Waiting

Introduction

A. We were talking in our Bible study this past Sunday, that when we ask God for something we have to be prepared for the consequences. For example, if we ask for patience then we must be willing to be challenged in such a way that patience is going to be needed. If we pray for greater faith, then we must be willing to be challenged in such a way that faith is required and thus we are able to get what we ask for.

B. In many ways we want the benefit of what we ask without having life becoming uncomfortable or more challenging. We want patience and faith but we don’t want to have to do what is necessary to have those things. I suppose we would prefer for these things to be automatic rather than requiring for God to mold and shape us into the image of his son. To say I want to be like Jesus means that you take up your cross every day and die to yourself. You must figuratively allow yourself to be crucified so that others may live. This is not pleasant to think about and it is difficult to do.

C. Go back to the day that Jesus ascended. Looking up watching Jesus leave the earth must have been both immensely provocative and sad at the same time. And then the disciples are told to quit looking. The implication is that life must go on and there is much yet to be done. And so they return to Jerusalem to wait. They return with the past 40 days still fresh on their minds and wondering what is next. Jesus told them to wait and wait they will but what do you do when you wait. As we will see waiting is not easy but neither is laziness. Waiting demands actively engaging. Let’s learn today as those who wait on the return of Christ.

The Community

A. The community of believers have gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem. Verse 15 tells us that about 120 people are gathered. Notice in verse 14 that among those who were in that upper room are Jesus’ brothers. You will recall from John 7 that his brothers did not believe him and had even ridiculed him. But here they are after the resurrection and the ascension trusting that Jesus is who he says he is. What do you think it is like in that upper room? Is the silence of desperation? Is it a room filled with laughter and fun? We are not told but my guess would be that there is a growing sense of anticipation. God is going to do something and they are waiting for God to act.

B. What we are told is found in verse 14. They were constantly praying. I do not know what that looked like. I don’t know if that means that they had one prayer after another. But I suspect that Luke is trying to help us to see that there is a unity among the believers. They are seeking God’s direction and God’s intervention. Their anticipation results in prayer.

C. Isn’t this what we do when we wait. When the room is filled with anticipation; when the room is filled with uncertainty but with the belief that something is going to happen. Don’t we pray? We can’t live long with that sense of anticipation but what more is there to do than to pray?

1.  When you are waiting for the doctor to return with the announcement.

2.  When you are waiting for the mechanic to come in and tell you what is wrong with your car.

3.  When you are waiting for the answer from that special person about the direction of a relationship.

4.  When you are waiting for that call from a child just to talk.

5.  From the insignificant to the prominent; we know that waiting with anticipation not only affects our emotions but it places us in the wonderful position of having to trust God.

D. If you are waiting we pray. Why? Because we want God to know our heart; because we want God to know how pressed we feel. Because we want God to act. The anticipation forces us to depend upon God. It forces us to recognize that we are not in control and that only God can provide what we really need. Waiting then becomes our time to realign our thinking and our hearts. Waiting allows a time to engage with God and to speak of our dependence.

Action

A. But waiting is also accompanied by a desire to do something. We think we can’t sit and do nothing but then as we noticed waiting is not being lazy it is learning dependence again. But notice that this first community of believers not only engages God in prayer but they engage scripture to discern God’s will for the future. Peter speaks to the group in verse 15. This demonstrates that Peter is taking a leadership role among the group. He says that the structure of the group of disciples is wrong. Jesus selected 12. There are only 11.

B. There is a large amount of speculation that takes place at this point. What did the disciples understand? Peter points to two texts in the Psalms to make his point. Both psalms in a broader context deal with the judgment of God. There isn’t anything in Acts that suggest Peter and the disciples are acting rashly or outside the will of God. While there is nothing in this text to suggest an allusion to Matthew 18, there is a hint that the disciples were still thinking about God’s kingdom. Jesus in Matthew 18 had promised 12 thrones and so the empty throne needs to be filled. In verse 6, the disciples are asking if the kingdom of Israel is now to be restored. 12 tribes composed the kingdom and there are only 11 disciples.

C. The point is not the process but that which is driving the process. The disciples appeal to scripture. They seek God’s will through prayer and they move forward seeking God’s direction to complete the work. This speaks to the second aspect of waiting. Waiting is not only about prayer but it is also about seeking God’s direction. The disciples are using scripture to understand God’s will. They remind one another that the Holy Spirit is a part of this process as well.

D. The disciples wait but they are immersed in discovering God’s will and direction. They are intent on living life with God in mind. They are not trying to go on their own. They are interested in honoring God with life and words. This is the hard work of waiting. Waiting is not passive. Waiting is engaging God through prayer and engaging God’s word to seek his will and purpose. But ultimately waiting is learning to be flexible under the hand and will of God.

E. Waiting is about learning that while we may be in a hurry, God isn’t. It is becoming more submissive to God and learning to trust him to do things in his time rather than in ours. To wait means to change and that is rarely easy. Sit in your cubicle; go from class to class; sit in your den or living room and learn to trust God to do what only he can do. Pray; read his word; dedicate yourself to being shaped into the person God wants you to be. This is the true character of waiting. Prayer and invitation.

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