Embracing the Spiritual Discipline of Waiting
Summary
In this Advent season, we are reminded of the profound spiritual discipline of waiting. Advent is not merely about anticipating Christmas or recalling past events; it is about looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise when justice and goodness will prevail. Waiting is a universal experience, yet it is one that many of us find challenging. In our fast-paced culture, waiting is often seen as an inconvenience, a reminder of our lack of control. However, the Bible is replete with stories of waiting, from Abraham to Joseph, from Israel in Egypt to the early Christians awaiting the Holy Spirit. Each story teaches us that waiting is an integral part of our spiritual journey.
Waiting involves a tension between desire and patience. It is a time when we are not in control, and it is in this space that God shapes our character. Waiting teaches us that our desires are not the center of the universe. It is often during these periods of waiting that God does His most profound work in us, preparing us for what is to come. As we wait, we are called to live holy and godly lives, looking forward to the new heaven and new earth where righteousness dwells.
Interestingly, Peter tells us that while we wait, we can also hasten the coming of God's kingdom. This seems paradoxical, but it highlights our role as active participants in God's plan. Through acts of love, service, and solidarity, we become agents of the kingdom, speeding the day of the Lord. A story from Philadelphia illustrates this beautifully, where a community stood in solidarity with a Jewish family by displaying menorahs in their windows after an act of vandalism. Such acts of love and unity are ways we can hasten the day.
In our daily lives, as we encounter various forms of waiting, we are invited to take a deep breath and remember that we are not in control. We are not Jesus, nor are we Clark Gable. We depend on God, and in our waiting, we trust in His timing and His plan. Let us radically accept waiting, not as a passive resignation but as an active participation in God's unfolding story.
Key Takeaways:
- Waiting is a spiritual discipline that teaches us patience and trust in God's timing. It is a reminder that we are not in control, and it is during these times that God shapes our character and prepares us for what is to come. [02:06]
- The Bible is filled with stories of waiting, illustrating that it is an integral part of the spiritual journey. From Abraham to the early Christians, waiting is a common thread that teaches us reliance on God and His promises. [03:39]
- While waiting, we are called to live holy and godly lives, looking forward to the new heaven and new earth. Our actions and character during this time are crucial as we anticipate the fulfillment of God's promise. [05:20]
- We can hasten the coming of God's kingdom through acts of love, service, and solidarity. By becoming agents of the kingdom, we actively participate in God's plan and bring His justice and goodness into the world. [10:18]
- In our daily waiting, whether at a stoplight or for a life event, we are reminded to depend on God. Radical acceptance of waiting is not passive but an active trust in God's timing and His unfolding story. [11:33]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:48] - The Advent Season and Waiting
[01:12] - The Challenge of Waiting
[02:31] - Biblical Stories of Waiting
[03:53] - Jesus and the Disciples' Waiting
[04:31] - Peter's Call to Holy Living
[05:34] - Waiting and Hastening the Day
[06:03] - Character Formation Through Waiting
[07:15] - The Reality of Evil and Our Waiting
[08:30] - Hastening the Day Through Action
[09:12] - A Story of Solidarity
[10:18] - Becoming Agents of the Kingdom
[10:49] - The Invitation to Wait
[11:33] - Radical Acceptance of Waiting
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: The Spiritual Discipline of Waiting
Bible Reading:
1. 2 Peter 3:11-13 - "Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells."
2. Genesis 3:15 - "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
3. Hebrews 11:8-10 - "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."
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Observation Questions:
1. According to 2 Peter 3:11-13, what kind of lives are believers encouraged to live while waiting for the day of God? How does this relate to the concept of waiting discussed in the sermon? [05:08]
2. In the sermon, several biblical figures are mentioned as examples of waiting. What are some of the specific situations in which these figures had to wait, and what were they waiting for? [03:39]
3. How does the story of the neighborhood in Philadelphia illustrate the idea of hastening the day of God's kingdom? [09:12]
4. What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between waiting and character formation? [06:03]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of waiting as a spiritual discipline challenge the modern cultural view of waiting as an inconvenience? What might this suggest about the nature of spiritual growth? [01:12]
2. In what ways does the sermon suggest that waiting can be an active process rather than a passive one? How does this align with the biblical instruction to "speed its coming"? [05:48]
3. How might the biblical examples of waiting, such as Abraham and Joseph, provide insight into the nature of God's promises and timing? [03:39]
4. What does the sermon imply about the role of community and solidarity in hastening the coming of God's kingdom? How does this relate to the story of the menorahs in Philadelphia? [09:12]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a current situation in your life where you are experiencing a period of waiting. How might you view this time as an opportunity for spiritual growth and character formation? [06:03]
2. The sermon suggests that waiting involves a tension between desire and patience. How can you practice patience in your daily life, especially in situations where you feel out of control? [01:44]
3. Consider the idea of hastening the day of God's kingdom through acts of love and service. What is one specific action you can take this week to be an agent of God's kingdom in your community? [10:18]
4. How can you incorporate the practice of radical acceptance of waiting into your spiritual life? What might this look like in practical terms, such as during moments of frustration or impatience? [11:33]
5. The sermon mentions the importance of living holy and godly lives while waiting. What is one area of your life where you feel called to pursue holiness, and what steps can you take to grow in this area? [05:08]
6. Reflect on the story of the menorahs in Philadelphia. How can you stand in solidarity with others in your community who are facing challenges or injustices? [09:12]
7. Identify a specific distraction in your life that prevents you from focusing on God's timing and plan. What steps can you take to minimize this distraction and deepen your trust in God's unfolding story? [11:04]
Devotional
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Quotes
"Waiting involves two dynamics. One of them is when you're waiting, you're waiting for something that you want that you do not yet have, but you want to have it, or you're waiting for something to go away, a headache that won't go away. And so waiting always involves a kind of frustrated wanting." [01:45]
"The Bible is in many ways a book about waiting. In the beginning, there is no waiting in the first chapter before the fall. God speaks, and it is so, and God sees it's good. God lives in eternity, and we don't know what all that means, but part of what it means is God knows no frustration and no waiting." [02:26]
"Meanwhile, people have to wait all through the Bible. God comes to Abraham, 'You're going to be the father of great nations,' but get away several decades. Isaac has to wait 20 years before he has a child. Joseph has to wait in slavery and then wait in prison. Israel has to wait 400 years in Egypt." [03:30]
"Peter is writing, and he talks about how the heavens will disappear, the elements will be destroyed by fire, the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives." [04:37]
"Part of what waiting teaches me is that I'm not in control, and every parent understands. If you ever wonder why is it that waiting is so important, waiting, learning to wait, being forced to wait is an indispensable part of character formation." [06:01]
"In waiting, I come to learn that my desires are not the center of the universe. A friend of mine used to say what happens to us while we wait is often more important than what it is that we think that we are waiting for. And so we wait, and we trust God." [06:29]
"We wait because we are not able to set right what needs to be set right. There's an essay as Lance Morrow, and he writes about the difference between the word wrong and the word evil. When we talk about wrongs, the implication for that often is that we live in a world where there are rights and there are wrongs." [07:07]
"Peter says you wait, but also he says you speed its day, you hasten it. In other words, we all wonder when's God going to come back, when is he going to make his world right, when is he going to destroy what needs to be destroyed and renew what can be renewed." [08:28]
"As we become the kinds of people that God wants us to do and become agents of his kingdom, we're actually speeding that day. It's apparently on a variable schedule, and it might be changed. And Fleming Rutledge writes a wonderful story about how do we hasten its day." [08:48]
"There was a neighborhood in Philadelphia where most of the people who lived there, most of the families were Gentiles. One of the family was Jewish, and then an act of vandalism, somebody smashed the window. They had a menorah inside their house, and vandals smashed the window, took the menorah out, and threw it away." [09:13]
"Every time we love somebody, every time we serve, every time we stand beside, every time we give, every time we encourage, every time we forgive, we are in some way that we do not understand hastening the day. So do that today. Ask God how can I hasten that day." [10:18]
"Radically accept waiting doesn't mean apathy, doesn't mean passivity because we also speed the day, and we wait for you." [11:35]
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