Wait
I want to start this morning by saying thank you to the congregation. Last week's sermon on human sexuality and the experiences in my own family was very personal and emotionally difficult for me to deliver, and the responses of support and gratitude I've gotten from you since then have been nothing short of overwhelming. I really am blessed to serve a congregration that's as wonderful as you've been. Thank you.
You may remember that one of the catalysts for delivering that sermon was events going on within the denomination. I hadn't been planning to preach on that then, I was going to hold off until the fall. But then a couple weeks ago our Classis received a letter, one that I believe was going to go out to the clerks of every RCA church, from the Classis of Orange, simply asking the General Synod Council to wait until General Synod is actually held, before moving forward with any particular policy that the Synod is going to be asked to vote on.
So, I figured, if our church received that letter out of the blue, there'd be a lot of questions. So hopefully, after last week, we have a little bit more context.
I was thinking about that letter this week, as it simply asked us, as a part of the greater body of Reformed churches, to wait. Wait until the Synod is held, wait until the votes are cast, wait until there's a meaningful direction, before we start planning our actions and what to do.
And I already knew that the word, “wait,” was what I wanted to talk about today. So it seemed serendipitous.
The scriptures tell us to wait. They tell us to wait a lot.
As Micah tells of Israel's sufferings, he finishes with a statement of his faith in the Lord; “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord; I wait for God my savior; my God will hear me.”
James also tells us to wait; to be patient. “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Our words of assurance from the prophet Isaiah this morning tell us to wait. “...the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him.”
With all the instructions to wait, we might be forgiven for thinking that God expects us to stand around, twiddling our thumbs, doing nothing.
Somehow, I don't think that's the case.
But we are going to take a look this morning at trying to understand what God wants of us, what we're to do with our time, and what it is God has us waiting for.
We've all heard it said, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” Meaning that if we want God to help us get what we want, we've got to work for it first. We've got to take the initiative. Pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Then God will meet us where we are and bring us over the finish line.
It's a popular saying.
It's not biblical.
You won't find it or anything like it anywhere in the Bible.
In fact, what you're likely to find is just the opposite.
You're much more likely to find instructions telling us not that God helps those who help themselves; but that God helps those who ask God for help. God helps those who are patient. Who trust God. God helps those who wait on the Lord.
When God tells us to “wait,” as we're told in Micah, in James, in so many of the Psalms, and really throughout the Scriptures, we're being told not to take matters into our own hands. But to trust in God. God is our sovereign, God takes the lead, put everything in God's hands.
Which is not the same as sitting around and doing nothing.
It's not an instruction to be lazy, to rest on our laurels, or to be content with poor circumstances. But rather, it's an acknowledgment that we are to let God take the initiative and then we will do whatever we can, to further God's kingdom work.
The command to wait is a command that says, “Stop. Think. Is what we're doing really what God wants from us? Or are we doing what we want for ourselves and just slapping God's name on it to make us feel better?” Because if we're taking the initiative in any new endeavor, we need to stop and think about who it's really for, and the purpose it really serves.
Because there are a whole lot of things that we don't have to wait for; that God has already given us instructions for, that is work we still have to do, that we've left undone.
Jesus gave us commands to care for the poor. The sick. The widow. The refugee.
That is work that is ongoing and never stops.
So before we try something new, something that may or may not be in God's plan for us; wait. Trust in God. Pray over it. And in the meantime, do the work that God has already given us.
We are also given the instruction to go out and make believers of all nations. To share the Good News of the Gospel. To preach Christ's message of love and forgiveness.
Have we done that?
That is still work that is ongoing. Work that God has already given us, that we don't need to wait for.
We are told to go forth and multiply, to honor our mothers and our fathers, to make our families strong, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Is that something we are doing to the best of our abilities? I have a teenager who's at that age right now where church is a struggle for them. Waking up early on a Sunday morning to go hear their dad blather on and on about God knows what – it's not something they're really excited to do. That work of creating strong family bonds around a Gospel-centered family is exhausting work that's still ongoing and will be for a while. And I know I'm not the only one in this room right now who's fought that particular battle.
God wants us to put our trust in Him. To let him take the lead in our lives. Not for us to be slothful, or give in to being lazy. Because there is still an incredible amount of useful things we can be doing.
But when we think to ourselves, “I can do this better.” Or, “God's not moving fast enough for me.” Or, “I know I'm right and God's on my side.” If we haven't put in the prayer. If we haven't done the discernment. If we haven't studied the scriptures, then prayed, then gone back to the scriptures and prayed again... if we haven't waited, then we're just fooling ourselves. And we play into the dangerous game of creating an image of what God wants based on what we want.
God doesn't help those who help themselves.
God helps those who help serve God's kingdom. Who do the work we are commanded to do. Who live in a motivation, not of personal gain and profit, but of love – selfless love – for God and neighbor.
Blessed are those who wait on the Lord.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Most gracious God, you have created us in a multitude of different ways with different talents and passions. Lord, we pray that our ultimate motivation in all things is to serve you with love and with joy. We pray that all of our actions may be to further the work of your kingdom and show your love to our neighbors. And for those times when we are unsure, when our motives are unclear, and the way forward is uncertain, we pray that you bless us with patience. Help us to wait on you, as your faithful people are called to do. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
I want to start this morning by saying thank you to the congregation. Last week's sermon on human sexuality and the experiences in my own family was very personal and emotionally difficult for me to deliver, and the responses of support and gratitude I've gotten from you since then have been nothing short of overwhelming. I really am blessed to serve a congregration that's as wonderful as you've been. Thank you.
You may remember that one of the catalysts for delivering that sermon was events going on within the denomination. I hadn't been planning to preach on that then, I was going to hold off until the fall. But then a couple weeks ago our Classis received a letter, one that I believe was going to go out to the clerks of every RCA church, from the Classis of Orange, simply asking the General Synod Council to wait until General Synod is actually held, before moving forward with any particular policy that the Synod is going to be asked to vote on.
So, I figured, if our church received that letter out of the blue, there'd be a lot of questions. So hopefully, after last week, we have a little bit more context.
I was thinking about that letter this week, as it simply asked us, as a part of the greater body of Reformed churches, to wait. Wait until the Synod is held, wait until the votes are cast, wait until there's a meaningful direction, before we start planning our actions and what to do.
And I already knew that the word, “wait,” was what I wanted to talk about today. So it seemed serendipitous.
The scriptures tell us to wait. They tell us to wait a lot.
As Micah tells of Israel's sufferings, he finishes with a statement of his faith in the Lord; “But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord; I wait for God my savior; my God will hear me.”
James also tells us to wait; to be patient. “Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Our words of assurance from the prophet Isaiah this morning tell us to wait. “...the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him.”
With all the instructions to wait, we might be forgiven for thinking that God expects us to stand around, twiddling our thumbs, doing nothing.
Somehow, I don't think that's the case.
But we are going to take a look this morning at trying to understand what God wants of us, what we're to do with our time, and what it is God has us waiting for.
We've all heard it said, “The Lord helps those who help themselves.” Meaning that if we want God to help us get what we want, we've got to work for it first. We've got to take the initiative. Pull ourselves up by our bootstraps. Then God will meet us where we are and bring us over the finish line.
It's a popular saying.
It's not biblical.
You won't find it or anything like it anywhere in the Bible.
In fact, what you're likely to find is just the opposite.
You're much more likely to find instructions telling us not that God helps those who help themselves; but that God helps those who ask God for help. God helps those who are patient. Who trust God. God helps those who wait on the Lord.
When God tells us to “wait,” as we're told in Micah, in James, in so many of the Psalms, and really throughout the Scriptures, we're being told not to take matters into our own hands. But to trust in God. God is our sovereign, God takes the lead, put everything in God's hands.
Which is not the same as sitting around and doing nothing.
It's not an instruction to be lazy, to rest on our laurels, or to be content with poor circumstances. But rather, it's an acknowledgment that we are to let God take the initiative and then we will do whatever we can, to further God's kingdom work.
The command to wait is a command that says, “Stop. Think. Is what we're doing really what God wants from us? Or are we doing what we want for ourselves and just slapping God's name on it to make us feel better?” Because if we're taking the initiative in any new endeavor, we need to stop and think about who it's really for, and the purpose it really serves.
Because there are a whole lot of things that we don't have to wait for; that God has already given us instructions for, that is work we still have to do, that we've left undone.
Jesus gave us commands to care for the poor. The sick. The widow. The refugee.
That is work that is ongoing and never stops.
So before we try something new, something that may or may not be in God's plan for us; wait. Trust in God. Pray over it. And in the meantime, do the work that God has already given us.
We are also given the instruction to go out and make believers of all nations. To share the Good News of the Gospel. To preach Christ's message of love and forgiveness.
Have we done that?
That is still work that is ongoing. Work that God has already given us, that we don't need to wait for.
We are told to go forth and multiply, to honor our mothers and our fathers, to make our families strong, “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Is that something we are doing to the best of our abilities? I have a teenager who's at that age right now where church is a struggle for them. Waking up early on a Sunday morning to go hear their dad blather on and on about God knows what – it's not something they're really excited to do. That work of creating strong family bonds around a Gospel-centered family is exhausting work that's still ongoing and will be for a while. And I know I'm not the only one in this room right now who's fought that particular battle.
God wants us to put our trust in Him. To let him take the lead in our lives. Not for us to be slothful, or give in to being lazy. Because there is still an incredible amount of useful things we can be doing.
But when we think to ourselves, “I can do this better.” Or, “God's not moving fast enough for me.” Or, “I know I'm right and God's on my side.” If we haven't put in the prayer. If we haven't done the discernment. If we haven't studied the scriptures, then prayed, then gone back to the scriptures and prayed again... if we haven't waited, then we're just fooling ourselves. And we play into the dangerous game of creating an image of what God wants based on what we want.
God doesn't help those who help themselves.
God helps those who help serve God's kingdom. Who do the work we are commanded to do. Who live in a motivation, not of personal gain and profit, but of love – selfless love – for God and neighbor.
Blessed are those who wait on the Lord.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Most gracious God, you have created us in a multitude of different ways with different talents and passions. Lord, we pray that our ultimate motivation in all things is to serve you with love and with joy. We pray that all of our actions may be to further the work of your kingdom and show your love to our neighbors. And for those times when we are unsure, when our motives are unclear, and the way forward is uncertain, we pray that you bless us with patience. Help us to wait on you, as your faithful people are called to do. We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.