When or Who:  Or How to Live with the Delay

Jesus is coming soon!  It is part of the name of our church, Seventh-day Adventists.  Adventists first expected Jesus to come about 170 years ago or so.  It's been a long time since then.  There is some comfort in knowing that we were not the first to find ourselves waiting.  The early church expected the coming of Jesus in their life time as well.  Delay is something we should have some experience with - but we still struggle.  Delay is not easy.

Perhaps the real question for us then, is not so much why the delay, or when the delay is over, but how we live in the midst of delay - since that is where we are actually living.

Fortunately, Jesus has not left us without resources or understanding when it comes to understanding how we navigate the time of the delay.  It is just that we distract ourselves with time charts and speculations and a desire to reduce our anxiety by knowing all the details of the future, instead of simply resting in the assurance of knowing Jesus.  Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life."  We deal with the delay by knowing who is coming, and continuing to respond to Him.  Simple, but to the point.  Knowing Who is coming, is much more important than knowing when.  if we know Who, when will take care of itself.  We may, and should, anticipate it with joy, but what makes it joyful is not knowing when, but Who.

This is what Elder Levterov explores with us this morning.  If you would like to listen to the sermon once again, or perhaps for the first time, you can access our sermon library here, or listen to the livestream version of the entire service here.