Christian Life Church
January 12, 2025 at 8:30am & 10:00am
The Weight of Waiting
Locations & Times
Christian Life Church Columbia
2700 Bush River Rd, Columbia, SC 29210, USA
Saturday 8:00 AM
THE BOOK OF ACTS JANUARY 12, 2025
THE WEIGHT OF WAITING
SCRIPTURE
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised.” Acts 1:1-4
In their context, the promise is the Holy Spirit. In your context, the “promise” may be something different. But the essence remains true: Wait on God to come.
WAITING IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
God often takes a person, puts a promise in them, and takes them through a process:
Person Promise Process
Noah Justice 120 Years
Anna Messiah 84 Years
Jesus Purpose 30 Years
Abraham & Sarah Child 25 Years
David Kingship 15 Years
Jacob Wife 14 Years
Joseph Leadership 13 Years
Paul Life 12 Days
God’s heart behind every delay is development. Notice three reasons for delay:
1/ God may need to take some things out of you.
2/ God may need to put some things in you.
3/ God may need to do work in other people or circumstances.
HOW WE WAIT MATTERS
1/ There is passive waiting.
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
2/ There is pushy waiting.
The only thing worse than waiting on God is wishing that you had.
But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
3/ There is productive waiting.
While waiting, abide in the Promise Giver.
While waiting, keep your eyes on the promise.
Don’t allow the promise to become too dim, distant, or distorted.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5
Qavah means to wait with alert anticipation.
While waiting, give thanks in advance.
While waiting, do well with what you already have.
While waiting, help other people in your situation.
While waiting, be attentive to what God is doing in you.
“To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working.” Louie Giglio
Don’t view it as a waiting room, but as a training ground.
HE WILL DELIVER
God is true and every man a liar. Romans 3:4
The Lord never delivers a promise late or pre-maturely. It is about the fullness of time.
The is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. 2 Peter 3:9
Remember: The evidence of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…
“I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for them to wait.” C.S. Lewis
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7
THE WEIGHT OF WAITING
SCRIPTURE
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day He was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles He had chosen. After His suffering, He presented Himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the Kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift My Father promised.” Acts 1:1-4
In their context, the promise is the Holy Spirit. In your context, the “promise” may be something different. But the essence remains true: Wait on God to come.
WAITING IS PART OF THE PROCESS.
God often takes a person, puts a promise in them, and takes them through a process:
Person Promise Process
Noah Justice 120 Years
Anna Messiah 84 Years
Jesus Purpose 30 Years
Abraham & Sarah Child 25 Years
David Kingship 15 Years
Jacob Wife 14 Years
Joseph Leadership 13 Years
Paul Life 12 Days
God’s heart behind every delay is development. Notice three reasons for delay:
1/ God may need to take some things out of you.
2/ God may need to put some things in you.
3/ God may need to do work in other people or circumstances.
HOW WE WAIT MATTERS
1/ There is passive waiting.
We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. Hebrews 6:12
2/ There is pushy waiting.
The only thing worse than waiting on God is wishing that you had.
But those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31
3/ There is productive waiting.
While waiting, abide in the Promise Giver.
While waiting, keep your eyes on the promise.
Don’t allow the promise to become too dim, distant, or distorted.
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5
Qavah means to wait with alert anticipation.
While waiting, give thanks in advance.
While waiting, do well with what you already have.
While waiting, help other people in your situation.
While waiting, be attentive to what God is doing in you.
“To us, waiting is wasting. To God, waiting is working.” Louie Giglio
Don’t view it as a waiting room, but as a training ground.
HE WILL DELIVER
God is true and every man a liar. Romans 3:4
The Lord never delivers a promise late or pre-maturely. It is about the fullness of time.
The is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. 2 Peter 3:9
Remember: The evidence of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…
“I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for them to wait.” C.S. Lewis
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:7