The God Who Waits

``Have you ever thought about that? The reason Jesus hasn't returned is because there's somebody that still matters to him that hasn't been saved. Wow. That's heavy, isn't it? When I had that revelation this week, it's like, I had never approached it in that way before. He's just waiting for that one. When he gets that one, it's all over. And when that happens, it's too late. It's too late. God is waiting because he refuses to give up on his creation too soon. [00:21:06] (41 seconds)  #WaitingForTheOne

Waiting is not hidden faith. Waiting can be visible allegiance. So, church, waiting does not just shape what we hope for, it shapes how we remember. Every time we come to the Lord's table before me here, we proclaim a savior who waited, who suffered, and gave himself so mercy could still reach us. That same patience that delays judgment is the patience that endured the cross. [00:43:04] (38 seconds)  #VisibleAllegiance

What it means is that his patience is mercy. It's not permission. The very next verse, this is what Peter says in verse nine, the lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. You see, God delays judgment because salvation still matters to him. [00:18:21] (31 seconds)  #PatienceIsMercy

Let me make it clear. This isn't about perfection. I need to say that. You don't have to be perfect to come to this table. This table is for broken people. This table is for those who ain't getting it all right. It's tables for people who say, but despite that, I believe in my savior, and so I'm gonna stop doing the things that cause me to sin, to walk in in anger and disobedience against against God. I'm gonna stop those things. And when I take this, I'm gonna get serious about my faith, and this is a testimony to who I believe in and who actually leads my life. [00:46:55] (56 seconds)  #TableForTheBroken

If God is still waiting, someone still matters to God. Have you ever thought about it that way? Why doesn't Jesus return? You know what Peter said? Because there's somebody that hasn't been saved yet. God sent his only son to the world to save the world. Yes? So that everyone might be saved. That's John three sixteen and seventeen. That everyone. Notice how there's no parameters on that? Peter is saying the same thing, that there are still people that need to be saved. [00:18:52] (54 seconds)  #EveryoneMattersToGod

And you begin to understand that waiting is not standing still. It's choosing faithfulness and obedience to the God who is returning. We say in the absence of seeing Christ, in the absence of visible evidence, I will continue to believe in you because of everything that has happened in the prior two thousand years that does reveal that you are real. You are the God you say you are. That's why I can stand firm in that faith. [00:28:56] (38 seconds)  #FaithfulWaiting

And maybe you're here this morning and you're not sure what you believe. Let me just say this, God's patience may be the very reason you're still here. I don't say that to pressure anyone. Like, if you don't believe in God, I'm not saying that to manipulate anything. I want you to see it actually as an invitation. And if you're not sure what you believe, maybe you need to understand that God's mercy is him waiting upon you. Maybe it's you to say, I believe this waiting is his mercy. [00:29:35] (44 seconds)  #MercyIsInvitation

You know what's really cool when you start praying for Jane? When you start for praying for people that you don't know and you mean it, you start seeing them as souls. You quit seeing people in categories that we like to make them into. We quit making jokes. We quit making memes of people. We quit so much of the stuff that is dividing this country, and we see people as souls. And we start having compassion for people. The compassion like Christ did. [00:33:30] (45 seconds)  #SeePeopleAsSouls