While We Wait

Intro

“The delay at the gate”

Most of us have been in an airport when the screen flips from ON TIME to DELAYED. At first you’re fine—then minutes turn into an hour, then two. And that’s when you see who you really are.

Some people get angry at the desk. Some start doom-scrolling. Some wander the terminal looking for control in movement. But every once in a while you’ll see a different kind of person—someone who’s calm because they’re not guessing; they’re listening. They’re watching the gate agent. They’re paying attention to the announcement. They’re prepared—bag packed, shoes on—because when the door opens, they’re ready.

Acts 1 is a “delay at the gate” moment for the church. Jesus has ascended. The mission is coming. The power is promised. But for now, the command is simple: go back…wait…pray…stay faithful.

Bridge: The question isn’t, “What do we do when God makes us wait?”

The question is, “Who do we become while we wait?”

Let’s take a moment and see how the disciples responded this morning while they waited and what three lessons we can glean from their example.

If you found your place in Acts 1:12 would you say word. Please stand in the honor of the reading of God’s Word.

Acts 1:6–26 ESV

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “ ‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “ ‘Let another take his office.’ 21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

1. Be determined to obey (1:12)

Acts 1:12 ESV

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away.

Sabbath Day’s Journey: no more than 2000 cubits; cubit was about 18 inches; within 2/3 a mile or 1000 yards.

a. Jesus commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:4 ESV

4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me;

b. Disciples returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem from the Olivet, they went to the upper room. This is were they gathered and were staying. We see the remaining eleven disciples gathered together. In a home, one of the incredible things about the book of Acts is as we go through it time and again we will see how the church is cultivated through homes. People gathered and worshipped the Lord together in homes. In fact what we see is the mission of the church begins in a house in Acts 1:13 and in Acts 28:30 the book concludes in a home.

Is your home devoted to being a resource and place of obedience? Does your home allow for you to be a gospel centered follower of Christ?

Also, is the church being a resource and place of obedience for the mission of sharing the Gospel with others. Are we determined to obey the Lord as we gather in worship? Does or are we more concerned about how we have done things in the past that we simply are unusable for the Lord. You cannot allow our own comfort and preferences to undermine the gospel and what God desires for his church. The moment that we are more determined to keep ourselves comfortable rather than devoted to obedience to the Lord we go from being faithful to faithless.

How is God challenging you today to become more faithfilled and maybe a bit uncomfortable for the purpose of sharing the gospel?

NOTE:

Acts 1.1.3. The Enthronement of the Davidic King (1:9–14)

God’s presence will be dispersed on his people in homes and not be confined by temple walls. Houses and house churches where his true people gather will now be filled with God’s presence. As Matson says, “The mission of the church begins in a house (1:13; 2:2) and ends in a house (28:30).”

In the final seconds of a close game, the crowd is loud, adrenaline is up, and everybody thinks they know what should happen. But the team only has one chance—so they don’t invent a plan on the floor. They run the play the coach called.

Acts 1:12 is the disciples running the play Jesus called. They wanted the kingdom restored now (v.6). Jesus redirected them: not your times—your task. And the first part of the task is simple: go back to Jerusalem and wait. They don’t freelance. They don’t chase excitement. They obey.

Application: A lot of Christians lose momentum because they keep trying to write new instructions for their lives instead of obeying the ones Christ already gave: stay, gather, pray, wait, witness. The question isn’t “What do I feel like doing?” The question is, “What did Jesus say?”

2. Be devoted to prayer (1:14)

“were devoting themselves to prayer”

The idea of devoting is they continued

I love how the CSB translates this it says “They all were continually united in prayer.”

Put yourself in their shoes, Jesus has ascended and instructed you to wait for the promised helper in Jerusalem. Your life for the last three years have been devoted to following Jesus, you have seen him crucified, dead, and risen. Now you have seen him ascended into heaven. You’d have a longing to receive the gift he promised.

It resulted in them continuing to go back to the Lord in prayer.

Also, They prayed together.

Not only do we see the disciples gathered, but we see other followers including Mary the mother of Jesus and Jesus’ brothers with the disciples.

In verse 15, we see that the disciples and Jesus family is not the only ones who have gathered. There were about a hundred and twenty.

Imagine gathering in a single upper room of a house with a shoulder to shoulder crowd for the purpose of praying and seeking God’s face. It would be an incredibly powerful moment. Here they are all gathered together united in a prayer service after Jesus has left them.

“The war room before the battle”

Before major operations, teams gather. Not to hype themselves up, but to align—same plan, same mission, same expectations. You could call it a briefing. The military does it. Surgeons do it. Coaches do it.

If you skip that room, you may still have talent—but you won’t have unity. And when pressure hits, you’ll splinter.

Acts 1:14 is the church in the briefing room. They’re not just praying privately; they are “with one accord”—united, continual, persistent. They’re not trying to manipulate God; they’re trying to align themselves under God.

Application (simple and practical)

Prayer is not a filler while you wait for “real ministry.” Prayer is ministry—because it’s dependence.

Challenge:

Pray first, not last.

Pray with someone, not only alone. (unity in prayer is a theme here)

Turn your waiting into worship. If God has you in a “between” season, don’t waste it—pray it.

Memorable line: A praying church is a church that refuses to pretend it can do God’s work without God’s power.

3. Be disciplined in faithfulness (1:15–26).

In this season of waiting and praying. Peter stands up leading out.

Peter reminds the crowd that Judas’ betrayal was part of God’s sovereign will. He reminds them of what David foretold in the Old Testament through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Notice what Peter notes about Judas:

He betrayed Jesus.

He was amongst the disciples, shared in the ministry but was not one of them.

Judas acquired a field with the silver that he was paid.

Judas died and bursted.

The consequence of rejecting Jesus is death. Sin leads to death and Judas serves as a reminder that you can be in the church, even doing ministry within the church, but if you have no relationship with Jesus then you will be eternally separated from Jesus.

Don’t miss this either, Peter reminds the crowd and us that Jesus made no mistake choosing Judas as a disciple, it was God’s divine will to have him amongst the believers and to betray him.

In verse 20, Peter quotes from Psalm 69:25

Psalm 69:25 ESV

25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one dwell in their tents.

Peter then uses Psalm 109:8 as his foundation to determine who should replace him.

Psalm 109:8 ESV

8 May his days be few; may another take his office!

It is because of these texts Peter encourages the people to select:

one that has been with them since Jesus’ baptism

And, was there when he was taken up.

They were to be a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.

Out of these disciples two were brought forward Joseph (Barsabbas) and Matthias.

Notice how they asked the Lord to reveal which man was God’s man to replace Judas.

Then they cast lots to determine who it would be.

We also see casting of lots used in

Leviticus 16:8 ESV

8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel.

While lots could have been several different things from coin like stones, dice-like objects, or even sticks. It would be similar to us flipping a coin to determine God’s plans.

If you remember Two Face from Batman the Dark Night, he used a coin flip to determine his actions.

Yet, for the disciples they didn’t see casting of lots as luck or chance but God revealing his will to his people.

Proverbs 16:33 tells us that

Proverbs 16:33 ESV

33 The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

In other words, casting lots were not interfering with God’s plans but were used by God to reveal and confirm his will to the disciples.

The disciples were disciplined to remain faithful and to honor by seeking his face

Closing

Be Determined to Obey, be devoted to prayer, be disciplined in faithfulness.

“The unopened gift”

Picture a child at Christmas holding a gift with their name on it. The box is real. The tag is real. The promise is real. But if they just stare at it, talk about it, argue about when they’ll open it, debate what might be inside—none of that changes the fact:

The gift does not help them until it’s received.

Jesus told them the Helper was coming. The mission was coming. The power was coming. But the posture mattered: obedience, prayer, faithfulness.

Now bring it home:

Some people in the room are living near the gift of salvation—close enough to see it, close enough to talk about it, close enough to attend church—yet they’ve never opened their hands in repentance and faith.

And some believers are living like the mission is optional—like witness is for “other Christians”—when Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses.” Not “you might,” not “if you feel ready.” You will.

Call to respond (clear and invitational)

To the unbeliever / unsure: Today, don’t be Judas—near Jesus but not surrendered. Come to Christ. Repent and believe. Receive the gift.

To the believer: Stop standing and staring. Stop waiting on perfect conditions. The Spirit empowers obedient people who pray and stay faithful.

Who is your one more?

Who will you pray for?

Who will you speak to?

What step of obedience have you delayed?

Closing line: The church doesn’t need more spectators of the ascension—it needs Spirit-filled witnesses of the resurrection.