How to Wait on the Lord

Introduction

Waiting on school to start back. August 14 - Both kids in school all day long - Staci and I will have a full day each week without the kids! My day off! Beach trips, restaurants, etc. we haven’t done. Don’t call me on Friday! I will not answer!

Hard to wait - BUT know it’s going to be WORTH the wait.

So much of life is spent waiting - in the grocery line, the car line at school, the dr.’s office, etc.

Single? Waiting for God to send the right person. Will it ever happen. Waiting for the gift of a child. Waiting for God to answer a prayer, or to move you out of current circumstances.

Two facts:

God is NOT in a hurry. - He waited several thousand years to send a Messiah. - 2,000 years after Jesus ascended we’re still waiting on Messiah’s return.

God is faithful. - He will complete the work He started in you, and it will take a lifetime!

So

Interesting passage - Jesus just ascended to heaven - gave apostles specific instruction. “Wait in Jerusalem for me to fulfill my promise.”

Interesting passage - Jesus just ascended to heaven - gave apostles specific instruction. “Wait in Jerusalem for me to fulfill my promise.”

Disciples wait, but their waiting is not characterized by sitting around and twiddling their thumbs. Purposeful waiting.

Waiting - for God to answer a prayer, for the next season of life, etc. How do you wait purposefully?

You keep doing what you know to do. So basic but so important as you wait on the Lord. Three ways we wait:

Keep gathering with the church.

In a moment Jesus was gone - ascended back to the Father - and the disciples left alone. Specific command: wait for the Spirit.

Back to upper room - 120 people. In this room, in a few days, Jesus is going to give birth to the church. Jesus appeared to more than 120 after the resurrection. At one time, more than 500. () Probably some believers who witnessed resurrection returned home. But, some who witnessed the resurrection still failed to believe.

First church a small church - 120 people - Mary present. A mom gathered to worship her Son! She believed that her son was the sinless Son of God! Imagine a mom telling you that her child was sinless and to be worshipped! Last time we see Mary in Scripture she’s gathered with believers worshipping Jesus, her son.

Jesus’ brothers present - they thought He was foolish. () But the resurrection proved that they had been the ones who were foolish.

Brothers of Jesus, Mary, and others in upper room together - waiting for Jesus to fulfill His promise.

Jesus had given a clear command: “Go!” But, as we study Acts, it sure seems as if the early church “Stays” a good bit as well. Believers of Jesus are together often.

When you are waiting on God, what better place is there to be than around the people of God? , “Don’t neglect to meet together.” When your life seems to be in a holding pattern -(1) give in to the temptation to drift away from God’s people or (2) cling to God’s people for support and encouragement. 2 Questions:

What does how often you gather with body of Christ say about your faith in Jesus?

Many grew up in church every Sunday, but that’s not the norm anymore. We gather as long as there isn’t something else that captures our attention more than gathering with the people of God. If you minimize corporate worship, don’t be surprised when you begin to minimize your relationship with God and your children do the same.

What does the way you gather with body of Christ say about your faith in Jesus? (Gather out of ritual or expectation?)

Gather to worship. You can worship anywhere, but let’s be honest, as beautiful as the sunset over the mountains is, there’s something life-giving and transcendent about gathering with the redeemed.

Gather to connect. You need the relationships, the support, the prayer. In this rooms, stories of God’s faithfulness that you hear only when you connect.

Gather to grow. How well have you grown apart from the church? Not very. You grow best among the people of God when Word is taught, applied, and lived out together. You’re not going to grow well apart from church.

Gather to go. We go best together. NOT lone ranger ministry but equipping, sending, praying, rejoicing in the harvest, etc.

(Going to Wendy’s - Luke wanted to know why they got the order wrong - Because they are not Chik-fil-A - trained to work as a unit. For us, more we gather with purpose more we’re trained for purpose.

Keep praying fervently.

I told you this was basic. BUT SO PROFOUND AND POWERFUL.

Jesus told disciples, “I will not leave you as orphans.” () The temptation to feel that Jesus had abandoned them, but He had not. Instead, He had made a way for them. (Teaching Hudson to swim - he just wants to know I’m right in front of him.)

Jesus revolutionized prayer because He gave us access. Lord’s prayer - “Our Father.” Jesus’ favorite way to refer to God was Abba - completely foreign to the disciples. Refer to God in the same way as earthly father?

Ascended Christ at right hand interceding for us. (, ) Through death and resurrection Jesus has made a way for us to be in a relationship with God so that we may pray to Him as our Father. Pray fervently because:

Ascended Christ at right hand interceding for us. (, ) Through death and resurrection Jesus has made a way for us to be in a relationship with God so that we may pray to Him as our Father.

Prayer precedes doing. - (Revolutionary! Praying together?) Don’t neglect how formative spending time with God is for your life. Remember ? James wrote what he wrote because he lived it. Reminder that they were reliant on God. Remember: God does a work within to do a work through.

Prayer changes us. Don’t know exactly what believers were praying, but we know what Jesus had promised. They would receive the Spirit and power. Think of fear, confusion, etc. Praying for God to change them! To bring them in alignment with His will! Prayer doesn’t change God as much as it changes you - so pray to be changed. Lord’s prayer - Jesus taught us to pray, “Your will be done...”

Prayer unifies us. Church in one accord because they prayed together. Together asking God to do a work in them. We need more prayer together! What might happen if we spent more time praying together? Hard to fight if we pray together. Hard to miss what God has for us if we pray together. (Practical - who are you regularly meeting with to pray with?)

Keep rooted in the Scripture

Peter rises and takes charge. Notice how he leads - by taking the people back to Scripture - the OT. As they wait, church gathers, prays, and goes to Scripture. This isn’t rocket science! Boys wanting to go fishing - I never learned the basics!)

Jesus taught that all Scripture points to Him. ()

Peter: “How does Scripture help us understand what’s taken place?” Scripture fulfilled. How?

Judas - among us but rejected. Took his silver bought a field, hung himself in shame, fell, bowels gushed out. Judas did not enjoy the fruit of his shameful acts. Shame and guilt killed him.

- Common for Psalms to be interpreted as referring to the Greater David - the coming Messiah. Makes sense that Peter would read Psalms as referring not only to David, but the Messiah. = a prayer that the dwelling place of the Psalmist enemies be deserted. Judas’ dwelling place deserted. - prayer that an enemy of Psalmist might die before his time and someone else might take his place. Judas, enemy of Jesus did - someone must take his place among the apostles. Why?

Church = built on the foundation of 12 apostles - similar to the nation of Israel being built on 12 tribes of Israel. (, , )

Church = New Israel - 12 tribes foundation of ethnic Israel - 12 disciples represent the foundation of spiritual Israel. (, , )

Peter praying and reflecting on Scripture leads him to make a decision.

Two qualified men: with Jesus from beginning and a witness to resurrection.

Cast lots - lot fell to Matthias. Why lots? OT practice. (70 times in OT) Transitional age - once Spirit comes, Spirit will guide the disciples, not lots. But, what they saw in Scripture.

God sovereign over process. Strange story - we don’t cast lots, but story tells us what happened as the believers waited on God. They gathered, they prayed, they turned to the Word.

Why turn to th e Word when you wait?

The Bible is trustworthy, opinions are not. (Listen to others or God?) - Breathed out by God. Opinions of imperfect, sinful people are not, and everyone has an opinion. Are you going to let others diagnose your circumstances, or are you going to let Scripture inform?

The Bible is objective, you are subjective. (Listen to Scripture or me?) - You view your circumstances through feelings tainted by sin. Your feelings lie to you. The Bible tells you truth from a Holy, Sovereign God who knows best for you.

The Bible is transformative, life experience is not. (Experience is a good teacher, but it doesn’t change our hearts.) - God’s Word makes you complete - not your experiences.

Here’s what I’ve learned in life:

Life works best when I stay rooted. Living God’s way as revealed in His Word just makes sense. God’s Word is not too archaic, too conservative, too oppressive, too close-minded. No, it just works. When I live God’s way, I’m joy-filled, content, and hopeful.

God guides me when I seek Him. Simple as that. When I pray, study the Word, and seek godly counsel, I make wise choices that are consistent with God’s will.

I grow when I stay connected. When I am in accountable relationships, I’m more likely to read the Word, pray, and practice the disciplines that lead to spiritual growth.

On flip side, when I stray from the basics, seasons of waiting become seasons of anxiety as I question God and fail to trust Him. When I stray from the basics, I simply don’t hear God clearly speaking into my season of waiting.

For some this morning, you need a new way of life. This is what the disciples were learning! A new way of life through the resurrected Lord! You need a new way of life rooted in the Scriptures that point to the Savior who died for you and rose again. You need a new way of life that relies on the One who died for you to guide you. You need a new way of life that gives you a new family to help you grow. This morning, turn to Jesus.

Believers - How are you doing in the basics? We struggle because we fail to master the basics. Are you in a season of waiting? Keep doing what you know to do. Believer - return to the basics. Let us help you.