#7 Tepid Waiting Series

#7 TEPID Waiting

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

This is a 7 part series.

1. Waiting and Patience the dirty words? ; 2. Habakkuk’s Waiting Room; 3. Danger of waiting and spiritual rust;

4. The five levels of waiting; 5. Waiting with Joy and gladness 6. Long waits and sudden answers;

7. TEPID WAITING

TEXT:

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE.

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

DEFINE:

FIRE IN THE BELLY --- FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES...

Zeal: eagerness, ardent interest in the pursuit of something, ambition, initiative, drive.

Enthusiasm: a belief that this is a special revelation of the Holy Spirit (this is from the dictionary).

a strong excitement of feeling, something of inspiring fervor, pleasure in doing something.

Excite: to call to activity, to rouse emotional response, energize, electrify,

COMPASSION FATIGUE:

Complacency, sluggishness, sap, apathy, indifference, uncaring, heartlessness,

HOW WOULD YOU ANSWER THIS QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU HAVE NEED OF?

If we went around doing a survey of people, we would find a varied opinion on what we need.

Some would say we need more EDUCATION? I would agree. Others would say, we need more money?

Others would say in times like these we need great peace.

THE BIBLE CLEARLY ADDRESSES AN AREA OF NEED:

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

God’s promises are T&P, tried and proven! But God’s promises are not automatic pie from the sky.

Awake, awake O, my soul. Place great effort and energy into this race. Stretch every fiber and every nerve to its limit.

Move in vigor, this race to heaven demands great zeal.

HOW SAD ARE THE WORDS: YOU LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE?

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I HAVE SOMEWHAT AGAINST THEE, BECAUSE THOU HAST LEFT THY FIRST LOVE.

There is a powerful message we need to proclaim, the message is we need to apply our efforts to significant change,

we must accept the call of Jesus to be challenged to be OVERCOMERS! Jesus calls each believer to a commitment of fire,

to challenge us to be obedient to God’s call and purpose for our daily walk.

It is easy to develop a distorted self image, and then grow a distorted image of others. This distortion of loosing our first

love, can be changed by submitting to accountability and evaluation. Today we so preach love and mercy, that we have a

distortion that accountability and evaluation are not needed.

ARE WE MISSING SOMETHING?

We sing: "ME AND JESUS, HAVE OUR OWN THING GOING, ME AND JESUS HAVE IT ALL WORKED OUT!"

We want to be exempt from trials and testings. We need clean ears and pure hearts to hear God.

Anyone can wait! As a matter of fact, everyone is going to learn to WAIT! No matter how bad the preachers make

PATIENCE to sound, you are going to learn to WAIT. Rich people, poor people, smart people, dumb people will

have to learn to WAIT! The issue is not WAITING --- THE ISSUE IS LEARNING TO TRUST GOD AND LEAN

ON HIS UNDERSTANDING while you wait!

WHY DOES GOD WANT US TO PRAY?

Ponder this question why does God want me to pray? To fast? To tarry on Him?

Is prayer to change God? Is prayer to get God to change? NEVER! NEVER!

Good prayer, while I am waiting on God, moves me! Good prayer, while I am waiting, CHANGES ME!

PRAYER IS THREE FOLD:

1.WHILE WE WAIT OUR HEARTS HARDEN! GOD WANTS PRAYER TO SOFTEN YOUR HEART!

What makes hard hearts? What causes the first love to grow cold?

Have you ever felt like the earth was iron and the heavens were brass? If you haven’t --- you just haven’t waited

very long.

In a good faithful prayer closet, in much prayer --- GOD SOFTENS THE INDIVIDUAL!

Time has a way of hardening every Christian worker’s heart! Is your heart hard as stone?

We have worked and not seen our dream, and we have allowed bitterness to take hidden roots in our

closets. Bitterness and hardness will keep me from prayer, prayer will keep me from bitterness.

We can preach and teach love all we want, but do we really practice love to those that despitefully use us?

Matthew 5:44? Did you read it?

Is your heart harder today than it used to be? Maybe you need a faith lift while you are waiting.

One minister told me, "I WOULD LOVE MINISTRY IF IT WEREN’T FOR PEOPLE!"

Gossip can be very grievous and hard to bear.

It is easier to curse those gone, than to bless those that are with you.