What Is God Waiting For? - Part 3 — Derek Prince

Derek Prince Ministries proclaiming the inspired Word of God around the world. Derek Prince is an internationally recognized Bible teacher and author. Through books, audios, videos and radio broadcasts Derek seeks to reach the unreached and teach the untaught.

In over 50 years of ministry Derek has reached over 100 nations in more than 50 languages. And now Derek Prince. I have.

Justification Means Acquittal and Imputed Righteousness

Another little example. I gave it in Moscow. About the word justify. Which sounds such a theological word. And people say well I'm justified by faith. But they don't really know what it means. It means to be acquitted.

To be found not guilty. To be reckoned righteous. To be made righteous. And I gave a little picture. Come up here sweetheart. I gave a little picture of a man in a court being tried for a crime which carried a mandatory death sentence.

And he was sitting there waiting for the judge to pronounce the verdict. And the judge said not guilty. And I said when he met his wife afterwards he didn't say that was a nice meeting. He said honey I don't have to die.

I'm free. How many of you go out of a meeting like that? That's the truth. That's what justification is. You and you furthermore you were guilty. The truth of the matter is that Jesus took your guilt upon himself.

That's why the judge says not guilty. Not because of anything you've done. But because of what he did. Now one more question. Very simple one. How do you purify yourself? Now we could spend hours on this.

Purification Through Obeying the Truth

But I want to give you just one scripture. In first Peter chapter 1 verse 22. First Peter chapter 1 verse 22. Speaking to believers he says since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.

To sincere love of the brethren. Love one another fervently with a pure heart. So how do we purify our souls? By obeying the truth. Not by knowing the truth. But by obeying the truth. And what is the result of obeying the truth?

It's fervent love for one another. Paul said to Timothy, the goal of our instruction is love. Out of a pure heart, a good conscience and unfamed faith. Do we recognize that? What are we aiming at? Why do we hold meetings?

What is the purpose of preaching? Do we ever score a goal? What would you think of a football team? And I mean I have to think in terms of soccer, because I don't understand American football. But they're running up and down across the field.

Backwards and forwards passing the ball to one another. But they never aim at the goal. That's like a lot of churches. Because the goal of our instruction is what? Love. And if we don't achieve that we haven't scored.

So purifying your heart comes through obeying the truth. Not just knowing the truth or quoting the truth, but obeying the truth. And it leads to unfamed love of the brethren. And John said we know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren.

What's the evidence? Love. That's the result of a purified heart. All right, the other and the final recommendation I have, if you can call it a recommendation, that God requires a part of us to be His people, is to make Jesus central in your life.

Jesus in the Midst of the Churches and the Throne

I was preaching on Revelation last Sunday, as a matter of fact. No, the Sunday before last. And I was preaching on the first seven chapters of Revelation. And as I was preaching I got a revelation. That's the position of Jesus.

In Revelation chapter 1, John heard this voice like a trumpet speaking behind him. And then in verse 12 he says, having turned I saw seven golden lampstands. And in the midst of the seven lampstands, one like the Son of Man.

That was Jesus. What were the lampstands? It tells us, the churches. Where was Jesus? In the middle. And that's the only place He belongs, is in the middle. And then you go on to Revelation chapter 5.

And John was weeping because no one could open the scroll that contained God's plan for the close of the age. And one of the elders said don't weep. I'll read it, verse 5. What one of the elders said to me, do not weep.

Behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll to loose its seven seals. Just let me point out to you, that Jesus is still the Lion of the tribe of Judah. And you know the word that comes from Judah, is Jew.

He didn't become a Jew just for 33 years. He is eternally identified with the Jewish people. And you better be careful of your attitude to them. So John turned to see the Lion. And he was shocked by what he saw.

I looked and behold in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb as though it had been slain. See that's the demonstration of God's power. God's power is made perfect in weakness.

The Lamb, the Cross, and the Way to Exaltation

Paul says the weakness of God is stronger than men. The foolishness of God is wiser than men. The weakness of God and the foolishness of the God is the cross. And through the cross Jesus became the Lion of the tribe of Judah.

In other words, if you fight for your rights, you lose them. If you lay them down, God will restore them to you. Before honor is humility. It says in Philippians chapter 2, describes first of all the seven downward steps that Jesus took, culminating in the death of the cross.

And the next word that follows is, therefore God has also highly exalted him. Don't miss out the therefore. Why was Jesus exalted? Because he had humbled himself. And Jesus said himself, everyone who exalts himself will be abased.

And everyone who humbles himself will be exalted. And because Jesus humbled himself to the lowest, therefore God exalted him to the highest. And so the Lion is the Lamb that was slain. But notice, he's in the midst of the lampstands.

He's in the midst of the throne and the elders. There's only one place that you can rightfully give Jesus. And that is the center of your life. If he's out of the center, your life is out of balance. I'm very weak on the history of science.

God Does Not Revolve Around Our Needs

But I do know enough to know that for many centuries men believed that the sun revolved around the earth, because that's the way it appears. Then I think it was a man named Copernicus, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Forgive me if I'm wrong. He said no, it isn't the way it seems. Actually the earth revolves around the sun. We've got things wrong. And for that Galileo was almost put to death by the church, incidentally.

That's interesting. The church has not always been favorable to new discoveries. But I want to use that as a little illustration. See, the much contemporary preaching is this. God will meet your need.

You're sick, he'll heal you. If you're poor, he'll give you money, etc. That's a mistake. Because what it produces is self-centered Christians. God is there to meet my need. Now it is true that God does meet our needs, but that's a totally wrong perspective.

We are there to glorify God. God doesn't revolve around us. We revolve around God. And if your life hasn't got Jesus in the center, you're off balance. You're really not in line for the purposes of God in your life.

And if there are those here this morning who cannot honestly say, Jesus is the center of my life. My life revolves around Him, before anyone else. Before my husband, my wife, my children, my job, my finance.

Jesus is the center. Then you're off balance. And very likely you're amongst those who Paul described as of all men, the most miserable. You've lost your vision of eternity. Now I want to close with just one more beautiful thought.

Redemption From Every Tribe, Language, People, and Nation

In Revelation chapter 5, where we beam just a little further. In verse 9, the elders, if I remember rightly, it was the elders. Yes. Sang a new song to the Lamb, saying you are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals.

For you were slain and have redeemed men to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation. And have made them kings and a kingdom and priests to our God. And they shall reign on the earth.

Notice that the redemption is out of every tribe, tongue or language, people and nation. So the Lord has to be in the redeemed, a representative from every tribe, people, language and nation. That's one main reason why I am a firm supporter of the Wycliffe Translators.

Because their aim is to get the scripture translated into every human language. They still have about 2 ,000 languages to go, if you know that. There's still about 2 ,000 languages that have no scripture in them at all.

I don't work with them, but I support them. Because they take God seriously. There has to be somebody there from every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. I was wondering as I was sitting here, how to explain the difference between a people and a nation.

And let me give you an example, very interesting. The Assyrians. They're not living where Assyria was. That's been taken over by Saddam Hussein, who doesn't belong there. But the Assyrians speak Aramaic and that was the first language that Jesus ever preached in, was Aramaic.

It was the language used in the land of Israel in his day. Now there are three million Assyrians in the world, but they're not a nation. They're a people, but not a nation. Until 1948, the Jews were a people, but not a nation.

So there has to be at least one out of every people, nation, tribe, and tongue. So you know what God is waiting for? He's waiting for that special people that's taken from every single tribe, nation, people, and tongue.

And until that's complete, He'll go on, in spite of all the evil, in spite of all the wickedness, in spite of all the suffering, because His one supreme aim is a people for His Son. And because Jesus gave His life for every man, woman, and child, there has to be at least one representative before the throne, among the redeemed, out of every kind and class of humanity.

Why God Waits: Repentance Before the End of the Age

Let me close by reading Peter's own explanation of this. You remember the question that I asked once, why does God tolerate, for so many centuries, the unbelievable evil that's in the earth? And I have an experience now and then at nights.

I become aware of evil, not some specific evil, but just the general presence and power of evil. And it is overpowering. And I realize that's what the world is like. And I have one remedy which I'll offer to you.

When I realize that, I say this, I thank God I'm in Christ. No matter what evil there is, I'm in Christ. But it's at times it has been almost overpowering to realize the evil in the world today. And it's not going to decrease, it's going to increase.

Why is God waiting? Well Peter says in 2 Peter chapter 3 verse 9, the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some can slackness, but is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

What is God waiting for? He's waiting for the elect, the ones He's chosen out of every tribe, people, time and nation. And until there's one at least, He will not close the age. And if you want the age to close, you know what you need to do?

Commit yourself to reaching the unreached and teaching the untaught. That's the most practical thing that any of us can do against the sufferings in the world today. Because God will not close the age until He has a special people for Jesus, redeemed by the blood from every people, tribe, time and nation.

Repentance and Restoring Jesus to the Center

Now I've spoken about a problem that's general, and I think it would be right for me to come down to the individual. And I want to suggest to you that there are some of you here this morning who are not living the way you ought to live.

You've been touching the unclean thing with your thoughts, maybe even your actions. And you cannot honestly say, Jesus is the center of my life. You've put other things before Him. Ruth and I love one another dearly.

We work together continually. But Ruth is not number one in my life. Jesus is. I'm not number one in her life. Jesus is. And that helps our marriage. It doesn't hinder it. It helps it. Where people are self-centered, it tends to break down a marriage.

So I want to give an opportunity to those of you who want to change. In old-fashioned language you want to repent. You want to change your mind. You've been living wrong. You haven't had eternity in view.

You haven't had Jesus as a center. And you've come to realize that this morning, and you want to change. If that's so, I would invite anybody that really wants to make a transaction with the Lord today on that basis, to stand up, come out of their place, and come to the front.

We'll wait a little while. We're not in a hurry. Let me just say, I hope I won't embarrass this young man who came forward. Some years ago he was delivered from the demon of alcohol through my prayers.

Is that right? Now he's let it come back. And he's come forward this morning to be delivered once again. If the elders and the workers would come and be ready. Because I believe we need to pray for some of these people.

If Ruth would be ready to come. You can come much further forward if other people want to come. Remember why I'm asking you to come. I'm not saying you're a wicked person. But I'm saying that your life is out of balance.

Jesus isn't at the center. Today you want to make him the center. You've lost the vision of eternity. You've just been living for the things of this time, this world. And it doesn't make you happy. As Paul says, you'll be of all men the most miserable.

Lose the vision of eternity. Wait a little longer because there's others that need to come. Just the fact that you're right at the back of the building doesn't make any difference. You can take a few extra steps.

You're not coming to meet with Brother Prince. You're coming for a fresh encounter with Jesus. Or maybe the first encounter with Jesus. Jeff, where are you? I want to say there are some old Christians here.

And your Christianity has got old. And it needs to be revived. I could stop, but I know that there are more. I'm particularly talking to people that have been Christians for 20 or 30 years. But you've lost your first love.

Returning to First Love and Rejecting the Fear of Man

And you remember what the Lord said to the Church of Philadelphia? Repent. Remember from where you've fallen. To lose your first love is a fall. And it can only be remedied by repentance. The Bible says the fear of man brings a snare.

And some of you are snared by the fear of what other people will think. You better get rid of that snare. When I was in Kenya, the Africans used to snare birds by making a loop of grass and putting it in front of the place where they knew the bird would run.

And then the bird would run into it and it would tighten around the bird's throat. And some of you have got a snare around your throat. You're afraid to speak. You're afraid to witness. You're afraid to take a public stand for the Lord.

Even in your own families, you don't really let people know where you stand. Jeff, do you want to say anything? I would like the workers to come maybe up on the platform if you can. Those of you elders and people like that.

Or come up this side. Because I believe we need to lay hands on these people today. I don't normally do this. But I believe today that God wants us to lay hands. Not to pray a long prayer, but just to lay hands on those that have come forward.

I know that some of you have come with real, deep, long-standing problems. God can resolve those problems. If you'll meet Jesus the way he really is, it doesn't take him a long time to solve those problems.

Is Denise here? Denise, would you come up too?

As elders, just come, work your way, face the people who have responded. Come quickly.

We are going to minister to you. Just each one wherever we happen to come. Don't seek out some special person. Don't fix your eyes on me, because I'm not the deliverer. Jesus is. You meet Jesus, that will solve your problems.

A Prayer of Surrender to Jesus

Now I would like you to just say a short prayer after me. Those of you that have come forward. Just sentence by sentence after me. Lord Jesus, I thank you that you died for me. To save me from hell and give me eternal life.

Lord, I want to lay hold of that life. I want to make sure this morning that I'm not going to end in hell. Lord, only you can save me. I give myself to you. I put you right in the center of my life. I give you leave to do whatever you want with me.

Here I am Lord Jesus. I give myself to you. In Jesus name. Amen.