Wait Watchers
Third Sunday • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 8 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings...
One of the most important aspects of Christianity is “Waiting & Watching” for our great Lord’s return.
This isn’t done to the exclusion of life, in other words, we don’t sell everything we have and sit in prayer all day long hoping Christ returns in our lifetime.
No, this is done through our daily living of the life we have been granted and blessed with.
Today I want us to consider how we are to be “Wait Watchers.”
With that in mind let us look at our lesson.
Wait With Patience
Wait With Patience
The early church didn’t always have patience.
The early church didn’t always have patience.
Several times in Scripture we find the church worried about why Jesus hadn’t returned yet and because of this found themselves becoming impatient.
This led the church in Thessalonica to think many things, including that they had missed Christ’s return.
2 Thess 2:1-2
1 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.
Peter addressed this issue also in his second letter.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
2000 years later we must not grow weary.
2000 years later we must not grow weary.
Today we must be careful we don’t grow weary in waiting.
In other words we don’t develop apathy toward Christ’s return and start to assume He isn’t returning in our life.
In other words we don’t start to assume He isn’t returning in our life time a live accordingly.
This can lead to an attitude of apathy or carelessness in action.
Psalm
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! 14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
3 I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
Today we keep from apathy by patience in waiting for our Master who is worthy of the wait.
7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
Summery
Summery
“Wait Watchers” patiently look forward to that day the Lord returns and takes them home.
Wait With Endurance
Wait With Endurance
Society today is about instant gratification.
Society today is about instant gratification.
We are a people, today, that like things fast and the idea of waiting on something sounds ludicrous.
We can “almost instantly” receive food, clothing, entertainment, supplies, and just about any other thing.
The concept of building endurance through patience has been constantly driving to miniscule amounts over the last several decades until we have a society as a whole that has become used to “instant” everything.
This has hurt the church in many ways, because nothing about God says “instant.”
God has always taught endurance.
God has always taught endurance.
The old saying “everything good is worth waiting for” is not just a great saying but a true one.
This isn’t to suggest “instant” doesn’t have its place just that patience and endurance have an equal or even greater place.
Waiting and watching for the return of Christ is that which takes great endurance which is why we see such passages as...
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Heb 10:
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Summery
Summery
“Wait Watchers” patiently endure until that glorious day their God returns.
Wait With Assurance
Wait With Assurance
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
Why would anyone endure patiently for a God that has taken over 2000 years to keep a promise?
Simple, we have assurance in the promise and love of God.
As “children of God” we have assurance in God’s love for us.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Rom
As “children of the Most High” we have assurance in God’s promise to us.
5 Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22 Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Ps
Summery
Summery
“Wait Watchers” patiently endure because they have a full assurance in the love and promises of God.
Conclusion
Conclusion
As we journey though this life, as those lucky enough to have heard and obeyed the gospel let us run this race as “Wait Watchers” with complete patience, endurance, and assurance.
7 But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.