Well, good morning, everyone. It's good to be here with you today and open up the Word of God.
The message for today is going to be a topical study on waiting on God. So why don't we just open up in a word of prayer and then we'll begin.
Heavenly Father, we thank you that we can be together and look into your What it says, how we should wait on you, waiting on you, Lord.
And we just pray that our hearts would be attentive to hear from you the light of your spirit.
Into your truth, Lord, and just pray that you would guide my words and May your spirit edify all the believers here.
In Jesus name I pray. Amen. All right, so like I said, it's going to be a topical study on waiting on God.
How many of us here like to wait? I don't think many of us like to wait, do we? We're a fast-paced society, right?
I looked it up and fast food is over a $400 billion a year industry. That shows that Americans don't generally like to wait. And I think if you add a couple more billion Uber Eats.
Brings it even faster to them. So oftentimes after waiting for something, it ends in disappointment and waiting is often not worth it. But when we're waiting on God, it's different, isn't it?
When we're waiting on God. Its eyes worth the wait?
When we weighed on people, our circumstances controlled by people. We will almost always be disappointed in the end.
But when we wait on God, there is never disappointment. And why is that?
Well, it's because God always knows what's best for us. We have a good God. We sing that song. We have a good, good father.
God has exactly what we need. It's not always what we want, but it's what we need, right?
But before we started waiting on God, God was actually waiting And us. You see, it always starts with God.
The love relationship we have with God began with him. We love him because he first.
Loved us. 2 Peter 3.9 says, the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness.
But is long-suffering toward us. Not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
You know, waiting involves suffering, and God is long-suffering toward us. He's patient.
He could have rightfully put me to death before I came to know him.
But he waited patiently for me. He waited patiently for you.
For us. Why? It's because he wanted to save us. God would have all men to be saved.
Right? That's what the scripture says. To as many as receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
Even to them that believe on his name, he gives the right to become the children of God. This is all God's grace, isn't it?
God's grace. When someone says to the argument line, how can a loving God allow wickedness in the world?
Have you ever heard that someone say that before? Well, the answer to this question is that God is not willing that any should perish. He's not out to his creatures to the lake of fire. God is waiting.
God is waiting that more of those ungodly people can get saved.
That is why he sent his son Jesus Christ into the world to save us. And that is why Jesus Christ took our place of punishment on the cross of Calvary, shedding his blood.
Don't forget God justifies the ungodly, not the righteous.
You know, Romans 4, 5 says, but to him who does not work but believes on him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.
So God is waiting on us in a sense of long-suffering toward us with all patience.
But when we are waiting on God, we are not needing long suffering, are we?
Patience with God. No. Waiting on God involves trusting in Him.
We're just saying, I will trust. In you, Lord. Relying on him allows him to strengthen us. You know, one of my favorite verses involving waiting on God is Isaiah 40.
Verse 31, could you turn there with me? Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40 verse 31, but we'll start.
In verse 28
Isaiah chapter 40. Starting in verse 28.
Have you not known, have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints Nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak. And to those who have no might, he increases strength.
Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.
But those who wait on 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.
Maybe you're here today. And you feel weak.
Do any of us feel weak? You feel like a weak person. Well, let me tell you, those are the type of people.
That the Lord helps. You know, Jesus Christ came not for those who helped themselves, but He came for the spiritually sick, not for those who do not need a physician.
So if you're here and you feel like a weak person, you are just the type of person that the Lord Jesus Christ wants to help.
The first thing he wants to help us with is our salvation, right?
He started there. Jesus Christ never has cast away a sinner that comes to him.
Let me repeat that again. Jesus Christ never casts away a sinner.
Who comes to him. That's good news that we have to share with people.
You know, Bruce Reid, it says he will not break. That's the way he does things. He doesn't break. A smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
You know, Jesus wants people to be saved. More than we do. We pray for many people in this assembly who that we might know that we might know don't know the Lord.
Well, the Lord wants them to be saved much more than we do. Why? It's because he made a big investment for the world. What did he do? He shed his own blood.
The major test of faith in life is this. What think ye of Christ?
What do you think about Christ? Do you remember Peter's bold answer? What did he say? Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
When we trust the Lord Jesus Christ, what he did for us on the cross, dying for our sins.
Being buried and rising again. When we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, he gives us his very own life.
He gives us the gift of eternal life and salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ. But after salvation.
God still allows us to be tested in our faith, doesn't He?
It's a walk of faith. That's the way we walk. We walk by faith, not by sight. God wants to see if we are trusting And depending on him.
The question is still the same. What do you think about Christ? Is he all you need?
Or do you need to rely on your own resources? Do you need to trust in man or is Jesus Christ enough?
You know, the whole Christian life is a walk of faith.
I like this verse, those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.
The word wait here has the idea of look for to expect, but it also has the idea of binding together or intertwined like a cord.
I really like that thought. Because I think of myself as being a very weak person.
But God is my strength. Notice in verse 29, it says that he gives power to the weak.
To those who have no might, he increases their strength. So when he says in verse 31 that those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.
He's saying that those who are intertwined, bound together with him, with the Lord, shall renew their strength.
And how is this? It's because we're intertwined, bound together with the Lord who is the strong one.
I love that thought. He is our strength. It's like when you have a little child, maybe some of you have experienced this.
You have a child and you have a very heavy box.
And they want to help. Now, you know that child is not going to do any help with that box.
You're going to have to carry that box, but you let them help. And so you're carrying all the weight and the child's Got their hands on that box.
And they think they're doing a lot of work with you.
Because you're carrying all the load. And it's something we probably all have done.
So it is when we wait on the Lord, we're renewing our strength.
He's doing all the work, but we're intertwined with him as the weak person.
So when we wait on the Lord, we're renewing our strength. And then it says we mount up.
With wings like eagles. Isn't that a nice… thought. When I think of an eagle, I think of soaring. I love going to the Eagle River area and seeing all, there are a lot, that's why it's named that probably, because there's a lot of eagles.
And it's beautiful to see a soaring eagle. And it's nice to think of soaring above my problems.
Isn't that a nice thought to soar above your problems.
Well, that's what we have with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are bound together with him, waiting on him, and we mount up with wings.
Like eagles. Psalm 61 says, I trust in the shelter of your wings. You know, we can totally trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what our situation is.
Can I repeat that? We can trust in the Lord Jesus Christ no matter what our situation is in life.
There is no situation in life that the Lord Jesus Christ has not provided.
Provisions for us to handle. There's not one situation.
Do you remember that old VeggieTales song? I know, Joel, you remember it. God is bigger than the boogeyman. That's right.
Well, he really is. I know it's a silly song, but it tells a real truth.
There is no situation boogeyman of our life that God can't handle. You know, in light of eternity.
There are no disasters. There are no real crises in our life.
All the suffering we endure is temporary. It's very temporary. It doesn't compare with the glory that will be revealed to us.
So we need to say boldly with Paul, what did he say? I can do some things. I can do all things.
Through Christ who strengthens me. Now, when we're waiting.
Sometimes when we're waiting on God, we rely on him and it doesn't seem like he's answering us.
You've experienced that. I think we've all experienced those It seems like wilderness times.
We are not getting the desired outcome. We might wait. And wait, wait.
Does that mean that God is not in control? God's timing is totally different from ours.
Have you ever noticed that? God's timing is not our timing.
He is never in a hurry. You know, we're often in a hurry. We're that fast-paced society. Get me my food now.
But he's not in a hurry. Remember, to God, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.
If we think back to God's people of the past, we see that many of them had to endure long.
Long waiting periods. Just think of Noah.
How long did he have to wait building that ark? 120 years building that arc. And I'm sure during that time he received a lot of ridicule. Can you imagine building the ark? There was no water there for this ark.
Hey, Noah. What you doing there?
Expecting a flood? Yeah, kind of. That's what's happening. But I'm sure he got jokes.
Every day by people. There was no art. And the surrounding community must have thought he was a fool.
But Noah waited on God. Just imagine, 120 years. It's a long time.
Now think of Abraham. God gave him a promise, right? He gave him a promise when it was seemingly impossible for that promise to take place.
Take effect. Abraham was promised at the age of 75 that he would have a son Isaac.
And 25 years later, that promise was fulfilled. Abraham had to wait on God.
Did Abraham trust God always during that time? No, he didn't.
Not always. Do you remember… Hey, Gar. Operation Hagar. And this failure of not waiting on God caused grief.
To Abraham and Sarah. Why do you think Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands?
Well, Sarah was too old to have kids, wasn't she? She was 65 at the time of the promise.
And then… You know, they waited for, I think about 11 years.
Still no baby. And they got restless and so they took matters into their own hands, didn't they?
And we do sometimes do the same thing. We wait. We're waiting on God and then we take… things into our own hands And we suffer for it.
But thanks be to God that in the Christian life we can always get up.
Our Lord Jesus Christ has given us provisions. When we fail, when we sin He is promised, he says, if we confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us.
From all unrighteousness. It's not a ticket to sin, but it's a ticket to serve. We can get up.
You know, I think it's in 1 John, it says My little children, I write these things so that you do not sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous one. And it's… It's a beautiful thing that the Lord gives us the opportunity to have a clean slate.
People might remember the past, but the Lord Jesus Christ chooses to forget, doesn't he?
And it gives us a clean slate and he offers us a new opportunity every day to wake up, look to him and get strengthened from him.
And when we fail, we get back up. And we continue looking to him.
Turn with me to Hebrews chapter 11. This is a Heroes of Faith chapter, Hebrews chapter 11.
Hebrews chapter 11, and we're going to look at verses 32 to 40.
Now, the heroes of faith did not always receive the promise. You know, some died in faith not having seen the promises that they were waiting for.
You know, let's read those verses from Hebrews chapter 11, starting at verse… 32.
32 and we'll go to verse 40. And watch… Starting at verse 32. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets.
Who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women receive their dead raised to life again. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Verse 36.
Still, others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains.
And imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two We're tempted. We're slain with a sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goat skins being destitute, afflicted, tormented.
Of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in the deserts and mountains in dens and caves of the earth, and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith.
Did not receive the promise God, having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
Now look again at verse 39. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise.
God having provided something better for us that they should not be made perfect apart from us. This is the kind of faith God is looking for, trusting in God, even though we don't see him, even though the We don't see fulfilled.
We're waiting, we're waiting. And we don't have the promises answered. And we might even die.
Trusting in him or still be waiting. Until Jesus comes. Job had this type of faith. Do you remember what he said?
There's even a song about his words. He said, though he slay me Yet will I trust him.
Now that is really trusting God. Though he slay me, yet I will trust him.
And do you remember Shadrach? Meshach and Abednego. When they were about to be put into the fiery furnace they trusted God. They waited on him. Do you remember what they said?
If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it and he will deliver us from your majesty's hand. But if he does not.
We want you to know your majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.
Now that's truly waiting on God. You know, our God can deliver us, but even if he doesn't, we're not going to bend the knee.
That's dependence on God. You know, sometimes… We're waiting on God to deliver us from a thorn in the flesh.
Remember Paul, who was pleading with the Lord three times. To take away the thorn in his flesh. And what was the Lord's answer to him?
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Let's turn there. Turn with me to 2 Corinthians.
2 Corinthians chapter 12.
And we're going to read verses 7 through 10. 2 Corinthians.
Chapter 12. And starting at verse 7 and reading through 10.
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations.
A thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded.
With the Lord three times that it might depart from me.
And he said to me. My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength.
Is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses.
For Christ's sake. For when I am weak. Then I am strong.
Now, we may not have seen abundant revelations like Paul being caught up into the third heaven and our thorn in the flesh might be different.
Than Paul's, but I believe God's answer is the same. There's a principle here. And what does the Lord say to us? He says, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power.
Is made perfect in weakness. Maybe your thorn is a temptation.
You plead with God to take away a certain temptation. But it always seems to rear its ugly head.
In your life. Jesus answer for you is the same. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
But remember in temptation, it is not God Who is tempting you. We are tempted.
By the devil, the world, and mostly I think by our own sinful flesh that war is within us.
We need to draw near to God. And he will draw near to us. His grace is always sufficient for us his power will be made perfect in weakness. And he will show us a way of escape.
We've got to pray for that. Lord, show me the way of escape and he'll show it to us.
We need to keep on waiting on the Lord in the midst of the spiritual battle of temptation we are experiencing.
We need to always remember that our salvation is threefold.
The Lord Jesus Christ delivered us from the penalty of sin at the cross.
That once and for all forgiveness was given to us the moment we trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
You know, we believed that he died for our sins, was buried, and he rose again, and we were completely delivered from the penalty of our sins.
So the first part of our salvation was being delivered from the penalty of our sin.
Now as believers, we are in the ongoing process of being delivered from the power of sin.
Victory over temptation. As we rely on Jesus Christ, as we wait on Him.
We trust him in our state of weakness. His power is made perfect.
Remember, his power is made perfect in our weakness. This type of deliverance is an ongoing deliverance. It's not a one-time deliverance. Why is this?
It's because even though we have been made a new creation.
That's what the Bible says. We are a new creation. We are still living in these bodies of death, aren't we?
But we wait in great anticipation, in great hope. Because the day is drawing nearer and nearer.
I can't wait. When that third part of our salvation will be experienced. And what is that third part of our salvation?
It's that someday we will be delivered from the very presence of sin in our bodies, our weak bodies that can be tempted will be transformed.
Isn't that a nice thought? Transformed in the moment in the twinkling of an eye, the Bible says.
This happens at the moment in the future when we are caught up to be with the Lord Jesus. And this is what we should be waiting for.
This is what we should be longing for. The Lord Jesus Christ wants us to long for his appearing.
There's even a reward for that. Long for his appearing. In fact, the whole earth God's creation.
Is groaning. Longing for his appearing. Maybe you feel like groaning sometimes.
Together with all creation. Do you ever feel that way? It's okay as long as you groan with hope, right?
Grown with hope. Maybe your thorn in the flesh is a difficult circumstance.
That you want to change. You plead with the Lord for that circumstance to change.
But his answer is what? My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
Turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8.
We're going to look at starting at verse 18. Romans chapter 8, starting at verse 18.
I think we'll go through verse… I think 25.
Romans 8 verse 18, For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope.
Because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groans. And labors with birth pains together until now.
Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves eagerly waiting for the adoption.
For the redemption of our body. We were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope for why does one still hope for what he sees?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
We eagerly wait for the Lord Jesus Christ with perseverance. We might feel like groaning, but… We know how it all ends, right?
Jesus Christ is on the throne and we're going to be forever with him.
Altogether. Don't give up the struggle in the Christian life.
We are in a daily spiritual battle. Maybe your battle is your bad health.
Maybe your battle is your bad health. Maybe your battle is your temptation.
Maybe your battle is your circumstance. Maybe your battle is all three of these.
Well, the answer is keep looking up to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.
His grace will carry you through the difficult times. You know, when we look to Jesus Christ, when we wait on Him, we mount up, it says.
We read before, mount up with wings like eagles because we are intertwined, bound together with him. It's not only that we are bound with him, but through the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit.
It's like it's a tied knot that nothing can unloose. You know, when God ties a knot, nothing, no temptation, trial, circumstance, not even you.
And me can untie it so we soar. We soar with Jesus above our temptations, above our trials.
Above our circumstances. The joy of the Lord is not dependent on our circumstances.
The joy of the Lord is not dependent on our circumstances. I quoted a verse earlier, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Well, in the surrounding texts of that verse, Paul says, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content.
I know how to be a beast. I know how to abound.
Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full And to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It doesn't say I can do some things.
He says, I can do all things. To Christ who gives me strength.
Don't give up. God is in control. Maybe you feel like David.
I read in Psalm 69 the other day that David was in deep distress when he wrote this Psalm.
And sometimes waiting on God is not filled with outward joy.
But deep desperation of crying to God. Listen to what… David says in the first three verses, you don't necessarily have to turn there, but Psalm 69, I'm just going to read the first three verses. He says, save me, O God.
For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire where there is no standing. I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying.
My throat is dry, my eyes fail while I wait for my God.
You know, maybe that's you today. Maybe that's me today. You are in a distressed situation, but just keep trusting God. Don't give up.
Jesus Christ is worth waiting for, isn't He? He's worth it. You know, Revelation declares, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.
There shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain.
For the former things have passed away. No matter what our situation is.
Let's all keep waiting for the Lord Jesus Christ. He has given us provisions for our every need, for every need. Now let's keep looking to the Lord Jesus Christ until he calls us home or until we meet him in the air.
Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you.
Thank you for your goodness to us. In providing us everything we need.
You provide us the most at the cross when you sent your son to be our Savior.
Dying in our place, shedding his blood on the cross. For us, the sinners.
And now that we're your own dear children through faith in your Son.
You will do so much more. And Lord, the problem is that we sometimes don't wait on you.
Lord, help us to wait, to trust you. To soar above our problems with your strength.
Lord, we need you not only for salvation. But every day, every moment. And so we just look to you now and pray that The things that we discuss… about waiting. We would just take these things to heart And be doers of the word.
Lord, help us in our weakness. Lord, we're weak people. That's why you came to be our Savior. And we just thank you that your word strengthens us.
And that you will… that you began a good work in us and you will keep performing until the day, Lord Jesus, when you come.
And we meet you in the air. And we look forward to that day.
And we just thank you for this time together. In your name, Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.
There's