10/05/2021
As He prepared to ascend, Jesus told the apostles to stay in Jerusalem and wait on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He reminded them that God had promised this, so they stayed, and waited. We are told to wait quite often in our lives as Christians, but we are an eager bunch, and waiting is not one of our strong features. Too often we begin to move before the waiting has concluded, and when we do so then the results that were intended by God don’t come to fruition, and we complain about how God didn’t keep His promise, or didn’t keep it fully. We might not make this accusation aloud, but it is evident in our demeanor. So how can we avoid making God look bad, or at very least, inadequate in such situations?
“And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.””
Acts 1:4-5 ESV
The obvious, and seemingly easy, answer to our question regarding waiting is to just do as we have been asked, and wait! Yet, as previously stated, that ability is a lesser part of who we are. So what was it about the apostles that enabled them to wait patiently on the Holy Spirit, even after Jesus had just been captured, beaten, crucified, raised from the dead, and all that had transpired during the 40 days since? How had they stayed the course despite the danger in doing so? What was it about these men that kept them there… waiting? Three things seem to be at work here, their faith, togetherness, and constant prayer.
The Bible is full of verses which encourage us to wait, and each time we are given some idea as to how we are to go about it. More often than not we are told to have faith, and to strengthen ourselves in His Word. Waiting in scripture is never passive, it is a word that demands action. We actively wait in faith by going to the Word of God for strength, actively praying, hoping, and going about doing God’s will as the works of our faith present themselves. Listen to these two passages from Psalms as examples…
“I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”
Psalm 27:13-14 ESV
“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
Psalm 130:5-6 ESV
Then we stay together. Jesus told all His apostles to return to Jerusalem; He didn’t scatter them across the countryside. Why would He tell them to remain together if they were being sought by the authorities? Wouldn’t it make sense to spread out so that all of you wouldn’t be captured at once? I have concluded that they were told to remain in one place for strength; not to defend themselves against their worldly adversaries, but to strengthen each other in faith against their spiritual enemies.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
We gather together today for the very same reason… to encourage, and strengthen each other in our own faiths. One man might stand for a short time, but as we gather we hold each other accountable, lean on each other in moments of weakness, and stand firm in our faith.
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV
So the apostles were told to remain in one place. God was about to work in a mighty way, and just as Satan’s eyebrows raise in interest when God is moving in our lives, we can rest assured that he was active against the apostles; whispering in their ears, tempting them to abandon their faith.
Several years ago I was asked to join a long established Intercessory prayer team of three church elders as their junior member. One prayer warrior had died, and the remaining two had been praying for a replacement for 14 years. To say that my selection was a demonstration of waiting, and a momentous act of God would be an understatement. We gathered together every Monday evening to pray for those who needed prayer. Well, two weeks after I joined the team I was diagnosed with cancer. I came to our next meeting, and told the other two who then looked at each other before one of them looked at me and said “Oh, we forgot to tell you about this; when God is doing something powerful in your life, then Satan will come against you all the harder.” Both of them had faced similar attack when they joined the group. Then they laid hands on me, anointed me with oil and prayed over me. The cancer was removed in its entirety, and I didn’t have to go through chemotherapy. I never left the group, and during our time together we witnessed amazing miracles, as well as many quiet answers to prayer. The strength of a three strand chord. Remember the scripture we just read? Here it is again…
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Ecclesiastes 4:12 ESV
So on the day of Pentecost we find them all in Jerusalem together, all in one place, and all of one accord… remaining strong in their faith.
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”
Acts 2:1 KJV
Now we know about their faith, and their togetherness, but what about remaining active, and the prayer component of waiting? Well, after Jesus had told them to return to Jerusalem, and wait there together for the comforter, they busily went about choosing a replacement for Judas, but they also waited there in prayer… once again we see action in waiting… they were working, and praying.
“All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”
Acts 1:14 ESV
After their initial filling of the Holy Spirit, the disciples continued to pray, and the Spirit continued to move in them. Take for instance the occasion when they prayed for boldness…
“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Acts 4:31 ESV
So when we wait on the Lord we aren’t meant to lay back and see if He moves, no, we are to remain busy doing the things of the faithful while we strengthen our understanding of faith through His Word. We should also remain together to encourage one another, and throughout all of this, we should continue in prayer. Are we ready to wait? Are we ready to take an active, not a passive, role in waiting on God?
Prayer:
Father, we thank you for answering our prayers quickly, but we thank you too for asking us to wait. We thank you for the strengthening of our faith, the encouragement, patience, and the dedication to obedience that waiting teaches us. We thank you for reworking our character, and the remaking of our natural inclination towards impatience. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God to whom a thousand years is but an instant, and an instant is a thousand years. We praise you for the thrill of instant miracles, and for each lesson taught through long suffering, as we go about doing your will. You are Merciful and Good Father; working all things for good to those who love you. Your grace knows no bounds, and is timeless in nature. Help us to reflect the humble patience of Christ as you pour out your Spirit, and grace upon us. Wash us clean in His blood now, and forevermore. See us remade in His image, and call us your Sons and Daughters for all eternity. In this way we will wait on you, even to the end of our days, and worship you in the instant, the now, and forevermore.
Rich Forbes