While You Wait

Have you ever waited a long time for something? And if so how did you handle the wait?

This is a picture of Kevin Sutton. and in 2015 Kevin Sutton waas getting ready to go blackfriday shopping (I know we still have a bit before Christmas), but here what makes this interesting,

Because most of us maybe waited a few hours, some people would camp out the night before, but Kevin Sutton, actually got to best-buy and set up his tent 33 days before black Friday.

but whats neat about this story is that while he was waiting he collected toys for kids in need and food for those who were homeless,

And so while he was waiting he was about to collect over 3 tons of food for those who were homeless.

But you know the truth is in life there are things that we wait for:

Some of us we are waiting for our dream job,

You might be waiting for you kid to get out of that stage…

Others of us we might be in a place where we are waiting to find that friend that we can connect with

or maybe we are waiting to find that person that we want to Mary

Maybe your spouse has said I will change, and your waiting

It could be you are in the process of where we are trying to have a child and we are in the waiting process for it.

And if you have ever been in the process of waiting it can really be painful can’t it?

And there are these unknowns of what if it doesn’t happen, what if things go wrong

And all these thoughts go into our head and it can be a really tough place.

And I never want to diminish the heartache that can happen while we wait, but I believe so often while we wait God can use those hard places

Because the truth is how we wait is really important.

And today we are continuing this series called “You Are Here” and we are looking at this letter that a guy named Paul wrote from prison and during the letter Paul is instructing Timothy on how to lead the church.

but he also talks about how he wants to visit with him. And today Paul instructs Timothy what to do in the waiting period.

And I think this can speak into our lives for those moments where we find ourselves waiting.

And so we are going to be in 1 Timothy 4:13-5:2 and we will just be starting in the first few verses. It says this:

1 Timothy 4:13–15 (ESV)

13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. 14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.

So Paul starts with until I come devote yourself to public reading of scripture and really this would be going deeper into God’s word, but also by doing that ghe saying while we wait we should be going deeper in our walk with God.

Because heres the thing when we find ourselves in these waiting periods, its really easy to be upset and just sit, but Paul is saying while you wait use this time to allow your walk with God to grow.

Because the more your walk with God grows the more rooted you will be regardless of what happens.

I have used this illustration before but think about a tree.

I actually saw this tree in Africa and they believe its over 1000 years old, and not just that, but they say that the trees roots go down and deep as thee tree is tall.

And this is the reason the tree is so strong, because if its roots were shallow, the tree would just topple over if a guest of wind came, but because its roots are so deep, a storm can come through but the tree is going to not move.

And heres what I want you to get, because while we are waiting it is a really good times to become more rooted in our faith.

Because whether what we wait for comes or does not, there are challenges that will occur and when we are rooted it might not change the situation, but it will change how we handle the situation.

And I want you to notice because Paul even says while you are waiting do not just stop doing things, in fact he says to use your gifts.

I mean if you want to get better at somthing you need to use it right?

I have been trying to go to the gym more often because growth happens when you use the muscle regularly right?

and I love the language that Paul uses because he does not just say use it, but he says immerse yourself in it.

You know I think we have a tendancy to focus on the future and it is natuarl.

I mean sometimes even with my kids I get excited for when Liam and Finn can do sports and things like that, but if thats all I focus on thats an issue right, and Paul is saying immerse yourself in the now,

find ways to use those gifts that you want to use for that goal or whatever and find wats to use them now, because they are going to not just help you better use what you are gifted with in the future, but they will make an impact now.

And lets look at the next verse (verse 16), because it says this:

1 Timothy 4:16 ESV

16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

You know this part is pretty important, because it says to keep a close eye on yourself and your teaching.

You know this might seem really simple but its easy to find ourselves far from where we should be if we are not keeping a close eye on the way we are living.

because sometimees its takes stepping back to see how off track we are.

Think about if I was going to hand something up, up here.

I can hold this up and say I think this is straight right?

but in reality it might be really crooked.

So there are a couple things that I can do right?

The first is I go to you guys who are further away and I go hey how is this? Is it crooked?

but the second is I have tools right? A level.

And betwen you guys and the tools I have, I should be able to get this thing on the wall pretty straight.

But if I do it alone and very unintentionally it will probably be crooked

And heres the thing, because if we are not intentional in our walk with God we will drift away.

And it is so important to use the tools we have to make sure we are staying where God desires us (even in the middle of waiting)

I mean finding people in your life that can help keep you accountable.

A lot of you know this but I have a mentor and I can talk with him about things and he will tell me wow Brendan, thats a great idea or sometimes it might go, wow you really messed that up.

Sometimes I will have friends that will help keep me accountable,

But if we want to stay where God wants us, then we have to be intentional (or as it says in this passage “keep a close watch”) on our lives because otherwise its really easy for things to get crooked.

And lets look at the last couple verses today because this is a big one. Look at 1 Timothy 5:1-2. It says this:

1 Timothy 5:1–2 ESV

1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

You know this section is a little different because Paul lays out relationally how we should be interacting with others around us.

and I think Paul understood the importance of being in community.

Because in our lives there are gaps. I mean some of us we might not have a great relationship with a parent or kid, maybe its you have no simblings. whatever it is.

But I love the picture Paul paints here because first off he mentions not shaming, but encouraging people in their walk with God,

But he brings it up all within the context of family relationships.

Encourage someone more mature in years like a father or mother

Encourage someone younger like a brother or sister.

And this is really where I believe we should be as a church.

Because if we become a church where we sit in the sanctuary for an hour and leave, we are missing so much.

Because God has given us so many people that can make an impact on our lives.

A lot of you know this but I was originally from Maryland and I went to college in Illinois so I had no family around,

but I remember this family at my church they would have me and a few other college students over at there house every Sunday after church and sometimes even on Holidays if we coulnd’t make it home.

And they were like family during that period of my life.

I mean it was such a powerful testiomoney of how my living life with the people around you can make a huge impact,

Because there can be a gap, but its amazing how Gos will so often give us people to fill those places in our lives.

And let me finish with this, this a little bit of a tough note to end on but I think its important.

Because while Paul writes how he hopes to visit with Timothy, Paul ends up not being able to come.

And you know there are dreams or goals that we have in life and the thing is these things might not be guaranteed

Because the truth is we live in a fallen world. We live in a world where things are not as God desires, but I beleive that the God we serve is moving and picking up the broken pieces.

In fact before Paul was imprisoned he wrote how he was hoping to go to a certain place, but the door was closed,

but he realized thaat God went with him and not just that but He was reworking things for good.

You know this morning I am not sure if you are hear and waiting for something.

So often its hard to wait, like I said in the begining, I do not ever want to diminish the pain of waiting, because so often the most painful waiting might be the most privite issue.

but what would it look like to lean in to this period where you are waiting.

because I believe God has given you people and a community that cab walk with you, and in the middle of the brokeness we have a God that can make something more beautiful than we can imagine.