Ask Lord in Jesus name that tonight Lord
God you'd speak to our hearts from your
word as we come to this a very
interesting topic Lord that one that we Really
need your word on because we frankly struggle
with it And so father give us wisdom
now in Jesus name and all God's people
said Amen, grab your Bibles tonight and turn
if you would as you know to Matthew
chapter 28 That is our theme for this
series on the disciplines of life It's a
31 week series and tonight we are in
the 10th week so we're a third of
the way through and We're looking at tonight
the discipline of delay We'll talk about what
that means in a moment.
But Matthew chapter 28 Jesus said verse 18.
He said All authority has been given to
me in heaven and on earth Go therefore
don't you love that get out?
Because I've got all authority and make disciples
of all nations Baptizing them in the name
of the Father and of the Son and
the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe all
things that I command you and behold.
I am with you always even unto the
end of The world and I love that
Jesus stressed that I'm gonna be with you
all the way to the end and I
don't know about you But I personally believe
that We are living in the end and
I like to take it this way Jesus
is more keenly in tune.
Not that he can't be out of tune
But you think about Jesus?
The time and the age in which you
and I live in it's almost I believe
that he's got Binoculars on or a microscope
on concerning the world you and I are
walking through This is a great time to
be making disciples of all nations Because the
time is near the Bible says Jesus Christ
is coming back.
The scripture teaches us that He's gonna be
Refocusing on the nation of Israel.
The Bible tells us in the book of
Daniel that he's gonna fulfill his last specific
seven years Regarding his people and the holy
city of Jerusalem Daniel chapter 9 says so
we as Gentile believers in the world What
does it mean to us?
It means that we were so close to
the coming of the Lord for his church
and until he comes We want to be
very very ready and we want to be
very very much at work for him And
so tonight I'm gonna ask you to mark
it down in your Bibles our verse this
evening is this it is Psalm 40 verses
1 & 2 Psalm 40 verses 1 &
2 regarding the discipline of delay The psalmist
writes I waited patiently for the Lord and
he inclined Circle that word if you would
Inclined to me and heard my cry He
brought me up out of a horrible pit
out of the miry clay and he set
my feet upon a rock and Established my
steps.
I want you to mark that word and
that he inclined to me the word means
that the Lord leaned over to cover me
When the psalmist cried out to the Lord
the psalmist writes back and says the Lord
covered me as He waited patiently for the
Lord the Lord responded and I want you
to mark that down because why does it
seem in our lives?
That when as Christians, we've got our Bible.
We've got our friends.
We've got the Holy Spirit We've got fellowship.
We've got a church.
But why is it at times that it
seems like God's not listening to us Why
is it at times that it seems like
God is not listening?
why does it seem at times that the
heavens are like brass and There's times when
they're There's a dryness to our lives that
Lord, you know, what's wrong?
What's going on?
And maybe nothing's wrong at all And how
does this all factor into the discipline of
delay?
What does it mean?
We're gonna be looking at this in several
ways tonight.
Not only delay on The part of you
and I waiting upon the Lord learning how
to do that But also the fact that
we are to be waiting with expectancy Regarding
the Lord's return and this is very important.
So it covers a very large Gambit of
thought tonight regarding the discipline of delay and
what are we talking about when the Lord?
Works in our lives.
How many of us are waiting to hear?
I'm curious from the Lord regarding some topic
or issue of our lives.
I'm gonna put both hands up for me.
I About maybe you're crying out to God
tonight because you want to know about a
job in America That's a big deal right
now.
Oh God speak to me about a job
Maybe you're crying out to the Lord tonight
and you're saying no God speak to me
about a direction to take Do I go
left or do I go right?
And Lord speak to me about ministry.
Maybe you're waiting on the Lord for a
ministry Direction or maybe you're waiting upon the
Lord.
You say Oh God, is it you know,
is it miss?
Is this mr.
Right or is this miss?
Perfect?
Speak to me God and you're waiting and
you're seeking the Lord and And it doesn't
seem like he's answering.
What's that all about?
And what good by the way can come
out of waiting or delay?
Well, listen to what Job said in Job
30 verse 26 He says when I looked
for good then evil came to me and
when I waited for light there came darkness
And a lot of people feel like that
you guys when we talk about waiting upon
the Lord It's not a comfortable thing.
The discipline of delay is something where you
and I church.
Are you listening tonight?
This is something where you and I have
to exercise exercise ourselves under godliness.
It is not popular It is not happy.
It is not the most joyous thing to
talk about this topic But let me tell
you something right now without this discipline in
our lives You and I will not make
it through to the end We will be
one of the statistics one of the victims
that falls short of our waiting for the
Lord This is vital maybe you're listening tonight
and you've given up waiting for the Lord
and Waiting upon the Lord Because he didn't
answer you or he didn't answer you the
way you wanted to hear from him about
You wanted to come a different way You
wanted God to tell you a different thing
and so for some people they're upset with
God He didn't answer it the way they
wanted to be answered and I got to
tell you Waiting is something that in our
emotions can wreak havoc in our lives because
if our emotions are driving our spiritual existence
Listen in my backyard the other day.
I watched a bee.
I was watching him go from plant to
plant and Then the little bum he went
from plant to plant to me And I
must have smelled so sweet and Looked so
much like a flower.
I'm kidding right now But what was he
doing?
He was just going from flower to flower
to flower and I wanted I want to
say this as Christians We're not to be
like that little bee going from flower to
flower or from one high to the next
one You know super experience to the other
we need to get it in their minds
that we need to bed down as it
were Put on our big boy pants or
whatever you want to call it and be
tough for Jesus We need to be galvanized
for Jesus.
We need to be strong We need to
get our emotions under control and under the
very will of God and here's why Without
those emotions being controlled by the Word and
the will of God then we will not
be very good at waiting upon the Lord
in this discipline of delay and We will
fail So tonight as we look at these
points the disciplines of life the discipline of
delay number one It's this God knows exactly
what time it is.
Can somebody say amen to that?
God knows exactly what time it is on
the grand scheme of things and he knows
exactly Right now how many days you have
left in your life?
Did you know that the Bible says all
of your days are numbered?
How do you like that?
You say well, what if I committed what
if I killed myself?
Well, God knew the day God knows the
day that you'd kill yourself.
Well, what if I live to be 120
God?
I Mean, you know, you may you may
be thinking that you can somehow trick God
He knows everything and he knows not only
the very hairs of your head are numbered
But he knows the very moment that you
were born into this world in the moment.
You're gonna go out of this world.
God knows He knows exactly what time it
is So listen, why does it seem like
at times that the Lord is late in
answering us?
Now here's the funny thing.
I never feel like God is late in
answering you Regarding what you've been praying about.
I only feel like he's late about the
things I'm praying about Have you noticed that
and yet?
What I'm praying about, you know from the
outside isn't God's timing great.
Look at Jack.
He's Biting his fingernails and fretting and wondering
where's God and had God's timings perfect You'll
even come to me and say God's timings
perfect pastor Jack Well, you just remember that
because I'm gonna bring it right back on
you and I'm gonna say hey God's timings
perfect.
Remember and it is perfect But here's the
thing if it's perfect and why does it
feel so weird?
Because it's not perfect in our emotional perception
of what God's doing.
We want him to do it our way
He's not Burger King.
He's the king of Kings and he does
it his way We Are to acquiesce to
him we are to submit to him we
are not to dictate to him how it
ought to go Okay, God, look, I'm 25
years old and I'm not married yet.
So I'm gonna give you one more year
God.
Oh Dear don't do that You'll get yourself
in trouble.
He knows exactly what time it is Ecclesiastes
311 says he has made everything beautiful in
its time and he has put eternity in
their hearts Wow God is the controller of
time And he knows exactly what time it
is.
Everybody turn to John chapter 11.
This is a big chunk of Bible So
go there John chapter 11 you want to
talk about time?
Jesus in fact, not only is he the
governor of time in Isaiah chapter 9 verse
6 Isaiah 9 6 you'd have to turn
there I'm just giving that's a bonus verse
Isaiah 9 6 tells us regarding the Messiah
that he is the it says um the
father But the actual word is that Jesus
is the father of time.
He's the father of eternity Meaning Jesus is
the governor of time Old Testament says that
but in John chapter 11 check this out.
That's pretty awesome Now a certain man was
sick Lazarus of Beth Bethany in a town
of Mary and his sister Martha And it
was that Mary Who anointed the Lord with
fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her
hair whose brother Lazarus was sick Therefore the
sister sent to him saying Lord behold Look
at this how cool this is he whom
you love is sick Lazarus is sick.
Jesus is down in the Jordan River area
Therefore or when Jesus verse 4 says heard
that he said this sickness is not into
death But for the glory of God that
the Son of God may be glorified through
it now Jesus loved Martha and her sister
and Lazarus.
So when he had heard that he was
sick, he stayed two more days Now when
you're sick you want relief now Jesus stays
two more days in the resort town down
there in Jericho on the Jordan River Then
after him after this verse 7 he said
to the disciples Let us go to Judea
again and the disciples said to him rabbi
Lately the Jews sought to stone you and
are you going there again?
And Jesus said are there not 12 hours
in a day if anyone walks in the
day He does not stumble because he sees
the light of this world But if anyone
walks in the night, he stumbles because the
light is not in him these things He
said and after that he said to them
our friend Lazarus Sleeps that's by the way
always how you refer to a Christian body
the body when a Christian dies Okay, the
soul's not sleeping Lazarus is dead, but you
never speak of believers as being kicked the
bucket cold as ice Six feet under pushing
up daisies, you know, you don't you don't
do that.
And so Um Verse 12 then his disciples
says Lord if he sleeps he's gonna get
well, however, Jesus spoke this of his death
But they thought that he was speaking about
taking a rest in sleep.
Then Jesus said to them plainly Lazarus is
dead And I'm glad for your sakes that
I was not there that you may believe
nevertheless Let us go to him then Thomas
who is called the twin went on to
say he was talking about you know If
you're gonna die, then we'll all go with
you verse 17 So when Jesus came he
found that he had already been in the
tomb now four days.
This is significant because in the Jewish culture
They believe in fact if you've been with
us to Israel tombs with the stones rolled
over the door There's always a little hole
event in the top part of the tomb
If you've been there you remember the Jews
believed that there was a chance of someone
Coming back to life But if they didn't
come back to life then you had to
let the spirit out through a hole So
that they could go to heaven but it's
possible that their spirit might linger around the
tomb for a little bit But the fourth
day this is all tradition on the fourth
day It was believed that the spirit was
not only long gone.
The evidence of it was a stinky rotten
body Okay, remember that that's Jewish Tradition Okay
so It says now Bethany was near Jerusalem
verse 18 about two miles away And many
of the Jews had joined the women around
Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their
brother Then Martha as soon as she heard
that Jesus was coming Went and met him,
but Mary was sitting in the house.
Now Martha said to Jesus.
I love this.
This is humongous faith Lord if you would
have been here, my brother would not have
died Is that great faith?
No, really it is.
I mean she's full-on rebuking him for
slacking off But she's saying if you would
have been here wouldn't have died you could
have done something about it.
This is great faith mind you Okay, and
Jesus said to her your brother will live
or will rise again and Martha said to
him I know that in that he will
rise again in the resurrection in the last
day and Jesus said to her I am
the resurrection in the life He who believes
in me though, he may die yet He
shall live and whoever lives and believes in
me shall never die.
Do you believe this and she said to
him?
Yes, Lord I believe that you are the
Christ the Son of God Who is to
come and into the world and when she
had said these things verse 28 she went
her way secretly and called Mary her sister
saying the teacher is come and he is
calling for you and As soon as she
heard that she arose quickly and came to
him now Jesus had not yet come into
the town but was in the place where
Martha met him then the Jews who were
with her in the house and Comforting her
when they saw that Mary rose up quickly
and went out following Her saying she is
going to the tomb to weep there then
when Mary came Where Jesus was and saw
him she fell down at his feet So
precious is this and she said to him
Lord if you had been here, my brother
would not have died Therefore when Jesus saw
her weeping and the Jews who came with
her weeping He groaned in the spirit and
was troubled you're coming up on one of
the most precious verses in the Bible and
he said Where have you laid him and
they said to him Lord come and see
verse 35 Shortest verse in the Bible Jesus
wept.
You see, why did he weep?
I think Jesus wept over the pain of
what death causes Death is not supposed to
happen to us Wasn't supposed to be death
in the Garden of Eden think of that
then the Jews said to him see how
he loved him and Some of them said
could not this man who opened the eyes
of the blind also have kept this man
from dying Then Jesus again groaning in himself
probably at unbelief there Came to the tomb.
It was a cave and a stone lay
against it and Jesus says take away the
stone radical four days You don't do this
Take away the stone and Martha the sister
of him who was dead said to him
Lord by this time.
There is a stench For he has been
dead four days Notice not three not five.
It's four was the key He's gone Jesus
said or did I not say to you
that if you would believe you would see
the glory of God Then they took away
the stone from the place where the dead
man was laying and Jesus lifted up his
eyes and said father I thank you that
you've heard me and I know that you
always hear me But because of the people
who are standing by I said this that
they may believe that you sent me now
when he had said These things Jesus cried
out with a loud voice and said Lazarus
come forth and he who had died came
out Bound hand and foot with graveclaws and
his face was wrapped with a with the
cloth So he's totally mummified and Jesus said
to him loose him and let him go.
I love it see what you take us
all that whole time to read that for
because When Lazarus had died even before he
was he was dead.
They prayed did they not pray in a
sense?
Quick send help get Jesus.
He hears that Lazarus is sick and he
waits He waits until he's dead to leave
the Jordan River Valley to go up to
Bethany This is the discipline of delay in
action God responds in his time so that
the Lord may be glorified He does not
delay that we be glorified he delays listen
friend He delays in your life that your
faith may be strengthened He delays in my
life that I might have greater faith.
Here's the thing We must be willing to
embrace his sovereignty in this area tonight, or
we will suffer greatly This is not popular,
but God will answer your prayer in his
timing He calls the shot We don't know
how long Paul prayed for his healing, but
we know that Paul prayed three times remember
and the Lord said hey I'll paraphrase it.
He said this I'm not gonna heal you
Paul Because my grace in your ailments will
be a source of power in your life
And then Paul turns around and says, okay.
Okay, then don't then don't heal me.
I'd rather have your power He fell in
love with the discipline of delay and the
delay was I'm gonna do my sovereign thing
Paul and God is saying to you tonight.
You've been crying out to God and he
hasn't answered you yet You know what just
because he hasn't answered you yet with a
yes or no doesn't mean he hasn't answered
you It his answer may be later.
His answer may be delay I'll look into
that You know, we do that all the
time People will say, you know, what will
you sign up?
Will you do this?
Will you do the other and you know
what we say?
I'll pray about it God does it to
us and we panic.
Oh God, please God, please.
You know, I'm gonna pray about it And
we don't like it, but he knows exactly
what time it is in your life Well,
if you knew what time it was in
my life here, I'm 35 years old.
I'm not married yet Maybe he's sparing you
from a world of grief Who knows?
Maybe Maybe I believe what I'm about to
say right now.
I believe that God has that right person
for you See, well, I'm 32 and he
hasn't come yet It may be he ain't
ready for you yet.
I mean the Lord is the guy's not
Maybe he's got some grown-up to do.
I don't know But God's not so concerned
about that stuff Sometimes we think that oh,
he's gonna answer my prayer.
So I'll be happy.
I haven't read that in the Bible anywhere
haha He answers our prayers that we might
draw closer to his will if we pray
according to his will he hears us That's
important.
And So when he delays we are to
obey That's very important.
So you've prayed and so you've been in
the Bible You've been asking God for an
answer to your prayer request.
What are you supposed to do?
You wait on God You see I hear
Christians say that a lot to wait on
God.
What does it mean to wait on God?
Get ready write it down.
You know you people say I'm just waiting
on the Lord.
Just wait on the Lord It's Christian ease,
you know to talk like that How you
doing doing just waiting on the Lord No
one outside of Christianity knows what in the
world you're talking about Let me tell you
what it means It is a willful commitment
to seek after God no matter what in
his word in prayer with this intent to
obey him When you say I'm waiting on
the Lord, I'm seeking his word.
I'm praying and I will obey him I'm
waiting upon the Lord.
I'm at his feet.
I've got my ears turned upward listening For
his command when we say we are waiting
on the Lord.
Listen Christian Church We better watch what we're
saying because that is very nigh very close
unto saying thus sayeth the Lord Because that
is that is a serious I'm waiting upon
listen everybody I'm waiting upon God That means
your friends and the people that you're influencing
in this life.
They're expecting you to get an answer from
God But here's the thing when and here's
where the Christian Church trips up often We
are such a drive-thru culture That I'm
just waiting on the Lord That could take
years and I'm not joking in my life
personally Becoming full-time in ministry getting involved
in ministry for me took years and Here's
the funny thing To cry to pray to
seek him.
I've got to tell you right now.
I think I'd rather Crawl across California on
broken glass would be easier To get alone
with God and a disciplined Routine of life
we've lost that you know what we call
it in the Old Testament to meditate You
guys where was I I was somewhere.
I was at the airport in New York
coming back home and They had this minute
the a meditation room.
I almost took a picture, but you're not
allowed to take pictures in airports now.
I Signed this is meditation room And watch
this watch Meditation room now, first of all,
I'm a Christian.
I know what that means But they don't
want to offend anybody by using the word
prayer Room, it was a prayer room Which
is kind of funny you walk in this
room.
It had a cross Okay, it had a
Jewish star on one side across and it
had a Muslim prayer rug on the other
side And it's all in one room.
There's no partitions or nothing It was really
it was kind of Kind of cool actually
because there's only one God listening So I
just ran around the carpet went over to
the star and No, I did not I
did not but the but the logo the
logo on the look the logo on the
airport Wall was like this.
This was the logo and It said meditation
room only a Christian knows what that means
because when we pray We are to be
meditating and saying to God I wait upon
your will I Wait upon your word.
I wait for your it listen for your
answer.
Not mine and not my friends answers.
I Mean this with all due respect not
even my husband or my wife's answer Now
here's the cool thing if you're a husband
or a wife When you're praying and God
gives you the answer he will confirm it
with your husband and your wife You hear
me and this press a pretty lame response
out there a second ago That's important God
will never have a husband and wife be
at a rift regarding ministry or direction Okay,
I know this when it comes just to
just for a day off Lisa.
I want to go to Santa Barbara Well,
I want to go to San Diego two
opposite directions completely and So what's the answer?
Oh the answer How you said Santa Barbara,
that's right Now the answer is Costco or
Walmart, that's what that's what winds up happening
but But no when God is moving in
a with a married couples life and a
believers life.
They're in unity that's very important, but we
are to be meditating to discern and to
know God's will in Prayer prayer meditation There
should be no difference for the believers.
So that airport sign really works for us,
but only us it's a very important thing
so to wait upon God is to Obey
him with ears open to his word and
for what God says and when he says
it you do it and it's only by
Waiting on the Lord that you and I
listen.
This is not going to be popular tonight
to say this by you and I Seriously
waiting upon God is the only way That
you and I will be able to face
the challenges of our day There is no
other way to whip anxiety fear phobias timidity
All of these things that crush your heart
There's no way listen.
Hear me out.
There is no way to beat the Oppression
of what comes against the believer except by
this waiting upon God Too much of the
Christian Church today suffers Because we are a
go-go-go-go-go Generation and we
think for a moment that if we stop
and wait on God That we're sinning because
we're not you know, it feels wrong to
stand still, you know, that's called Sabbath We
are supposed to Sabbath with God when Well
for the believer Every day we have to
be very careful about this Psalm 46 10
says be still that's a commandment be still
and know Yeah, da in Hebrew be still
and discover that I am God I will
be exalted among the nations and I will
be exalted in the earth.
That's awesome Number two God has his own
plan in action right now.
He's got it You see what's going on
in the world.
Yep.
God's at work.
Oh My goodness, did you see this and
did you see that God's at work?
Hey, you know all the flack we're getting
for the Bible in the schools Huh?
Are you guys aware of this?
We're gonna this is war.
We're launching war next Sunday.
We're going to war It's revolution time, baby.
It's awesome So listen, here's the thing Here's
the thing God knows Well, what if they
over what if they overturn their original vote
God knows Here's the fun thing about being
a Christian we fight like there's no tomorrow
Okay, and if we lose it's like God
knows It's so cool Well, that's you know,
though.
There's a vote coming up in November and
I'm if God knows I'm not gonna vote
No, you vote because he's gonna hold you
responsible you vote vote.
You have to vote biblically don't vote Republican
Democrat Can you tell the two apart?
Vote biblical values.
That's biblical, right?
So we're all gonna register to vote we're
all gonna go vote Bible we're gonna vote
biblical values Here's the cool part in the
end when we stand before God Even if
we were to die burning at the stake
which a lot of our brothers and sisters
Died at the stake for their testimony their
faith in Jesus Guess what we get to
do we get to stand before the Lord
very much alive and say Lord I honored
you all the way through to the end.
I waited on you and you did not
let me be put to shame and Believer
listen, you do not sign up becoming a
Christian for a popularity contest to win You
know your Happy face or whatever.
You are a believer in Jesus Christ.
His doctrine is not of this world Are
we to love people?
Yes, but love God first.
That's the only way we can really love
them is if we love God first Christianity
is a bad word today and it's gonna
get worse The world doesn't understand us the
world can't understand us there's blinders on their
eyes But we're the bad ones.
We're the weirdos.
We're the whatever.
What do you do about that?
You wait on God Are you under attack?
I pray for each of you that you'd
be under attack.
It's the best thing in the world Seriously,
you know what man because when it's easy
you can get sleepy.
Oh And somebody comes up and challenges you
what Pastor I had a teacher at school
last week make fun of me as a
Christian praise the Lord Honestly think about it
It's pretty amazing We're not of this world
But God's plans in action and you and
I are get to live at a time
where God's plan is in action in John
16 13 Jesus is when he the Spirit
that's the Holy Spirit of truth has come
He will guide you into all truth and
that it's a constant act of the Holy
Spirit Guiding you into all truth.
He's at work.
God's got a plan and God's plans to
create within you and I a dynamic healthy
vital Christian life in Ephesians 2 verse 10
mark it down.
This is for every Christian tonight.
Are you a Christian tonight?
Listen to this.
This is pre-packaged program stuff.
It's in the spiritual DNA of Being born
again here it is Ephesians 2 10 says
we are his workmanship He is at work
with the plan listen I know you can't
tell because the construction company is doing too
good of a job But they've been working
next door the tons of work.
You don't think they're working.
Do you there's no dust There's no hammers
laying around.
There's no junk out there, but they're working
you got to go next one, no, don't
go you can't go you get hurt, but
they're working and You go in there and
here's the cool thing Everything's being done according
to a blueprint And if it's not in
the blueprint, so stop everything and they got
to call people Carla call the architect all
this kind of stuff It's not that that
thing's not drawn in here got to change
that got to fix that why it's not
on the blueprint Listen, this is the blueprint
This is the blueprint and it goes into
our hearts and when he puts it in
our hearts, he says stuff like this to
us I Am the craftsman you are the
project.
I am working Okay, watch this and we
have a created in Christ Jesus for good
works.
God says I built you To do something.
What do you think of that?
Here's a blueprint.
He folds it out And while you're praying
while you're waiting while you're talking to him,
he'll start revealing it to you He'll give
it to you Now watch this.
Let's come back and bite you if you
don't pay attention to this good for good
works, which God actually pre-prepared Beforehand that
we should walk in them The Lord has
got a blueprint for every one of us
who are Christians tonight to walk a certain
path of ministry life and You are not
to tell him what that is He's to
tell you what that is.
Here's the thing when he delays we are
to obey But when he delays if we
don't like the delay, you know what we
do in our emotions We start to panic.
Oh I'm losing time.
Well, I'm getting older I got to do
something and I like this and I like
that and they said this and maybe I
could and I think I will and you
gather people around and you get them to
confirm what you want done in your life
Like buy a house Or a car or
that person to date or marry or this
idea about ministry or about the other thing
and You have no you have no idea
whatsoever that God has said no to that.
He hasn't said Yes, he is silent or
he's waiting but you won't wait and so
you'll concoct an answer and your emotions will
fool you your emotions Will listen to the
things that people are saying and you go
this must be God's will You guys I
can't tell you how often I've heard this
stuff when people say, you know what?
We've had it with this crazy state.
First of all, we're in California right now.
We've all had it with this crazy state
But wasn't today's weather perfect?
I mean, yeah, I thank God for this
weather, but this state's nuts Well, here's the
thing well, you know, I've had it with
California we're moving oh Where you going?
Pick something, you know, Kentucky.
Okay, Kentucky.
That's the Did you find a church before
you move no We're just going and then
you hear this Lord told us to go
because they're looking at me when I don't
jump up and down You're going to Kentucky.
That's great.
I would just go And here's the thing,
what do you think about that pastor honestly
pastor we're moving to Kentucky they tell me
we're moving to Kentucky What do you think
about that?
Why are you asking me for?
Who am I honestly?
Why don't ask me?
I'm nothing I'm nothing I'm nothing.
What did God tell you about Kentucky?
Huh and then and then from insecurity coming
on Well, the Lord showed us we're supposed
to go really what verses did he give
you?
Because he speaks through from here what verses
well, we have to leave now, but I
listen because I love you.
I tell you What are you doing?
It's a crazy state.
We all agree.
Kentucky's nice fantastic, but did God say go?
Here's the thing we can surround ourselves with
people who tell us yeah.
Yeah, let's go But God didn't say go
Joshua learned this painfully when guys showed up
with moldy bread and worn-out shoes.
They said Oh Joshua, we love you guys.
You guys rock.
You're incredible and we want to join your
team.
We've walked forever Look when we left we
took this bread fresh out of the oven
and look as hard as a rock and
our shoes were brand-new And now they're
all worn out.
That's how far we traveled guess what they
were right over the top of the hill
on the hill on the other side and
They came and they fooled Joshua because and
it says because Joshua didn't consult the Lord.
He got fooled got tricked This is very
very important stuff.
We need to wait on God Because we
are his workmanship and God's doing a thing
Psalm 37 verse 7 says rest in the
Lord.
Isn't that a great word?
Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for
him You know, that's a beautiful verse, but
that is really hard to do But we
got to do it.
That's we're not gonna make it I'm gonna
give you a few things.
I want you to jot them down real
quick The discipline of delay number one separates
you from the advice of the world You
guys there's no way to shortchange this.
There's no way The discipline of delay to
wait upon God until he answers separates you
from the advice of this world Don't listen
to the counsel of this world The world
doesn't own you God does the world didn't
die for you The Lord did and the
world does not have a plan for you.
That's everlasting.
He does The longer you listen, you're not
gonna like it But the longer you and
I have to wait the more clear We
begin to see simple things become more evident
to us and By having less listen, yes,
the Bible says there's wisdom in a multitude
of counselors But when it comes to waiting
upon the Lord Simplicity matters.
God is very very precious about this Here's
the point the longer you and I have
to wait to get his answer the more
clear things become That's when you know when
somebody will say, you know what?
It was really tough It was really hard,
but I wouldn't now I wouldn't change a
thing Have you ever said that isn't that
a beautiful way to live I love that
It's amazing.
Also this the discipline of delay drives you
to look to God alone That's important The
discipline of delay settles God's Word into your
heart and mind When we wait on the
word you guys and wait on the Lord
That becomes when our will is unified to
the plan of God The danger is we
automatically think we know what we should do.
I think we'll do this slow down Wait
You know what?
I got to tell you I think you
know this in your Christian life isn't things
happening sometimes that like breakneck speed.
I Know it's true for my life.
And here's the thing when you get up
tomorrow morning.
Will you do this?
Lord Give me your wisdom for all that
comes my way today Stuff I know that's
coming and the stuff I have no idea
that's coming Don't listen.
Are you listening?
Don't let me make a decision give an
answer Even if it appears to other people
to be on the fly on the spot.
Don't let it be from me and You
think about that for a moment.
How many times have you been in a
situation and The barrage of ministry or life
or maybe it's your business and you want
to be a godly Example at your business
and it's something comes and you got to
make a decision on the spot you're walking
in the spirit and you're there and some
of those things are made on the spot
and You know God's in it when a
month or a year or ten years later
Somebody comes back and says how did you
know to say yes to that?
I didn't you didn't oh my goodness No,
I I felt strongly that was the Lord
leading me in that direction Man the property
you're sitting on here right now this dirt
Man, there was no way that we could
afford that that dirt This site no way
when we were in the old building the
little building the little warehouse thing Remember, we'd
be given the message the wind would be
blowing the doors would be shaken You can
hear babies crying from children's mission sounds like
a church to have a child sacrifice all
the time the kids crying Kids screaming there
goes another one That's crazy But you know
what man God was leading and guiding and
we signed and the gut we signed the
offering and the guy goes You know what?
This is ridiculous.
He starts yelling at us that you insulted
me by offering this little amount of money
Well, we prayed so hard about before the
given that dollar amount the guy he said
not some non-christian words at us was
all upset and Then a month later the
guy calls back.
All right, we'll talk some more and God
was so good We never you guys know
we never had a thermometer.
We never had a pledge drive.
We never never had a you know money
meter None of that stuff and before we
put the first shovel in the ground God
had paid off the property nobody died No,
we had no bazillionaires in the church never
said a word about it by the end
It was before we put the first shovel
in the ground God had paid off the
property He did it all by himself and
listen behind the scenes were like going Wow
Amazing God is so good Listen to this
the discipline of delay enables you and I
to trust God deeper the longer we have
to wait the more we learn to trust
in him Maybe that's the big problem Because
we have to wait we have to relinquish
our rights To him the discipline of delay
develops a mature enduring faith within us And
that's a tremendous thing.
Also number three the discipline of delay does
this God knows how it's all gonna turn
out in the end He not only has
a plan.
He not only knows what time it is.
He knows how it's all gonna turn out
I'm glad about that The Bible tells us
in Isaiah 46 90 says remember the former
things of old I Mean, I'm trying but
he does For I am God and there's
no other I am God and there's none
like me Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things that have not
yet been done Saying my counsel shall stand
and I shall do or I will do
all my pleasure.
Isn't that awesome statement?
I know stuff that hasn't even happened yet.
I Love when he talks like that and
think about how he turns things around Our
this entire book of the Bible is all
about turnarounds And I'll give you just a
few number one Noah How do things turn
out?
Can you imagine God says?
Hey, hey Noah build a boat Well, no
one's ever had a boat before God.
Well, you're gonna be the first one with
a boat.
Why it's gonna rain It's never rained before
God.
Well, it's gonna rain after you build the
boat Can you imagine and nobody believes Noah?
How'd it turn out for Noah turned out
just fine for Noah and Then you think
about Abraham Abraham my Jewish friends.
I always always get a kick out of
this.
Actually, they don't get a kid They don't
like to hear this but I get a
kick out of it I'll tell my Jewish
friends Abraham Oh Abraham Abraham Was
a Gentile Before he was a Jew before
he got circumcised.
He was not circumcised.
He was before Moses There was no law
Abraham had a born-again relationship with God
Think about it God tells Abraham you're my
friend.
The just shall live by faith the guy
was a Gentile from er of the Chaldees
Pagan worshiping culture uncircumcised and the Bible says
That when God spoke to him he went
out and followed God it says and Abraham
Went out following God not knowing where he
was going How many men would embark on
a trip not knowing where he was going
you got to know because your wife's gonna
say Where are we going?
Sarah probably asked him many times how to
turn out for Abraham pretty good Joseph Turned
out pretty good Moses Daniel All of God's
people have gone through seasons of delay and
it turned out pretty good Don't panic if
you don't hear God speaking to you wait
Don't decide don't do that thing.
Don't jump wait.
You can never outweigh God Just wait, and
I know people listen people are gonna pressure
you to make a decision.
I know what that's like Say something what's
wrong with him?
Why doesn't he do something?
Believe me inside.
I'm like, yes And God is saying just
wait just wait The Lord is in fact,
the Lord is always saying to me.
Listen, you can do it your way You
can do it my way.
I'm still your God.
I still love you But one is gonna
be good and one's not gonna be so
good It's like, okay.
All right Help me You know I'm talking
about Good when he delays we've got to
obey him and listen you guys The scriptures
make it very clear by the way before
we go to our final point the scripture
makes it very clear you guys You and
I are living in an age where people
are making fun of the fact that we
believe Jesus is coming back And you know
what the Bible tells us in fact It
tells us in numerous places the scriptures tell
us that in 2nd Peter 3 know this
first that scoffers will come in the last
days Walking according to their own lust.
They will say where is the promise of
his coming?
Isn't that fantastic the next time somebody comes
up says you guys believe in Jesus coming
back at any minute give the guy a
kiss Said man, come here.
Come here.
You are fulfilling Bible prophecy, brother the Bible
says loonies like you would say the Lord's
not coming back and Listen, it goes on
Jesus warned in Matthew 24 He said watch
out and the last days just before I
come back people are gonna say the Lord
delays his return and The Bible says those
listen the people who say that he said
the people who say the Lord delays his
return Begin to get sloppy in their walk.
They begin to stop walking the straight and
narrow it says Jesus said they'll begin to
drink and carry on and party and carouse
and the Lord will return in an hour
that they're not ready and he will catch
them unaware and They'll be swept away with
the hypocrites.
It says Well people are laughing at me
for being ready to meet Jesus.
Let him laugh I'm sure for 120 years
people laughed at Noah until the first cloud
showed up and rained It turns out pretty
good.
And number four will end with this.
God wants us to wait for his Results
ladies and gentlemen church family wait for the
Lord to qualify Define and bring about his
results in what you're involved in Well, I'm
gonna do this.
I'm gonna do that.
Watch out Let the Lord Bring about his
results wait for him Don't do especially in
the area of spiritual matters Don't do anything
without God's confirmation in your life.
I'm getting very excited come August we celebrate
our 20th year of being from a home
Bible study and You are gonna hear for
four weeks the amazing wonderful works of God
not only from myself But from others and
from pastor Chuck and Greg Laurie and some
others about what God has done and you
I want you to walk away saying yes
Because you know what our God speaks.
The question is are we listening?
He is amazing God wants us to wait
for his results and this is where many
of us get into trouble as Christians because
we get impatient we fail to meditate and
we get into trouble and Remember this the
very very first assignment to the church and
Acts chapter 1 Was to wait for my
Holy Spirit wait Wait for the Lord young
people tonight.
Wait on God.
I know this is gonna sound insane to
you Find a room.
Maybe it's a closet.
Maybe it's a bathroom.
Seriously find a place that's quiet Get your
Bible get a blank sheet of paper and
a pencil turn off your iPod Take just
shut it down It's gonna be the hardest
thing you've ever done five minutes will feel
like five hours and Begin to discipline yourself
to wait and to listen for God and
here's the fun part.
Are you what listen?
Are you ready?
This this is free man.
This is free Take a pencil and a
piece of paper.
I mean this with all my heart And
as you Lord you want to speak to
me about do you want to speak Lord
speak to me?
And you're gonna have a thought enter your
head write it down.
I don't care what it is I'm dead
serious about I'm gonna tell you if it's
like this Read Isaiah 28 19 just write
it down and then wait Change the oil
in the car Write it down.
No.
No, I'm serious.
That's Satan messing with your But use them
if your oil needs changing in your car
write it down So you don't forget if
Satan wants to remind me in my quiet
time.
Hey, you left the door unlocked doors unlocked
right You wait you wait you wait and
then listen the Lord is gonna speak something
and it's like I Want you to I
want you to sign up for that class
Write it down.
Just write it down Now you have a
prayer list Lord I took care of the
oil and I locked the door now What
about the class Here's the fun thing in
your daily reading of the Bible, whatever you're
doing You're reading along and God will use
a verse and it won't work for anybody
else on the planet this one verse will
jump out and there will be a Illumination
in your head God says with this verse
take the class and You'll know that you
are Absolutely, no doubt about it.
I got to take that class and you
sign up and you take the class and
you're wondering I know I'm here by obedience
to God And all of a sudden three
weeks into the course the instructor comes up
and says hey man, you know what I
got cancer or Whatever and you'll pray door
opens up you wind up witnessing to them
or visiting them in the hospital And make
an impression upon are you willing as a
Christian to pray like that to write it
down as silly as it sounds To obey
him and signing up for the course even
if you got a D in the class
the whole point was That he wanted you
to go through those things in the discipline
of delay to get the answer to that
person's soul Jesus is the way the truth
in the life.
That's how he works in our lives And
that's why every day can be absolutely exciting
for us It's amazing Wait for him.
We're at a time father We ask you
Lord God that in this room right now.
There may be those that are saying I
need an I need an answer I need
an answer There may be those here tonight
that are saying Lord.
I I need I Need forgiveness Father
move in our midst.
I pray listen church.
I'm gonna ask you to do something I
just maybe this is a God thing But
if tonight you're seeking God for an answer
Can you want to get out of the
seat and come forward and just come up
front here?
You're seeking God for an answer for something.
Let's lay it at the altar.
Let's go before him Maybe the whole church
has got to stand up and come forward.
I don't know But let's just do that.
Let's let's tonight mark your calendar.
You laid it at the altar tonight and
And if you're coming forward to you're saying
I need Jesus in my life then just
come with the crowd But tonight if you're
praying I need a job God I need
is she the one or is he the
one is it, California or Kentucky?
Lord is it left?
Is it right?
I tell you what in my heart I'm
coming forward right now for a revival and
I want to know what God wants to
do in the next chapter of my life
What is it for you?
You come now and let's pray together Heavenly
Father as we gather right here right now
and Lord we make this our our place
the aisles Lord are filled and People are
kneeling and Lord.
It's just apparently it's the whole house tonight.
We are seeking you and Lord you hear
what's on?
every heart right now and father in Jesus
name we pray that Lord you would speak
to us So clearly you're such a wonderful
God because for each of us Lord, it
may be a certain pitch It may be
a certain volume.
It may be a certain tone and you'll
speak to each of us But father tonight
these hearts are longing to hear from you
We're yearning to hear from you Lord About
that thing that's on that heart right now
and So father we pray in Jesus name
as we make our cry to you and
you inclined To us you spread out over
us Lord to listen We agree together in
Jesus name that we present our case to
you God Lord speak to us show us
and tonight We vow at the altar to
make this commitment To wait upon you we
determine tonight to seek first the kingdom of
God and Your righteousness and all these things
that are in our heart in our mind
now will be added in your timing your
way Heavenly Father Church, let's pray this out
loud together dear Lord We come to you
now We present our case we dedicate ourselves
to you.
Hear me when I cry and May I
hear you when you speak May I obey
in?
Jesus name Amen, let's stand and let's worship