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Wait For The Lord! - Elder Lanny · Mount Eaton Church

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Pastor is relaxing. The elders are not. Right?
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I'm here kicking and stammering not to be here.
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But I'm here. Let's open with a word of prayer.
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Father, we ask this morning that as we present
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your word, that it would penetrate our hearts,
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that it might be exactly what you want for someone
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here today. We just give you praise, honor, and
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glory for everything that will be accomplished
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here. In your precious name, I ask it. Amen.
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I could barely wait 15 seconds to pray, but I
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was trying to teach you something. We live in
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such a fast -paced society today that we can't
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even take 15 seconds just to rest. And just to
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wait on God. If I waited 30 seconds, people would
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have been peaking. Is he sleeping up there? We
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live in such a fast -paced society, and it's
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creeped into the church. We need to take time
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to wait on God. Get all the business and all
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the distractions away. The passage of scripture
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that I picked today was Psalm 130, verse 5. It
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says, I wait for the Lord. My soul waits. And
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in his word I put my hope. My soul waits for
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the Lord more than the watchman waits for the
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morning of Israel. Put your trust in him. Shane
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and Shane have a popular song which I love. It
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goes like this. I will wait for you. Out of the
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depths I cry to you. In darkest places I will
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call. Incline your ear to me anew and hear my
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cry for mercy, Lord. Yea, I will wait for you.
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I will wait for you. I will wait for you. On
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your word I will rely, and I will wait for you.
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Surely I will wait for you till my soul is satisfied.
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So put your hope in God alone through the storm
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and through the night. I will wait for you. Surely
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I will wait for you. Kind of seems like the topic
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of that song is waiting on God. Psalm 130 was
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penned because the Israelites were waiting for
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forgiveness from God. They were waiting for him
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to come and redeem them. I think there's also
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more of that for us too, because in the same
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way, we need to wait for God. We have been partially
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redeemed. We have had our sins forgiven, but
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we still live in this cruel, sinful world. And
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we're waiting for the final redemption, where
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he will come back and our bodies will be changed
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like him. And so we have kind of the same struggles
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as Israel had had, waiting. for God to act, waiting
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for God to come and redeem us. But there's our
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hope that he will, yes. He promises he will.
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Right now, though, in this temporary state of
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redemption, we struggle with physical problems,
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we struggle with financial problems, we struggle
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with family problems, we struggle with a world
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that is totally chaotic. If you just watch the
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news yesterday, California is erupting. We have
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over and over again things that are saying to
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us, When, Lord? How long must we wait for this?
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I'm ready to go home. I'm 74. I've seen as much
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of this world as I want to see. I want to see
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the other side. But I can't wait. But he tells
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me to wait. Lanny, just wait. It's coming. My
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word is true. It is coming. In looking up this
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scripture, verse 5, Matthew Henry's commentary
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has five points about this scripture. From him
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I expect relief. and comfort. That's a gimme.
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We can't expect relief from God. Believe it will
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come, longing until it does come, patiently awaiting
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while there's a delay, and resolve to look for
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relief in no other place. God is the only place
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where we can get relief if we wait on Him. But
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many times we jump ahead and try to circumvent
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God because we're tired of waiting. But I prayed
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for this for five years, Lord. I'm tired of waiting.
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I think I can get it over here. No. God said,
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wait. I hear you. I've already answered you.
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It just hasn't happened yet. It's coming. Trust
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me. We get in trouble when we look for an answer
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somewhere else than besides God. The last phrase
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has to do with the watchman waiting for the morning
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relief. The watchman on the wall. wasn't just
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sleeping there. He was watching all night for
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making sure that the city was protected. But
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it was not easy. He couldn't doze off. He couldn't
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think of something else. He had to constantly
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watch for any danger that was coming. But when
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the morning came, then came his relief because
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someone was coming to take his responsibility.
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And what a relief it was. Our morning is coming.
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One day, the clouds will break, the trumpet will
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sound, and our relief will be there. And we'll
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say, what? It really wasn't that long that I
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had to wait, was it? It was just like what this
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Paul said, a blinking of the eye, and we're home.
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But it's a struggle. It's a struggle for us to
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wait. But we need to wait, and our relief will
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come. I wish I was an expository teacher, but
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I'm not. The pastor is. Owen is. I don't have
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the theological knowledge. I'm sorry, but I don't.
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But God has always made me a topical teacher.
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And if that's what he wants, that's what I give
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him, okay? When I did junior church, sometimes
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Sue would get anxious because she'd say, I have
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to make a craft that matches the sermon. What
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are you teaching about? I said, I'm not teaching
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about anything. I'm waiting for God to tell me
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what to teach. Little did I know when I was preparing
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this, that's what I was doing all those years.
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Not stepping ahead of him, but waiting for him
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to tell me something. What do you want the kids
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to hear this week? Sometimes it would come on
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Monday. Sometimes Tuesday. Sometimes Wednesday.
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Sometimes it would come on Saturday. And then
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I really got anxious and said, Lord, I'm going
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to stand up there and go, boo. I got 40 kids.
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I got to have something to say. And then it would
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come. Just like that. He was teaching me to wait.
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Because I had nothing important to say. But he
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had something very important to say. Well, when
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the pastor said, will you fill in one week? I
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said, okay. Nothing came. Nothing came. And we
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go out on Sunday to spend some of our kids' inheritance.
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We don't want them to get too much money. So
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we go to Texas Roadhouse or Carrabba's and we're
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sitting there and the waiter comes up before
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we even sat down and he says, My name is such
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and such. What would you like to drink? And he
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brings the rolls and he goes back. And before
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we know it, the appetizer is there. And before
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we know it, he's there with the food. And then
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he sees my Coke is empty. He comes and gives
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me another Coke. He brings more rolls. He brings
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some water. And we're sitting there. He brings
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the bag. And I see you have leftovers. You're
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going to take it home. And the light bulb went
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off. Waiting on God. He wants us to wait on him.
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Just like this guy. He probably was an angel
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sent by God. So I go home. I got it now, Sue.
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I know what we're going to talk about. So I get
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out my Vines Expository Dictionary and I look
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up wait. Well, thank you, Lord. He threw me a
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curveball. There was nothing there about waiting
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on God. It was on waiting on God. Sounds the
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same, but totally different. God doesn't need
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us to wait on him. He's got everything. He doesn't
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need us, but he needs us to wait on him by simply
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just waiting on him. And I had looked up, and
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my mind was flushing all these verses, like the
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song, Cups of Cool Water, given in Jesus' name,
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will bring a great reward. And when have you
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seen me hungry? When have you seen me thirsty?
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If you've done the least of me's, you've done
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it to me. And all this kept flowing, but that's
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not what he wanted. That's what I was going to
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teach about. He wanted me to teach about being
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still and just waiting on him to tell me what
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he had to tell me. The problem today, is not
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only people have trouble waiting, churches have
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trouble waiting. How do we get people in the
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church? Well, Sue will attest to this, I get
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angry, really angry. I drove by a church in Route
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309 last fall and it said, the sermon topics
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for the month of November will be the lyrics
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of Taylor Swift's songs. How? Can a pastor get
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up on a Sunday morning and spend an entire month
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talking about the sermons of Taylor Swift's songs?
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What about talking about God? Yeah, it might
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bring teenage girls into the church for a month,
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and then they're gone. They don't need to hear
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about Taylor Swift. She's living with some guy
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down in Florida. Right? What an example. A church
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in Wallaport. I cut it out so you can see it.
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This is the Leah Valley Gazette. Monthly food
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truck extravaganza. Well, let's see. Gumpy's
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barbecue is coming. And the next Sunday on the
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grill to go is coming. And buns to go is coming.
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And slide by me is coming. And oh, I have to
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go. Vince's cheesesteaks is coming. These are
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churches. Where do they come up with this stuff?
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That same church in Wallaport twice had Elvis
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Presley in... impersonator there. This is how
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we bring people into church. What happened to
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praying on our hands and knees and saying, Lord,
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we wait on you. Bring people here that are hungry
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for the word of God. Our society has creeped
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into the church. When we worshiped that reader
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at Methodist Church, they came to me and another
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lady and said, we would like to have a children's
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church ministry. I said, how many kids do you
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have? Two. Well, it was one for me and one for
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the lady that was helping me. One for each of
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us. And they said, how do you intend to get kids
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here? I said, Georgia, what do you think? She
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said, what do you think? Pray. We waited on God.
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If you want this program to work, then bring
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us kids. We're not going to have ice cream. We're
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not going to have other things that will bring
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kids in. We're going to pray that you bring the
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kids here that want to hear the word of God and
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bring the parents with them. When I left there,
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we had 42 kids. No gimmicks, no food trucks,
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no ice cream cones. The Word of God. We've lost
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that people. We've lost waiting on God to see
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what He can do. Where's the miracle God that
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we used to hear about? He hasn't changed, but
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we've changed. And it's sad. It's really sad
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that we've come to this point. And then they
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wonder why churches are empty. Empty because
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we've lost the first love. And that is waiting
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on God to see what he has to do for us. I didn't
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want you people to get Greek withdrawal. Because
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the pastor feeds us all the time with these big
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Greek words. In your bulletin, you will find
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eight big Greek words. I am not going to pronounce
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them. You want to take a stab at it, go ahead.
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I only know Latin. Because being in Plains, everything
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was in Latin, so that's the only language I know.
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And at 74, I'm not going to start learning Hebrew
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or Aramaic or Greek, okay? But if you look at
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these words, and I'll tell you something, I've
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read my Bible many times. We miss so much. We
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read it, but we don't study it. I'm guilty. John
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always says, forgive us where we fall so short,
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and we all fall short. I've read some of these
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passages so many times that I missed the point
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that these passages were trying to make. Pastry
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is right. When you look at the original, the
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way it was written, it just pops out at you.
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It means so much more than what the translation
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is. So we're going to look at these eight. I
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think we'll have time to do these eight. And
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each and every one, there'll be a specific point
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that that word wait means, and they're all different.
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As I looked at these, I considered four things.
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Every one of these, where God says wait, it has
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to do with our relationship with him. We can
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wait if we have a good relationship with him.
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We can wait if we have a good belief in him.
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No wavering. What God says is the way it is.
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If our attitude toward Him doesn't change just
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because of our circumstances, we can wait on
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Him. And if we truly trust Him, we can wait on
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Him. So as you look at these, in your mind, try
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to think of those four things. Because in each
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and every one, all these are prevalent. Our relationship,
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our belief, our attitude, and our trust in Him.
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I found out that waiting on Him isn't an exercise
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in patience. Well, if I wait long enough, He'll
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answer me. If I just tough it out enough to show
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him I'm a real Christian, then he'll answer me.
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It's not about patience. It's not about what
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we're going through. It's about depending on
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him, trusting him. And it's all about him. It's
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not about us. Whatever we're going through, when
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it comes to an end and we get relief, like the
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watchman, we realize it wasn't about us. It was
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about God. showing us who he was, how he cared
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for us, how he took us through this. And at the
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end, we'll say, forgive me, Lord. I was so concerned
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with my problems, so concerned with my illness,
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so concerned with my financial problems, so concerned
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with what's going on in my life, my family's
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life, that I really forgot about you. That's
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what it's about. It's total surrender. Don't
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do a thing except wait on him, and he will tell
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you what it's all about. We look at the first
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one here. Again, one word in three different
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places. It shows weight. It shows weight in expectation.
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And it shows an orderly weight with a purpose.
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So weight used three times and has three separate
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meanings. The first one here is Acts 17, verse
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16. When Paul was waiting for them, he was waiting
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for Timothy and Silas to come down with him in
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Athens. He was greatly distressed to see the
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city was full of idols. But while he waited,
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he was not idle. So he was waiting, but he wasn't
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just sitting around twiddling his thumbs. He
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was busy. What was he doing? He was observing
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everything around him to the point of being totally
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distressed at the idol worshipped. Was that God's
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purpose in having him wait? Probably. Slow it
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down, Paul. Don't just run in there like a bull
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in a china shop. Take a look around you and see
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what's happening here. See the depravity of the
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people and then act. Tell them the truth. And
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another thing I think I shared there with Jody
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in the office, when someone confronted someone,
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what did they need? Two or three witnesses. Why
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did he wait? Because Timothy and Silas were coming
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to be with him. They would go with him to be
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witnesses. And now three people declaring to
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you that what you are doing is totally absurd.
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I will tell you who you should be worshipping.
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That's a side note. The second one here, wait
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in expectation. John 5, 1 -8. John 5, 1 -8. The
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cripple of 38 years was at the pool of Bethesda.
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Here a great number of paralyzed people used
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to lie, waiting for the water to be disturbed
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by an angel. It was said that an angel at certain
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times would come down and disturb the water,
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and the first one in would get healed from whatever
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circumstance they were dealing with. While he
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waited for the expected, He missed what he was
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expecting, a healing. Jesus was standing right
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beside of him. He missed it. He was so consumed
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with expecting something, waiting for it, that
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he missed the Messiah right next to him. Do we
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do that? Do we get so concerned waiting for something
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that the answer is right in front of us? If we
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just open our eyes, it's there. God has given
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us an answer, but no, that can't be the answer.
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No, I think it's going to be this way. Some of
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you are... remarriage dedication, 50 years. And
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I said, when I met Sue, I hadn't dated anybody
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in 20 years. I'd never gone on a date. I just
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figured I'd pray God would bring me somebody.
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But six months later, nothing had happened yet.
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I said, how bad am I? You can't find somebody
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for me. You know? But I was picturing, as I prayed,
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that this blonde, blue -eyed girl would come
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around the corner and drop a package, and I would
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go and pick up the package and be her hero. And
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we lived happily ever after. He dumped Sue right
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on my lap, and I didn't recognize her. She was
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the one. One that hated sports, hated people
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that played sports, hated the outdoors. Everything
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I loved, she hated. But God dumped her right
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in front of me. I was expecting it, but when
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it was right there, I missed it. His answer for
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me, 52 years. She still hates sports. But it
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was God's answer. I was expecting, but I was
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expecting too much. But he knew exactly what
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I should be waiting for. Okay? And the third
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one there. Orderly wait. A lot of times we have
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chaotic wait. This is orderly wait. 1 Corinthians
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11 .33. The proper attitude when you come together
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at the Lord's Supper, which includes a meal,
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when you come together, wait for each other.
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If you're hungry, eat at home. Remember while
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you're gathering together, fellowship with your
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brothers and sisters, fellowship with God. Just
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a common sense of the word wait. Wait. Don't
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rush ahead of other people. Don't gorge yourself
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with all the food while somebody else doesn't
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get it. So again, a third, one word. has three
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different meanings in the original. We miss all
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this. We just run over the scriptures and we
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miss the importance of why God put a specific
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word there for us to learn, for us to grow. Number
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two. This one has, again, three meanings. The
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same word, but three meanings. Can't wait. Eagerly
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expect. Looking constantly for. The scripture
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references here are Romans 8, 19, the creation.
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The creation waits in eager expectation for the
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sons of God to be revealed. Creation has been,
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and I put this in as the edge of their seats,
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just waiting for God to come back to take his
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children home. How do we know this? When Jesus
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came into Jerusalem, He said, if they stop praising
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me, the rocks will cry out because they know
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who I am. They've been waiting for me to come
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all this time, and they will cry out if you don't
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praise me. Creation has been waiting. It can't
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wait for the curse to be removed. The second
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reason there, eagerly expecting, Romans 8, 22
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and 23. We know that the whole creation has been
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groaning as the pains of childbirth right up
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to the present time. not only so that we ourselves,
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who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, the firstfruits
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for our redemption, Christ saving us, we grow
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inward, though, and eagerly await to be adopted
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as his children. We have been redeemed, but partially.
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When he comes back, we will be redeemed fully
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and be just like him. And creation, again, waits
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for that total moment. They are eagerly expecting
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Christ to come back. Are we eagerly expecting
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Christ to come back? A lot of days I run out
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and don't even give a thought to God. Should
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I not be eagerly expecting that this might be
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the day that I look up and the clouds break?
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That I hear a trumpet? It should be. Forgive
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us when we fall so short, John says. And lastly,
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Romans 8, 25, looking constantly for. The same
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word wait means looking constantly for. But if
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we hope for what we do not yet have, but wait
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patiently for it, looking for it, looking up
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every day for the clouds to break. I see God
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in every one of these. As I said, all the things
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I see, our belief in him, I see his trust in
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him, who he is, it's all there, our relationship
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with him. And if our relationship is right with
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him, then everything falls in place. And waiting
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on him is not difficult. A woman who I worked
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with, She called me one night at 9 o 'clock,
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and she knows I love nature, I love anything
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dealing with, and she said, you have to go out,
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the northern lights are here. I saw them 15 years
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ago. I'd been waiting for 15 years to see them
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again. It was gorgeous. Of course, Sue didn't
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see them. It was 3 in the morning, I was going
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down to check a propane heater in the greenhouse,
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and I went out, it was gorgeous, and I ran upstairs
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and said, you've got to come down here and see
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what I see. Oh, no. I said, but you don't see
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this in your lifetime. Okay. I went out, and
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it was gorgeous. The entire mountain from the
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Lehigh Gap all the way out as far as I could
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see was green with red waves coming in. It only
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lasted about two minutes, and it was gone. Why
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did I run out there? Because a lady I trusted,
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and she said, come see this. And I went out and
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waited. And then after an hour, I figured, you
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know, I've got bears around here. Pretty stupid
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out here. You know, I could be eaten by a bear
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and shoot me in the house while I get mauled
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out here. But the thing is, she shared this with
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me because she was excited about it too and wanted
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me to know about it. And all I had to do was
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go out and wait. And maybe I would see it, and
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maybe I wouldn't. But I trusted her word. Do
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we trust God with the word when he says, I want
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you to see something? Okay. I will wait. Show
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me something, Lord. We don't. We're so impatient.
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She then sent me, really she rubbed it in. She
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sent me a picture on her phone. It was gorgeous.
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It had moved from Kenton over to Beltsville Lake
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in Carbon County. And it gleaned off the water.
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I still have it on my phone. It was gorgeous.
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And so twice in 74 years I've seen it. Can't
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wait to see what it looks like in heaven. Wow,
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it's going to be really beautiful up there. The
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third one, to wait with a favorable reception.
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This one, I've read this scripture so many times
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and missed it. See if you missed it too. To wait
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with a favorable reception. Mark 15, 43. Joseph
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of Arimathea, a prominent member of the council,
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who is himself waiting for the kingdom of God.
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Here's the key. Went boldly to Pilate and asked
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for Jesus' body. Joseph still had a favorable
24:24
outlook of the kingdom of God coming, even though
24:28
he had seen Jesus beaten, crucified, dead, and
24:33
buried. It did not deter him. I want to take
24:37
care of Jesus' body because he's coming back
24:39
for me. A favorable outlook, even though it looked
24:44
so dim. So dire. When someone gets that announcement
24:48
that they have cancer, that's dire. There's been
24:54
a lot of improvements. But when you hear that
24:56
word, it's dire. God says, I have a favorable
25:00
outcome for you. That outcome might be a healing.
25:04
That outcome might be a permanent healing. You
25:08
just have to wait to see what my plans are for
25:11
you. And either way, If you know Christ, you
25:16
win. You either can praise him and say, it wasn't
25:20
about me. I went through this for five years
25:23
so I could praise God. And many cancer patients,
25:26
when they get the healing, they praise God. And
25:29
they thank him for a second chance at life. And
25:33
when the healing is permanent and they're taken
25:35
home, I pray that the family praises God. My
25:40
spouse is now out of misery. God has healed them.
25:45
One day I will see them again. It's all a matter
25:48
of our relationship with God, our belief in God,
25:52
our attitude for God, and our trust in God. It's
25:55
all there. Just waiting for us like a present
25:59
at Christmas that we open up. The second one
26:05
here, having to do with waiting with a favorable
26:08
reception, Luke 2, 25. Simeon was waiting at
26:13
a temple court. The Spirit had told him that
26:15
he would see the Messiah before he died. He went
26:18
with a favorable outlook every Sabbath, every
26:21
day, one year, two years. We don't know. It doesn't
26:24
say. But every time he went to the temple, he
26:28
went with a favorable outlook, waiting for what
26:31
God would tell him would happen. And he saw the
26:34
Messiah. Did he think it would be a baby? I don't
26:37
know. But the minute he saw the Messiah, he said,
26:41
Now your servant can die. I've seen what you
26:44
have promised me. He didn't say, why did you
26:47
make me wait so long? You know, I've been here
26:49
20 years waiting for this. No. He simply acknowledged
26:52
it was all you, God. He told me to wait until
26:55
I would see it. And now I've seen it. I've been
26:58
blessed among all people that I have been the
27:00
one to see this and recognize that the Messiah
27:03
is here. Again, his attitude toward God. Number
27:08
four. Waiting and expecting without any doubt,
27:11
I have read this scripture over and over again
27:14
and missed it every time. Acts chapter 10, verse
27:19
24. Everybody's familiar with the story? Cornelius
27:23
is told by God to send for Peter. He's over in
27:27
Joppa. He should send somebody to bring Peter
27:29
back and he's going to tell him all about him
27:31
and about the Messiah. Verse 24 says, The following
27:35
day Peter arrived at Caesarea. Cornelius was
27:38
expecting him, okay? He was expecting him. But
27:42
something interesting happened here, which I
27:43
missed all these years. He had called together
27:46
his relatives and close friends. Verse 27, talking
27:50
with him, Peter went inside and found a large
27:53
gathering of people. Now, somewhere in my Bible,
27:56
it doesn't say that Cornelius got a text from
27:59
the people he sent there. And it said, gather
28:01
everybody around because Jesus, he's coming.
28:04
He's coming to tell you. It wasn't an email.
28:07
He simply waited, expecting, without any doubt,
28:11
so that he had called all his friends. Someone's
28:14
coming. Peter's coming to tell us all about God
28:16
and explain everything to us. Peter got there,
28:20
and a large gathering of people were there. Without
28:24
a doubt, he waited. He saw what many of us would
28:27
not see. Well, maybe if I should call somebody.
28:31
I wouldn't want Peter to get here and only have
28:33
me and two other people here. Right? Sometimes
28:37
we pray for something and, well, I think maybe
28:40
they'll show up. Or do we prepare for a whole
28:42
bunch of people showing up? Because we think
28:45
God is this big and God is that big. Okay? Waiting
28:51
without any doubt that what God says will happen.
28:56
God says, Peter's going to come to you. He's
28:59
going to tell you all about me. So you better
29:01
get ready. Better get some people here. Number
29:06
five, to wait for something intently and abide
29:10
while you're waiting. This one comes from 1 Thessalonians
29:14
1, verse 10. This is to the church of Thessalonica.
29:18
They tell us how you turn to God from idols to
29:22
serve the living and true God. And verse 10,
29:25
how you wait for his son from heaven when we
29:28
raise from the dead Jesus, who rescues us from
29:32
the coming wrath. They were waiting for Jesus
29:35
to come back, but they weren't just mulling around.
29:39
They were holy. They were righteous. They were
29:42
blameless. They were patiently expecting Christ
29:46
to come back as they waited. They didn't waver
29:49
in their belief whatsoever. We know he's coming
29:52
back. We know we need to live a godly life. We
29:55
know we need to be blameless in our walk before
29:57
him so that people might see us and might also
30:00
be tempted to just... It's a glimpse of what
30:03
we have. So they waited and patiently abided
30:08
in him. What's a song we all know? I've decided
30:11
to follow Jesus. I've decided to follow Jesus.
30:15
No turning back. No turning back. Though none
30:19
go with me, still I will follow. Though none
30:22
go with me, I will still abide in him to show
30:27
how important it is to me. We might even get
30:30
through these. Number six, to await an event.
30:35
Acts 1, chapter 4. We all know the story. On
30:39
one occasion while I was eating with them, he
30:41
gave them this command, do not leave Jerusalem,
30:44
but wait for the gift my father has promised
30:46
you. Because he said, my father will not leave
30:49
you alone. I am going. He will send a comforter
30:52
to be with you. He will teach you all the things
30:55
that I have taught you, bring to remembrance
30:56
all the things that I have taught you, but wait
30:59
for him to come. He didn't say how long they
31:02
should wait. He simply said, wait. I will send
31:05
a comforter to be with you. What would have happened
31:08
if they had got impatient and didn't wait and
31:12
tried to do it on their own strength? Would we
31:15
be here today? Would some message have gone out
31:18
all around the world if they had tried to do
31:22
it on their own strength? Well, God could have
31:24
fixed it because they were stupid. He could have
31:29
made it work. But how much better when they waited
31:32
on God and went out with power that they didn't
31:36
have before. Those that had ran and hid. Those
31:39
that said, I don't know this man. I never knew
31:41
him. With power they went on. I don't care what
31:45
you do to me. I'm going to preach the gospel.
31:47
You can throw me in jail. You can kill me. You
31:49
can do anything you want to. I now have power
31:52
from within. And I'm going to preach Christ.
31:55
And we're here today. because they had the ability
31:58
to wait for that Holy Spirit to come upon them,
32:01
to be a powerful witness. I have to share a story
32:05
about myself. As Paul Horry would say, the rest
32:09
of the story you'll get next week on Father's
32:11
Day. I was eight years old, and I played peanut
32:17
baseball at Victory Park, about three -quarters
32:22
of a mile away from our home in Slannington.
32:24
My dad always... Picked me up. Sometimes he couldn't
32:28
stay because my brother was sick. And I spent
32:31
time with him. But he told me this time he'd
32:35
be late. But I should wait for him. Well, I didn't
32:40
tell the coach. I want to be a big boy. So all
32:43
the kids went home. And the coach said, what
32:46
about you, Lanny? Is your dad coming for you
32:48
as usual? I said, no, I'm walking home tonight.
32:52
He said, well, you better go. It's getting dark.
32:56
I went down through the woods, made it through
32:59
that, crossed Main Street in Slatington. Didn't
33:03
really know where I was going. I knew there was
33:06
a street. That was North Street. Okay, I got
33:08
that. Went to another street. I didn't know that
33:11
one. But I got to Washington. I knew the president.
33:13
I knew that was the right street. And then I
33:16
got to Franklin Street. And there was a Golden
33:19
Sun chip factory at the back of our street. And
33:23
the wind came west to east, and the chip smell
33:25
always came out of Franklin Street to Main Street.
33:28
And once I smelled them chips, I knew I was going
33:31
home. I didn't know where, but I knew it was
33:34
somewhere down that street. And I saw that stone
33:37
wall, and I was so proud. I was such a big boy.
33:41
Until I marched up the stairs, and Mom said,
33:44
Where's your dad? And I said, I don't know. I
33:47
walked home. Yeah. Yeah, you will get the rest
33:54
of the story next week. I learned a lesson. When
34:00
my father says, wait, wait, you could save yourself
34:05
a lot of trouble, a lot of problems. But we're
34:09
so impatient. We try to do it on our own. No,
34:13
he didn't hit me. He was so big, he just talked
34:16
and I bawled. My sister was bawling because she
34:19
thought I was going to really get it. He said,
34:22
boy, you're going to get it when he gets home.
34:24
But there's another perfect story to this. It's
34:29
amazing what God did through that, me not waiting.
34:32
He taught me something years later in life. Taught
34:36
me who my Heavenly Father was. Lessons we learn
34:40
sometimes, sometimes through the hard experiences.
34:45
Number seven. To continue steadfastly, again,
34:49
another way of looking at the word wait. Luke
34:52
9, 51, as Jesus waited. As the time approached
34:57
for Jesus to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely
35:00
set out for Jerusalem. Jesus never wavered on
35:04
his mission. He knew what his mission was. It
35:07
was the cross. The disciples said, you can't
35:09
go to Jerusalem. They're going to do something
35:10
to you. I must go to Jerusalem. I will be turned
35:14
over to the Pharisees and the scribes. They will
35:17
beat me. They will crucify me. They will kill
35:18
me. He continually, steadfastly waited what God
35:23
wanted him to do. Matthew 16, 21 to 23. The disciples
35:28
are waiting to see when Jesus will usher in his
35:31
kingdom. Jesus began to explain to them what
35:33
will happen. They're anxious. We've been with
35:35
you for three and a half years. When is your
35:37
kingdom going to come? What does Peter say? I
35:40
won't let that happen. They won't take you. They
35:42
won't beat you. They won't kill you. And Jesus
35:44
says, get behind me, Satan. You just have to
35:47
wait and see my plan be played out. I know what's
35:50
going on. I know what's happening. And you're
35:52
not a part of it right now. Get on the program
35:54
and wait with me and see what is going to happen.
35:58
And number eight, the last one, to sit constantly
36:01
beside the Father or whatever He asks you to
36:05
sit beside. 1 Corinthians 9 .13, revised version.
36:12
Don't you know that those who work at the temple
36:14
get their food from the temple? And those who
36:16
wait at the altar share what is offered also.
36:21
Sometimes God just wants us to sit and wait.
36:25
I want to do something for you, Lord. But this
36:28
is what I want you to do. I just want you to
36:30
sit here and wait. I want you to be patient.
36:33
I want you to learn in me. You're also... doing
36:36
something by just sitting here waiting. Maybe
36:40
someone's come to your mind that you're supposed
36:42
to pray for. Or maybe someone's come to your
36:46
mind that you're supposed to go visit. Something
36:48
will come. You're serving me just by waiting.
36:51
Not everybody's called to be an elder. Not everybody's
36:54
called to be a teacher. There are people that
36:56
are serving every day that aren't getting their
36:58
recognition for what they do. What was his name?
37:02
That took care of the mousetraps. Jim Haney.
37:09
For years, he took care of the mousetraps in
37:11
the bottom of the church. Anybody knew that?
37:14
Well, you didn't see any little critters running
37:16
around the church, right? But he was the guy
37:18
that nobody knew went down and emptied the traps.
37:21
Those that wait at the altar are serving also,
37:24
right? I'm not any more important than anybody
37:28
sitting here. To God, everybody's important.
37:31
Whatever he's asked you to do, that's what you
37:33
do for him. And if it's something glamorous,
37:35
great. If not, to him it's glamorous. Well, he
37:39
wouldn't ask you to do it. I would rather not
37:42
be here. I'd rather be sitting down there somewhere.
37:45
And I'm kicking and stymoring and be up here.
37:47
Next week I'll do it again. Thanks to John. I
37:52
told him. He said, you owe me big time. And now
37:57
I've got to cover two weeks for the pastor too.
38:00
I'm on call this week and at the end of the month
38:02
I'm on call. Yeah, tell him. You better get out
38:07
of there. I've got to go on a sabbatical after
38:11
this. I'm worn out. There's just one thing I
38:20
want to show you here. I read the Daily Bread
38:23
every morning. I also read my most verse highest.
38:25
And I've got a third one I've got to read. I
38:27
don't know. But this was November of last year.
38:31
I trust in the Lord. My times are in His hands.
38:34
The first part has to do with some lady that
38:36
was having difficulties and problems and she
38:39
was so impatient not waiting for the Lord. But
38:41
the second part says, Noah too relied on God's
38:44
protection as he and his family waited in the
38:46
ark for nearly two months. See, when God tells
38:49
you to do something, he supplies you with everything.
38:51
This was from last year. It just popped in my
38:54
head. I think I read something last year about
38:55
this. And so he waited two months after the flood
38:59
subsided. After being cooped up for more than
39:01
ten months, he must have been eager to get out.
39:03
After all, water had dried up from the earth,
39:06
and the ground certainly was dry by now. But
39:09
Noah didn't just rely on what he saw. Instead,
39:11
he left the ark only when God told him to. He
39:14
trusted that God had good reason for his extended
39:17
wait. I went out of here, you know. We've been
39:20
in there how long? I look out there, it's dry.
39:23
What are you making me wait for? To trust him.
39:26
Your relationship, your attitude, your belief,
39:29
and your trust in God. And when God said go,
39:33
he went. And everything was good. I was blessed
39:36
by researching all this. I found out that I need
39:42
to ask forgiveness for the times when I open
39:45
up my Bible and don't really wait on God. Every
39:49
time we open our Bible, we should say, Lord,
39:51
what do you have me to learn today? Show me something.
39:55
I don't do that every day. But when you do it,
39:59
wow, the pages just pop off at you. It's like
40:05
just a breath of fresh air when he shows you
40:08
things that you looked at over and over, years
40:10
and years and years. I've been reading my Bible
40:12
since I've been 11, and I still learn stuff.
40:17
My aunt was 92 years old. She was a missionary
40:21
in Toledo, Ohio. Grace Gospel Mission for Kids.
40:25
She retired and came home to Wallaport. She called
40:29
us every Sunday and said, you've got to come
40:32
over tonight. I found a gem. I found a gem in
40:37
Exodus. I found a gem in Jeremiah. She was finding
40:41
Nugget Jet in the Bible after reading it for
40:44
92 years. She still was excited. She didn't say,
40:50
well, I'm going to die in a year or two. I guess
40:51
I read enough. No, she was waiting on God to
40:55
show her something else. God help us. I'm so
41:00
ashamed sometimes. He's there waiting for us
41:05
just to come and say, Father, I love you. Show
41:09
me something. Teach me to wait on you like I've
41:13
never waited on you before. And what a blessing
41:16
it will be when we do that. Let's close with
41:20
prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your
41:24
word. You've given it to us for a benefit, for
41:28
encouragement, for edification, for our substance
41:32
to make it through each and every day. Forgive
41:34
me, Father, for the times that I've read my Bible,
41:38
punched my card and said, I did it, and not really
41:42
knowing what I did, that you wanted to teach
41:46
me something. You wanted me to wait. to bow down
41:50
before you at your feet and learn from you. Again,
41:55
forgive us, Father, and help us to wait on you
41:57
more and more each and every day, to appreciate
42:00
you more and every day as the day draws closer
42:03
when one day we will hear the trumpet and get
42:06
to spend eternity with you. Praise, honor, and
42:09
glory to you this day, which you so richly deserve.
42:13
Amen.