lot of money, we're going to look at that we're taking the insurance money that we'll get the remaining Saltgrass funds that we have. Our school that meets here has been so generous and contributed to everything that we've ever done around here. And I have no doubt that they'll want to contribute in some way not when I say want, like they'll want not just feel like they have to, to be a part of it, we have a great relationship with him. And they love our church and the opportunity to do what they do here. And so we'll explore all of these things together. And again, that's a lot of money. But it is nothing, absolutely nothing for the God of the universe who speaks things into existence. And as we make ourselves available to him, and he works in and through each one of us together, we'll see the power of him doing that in us and through us. And so now is the time, please be praying about how the Lord is leading you. I'm so excited. Because when we enter into things like this, where it seems big, and lofty, it just gives Jesus the opportunity to show off, and I can't wait to see him show off. But as we do close out our time today, I do want us to consider while much of what we've been talking about has been geared towards how the Lord is working in and through us to make application for this now is the time campaign and what he's leading us as partners to do. We can't get away from the fact that if God is at work, in the ways that we saw him all throughout Scripture today, to reveal to us that now is the time to act on certain things in our lives, then each one of us has to ask the question, What is he saying now is the time to do in your own life. He may be speaking to you on a number of different things other than this particular campaign, that we're all that he's leading all of us into. So again, is he saying now is the time to make a certain decision in your life or in the life of your family right now? Is he saying that now's the time, to get help with something to reach out to someone to make them aware of something that's going on in your life is now the time to get the counseling that you need is now the time to address the issues that are actually going on in your marriage and you haven't been willing to talk about is now the time to address some particular sin that's going on in your life and turn that over and trust that to Jesus is now the time that he's saying to tell that friend or family member or neighbor or co worker about Jesus that he's put on your heart for the last several days or weeks or months or even possibly years is now the time to get involved in a Sunday school. If you've just been coming to the worship experience and not leading into real connection and getting to know people and letting them get to know you and to grow with them is now the time to become an official member of this church. You've been coming for a while you've been a guest. As a matter of fact, you're a regular attender, you'd even say this is where you go to church, but you've yet to make it official and say, I want to be a member, I want to be a partner. I want to join in with what God is doing here at this particular church. Maybe that's what he's saying to you today. Or maybe even now is the time for you to trust Jesus as your Lord and Savior because you've never taken a step of faith. And you're ready to say yes to him today and celebrate new life in him over baptism. We saw all of those examples throughout scripture of how God was at work in their lives to point them to the time where he was saying now is the time to act. What is he doing in your life today? To say now's the time for you to act in this way, as I guide you into it. And as I empower you to even be able to carry it out, whatever it is, I hope that you'll say yes to him today and trust him with it. Because he's a good God. And he sits in a different chair than you do. And he knows what he's doing. Let's pray. Father, thank you for who you are, and how you, you just do you do. You sit above all these things, and you just work in and through all of us in situations and circumstances in our lives to, to move things along, and to each of us to a place. And, Father, we don't understand that it's too big for us to comprehend. But it gives us a lot of assurance. It gives us a lot of perspective about who you are, and that we're in good hands with you. Lord Jesus, I trust that you've brought us here today, because you've been working behind the scenes, to do something in each one of our lives, leading us to a point where you're saying now's the time, for whatever that thing is in each one of our lives. So we entrust it to you. And we ask for you to empower us to respond and act on it as you're leading us to do maybe even right now in this moment, and Jesus name, Amen. Would you stand as we sing this final song together in if the Lord is leading you to respond, saying now is the time for you to respond in some way you