Wait on the Lord

Wait

Stories

Long layover in London with 3 small children (1 infant)

Waiting on the bus in Portugal

Interstate closed down in Florida

Everything at your fingertips

Instant message

Instant mashed potatoes

TV, internet

I hate to wait. I hate being late.

Trouble is, I used to be a pilot

“Time to spare, go by air”. True for pilots as well as passengers

I grew up with a very time-conscious dad.

We live in an instant world—getting harder to wait on things

Everything at your fingertips

Instant message

Instant mashed potatoes

TV, internet

I suspect that all of us find waiting difficult to some extent.

Especially when it comes to our lives.

We have times in our lives when it seems like God isn’t moving, like he is silent

Luke 2:41–52 ESV

Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

Luke 2:41-52

Luke 3:

Luke 3:21–23 ESV

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Jesus, the Son of God.

The Man whose life impacted with world in a way that no one ever has.

There is nothing said about him for 18 years.

What did Jesus do in those 18 years?

We are told that in order to make any kind of impact on our world, we have to start young.

ambition

training

Why does the Bible say nothing about His life during that time?

vs. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus waited

While he waited, he grew

in wisdom

in stature

in favor with God and man

I have been at Fairview a year and a half (over) and I have been praying about vision and future

I see Jesus at the head of His Church leading us forward

Church as body, church as living organism

God is God of new things. Absolutely true

Sometimes he asks us to wait.

When we pray, we like “yes” answers

But we dont like “wait”

We would rather have a “no” answer than a wait

But learning to wait is just as important as learning to move when he says “yes” and learning to stop when he says “no”.

I think that is a spiritual discipline that we all need to develop.

Some might be in a position of waiting…have been for a long time.

Two scriptures: -end and the baptism

Jesus, the Son of God.

The Man whose life impacted with world in a way that no one ever has.

There is nothing said about him for 18 years.

What did Jesus do in those 18 years?

We are told that in order to make any kind of impact on our world, we have to start young.

ambition

training

Why does the Bible say nothing about His life during that time?

vs. 52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Jesus waited for God’s perfect timing

While he waited, he grew

in wisdom

in stature

in favor with God and man

Coming back to that because it’s important.

But the Bible is full of statements about waiting on the Lord

We can learn about the benefits and blessings of waiting and the danger of NOT waiting.

Not Waiting

Story from first samuel 13

Saul was a brand new king. He had to do something to impress the people with his kingliness

Let’s go attack our Philistine oppressors.

vs. 6, the Philistines go on the offensive and the Hebrews hide in rocks and caves. vs. 7, all tthe people were quaking with fear.

Why, because they had no weapons. (philistines had outlawed them)

Saul think, “I have to do something”. So even though he knows Samuel is on his way and he has been told to wait, he offers a sacrifice

His kingship immediately gets off on the wrong foot.

God sometimes puts us in tight situation to see what we will do

Are we going to wait on Him to act or are we going to strike out on our own?

Peter got tired of waiting for Jesus and went off fishing…decided to return to his former occupation

Sometimes we know that God has something bigger for us but we get tired of waiting on Him

it was hard for Saul and Peter to wait and it’s hard for us to wait on God

God, if you arent going to answer now and in the way that I want, I’ll just go ahead and do it myself or I’ll just go back to my old life

Problem:

God’s thoughts are not our thoughts

He can do far above what we can ask or imagine

God’s ways are not our ways Isa 55

He is on a different time schedule than we are (2Pet 3)

1000 years are like a day, a day is like 1000 years

even if it takes 1000 years, “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise”.

Difficult for us to grasp this concept

The psalmist realized this. This is why he said things like:

verses from Psalms