Sermon: When God Puts You on Hold!
Scripture: Acts 1:4-8, “Once when he (Jesus) was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Introduction: The disciples had been caught in a whirlwind of activity. They had experienced so many exciting moments in ministry, witnessing so many miracles and blessings. Then to live through the arrest, trial, crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was almost more than their hearts and minds could take. Yet Jesus continued meeting with them and showing himself alive by many infallible proofs. The meeting before his ascension was different. Jesus puts their ministry on a temporary hold. What do you do When God Puts You on Hold?
I’m sure many of you have had the experience of making a phone call and then being put on hold for a while. You wait and wait until eventually even the nice music doesn’t seem to be soothing anymore. You wonder what is going on. You resist getting frustrated. Can anyone relate? Have you ever been excited about what is in your heart, but at the same time felt boxed in, trapped, on hold, or on a plateau in life? Welcome to the crowd!
These disciples knew they were destined to do greater things, expand the ministry and build the kingdom, but Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The Bible is full of people who were born for a specific purpose in life, but they went through periods where everything was on hold. Nothing remotely close to their dreams was happening in their life. Sometimes it seemed as if they were going in the opposite directions of their dreams.
Others faced such opposition or obstacles that, humanly speaking, made it impossible for them to experience their dreams. In the Bible you find many people who did not experience what God had for them right away, but eventually they did! Do you remember when Abraham’s life seemed to be on hold? Abraham who had the promise of a son and the older he and Sarah became the more impossible it seemed. Remember, Joseph who became a slave on his way to leading a nation and saving his family and his nation. What about Moses who needed deliverance before he could become a deliverer for God’s people. Then there was the shepherd David with a dream and a promise to be the anointed king of Israel. Job’s journey from afflictions to abundance was unwanted, unwelcomed and unexpected, but absolutely necessary. The list could go on and on to Hannah and her desire for a son or Mary, a young girl chosen to bear the Son of God or Ruth, the immigrate who moved from grief to joy and so many more. The disciples are placed on hold, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
1. When God Puts You on Hold, Let God be God! Psalms 46: “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”
The disciples must let God be God. This is a time to exchange our thoughts for His thoughts, to cease from our own efforts and strivings and to submit to God even when we don’t understand what’s happening.
God is smarter than we are and he knows the next move. Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
God knows the things we don’t know! Become convinced of this truth! God knows what comes first—He never gets the cart before the horse. Being on hold often means getting ready for what is next in your life. Being on hold may mean other people are getting ready so you can step into the future together. God works in the unseen first before He deals with the seen. God understand the invisible, spirit realm is more real than the visible realm we live in. God always starts change on the inside of you before He does it on the outside. Faith will change you before it changes your circumstances.
2. When God Puts You on Hold, Recognize the value of this season. Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.”
In this season, the Holy Spirit will produce something beautiful in your life and ministry. You must learn the value of patience. James 1:2-3, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” You see, through faith and patience we can inherit the promises. Let patience have her perfect work in your life and you’ll end up complete and not lacking for anything. Even though everything is available now. but everything doesn’t all happen now.
3. When God Puts You on Hold, Recognize The Holy Spirit is a Perfect Guide. John 16:13, “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”
The Holy Spirit leads us through the maze of circumstances and situations. He can lead you in both the good times and the hard times. The Holy Spirit is never lost—He always knows the way! He is never at a loss for what to do—He always has a plan or strategy. You can still count on the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s Word to us. God’s Word is still true no matter what happens. God’s Word is still powerful, no matter what challenges you face. God’s Word is still a unchanging, and everything else will eventually change. God’s Word is still a firm foundation; the only Rock that can sustain you in all things. The Holy Spirit is God’s Interpreter!
4. When God Puts You on Hold, There are Pitfalls to Avoid. Don’t compare yourself or your situation with others. You have different callings, giftings, and talents than others do. You face different circumstances than others do. You have different things ahead of you than others do.
Avoid thinking you are not qualified for more, or that you deserve more. Don’t become fatalistic in your thinking. Avoid thinking that your current circumstances are your lot in life. Don’t get involved in earthly things so much that you forget God’s plan. It’s easy to get too busy with other things. Substituting pleasure for preparation is often easy to do. Concentrate on God’s treasures instead of earthly things. Resist being led by your emotions or feelings; instead learn to be led by the Holy Spirit. You can count on it—your feelings will change. Learn to use your emotions for healthy expressions of what you believe.
The Holy Spirit knows the way through the seasons of pain, persecution, and pressure that may happen in your life. Every child of God goes through the fire of some kind. Their testimony is that God is always with them every step of the way. Don’t be afraid when God is silent, when you are not hearing anything from God. Don’t be afraid of the wilderness because it is a time of development and growth. Don’t be afraid of God, because He is for you. Don’t be afraid of being left out, or of others passing you by. Don’t be afraid of what others say. (No matter what you do, others will say something.) Avoid blaming God for your current situation, or the problems in your life. Avoid blaming God of being unfair to you. Don’t stay away from God; instead draw near to Him.
5. When God Puts You on Hold, Keep Growing and Preparing. “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
The disciples spent their time concentrating on personal growth, organizing and ministry development. They strengthened their prayer life and supported one another. They built deeper relationships and encouraged and inspired and lifted each other. They were determined to be ready for the next move of God. In their season of prayer, they were preparing to lay hold of the plan of God. They were communing with God and allowing God to deal with the ambitions, agendas, and anxieties in their own heart. They devoted time of studying the Scriptures and seeking the mind of God. Being on hold is a good time to strengthen and enlarge your faith in God. Get a better understanding of God—His nature, character, abilities, and resources. Get a better understanding of what Christ did for you at the Cross. Get a better understanding of who you are in Christ. Get a better understanding of your position in the kingdom of God. Stay focused, even when it looks like nothing is happening. “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” In a few days, Change is coming! In a few days, you will receive power like you have never known. In a few days, this room will be unable to hold you. In a few days, you will be will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Amen.
