A Lesson on Waiting: Applications from Acts
/“...it’s in the quiet moments, the calm before the storm, where God has been tugging at my heart the most.”
On Sunday mornings in C&YA, Brandon has been preaching through Acts. How does one concisely hone in on what God is teaching in such a fast-paced book filled with wonders like the book of Acts? We have the Holy Spirit being poured out, people preaching in different languages, thousands coming to Christ, lame men walking, people being mocked and beaten for their faith, and all it does is stoke the fire of their ministry! Of course God is grabbing my attention through these electrifying events that jump off the page, along with teaching me how to embrace the suffering and surrender in God’s mission.
More than that, though, it’s in the quiet moments, the calm before the storm, where God has been tugging at my heart the most. It’s the disciples waiting in the upper room in Acts 1, Peter and John walking to the temple in Acts 3, and the apostles electing deacons for the work of the ministry in Acts 6. Sometimes instead of the strong wind, earthquake, or fire, it’s the still, small voice that demands our attention. Through the book of Acts, God has been teaching me a lesson on waiting.
Before I can jump in, I want to outline some context. The book of Acts is a continuation of the gospel of Luke where we see the life and ministry of Jesus Christ the Messiah. We see him perform miracles, teach as a scholar, love the marginalized and give hope to a nation as they cry, “Hosanna: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mar 11:9). He was their Savior. Just as he entered into Jerusalem, as the people acknowledged him as the King of Israel and were ready to give him the throne, people were plotting his death. Jesus didn’t come to rule and judge; he came to serve and to ultimately die as a propitiation for our sin. He loved us so much, but the darkness of our sin prevented our fellowship, so he covered our sin debt with his blood restoring us to the Father.
But the story doesn’t end there; Jesus couldn’t be held by the grave. He rose defeating sin and death. In the next forty days, he revealed himself to many, giving infallible proofs and testimonies to the miracle of his resurrection. He communed and taught his disciples, instructing them in the Kingdom of God, giving them a mission to reach the world. He was ordering them to wait in Jerusalem for the power of the Holy Spirit that he would send to them after he ascended to heaven. It is here in Acts that we see the church birthed, Gentiles reached, and the world turned upside down because of the Gospel. But before these incredible exploits took place, there was a small group of disciples waiting on the promises of God.
“Waiting is vain without an object to wait on.”
Waiting is Expectant
Acts 1:4 “And, being assembled together with them, commanded then that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.”
Before his ascension, Jesus commands his disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father (the baptism of the Holy Ghost). As Jesus ascends into heaven, his disciples are met by two men in white apparel warning them that Jesus will return. In this moment, the disciples return to Jerusalem and wait in the upper room for the promise of the Father. The disciple’s actions were in direct response to Jesus’ command and their anticipation of his return. Waiting is vain without an object to wait on.
Waiting on the Lord looks like latching onto his promises and instructions and watching in anticipation for them to come to fruition. We must be aware of the promises that God has given us as New Testament believers in order to look for them. Otherwise, we are in danger of ending up like the disciples, who, upon the resurrection of Jesus, were caught by surprise. Instead of awaiting his return, they were found retreating to their old lifestyle, not looking for his coming.
“The word ‘wait’ has become a static and inactive action in the mind of most...”
Waiting is Active
Acts 1:13-14 “And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”
Upon returning to Jerusalem, the disciples commune together with the women in the upper room and wait. It says that they “continued with one accord in prayer and supplication.” It’s clear that this was an intentional time of seeking the Lord through prayer and through the scriptures — they weren’t just killing time. The word “wait” has become a static and inactive action in the mind of most, but its etymology and use in scripture is anything but static.
Most mentions of the word “wait” in scripture are in reference to overtaking an enemy. The phrase “to lie in wait” means to ambush. In further considering the origins of the word in English, “wait” is derived from the Old Northern French word “waitier” meaning to watch, to be awake, to be attentive. It helps to think of a waiter or waitress at a restaurant. Waiting on a table is an active service; it is to be watchful and to anticipate needs, rather than be stationary and aimlessly allow time to pass. Waiting is an active verb.
If we are “waiting on the Lord” in any area of our lives, then we need to pursue actions that support that. If we are waiting on the Lord for a job, then we need to start applying. If we are waiting on the Lord for a wife or husband, then we need to first start maturing in a relationship with Him. If we are waiting on the Lord to be sent, than we need to start serving where we are.
“We cannot expect to move forward in God’s calling for our lives until we are ready for it.”
Waiting is Preparatory
Acts 1:15-20 “And in those days Peter stood in the midst of the disciples, and said… Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus… For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.”
Amidst waiting in the upper room, Peter arose and pointed out a scripture that needed to be fulfilled. The Psalm foretold Judas’ betrayal of Jesus and that his office should be replaced. It was a crucial decision to invite a disciple to be numbered among the twelve. It was also important to establish this office before the floodgate of ministry opened in the following chapters.
Waiting is a preparatory work; it prepares a person and gives direction for future ministry. It was Joseph’s time in bondage and prison that prepared him to be a ruler in Egypt, Moses’s time in the desert that prepared him to deliver the nation of Israel, and Nehemiah’s time as a cupbearer in prayer that prepared him to rebuild the walls. We cannot expect to move forward in God’s calling for our lives until we are ready for it. It is during this time of waiting that God prepares and directs those that he has called.
“Ministry doesn’t consist of us making things happen with our own wit and strength”
Waiting is Powerful
Act 2:2-4 “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
The day of Pentecost was at hand, and the disciples were all together in one place when a sound from heaven came like a mighty wind and filled the house. It was at that moment that they immediately were filled with the Holy Ghost. God’s power was poured out for the ministry at hand, and it says that they “began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” They were preaching the Gospel in every tongue that was present for the feast day.
By the end of the chapter, we see that the Lord added three thousand souls to his church. Ministry doesn’t consist of us making things happen with our own wit and strength; it is far more effective to allow the Lord to do the work and to fight our battles in His power. The Psalmist sings, “Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psa 127:1). It is not our will, skill, or might, but the LORD. As Paul stated, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1Cor 3:6).
Like the early church, God has called us to reach the world with the Gospel. I praise God to be a part of a church and ministry that is sold out for this cause. And I praise God that waiting isn’t a boring and mystic process. Waiting is where God equips the called, it’s where powerful prayer takes place, it’s where he aligns our heart with His will, and and it’s where he prepares us for His call on our lives.
Myles Cheadle is a discipler and small group leader in Midtown Baptist Temple’s College and Young Adults ministry and is a member of the Audio Visual team.