WHEN SHOULD SOMEBODY DO THAT?

LUKE 2:52

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

One of the great questions in life is “when?”. When should I go to school? When should I get a job? Get Married? Buy a house? Ad nauseum. Here are 3 of the most important “when” questions answered from the Book of Books, the Bible.

 

I. WHEN SHOULD SOMEBODY GET SAVED?

1. Get Saved as a Child [Mt. 19:14, 2 Tm. 3:15]

- But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

- And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

2. Get Saved as an Adult [Acts 8:35-37, 16:30-31]

- Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

-And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

3. Get Saved as a Senior Citizen [2 Chron. 33:1-2, 10-13]

-Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem: But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

-And the LORD spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD he was God.

In short, get saved now! [2 Cor. 6:2] behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

 

II. WHEN SHOULD SOMEBODY TAKE A STAND FOR GOD?

1. Take a Stand as a Child [Dan. 1:8]

- But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

2. Take a Stand as an Adult [Heb. 11:24]

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

3. Take a Stand as a Senior Citizen [Josh. 23:1, 24:15]

- And it came to pass a long time after that the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

- And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD

In short, take a stand for God now! [Eph. 6:13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

 

III. WHEN SHOULD SOMEBODY BE A WITNESS FOR GOD?

1. Be a Witness as a Child [2 Kings 5:1-4, Mt. 21:16]

- Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel.

- And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read , Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

2. Be a Witness as an Adult [John 1:6-8, 15]

-There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

- John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

3. Be a Witness as a Senior Citizen [Lk. 2:25-38, Phile. 1:9]

- Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

In short, be a witness for God now! [Ps. 107:2] Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;