7th Sunday of Easter 5/04/08 Text: Acts 1:12-26 Title: "Living In The Time Between"
7th Sunday of Easter
5/04/08
Text: Acts 1:12-26
Title: "Living In The Time Between"
There are a lot of people who do not know how to live without excitement, without stimulation. Whether it comes from pleasure or from crisis; they thrive on activity, on doing things, on solving problems; on adrenalin. The time that exists between one crisis or another, between one activity or another is regarded by them as dead time, as time that is lost, time that is unimportant, time that doesn't count.
Even people who are not adrenalin junkies find it sometimes, difficult to face a period of time in which not much is happening, a period of time in which they must wait for a promise to be fulfilled, for an event that they are looking forward to take place.
Today's scripture reading from the Book of Acts tells us how the disciples found themselves in that same kind of situation. They found themselves having to face a period in which they would simply have to wait for Christ's promise to them to come true.
After the resurrection Jesus visited with his disciples on several occasions. He taught them, he encouraged them, he commissioned them to do a job. Then on the day of his ascension into heaven when they were anxiously asking him when his kingdom would be established, when the next phase of the divine plan would take place, he tells them that it is not for them to know the times or periods established by God. But that they should go back to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. That they, just needed to wait for the power they would need to witness to him there, and in Judea and all of Samaria, and ultimately in all the world.
Waiting can be a dreadful thing. Just ask any child that is waiting for Christmas morning, or that student waiting for the results of their finals, or anybody that has had to wait in the waiting room of a hospital for news about their loved one. Waiting can be nerve racking but it is not always so, for waiting can also be a pause that refreshes, a time in which we gain strength, a time in which we can quietly grow and are prepared for that which will come next.
God knows that we too need periods of rest, periods of waiting in which we can be changed, refreshed, and renewed, lest we burn out. And so God provides to us periods of time in which we can be strengthened and prepared for what is
to come next.
The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 40:31, “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” In this perspective waiting is a positive thing. It is the time between the making of a promise and its fulfillment. It is a time which is, or can be, highly beneficial to us.
But living in the times between, when you are the one waiting is another thing. Can the time of waiting between the loss of one’s job and the starting of another, with no paycheck coming in, be a good thing? Can that time of waiting when you have lost a good friend and have not found another be a good thing? I could go on and on describing those times of waiting.
Waiting can be difficult for us, that is if we do not know how to wait in the manner recommended by the Word of God. First we need to remember that times of waiting are to be active times in which we are work at those things which are at hand, rather than worrying about that which is yet to come.
Thursday when we celebrated Ascension Day by coming together in worship we read Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 11, the story of Jesus’ Ascension. In verse 11, the angels said to the disciples standing there, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw him go into heaven."
After Jesus’ ascension the disciples had three choices. They could focus on the good times in the past, those times when Jesus was with them. Or they could focus on the future, that time when the Lord would come back. Or they could focus on the present.
In our first reading for this morning, we see that, while the followers of Jesus looked for the Lord’s return they were focusing on the present as they elected Matthias to take Judas’ spot among the 12. They recognized that they needed to continue the Lord’s work until he came back in all his glory
Individually and as a congregation, we also have to make choices as to how we will live our lives in the time in between. We can live focused on the past, that present time, that is gone. Or we can live in the future focusing on the return of our Lord, ignoring the problems, the reality of the present. Or we can live in the present continuing the Lord’s work until he comes back in all his glory.
We have a choice, but there is no doubt that if we are to be a kingdom congregation; that is a congregation that comes together as the body of Christ to be refreshed with God’s Word and his body and blood in the Sacrament and then sent out into the kingdom, we need to be focused on the present moment that God has given us.
So what is living in the present moment? We read in verse 14 of our first reading, “All those with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” The disciples were living in obedience and in connection with God. They prayed and in so doing, they prepared themselves for the job Jesus had told them that they would do when the Holy Spirit came upon them as he had promised it would.
What do we as individuals do during those times of waiting. Quite often we take opportunity to prepare ourselves for the future. Between jobs, we may go back to school. Between relationships, we may go to counseling. Some of us, during those times in between may actually take some time to relax and rest so that we have the strength to go on.
There are many ways to prepare for what we believe is coming next, but in the end, for those who are seeking to do God's will and who want to see God's promises come true in their midst, prayer is of central importance. Jesus told the disciples, in verse 8 of Acts 1, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the world."
We all know about gimmicks, quick ways to improve your body or mind: 99 practical solutions to improve your marriage or to create a better business or build a bigger church; but the real solution lies not in these kinds of gimmicks but in having God's Spirit work through you.
Prayer and devotion open to the mind and will of God is of central importance because it is what prepares us for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that which allows us to be open to the power the Holy Spirit. For it is the Holy Spirit which enabled and guided the ministry of the disciples, and it is the Holy Spirit which enables and guides our own ministry as his followers, our own witness to Christ. Indeed, it is the Spirit, and only the Spirit, which allows us to be fruitful with our lives.
As the word of God says in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Our task in the times between whether it is a time between what is obviously one work of God and another, or simply a time between one event in our daily lives and another is to make ourselves ready to be used of the Spirit; that Spirit which may come, as it does so often, sooner than we think.
How do we live in the times between? To return to Isaiah's words - those words that say, “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Notice in Isaiah’s words, actually, God’s Words the words “will” and “shall”. There are no modifiers in front of them. He does not say, “They who wait for Lord might renew their strength. It is not, “maybe they will walk and not faint.” It is not, “Maybe they will renew their strength.” It is not, “Maybe they shall walk and not faint.” No the words are, “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Unconditional promises attached to a simple statement of condition; the condition that says “They who wait for the Lord.” That is how we are to live in the time between. We are to trust and have confidence that what has been promised to us by God will come to pass whether that promise is of a spiritual gift, or a promise of comfort and of a new life or a promise to bless us and use us in some particular way in his service.
Trust in the Lord, not in your ability or the things of this life. Live today, this day, as he asks you to. Be connected to him and to his Word by prayer and meditation with your brothers and sisters and in holy obedience to our Lord. Amen.
5/04/08
Text: Acts 1:12-26
Title: "Living In The Time Between"
There are a lot of people who do not know how to live without excitement, without stimulation. Whether it comes from pleasure or from crisis; they thrive on activity, on doing things, on solving problems; on adrenalin. The time that exists between one crisis or another, between one activity or another is regarded by them as dead time, as time that is lost, time that is unimportant, time that doesn't count.
Even people who are not adrenalin junkies find it sometimes, difficult to face a period of time in which not much is happening, a period of time in which they must wait for a promise to be fulfilled, for an event that they are looking forward to take place.
Today's scripture reading from the Book of Acts tells us how the disciples found themselves in that same kind of situation. They found themselves having to face a period in which they would simply have to wait for Christ's promise to them to come true.
After the resurrection Jesus visited with his disciples on several occasions. He taught them, he encouraged them, he commissioned them to do a job. Then on the day of his ascension into heaven when they were anxiously asking him when his kingdom would be established, when the next phase of the divine plan would take place, he tells them that it is not for them to know the times or periods established by God. But that they should go back to Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. That they, just needed to wait for the power they would need to witness to him there, and in Judea and all of Samaria, and ultimately in all the world.
Waiting can be a dreadful thing. Just ask any child that is waiting for Christmas morning, or that student waiting for the results of their finals, or anybody that has had to wait in the waiting room of a hospital for news about their loved one. Waiting can be nerve racking but it is not always so, for waiting can also be a pause that refreshes, a time in which we gain strength, a time in which we can quietly grow and are prepared for that which will come next.
God knows that we too need periods of rest, periods of waiting in which we can be changed, refreshed, and renewed, lest we burn out. And so God provides to us periods of time in which we can be strengthened and prepared for what is
to come next.
The prophet Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 40:31, “They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” In this perspective waiting is a positive thing. It is the time between the making of a promise and its fulfillment. It is a time which is, or can be, highly beneficial to us.
But living in the times between, when you are the one waiting is another thing. Can the time of waiting between the loss of one’s job and the starting of another, with no paycheck coming in, be a good thing? Can that time of waiting when you have lost a good friend and have not found another be a good thing? I could go on and on describing those times of waiting.
Waiting can be difficult for us, that is if we do not know how to wait in the manner recommended by the Word of God. First we need to remember that times of waiting are to be active times in which we are work at those things which are at hand, rather than worrying about that which is yet to come.
Thursday when we celebrated Ascension Day by coming together in worship we read Acts chapter 1, verses 6 through 11, the story of Jesus’ Ascension. In verse 11, the angels said to the disciples standing there, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same manner as you saw him go into heaven."
After Jesus’ ascension the disciples had three choices. They could focus on the good times in the past, those times when Jesus was with them. Or they could focus on the future, that time when the Lord would come back. Or they could focus on the present.
In our first reading for this morning, we see that, while the followers of Jesus looked for the Lord’s return they were focusing on the present as they elected Matthias to take Judas’ spot among the 12. They recognized that they needed to continue the Lord’s work until he came back in all his glory
Individually and as a congregation, we also have to make choices as to how we will live our lives in the time in between. We can live focused on the past, that present time, that is gone. Or we can live in the future focusing on the return of our Lord, ignoring the problems, the reality of the present. Or we can live in the present continuing the Lord’s work until he comes back in all his glory.
We have a choice, but there is no doubt that if we are to be a kingdom congregation; that is a congregation that comes together as the body of Christ to be refreshed with God’s Word and his body and blood in the Sacrament and then sent out into the kingdom, we need to be focused on the present moment that God has given us.
So what is living in the present moment? We read in verse 14 of our first reading, “All those with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” The disciples were living in obedience and in connection with God. They prayed and in so doing, they prepared themselves for the job Jesus had told them that they would do when the Holy Spirit came upon them as he had promised it would.
What do we as individuals do during those times of waiting. Quite often we take opportunity to prepare ourselves for the future. Between jobs, we may go back to school. Between relationships, we may go to counseling. Some of us, during those times in between may actually take some time to relax and rest so that we have the strength to go on.
There are many ways to prepare for what we believe is coming next, but in the end, for those who are seeking to do God's will and who want to see God's promises come true in their midst, prayer is of central importance. Jesus told the disciples, in verse 8 of Acts 1, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the world."
We all know about gimmicks, quick ways to improve your body or mind: 99 practical solutions to improve your marriage or to create a better business or build a bigger church; but the real solution lies not in these kinds of gimmicks but in having God's Spirit work through you.
Prayer and devotion open to the mind and will of God is of central importance because it is what prepares us for the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is that which allows us to be open to the power the Holy Spirit. For it is the Holy Spirit which enabled and guided the ministry of the disciples, and it is the Holy Spirit which enables and guides our own ministry as his followers, our own witness to Christ. Indeed, it is the Spirit, and only the Spirit, which allows us to be fruitful with our lives.
As the word of God says in John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” Our task in the times between whether it is a time between what is obviously one work of God and another, or simply a time between one event in our daily lives and another is to make ourselves ready to be used of the Spirit; that Spirit which may come, as it does so often, sooner than we think.
How do we live in the times between? To return to Isaiah's words - those words that say, “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Notice in Isaiah’s words, actually, God’s Words the words “will” and “shall”. There are no modifiers in front of them. He does not say, “They who wait for Lord might renew their strength. It is not, “maybe they will walk and not faint.” It is not, “Maybe they will renew their strength.” It is not, “Maybe they shall walk and not faint.” No the words are, “Those who wait for the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles, they will run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Unconditional promises attached to a simple statement of condition; the condition that says “They who wait for the Lord.” That is how we are to live in the time between. We are to trust and have confidence that what has been promised to us by God will come to pass whether that promise is of a spiritual gift, or a promise of comfort and of a new life or a promise to bless us and use us in some particular way in his service.
Trust in the Lord, not in your ability or the things of this life. Live today, this day, as he asks you to. Be connected to him and to his Word by prayer and meditation with your brothers and sisters and in holy obedience to our Lord. Amen.
posted by Pastor Rhoads | 6:17 AM
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