Series: Action [#1]
WHILE WAITING ON GOD, I CAN…
Acts 1:1-26
Introduction:
Have you ever been forced to sit and wait on something? (Everyone should be saying yes. We are all waiting to see what will happen with COVID-19; and how it will continue to affect us.) I hate waiting. Unfortunately, waiting is a part of life. Sometimes, God makes us wait. God doesn’t always answer our prayers right away. Sometimes He answers with an immediate ‘yes’, or an immediate ‘no’; but I find that more often He answers with His 3rd response- Wait. While we don’t want to run out ahead of God, we also don’t want to remain idle and grow stagnant either. Today, I want to answer the question, “What do you do while you are waiting on God”?
Acts 1:1-13, 15 (NIV)
Acts starts out by telling us about Jesus showing Himself to people for 40 days after His resurrection. 1 of the times Jesus spoke to them, He told them to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit. They asked if He was getting ready to rule as the King of Kings in Israel. Jesus told them that it was not their place to know times and dates; but to be witnesses to the world.
They watched Jesus taken up into Heaven. There were 2 men by them; and they asked why they were still watching the sky. They reminded them and us that Jesus is coming back. The 11 remaining Apostles, Jesus’ mother, brothers, and others; were waiting in an upper room. There was about a 120 people there waiting. The important thing to notice is that they didn’t just “hang out” and wait- They did something. I want you to notice the 3 things that they did while waiting on God; and do the same while we are waiting to see what is going to happen.
Acts 1:14
While waiting on God, I can…
1. Pray.
It would have been easy for them to say, “Why pray? Jesus has already promised the Spirit”; but they didn’t do that- They prayed. They knew the Promise was coming; yet they still prayed. We often forget the importance of prayer in our times of waiting on God. We will often pray about a subject once and then never bring it before God again. God honors our persistent prayer.
Acts 1:16-20
While waiting on God, I can…
2. Study the Word.
Imagine how the Apostles felt about Judas Iscariot. I am sure they were still trying to figure out why this happened; but Peter began reading from the Book of Psalms and it explained to them what they should do after the betrayal of Jesus by Judas Iscariot. This had been foretold many years before; and when it happened, the Scripture told them how to act.
How many of your questions and concerns pertaining to this virus are answered in Scripture? Sometimes we seem to have many more questions than answers in life. We pray and pray for an answer and seem to never find it. Many times, the answers to our questions are in the Bible. During these challenging days, we must continue to study Scripture individually and together.
Acts 1:21-26
While waiting on God, I can…
3. Work.
The Apostles were 1 man short because of Judas’ betrayal and suicide. Scriptures in Psalms told them to choose his replacement. There were 2 requirements for the successor: He had to have had a part in Jesus’ earthly ministry; and he had to be a witness to the ascension. The Apostles cast lots, (which was a common Old Testament practice) to determine which 1 of the 2 men were to be chosen. Matthias was chosen.
Conclusion:
I want you to notice that not only did the Apostles pray and study while they were waiting; but they also continued to take care of business that needed to be done. Although everything that is normal for us has changed very quickly, don’t just “hang out”. You are to pray, study, and act. It is time for the Church to be the Church.
