May 10, 2026 Text: Acts 17:30-31
Dear Friends in Christ,
Do you have an appointment book? Or an appointment calendar? Or maybe, just maybe if you are technologically savvy you have places that you have to be on your phone. What appointments might we have? Doctor, dentist, accountant, lawyer, financial advisor, barbershop, beauty parlor, prayer time, Bible study, community group, sporting event and time for a vacation. With some of these you get that reminder phone call, “Hello Mr. Smith, this is Gertrude at Dr. Hammer’s office, you have an appointment with us on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. If you can’t make it or need to reschedule, please give us a call.” If you don’t go to the doctor or dentist very often, you probably know of the appointment. If you are running to these type of appointments, and I have seen some your calendars, a call may come in and you say, “That’s right, I forgot about that appointment.”
In one sense life can be described as a series of appointments. Such is the direction of the sermon this morning. It is a call from Scripture . . .
“THIS IS TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD ON . . .”
One thing I do not get complacent about as a Pastor is death. I have conducted close to 100 funerals in my clergy lifetime. Brothers and sisters, dads and moms, children, and grandparents. I can recall some detail about every one of them. I have many very interesting funeral stories during my clerical collar days.
One thing we know for sure. There is an appointed day for every human being. Solomon said: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die.” (Eccl. 3:1,2a)
In our text the Holy Spirit says through the Apostle Paul: “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed (that’s Jesus); and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”
God has overlooked times of ignorance has he not? There has been a lot of idolatry that went unpunished, but it will be punished on the Day of Judgment. He has a day that He has fixed, and which is appointed. To think, that man thinks he controls his destiny.
God has set appointments. What about this one? “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son…” (Gal. 4:4). An appointed time. In Job it is written, “Since (a man’s) days are determined and the number of months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass…” (Job 14:5). Our life is days and months. Short, Brief. Unknown but to God. This isn’t being negative. This is the Word of the Lord. We face it.
Our appointment with God is unknown to us. He has a set time for each of us here. Recall with me the words that Paul wrote to Timothy. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come.” (2 Tim. 4:6). Paul didn’t live in morbid anticipation even as he could see his death before him. How did he look at it? His words, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21)
We all make statements that echo something like this. “I am suffering, but it’s better than the alternative.” “At least I am six feet above ground and not six feet below it.” Our flesh does recoil at the reality of death and dying. Staying on this earth indefinitely is not better than the alternative for the child of God in Christ. Jesus promises forgiveness and eternal life, “whoever believes in Him will not perish.” (Jn. 3:16). He says to his disciples and says to us, “Let not your hearts be troubled…I will come again and take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.” (Jn. 14:1,3)
We have to keep it straight. It has been said before, but we hear it again today: “The goal of life isn’t to stay alive. The goal of life is to glorify God.” Don’t shove Scripture to the side or fluff your mind with contemporary theology. Fill your life with God’s Word.
Here’s a verse from that Word before we leave this sermon behind. “And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.” (1 Jn. 2:17). Do you have a better understanding? This is to remind you of your appointment with God on…the day He has set for you, as well as me. All glory be to Christ!
Amen.