Connecting the Dots at Christmas

SERMON

Sometimes seemingly imperfect timing is perfect for accomplishing God’s purposes.

SCRIPTURE:Galatians 4:4

Connecting the Dots at Christmas

Ken Shigematsu

Sermon Outline:

Introduction

I. 'Fullness of time'

II. Christ's coming was at the right time for many evident reasons

III. God can use difficult circumstances to accomplish great good in his timing

IV. God uses our choices for his perfect purpose

Conclusion

Introduction

My professor Haddon Robinson from seminary tells a story about a married woman who decided to go on her own private vacation to Europe. She went from the Midwest to London and then she was planning to go to Paris, Rome, and Vienna. When she got to London she called her husband back home in the Midwest and said, "How are you doing?" Her husband said, "I'm doing fine but our cat Lucy died." So his wife starts bawling her eyes out on the phone. But when she regains her composure, she says, "You insensitive brute of a man, why did I ever marry someone like you? You just have no concern about my feelings." The husband said, "Well, what was I supposed to have said?" The wife thinks for a moment and she says, "Well, when I got to London and I called you as I just did, you could have said, 'Lucy, our cat is on the roof.' When I got to Paris you could have said, 'Lucy, our cat fell down from the roof.' When I got to Rome you could have said, 'Lucy's not doing so well.' When I got to Vienna you could have said, 'Lucy died.'" Then the wife said, "By the way, how is mother?" The husband responded, "She's on the roof." That wife thought her husband had bad timing insofar as delivering news.

Have you ever been in a situation in your life where you felt the timing of something was bad? This past weekend I had an out-of-town guest named Sam. When Sam was in his twenties, he was newly married, and didn't have a lot of money. Yet Sam and his wife Sue sensed that they were supposed to move from Washington to California, where they knew no one, for Sam to begin seminary and for Sue to support him while working. It was during a recession. Three weeks before the couple was scheduled to leave Washington and to head down to California ...

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