WEBVTT 00:00:09.280 --> 00:00:14.740 Pastor is relaxing. The elders are not. Right? 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:19.899 I'm here kicking and stammering not to be here. 00:00:20.160 --> 00:00:22.820 But I'm here. Let's open with a word of prayer. 00:00:36.399 --> 00:00:38.560 Father, we ask this morning that as we present 00:00:38.560 --> 00:00:41.240 your word, that it would penetrate our hearts, 00:00:41.359 --> 00:00:44.119 that it might be exactly what you want for someone 00:00:44.119 --> 00:00:47.039 here today. We just give you praise, honor, and 00:00:47.039 --> 00:00:48.640 glory for everything that will be accomplished 00:00:48.640 --> 00:00:52.359 here. In your precious name, I ask it. Amen. 00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:56.979 I could barely wait 15 seconds to pray, but I 00:00:56.979 --> 00:00:59.740 was trying to teach you something. We live in 00:00:59.740 --> 00:01:03.219 such a fast -paced society today that we can't 00:01:03.219 --> 00:01:06.840 even take 15 seconds just to rest. And just to 00:01:06.840 --> 00:01:11.019 wait on God. If I waited 30 seconds, people would 00:01:11.019 --> 00:01:15.079 have been peaking. Is he sleeping up there? We 00:01:15.079 --> 00:01:18.299 live in such a fast -paced society, and it's 00:01:18.299 --> 00:01:21.319 creeped into the church. We need to take time 00:01:21.319 --> 00:01:25.439 to wait on God. Get all the business and all 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:28.480 the distractions away. The passage of scripture 00:01:28.480 --> 00:01:32.359 that I picked today was Psalm 130, verse 5. It 00:01:32.359 --> 00:01:35.959 says, I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. And 00:01:35.959 --> 00:01:39.239 in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for 00:01:39.239 --> 00:01:41.819 the Lord more than the watchman waits for the 00:01:41.819 --> 00:01:45.879 morning of Israel. Put your trust in him. Shane 00:01:45.879 --> 00:01:49.099 and Shane have a popular song which I love. It 00:01:49.099 --> 00:01:52.120 goes like this. I will wait for you. Out of the 00:01:52.120 --> 00:01:55.680 depths I cry to you. In darkest places I will 00:01:55.680 --> 00:01:59.459 call. Incline your ear to me anew and hear my 00:01:59.459 --> 00:02:03.019 cry for mercy, Lord. Yea, I will wait for you. 00:02:03.519 --> 00:02:07.599 I will wait for you. I will wait for you. On 00:02:07.599 --> 00:02:10.599 your word I will rely, and I will wait for you. 00:02:11.020 --> 00:02:14.759 Surely I will wait for you till my soul is satisfied. 00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:18.699 So put your hope in God alone through the storm 00:02:18.699 --> 00:02:22.280 and through the night. I will wait for you. Surely 00:02:22.280 --> 00:02:25.659 I will wait for you. Kind of seems like the topic 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:29.699 of that song is waiting on God. Psalm 130 was 00:02:29.699 --> 00:02:32.599 penned because the Israelites were waiting for 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:35.259 forgiveness from God. They were waiting for him 00:02:35.259 --> 00:02:39.960 to come and redeem them. I think there's also 00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:42.979 more of that for us too, because in the same 00:02:42.979 --> 00:02:46.219 way, we need to wait for God. We have been partially 00:02:46.219 --> 00:02:50.340 redeemed. We have had our sins forgiven, but 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:53.939 we still live in this cruel, sinful world. And 00:02:53.939 --> 00:02:56.120 we're waiting for the final redemption, where 00:02:56.120 --> 00:02:57.960 he will come back and our bodies will be changed 00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:01.439 like him. And so we have kind of the same struggles 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:05.280 as Israel had had, waiting. for God to act, waiting 00:03:05.280 --> 00:03:08.000 for God to come and redeem us. But there's our 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:11.319 hope that he will, yes. He promises he will. 00:03:12.020 --> 00:03:14.680 Right now, though, in this temporary state of 00:03:14.680 --> 00:03:17.520 redemption, we struggle with physical problems, 00:03:17.759 --> 00:03:20.259 we struggle with financial problems, we struggle 00:03:20.259 --> 00:03:22.719 with family problems, we struggle with a world 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:26.120 that is totally chaotic. If you just watch the 00:03:26.120 --> 00:03:29.960 news yesterday, California is erupting. We have 00:03:29.960 --> 00:03:32.939 over and over again things that are saying to 00:03:32.939 --> 00:03:36.590 us, When, Lord? How long must we wait for this? 00:03:37.050 --> 00:03:40.949 I'm ready to go home. I'm 74. I've seen as much 00:03:40.949 --> 00:03:43.189 of this world as I want to see. I want to see 00:03:43.189 --> 00:03:46.909 the other side. But I can't wait. But he tells 00:03:46.909 --> 00:03:50.969 me to wait. Lanny, just wait. It's coming. My 00:03:50.969 --> 00:03:53.990 word is true. It is coming. In looking up this 00:03:53.990 --> 00:03:57.349 scripture, verse 5, Matthew Henry's commentary 00:03:57.349 --> 00:04:01.110 has five points about this scripture. From him 00:04:01.110 --> 00:04:04.669 I expect relief. and comfort. That's a gimme. 00:04:05.069 --> 00:04:08.530 We can't expect relief from God. Believe it will 00:04:08.530 --> 00:04:12.689 come, longing until it does come, patiently awaiting 00:04:12.689 --> 00:04:16.889 while there's a delay, and resolve to look for 00:04:16.889 --> 00:04:20.750 relief in no other place. God is the only place 00:04:20.750 --> 00:04:24.490 where we can get relief if we wait on Him. But 00:04:24.490 --> 00:04:28.529 many times we jump ahead and try to circumvent 00:04:28.529 --> 00:04:32.180 God because we're tired of waiting. But I prayed 00:04:32.180 --> 00:04:35.720 for this for five years, Lord. I'm tired of waiting. 00:04:35.920 --> 00:04:40.360 I think I can get it over here. No. God said, 00:04:40.399 --> 00:04:43.860 wait. I hear you. I've already answered you. 00:04:43.980 --> 00:04:47.500 It just hasn't happened yet. It's coming. Trust 00:04:47.500 --> 00:04:51.579 me. We get in trouble when we look for an answer 00:04:51.579 --> 00:04:55.220 somewhere else than besides God. The last phrase 00:04:55.220 --> 00:04:57.579 has to do with the watchman waiting for the morning 00:04:57.579 --> 00:05:01.680 relief. The watchman on the wall. wasn't just 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:03.819 sleeping there. He was watching all night for 00:05:03.819 --> 00:05:07.500 making sure that the city was protected. But 00:05:07.500 --> 00:05:10.740 it was not easy. He couldn't doze off. He couldn't 00:05:10.740 --> 00:05:13.160 think of something else. He had to constantly 00:05:13.160 --> 00:05:16.720 watch for any danger that was coming. But when 00:05:16.720 --> 00:05:20.360 the morning came, then came his relief because 00:05:20.360 --> 00:05:23.240 someone was coming to take his responsibility. 00:05:23.819 --> 00:05:27.459 And what a relief it was. Our morning is coming. 00:05:28.750 --> 00:05:31.089 One day, the clouds will break, the trumpet will 00:05:31.089 --> 00:05:34.189 sound, and our relief will be there. And we'll 00:05:34.189 --> 00:05:36.689 say, what? It really wasn't that long that I 00:05:36.689 --> 00:05:38.850 had to wait, was it? It was just like what this 00:05:38.850 --> 00:05:42.149 Paul said, a blinking of the eye, and we're home. 00:05:42.689 --> 00:05:45.230 But it's a struggle. It's a struggle for us to 00:05:45.230 --> 00:05:48.490 wait. But we need to wait, and our relief will 00:05:48.490 --> 00:05:52.110 come. I wish I was an expository teacher, but 00:05:52.110 --> 00:05:56.649 I'm not. The pastor is. Owen is. I don't have 00:05:56.649 --> 00:06:00.050 the theological knowledge. I'm sorry, but I don't. 00:06:00.810 --> 00:06:04.149 But God has always made me a topical teacher. 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:07.170 And if that's what he wants, that's what I give 00:06:07.170 --> 00:06:10.149 him, okay? When I did junior church, sometimes 00:06:10.149 --> 00:06:12.910 Sue would get anxious because she'd say, I have 00:06:12.910 --> 00:06:14.990 to make a craft that matches the sermon. What 00:06:14.990 --> 00:06:17.050 are you teaching about? I said, I'm not teaching 00:06:17.050 --> 00:06:19.310 about anything. I'm waiting for God to tell me 00:06:19.310 --> 00:06:22.250 what to teach. Little did I know when I was preparing 00:06:22.250 --> 00:06:24.930 this, that's what I was doing all those years. 00:06:25.709 --> 00:06:28.750 Not stepping ahead of him, but waiting for him 00:06:28.750 --> 00:06:31.329 to tell me something. What do you want the kids 00:06:31.329 --> 00:06:34.170 to hear this week? Sometimes it would come on 00:06:34.170 --> 00:06:37.170 Monday. Sometimes Tuesday. Sometimes Wednesday. 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:41.350 Sometimes it would come on Saturday. And then 00:06:41.350 --> 00:06:44.329 I really got anxious and said, Lord, I'm going 00:06:44.329 --> 00:06:47.750 to stand up there and go, boo. I got 40 kids. 00:06:47.810 --> 00:06:50.029 I got to have something to say. And then it would 00:06:50.029 --> 00:06:53.529 come. Just like that. He was teaching me to wait. 00:06:54.199 --> 00:06:57.360 Because I had nothing important to say. But he 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.879 had something very important to say. Well, when 00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:02.660 the pastor said, will you fill in one week? I 00:07:02.660 --> 00:07:06.879 said, okay. Nothing came. Nothing came. And we 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:09.740 go out on Sunday to spend some of our kids' inheritance. 00:07:10.540 --> 00:07:13.180 We don't want them to get too much money. So 00:07:13.180 --> 00:07:15.980 we go to Texas Roadhouse or Carrabba's and we're 00:07:15.980 --> 00:07:18.000 sitting there and the waiter comes up before 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.910 we even sat down and he says, My name is such 00:07:20.910 --> 00:07:22.870 and such. What would you like to drink? And he 00:07:22.870 --> 00:07:24.670 brings the rolls and he goes back. And before 00:07:24.670 --> 00:07:26.930 we know it, the appetizer is there. And before 00:07:26.930 --> 00:07:28.730 we know it, he's there with the food. And then 00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:30.430 he sees my Coke is empty. He comes and gives 00:07:30.430 --> 00:07:32.529 me another Coke. He brings more rolls. He brings 00:07:32.529 --> 00:07:34.449 some water. And we're sitting there. He brings 00:07:34.449 --> 00:07:36.769 the bag. And I see you have leftovers. You're 00:07:36.769 --> 00:07:38.850 going to take it home. And the light bulb went 00:07:38.850 --> 00:07:43.110 off. Waiting on God. He wants us to wait on him. 00:07:43.910 --> 00:07:45.990 Just like this guy. He probably was an angel 00:07:45.990 --> 00:07:50.399 sent by God. So I go home. I got it now, Sue. 00:07:50.500 --> 00:07:52.620 I know what we're going to talk about. So I get 00:07:52.620 --> 00:07:55.139 out my Vines Expository Dictionary and I look 00:07:55.139 --> 00:07:58.279 up wait. Well, thank you, Lord. He threw me a 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:00.560 curveball. There was nothing there about waiting 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:04.980 on God. It was on waiting on God. Sounds the 00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:08.240 same, but totally different. God doesn't need 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.899 us to wait on him. He's got everything. He doesn't 00:08:11.899 --> 00:08:15.579 need us, but he needs us to wait on him by simply 00:08:15.579 --> 00:08:19.459 just waiting on him. And I had looked up, and 00:08:19.459 --> 00:08:22.500 my mind was flushing all these verses, like the 00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:25.040 song, Cups of Cool Water, given in Jesus' name, 00:08:25.079 --> 00:08:27.540 will bring a great reward. And when have you 00:08:27.540 --> 00:08:29.120 seen me hungry? When have you seen me thirsty? 00:08:29.680 --> 00:08:31.420 If you've done the least of me's, you've done 00:08:31.420 --> 00:08:34.039 it to me. And all this kept flowing, but that's 00:08:34.039 --> 00:08:36.480 not what he wanted. That's what I was going to 00:08:36.480 --> 00:08:38.980 teach about. He wanted me to teach about being 00:08:38.980 --> 00:08:43.740 still and just waiting on him to tell me what 00:08:43.740 --> 00:08:47.539 he had to tell me. The problem today, is not 00:08:47.539 --> 00:08:50.559 only people have trouble waiting, churches have 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.039 trouble waiting. How do we get people in the 00:08:53.039 --> 00:08:56.899 church? Well, Sue will attest to this, I get 00:08:56.899 --> 00:09:01.779 angry, really angry. I drove by a church in Route 00:09:01.779 --> 00:09:05.240 309 last fall and it said, the sermon topics 00:09:05.240 --> 00:09:08.500 for the month of November will be the lyrics 00:09:08.500 --> 00:09:14.769 of Taylor Swift's songs. How? Can a pastor get 00:09:14.769 --> 00:09:17.070 up on a Sunday morning and spend an entire month 00:09:17.070 --> 00:09:19.730 talking about the sermons of Taylor Swift's songs? 00:09:20.769 --> 00:09:24.230 What about talking about God? Yeah, it might 00:09:24.230 --> 00:09:26.429 bring teenage girls into the church for a month, 00:09:26.570 --> 00:09:29.149 and then they're gone. They don't need to hear 00:09:29.149 --> 00:09:31.350 about Taylor Swift. She's living with some guy 00:09:31.350 --> 00:09:36.690 down in Florida. Right? What an example. A church 00:09:36.690 --> 00:09:39.789 in Wallaport. I cut it out so you can see it. 00:09:39.870 --> 00:09:44.029 This is the Leah Valley Gazette. Monthly food 00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:48.450 truck extravaganza. Well, let's see. Gumpy's 00:09:48.450 --> 00:09:51.509 barbecue is coming. And the next Sunday on the 00:09:51.509 --> 00:09:54.649 grill to go is coming. And buns to go is coming. 00:09:54.909 --> 00:09:58.549 And slide by me is coming. And oh, I have to 00:09:58.549 --> 00:10:02.950 go. Vince's cheesesteaks is coming. These are 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:05.809 churches. Where do they come up with this stuff? 00:10:06.450 --> 00:10:11.070 That same church in Wallaport twice had Elvis 00:10:11.070 --> 00:10:15.509 Presley in... impersonator there. This is how 00:10:15.509 --> 00:10:18.070 we bring people into church. What happened to 00:10:18.070 --> 00:10:20.889 praying on our hands and knees and saying, Lord, 00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:24.049 we wait on you. Bring people here that are hungry 00:10:24.049 --> 00:10:27.929 for the word of God. Our society has creeped 00:10:27.929 --> 00:10:31.250 into the church. When we worshiped that reader 00:10:31.250 --> 00:10:34.450 at Methodist Church, they came to me and another 00:10:34.450 --> 00:10:37.090 lady and said, we would like to have a children's 00:10:37.090 --> 00:10:39.590 church ministry. I said, how many kids do you 00:10:39.590 --> 00:10:43.019 have? Two. Well, it was one for me and one for 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:45.559 the lady that was helping me. One for each of 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:48.220 us. And they said, how do you intend to get kids 00:10:48.220 --> 00:10:52.679 here? I said, Georgia, what do you think? She 00:10:52.679 --> 00:10:55.779 said, what do you think? Pray. We waited on God. 00:10:56.220 --> 00:10:58.720 If you want this program to work, then bring 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:01.360 us kids. We're not going to have ice cream. We're 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:02.940 not going to have other things that will bring 00:11:02.940 --> 00:11:05.659 kids in. We're going to pray that you bring the 00:11:05.659 --> 00:11:08.620 kids here that want to hear the word of God and 00:11:08.620 --> 00:11:11.279 bring the parents with them. When I left there, 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:15.799 we had 42 kids. No gimmicks, no food trucks, 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:20.360 no ice cream cones. The Word of God. We've lost 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:24.700 that people. We've lost waiting on God to see 00:11:24.700 --> 00:11:27.659 what He can do. Where's the miracle God that 00:11:27.659 --> 00:11:31.039 we used to hear about? He hasn't changed, but 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:34.159 we've changed. And it's sad. It's really sad 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:36.659 that we've come to this point. And then they 00:11:36.659 --> 00:11:39.600 wonder why churches are empty. Empty because 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:43.220 we've lost the first love. And that is waiting 00:11:43.220 --> 00:11:47.000 on God to see what he has to do for us. I didn't 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:54.299 want you people to get Greek withdrawal. Because 00:11:54.299 --> 00:11:56.500 the pastor feeds us all the time with these big 00:11:56.500 --> 00:12:00.960 Greek words. In your bulletin, you will find 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:05.259 eight big Greek words. I am not going to pronounce 00:12:05.259 --> 00:12:07.840 them. You want to take a stab at it, go ahead. 00:12:10.090 --> 00:12:18.129 I only know Latin. Because being in Plains, everything 00:12:18.129 --> 00:12:19.990 was in Latin, so that's the only language I know. 00:12:20.470 --> 00:12:23.049 And at 74, I'm not going to start learning Hebrew 00:12:23.049 --> 00:12:28.009 or Aramaic or Greek, okay? But if you look at 00:12:28.009 --> 00:12:30.149 these words, and I'll tell you something, I've 00:12:30.149 --> 00:12:34.549 read my Bible many times. We miss so much. We 00:12:34.549 --> 00:12:39.340 read it, but we don't study it. I'm guilty. John 00:12:39.340 --> 00:12:42.419 always says, forgive us where we fall so short, 00:12:42.580 --> 00:12:46.019 and we all fall short. I've read some of these 00:12:46.019 --> 00:12:48.480 passages so many times that I missed the point 00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:51.539 that these passages were trying to make. Pastry 00:12:51.539 --> 00:12:54.419 is right. When you look at the original, the 00:12:54.419 --> 00:12:57.120 way it was written, it just pops out at you. 00:12:57.360 --> 00:13:00.399 It means so much more than what the translation 00:13:00.399 --> 00:13:02.779 is. So we're going to look at these eight. I 00:13:02.779 --> 00:13:04.980 think we'll have time to do these eight. And 00:13:04.980 --> 00:13:08.759 each and every one, there'll be a specific point 00:13:08.759 --> 00:13:11.779 that that word wait means, and they're all different. 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:15.399 As I looked at these, I considered four things. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.940 Every one of these, where God says wait, it has 00:13:19.940 --> 00:13:22.519 to do with our relationship with him. We can 00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:24.460 wait if we have a good relationship with him. 00:13:25.340 --> 00:13:27.860 We can wait if we have a good belief in him. 00:13:28.200 --> 00:13:31.519 No wavering. What God says is the way it is. 00:13:32.299 --> 00:13:34.759 If our attitude toward Him doesn't change just 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.220 because of our circumstances, we can wait on 00:13:37.220 --> 00:13:40.879 Him. And if we truly trust Him, we can wait on 00:13:40.879 --> 00:13:44.039 Him. So as you look at these, in your mind, try 00:13:44.039 --> 00:13:46.940 to think of those four things. Because in each 00:13:46.940 --> 00:13:50.240 and every one, all these are prevalent. Our relationship, 00:13:50.600 --> 00:13:53.139 our belief, our attitude, and our trust in Him. 00:13:53.659 --> 00:13:56.139 I found out that waiting on Him isn't an exercise 00:13:56.139 --> 00:13:59.940 in patience. Well, if I wait long enough, He'll 00:13:59.940 --> 00:14:03.559 answer me. If I just tough it out enough to show 00:14:03.559 --> 00:14:06.259 him I'm a real Christian, then he'll answer me. 00:14:06.899 --> 00:14:09.360 It's not about patience. It's not about what 00:14:09.360 --> 00:14:12.279 we're going through. It's about depending on 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:16.179 him, trusting him. And it's all about him. It's 00:14:16.179 --> 00:14:20.139 not about us. Whatever we're going through, when 00:14:20.139 --> 00:14:22.820 it comes to an end and we get relief, like the 00:14:22.820 --> 00:14:26.899 watchman, we realize it wasn't about us. It was 00:14:26.899 --> 00:14:30.460 about God. showing us who he was, how he cared 00:14:30.460 --> 00:14:32.899 for us, how he took us through this. And at the 00:14:32.899 --> 00:14:36.639 end, we'll say, forgive me, Lord. I was so concerned 00:14:36.639 --> 00:14:39.600 with my problems, so concerned with my illness, 00:14:39.740 --> 00:14:42.059 so concerned with my financial problems, so concerned 00:14:42.059 --> 00:14:44.259 with what's going on in my life, my family's 00:14:44.259 --> 00:14:48.000 life, that I really forgot about you. That's 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:51.379 what it's about. It's total surrender. Don't 00:14:51.379 --> 00:14:54.919 do a thing except wait on him, and he will tell 00:14:54.919 --> 00:14:58.200 you what it's all about. We look at the first 00:14:58.200 --> 00:15:01.700 one here. Again, one word in three different 00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:06.440 places. It shows weight. It shows weight in expectation. 00:15:06.899 --> 00:15:09.559 And it shows an orderly weight with a purpose. 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:13.100 So weight used three times and has three separate 00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:17.200 meanings. The first one here is Acts 17, verse 00:15:17.200 --> 00:15:20.539 16. When Paul was waiting for them, he was waiting 00:15:20.539 --> 00:15:23.139 for Timothy and Silas to come down with him in 00:15:23.139 --> 00:15:25.860 Athens. He was greatly distressed to see the 00:15:25.860 --> 00:15:29.259 city was full of idols. But while he waited, 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:32.759 he was not idle. So he was waiting, but he wasn't 00:15:32.759 --> 00:15:35.580 just sitting around twiddling his thumbs. He 00:15:35.580 --> 00:15:37.919 was busy. What was he doing? He was observing 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.240 everything around him to the point of being totally 00:15:41.240 --> 00:15:45.200 distressed at the idol worshipped. Was that God's 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:47.700 purpose in having him wait? Probably. Slow it 00:15:47.700 --> 00:15:50.279 down, Paul. Don't just run in there like a bull 00:15:50.279 --> 00:15:53.029 in a china shop. Take a look around you and see 00:15:53.029 --> 00:15:55.250 what's happening here. See the depravity of the 00:15:55.250 --> 00:16:00.110 people and then act. Tell them the truth. And 00:16:00.110 --> 00:16:01.870 another thing I think I shared there with Jody 00:16:01.870 --> 00:16:04.509 in the office, when someone confronted someone, 00:16:04.610 --> 00:16:08.250 what did they need? Two or three witnesses. Why 00:16:08.250 --> 00:16:11.649 did he wait? Because Timothy and Silas were coming 00:16:11.649 --> 00:16:13.669 to be with him. They would go with him to be 00:16:13.669 --> 00:16:16.370 witnesses. And now three people declaring to 00:16:16.370 --> 00:16:18.289 you that what you are doing is totally absurd. 00:16:18.610 --> 00:16:20.470 I will tell you who you should be worshipping. 00:16:21.199 --> 00:16:24.120 That's a side note. The second one here, wait 00:16:24.120 --> 00:16:31.480 in expectation. John 5, 1 -8. John 5, 1 -8. The 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:34.100 cripple of 38 years was at the pool of Bethesda. 00:16:34.379 --> 00:16:36.659 Here a great number of paralyzed people used 00:16:36.659 --> 00:16:39.039 to lie, waiting for the water to be disturbed 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:41.679 by an angel. It was said that an angel at certain 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:43.299 times would come down and disturb the water, 00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:45.740 and the first one in would get healed from whatever 00:16:45.740 --> 00:16:48.779 circumstance they were dealing with. While he 00:16:48.779 --> 00:16:52.600 waited for the expected, He missed what he was 00:16:52.600 --> 00:16:55.539 expecting, a healing. Jesus was standing right 00:16:55.539 --> 00:16:58.259 beside of him. He missed it. He was so consumed 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:01.820 with expecting something, waiting for it, that 00:17:01.820 --> 00:17:04.480 he missed the Messiah right next to him. Do we 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.240 do that? Do we get so concerned waiting for something 00:17:07.240 --> 00:17:09.880 that the answer is right in front of us? If we 00:17:09.880 --> 00:17:11.539 just open our eyes, it's there. God has given 00:17:11.539 --> 00:17:14.319 us an answer, but no, that can't be the answer. 00:17:14.500 --> 00:17:17.500 No, I think it's going to be this way. Some of 00:17:17.500 --> 00:17:22.000 you are... remarriage dedication, 50 years. And 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:24.559 I said, when I met Sue, I hadn't dated anybody 00:17:24.559 --> 00:17:27.359 in 20 years. I'd never gone on a date. I just 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:28.980 figured I'd pray God would bring me somebody. 00:17:29.660 --> 00:17:31.700 But six months later, nothing had happened yet. 00:17:31.720 --> 00:17:34.000 I said, how bad am I? You can't find somebody 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:39.519 for me. You know? But I was picturing, as I prayed, 00:17:39.779 --> 00:17:42.859 that this blonde, blue -eyed girl would come 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:45.319 around the corner and drop a package, and I would 00:17:45.319 --> 00:17:49.329 go and pick up the package and be her hero. And 00:17:49.329 --> 00:17:52.049 we lived happily ever after. He dumped Sue right 00:17:52.049 --> 00:17:54.369 on my lap, and I didn't recognize her. She was 00:17:54.369 --> 00:17:57.769 the one. One that hated sports, hated people 00:17:57.769 --> 00:18:02.289 that played sports, hated the outdoors. Everything 00:18:02.289 --> 00:18:06.630 I loved, she hated. But God dumped her right 00:18:06.630 --> 00:18:10.650 in front of me. I was expecting it, but when 00:18:10.650 --> 00:18:14.230 it was right there, I missed it. His answer for 00:18:14.230 --> 00:18:21.519 me, 52 years. She still hates sports. But it 00:18:21.519 --> 00:18:25.160 was God's answer. I was expecting, but I was 00:18:25.160 --> 00:18:29.480 expecting too much. But he knew exactly what 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:33.500 I should be waiting for. Okay? And the third 00:18:33.500 --> 00:18:37.140 one there. Orderly wait. A lot of times we have 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:41.140 chaotic wait. This is orderly wait. 1 Corinthians 00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:44.940 11 .33. The proper attitude when you come together 00:18:44.940 --> 00:18:47.160 at the Lord's Supper, which includes a meal, 00:18:47.299 --> 00:18:49.359 when you come together, wait for each other. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:52.700 If you're hungry, eat at home. Remember while 00:18:52.700 --> 00:18:55.099 you're gathering together, fellowship with your 00:18:55.099 --> 00:18:58.819 brothers and sisters, fellowship with God. Just 00:18:58.819 --> 00:19:03.420 a common sense of the word wait. Wait. Don't 00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:05.720 rush ahead of other people. Don't gorge yourself 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:07.299 with all the food while somebody else doesn't 00:19:07.299 --> 00:19:11.720 get it. So again, a third, one word. has three 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:16.059 different meanings in the original. We miss all 00:19:16.059 --> 00:19:19.579 this. We just run over the scriptures and we 00:19:19.579 --> 00:19:22.660 miss the importance of why God put a specific 00:19:22.660 --> 00:19:27.799 word there for us to learn, for us to grow. Number 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:31.519 two. This one has, again, three meanings. The 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:36.339 same word, but three meanings. Can't wait. Eagerly 00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:40.230 expect. Looking constantly for. The scripture 00:19:40.230 --> 00:19:44.109 references here are Romans 8, 19, the creation. 00:19:44.609 --> 00:19:49.130 The creation waits in eager expectation for the 00:19:49.130 --> 00:19:51.950 sons of God to be revealed. Creation has been, 00:19:52.049 --> 00:19:53.970 and I put this in as the edge of their seats, 00:19:54.009 --> 00:19:56.990 just waiting for God to come back to take his 00:19:56.990 --> 00:20:00.109 children home. How do we know this? When Jesus 00:20:00.109 --> 00:20:03.180 came into Jerusalem, He said, if they stop praising 00:20:03.180 --> 00:20:05.000 me, the rocks will cry out because they know 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:07.039 who I am. They've been waiting for me to come 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:09.539 all this time, and they will cry out if you don't 00:20:09.539 --> 00:20:12.240 praise me. Creation has been waiting. It can't 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:15.839 wait for the curse to be removed. The second 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:19.660 reason there, eagerly expecting, Romans 8, 22 00:20:19.660 --> 00:20:23.519 and 23. We know that the whole creation has been 00:20:23.519 --> 00:20:26.440 groaning as the pains of childbirth right up 00:20:26.440 --> 00:20:29.359 to the present time. not only so that we ourselves, 00:20:29.640 --> 00:20:32.799 who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, the firstfruits 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:35.980 for our redemption, Christ saving us, we grow 00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:39.180 inward, though, and eagerly await to be adopted 00:20:39.180 --> 00:20:42.680 as his children. We have been redeemed, but partially. 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:45.720 When he comes back, we will be redeemed fully 00:20:45.720 --> 00:20:49.180 and be just like him. And creation, again, waits 00:20:49.180 --> 00:20:52.299 for that total moment. They are eagerly expecting 00:20:52.299 --> 00:20:55.119 Christ to come back. Are we eagerly expecting 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:58.069 Christ to come back? A lot of days I run out 00:20:58.069 --> 00:21:00.849 and don't even give a thought to God. Should 00:21:00.849 --> 00:21:03.609 I not be eagerly expecting that this might be 00:21:03.609 --> 00:21:06.390 the day that I look up and the clouds break? 00:21:06.950 --> 00:21:12.089 That I hear a trumpet? It should be. Forgive 00:21:12.089 --> 00:21:16.309 us when we fall so short, John says. And lastly, 00:21:16.509 --> 00:21:20.950 Romans 8, 25, looking constantly for. The same 00:21:20.950 --> 00:21:25.000 word wait means looking constantly for. But if 00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:28.000 we hope for what we do not yet have, but wait 00:21:28.000 --> 00:21:31.000 patiently for it, looking for it, looking up 00:21:31.000 --> 00:21:34.220 every day for the clouds to break. I see God 00:21:34.220 --> 00:21:37.059 in every one of these. As I said, all the things 00:21:37.059 --> 00:21:40.819 I see, our belief in him, I see his trust in 00:21:40.819 --> 00:21:43.339 him, who he is, it's all there, our relationship 00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:45.720 with him. And if our relationship is right with 00:21:45.720 --> 00:21:49.339 him, then everything falls in place. And waiting 00:21:49.339 --> 00:21:52.559 on him is not difficult. A woman who I worked 00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:55.059 with, She called me one night at 9 o 'clock, 00:21:55.279 --> 00:21:58.779 and she knows I love nature, I love anything 00:21:58.779 --> 00:22:00.700 dealing with, and she said, you have to go out, 00:22:00.779 --> 00:22:04.059 the northern lights are here. I saw them 15 years 00:22:04.059 --> 00:22:06.779 ago. I'd been waiting for 15 years to see them 00:22:06.779 --> 00:22:10.039 again. It was gorgeous. Of course, Sue didn't 00:22:10.039 --> 00:22:12.859 see them. It was 3 in the morning, I was going 00:22:12.859 --> 00:22:14.680 down to check a propane heater in the greenhouse, 00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:17.000 and I went out, it was gorgeous, and I ran upstairs 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:18.299 and said, you've got to come down here and see 00:22:18.299 --> 00:22:23.150 what I see. Oh, no. I said, but you don't see 00:22:23.150 --> 00:22:27.990 this in your lifetime. Okay. I went out, and 00:22:27.990 --> 00:22:31.309 it was gorgeous. The entire mountain from the 00:22:31.309 --> 00:22:33.170 Lehigh Gap all the way out as far as I could 00:22:33.170 --> 00:22:38.950 see was green with red waves coming in. It only 00:22:38.950 --> 00:22:43.170 lasted about two minutes, and it was gone. Why 00:22:43.170 --> 00:22:46.990 did I run out there? Because a lady I trusted, 00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:51.349 and she said, come see this. And I went out and 00:22:51.349 --> 00:22:54.170 waited. And then after an hour, I figured, you 00:22:54.170 --> 00:22:56.410 know, I've got bears around here. Pretty stupid 00:22:56.410 --> 00:22:58.329 out here. You know, I could be eaten by a bear 00:22:58.329 --> 00:23:00.670 and shoot me in the house while I get mauled 00:23:00.670 --> 00:23:04.509 out here. But the thing is, she shared this with 00:23:04.509 --> 00:23:07.289 me because she was excited about it too and wanted 00:23:07.289 --> 00:23:09.970 me to know about it. And all I had to do was 00:23:09.970 --> 00:23:12.170 go out and wait. And maybe I would see it, and 00:23:12.170 --> 00:23:15.390 maybe I wouldn't. But I trusted her word. Do 00:23:15.390 --> 00:23:17.289 we trust God with the word when he says, I want 00:23:17.289 --> 00:23:20.900 you to see something? Okay. I will wait. Show 00:23:20.900 --> 00:23:24.480 me something, Lord. We don't. We're so impatient. 00:23:25.420 --> 00:23:28.720 She then sent me, really she rubbed it in. She 00:23:28.720 --> 00:23:31.359 sent me a picture on her phone. It was gorgeous. 00:23:32.380 --> 00:23:36.240 It had moved from Kenton over to Beltsville Lake 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:39.720 in Carbon County. And it gleaned off the water. 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.819 I still have it on my phone. It was gorgeous. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:47.619 And so twice in 74 years I've seen it. Can't 00:23:47.619 --> 00:23:50.720 wait to see what it looks like in heaven. Wow, 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:53.339 it's going to be really beautiful up there. The 00:23:53.339 --> 00:23:56.680 third one, to wait with a favorable reception. 00:23:57.740 --> 00:24:00.220 This one, I've read this scripture so many times 00:24:00.220 --> 00:24:04.339 and missed it. See if you missed it too. To wait 00:24:04.339 --> 00:24:10.559 with a favorable reception. Mark 15, 43. Joseph 00:24:10.559 --> 00:24:12.960 of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council, 00:24:13.180 --> 00:24:16.079 who is himself waiting for the kingdom of God. 00:24:16.599 --> 00:24:21.880 Here's the key. Went boldly to Pilate and asked 00:24:21.880 --> 00:24:24.980 for Jesus' body. Joseph still had a favorable 00:24:24.980 --> 00:24:28.779 outlook of the kingdom of God coming, even though 00:24:28.779 --> 00:24:33.680 he had seen Jesus beaten, crucified, dead, and 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:37.740 buried. It did not deter him. I want to take 00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:39.799 care of Jesus' body because he's coming back 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:44.460 for me. A favorable outlook, even though it looked 00:24:44.460 --> 00:24:48.940 so dim. So dire. When someone gets that announcement 00:24:48.940 --> 00:24:54.319 that they have cancer, that's dire. There's been 00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:56.759 a lot of improvements. But when you hear that 00:24:56.759 --> 00:25:00.779 word, it's dire. God says, I have a favorable 00:25:00.779 --> 00:25:04.460 outcome for you. That outcome might be a healing. 00:25:04.960 --> 00:25:08.519 That outcome might be a permanent healing. You 00:25:08.519 --> 00:25:11.559 just have to wait to see what my plans are for 00:25:11.559 --> 00:25:16.089 you. And either way, If you know Christ, you 00:25:16.089 --> 00:25:20.529 win. You either can praise him and say, it wasn't 00:25:20.529 --> 00:25:23.529 about me. I went through this for five years 00:25:23.529 --> 00:25:26.089 so I could praise God. And many cancer patients, 00:25:26.269 --> 00:25:29.609 when they get the healing, they praise God. And 00:25:29.609 --> 00:25:33.410 they thank him for a second chance at life. And 00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:35.710 when the healing is permanent and they're taken 00:25:35.710 --> 00:25:40.069 home, I pray that the family praises God. My 00:25:40.069 --> 00:25:44.630 spouse is now out of misery. God has healed them. 00:25:45.170 --> 00:25:48.890 One day I will see them again. It's all a matter 00:25:48.890 --> 00:25:52.130 of our relationship with God, our belief in God, 00:25:52.329 --> 00:25:55.490 our attitude for God, and our trust in God. It's 00:25:55.490 --> 00:25:59.529 all there. Just waiting for us like a present 00:25:59.529 --> 00:26:05.410 at Christmas that we open up. The second one 00:26:05.410 --> 00:26:08.450 here, having to do with waiting with a favorable 00:26:08.450 --> 00:26:13.319 reception, Luke 2, 25. Simeon was waiting at 00:26:13.319 --> 00:26:15.400 a temple court. The Spirit had told him that 00:26:15.400 --> 00:26:18.740 he would see the Messiah before he died. He went 00:26:18.740 --> 00:26:21.819 with a favorable outlook every Sabbath, every 00:26:21.819 --> 00:26:24.640 day, one year, two years. We don't know. It doesn't 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:28.200 say. But every time he went to the temple, he 00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:31.119 went with a favorable outlook, waiting for what 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:34.460 God would tell him would happen. And he saw the 00:26:34.460 --> 00:26:37.720 Messiah. Did he think it would be a baby? I don't 00:26:37.720 --> 00:26:41.299 know. But the minute he saw the Messiah, he said, 00:26:41.769 --> 00:26:44.950 Now your servant can die. I've seen what you 00:26:44.950 --> 00:26:47.250 have promised me. He didn't say, why did you 00:26:47.250 --> 00:26:49.849 make me wait so long? You know, I've been here 00:26:49.849 --> 00:26:52.450 20 years waiting for this. No. He simply acknowledged 00:26:52.450 --> 00:26:55.890 it was all you, God. He told me to wait until 00:26:55.890 --> 00:26:58.349 I would see it. And now I've seen it. I've been 00:26:58.349 --> 00:27:00.950 blessed among all people that I have been the 00:27:00.950 --> 00:27:03.750 one to see this and recognize that the Messiah 00:27:03.750 --> 00:27:08.150 is here. Again, his attitude toward God. Number 00:27:08.150 --> 00:27:11.410 four. Waiting and expecting without any doubt, 00:27:11.650 --> 00:27:14.529 I have read this scripture over and over again 00:27:14.529 --> 00:27:19.390 and missed it every time. Acts chapter 10, verse 00:27:19.390 --> 00:27:23.650 24. Everybody's familiar with the story? Cornelius 00:27:23.650 --> 00:27:27.289 is told by God to send for Peter. He's over in 00:27:27.289 --> 00:27:29.589 Joppa. He should send somebody to bring Peter 00:27:29.589 --> 00:27:31.490 back and he's going to tell him all about him 00:27:31.490 --> 00:27:35.150 and about the Messiah. Verse 24 says, The following 00:27:35.150 --> 00:27:38.130 day Peter arrived at Caesarea. Cornelius was 00:27:38.130 --> 00:27:42.130 expecting him, okay? He was expecting him. But 00:27:42.130 --> 00:27:43.910 something interesting happened here, which I 00:27:43.910 --> 00:27:46.730 missed all these years. He had called together 00:27:46.730 --> 00:27:50.869 his relatives and close friends. Verse 27, talking 00:27:50.869 --> 00:27:53.349 with him, Peter went inside and found a large 00:27:53.349 --> 00:27:56.829 gathering of people. Now, somewhere in my Bible, 00:27:56.869 --> 00:27:59.410 it doesn't say that Cornelius got a text from 00:27:59.410 --> 00:28:01.630 the people he sent there. And it said, gather 00:28:01.630 --> 00:28:03.869 everybody around because Jesus, he's coming. 00:28:04.150 --> 00:28:07.269 He's coming to tell you. It wasn't an email. 00:28:07.829 --> 00:28:11.509 He simply waited, expecting, without any doubt, 00:28:11.630 --> 00:28:14.589 so that he had called all his friends. Someone's 00:28:14.589 --> 00:28:16.829 coming. Peter's coming to tell us all about God 00:28:16.829 --> 00:28:20.049 and explain everything to us. Peter got there, 00:28:20.089 --> 00:28:24.009 and a large gathering of people were there. Without 00:28:24.009 --> 00:28:27.990 a doubt, he waited. He saw what many of us would 00:28:27.990 --> 00:28:31.130 not see. Well, maybe if I should call somebody. 00:28:31.410 --> 00:28:33.230 I wouldn't want Peter to get here and only have 00:28:33.230 --> 00:28:37.039 me and two other people here. Right? Sometimes 00:28:37.039 --> 00:28:40.059 we pray for something and, well, I think maybe 00:28:40.059 --> 00:28:42.799 they'll show up. Or do we prepare for a whole 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:45.740 bunch of people showing up? Because we think 00:28:45.740 --> 00:28:51.720 God is this big and God is that big. Okay? Waiting 00:28:51.720 --> 00:28:56.039 without any doubt that what God says will happen. 00:28:56.500 --> 00:28:59.500 God says, Peter's going to come to you. He's 00:28:59.500 --> 00:29:01.660 going to tell you all about me. So you better 00:29:01.660 --> 00:29:06.559 get ready. Better get some people here. Number 00:29:06.559 --> 00:29:10.200 five, to wait for something intently and abide 00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:14.099 while you're waiting. This one comes from 1 Thessalonians 00:29:14.099 --> 00:29:18.599 1, verse 10. This is to the church of Thessalonica. 00:29:18.980 --> 00:29:22.519 They tell us how you turn to God from idols to 00:29:22.519 --> 00:29:25.539 serve the living and true God. And verse 10, 00:29:25.720 --> 00:29:28.920 how you wait for his son from heaven when we 00:29:28.920 --> 00:29:32.559 raise from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from 00:29:32.559 --> 00:29:35.039 the coming wrath. They were waiting for Jesus 00:29:35.039 --> 00:29:38.440 to come back, but they weren't just mulling around. 00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:42.480 They were holy. They were righteous. They were 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:46.019 blameless. They were patiently expecting Christ 00:29:46.019 --> 00:29:49.740 to come back as they waited. They didn't waver 00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:52.619 in their belief whatsoever. We know he's coming 00:29:52.619 --> 00:29:55.660 back. We know we need to live a godly life. We 00:29:55.660 --> 00:29:57.660 know we need to be blameless in our walk before 00:29:57.660 --> 00:30:00.319 him so that people might see us and might also 00:30:00.319 --> 00:30:03.339 be tempted to just... It's a glimpse of what 00:30:03.339 --> 00:30:08.119 we have. So they waited and patiently abided 00:30:08.119 --> 00:30:11.539 in him. What's a song we all know? I've decided 00:30:11.539 --> 00:30:14.500 to follow Jesus. I've decided to follow Jesus. 00:30:15.220 --> 00:30:19.400 No turning back. No turning back. Though none 00:30:19.400 --> 00:30:22.940 go with me, still I will follow. Though none 00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:27.420 go with me, I will still abide in him to show 00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:30.920 how important it is to me. We might even get 00:30:30.920 --> 00:30:34.410 through these. Number six, to await an event. 00:30:35.450 --> 00:30:39.750 Acts 1, chapter 4. We all know the story. On 00:30:39.750 --> 00:30:41.509 one occasion while I was eating with them, he 00:30:41.509 --> 00:30:44.049 gave them this command, do not leave Jerusalem, 00:30:44.210 --> 00:30:46.869 but wait for the gift my father has promised 00:30:46.869 --> 00:30:49.869 you. Because he said, my father will not leave 00:30:49.869 --> 00:30:52.690 you alone. I am going. He will send a comforter 00:30:52.690 --> 00:30:55.450 to be with you. He will teach you all the things 00:30:55.450 --> 00:30:56.910 that I have taught you, bring to remembrance 00:30:56.910 --> 00:30:59.329 all the things that I have taught you, but wait 00:30:59.329 --> 00:31:02.490 for him to come. He didn't say how long they 00:31:02.490 --> 00:31:05.529 should wait. He simply said, wait. I will send 00:31:05.529 --> 00:31:08.269 a comforter to be with you. What would have happened 00:31:08.269 --> 00:31:12.450 if they had got impatient and didn't wait and 00:31:12.450 --> 00:31:15.250 tried to do it on their own strength? Would we 00:31:15.250 --> 00:31:18.970 be here today? Would some message have gone out 00:31:18.970 --> 00:31:22.390 all around the world if they had tried to do 00:31:22.390 --> 00:31:24.849 it on their own strength? Well, God could have 00:31:24.849 --> 00:31:29.369 fixed it because they were stupid. He could have 00:31:29.369 --> 00:31:32.200 made it work. But how much better when they waited 00:31:32.200 --> 00:31:36.680 on God and went out with power that they didn't 00:31:36.680 --> 00:31:39.619 have before. Those that had ran and hid. Those 00:31:39.619 --> 00:31:41.920 that said, I don't know this man. I never knew 00:31:41.920 --> 00:31:45.000 him. With power they went on. I don't care what 00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:46.900 you do to me. I'm going to preach the gospel. 00:31:47.319 --> 00:31:49.819 You can throw me in jail. You can kill me. You 00:31:49.819 --> 00:31:52.039 can do anything you want to. I now have power 00:31:52.039 --> 00:31:54.460 from within. And I'm going to preach Christ. 00:31:55.220 --> 00:31:58.990 And we're here today. because they had the ability 00:31:58.990 --> 00:32:01.509 to wait for that Holy Spirit to come upon them, 00:32:01.690 --> 00:32:05.390 to be a powerful witness. I have to share a story 00:32:05.390 --> 00:32:09.529 about myself. As Paul Horry would say, the rest 00:32:09.529 --> 00:32:11.730 of the story you'll get next week on Father's 00:32:11.730 --> 00:32:17.230 Day. I was eight years old, and I played peanut 00:32:17.230 --> 00:32:22.170 baseball at Victory Park, about three -quarters 00:32:22.170 --> 00:32:23.970 of a mile away from our home in Slannington. 00:32:24.410 --> 00:32:28.319 My dad always... Picked me up. Sometimes he couldn't 00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:31.500 stay because my brother was sick. And I spent 00:32:31.500 --> 00:32:35.019 time with him. But he told me this time he'd 00:32:35.019 --> 00:32:40.099 be late. But I should wait for him. Well, I didn't 00:32:40.099 --> 00:32:43.940 tell the coach. I want to be a big boy. So all 00:32:43.940 --> 00:32:46.460 the kids went home. And the coach said, what 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:48.339 about you, Lanny? Is your dad coming for you 00:32:48.339 --> 00:32:51.099 as usual? I said, no, I'm walking home tonight. 00:32:52.319 --> 00:32:54.640 He said, well, you better go. It's getting dark. 00:32:56.299 --> 00:32:59.099 I went down through the woods, made it through 00:32:59.099 --> 00:33:03.380 that, crossed Main Street in Slatington. Didn't 00:33:03.380 --> 00:33:06.220 really know where I was going. I knew there was 00:33:06.220 --> 00:33:08.220 a street. That was North Street. Okay, I got 00:33:08.220 --> 00:33:11.000 that. Went to another street. I didn't know that 00:33:11.000 --> 00:33:13.640 one. But I got to Washington. I knew the president. 00:33:13.900 --> 00:33:16.259 I knew that was the right street. And then I 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:19.539 got to Franklin Street. And there was a Golden 00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:23.049 Sun chip factory at the back of our street. And 00:33:23.049 --> 00:33:25.710 the wind came west to east, and the chip smell 00:33:25.710 --> 00:33:28.230 always came out of Franklin Street to Main Street. 00:33:28.490 --> 00:33:31.410 And once I smelled them chips, I knew I was going 00:33:31.410 --> 00:33:34.250 home. I didn't know where, but I knew it was 00:33:34.250 --> 00:33:37.589 somewhere down that street. And I saw that stone 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:40.670 wall, and I was so proud. I was such a big boy. 00:33:41.809 --> 00:33:44.809 Until I marched up the stairs, and Mom said, 00:33:44.869 --> 00:33:47.509 Where's your dad? And I said, I don't know. I 00:33:47.509 --> 00:33:54.339 walked home. Yeah. Yeah, you will get the rest 00:33:54.339 --> 00:34:00.819 of the story next week. I learned a lesson. When 00:34:00.819 --> 00:34:05.059 my father says, wait, wait, you could save yourself 00:34:05.059 --> 00:34:09.519 a lot of trouble, a lot of problems. But we're 00:34:09.519 --> 00:34:13.420 so impatient. We try to do it on our own. No, 00:34:13.699 --> 00:34:16.900 he didn't hit me. He was so big, he just talked 00:34:16.900 --> 00:34:19.679 and I bawled. My sister was bawling because she 00:34:19.679 --> 00:34:22.329 thought I was going to really get it. He said, 00:34:22.369 --> 00:34:23.829 boy, you're going to get it when he gets home. 00:34:24.570 --> 00:34:29.650 But there's another perfect story to this. It's 00:34:29.650 --> 00:34:32.590 amazing what God did through that, me not waiting. 00:34:32.610 --> 00:34:36.690 He taught me something years later in life. Taught 00:34:36.690 --> 00:34:40.670 me who my Heavenly Father was. Lessons we learn 00:34:40.670 --> 00:34:44.130 sometimes, sometimes through the hard experiences. 00:34:45.150 --> 00:34:49.190 Number seven. To continue steadfastly, again, 00:34:49.289 --> 00:34:52.550 another way of looking at the word wait. Luke 00:34:52.550 --> 00:34:57.710 9, 51, as Jesus waited. As the time approached 00:34:57.710 --> 00:35:00.690 for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely 00:35:00.690 --> 00:35:04.329 set out for Jerusalem. Jesus never wavered on 00:35:04.329 --> 00:35:07.210 his mission. He knew what his mission was. It 00:35:07.210 --> 00:35:09.590 was the cross. The disciples said, you can't 00:35:09.590 --> 00:35:10.889 go to Jerusalem. They're going to do something 00:35:10.889 --> 00:35:14.570 to you. I must go to Jerusalem. I will be turned 00:35:14.570 --> 00:35:17.010 over to the Pharisees and the scribes. They will 00:35:17.010 --> 00:35:18.949 beat me. They will crucify me. They will kill 00:35:18.949 --> 00:35:23.869 me. He continually, steadfastly waited what God 00:35:23.869 --> 00:35:28.829 wanted him to do. Matthew 16, 21 to 23. The disciples 00:35:28.829 --> 00:35:31.190 are waiting to see when Jesus will usher in his 00:35:31.190 --> 00:35:33.909 kingdom. Jesus began to explain to them what 00:35:33.909 --> 00:35:35.389 will happen. They're anxious. We've been with 00:35:35.389 --> 00:35:37.030 you for three and a half years. When is your 00:35:37.030 --> 00:35:40.619 kingdom going to come? What does Peter say? I 00:35:40.619 --> 00:35:42.519 won't let that happen. They won't take you. They 00:35:42.519 --> 00:35:44.820 won't beat you. They won't kill you. And Jesus 00:35:44.820 --> 00:35:47.760 says, get behind me, Satan. You just have to 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:50.880 wait and see my plan be played out. I know what's 00:35:50.880 --> 00:35:52.900 going on. I know what's happening. And you're 00:35:52.900 --> 00:35:54.960 not a part of it right now. Get on the program 00:35:54.960 --> 00:35:57.760 and wait with me and see what is going to happen. 00:35:58.480 --> 00:36:01.940 And number eight, the last one, to sit constantly 00:36:01.940 --> 00:36:05.699 beside the Father or whatever He asks you to 00:36:05.699 --> 00:36:11.269 sit beside. 1 Corinthians 9 .13, revised version. 00:36:12.289 --> 00:36:14.329 Don't you know that those who work at the temple 00:36:14.329 --> 00:36:16.809 get their food from the temple? And those who 00:36:16.809 --> 00:36:20.469 wait at the altar share what is offered also. 00:36:21.590 --> 00:36:24.449 Sometimes God just wants us to sit and wait. 00:36:25.030 --> 00:36:28.190 I want to do something for you, Lord. But this 00:36:28.190 --> 00:36:30.250 is what I want you to do. I just want you to 00:36:30.250 --> 00:36:33.309 sit here and wait. I want you to be patient. 00:36:33.489 --> 00:36:36.739 I want you to learn in me. You're also... doing 00:36:36.739 --> 00:36:40.420 something by just sitting here waiting. Maybe 00:36:40.420 --> 00:36:42.699 someone's come to your mind that you're supposed 00:36:42.699 --> 00:36:46.360 to pray for. Or maybe someone's come to your 00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:48.719 mind that you're supposed to go visit. Something 00:36:48.719 --> 00:36:51.280 will come. You're serving me just by waiting. 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:54.139 Not everybody's called to be an elder. Not everybody's 00:36:54.139 --> 00:36:56.260 called to be a teacher. There are people that 00:36:56.260 --> 00:36:58.460 are serving every day that aren't getting their 00:36:58.460 --> 00:37:01.420 recognition for what they do. What was his name? 00:37:02.179 --> 00:37:08.639 That took care of the mousetraps. Jim Haney. 00:37:09.159 --> 00:37:11.340 For years, he took care of the mousetraps in 00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:13.679 the bottom of the church. Anybody knew that? 00:37:14.340 --> 00:37:16.099 Well, you didn't see any little critters running 00:37:16.099 --> 00:37:18.880 around the church, right? But he was the guy 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:20.619 that nobody knew went down and emptied the traps. 00:37:21.519 --> 00:37:23.840 Those that wait at the altar are serving also, 00:37:24.059 --> 00:37:28.179 right? I'm not any more important than anybody 00:37:28.179 --> 00:37:30.599 sitting here. To God, everybody's important. 00:37:31.159 --> 00:37:33.019 Whatever he's asked you to do, that's what you 00:37:33.019 --> 00:37:35.559 do for him. And if it's something glamorous, 00:37:35.760 --> 00:37:39.980 great. If not, to him it's glamorous. Well, he 00:37:39.980 --> 00:37:42.800 wouldn't ask you to do it. I would rather not 00:37:42.800 --> 00:37:44.659 be here. I'd rather be sitting down there somewhere. 00:37:45.519 --> 00:37:47.780 And I'm kicking and stymoring and be up here. 00:37:47.820 --> 00:37:52.840 Next week I'll do it again. Thanks to John. I 00:37:52.840 --> 00:37:57.099 told him. He said, you owe me big time. And now 00:37:57.099 --> 00:38:00.099 I've got to cover two weeks for the pastor too. 00:38:00.460 --> 00:38:02.420 I'm on call this week and at the end of the month 00:38:02.420 --> 00:38:07.489 I'm on call. Yeah, tell him. You better get out 00:38:07.489 --> 00:38:11.570 of there. I've got to go on a sabbatical after 00:38:11.570 --> 00:38:20.190 this. I'm worn out. There's just one thing I 00:38:20.190 --> 00:38:23.309 want to show you here. I read the Daily Bread 00:38:23.309 --> 00:38:25.530 every morning. I also read my most verse highest. 00:38:25.690 --> 00:38:27.329 And I've got a third one I've got to read. I 00:38:27.329 --> 00:38:30.110 don't know. But this was November of last year. 00:38:31.250 --> 00:38:33.929 I trust in the Lord. My times are in His hands. 00:38:34.670 --> 00:38:36.789 The first part has to do with some lady that 00:38:36.789 --> 00:38:39.130 was having difficulties and problems and she 00:38:39.130 --> 00:38:41.769 was so impatient not waiting for the Lord. But 00:38:41.769 --> 00:38:44.510 the second part says, Noah too relied on God's 00:38:44.510 --> 00:38:46.989 protection as he and his family waited in the 00:38:46.989 --> 00:38:49.369 ark for nearly two months. See, when God tells 00:38:49.369 --> 00:38:51.469 you to do something, he supplies you with everything. 00:38:51.690 --> 00:38:54.070 This was from last year. It just popped in my 00:38:54.070 --> 00:38:55.670 head. I think I read something last year about 00:38:55.670 --> 00:38:59.590 this. And so he waited two months after the flood 00:38:59.590 --> 00:39:01.510 subsided. After being cooped up for more than 00:39:01.510 --> 00:39:03.429 ten months, he must have been eager to get out. 00:39:03.730 --> 00:39:06.230 After all, water had dried up from the earth, 00:39:06.389 --> 00:39:09.150 and the ground certainly was dry by now. But 00:39:09.150 --> 00:39:11.429 Noah didn't just rely on what he saw. Instead, 00:39:11.530 --> 00:39:14.429 he left the ark only when God told him to. He 00:39:14.429 --> 00:39:17.530 trusted that God had good reason for his extended 00:39:17.530 --> 00:39:20.969 wait. I went out of here, you know. We've been 00:39:20.969 --> 00:39:23.690 in there how long? I look out there, it's dry. 00:39:23.829 --> 00:39:26.510 What are you making me wait for? To trust him. 00:39:26.989 --> 00:39:29.389 Your relationship, your attitude, your belief, 00:39:29.469 --> 00:39:33.150 and your trust in God. And when God said go, 00:39:33.289 --> 00:39:36.869 he went. And everything was good. I was blessed 00:39:36.869 --> 00:39:42.469 by researching all this. I found out that I need 00:39:42.469 --> 00:39:45.610 to ask forgiveness for the times when I open 00:39:45.610 --> 00:39:49.670 up my Bible and don't really wait on God. Every 00:39:49.670 --> 00:39:51.570 time we open our Bible, we should say, Lord, 00:39:51.730 --> 00:39:55.110 what do you have me to learn today? Show me something. 00:39:55.610 --> 00:39:59.190 I don't do that every day. But when you do it, 00:39:59.309 --> 00:40:05.130 wow, the pages just pop off at you. It's like 00:40:05.130 --> 00:40:08.849 just a breath of fresh air when he shows you 00:40:08.849 --> 00:40:10.889 things that you looked at over and over, years 00:40:10.889 --> 00:40:12.909 and years and years. I've been reading my Bible 00:40:12.909 --> 00:40:16.590 since I've been 11, and I still learn stuff. 00:40:17.969 --> 00:40:21.429 My aunt was 92 years old. She was a missionary 00:40:21.429 --> 00:40:24.960 in Toledo, Ohio. Grace Gospel Mission for Kids. 00:40:25.500 --> 00:40:29.780 She retired and came home to Wallaport. She called 00:40:29.780 --> 00:40:32.840 us every Sunday and said, you've got to come 00:40:32.840 --> 00:40:37.519 over tonight. I found a gem. I found a gem in 00:40:37.519 --> 00:40:41.380 Exodus. I found a gem in Jeremiah. She was finding 00:40:41.380 --> 00:40:44.539 Nugget Jet in the Bible after reading it for 00:40:44.539 --> 00:40:50.159 92 years. She still was excited. She didn't say, 00:40:50.199 --> 00:40:51.900 well, I'm going to die in a year or two. I guess 00:40:51.900 --> 00:40:55.559 I read enough. No, she was waiting on God to 00:40:55.559 --> 00:41:00.519 show her something else. God help us. I'm so 00:41:00.519 --> 00:41:05.900 ashamed sometimes. He's there waiting for us 00:41:05.900 --> 00:41:09.900 just to come and say, Father, I love you. Show 00:41:09.900 --> 00:41:13.340 me something. Teach me to wait on you like I've 00:41:13.340 --> 00:41:16.639 never waited on you before. And what a blessing 00:41:16.639 --> 00:41:20.780 it will be when we do that. Let's close with 00:41:20.780 --> 00:41:24.139 prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your 00:41:24.139 --> 00:41:28.260 word. You've given it to us for a benefit, for 00:41:28.260 --> 00:41:32.079 encouragement, for edification, for our substance 00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:34.739 to make it through each and every day. Forgive 00:41:34.739 --> 00:41:38.119 me, Father, for the times that I've read my Bible, 00:41:38.179 --> 00:41:42.159 punched my card and said, I did it, and not really 00:41:42.159 --> 00:41:46.599 knowing what I did, that you wanted to teach 00:41:46.599 --> 00:41:50.639 me something. You wanted me to wait. to bow down 00:41:50.639 --> 00:41:55.079 before you at your feet and learn from you. Again, 00:41:55.159 --> 00:41:57.960 forgive us, Father, and help us to wait on you 00:41:57.960 --> 00:42:00.380 more and more each and every day, to appreciate 00:42:00.380 --> 00:42:03.000 you more and every day as the day draws closer 00:42:03.000 --> 00:42:06.039 when one day we will hear the trumpet and get 00:42:06.039 --> 00:42:09.360 to spend eternity with you. Praise, honor, and 00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:12.199 glory to you this day, which you so richly deserve. 00:42:13.099 --> 00:42:13.579 Amen.