While We Are Waiting

Here we go.

Here we go.

We're getting there.

By golly.

We are getting there.

Trust me.

Trust me.

Trust me.

Well, let's see here.

Every sermon for the last three years is on there.

Except the one I want today.

Actually, Pastor, I really did have this all keyed up and ready to go.

Just a few minutes.

See, there's rescue coming right now.

It's my wife.

What are you doing?

What are you doing?

Oh my goodness gracious.

Well, you know what?

We'll go back to the old standby.

For now.

We'll do it old school, folks.

This is the way it used to be done.

Have you ever made a promise that you couldn't keep?

I know I have.

Over the course of my life, I've made a few promises that I couldn't keep.

Well, remember these promises?

Here's one.

George Herbert Walker Bush in 1988.

He said, Read my lips, no new taxes.

He made this famous vow while he was accepting the Republican nomination, but facing a severe budget deficit, he later compromised with Congress on a deal that included tax increases.

How about this one?

Lyndon Baines Johnson, 1964.

We're not about to send American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away.

During his presidential campaign, Johnson assured voters that he would not commit ground troops to Vietnam, but within a year, empowered by the Gulf of Tonkin Revolution, he escalated the war and eventually deployed 543,000 military personnel.

Jesus made over 200 promises as recorded in the Bible.

One of them is in Acts chapter 1, verse 11.

Acts 1:11

It says, Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?

This same Jesus who's been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way that you've seen him go into heaven.

Now here's another passage that contains three of those promises from John chapter 14.

John 14 · chapter mention

Let your hearts not be troubled.

You believe in God, believe also in me.

Now my father's house has many rooms, and if it were not so, I would not tell you that I'm coming, I'm going to prepare a place for you, and that if I go and prepare a place for you, I'm going to come back.

I'm going to take you to where I am, so that you may be there also.

There's a favorite hymn that I have, and as I walked in this morning, I heard the praise team practicing it for the end of the sermon today.

But I think it's a waste not to sing at least part of it now.

Let's put the words up on the screen for sing the wondrous love of Jesus.

Let's sing together.

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus.

Sing His mercy and His grace.

In the mansions, bright and blessed.

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be.

See why I love that song so much?

It says so much about the love of God.

Amen.

If you're taking notes this morning, here's the first point that I'd like to make.

Number one, Jesus promised that he's coming back for us.

And not only is he coming back for us, but he's doing it in a big way.

And this is how the Apostle Paul describes it in 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 through 18.

For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a loud command, and the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

And after that, we who are still alive and left will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

Amen?

And so we'll be with the Lord forever.

So therefore encourage each other with these words.

And that's what we're doing this morning.

Matthew recorded Jesus' own words when he spoke about his return in Matthew 24.

Jesus said, But about that day or hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, only the Father.

Therefore keep watch.

Because you do not know on what day the Lord will come.

But understand this if the owner of the house had known at what time the night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have left his house to be broken into.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

We know that Jesus is coming back for us.

We just don't know when.

Now, throughout history, people have been trying to figure out God's timing.

There was a man who was taking it easy one day.

He was laying on the grass and looking up at the crowd, clouds, and identifying different shapes.

He decided it would be a good time to talk to God.

God, he said, How long is a million years?

God answered and said, in my frame of reference, about a minute.

Then the man asked God, God, how much is a million dollars?

And God said, To me it's just a penny.

And then the man asked, God, could I have a penny?

And God said, In a minute.

See, the Bible is silent about when Jesus is going to return.

So until he returns, we wait.

But we don't sit still.

That wonderful old hymn that I quoted earlier that we sang, it speaks to our waiting on Jesus.

So let's finish it off.

Let us then be true and faithful, trusting, serving every day.

Just one glimpse of him in glory.

Will the toils of life repay?

When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be when we all see Jesus will sing it.

Shout the victory.

Here's a story about four guys who are waiting.

Four expectant fathers are in a hospital waiting room while their wives are in labor.

The nurse comes in and tells the first man, Congratulations, you're the father of twins.

And he says, Wow, what a coincidence.

I work for the Minnesota Twins baseball team.

The nurse comes in and tells the second man, You're the father of triplets.

Wow, what a coincidence.

He says, I work for 3M Corporation.

Then the nurse comes in and tells the next man, hey, you're the father of quadruplets.

And he says, What a coincidence.

I work for the Four Seasons Hotel.

The nurse turns to the last guy who faints dead away on the floor.

When they bring him to, he says, Oh, I work for 7-Eleven.

Here's a second thing in your notes.

Can we know what we're supposed to be doing while we wait?

Does the Bible speak about what we're supposed to be doing while we wait for Jesus to return?

Well, I'm glad you asked.

So let's go to God's word and get some answers.

How about Ephesians 4, 1 through 6?

So, as a prisoner for the Lord, I beg you to live the way God's people should live, because He chose you to be His.

Always be humble and gentle, be patient and accept each other with love.

You are joined together with peace through the Spirit.

Do all you can to continue as you are, letting peace hold you together.

Now, this passage addresses how we treat fellow believers, especially in the church.

We're called to be humble and gentle with one another.

We're called to be patient and accepting of one another.

Supposed to live peacefully together.

Peter has something to say about living in end times.

In 2 Peter chapter 3, verses 11 through 15.

2 Peter 3:11–15

So what kind of people should you be?

Your lives should be holy and devoted to God.

You should be looking forward to the day of God, wanting more than anything else for it to come soon.

When it comes, the sky will be destroyed with fire, and everything in the sky will melt with heat.

But God made a promise to us, and we're waiting for what he promised: a new sky and a new earth.

And that will be the place where goodness lives.

Dear friends, we're waiting for this to happen, so try as hard as you can to be without sin and without fault, and try to be at peace with God.

Now remember, we're all saved because our Lord is patient.

Now I'd suggest that the Apostle Paul's letter to Titus addresses us living amongst our neighbors.

Titus chapter 2, starting in verse 11, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce on godliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

Well, that's pretty clear.

Did you see this?

These passages are a blueprint for Christian living while we wait.

God's word lays out for us what he expects of us at this point in history.

So let's take a little bit closer note.

If you're taking notes, this is number two section A.

Details.

Paul wants us to understand that anybody can get saved.

No one is too far gone.

The grace of God appeared, bringing salvation to all people.

He also told his young protest, Timothy, in 1 Timothy 1:15, the saving is trustworthy and deserving.

1 Timothy 1:15

This is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.

Well, that's some good news.

How about 2B?

We're supposed to train one another.

That's why we're here today.

Amen.

God's grace not only saves us, but provides instruction primarily through the word.

So let's take a moment while we're here today.

Let's talk about grace.

We use that word a lot, don't we?

We talk about grace.

And I was told when I was a teenager by my pastor a great analogy about grace.

He says, let's say you're the fat guy at school.

And it's time to choose sides for volleyball.

Who are they gonna pick first?

Certainly not you.

Certainly not me.

They always pick the best guy.

Well, in God's eye, grace means he chooses the fat guy.

He chooses because it's not deserved, it's a gift.

He loves the fat guy.

And he picks the fat guy.

So let's talk about grace.

There's the grace that brings salvation.

It takes many forms.

First of all, there's common grace.

Common grace is God's undeserved favor towards all men, regardless of their spiritual condition.

Jesus said this, Matthew 5, 44, but I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be the sons of your Father who's in heaven.

Our own Declaration of Independence speaks of common grace.

All men are created equal and endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.

President Abraham Lincoln believed in common grace.

He used this premise when he began his famous Gettysburg Address.

Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Then there's saving grace.

Saving grace is that undeserved means of salvation through the cross of Calvary.

Ephesians 2, 8 and 9, it's for grace, by grace you have been saved through faith.

Not of your own doing, it's the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one can boast.

And then there's securing grace.

Securing grace ensures that we cannot lose our salvation.

Romans chapter 5, verses 1 and 2.

Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Through him we've also obtained access by faith into this grace, in which we stand and we rejoice and hope the glory of God.

And then there's sustaining grace.

Sustaining grace is given at special times of need, especially during adversity and tough times of suffering.

2 Corinthians 12, 9.

But he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Their sanctifying grace.

Sanctifying grace is that grace which works within the true believer in such a way to bring forth maturity and progress to becoming more like Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15, 10, but by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain, but on the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, and though I was not, it was but the grace of God that is with me.

Because Jesus rescued us, sin has no power in our lives.

Romans 8, chapter verses 2 through 4, for the law of the spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

For God is done with the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.

And God's Holy Spirit will work in our lives while we wait for Jesus to return.

From Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica, 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction.

1 Thessalonians 1 · chapter mention

You know what kind of men you prove to be among you for your sake.

2E, we have work to do.

The words of Jesus are recorded in Mark, Mark 16.

And he said to them, Go into all the world and preach the gospel to whole creation.

And part of that proclaiming of the gospel is done through how we live until Jesus Christ returns.

1 Peter 2.12, keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Now, here at First Baptist Church in Pentwater, we believe that the work God intends us to do while we wait is memorialized in our Constitution in Article II.

Article 2, the mission and vision of the First Baptist Church of Pentwater, the mission of the church is to love God, to love people, and to make disciples in Pentwater and beyond.

Taken directly from the words of our Lord.

Jesus said, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This is the first and the greatest commandment.

And the second is like it love your neighbor as yourself.

All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.

And of course, there's the great commandment that Jesus gave us in Matthew 28.

Waiting isn't easy for some of us.

When my wife and I were first dating, around Christmas time, we went to the mall looking for Christmas gifts, and while we were in one store, I noticed her admiring a coat.

And so I went back the next day and I bought the coat.

And I paid extra to have it gift wrapped right there at the store with all the fancy bows and everything.

And then I brought it to my place.

I invited her over for dinner, and it was the box was under the Christmas tree.

And while I'm in the kitchen, I hear noise in the living room, and I peek around the corner, and she's got that box, and she's sniffing it.

I said, You'll never guess what's in that box.

And she said, Yes, it is.

It's the leather coat we looked at the other day.

My wife has a hard time waiting for gifts.

Tom Petty wrote a song.

It's titled The Waiting.

The chorus says, The waiting is the hardest part.

Every day you see one more card, you take it on faith, you take it to the heart.

But the waiting is the hardest part.

In a psychiatrist's waiting room, two patients were having a conversation.

One says to the other, How come you're here?

The second guy says, Well, I'm Napoleon.

So the doctor told me I had to come in.

The first guy's curious, and he says, How do you know that you're Napoleon?

He said, Well, God told me I am.

And a guy across the room said, No, I didn't.

God tells us over and over again to wait.

The prophet Zephaniah said, Therefore, wait for me, declares the Lord.

Forty-three times in the Old Testament, the people are commanded to wait on the Lord.

Number three, in our notes, we have to develop a waiting mindset.

Mature Christian waiting takes on a certain mindset or a certain attitude.

The psalmist captures this thought when he wrote Psalm 37: Trust in the Lord and do good.

Dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord.

Trust in him, and he will act.

He'll bring forth your righteousness as the light and your justice as the noonday.

And be still before the Lord and wait patiently upon him.

Now it seems to me that there are three possible responses for us as Christians while we wait for Jesus to return.

So here's the first one.

We can become fearful in our discomfort.

In the culture of our forefathers, as believers, as Christian people, we had power.

We were the moral majority.

We dictated what decent society looked like, how churches looked and responded to the world, how we raised our children in our homes and in our schools.

However, in the past 150 years, we've seen that ability to influence culture slipping away.

The present culture makes us as believers feel like the away team instead of the home team.

And honestly, it scares us to think that we've become the moral minority.

We feel dispossessed, we feel marginalized, we feel powerless to control the things that affect our lives.

And interestingly enough, this is the same insecurity felt by people of color in America for that same 150 years.

The pastor and author, Howard Thurman, uses a phrase to describe the plight of blacks in America throughout his 1949 book, Jesus and the Disinherited.

Now, Pastor Thurman writes that one of the results of living with your back against the wall is fear.

Fear is one of the persistent hounds of hell that dog the footsteps of the poor, the dispossessed, and the disinherited.

And it has its roots deep in the heart of the relations between weak and strong, between the controllers of the environment and those controlled by it.

And suddenly the phrase stranger in a strange land gives fresh and new meaning.

God understood that you might be afraid while you're waiting for Him.

So here's the truth those who believe in a sovereign God should be the least angry, the least anxious, and the least fearful.

Those who believe in a sovereign God should have profound peace and unshakable comfort and ultimate security, knowing that nothing in the universe happens outside of God's control.

One of the most frequently repeated commands in the Bible is fear not.

Hebrews 13, 5 through 6, God has said, I will never leave you.

I will never run away from you.

So we can feel secure.

And say the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, because people can do nothing to me.

People and culture can do nothing to me outside of God's sovereign will.

Period.

Now here's another way we might respond to this new moral compass.

We can go down swinging.

And Timothy writes, we have to fight to keep our faith.

Try as hard as you can to win that fight.

Take hold of eternal life.

The Christian singer and songwriter Stephen Curtis Chapman wrote this verse in one of his songs.

So how can I keep silent and how can I not speak and tell about the Savior who has set this prisoner free?

No, I will not go quietly.

The problem here is to keep focused on what it is that we're fighting.

We're not fighting against ideologies against liberals against conservatives, Democrats against Republicans.

We're not fighting the culture of 1 John 3.8.

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.

Along with Jesus himself, we're in a war against the prince of this world.

Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 6 finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Satan is the offer of this new moral compass.

Again, the words of Jesus in Luke chapter 10.

Luke 10 · chapter mention

Jesus said to them, I saw Satan falling like lightning from the sky.

He's the enemy, but know that I have given you more power than he has.

We struggle with that phrase.

That God has given us more power than Satan has.

We fight with the Word of God.

And we know how the war ends.

What's the next thing we can do?

We can continue to make a difference.

We're called to help those believers who are struggling with fear.

Romans 15:1.

Romans 15:1

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.

Each of us should please our neighbors for their good to build them up.

In our fight against this new moral compass, we're supposed to be like the marines.

We leave no one behind.

And Jesus gave us our marching orders.

He said in Matthew 28, 19, therefore go and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and reaching them, teaching them to obey everything that I've commanded you.

Here's another response.

Hey, we can just learn how to roll with the changes.

One thing that never changes is that everything changes.

The seasons come and go.

Did you notice on your way up today?

The leaves have turned color.

All my wife's beautiful flowers are dead.

We grow old, our bodies change.

And ministry changes.

Pastor and Othful Carl Vaders wrote an article in the April edition of Christianity Today magazine talking about change.

He said, Have you ever wondered why virtually every church leader is constantly writing and speaking about change?

It's because we live in the fastest changing culture ever.

Change is not just an occasional reality, it's the water that we swim in.

If we're not aware of how the world around us is changing, we'll miss out on opportunities to share the gospel with that world.

Not because the gospel will become irrelevant, quite the opposite.

The more everything else changes, the more important the good news of Jesus will be.

People whose lives are constantly being upended by change are desperate for a permanent rock that they can cling to, and that rock is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Here at First Baptist Church of Pentwater, we're learning how to roll with the changes.

We just installed a new pastor.

And like the lifeguard in Lake Michigan who sees his neighbor caught up in the swelling undertow, we're called to rescue our brothers and sisters.

Let's care for what's lasting, for what's valuable in this particular place, in our particular time, let's do what we can do to rescue the lost.

I think that God expects us to wait patiently.

A gentleman was lonely and decided that life would be more fun with a pet friend.

So he went to the pet store and told the coworker he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

So after some discussion, he finally bought a centipede.

It came in a little cardboard box.

He took the box and the pet centipede home with him and they settled in for the night.

Later on, the fellow decided to take his new pet friend to McDonald's for dinner.

So he bent over the box and asked the little furry creature, Would you like to go to McDonald's?

There was no response from his new pet.

And that worried him a little bit, but he he waited a few more minutes and then he said, Hey, how about going to McDonald's with me?

Again.

There was no response from his little pet.

So he waited a few more minutes.

While assessing the situation, he decided to ask him just one more time.

And he put his face up against the box in the little centipede's house and shouted, Hey, in there.

Would you like to go to McDonald's for dinner with me?

A little voice came out of the box and said, I heard you the first time.

Be patient, I'm putting my shoes on.

So what's up?

What's God waiting for?

Number four, why does God make us wait for Him?

Well, the answer is found in 2 Peter 3:9.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promises as some count slow in us, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

C.S.

Lewis understood this.

When he wrote his book, Mare Christianity, here's a passage.

But I wonder whether people who ask God to interview, intervene openly and directly in our world, quite realize what it is like when he does.

When that happens, it's the end of the world.

When the author walks on the stage, the play is over.

God is going to invade, alright.

But what is the good of saying you're on his side when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and something else?

Something it never entered your head to conceive comes crashing in.

Something so beautiful to some and so terrible to others that none of us will have any choice left.

For this time, it will be God without disguise.

Something so overwhelming that it will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature.

It'll be too late then to choose your sides.

There's no use saving or saying that you choose to lie down when it's become impossible to stand up.

And that will not be the time for choosing.

It will be the time when we discover which side we really have chosen, whether we realized it before or not.

Now today is that moment.

It's our chance to choose the right side.

God is holding back to give us that chance.

And it will not last forever.

We must take it or leave it.

So while we're waiting, here's something to ponder.

What if what God does in us while we wait is more important than what we're waiting for?

Here's another one.

What if getting to heaven isn't a Christian's only goal?

When I witness to people, I often start the conversation by saying, Hey, what would happen to you if you died today?

We know that we have work to do while we're here, but what if the work that we're called to do while we're waiting is just as important as getting to heaven?

So we keep on doing what we're doing.

We've got this.

We keep coming to worship, we go to Bible study, we go to fellowships, we keep inviting our family and our neighbors, and we keep praying for them too.

One of my favorite verses is Micah chapter 6, verse 8.

Micah 6:8

And he has told you, O man, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?

The writer of Hebrews says, Yet for just a little while, and the coming one will come, and he will not delay.

This concept of patiently waiting runs all through the Bible to the very last words.

John closes the book of Revelation by saying, The one who testifies to thee says, Behold, I am coming soon.

The word behold means don't miss this.

Be sure you saw this.

And then John writes this amen.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

He sounds impatient.

Like he's saying, hurry up.

We're waiting for you.

Jesus promised that he's coming back for us.

While we wait, we can know what we're supposed to be doing.

We have to develop a waiting mindset, and we ask, why does God make us wait?

We know the answer to that.

If there's anyone here that's waiting to make that decision, to take that next step from hearing the word to accepting the word and living the word.

You can see me or Pastor Matt after service, and we'll take God's word and we'll show you exactly what it means to love your Lord with all your heart, all your mind, all your soul.

Let's pray.

Father God, thank you for being a part of our service today.

Thank you for your word, the words that we can quote, the words that we can ponder, the words that we can take to heart.

Thank you for sharing with us your plan for the world.

We love you.

And we can't wait for to see you again.

And pray all these things in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Mark.

Before we sing, I just wanted to uh uh give you a quick announcement.

Thank you, Pastor Mark, for bringing the word to us this morning.

Just wrapping up a great weekend with the men at Grace Adventures.

It was a great time of just seeing all these men sing out to their Lord.

250 men just pouring their hearts before the Lord.

It was it was really moving.

And uh talking with different individuals and just seeing what God is doing in the lives of men.

It was a huge blessing.

I was encouraged to see them all singing together and worshiping the Lord together.

And uh I also wanted to share, I think we got this awful, I'm sorry, this amazing opportunity to grow closer to the Lord and one another.

Before I go, I got some exciting news to share about our ministry here at FBC.

D.

L.

Moody once said it's better to set a hundred men to work than to do the work of a hundred men.

And that goes into our vision of raising, releasing, and trying hard to work in that.

And I'm really excited that we have been praying this whole summer as elders and meeting and just trying to figure out how do we want to move forward.

We know we have an empty slot and it's our associate pastor.

And I got some exciting news.

We want to announce officially today that we're looking at Pastor Mark Baker as an associate candidate uh to fill that role.

And so we're super excited about that.

Yeah.

He's gonna be living in P1, and uh he's excited to be coming to Pentwater instead of trans uh going all the way from Shelby and back and forth all the time, and we've been putting this man to work.

He's gonna be helping us with pastoral care and continuing on with adult ministries and working in that way.

And uh, if you don't know Mark Baker, he used to be my youth leader way back when.

And uh so he probably knows all kinds of stories.

We're gonna open up where you can ask questions to Mark Baker, November 1, when we do our annual meeting.

And uh, I'm hoping you don't ask any questions when I was a teenager.

We'll have to keep those answers brief.

But we're super excited what God's doing here at FBC and excited that he could preach this weekend so you guys can get to know him a little bit more.

I know he's doing a great job in Sunday school.

And for those who don't go to Sunday school, we wanted you to have the opportunity to hear how Pastor Mark breaks down the Word of God.

And so we're just really excited what God is doing at FBC.

And so November 1, when you see this soup lunch that we're gonna have, we're gonna have church, we're gonna go out the doors and go over to the fellowship hall, and we're gonna have some awesome soup, and you guys can think of some good questions that you can ask Pastor Mark and see what it is you want to ask him.

After that's done, we'll come in here, we'll do a vote, and we're also gonna be looking at the Constitution as well.

And so we're gonna have the opportunity to vote and do that basically right here in the sanctuary.

So, super excited of what God is doing, and just wanted to let you guys know that announcement is in your bulletin as well.

And thank you so much for bringing God's word today.

He did a great job.

With that, why don't we stand together and let's close our service?

Thank you, Father, for the reality of your word, for the promises that you've made that we certainly trust in.

We know that we will see you soon.

Thank you for your Holy Spirit working through us to accomplish what we could not do of ourselves.

We give thanks in the name of Jesus, your Son, our Savior, and Lord.

Amen.