Finding Purpose in Waiting | Trusting God's Perfect Timing | Pastor Robert Morris Sermon

[Music] 50 days that changeed the world and those 50 days are divided into two sections 40 days and 10 days 40 days Jesus was on the earth after his resurrection 10 days they were waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit that's the 50 days so the title of this message is called waiting for the promise now I want to ask you a question you can raise your hand if you want to uh every campus every Gateway Gathering everyone online how many of you have ever waited for something can I okay that's like the death rate 100% how many of you have ever waited for someone can I see how many of you the person you've waited for is sitting beside beside you and I'm just I just wanted some interesting conversation in the car on the way home now you don't have to raise your hands on this cuz you would all raise your hands but the next question would be how many of you have ever waited on God to do something yeah all of us right okay I want to give you a theological truth y'all know I'm a theologian love theology let me just give you a theological truth to help you as you wait on God God owns everything yes except a watch God does not have a watch I gave him one one year for Christmas and he threw it in the ocean you know those sco you hear about scuba divers finding watches on the bottom of the ocean floor those are the watches that God throws away that people gives him God does not have a watch but he's never late he's never late so we're going to talk about these 10 days and I'm going to tell you what the last words of Jesus were before he ascended 40 days he's on the earth and then right before he ascends he tells his disciples to do something but most people get it wrong most people quote Matthew and mark the Great mission go into all the world and preach the gospel so they say the last words of Jesus begins with the word go not true Luke and acts one last chapter of Luke 24 acts 1 record the last words of Jesus right before he is taken up his last words were not go his last words were stay and wait until you're endued with power from on high because if you go before you get the power nothing's going to happen let me read these to you Luke 24:49 and behold I'm sending the promise of my father upon you but stay in the city until you're clothed with power from on high acts 1:4 being a assemble together with them he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait wait that's that word we all love for the promise of the father okay so let me just admit something to you I don't like to wait actually that's not true I hate to wait you know what I hate more than waiting Hur hurrying up to wait hurry our reservation is at 6 hurry hurry hurry then when we get there why are we waiting what why are we waiting did you call did you make the reservation it's 6:05 why are we waiting I'd like to go up to the manager and say why are we waiting but I can't do it because the whole restaurant is saying hey Pastor [Laughter] Robert I'm full of the joy of the Lord right now I hate to wait anyone feel that way but we all wait so I'm going to answer the question in this message of why does God make us wait why couldn't Jesus have stayed 50 days why did he stay 40 and make them wait 10 days I'm also going to answer a couple other questions that you might not have ever even thought about where did they wait and how did they wait in other words if you're waiting on a promise from God where should you wait and how should you wait and then we're going to talk about why do you wait so here's Point number one where did they wait now don't answer it because you'll get it partially right you'll get it partially right I asked a few people this question this week they got it partially right where did they wait they all said the upper room that's partially right by the way the upper room was not the same room they had the Last Supper in that was an upper room not the same one because this Upper Room held 120 people there were 120 there on the day of Pentecost there were the 11 they nominated another one they got 12 then and then they had the 70 others and then it makes very specific mention and mentioned the ladies who were there as well as well as it mentions Mary the mother of Jesus it's the last time she's mentioned in scripture Mary the mother of Jesus was there for the birth of Christ and for the birth of the church church because the church was birthed in Acts chapter 2 so acts 1:12 and 13 says they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called olvet that's right this right after he ascends which is near Jerusalem a Sabbath day Journey I'll just explain it for those you want to know what that means in a moment and when they entered they went into the upper room where they were staying that's why people think they were in the upper room for 10 days 10 days they were there they never left the upper room and they they sent out for Chinese you know during the 10 days they never left that room we show you they did a Sabbath day Journey um it was not the Sabbath it was the day before the Sabbath when they were waiting um but it wasn't the Sabbath and um when they went into the upper room the Sabbath's day Journey simply means about 3/4 of a mile but they didn't say it that way it was either 2,000 cubits or 1,000 steps man steps a cubit is from the tip of your finger into your elbow that's 18 in so that' be 2,000 a half of that a thousand of those would be 36 in which is about a man's gate okay so that's that's all it was it was uh a madeup law that um the on the Sabbath you could only walk 2,000 cubits or 1,000 steps and so it's just simply saying they they went about a thousand they went about Journey a Sabbath's day Journey it's all say okay now so upper room but that's not where they were the whole time during the 10 days because Luke Again Records this Luke 24:52 and they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God Amen in the temple upper room now this word continually by the way I don't I don't want to get too far into I told you about the Cubit and all stuff I know I can get too far in detail details but it they were continually in the temple not continuously now I'm glad the teacher stood up because they'll know the difference continuously means 24 hours a day never left never ceases no breaks continually means frequently often you know if if you say you continually talk about that you frequently talk but you can't say you continuously okay never mind all right so now everyone understand the difference and I'd really like for you to use the correct word if you're around me okay so all right so they were most of the time in the temple and they were in the upper room the church began in the temple and in the house and is continued in the temple and in the house if you only have church in the temple and for the other six days of the week you don't have church in your house you're missing something amen but even though we're coming out of this season of Co and I do believe we're coming out if you only have church in the house and never get back to the temple you're missing something too because it's good to come together so we need it both let me show you some scriptures acts 2:46 so continuing continuing daily with one Accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house Acts 5:42 and daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ okay so this is all through scripture T in the temple and from house house Paul said about five times but I couldn't I didn't want to take the time to read all the scriptures greet so and so aquill and Priscilla and greet the church that is in their house so they met in the temple and they met in houses but is there a deeper principle yes the deeper principle is when they ask Jesus what's the greatest commandment he said oh that's easy the greatest commandment is love the Lord your God with all your heart mind soul and strength but the second he said is like it love your neighbor as yourself let me sum up those two for you relationship with God and relationship with godly people so I'm answering the question where did they wait I'm answering the question where should you wait if you're waiting on a promise from God and all of us are waiting for a promise in our marriage our business our health with one of our kids we're all waiting for a promise where should you wait here it is I'm not saying just in the temple and F house I'm using the principle the principle is you need to wait in relationship with God and in relationship with God's people that's where you need to wait you need to maintain if you are waiting for a promise you need to maintain your relationship with God and your relationship with God's people that's very very important or you might not keep waiting for the promise uh Dr Henry Cloud been here several times one of the times he was here he used the this illustration he said when you land on an airplane and they say you can turn your phone back on or take it out of airplane modan you'll see normally on many phones a word at the top left it says searching and then it has dot dot dot which means that there's another part of the sentence so he looked it up to see what it was here's the whole sentence searching for connection and this is what Dr Cloud said every human comes out of the womb searching for connection there is something in you that God wired and you are searching for connection with God and with people Jesus said on these two Commandments hang the whole law and Prophets I've already told you what that meant that's the Bible the first five books and then the major and minor prophets here's what he's saying on on these two things here's you want to you want to sum up the whole Bible have a relationship with God and have a relationship with God's people so where do you wait you wait in relationship with God and God's people so here's number two how do you wait how did they wait acts 1:4 these all continued with one Accord in prayer and supplication now let me just let you know what prayer means to ask supplication means to intensely ask to ask fervently to ask passionately the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much okay so that's what supplication means but I want you to understand prayer is a huge part of the church and it's not this um I have to do it I need to pray it's communicating with God presenting your petitions talking to him and when you talk to him you can release the burden that's on you and if you don't pray you will still have the burden and you will continue to carry the burden until you give it to him prayer is how you transfer a burden to him but I want you to notice how prayer continued through the New Testament through the book just the book of Acts and I've only I didn't do all of them cuz I didn't have time I got just enough for one screen okay so I'm not even going to say the verses just the chapters just so you'll see watch this acts seven Stephen prayed as he was being stoned acts 8 Peter prayed for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit acts nine Saul of Tarsus prayed after his conversion acts nine again Peter prayed before he raised Dorcas from the dead acts 10 Cornelius prayed that God would show him how to be saved acts 10 later on Peter was praying and God told him to answer cornelius's prayer acts 12 the Believers prayed for Peter when he was in prison and we know the gate open acts 13 they fasted and prayed before sending out Barnabas and Saul acts 16 they were praying and God opened Lydia's heart she was a very prominent person in the city and it opened the door for the gospel later in Acts 16 on the way to prayer Paul cast The Demon out of a girl which also opened the way to the gospel later in Acts 16 Paul and Silas are in prison and they were praying and God opened the prison doors Acts 20 and 21 Paul prayed for his friends before leaving them acts 27 during a storm Paul prayed for God's blessing and then acts 28 the last chapter of Acts After the Storm he prayed that God would heal a sick man prayer was a major part of the New Testament Church the farther we get from prayer the farther we get from receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit spirit and when I say receiving the promise of the holy spirit let me let me just say it's almost like we we it's like a one-time thing yes we receive Jesus as our initial savior but there is a continual receiving Jesus every day as Lord not for salvation but for whatever we're going through right then there is an initial receiving the Holy Spirit but there is an initial I mean there is a continual receiving the holy spirit in every situation we're going through in life but it comes through prayer what watch this you want to see how the Holy Spirit comes through prayer let me just show you again in the in Jesus's life and in the church Luke 321 when all the people were baptized it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized and while he prayed most people miss those three words while he prayed the heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him the Holy Spirit came when Jesus prayed acts 4:31 and when they had prayed the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke the word of God with boldness the Holy Spirit comes when we pray and I know you're thinking but I have the Holy Spirit yes you do but you need the Holy Spirit right now in some situation you can think of and he is waiting to intervene in that situation he's waiting for you to prayer Pray it's all through scripture that Heaven is Waiting for one person on Earth to agree with heaven so that heaven can Ren the heavens and the Lord can step down they're waiting God's waiting on us we uh we have three um uh grown children I don't know quite I still don't quite how figured how to say that because they're not children they're grown they're grown adults but they were born to us so we have two sons and a daughter who are grown and married okay so uh Josh James elain uh Josh was born uh we were not using any birth control and we just didn't feel led to for us we were ready to have children and Josh was born and and so uh 2 years after he was born I was praying and I thought we would have a daughter next and I was praying for a daughter and uh we turn the lights out Debbie and I we prayed we we do this nearly every night we turn the lights out and we pray and so we prayed and after we prayed the holy spirit said to me one year from today you will have a son you're the name him James Robert Morris James after James Robinson and Robert after you and his ministry will surpass both of your Ministries put together so then um that and by the way the Lord said and the enemy will try to take his life but I'll save him and we felt like he was supposed to be born at home Josh was a C-section we talked to doctors midwives all that they said we you'd be okay and and I let me just say I am not advocating home birth Debbie is not advocating home birth but we had a word from God and when he was born the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck not once but twice and his head was blue and face was blue and and they the Midwife removed it and and he's still alive today he's weird but he's still alive Okay so but when God spoke to me what did I do I just sat back and did nothing no I prayed I went to the Lord but you know Elijah prophesies it's not going to rain until I say and then it says and then he went away and prayed earnestly so many times we say well I've got a word from God I've got a promise for God from God I don't need do anything yes you do you need to pray and you need to pray supplication means to pray earnestly to pray fervently and so I prayed fervently remember the Lord said one year from today we wrote it down May the 9th and May the 9th one year to the day later James was born one year exactly because God spoke not only God speak spoke speak but we prayed we went to the Lord about it so where did they pray they stayed in relationship in the temple and from house to house and how did they wait they waited in prayer here's number three why did they wait this is the big question why did Jesus stay only 40 days why did he make them wait 10 days and by the way they didn't know it was going to be 10 days he didn't tell them wait for Pentecost and by the way there were no Pentecostal churches at the time so they didn't know Pentecost means the day the Holy Spirit comes they didn't know they didn't know how long they'd be waiting but he said wait but why why did he make them wait why does God make people wait here here's the other thing you can take this word why and ask God a whole bunch of questions why did I lose my job why did this happen and why didn't this happen um here could here's it could be a tough one why did my wife get sick here's another tough one I never bring these up to to bring up a bad memory but I'm just trying to let us know we have these thoughts why did my husband die where were you God why did this happen why did you allow this to happen why so why does God make us wait well uh it's a tough question but it's an easy answer uh you you might not like the the answer until I explain it but sometimes he makes you wait because he's God and here's what I mean by that because he's he knows more than you know he is all knowing but here's the good part not only is he all knowing he's all loving so his decision to make you wait is because he love you he's doing it for your good he's doing it because he loves you and he's also making you wait to build your faith but you need to understand something about faith because I'm going to take it a step further with you that maybe you've never thought about first of all we got to understand Faith well Hebrews 11:1 famous definition of Faith now Faith is the subance sub substance of things hoped for notice the word hope the evidence of Things Not Seen so hope and not see that faith is hope that you can't see uh Romans puts it this way Romans 8:24 for we were saved in this hope but hope that is seen is not hope for why does one still hope for what he sees but if we hope for what we do not see we eagerly wait for it with perseverance notice the word hope and wait in the same verse here's another verse Lamentations 3:26 it is good it is good that one should hope hope and wait quietly for the Salvation of the Lord why why is that good and and by the way um if you already have everything you want then you actually have no hope people who have everything don't hope for anything that that's why you hear of a lot of people that have a lot committing suicide because they've lost all hope if you have everything you hope for nothing you have no hope so why why do we hope why does God make us hope okay he's building our faith but here's the key he's actually building your relationship with him that's how he builds your faith this is very very very very important very please boy this is my burden for the whole message if you catch this you catch it all God's giving you a promise but you can't handle the promise yet he's building his relationship with you and your relationship with him so that when the promise comes you can handle it remember the promise was the power and the person of the Holy Spirit the person came with great power the Reason God doesn't give you the power before you're ready is because it would destroy you the Reason God Made the disciples wait 10 days was so they would go deeper in their relationship with God through prayer and they would get deep enough that when the power of the Holy Spirit came they'd be able to handle it uh Abraham and Sarah God made him wait 25 years for the proph prise you want to know why I got two reasons but first one is this they wouldn't have been able to handle the promise until they waited 25 years and we know that because 11 years into it Sarah gives her maid to Abraham to sleep with her maid to try to accomplish the promise on their own and Abraham agrees that they are not ready to handle the promise see I want I want you to catch this when we say God's building your faith we we we even say that all the time we say things like God's Building my faith he's building my faith let me say it a different way he's building your relationship with him he's putting a depth in your life so that when the promise comes you have enough faith in him you can handle the promise you won't fail because does the promise and and and let's just say it's a business thing where God's you know God's going to bless you financially one day but he give if he gives you the financial blessing because before you're mature enough to handle it it will ruin you he knows that so he's making you wait now here's here's the question if he wasn't going to give the promise to Abraham and Sarah for 25 years here's a question good question why did he tell them 25 years before it seems a little mean to me I mean God if you're not going to give us this child for 25 more years tell us in 24 and God's thinking no it's going to take you 25 years of knowing and waiting and hoping oping to have enough maturity to handle this so that that's one reason God Waits the second reason is because even though he doesn't own a watch his timing is always perfect so Abraham and Sarah's child was named Isaac right one day Abraham's Abraham sends his servant to his brother household to find a wife for his son Isaac on the exact day that he sends his servant on the exact day his servant gets to a wh and Rebecca comes to the well on that day if Rebecca had come to the well if Isaac had been born 25 years before Rebecca probably had was not even born I want yall to catch this God knows he's got it planned out he's got your steps planned he's got every day of your life already planned for Perfection for you it's Perfection I I know people who I know I know a specific couple 12 years they tried to conceive 12 years years then they conceived and when they came to me and they asked me to pray for them and when I was praying I got this word I said if you're son had you're going to have a son and if your son had been born 12 years ago he would have been he would not he would never meet his wife now this was like 35 years when I prayed for him did you know just a few years ago they came to me and introduced me to their son's wife and he met her his his freshman year in college they were both freshmen TW he if he'd been born 12 years earlier he missed her she was the right one please please please hear me God is smarter than you he knows he's doing it for your good so Abraham has Isaac at the exact right time time so Isaac can re meet Rebecca and Isaac and Rebecca have Jacob at the exact right time so Jacob can meet Rachel and God does not open Rachel's womb until it's exactly the right time for her to have Joseph and this continues all the way to a virgin named Mary and here's the good news it's still continuing to this day which your children and your grandchildren God is determining the days of their lives God's doing it it's perfect and God had Mary born at a certain time so the angel could come to her at a certain time scholars believe between the ages of 13 and 16 she was very young so that Jesus could be born on a certain day so he could begin his ministry at 30 and so at 33 he could die on Passover so that 50 days later the Holy Spirit could come on Pentecost on the exact day and it started with Abraham and Sarah Sarah having to wait 25 years for the promise I know you're waiting for a promise but where you need to wait is in relationship with God in relationship with his people how you need to wait is in prayer and why you need to pray is because God's doing it for your good let me tell you one more story um there was a young lady that you know but I'm not going to tell you who she is at this point but when she was in the second grade at the end of her second grade year her teacher didn't feel like her reading was Advanced enough to go to the third grade and recommended she repeat the second grade so it moved her back a year in school there was also a boy that was born a few days before the cut off of when he would have to go to school so he started school early instead of starting school if it just if he'd been born just three days later he would he would not have been able to start school that year he'd have started the next year that boy and that girl she was supposed to be a grade ahead he was supposed to be a grade behind but they ended up in the same grade in sixth grade 41 years ago they got married and 21 years ago they started a church in their living room called Gateway Church [Music] God was working it all out I want you to Bow your heads and close your eyes everybody here is waiting for a promise from God waiting for the Holy Spirit to move in some area of your life I promise you God loves you I promise you he's working it out for your good I promise you he has a good plan for you I want you to stay in relationship with God keep your personal relationship with God strong I want you to keep your per your relationship with God's people strong in the temple and from house to house [Music] and I want you to stay in prayer I want you to believe God and intensely and fervently pray for the promise and I want you to leave today with a confidence that God loves you and he's doing it for your good I want you to wait for the promise because the holy spirit will come into that situation on the appointed day Lord I pray that you would take this word and you will encourage us and Lord there are some people here who have been waiting not just 10 days but 10 years or longer I pray you will encourage their hearts I pray holy spirit that you will put something within us that we will stay in relationship with you and with your people that we will fervently pray and that we will know that we know that we know that you love us and you're working it out for our good Lord please apply this message to each of us in Jesus name amen hey everyone I'm Pastor Robert and thank you so much for watching my YouTube channel be sure to share what God is teaching you in the comments below so that might encourage others and click the Subscribe button and then tap the Bell icon so that you'll be notified every time a new video is posted and don't forget you can watch full episodes anytime right here on my YouTube channel thanks again for watching

Channel: Pastor Robert Morris

Views: 305,031

Keywords: pastor robert morris, robert morris, robert morris sermons, pastor robert morris sermons

Id: TNZwPePRbxU

Length: 37min 54sec (2274 seconds)

Published: Tue Oct 17 2023