Rick Warren - Daring To Wait On God—Part Three

Hello, everybody.

This is Pastor Rick's Daily Hope. If you're joining us

for the first time or you've been listening every day

for ten years, we just want to say welcome, We

love you, and we pray for you every day. So

we're continuing with this series called Daring Faith the Key

to Miracles. And in this series you're learning how to

have a bold, unshakable faith that gives you courage to

impact the world around you.

And if you're like me, you'd really like to be.

More bold and have more courage to share your faith

in Christ. And now let's join Rick as he shares

the final part of a message called Daring to Wait

on God.

Many of you know the story about my year of

depression nineteen eighty was started at the church. At the

end of nineteen eighty I stood up to speak and

I passed out while I was preaching, fainted flat out.

And I went through nineteen eighty one. I was depressed

the whole year. And I know my goal was not

Oh God, build a great church. It was oh God,

get me through Sunday. Can I put one foot in

front of the others. I'd go and I'd preach a

service and I'd go home and get in bed. In

that entire year of darkness and depression, God taught me

habits and skills that prepared me to handle enormous amounts

of stress that I would have never had if I

hadn't gone through that waiting period. And I learned in

that year of down and discouragement and waiting to juggle

more balls than you can possibly think of. And God

was putting skills and habits in my life during the downtime.

If you're going to lose, you want to lose in preseason,

not at the super Bowl. It's okay to have some

early losses in life because that's when you can learn.

Don't put your life on hold.

Instead, imitate the habits that grow strong faith.

What are those habits? I'm glad you asked. Let me

give you five.

The Bible says there are five things you should keep

on doing.

Keep on, keep on, keep on keeping.

And that means even in the wilderness, even in the

waiting period, you need to keep on doing these things.

Number one, keep on praying when you're in the waiting room,

keep on praying. Matthew seven to seven says, keep on asking,

and you will be given what you ask for. Keep

on looking and you will find. Keep on knocking and

the door will be open. That's actually the correct Greek

because it's a participle. It's a continuation. It's a continuing

a verb that says, keep on doing it, keep on asking,

keep on seeking, keep on knocking, and you will get

your answer. Keep on praying. Number two, keep on serving.

Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.

This sharpens your skill. You know, most of you guys know.

I train pastors and I meet a lot of young

pastors who they don't want to do the menial thing

in ministry, and they don't want to serve God in

a small way. They only want to serve God in

a big way. Well, you don't get to serve God

in a big way unless you've served God in a

small way first. If you're faithful in little things, then

you'll be faithful in much. And they want to say,

I've had guys tell me this, actually use this phrase.

I want a significant ministry. And I said, here's what

you do. Forget having a significant ministry, going to significant ministry.

Just make your ministry significant.

Don't look for a significant ministry in life. Make your

ministry significant. There are no great ways to serve God.

There are only small ways to serve God, done with

a great.

Heart, and that's true greatness.

And so you serve God with a great heart and

you make the ministry service successful. Why do I say

keep on serving because that's another meaning of the word wait.

Wait doesn't just mean.

Expect something to happen that hasn't happened yet. Wait also

means to serve. Have you ever had a waiter at

your table? Why do they call that guy the waiter.

You're the one who's waiting. You're waiting on the food. Okay,

you're waiting on him, not he's waiting on you.

Well, it's two different meanings.

When you say I'm waiting for something to happen, that's

what you're doing. But wait also means to serve, and

that's why servers are called waiters, and ladies in waiting

are women who serve the queen. Because the word weight

doesn't just mean to expect, It also means to serve.

And when you're in the waiting room.

In life, that's a good time to practice serving. To

find a ministry and just get involved. Don't sit around

doing nothing, waiting for your ship to come in. Get

out there and just start serving.

Number three.

Keep on praying, Keep on serving number three. This is

in the scripture. Keep on going to small group. Keep

on going to small group. Hebrews ten twenty five says this.

Don't give up your habit. Notice, small group is a habit.

Don't give up your habit of meeting with other believers. Instead,

keep on encouraging each other. Some of you got in

a daring faith small group and you did it for

all six seven weeks and then you go, Okay, well

that was good. Now I'm gonna drop out a group

that's dumb.

Keep on going to small group.

If you want to change groups, fine, you don't like

the people you're in, I give you permission to change.

Just say I need a different night. Fine, yeah, are

you know, I'll go start a new group whatever I like.

You know.

It's like if you're in a group and you didn't

really like it's like, well, it's like a doctor. You

don't like your doctor, So I'm never going to go

to another doctor. No, you just find another one. You

go to a restaurant, you have a bad meal, I'm

going to give up eating.

That's stupid. No, you just go to another restaurant.

If your group didn't meet your needs, congratulations, you learn

some love to love people.

Maybe it were difficult for you to love.

Get in another group, but whatever you do, keep on going,

small group, don't give up the habit.

Keep on.

Number four, keep on sewing. Ecclesiastes eleven six says this,

keep on sowing your seed, for you never know which

ones will grow. Perhaps they all will. And then number five,

keep on believing. Keep on believing. The Bible says you

must keep on believing the things you have been taught.

You know they're true. The point is stay at.

The big point I'm trying to make is that waiting

is not passivity. God cannot steer a parked car.

I'm waiting God, We'll.

Turn on the admission and just start driving where anywhere.

God can direct a car that's moving, he cannot.

Direct a car that's stalled.

Get involved in the ministry, Get involved in service, Get

involved in a small group.

Do the things that you know you could be doing.

Developing skills and habits now to prepare so that when

that baby arrives you're not caught off guard.

The delivery is a joy.

Write down the lessons, act as though I already have it,

Imitate the.

Habits that grow strong faith.

And the t we learn from Scripture in the waiting

rooms of life is to trust God instead of panicking.

Trust God instead of panicking.

Now, there's a.

Couple facts that you can trust about God. One, God

is never in a hurry. You can know that for sure.

And number two, God is never late. You can know

that for sure. God's timing is always perfect. Now, what

happens in those times where it appears that God is late?

In the times where.

It appears God is late, God is getting you ready

for a miracle. I could give you so many examples

of this in scripture. For instance, Mary and Martha in

the Bible had a brother named Lazarus. Lazarus was one

of Jesus' best friends. Lazarus got deathly sick, and he

lived in a city called Bethany. Bethany was just a

few miles from where Jesus was, maybe three four miles.

It's just out of town, out of Jerusalem, and they

sent word to Jesus. Jesus, can you come over to

our house in Bethany. Best friend Lazarus is sick, he's

deathly ill, and it takes Jesus three days to go

about five miles.

What's going on here?

When Jesus finally gets there, he could have easily got

there in an hour or two. It takes him three

days to go a few miles to see his best.

Friend who's dying. And when he gets there.

They say, too late, Jesus, he's already dead. We've wrapped

him up and we've buried him in a tomb. You're

too late. Sorry, you're a little late. You missed the

timing on your best friend. Well, Jesus wasn't late, because

Jesus had already in his mind what he was going

to do. His goal was not to heal Lazarus. His

goal was to raise him from the dead. His goal

was not to just make him well. His goal was

to do a miracle of an astronomical purpose. Sometimes God

lets the situation get so bad only a miracle will do.

Don't give up your faith, hold on, hang on, do

the things I've just taught you how to do, because

you're getting ready for a miracle. Jesus walks up the tomb, says,

roll the stone away. They roll the stone away and

he says, uh, Lazarus, come forth. Now I'm glad he

said Las, because if you just said come forth, every

dead person in Seyringer is going to come out at

that point.

But he calls him by name, Lazar, come forward. He

comes out, and.

It's interesting when he walks up to the tomb, he says, Father,

they overheard him praying this.

Father.

I thank you that you've already heard me. Father, I

thank you that you've already heard me. And I'm even

saying this just for the people around me. He already

knew what he was going to do. God already knows

what he's going to do in your life next month,

next year, in next decade, and his plan for you

is good.

And you need to trust him, and you need to relax.

And when you're in the.

Waiting room, you need to just say, Okay, he's not early,

he's not late. He's always on time. And I will

trust God and I will do these things. I'll write

down the lessons and lack as though it's already happened,

and I'm going to keep on doing the habits. I'll

keep on sewing, and I'll keep on sharing, and I'll

keep on serving, and I'll keep unbelieving, and I'll keep

on going to a small group, and I'll keep on

praying because God's timing is perfect.

He's not too late. A close of this.

Many years ago, in my backyard, I planted bamboo around

our pool area. I'm kind of a student of bamboo.

Some bamboos grow very very slow, and some grow very fast,

and some grow slow, slow, slow, and then fast. Here's

how you take how you grow a typical piece of bamboo.

You cut a piece of bamboo off like this and

cut it in half, and you stick it in the ground,

and you water it for a year, and nothing happens.

Nothing.

And you water it for the second year the bamboo

and nothing happens. And you water it for the third

year and nothing happens. And you water it for the

fourth and the fifth year and nothing happens, and you

fertilize it. And on the sixth year you water it

and nothing happens. And on the seventh year it sprouts.

But once it's sprouts, it takes off. Some bamboo can

grow one meter or three feet in twenty four hours.

Some bamboo can grow to nine feet in about four days.

It just when it takes off. It takes off.

I tell pastors, some of you are in bamboo churches,

and you're in little church and you've been watering it

and watering it and watering it and watering and water

and about year six you say, I give up. This

isn't going to work, and you leave. And the seventh

guy comes in the seventh year and it's sprouts, and

he gets all the credit. But you did all the cultivating.

Your life is like bamboo. And you may have been thinking,

I have been.

Working on this and working on this and.

Working on this, and I have been I have been

studying the Bible, I have been serving, I have been tithing,

I have been believing.

I have been planning seed. You may be in year six.

Don't give up, because when that thing sprouts, it could

grow nine feet in about three days, and it just

takes off, and you go, wha, what just happened? God

just did what he wanted to do last verse on

the screen Galatians six'. Nine so let us not get

tired of doing what is right for after a, while

at the right, time we will re a harvest of.

Blessing but here's the.

Condition if we don't get discouraged and give. UP i will,

not as your, pastor let you give. UP i will beat.

You i'm just giving.

Up i'm giving up On, god And i'm giving up

on The, bible And i'm giving up a small, group

And i'm giving up a. Tighta Then i'm coming to

your house and i'll take you by. That you are

in year three of The bamboo. Story you have no

idea what you're gonna. DO i am so glad that

in the darker days of my LIFE i did not

give up On. God But i'm even more. Glad i'm

more glad that he didn't give up on. Me he

knew what he was gonna do in my, life AND i,

didn't AND i had no. Idea but during the dark,

DAYS i was learning the, skills AND i kept on,

praying AND i kept on, giving AND i kept on,

serving AND i kept on, believing AND i kept on,

trusting and the bamboo. Sprouted So i'm fifty sixty. Three

even When i'm, afraid even When i'm, AFRAID i will trust.

You that's daring.

Faith even When i'm, AFRAID i will trust. You that's daring.

Faith now, listen some of you think you've been waiting On,

god And god is waiting on.

You what you have been thinking Is i'm waiting On.

God but what you're really thinking Is i'm waiting for

the fear to go, away and Then i'll do. It

i'm going to wait for the fear to go, away

and Then i'll make this. Commitment i'm gonna wait for

the fear to go away and Then i'll do go

after my. Dream i'm gonna wait for the fear to go,

away and Then i'll start tithing or give the daring.

Faith i'm gonna wait this fear go away and Then

i'll whatever you got on your. Mind let me tell

you a little. Secret it's not going. Away it's not going.

Away god's not gonna take that fear. Away the only

way you get through that fear is you must move against.

It you must move through, it you must move against.

It you must do the thing you fear the. Most

it's not gonna go away ever until you move against

it and you do the thing that you're, anxious you're,

scared you're worried about, doing and you step out on,

faith and when you jump out into the, air you're

gonna find you land safe in the arms Of. God

let's bow our. Heads would you pray this? Prayer Dear,

GOD i realize that the waiting, room my, men maybe

you're waiting on me to demonstrate. Faith And i've been

afraid to trust. You i've been afraid to commit to.

You i've been afraid to step out in. Faith and

the waiting room is really one of my own. Making

and in some, Sense i've put my life on hold

because of the. Fear but no, more BECAUSE i realize

the fear is not going to go away by me

just hoping it goes. Away and SO i commit myself

unreservedly to. You and even WHEN i am, AFRAID i

will trust in. You And i'm going to keep on

praying and keep on, serving keep ongoing to my small,

group keep on, sewing keep on. Believing i'm going to

write down the lessons that i'm. Learning i'm going to

act as Though i've already got that answer to, prayer.

And like the expectant My i'm.

Going to start preparing by learning the, habits learning the,

skills and trusting.

You instead of.

Panicking if you've never opened your life To Jesus, christ

Say Jesus, christ please come into my. Life right now

and make yourself real to. ME i want to learn

to love you and trust, you AND i want to

dare to wait on you and trust that your timing is.

Perfect AND i asked this humbly In jesus's. Name. Amen hi,

everybody this Is rick AND i hope you enjoyed today's.

Broadcast you, know if you just prayed that prayer for

the very first, time or you just recommitted your life

To jesus again, today would you let me know about.

It there's something real about sharing your. Commitment so write

Me rick at Pastor rick dot com and, Say, RICK

i prayed that prayer to, COMITMENT i gave my life To.

Christ And i'll send you some material that will help

you on your journey With. Jesus And i'll also pray for.

You god bless.

YOU i don't know about, you BUT i am encouraged

after that. Message and let's keep the encouragement going with

a letter from one of our. Listeners Here's.

RICK i started This Daily hope ministry BECAUSE i want

to help you fulfill the great commission and the great

commandment Of Jesus christ to Love god with all your,

heart love your, neighbors yourself to make, disciples to teach

them to, grow and to baptize them and bring them

into the family Of. God and all of these things

happen when you do What god tells you to. Do

you were part of the. Effort we are a team

here At Daily. Hope let me read your letter From,

jeff who listens To Daily hope In, alabama and he's

using all of the resources that we produce in addition

to these broadcasts to help disciple other people and the.

Word he, Wrote Dear Pastor, rick our adult classes At

Green Valley Baptist church here In, Hoover, alabama just finished

your six week study kit for the Series Daring. FAITH

i just wanted to drop you a line tell you

how much we enjoyed that study and the. Video many

of our class members have been going through a lot

of personal, tragedies, problems and difficulties, lately and your video

spoke so strongly to how we need to depend On

god in our faith to help us get through both

the good and bad times of. Life, well Thanks jeff

for writing in first. Place, Second i'm so excited to

hear that you're using these resources in addition to the

broadcast that we're preparing for groups and individuals and even

churches and my prayers that was we put together these

resources like The Daring Faith, kit that they will be

used by thousands of small groups around the world to

help people grow in faith and in knowledge Of Jesus. Christ,

now for those of you who are listening, today there

are a lot of different resources That Daily hope, Produces bible, studies, kits, manuals,

scripture memory, cards all kinds of things that you need

to be aware. Of so go to my website today

pastorick dot. Com if you've never been, there take a

minute and go to pastorick dot com and see all

of the resources that we've prepared to help you grow

in your faith and share your faith with.

Others we did it for. You god bless.

You please join us next time as we look Into

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