“IN GOD’S WAITING ROOM” Acts 1:1-14
FBCF – 4/22/20 Midweek Service
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Most of us do not enjoy sitting in a waiting room.
- Dr. office or hospital waiting room
- Getting oil changed or car repaired
- Some type of business or work appointment
- Right now, we are ALL in a waiting room of sorts w/ this pandemic – waiting to see when the stay-at-home orders will be lifted; when the stores can reopen; when we can go back to meeting together as the church.
Sometimes God puts us in a waiting room as a part of our experience in the Christian life. And waiting on the Lord may be one of the more difficult aspects of the Christian life. But sometimes it’s what we have to do as a part of our growth process.
When Jesus left earth to go back to heaven, He told His followers that He would return, & that they needed to wait. And that’s what we are doing right now, too – waiting on His return.
So, what do we do in the meantime?
Let’s get some background information before we find out what to do while we wait on Jesus’ return.
EXPLANATION – In these first verses of Acts, we find out:
- Who wrote it? Luke – “In my first book…”
- To whom did he write it? Theophilus – “lover of God” – either a real person or written in hopes that the readers would become lovers of God
- Why he wrote his first book, the Gospel of Luke – To tell about all that Jesus did & taught before He went back to heaven.
o 3-fold ministry: teaching, preaching, & healing – Matt. 4:23 – “Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the K’dom, & healing every disease & every affliction among the people.”
- V. 3 also tells about Jesus appearing to His disciples after His resurrection & giving them some final teaching about the K’dom of God.
o What a privilege for the apostles to have more time w/ Jesus! When they thought it was over, it was actually overtime!
? When He died on cross, disciples thought His life was over.
? Women thought hope was gone.
? Enemies thought they had won.
? Looked as though Satan & evil had won.
? Seemed like death had won.
o But the resurrection meant that there was OT
? Peter’s denial wasn’t the end for him. OT to be forgiven.
? Disciples forsaking Jesus was end for them. OT to be restored.
? Women grieving for Jesus wasn’t the end for them. OT to be comforted & experience joy.
? And OT for you, too!
- And then there’s that word in v. 4 – “wait” – Stay put & wait.
APPLICATION – So what does this mean for us? Why does God sometimes put us in His divine waiting room?
TO TEACH US TO TRUST & OBEY – “…He ordered them…” (v. 4) – The life of the Christ-follower is a life of obedience. If Jesus says don’t depart, but wait – guess what? We are not to depart & we are to wait. We need to do exactly what He says for us to do.
- Most of us have heard the old adage, “Don’t just stand there – do something.” Oftentimes, God says to us, “Don’t just do something – stand there.”
- We feel better, more valuable, have more meaning if we are DOING something – If we’re busy.
o “Busyness in the King’s business is no excuse for neglecting the King.”
- Waiting means that we are going to trust that God knows what He is doing.
o He’s building our trust
o …our patience
o …our intimacy w/ Him
o …our sensitivity to His voice
TO TRANSFORM US INTO WHO HE WANTS US TO BE – The apostles were also waiting b/c Jesus was going to send the HS to them after He left. They were to wait until the Spirit came to them, which He did on Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. And when the HS came to them, He transformed them into the vessels that God would use to take the Gospel to the world.
God has promised to give His Spirit to us. And that’s exactly what He does at the very moment we give our lives to Christ.
- He gives us supernatural power – “The very same power that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in me.”
- 2 Pet. 1:3-4 – He gives us everything we need to live a Godly life. Imparts God’s divine nature to us.
- 2 Cor. 5:17 – Makes us into a new creation.
- He lives in us, giving us the power to control our life for God’s glory, & to boldly & courageously proclaim the Gospel to a world that considers it foolishness – a world that is becoming increasing opposed to Him & to us.
o Saw survey today that more Americans now believe in Satan now than in God (churchleaders.com article)
TO TAKE US TO A NEW, DEEPER PLACE IN OUR WALK W/ HIM – Jesus told His disciples that there were going to be some BIG changes happen to them when the HS came to them.
- He would give them spiritual power
- He would give them a special job to do
- He would give them specific places to go
It was great when Jesus was w/ them. It was going to be even greater w/ the power of the HS in them.
- John 14:12 - I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
- Why is this so? B/c w/ the Spirit in them, they would begin spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth – the Church would be born - & the message of salvation would have a worldwide impact.
Waiting is not easy, but it is often exactly what God wants us to do so He can take us to a new, deeper place in our walk w/ Him.
- Waiting can be a time of teaching
- …of testing of our faith
- …of discipline
- …of growing
- …of preparing
But the waiting is necessary for going.
- Matt. 28:19 – Jesus said GO, not WAIT
- In this verse, He says WAIT.
- But even in this command, they were waiting for the HS to come so they could GO.
