Dharius Daniels - My Time Is Coming

John chapter 7, verse 6 says this: «Therefore, Jesus told them, 'My time is not yet here, for you anytime will do.'» I want to talk from this subject; I want to tag this title to this text, family: «This is your declaration; this is your affirmation.» I want you to drop in the chat, «I got you busy in the chat already!» I want you to drop this in the chat: «My time is coming.» That’s the subject of today’s sermon: «My time is coming.»

Family, I think if we were objective and honest, many—if not most of us—would have to admit that, in some seasons of our spiritual journey, we’ve wrestled with the uncomfortable tension between attempting to discern, watch this, what God wants me to do and when God wants me to do it. I know there are some individuals who may have had experiences in their spiritual journey where they’ve never encountered seasons of ambiguity and uncertainty, seasons where everything was crystal clear, black and white. They were able to discern with distinction what was them and what was God, when they should do it, and how they should do it. They have never wrestled with the anxiety of ambiguity.

But for the rest of us, we would have to honestly admit that there are times when the tension is great between attempting to discern: «Is this God, or is this me?» Yeah, if we were to honestly audit our emotions, some of us would admit we wrestle with competing and conflicting feelings, where we feel like we’re ready to go, but at the same time, we recognize it’s not time. This ambiguity, this uncertainty, is a reality that many of us have wrestled with. However, I want to use the story of Jesus to offer you some perspective on how to manage that tension.

I believe Jesus provides an example for us and offers some insight as we attempt to wrestle with the tension of what God wants me to do, and then when does God want me to do it? I want you to catch this; this is important. I believe Dr. Jesus, the great physician, the balm of Gilead, if you gave Him your symptoms of uncertainty, ambiguity, and restlessness, He would write you a prescription called patience. Did you hear what I just said?

Watch this: I think we’re accustomed to hearing about patience when it comes to waiting to do something. However, I’m not so sure we’re accustomed to hearing about patience when it comes to waiting to gain clarity on what I’m supposed to do. I am telling you that sometimes patience is required, not just when you’re doing something, but patience is also required when you are attempting to gain clarity on what you are supposed to do. I want somebody who’s receiving this revelation to drop «patience» and put it right there in the chat.

Yeah, here it is, because this would be the prescription—I apologize, the prescription— that I believe Jesus would write for those of us trying to gain clarity in seasons of ambiguity. Listen to me: maybe Jesus uses ambiguity as an institution of education to teach you patience because the only way you learn it is when you have to use it. You don’t learn patience from a sermon; you don’t learn patience in church. You learn patience when God places you in seasons where you must exercise it or go insane.

See, don’t miss this: biblically, patience is a word that means «to be long-tempered.» Patience does not merely mean waiting because there are certain situations God places you in where you don’t have a choice but to wait. Patience isn’t just about if you wait; it’s about how you wait. It is a trait God wants to build inside of builders.

Come here; I said it is a trait that God wants to build inside of the builder. And so, if God is not building patience in you, it may be because—y’all are not catching this—you have not yet received the revelation that you’ve been called and commissioned and created to be a builder. Because God builds in the builder before the build. Did you hear me? The builder focuses on building a thing; God’s focused on building the builder.

Because God knows «I put the gifts inside you and my gifts and calling are without repentance; they’re irrevocable.» So, I know you have the capability; I know you have the expertise. But what I’m doing is I’m building—watch this—I’m building the builder. Because you not building what I’ve called and created you to build is not because you lack competence; it’ll be because you lack some character traits that are required of builders. Are you hearing what I’m saying?

And so, God may use seasons of ambiguity to teach us things we will not learn any other way. One of those things is the ability to be patient. Y’all don’t like this one, do you? Uh-huh. I want you to know if you’re in the business of building people, you will not be able to successfully fulfill that assignment if you do not develop the trait of patience.

People can have breakthroughs instantaneously, but they do not change instantaneously. Y’all, did you hear what I just said? They can have breakthrough moments instantaneously, but change happens incrementally. And change often happens in cycles—not just in seasons, but in cycles where people make progress and then regress. They quit a thing and then go back to it. They exercise consistency and commitment and then revert to patterns of inconsistency and disengagement.