We continue to move from a service-oriented economy to more disposable economies

Instead of buying an appliance and taking it in for service when it breaks down

We simply go buy a new one

Because it’s cheaper

In the Pre-Amazon days

When an appliance broke down

Television

Blender

Vacuum

Other appliance

You would take it to a shop for it to be serviced

Emphasis

Quality workmanship

Speed

So the quicker you could do good work, the more business you would have

Some services advertised their services done “While you wait”

They would work that quickly

Revelation 9:13-21

Revelation 9:13–21 NKJV

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm. 20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

While U Wait

Timeline

What we see in Re 9 is a lesson for us to learn today when we wonder where God is or what God is doing when things appear to be unraveling in our lives

God’s perceived absence is yet another form of His presence

When God appears to be “absent” or is otherwise “silent”

1. God is Always Listening

Voice that comes from the four horns of the gold altar that is before God

V.13

Four horns

Represents sovereign judgment of God

Golden altar before God

Where the prayers of the saints were offered

Re 8:3 “Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.”

Re 6:9-11

Revelation 6:9–11 NKJV

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

Voice gives instructions that indicate God is going to act on the prayers offered up to Him

How does this fit today?

God does in fact listen to your prayers

God is in fact working with your prayers

The work comes in adjusting us to Himself

Adjusting us to His will In order for our prayers to be according to His will

1 Jn 5:14-15

1 John 5:14–15 NKJV

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Whenever we ask anything according to His will

He is hearing us

If we know that He is hearing us

We know that we are having the request God’s hearing is synonymous with our having

So in order for us to have that which we requested

We need to ask according to His will

God doesn’t do this reluctantly

He delights in accomplishing His will

So He will take particular delight in hearing/answering prayers that are aligned with His will

If we know that God loves us

We can be confident that He won’t leave us in the dark about His will

He desires to reveal His will to us

In fact, He is revealing His will to us all the time

Question today

Are you really interested in knowing Him?

2. God is Always Prompt

Voice commands for the release of the four angels

V.14

Angels who had been bound up at the great river Euphrates

V.15

These four “angels” are not the same angels seen in Re 7:1

Angel

ἄγγελον

“messenger”

Messengers in rebellion against God

These messengers “have been prepared”

Although they rebelled against God, God was going to use their rebellion to accomplish His overall purpose

Ro 8:28

These messengers (may be demonic) have been prepared for “the hour, day, month, and year”

This exact moment

From the beginning of all of His creation, God had been preparing

Knowing that these four messengers would rebel against Him

Knowing that the world that He lovingly created would rebel against Him

Knowing that this same world would turn against Him and His people

He would use these four messengers to accomplish His overall purpose of re-establishing justice in His creation

These angels will think they just got a “get out of jail free” card

But all along, God was going to win out!

Now it plays out right here at the exact instant

God is always on time

God never hurries, but He’s never late

Example of needlepoint

Makes no sense on one side

On the other side, makes all the sense in the world

Has God delayed in acting in your life?

Are you thinking maybe He’s forgotten about you?

Remember two things today

You never have to wonder whether or not God loves you

That was settled once and for all at Calvary

You never have to wonder whether or not God is still at work

Remember these four demonic messengers

If God is still working with four evil beings today

Getting everything ready for the exact instant He will use them for His purposes of judgment

He has to still be working

Around you

With you

In you

Another way to think about this

If God is not bound by time

He sees the future as clearly as the present and the past

And you know that He loves you more than anyone else does

Demonstrated at Calvary

And you’re not seeing any results today

Then that means He is still working out the stuff you can’t see or perceive right now

But at precisely the right time He’s going to say, “Now!”

And all heaven and earth will move in such a way that you will be driven to your knees in abject humility and embarrassment for ever doubting Him even for a moment

3.God is Always Thorough

The four messengers go to work

V.15

Pulls together a cavalry of 200 million horsemen

Largest army earth has ever seen Horses described

Breastplates

Fiery yellow-red

Hyacinth blue

Sulfur yellow

Horses used

People killed by three things out of horses’ mouths

Fire

Smoke

Sulfur

Purpose:

To kill 1/3 of all mankind

Keep in mind

8 billion people in world today

2 billion raptured

1 billion die during first four seals

Substantial amount of people who will die during the first four trumpets

Say population is at 3 billion at this point

Another 1 billion people will die here at trumpet number 6

Does this seem rather harsh to you?

What we forget today

God takes sin seriously

Why do you think Jesus had to suffer like He did?

Yet throughout all of this judgment

God would show mercy on just one person who would turn to Jesus

Vv.20-21

People will not repent

John would not have needed to report this if there were no chance at this point

Even at this late hour, it’s not too late

Now What?

To you, Christ-follower:

Are you in a “While U Wait” season?

You are not alone

Are you interested in a study on discovering some “Waiting Tools?”

Text: “WAIT”

To you, Truth Seeker:

Taste and see the Truth we have discovered

Jesus Christ

How to be certain you have everlasting life

Text: “LIFE”

To you, Church Seeker:

Is the Lord directing you to serve Him here, with this church?

Text: “NEXT STEP”

Will you do what you need to do today?