Embracing Active Waiting: A Spiritual Journey in Advent

 

Summary

In our journey through Advent, we are reminded of the profound significance of waiting. This season is not just about the anticipation of Christmas but about embracing the deeper spiritual practice of waiting on God. We often find ourselves in a world that resists waiting, as illustrated by my granddaughter's insistence that "red means go." Yet, waiting is an integral part of our spiritual journey, as seen in the story of Anna, the prophetess, who waited faithfully in the temple, worshiping and fasting. Her life exemplifies active waiting, a waiting that is filled with purpose and expectation.

Anna's story, alongside Simeon's, highlights the elevation of women in the Gospel of Luke, where women are often portrayed as paragons of faith. Anna's devotion and her recognition of Jesus as the Redeemer of Jerusalem teach us that waiting is not passive but an active engagement with God's promises. It is about aligning our lives with God's presence and purpose, much like Anna did through her constant worship and prayer.

Waiting can be challenging because it reminds us of our lack of control. In our impatience, we often forget that waiting is an opportunity to grow in humility and trust. It is a chance to learn that our lives are not about reducing waiting time but about serving others and waiting on the Lord. This active waiting is not about passivity but about living with expectancy and hope, knowing that God is faithful to His promises.

Advent waiting is a call to live with purpose, to engage in the world with hope and anticipation. It is about becoming who God wants us to be while we wait. As we wait, we are invited to ask God how He wants us to respond in the present moment, even amidst pain and unanswered prayers. This waiting is not empty but filled with the promise of God's presence and action in our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- Waiting is a spiritual discipline that teaches us humility and trust. It reminds us that we are not in control and invites us to rely on God's timing and purpose. In our impatience, we often miss the opportunity to grow in faith and character. [08:37]

- Anna's story in the Gospel of Luke exemplifies active waiting. Her life of worship and prayer in the temple shows us that waiting is not passive but an active engagement with God's presence and promises. [04:48]

- Advent waiting is about living with expectancy and hope. It is a reminder that our waiting is not in vain because God is faithful to His promises. We are called to wait actively, with purpose and anticipation. [07:39]

- Our waiting can be a form of social protest, as seen in Anna's fasting. It is a way of acknowledging that things are not right in the world and longing for God's redemption and justice. [05:13]

- While we cannot control if we wait, we can control how we wait. We are invited to ask God how He wants us to respond in the present moment, even amidst pain and unanswered prayers. This waiting is filled with the promise of God's presence and action in our lives. [10:28]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:05] - Red Means Stop, Green Means Go
- [01:22] - The Ache of Waiting
- [02:43] - Simeon and Anna's Encounter
- [03:28] - Anna the Prophetess
- [04:48] - Anna's Devotion and Worship
- [05:32] - Looking Forward to Redemption
- [06:08] - Active Waiting vs. Waiting Around
- [07:39] - Expectant Waiting in Advent
- [08:37] - The Humility of Waiting
- [09:27] - Waiting on Others
- [10:13] - Impatient Waiting for Justice
- [11:00] - Waiting for God's Word
- [11:46] - The Promise of God's Presence
- [12:09] - Closing and Invitation

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Spiritual Discipline of Waiting

Bible Reading:
1. Luke 2:36-38 - The story of Anna the prophetess.
2. Isaiah 40:31 - "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength..."
3. Psalm 27:14 - "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

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Observation Questions:

1. What does the story of Anna in Luke 2:36-38 reveal about her character and her spiritual practices? How does this relate to the concept of active waiting? [04:48]

2. In the sermon, how is the concept of waiting described as a form of social protest, particularly in the context of Anna's fasting? [05:13]

3. How does the sermon illustrate the difference between "active waiting" and "waiting around"? What examples are given to highlight this distinction? [07:39]

4. What are some of the challenges and emotions associated with waiting, as described in the sermon? How does this relate to the idea of control? [08:37]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Anna's life of worship and prayer in the temple serve as a model for active waiting in the Christian life? What can be learned from her example? [04:48]

2. The sermon mentions that waiting can be a reminder of our lack of control. How might this realization impact a person's faith journey and relationship with God? [08:37]

3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that waiting can be an opportunity for personal growth and spiritual development? How does this align with the biblical passages? [09:11]

4. How does the sermon connect the practice of waiting with the themes of hope and anticipation during Advent? What role does expectancy play in this context? [07:39]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you had to wait for something significant in your life. How did you handle the waiting period, and what did you learn from it about your faith and character? [08:37]

2. Anna's story highlights the importance of aligning one's life with God's presence and purpose. What practical steps can you take to incorporate more worship and prayer into your daily routine? [04:48]

3. The sermon suggests that waiting can be a form of social protest. Are there areas in your life or community where you feel called to "wait" actively for change or justice? How can you engage in this process? [05:13]

4. Consider the idea that waiting is an opportunity to serve others. How can you shift your perspective to see waiting as a chance to bless those around you, even in small ways? [09:27]

5. Advent is a season of expectancy and hope. How can you cultivate a sense of anticipation in your spiritual life, especially during times of waiting? What specific actions can you take to live with purpose and hope? [07:39]

6. The sermon encourages asking God how He wants us to respond in the present moment. What is one area of your life where you feel uncertain or impatient, and how can you seek God's guidance in that situation? [10:28]

7. Reflect on the statement, "If you're not dead, you're not done." How does this perspective challenge you to remain active and engaged in your faith journey, regardless of your age or circumstances? [03:57]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing the Discipline of Waiting
Waiting is a spiritual discipline that teaches us humility and trust. It reminds us that we are not in control and invites us to rely on God's timing and purpose. In our impatience, we often miss the opportunity to grow in faith and character. [08:37]

Isaiah 30:18 (ESV): "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."

Reflection: In what area of your life do you struggle to wait on God's timing? How can you practice humility and trust in this area today?


Day 2: Active Engagement in God's Promises
Anna's story in the Gospel of Luke exemplifies active waiting. Her life of worship and prayer in the temple shows us that waiting is not passive but an active engagement with God's presence and promises. [04:48]

Psalm 27:14 (ESV): "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

Reflection: How can you actively engage with God's promises today, even as you wait for His answers?


Day 3: Living with Expectancy and Hope
Advent waiting is about living with expectancy and hope. It is a reminder that our waiting is not in vain because God is faithful to His promises. We are called to wait actively, with purpose and anticipation. [07:39]

Lamentations 3:25-26 (ESV): "The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord."

Reflection: What is one way you can cultivate a sense of expectancy and hope in your daily life, even amidst uncertainty?


Day 4: Waiting as a Form of Social Protest
Our waiting can be a form of social protest, as seen in Anna's fasting. It is a way of acknowledging that things are not right in the world and longing for God's redemption and justice. [05:13]

Habakkuk 2:3 (ESV): "For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay."

Reflection: How can your waiting be a form of protest against injustice in the world? What specific action can you take today to align with God's justice?


Day 5: Responding in the Present Moment
While we cannot control if we wait, we can control how we wait. We are invited to ask God how He wants us to respond in the present moment, even amidst pain and unanswered prayers. This waiting is filled with the promise of God's presence and action in our lives. [10:28]

Psalm 37:7 (ESV): "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"

Reflection: What is one way you can respond to God's presence in your life today, even if you are in a season of waiting? How can you find peace in His promises?

Quotes


Anna's devotion and her recognition of Jesus as the Redeemer of Jerusalem teach us that waiting is not passive but an active engagement with God's promises. It is about aligning our lives with God's presence and purpose, much like Anna did through her constant worship and prayer. [00:04:48]

Waiting can be challenging because it reminds us of our lack of control. In our impatience, we often forget that waiting is an opportunity to grow in humility and trust. It is a chance to learn that our lives are not about reducing waiting time but about serving others and waiting on the Lord. [00:08:37]

Advent waiting is a call to live with purpose, to engage in the world with hope and anticipation. It is about becoming who God wants us to be while we wait. As we wait, we are invited to ask God how He wants us to respond in the present moment, even amidst pain and unanswered prayers. [00:10:28]

Anna is marking all of that in her life coming up to them that is Mary and Joseph at that very moment she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the Redemption of Jerusalem and that little phrase looking forward to is another way of talking about waiting. [00:05:32]

There is a real important difference in Advent between Advent waiting active waiting waiting as opposed to waiting around. There is a quite famous Play It's called waiting for gdau or the Brits pronounce the name I guess GD uh and it features primarily two characters who are sitting and talking on a pretty Barren stage throughout an entire play. [00:06:08]

The message of advent is that someone is coming and therefore our waiting is to be an act of waiting it is to be expectant it is to anticipate it is to believe deeply in life and to embrace it. Ben Patterson wrote one time when you're waiting this is part of the school of waiting the Puritans would talk about the school of waiting. [00:07:39]

We struggle deeply with impulsivity, we don't want to have to wait we want to be in control and part of why we hate to wait is we are reminded when we wait that we are not in control. If you're on a plane and you're delayed the pilot may come on and say I want to thank you for your patience. [00:08:37]

Waiting can be a chance for me to learn again I am not as important as I think I am and it's a real good thing that I am not in control and that my life is not just about reducing the waiting time but waiting on others. You are at a grocery store and you are in line and there's an elderly woman in front of you. [00:09:27]

We all grow and we learn as we're waiting in ways that we don't otherwise so you cannot control if you wait you can control how you wait today wait on God ask God how do you want me to respond in this moment while there is still pain while I don't have the answer to this prayer. [00:10:28]

When we approach the Bible and you know he would often teach it but he would say now there's a way of coming to the Bible just as a human being where I'm not trying to use it to prepare a sermon or anything rather we are waiting for God's word to us it is not a vacuous waiting but a waiting on the basis of a clear promise. [00:11:00]

Often we're so burdened and overwhelmed with other thoughts images concerns it may take a long time before God's word has swept all else aside and come through but it will surely Come Just As surely as God himself has come to men and women and will come again and that's the Advent so right now wait on God. [00:11:46]

If you're not dead you're not done Rejoice favored one the Lord is with you hey thanks for joining us my name is Tim I'm a part of the team here at become new and I live in Minnesota so it's freezing where I am be sure to hit that subscribe button so you don't miss any future teachings from John. [00:12:09]

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Transcript
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