WAITING ON GOD
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.
WAITING ON GOD
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
The text is about Abraham waiting for the promise of Isaac.
It was no easy task.
THE DIFFICULTY OF WAITING
“After he patiently endured.”
The words “patiently endured” come from one Greek word meaning to suffer long.
Suffering is involved in this patient waiting on God.
The difficulty Abraham faced was at least threefold.
• The temptation of substitution
Reading the actual account in the book of Genesis of Abraham waiting and you learn of the devil’s substitution which actually brought suffering and not satisfaction.
Hagar’s Ishmael is still a problem today in the Middle East.
Satan always has his short cuts which in the long run are not short cuts to blessing but short cuts to suffering.
Satan got Sarah to propose Abraham having a son through his Egyptian maid, Hagar.
That certainly appealed to the flesh, but Abraham suffered much because of Ishmael.
Satan says today, ‘why wait till marriage for sex, do it now.’
He says, ‘why wait on hard work for your financial security.
Gamble, steal, get it now.’
Satan says to the student, ‘why bother in waiting for good grades by study.
Cheat, copy, and get your good grades now, the easy way.’
That was Satan speaking through Sarah and it produced untold suffering and the product was not God’s promise.
• The trial of scorning
Part of the suffering in the waiting for God’s blessing of a son was in the scorning he would receive from any who knew of the situation.
They would laugh at Abraham and the promises as did Sarah because of the circumstances not being conducive to the coming of Isaac.
I think it hurt Abraham the worst when Sarah laughed at the promises of God.
• The time of no strength
Abraham was too weak physically to have a son, but his faith was not weak.
And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
God delights to work in times when we are without strength for then His power receives more glory and honor.
For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Abraham not only did not have the strength for a child but his body was “dead” for producing a child Yet, Isaac was born to Abraham and Sarah.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
THE DIVIDEND OF WAITING
“He obtained the promises.”
Eventually Abraham was rewarded for his patient endurance for God’s promise.
Isaac was born and the book of Genesis records the joy that Isaac was to Abraham and Sarah.
Abraham obtained the promises and they were most satisfactory.
Satan’s shortcuts do not bring the delight and satisfaction that God’s way brings.
One may have to wait a long time after doing the will of God, to receive the promises.
But the wait is worth it.
The dividend of waiting is incomparable delight.
Keep you eyes focused on the promise and your waiting will be endurable.
Part 2
PATIENCE FOR GOD’S PRIZES
For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
Our text is a good text about patience in serving God. We need many things to serve Him well, none is needed more than patience.
FIRST—PATIENCE
“Ye have need of patience.” If you do not fit here, you do not fit anywhere. We all need patience especially in living the Christian faith. We need patience to practice the Christian faith when we see our competitor prosper through unscrupulous means while we suffer losses trying to do right. We need patience to do right when, as a student in school, we see the cheat get the grade point honors while we try to be honest and proper and come up short on the honors. We need patience when the dishonest businessman though trickery and deceit in advertising and service makes sales while we practice honesty and do not get the sales but get into debt and cannot pay our bills. We need patience to practice godliness though it seems to put us on the short end of things again and again.
SECOND—PERFORMANCE
“After ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promises.” The only performance that God promises to bless is the performance that does the will of God. Therefore, we need to know the will of God about everything we do. The will of God may not be popular or esteemed highly by our fellowman, but if you know the will of God, do it! Do not be beguiled into doing other than the will of God. You will come up on the short end of things every time when you do things contrary to the will of God.
THIRD—PROMISES
“Ye night receive the promises.” The promises of God are the awards of God for our living and serving Him.
• The promises are sure. Men often promise to reward us. but often they fail or are unable to fulfill their promise.
• The promises are superior. God’s promises are greater than any that man makes. His promises are eternal not just temporal. He can bless us in eternity, not just in time (as men is limited to blessing).
• The promises are satisfactory. God awards will satisfy. Men’s awards often do not satisfy. In fact man’s awards wear out (I have some sports trophies obtained in basketball in the Navy that are now eroded, and rusted, and falling apart.
• The promises are slow. “Ye have need of patience that after ye have done the will of God ye might receive he promises.” Our text is all about the time element in receiving God’s awards. The best awards are the longest in coming, but they last the longest. Do not sell out to the world for their cheap awards simply because they can be had now. Remember God’s awards/promises, while taking the longest, will be around for eternity.