Waiting Well

Bottom line

As you seek to walk in step with God, there will be seasons of waiting. When you are waiting on the Lord, it is important to remain in a posture of prayer in this time.

Opening Line

We are starting a brand new series this morning, and over the next little while we are going to be studying the book of Acts.

Introduction

The actual name, and I know that some of your Bibles will say this, is the Acts of the Apostles. This book is written by Luke, and is a continuation of the gospel that bears his name. Fun fact, even though Paul wrote more letters, the writings of Luke actually make up a larger percentage of the New Testament due to their length. I believe the difference is Paul wrote 23% of the New Testament and Luke wrote 27% of the New Testament. That is just some fun Trivial Pursuit information for you.

One of the things you will notice as you read through Luke’s gospel account and Acts is that he is very meticulous with the details. We believe that Luke was a doctor, but he was also a slave, as was typical in that era. Theophilus, whom Luke addresses in both of this writings, was probably his owner who had freed him and commissioned him to learn all he could about Jesus. Luke writes his gospel account simply from researching and interviewing those who had first hand account. Even the first half of Acts is from a 3rd person perspective, but you will notice that at a certain point the language of Acts shifts from, “they did such and such” to “we went there and did this,” suggesting that Luke was actually traveling with Paul and experiencing the story first hand.

Main Point

The series that we are going to be in as we study the Acts of the Apostles is

Taking Action

James 1:22 NLT

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

Our faith in Christ is not supposed to be limited to an exercise of the mind; it is something that is meant to be lived out, and that is no more clear than when you read through the book of Acts. What you are going to see over the next while as a group of believers, the early church, living out their faith, putting it to action, and actually making an impact on the world.

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Why it matters

One of the things that I have started to learn, especially as I’ve been doing a little bit of digging into something called Church Hurt, is that the church becomes very dangerous when people know what the right answers are, but refuse to live it out. The danger of knowing what the word of God says, the same word that the author of Hebrews describes as a double edged sword, and using it as a weapon against the very people that Jesus has called us to help.

The mission of the church is that you go be disciples who make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded, including going and making disciples. In that mission statement, there is a lot of going and doing, not a lot of sitting and learning. Even the teaching is meant to inspire action, right? Teach to obey. Teach to live out.

The goal, as we go through this book, is to see how the early church lived the mission that Jesus gave them, and in turn discover what it looks like today to do the same. So each sermon is going to end with a clear action point; this is what you are to do with what you just learned. The owness is going to be on you to follow through. I believe that if you are willing to put these things into practice, your faith will grow in new ways.

Scripture

So, with that, we are in Acts 1 this morning. As a little context, this is Luke’s version of the ascension of Christ. In Matthew’s account, we get the Great Commission

Matthew 28:19–20 NLT

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What Luke records is an addition to these instructions.

Acts 1:1–8 NLT

In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through the Holy Spirit. During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God. Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Go and Wait

Everyone got a chill down their spine. Jesus didn’t just send the apostles out willy nilly to start growing the church. He tells them to go make disciples of all nations, but before they get started, they need to go to Jerusalem and wait.

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Why is it that a series, a book about the Acts of the Apostles, starts with waiting? Some of you were ready to go, let’s get this show on the road! Why do we have to start with waiting?

Because much of our life in Christ is going to involve some waiting. Abraham had to wait until he was 100 before Isaac was born. The Israelites had to wait 400 years in the land of Egypt before Moses came along and led them into the promised land. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years until the generation that rebelled against God had died and Joshua could lead the next generation into the promised land. Those are just the first 5 books of the Bible. There is lots more I could pick from!

The apostles had to wait until they had been baptized with Holy Spirit before they could go out and live the mission Jesus called them to. Why? Because then they would receive power to be witnesses not just in Jerusalem where they were, but throughout Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. When the power, they would be able to accomplish amazing things in the name of Jesus that they simply could not on their own.

Some of you have been waiting a long time for something. Maybe you’ve been praying for a spouse, or you’ve been praying that a family member would be saved. Maybe you’ve been asking for healing or for a job. The possibilities of what you could be praying for are endless, but one thing remains the same:

You have to wait.

This morning, what I want you see is that there is a right way to wait, and I will compare it with the wrong way. One of the challenges in our society is that we tend to be results driven, goal focused, and destination kind of people. You tend towards earning achievement or achieving some great accomplishment. What you will discover in life and faith is that God is just as concerned about the journey as he is about the destination. This is the reason we talk about faith as a journey, not a ladder to be climbed. On a ladder, you want to reach the top, and if you stumble, you fall off and have to start again. On a journey or a hike, the process is often just as rewarding as the destination. The best part is when you stumble, you don’t start over. God picks you up, dusts you off, and you continue on your way.

So the story starts with waiting.

Acts 1:9–11 NLT

After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him. As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men suddenly stood among them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”

More waiting! Now, not only are they waiting for the Holy Spirit baptize them and give them power to be witnesses, but they are also waiting for the return of Christ, something we are still waiting for today. See, lots of waiting, but also, lots of hoping.

The one thing I want to point out. The men in white say that Jesus will return the same way he ascended. I don’t know the Old Testament passage off hand, but it says that not only will Jesus return the same way, but he is going to return to the same spot as well. Where is that spot? The apostles were standing on the Mount Olives when Jesus ascended.

Anyways, continuing on.

Acts 1:12–14 NLT

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.

They were constantly united in prayer

Jesus tells the apostles to go to Jerusalem to wait for the Holy Spirit. So what do they do? They go back to Jerusalem, and instantly go to prayer. Not just occasional prayer; they were constantly in prayer.

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The reason I believe that is significant is because that is not typically how people wait nowadays. Picture with me. If you are stuck in a waiting room at the doctor’s office, what are you typically doing with your time? Scrolling through Facebook? Playing a little Candy Crush or whatever game you may have on your phone? Flipping through a magazine? Getting caught up on the sports scores or your fantasy league?

I ask that because I dare to say that what you do in a waiting room may actually be a reflection of how you wait for God to move in your every day life. Jesus taught in Luke that anyone who asks receives, anyone who seeks finds, and anyone who knocks the door will be open. So keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. Would you say that you are constantly praying for the things that you are waiting for God to answer?

The apostles were. They were united in their prayer. What are they asking for? They are asking for the Holy Spirit to come. They don’t know when, they don’t know how, but they know that if Jesus said it would happen, it would. So they went to prayer until it did.

I believe that sometimes knowing that Jesus is going to move subconciously gives you permission to stop praying. I want to say that again. I believe that at times, knowing that Jesus is going to move subconciously gives you permission to stop praying for the very thing you want to see God move in. This is important because the apostles heard Jesus say that the Holy Spirit was going to come, and they knew as you do that Jesus always keeps his word. Yet, they still went to constant prayer until it happened.

The first thing you need to do when you are waiting for God to move is going to prayer. To add to that, you need to invite others to pray with you. You should never feel selfish or ashamed about asking for prayer, especially if you believe that it is the most powerful thing someone can do for you.

Luke then gets into a discourse about Judas. I encourage you to go back and read it, especially if you don’t know the story. Judas Iscariot was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus. He is the one who betrays Jesus, and in the gospel of Matthew, it says that Judas became so struck with grief that he hanged himself. Luke picks up on the fact the Judas is dead, and that brings us to verse 20.

Acts 1:20–26 NLT

Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position.’ “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.

Prepare while you wait

So what is going on here. While the 120 believers are praying, Peter has a moment of inspiration. He is reminded that it is written in Ps. 109:8

Psalm 109:8 NLT

Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.

He knows that God is speaking to him, and they need to choose a replacement for Judas. Is Ps 109:8 specifically refering to Judas? No, this is what is known as a rhema word from God. It is a specific revelation for a specific person for a specific time. In this case, God uses Ps 109:8 to tell Peter that he needs to appoint someone to fill Judas’ spot among the 12.

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So the believers go to prayer, and they select Matthias to become an apostle with the other 11. Again, the believers are not just sitting around, shooting the breeze, waiting for something to happen. There is recognition that there is work to be done in order to prepare themselves for what comes next.

It is one thing to pray for a spouse, but are you preparing yourself so that you are ready physically, emotionally, financially for when that person comes? If you are praying for healing, are you doing your part to see health return to your body, or are you just waiting for God to do all the work?

When you are waiting on God, it doesn’t mean you simply sit on your hands and wait for God to move. You need to actively do your part. Mark Batterson puts it this way:

“Pray like it depends on God. Work like it depends on you.”

Transition to Application

Main To Do

So what are you waiting for? What is something you are waiting for God to do? If you’re not waiting for something, then what is something you can start praying for? More importantly, who is someone that is far from Jesus that you can pray for to come close? Whatever it is you are waiting for, I want you to write it down.

Then, I want you to pray. Invite a couple other people to pray with you about this thing or this person. I want you to pray like you mean it, and I want you to pray constantly. When you wake up, when you lie down, when you eat, when you sit in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. I want you to pray.

In the course of your praying, ask God what you need to do while you wait. Is there something you need to work or prepare for when the time comes?

Why it matters

I wonder how often you’ve forgotten the very thing that you’ve been waiting for? I wonder how many times God has answered the pray and you missed it because you hadn’t thought about it in a while. Sometimes I believe that God makes you wait to see if you really want what you’re asking for. How quickly to give up or forget about it?

I believe that if you learn to wait better, wait like the believers waited for the Holy Spirit to come, you will see more answers to prayer. I believe that you will hear God’s voice more clearly either when you pray or when you read God’s word. I believe you will be better prepared when the answer comes and you will be waiting with greater expectation and hope.

Closing Line

If you learn to wait better, God will remind you that he is worth waiting for.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

What are you waiting for? It could be healing, a person, or anything else you are praying for.

Who is praying with you for this thing? If no one, then ask someone.

What are you doing to prepare for when the answer comes?

What has God said to you about the thing you are waiting for?