IF GOD PUTS YOU ON HOLD-DON’T HANG UP
By
Jerry Falwell
A. INTRODUCTION
1. There is a bumper sticker, “If God puts you on hold—Don’t hang up.”
2. Survey:
a. How many have ever been put on hold?
b. How many have ever gotten mad when you were on hold?
c. How many have hung up?
3. This sermon is about what to do when God puts you on hold.
B. PEOPLE WHO WERE PUT ON HOLD
1. Moses was on hold for forty years on the backside of the desert, before God spoke at the burning bush.
2. David was chased by Saul for sixteen years in the wilderness, before he was crowned King of Judah.
3. Jesus let Lazarus die, then waited before showing up at the cemetery. He kept Mary and Martha waiting four days.
C. SOME PEOPLE GET THROUGH IMMEDIATELY
1. Jairus came to beg for the life of his daughter, Jesus went with him immediately.
2. The nobleman came to beg for the life of his sick son, Jesus healed him immediately.
3. The man who was lame 37 years at the Pool of Bethesda, immediately walked.
D. WHY GOD PUTS US ON HOLD
1. You are on hold because God is testing your character. “My brethren count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations (different kinds of testing), knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience” (James 1:2,3).
Here’s the way the NIV interprets this passage:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testings of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4 NIV).
We are to hold on by faith, which means we bring honor to God; but it also means we develop stronger faith in Him.
WHY? We are on hold to make us more like Jesus.
2. You are on hold because God is purifying your motives. Sometimes we are put on hold because God wants to check the motives of why we ask, or why we work. Note what James says, “Ye ask, and receive
not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lust” (James 4:3). In the NIV James says, “When you ask you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3 NIV).
3. You are on hold because God is focusing your faith. There are many times when we lose our focus. It may be because of fear, impatience or doubts. Mary and Martha sent a message to tell Jesus that their brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters expected Jesus to heal from a distance, but He did nothing for two days. Then Jesus took approximately two days to get to Bethany. Lazarus had been dead for four days. In the interim, Mary and Martha both kept saying to one another, “Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died” (said by Martha, John 11:21). “Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died” (said by Mary, John 11:32).
Mary and Martha doubted the Lord could raise him from the dead. They were weeping because Lazarus died, and they lost their faith in Jesus as the miracle worker. They had more faith in death, than they had in Jesus who said, “I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:25).
James tells us something about how to focus our faith. “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the LORD” (James 1:6,7). NIV puts it like this: “But when you ask, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like the waves of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think that he will receive anything from the LORD” (James 1:6,7 NIV).
4. You may be on hold because God may be dealing with unconfessed sin.
Sometimes when we do not hear from God, because of sin in our life. Isaiah says, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1,2).
The psalmist also said, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the LORD will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18). The blind man said, “The LORD heareth not sinners” (John 9:31).
Remember, God forgives both known and unknown sin(s).
5. You may be on hold because God may be dealing with a broken relationship. Sometimes God does not hear us, nor does He communicate with us because we have sin in our life that has caused broken relationships, or we have allowed broken relationships. “Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be in danger of the judgment: whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, thy fool shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest thy brother have ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then, offer thy gift” (Matthew 5:22-24).
Sometimes God has you on hold because you have problems brother to brother, spouse to spouse, parent to child, or child to parent.
If you are on hold because of broken relationships:
1. Pray for forgiveness. “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).
2. If you have wronged a fellow Christian, go and make it right.
3. If a fellow Christian has wronged you, you have “ought” in your heart toward a brother.” You must go and make it right. “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother (Matthew 18:15).
4. If they will not hear you, take someone with you. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established” (Matthew 18:16).
5. Make it a church matter. “If he shall neglect to hear him, tell it to the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican” (Matthew 18:17).
6. You may be on hold because of spiritual warfare. This is not a big emphasis in my ministry, but the Bible tells us that sometimes when God does not answer our requests, it is because there is satanic opposition. Daniel prayed for an answer from God but didn’t get it for twenty-one days, even though he fasted. “I set my face unto the LORD God to seek thy prayer and supplication with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3)
“I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came meat nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled” (Daniel 10:2,3).
Daniel did not get an answer for three weeks until Michael came to him. “Fear not, Daniel; for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words, but the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; . . . now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days” (Daniel 10:12-14).
E. WHAT TO DO WHEN GOD HAS YOU ON HOLD
1. Hang in there…don’t hang up. Too often we are impatient when a business puts us on hold, we just hang up. Remember the words of Scripture, “Faithful is He that calleth you who also will do it” (I Thess. 5:24).
2. Find out why you are on hold. God may have you on hold for one of the above reasons. Check them out thoroughly.
3. Last orders are standing orders. Even though we don’t like it, a computer that has us on hold will eventually get to us. We may not like computers, but they are not imperfect like people nor do they get frustrated like people. If God has you on hold, wait patiently for what He has for you.
4. Know what happens when you take your eyes off God. There is usually a 4-step down from fellowship with God.
(1) First doubt causes us to look away from God.
(2) Did we get discouraged with God?
(3) We deny what God has done in the past.
(4) We turn away from God.
5. When you are on hold, trust the sovereign plan of God in your life.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. Whereas the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8,9).
“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (Deut. 29:29).
If you have never really accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, would you do it right now? Do not delay or put it off. If you would like to receive Christ by faith, pray this simple prayer in your heart:
Dear Lord, I acknowledge that I am a sinner. I believe Jesus died for my sins on the cross, and rose again the third day. I repent of my sins. By faith I receive the Lord Jesus as my Savior. You promised to save me, and I believe You, because You are God and cannot lie. I believe right now that the Lord Jesus is my personal Savior, and that all my sins are forgiven through His precious blood. I thank You, dear Lord, for saving me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, God heard you and saved you. I personally want to welcome you to the family of God. Contact us and ask for a copy of The How To Book or use The How To Book Online (Falwell.com). It is a booklet that will answer many of the questions you are sure to have about living the Christian life. And when you contact us, tell us about your salvation experience so that we can rejoice with you.
