While We're Waiting

While We're Waiting Acts 1:15-26 Have you ever been at work and looked to see what time it was? Let's say when you looked at the clock, it was only 10 am. Things are going slow. You don't have much to do, and boredom starts to set in. You glance at the clock again, and after what seemed like two hours, you find out it was only 15 minutes. But then there are other times when you're very busy at work. You have so much to do! It's 10 am, you work for what seems like 15 minutes, only to look up at the clock and it's 4 pm. It's these times we like to say, "time is flying." But you know what, time hasn't changed. Whether you're busy doing a lot or busy being bored with nothing to do, the clock keeps moving the same. Do you know what changed when time moved fast? You. Because you had so much to do, all your activities occupied your thinking. And it made it appear that time was flying by. But did you realize that there's a way to "hurry God up" without changing His clock? God is sovereign, and He controls the clock, but if you give your undivided attention to being God's ambassador, and to please Him in all you do, then the time you have to wait will seem to go by much faster. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:20 that "believers are Christ's ambassadors," which means that we represent Christ in all we do. And when we please God in all we do, then those times of restlessness and boredom will fade away. Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness." So when you spend your time seeking God's kingdom first, those times when you're waiting on God will go by faster. So how can we follow Jesus' command to "seek first the kingdom of God?" What can we do while we're waiting? And how does that apply to today's Scripture? Well, in today's Scripture, we read about how the apostles were waiting. Acts 1:15-26 was the church's first business meeting, so to say. The small group of eleven disciples had quickly grown to over 120. Things were moving fast, but the disciples realized that speed can be the enemy of productivity. And the only way for the church to remain productive was not about where they met, how they worshiped, or how many new believers they had. It wasn't based on how much money they had or how many ministries they were involved in. No. The only way for the church to remain productive was to depend upon God! You see, depending on God and doing something for God are easy to get mixed up. In our zeal for God we want to serve Him. We find ways to serve God. We volunteer here or donate time or money there. We organize this or that. We attend this function or help teach that Bible study. We fill our time doing God things, but wonder why time is still dragging along and why things aren't going as we hoped. The answer is because we're busy doing and not busy depending. In today's Scripture, the church was busy doing because they first spent their time depending. They followed Christ's command to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness," instead of spending time finding their own ways to be righteous. And while waiting may at first glance seem unproductive, it's what we do while we're waiting that makes us productive. Let's remember that Isaiah 40:31 says, "Those 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." Who out there knows how tough ministry can be? We see people all the time running and getting weary in all their doing because they're not yoked with Jesus. Being yoked with Jesus still means doing, but it means doing it together because you're depending on Him. Doing life together and depending on Christ is what the church is all about. So when Peter stood up in verse 15 and said, "Brothers and sisters, the Scripture had to be fulfilled," he was depending on God to do the fulfilling. And what had to be fulfilled during this first church business meeting? Verses 21 and 22 reveal the answer; they had to choose someone to take Judas's place. Now, there were a lot of good options for choosing someone to take Judas's place. Verses 21 and 22 said whoever it was had to "have been with them the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among them, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from them. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection." That's a tall order with strict qualifications. But they had 100 people who qualified for the position of the 12th apostle. So who would they pick, and how would they choose? Verse 23 says they choose two men, and they prayed. They knew the Scripture had to be fulfilled. They knew God was asking them to fill Judas's empty spot. And they knew that since only God knows a persons heart, only God is qualified to decide. So instead of just doing, they depended on God. Folks, that's what ministry is. It's not so much what we do but how we do it. Ministry is depending upon God as He works through us to accomplish His will. It's being yoked with Christ and doing what He does as His ambassadors. What a privilege and a blessing it is to serve such a wonderful God! We're not just serving God; we're serving with God. But sometimes serving takes patience. "Love is patient and kind," so if you want to 'mount up with wings like eagles," we need to copy and do what they did in that church meeting. We can learn 3-things from the apostles while we're waiting. The First thing we can do while we're waiting is to pray. Instead of rushing in, growing weary, and feeling faint, depending on God means we always "seek His kingdom first" through prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 instructs us to, "Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God's will for you is for you to be Christ-focused. To see what God's will is through prayer. We don't have to give thanks for every circumstance, but we are to give thanks in every circumstance. We're to give thanks in every circumstance because God knows the end of every circumstance from the beginning. We can all be strong and courageous, because as Deuteronomy 31:6 says, "God will never leave us nor forsake us." God's will is for us to continually communicate with Him through prayer. Christians are to be people of prayer. As Billy Graham once said, "Prayer is for every moment of our lives, not just for times of suffering or joy. Prayer is really a place, a place where you meet God in genuine conversation." Brothers and sisters, when we work, we get what we can do; but when we pray, we get what God can do. The Second thing we can do while we're waiting is to always seek God's guidance. Remember, we're to first "pray without ceasing," but prayer isn't just you talking to God, it's you listening to God. In Psalm 32:8 God says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My loving eye on you." But while we're waiting and praying, seeking God's guidance means reading God's Word. Listening to God is done by reading His Word. I've had people tell me how they wish God would just say something to them. And I'll say, He has, through the Bible. God speaks to us through His Word, the Bible. Now, this isn't the only way God speaks to us. We are to spend quiet time listening for God's voice. And sometimes, God will speak to you through an inward voice. I know He does because God's done if for me. When God called me into ministry, I heard His voice inside me just as plain as day. You can ask me about my testimony and how God called me into ministry anytime, but for right now, know that God will speak to you how He sees fit, and most of the time, it's through His written Word. As D.L. Moody once said, "When we read the Bible, God talks with us; when we pray, we talk with God; and we need to do most of the listening." Finally, the Third thing we can do while we're waiting is to get organized. When the apostles held that church meeting, they didn't get tired of waiting and decide to take matters into their own hands. Instead, they stayed organized and remained dependent upon God. In talking about worship, 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, "everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." God is a God of order; just look at creation. And not only are our lives a continual worship to God, but that verse can be applied to every area of life. I mean, you don't want your doctor or surgeon doing things outta order. You wouldn't want your mechanic doing things outta order. I wouldn't want to drive down the road with no sense of order guiding me. Doing things in an orderly way is for our benefit. Waiting for God doesn't mean just sitting around doing nothing. Delayed obedience is just disobedience. And being a disciple of Christ is about being obedient to Him. As John Wesley once said, "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." As Christ's disciples, the best way we can do all the good we can is to stay organized. It's by staying organized that we also keep our priorities in line. Instead of doing, we depend, and we depend by learning patience, and in our patience, we don't grow weary because we pray first, seek God's guidance, and remain organized because we're yoked with Christ. You know, it's amazing how we always find time to do the things we really believe are important. So while we're waiting, what do you find important? Well, for one couple, they found catching their plane important. They went to the airport, and when they arrived at their gate, the agent asked them to wait before they could board. So they went over to a bunch of chairs and sat down. They were pushed to the side, but they didn't know why. The couple watched as people began boarding the plane. As more and more people passed by, the more impatient and frustrated they became. They were waiting and didn't know why. The plane was right there. They had their tickets. They checked their luggage. And after a while, they started to get mad. They thought the airline was treating them very poorly by making them wait before they could go in. Now, everyone had boarded the plane but them. The couple was going to be the last people to board the plane even though they were the first ones there. All kinds of things were racing through their minds, and soon their thoughts became loud words. "What's going on here?! This isn't right!" They argued. As the couple voiced their opinion, their names were called to board the plane. They walked down the jetway, frustrated, but glad they were finally able to find their seats. As they looked at their tickets for their seat numbers, unbeknownst to them, they had been upgraded to first-class! In an instant, their anger turned to happiness, frustration became laughing, and sadness turned into joy. The couple added a little pep in their step because they realized that sometimes waiting isn't always that bad. Brothers and sisters, waiting isn't always bad because it's in waiting we learn patience, and it's in patience that we follow God, and when we follow God and live by His timetable, we'll develop Christlike character. So while we're waiting, use the time to mature in your faith. Take time to examine yourself and see what areas require growth. Pray, seek God's guidance, and stay organized. And remember, you have a first-class ticket for God's kingdom, but it's redeemable only through Christ. Folks, Christ holds in His all-powerful hands the ticket to heaven, the scars of Calvary. The ticket is priceless, you were bought at a price, but the ticket is free. There is no amount of money or works that can earn that ticket. The ticket of salvation is a free gift and only offered by Christ. Jesus Christ is the only way you can get salvations ticket because only Christ paid for your sins to be forgiven. Only Christ made it possible for you to board heavens plane. In this world there are many tickets offered, but only the one from Christ gives eternal life and forgiveness of sin. So I ask that you place faith in Christ. Repent of your sin, ask God's forgiveness, and accept Christ's salvation, because Christ's ticket has no expiration date, it's eternal. AMEN 2