Waiting well

Today we celebrate Pentecost. I am guessing most of us know the story in Acts 2. The disciples were together when suddenly there was a sound like the blowing of a mighty wind and what looked like flames of fire rested on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in foreign languages. A huge crowd gathered. Peter preached saying that they had killed the Messiah. The crowd was convicted and cried out, “Brothers, what shall we do?”. Peter told them to repent and be baptised. Their sins would be forgiven and they would receive the Holy Spirit. 3,000 people were added to the church that day.

You know that story? OK, well this sermon is not about that! It is more about what preceded that.

Twice Jesus told the disciples to wait – wait for this outpouring of the Spirit.

Luke 24:49

I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

Acts 1:4-5

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, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Jesus referred to “what my Father has promised” and “the gift my Father promised”. And in both instances, Jesus said they were to wait for it.

It is very clear what promise Jesus was referring to. Luke 24 said they were to stay in the city until they had been clothed with power from on high. Acts 1:5 says, “For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’”

Many times God had promised to pour out His Spirit. At Pentecost, Peter quoted from the prophet Joel.

Acts 2:17

17 ‘“In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams. Etc.

God said through Ezekiel said, “I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my ways and be careful to keep my laws” (36:27). For hundreds of years, God had been promising this.

Jesus made numerous promises about the coming Holy Spirit, especially during the Last Supper. John chapters 14 and 16 are largely about the Holy Spirit.

• Jesus promised the Comforter or the Counsellor;

• The Holy Spirit would be their teacher

• He promised that the Holy Spirit would lead them into all truth and would testify to Jesus;

• He promised that when they were on trial, the Holy Spirit would give them words to say;

• He promised that the Holy Spirit would be with them always;

• He promised that those who believe in Him would do the things He had been doing and even greater things (Jn 14:12)

In each version of the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit is central.

• In Matthew, “I will be with you always to the very end of the age”.

• In Mark, Jesus said that there would be miraculous signs accompanying those who believe.

• In Luke, Jesus said the gospel would be preached to all nations. The disciples were to witness to these things, then... “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but, stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

• In John, Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” Then He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.”

• In Acts, just after telling them to stay in the city, Jesus said…

Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

There were heaps of promises, but they were to wait. Do not try to do this without the Holy Spirit. Do not go out thinking you can achieve this huge mission to the ends of the earth – this mission that will change the world – without the Holy Spirit. And so the disciples waited… and then, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out in power, and everything changed.

• The disciples were transformed from being very timid to being bold.

• They went from being powerless to powerful immediately.

• Supernatural things happened. It was apparent that God was at work.

• Peter preached with power.

• 3,000 people believed and were baptised. Immediately we are told they were devoted to the Apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer, etc. They started caring for each other, selling their possessions to give to those in need. And so on.

• Being His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, all Samaria and to the ends of the world, had started.

Bang! Everything changed. God kept His promise and gave the gift of His Holy Spirit. But we are not talking about that because we are going to focus on the waiting – the waiting between the promise and the delivery. Do you know that waiting between the promise and the delivery? Has God asked you to wait? Sometimes God makes promises to us too but asks us to wait.

What does waiting mean? Does it mean doing nothing – just waiting for God? The disciples did not think it was a case of sitting around doing nothing. The Bible tells us three things they did while waiting.

Luke 24:53

They stayed continually at the temple, praising God.

Acts 1:13-14

When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

Acts 1:15-26 tells of the disciples choosing Matthias to replace Judas.

In other words, there was praise, prayer and preparation.

Continually at the temple praising God. What does that suggest to you? What does it suggest about their attitude? What does it suggest about their relationship with God? Continually at the temple, praising God.

• They knew they had seen the goodness and power of God in the crucifixion and resurrection. God was good and God was their focus.

• They were excited and positive – maybe excited and positive about the mission ahead and the more things they were going to see God doing. Maybe excited and positive that they had been called to have a part in the good news of Jesus going to the ends of the world.

• Praise shows trust in the God who has promised and who will deliver.

Can we keep our focus on God and know that He is good – even when the answer is delayed?

The preparation. Sometimes the waiting is to prepare us for what is coming. It might be a time of study, or of God developing our character, or of learning new skills. While we are waiting, what does God want to do? There are many people in the Bible who went through long periods of preparation before God used them. Moses was 80 before God used him to rescue the people from Egypt. Jesus was 30 before He began His ministry, but God was preparing them.

But there is also a caution here. Mark Keown asked me if the disciples were meant to replace Judas with Matthias. Good question. We are not told that God commanded it. We hear nothing more about Matthais. Was that God’s idea or the disciples’ idea? Either way, it reminds us that we have to be discerning and listening, and willing to do things God’s way. God promised Abraham that he would have a son and become the father of many nations, but Abraham had to wait until he was an old man. In the interim, he took Sarah’s advice and slept with her maid, Hagar. Abraham had trouble waiting and tried to force the issue and we are still seeing the consequences in the Middle east today.

Waiting can be hard. Yes, God wants to do things while we wait but we can be tempted to take over.

The disciples and the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and His brothers were constantly in prayer. That indicates unity. They were together; they were tight. They were one in heart and mind. It is about Jesus. It is about the gospel. It is about the Kingdom.

They might have been excited about the move of God that had begun; they might have been excited about being part of it; they might have been dedicated to it, but they also knew that they would need God, and so they were constantly before God praying for the Holy Spirit who had been promised. They didn’t sit around telling jokes, thinking, “Oh well, God will do it when He is ready”. They were on their faces before God, desperately knowing that they needed His empowering.

Every Christian is waiting. God promises us salvation but we have not yet received it in its fullness. What do we do while we wait? God has promised heaven but, in the meantime, we live in a troubled world tearing itself apart. There are numerous promises in the Bible and we might feel that God is failing to deliver. God might have made some particular promise to you. You believe God once said something to you about your future, but it hasn’t happened. Maybe you question whether it ever will happen.

If God has promised, it will happen. Do not lose faith in God? Remind yourself of what He has done in the past. Remind yourself of the love and mercy God has shown. Know that He is good and that He will do what He has said He will do. Remain excited about the promises that will be fulfilled and praise Him.

If there is a delay, how is God wanting to prepare you? Listen to what God might be saying and be open to what He wants to do in your life now.

And keep praying. We want to be a church soaked in prayer and a church where people support one another in prayer. As we sing in a moment, there will be the opportunity for prayer and there will be people available up the front, on the right. Maybe there is stuff happening in your life. Maybe you are waiting for God to do something, and the waiting is hard. It is often during the waiting that people give up. While we wait, let’s keep praying. Prayer says, “Father, even though we wait, it is still You we look to. It is You we trust. You are our hope.”

As a church, we want to see God doing more. We could go to our Bibles and find promises from God and think, “Well, we are not really seeing that”. So, what will we do as a church? We will praise God. We will worship Him. We will not stop. He is a good God. Even if there are things for which we still wait, we know that we have also received massive mercy and grace from God and we will praise Him.

We will prepare. We will be open to God’s voice. What does He want to do in us? What is He wanting to teach us? What is He wanting us to do differently as a church?

And we will pray. Sitting between God’s promises and us receiving what God has promised is asking. It starts and ends with God. God makes the offer, and God keeps His promises, but in between there is the need for us to come to God saying, “Lord God, I am in need.” Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive”. James says we do not receive because we do not ask. Jesus said, “How much more will the Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Do you want to see God move? Let us keep praying. The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

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