In the Waiting Room with God (My story, His Story)

Before you thank you for the way that you have for us. Lord using mightily for the education of your people and your church, in Jesus name. Amen.

Thank you, Ralph money. Touch morning. Is this thing online. It's a glorious day.

Cuz I asked all about series on his story. My story. I want to close out all months by talking about something. I know every one of you has enjoyed this month. We all do it. None of us like it. Waiting. Waiting, who likes waiting?

Juliet says she does. When's what is full? Thank you has been absolutely. Yeah. If it's a chocolate bar are you willing to wait for it?

I'll be ready. Enjoy it though. I really kind of wanted to give a bit of focus. Yes, I want to call it in. Waiting for the next chapter. I don't know whether you are an Avid Reader. My wife reads books all the time that shelves in a house full of books,

If we go on holiday and we take five books. So, I with us, she's read, or the four other books before I finished the first one. So she's already wanting my book before I finished it. But in every book that was a new chapter, you open up a new chapter, and there's a new part, the story that opens up Think about the last time you sat waiting, maybe it was in the doctor surgery. In the waiting room in the hospital in a job center, nobody's magazines, or maybe you find about chewing gum stuck in the in the middle of a magazine, the Chas or be uncomfortable. The clock away. Seems to move a little slower than you expect. I don't know if you've ever sat in the waiting room but I checked my watch far more times than I ever check my watch at any other time. Why is that Time seems to move slower than normal when wearing waiting time when were in the waiting room.

Can we don't want to be there if we're honest? I'd rather discuss cruiserweights human. I don't know whether you've ever been recently, sat down in the waiting room and there's a queue of people that would like Caillou Main and I'd love to him and let him know that I'm not hardly sat down and then I was cold and I thought but there's all these people who should be done before we shouldn't night but I was really excited to be got it inside quickly. These biblical has lots of stories in the Bible about people wasting. I wonder who you can think of is Abraham waited, twenty-five years for a promise. You'll find out in Genesis 21. We know the promise of the dreams that Joseph had, he went through prison and Pence. Another travels being sold into slavery before he found himself in the pilots will find out in Genesis 41 Mosey spent forty years in the desert before leaving. People forward again, back into purpose, Jesus himself. Yes, before he came to his sincere time of ministry, God is not in a hurry. He does it in his time. Scripture talks about a thousand years can be as a dying as I could be as a thousand years. 1,000 years is a long time. Can you even consider what a thousand years is? Give me some of us by think about Plum, sing something for the Next Generation. We might think about our children and our grandchildren, we think about something, maybe 10:50 2020, 50 years. I had some people might think about planting a tree that will be that for all great-grandchildren. Maybe I'll great-grandchildren maybe even longer just the other side of the river here from running mate that the and hundreds of years old, hundreds of years old.

Isaiah 40:31 remind us with it says they that wait on the Lord shall not. Maybe shall renew their strength. They shall Mount up with wings like eagles, I shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint, anybody up for that. When you when you run out of yourself when you get spinach for those people do to exercise and it kind of the iconic have any fun, sometimes you get a second wind. And then you run further than you've ever run before. When you run out of patience, you think I've waited long enough. How much longer can I wait? Another Second Wind comes and patience arises Lamentations 3:25 and 26s. The Lord is good to those who wait for him to the soul who seeks him. It is good. That one should wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord. So what is wasting all about? Why do we have to do it?

I'd like you to think about the last time you got something that was valuable precious.

Did you have to wait for it? And we live in the world now where you can get all credit card out and we can pay for things and we can get things on credit and we can get things much sooner than we could get them before Easter. Be a couple living over the right for my still no more rain. I might talked about the first time they moved into that house here in a come just when it was built, how they had a orange crates was that dining room table. Couldn't afford a dining room table. So I didn't have a dining room table that two folding chairs and an orange crate and that's what they ass off for a number of years and they saved up the money for that dining room table. They said it was so exciting. The first time I sat around that dining room fireplace at around it for 20 minutes while they do leave the table. I sat for nearly half an hour after they finished the mill.

Sometimes there's an expectation that rises in our hearts when we have to wait for something waiting test. I'll Trust when we're in God's waiting room. Biggest question that arises is do we trust him? Do we trust him? A station called see the train yet. You know, the timetable says, it should be a rising, but can you trust the timetable for anybody traveling to Switzerland by train? OK, the trains. Come on time. In fact, if you get to the platform buying on time, you will miss the train cuz the doors closed 10 seconds before I meant. So late is the wifey on the expectations. If we have an expectation that everything runs late, then we'll turn up late and will be very surprised when he stops running on time. Pint-sized God has not forgotten me. Psalm 27 verse 14 says this, wait for the Lord be strong and Let Your Heart. Take courage, wait for the Lord.

I love problem so I can send to Proverbs almost anytime of the day or night afternoon morning evening. There's always something that speaks to my Now situation Proverbs 3, verses 5 and 6 gives us a key here, trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.

Hola.

What does the bit about tension? Not just a bit of all time, not just a bit of our Focus trust in the Lord with all your heart and wait on him. Racing prepares us for what's going to come next. Think about the seasons, we just tomorrow is the end of summer. Officially talked about it. Being the end of summer. Windsor Locks parent when we look for we look forward to Winter in this. Not it seems like it's nothing going on. But underground, the roots are going deeper ready for the new season of throats, ready to Bass Pro Shops.

God does Hitman working our lives in waiting time. Go to work all the time.

Think about Joseph. In prison, you might have thought. He's just in the waiting room is just waiting, but he learnt so much. He learned to hear from God alert to interpret dreams, he became a man who was trusted even amongst the prison guards. He learned to babies, learn to Worship in the wilderness when he was out there. Looking out to the shape, he didn't put a crown on before he was King of the Highlands worship. God waiting rooms are not wasted rooms. Waiting time is not wasted time. The classrooms red, goat develops, enough patients, humidity resilience, and a deeper intimacy with him.

Romans tells Estates we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering, produces endurance, and endurance, produces character and character produces hope. Things put see a different why he says it's like perseverance. Finish its work. So that you may be mature, complete and black and do not like anything would like nothing in the different translation. So why you good at wasting?

Think about the children, who see, Senior, who, when you travel somewhere, what's the first question I asked, Are We There Yet? Watch Star Trek, can you press the button in just the past somewhere else? If you're in God's waiting room today, there are three things that I want to say three things I want to share with you about waiting. Well, please waiting is not too dead time active time. Lorraine for example, she's got when she goes for operation, they told her, she will not hit by tool for about a month and then slowly, they'll turn things on. We've been praying for a couple of weeks now that God would speak to her in her time of Silence. Now, if you want to speak to her right now, the next few weeks before we have to write things down, But let's wait, actively not passively those who sow in tears. Will reap with songs of joy is David Wright in Psalm 126, keep serving. Keep praying. Keep growing. Don't wait. Passively wait actively, but also wait expectantly.

Play, you don't feel right in Psalm 27. I remain confident of this. I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Delay is not denial.

Sometimes God says, yes, but not now. Yes. But not yet. And then what are we waiting for? Well, maybe we're waiting for someone else. Maybe we're watching for the situation to be in a different position. There are many times in my life, when when I've looked back with hindsight I've realized how the pods come together in a way, that no way. Could I have known about? No way could I have designed? No way. Could I have been prepared? I'm also waiting doesn't have to be a solitary act. We can wait together Hebrews. 10:24 says, let us encourage Highway. You might star one another with love and good things. Not neglecting meeting together, but continuing to encourage one another.

In times of whites, in Courage, all of us listing online system, lights are those in the room. Let me encourage you to think about what God has said. When God has spoken, we hold on to what he said with confidence in Fife.

Youth Camp many, many years ago. So, when it, when I was leaving the youth here in church, that was a couple who came from another church, Mike, you and Nadine, they don't be married, that long and they will usually this from a church off in the Midlands. I'm always talking to them so they would cool down in the middle of used to be seeing and the guy who is speaking in green called them out and said, I believe the Lord continue to be missionaries Set the lights to Japan on your right now. They got it. Already spoken to them about going to Japan. Go to the way he spoke to them as a couple about going to Japan. I'd like s*** that we that shouldn't leave such a weak field goal at some point, in a large coolers to beat Church leadership. Are you recounted to the church leadership? But against I want to call them out and prophesied. I wasn't about going to Japan. About two or three months after the Youth Camp, a traveling Minister was traveling through the church that called him out. What you think he said, I'm calling you as missionaries to Japan. Nothing for the church itself. This was the first time they heard this for the check. The whydah church within a few months. They were in Japan. Serving the lord. So, let me explain a little bit about what's going on because it seems like waiting time. Go to the race spoken to them, and I share that with the leadership. So what they got that used, they already went home, and they went back in the shed with the leadership and they talk to their mortgage companies, that we will want to rent a house out for a number of years at some point in the future to change their mortgage. So they were able to do that. They put themselves on Japanese class. He's like blood Japanese far better than I expected the grace of God. What they were doing was aligning themselves to the prophetic word that God has spoken to them? They were aligned themselves the command of the king. And so, when a confirmation came again, they already see God. What's the winning coach? You waiting times of great time to lead into the word that God has given you a lord. I know you spoken seen it yet, but I'm waiting on you cuz the next chapter will come. We will not be in the waiting room forever. God is always ready to turn the page. Has more chapters, that's more to be written in the Book of Life. Galatians 6:9 sisters, let us not grow. Weary in doing good for in due season. We shall reap. A reward. We shall not give up

Habakkuk, 2:3 encourages us for the vision is yet, for an appointed time. It hastens towards the goal, and it will not file by Terry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not delay, your juices. My due season is coming,

I'm saying that because God is faithful, God is a god of tomorrow to today. And yesterday. He's not bound by time. I'm sorry, I want to be class and things that I believe to be true. I want to sign number one, your appointment is booked.

But if our appointments that means, there's probably going to be a bit of a Time. Don't know how long that will be, but the train is on its way. The train is coming. The next chapter is in God's hand. He's writing yours and my story. And here's the thing, is one of the reasons why I'm a great believer in sharing with other people around us, what go to said to us, some of you got prophetic words, it will give them to you years, maybe decades ago, and they're still still time for them to be fulfilled. That's still in the waiting room for that would encourage you to share with people who are around you for one reason because some of the people around you all part of that story. We don't got no how many books have you read that are about 1 character? Nobody else is in the story. Be pretty boring book. Now you need all the characters in the story and people step in and they taped off and then they step out again. So as we talked about my story is history, I also want to say to you, you'll story is our story Some of you remember, soda show me he's going to be with us on the golf course. Sharla. Quite ready played golf before. He was an expert and I shall systems and but he felt God's eye. I'm going to take you on the golf course. Get ready. Somebody prophesied over him. As I see you going to golf clubs and speaking to business people. So I can see myself with this. So I shared it with the men in the church. So number of put some money into a part and we bought him a golf club handicap went down. He didn't play by Austin, he's handicapped went down. They was playing really well. He spoke to a number of people on the green at the end of a round of golf. So you rather go He said there were a number of times. He said, he gets the lost, the Lost Pole. I need not lost told the father would go, okay, I want you have a conversation now unless they walk into work to watch the clubhouse at the walking to the final green. He says something with him sometimes it would be something that got dropped on his head and he said it with them. Do you know where part of one another story. He's writing your story. The waiting room is part of the process. I'll say that again, cuz this is the outside in the waiting room. He's part of the process.

And the next chapter will be, was the White? Has Jasmine said, when asked a question? Do you like white singing? Depends what he's full.

Waiting in the dentist to have your teeth drilled.

But if you go too painful to send you want to get it sorted out when you can live with the pie and you can suffer or you can get it, sorted out. Let's not waste waiting time. That's allowed all to be at work in us and through us. So when the door opens we are ready to walk in

Our next adventure is full of ice. Full of courage and full of joy. The next chapter will surely come Are you ready to turn the page? You already so about what's behind the door? Have you thought about what is to come?

some of the stories that I shared with you, David and, and Joseph another step towards about waiting As a couple who we've known for a number of years, they used to lead a church in Lewiston. Idaho, this church has hosted many of the people from that church. In fact, let me tell you a story to contact close things out a number of years ago. Wrong one, king sent to me. I met him at conference and he said we're coming to the UK to visit us on his son and two other boys were working with the church in Sheffield coming in next year, is it okay, if we stay with you,

Thinking three, boys. 6 parents. We can probably copy six people for a few days. He then brings me. In early December. So it's Ava coming. Is it still okay? Outside yesterday? You said it's twenty-two of us. I don't know whether I don't know whether anybody remembers this but we running around the church and we run around friends with the church and we said, can anybody put the week? We put up 22 people and like came and they stayed with us The Ron Julie later Church in Lewiston, Idaho, in the church in Lewiston is right next to a college like stripes. And there'll be a lot of students who come here, who learn English are in the English language.

The role of two Japanese students who started turning up at the college in Lewiston.

And people will go out and invite them they'd invited to come to church slowly. But surely Japanese students have been given a prophetic word that said you will plumb a church in Japan. I don't know why, but two stories on Japan's /, chase the white landed.

And Ron and Julie. Started inviting Japanese students around the house cuz I come to Jesse's house. Then suck. They found out some of the Japanese students didn't have so much to lift. I was struggling with somewhere to live, so that Jasmine and Ryan that to children.

Change the bedroom situation. So they had bunk beds in the bunk bed with a bed on the top and then decide for underneath and the late change that in every bedroom in the house. So that might have flexibility to have more people to stay. I have the number Japanese students who moved in with them and lived with them for the year that I was studying at College. I became Christians, they went back to Japan. Then the invitation decided to come to Rolling Julie. Please, come, pasta come to come to come to our small group, is the interesting thing cuz I had a prophetic word sign on to church in Japan, Ron and Judy are paid by the Japanese government to perform Western weddings. As an interesting Western weddings in Japan, look like western wedding, so wrong Works. Typically on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday, doing Western weddings in to get paid for the Japanese government. But for the rest of the week is the traffic, I might not live in Japan and have seen many, many, many Japanese people come to Christ. And it took 20 years from the first prophetic word to them cycling in Japan. Sometimes, I think now they are very much at home. I love it in Curitiba. It's like talked about, they've seen us moving here and I sent to me coverage in Western Japan saying. Good job. You keep it up. From Japan. And I just want to tell you guys, I don't know how long you're waiting room is for certain things, but sometimes just share with someone. I sat in the doctors recently remind a checkup and everybody's hitting that most people on their mobile phones, ignoring everybody else. Somebody walked in who knew me and we started talking like in the waiting room. But you know what is a parents or okay? Let's speak some words of Hope in the waiting room for everybody else could hit. So I talked about a couple of tests emerging and she said, back with me a couple of testimonies going on in her life.

I got a captive audience.

I could share the gospel and no one can complain because if somebody wants to go like I don't want to hear your story.

So we're in a white sequin. What was in the white tea room somewhere, somehow, waiting is good for us. It raises expectation.

Most of, you know, to do and I have a dog called Teddy sometimes he gets a treat when he's done something good and sometimes I'll make him. Wait, I'll type the trait and I'll show it to him. I'll put it on the floor and I'll sit and I'll make it white and you can see the longer. You might seem quite the more excited he gets about it. I'm not trying to be a tease. I'm trying to teach him discipline to the dog. That's why it's a red and white white white. Okay? Now, And I sent sometimes the father's doing that with us. He's kind of Whites Whites. Okay, Now's the Time which identifies you into the new chapter and so that's the way I want to close. I want to close by asking you Do you sense that you're in the White Sea room with God? Is that something that you are expecting for? And you won't go to to move in, but maybe you just need a bit more patience for the waiting room. Maybe you want to stay a little teeth, show me what it is. You're texting me while I'm here in the prison song. If you sent you or in the waiting room is go today. Angel.

I don't know if frustrated. Going to ask you to stand.

If you're in the waiting room and you sign, I don't even know why there is a waiting room here shortly. This should be a corridor not to wasting room, I'm going to ask you to stand

I miss you didn't even realize you were in the queue but you sent still waiting, so there's no room but you sent you waiting for something. Cuz I just want to speak into some situations. I sent goes, give me a couple of pictures of Saint. I would have said, so if it if I see you, please stop. I'm just going to shut my eyes closed. I don't even want to see who's standing, but, you know, there's a couple of pictures of God gave me as I prepared for the weather today. Number one, I saw someone waiting at traffic lights, know to waiting room, but I waiting time traffic lights.

And you have a an understanding of the sequence. The traffic lights working people in the last two, people in the right, the people turning right. The people turning left people going straight on a date, my tide. I'm using the traffic's light cycle through twice.

And you're sitting there thinking but he's my turn. I need to be going now.

You know, what I see is, you don't go, but there's an accident on the traffic lights. And if you'd have gone, when you thought you should have gone, you've been part of a sends. God, sometimes Keeps Us waiting cuz he's keeping us safe.

Please, if you ever have to wait with God, just asking God. Why am I waiting help me? In my waiting time, show me what it is? You want me to learn so many things that you want to grow in me. but when you with hindsight look back and see what God has saved you from or Reggie for Rejoice Rejoice. I sent that was one picture that I has in the other pictures I have was someone's waiting for a diagnosis is something that

you bring me back some test in your waiting for some results. I do not enjoy waiting for the results and I've already said he's going to take some time cuz I got to go to. But you know what, I see the prescription already written. I please see the prescription already written that. He's not to deal with it. With the symptoms is to deal with the cause I sense the father coming and dealing with the situation that is going to be dealt with at the root of IT schools. So the symptoms that you have you went to have help with since the fathers make the symptoms immediately, the symptoms. I'm going to deal with the problem itself. So I probably got we stand in your presence and we trust you and I'll waiting time show us more of you in our, in our pricing time, we pressed into you for the help, us to be ready. When you need us to be ready, hit, quit us for the new chapter. Equip us for the Turning Page, help us. Not to be like the food is virgins, who had not go to all lamps, ready? So, when the bride came and the bridegroom, kind, we were not like, we're not ready. Help us to be ready. So in our waiting time, prepare our hearts ready on mines, build all relationships. So that when you say now, we're ready to go. What is your time? Not our time. You can do in immeasurably more than we Oscar. Imagine you can do in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. What would take us decades Play. Father God, we submit all tomorrow's to you. How many seats are submittal waiting times into your hands. Since I let your kingdom come, your will be done in Jesus name, amen.