“Should I Wait Or Should I Move?”

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

01/8/23 (2nd Sunday Message)

 

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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

Last week we had a message on “Moving Forward.”

 

We talked about the benefits to moving toward the thing God designed for us.

 

We talked about how God has planned something for us.

Something HE has purposed for us to do.

 

In Moses’ case, he was to bring God’s people out of slavery.

 

In Jeremiah’s case, he was to be a prophet.

 

Everyone has a purpose.

 

Ephesians 2:10 {From Last Week}

For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

 

WE are God’s workmanship.

 

Not created to just be here.

 

Created in Christ to do good works.

 

 Works….God prepared already.

 

Many of us are learning our purpose.

 

Many of us know what it is…

 

 We just haven’t started yet.

 

 We might have started…but stopped for whatever reason.

 

But for those who are waiting.

 

Is it biblical?

 

Is There A Time To Wait?

 

How do we define “wait?”

 

Wait (verb)

Stay where one is or delay action until a particular time or until something else happens.

 

For example:

 

“I’m going to wait until tomorrow to take the trash out.”

 

“I’ll wait until I get my check to pay this bill.”

 

“I will wait here until you come back.”

 

All of these examples are “delaying action.”

 

 and depend on something else…

 

What is a good example of what the bible says about waiting?

 

There are a few…

 

Let’s look at one.

 

Isaiah 40:31(KJV)

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

 

This means “wait” right?

 

Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

but 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.

 

They who “wait.”

 

They who “stay where they are or delay action”

 

Stay or Delay Until what?

 

 Until the Lord?

 

  Until the Lord what??

 

Sounds like there’s something missing!

 

What’s another translation say?

 

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

We know the KJV/ESV are word for word translations.

 

We know the NIV is more thought for thought translations.

 

 The KJV/ESV says “wait.”

 

 The NIV says “hope.”

 

 The NCV says “trust.”

 

But these words are different!

 

Which is it?

 

To find out, we have to Exegete this passage.

 

Exegesis:

Exegesis is “the process of careful analytical study of the Bible to produce useful interpretations of those passages.”

 

Basically…it’s about what does the text actually mean.

 

 not what we WANT it to mean.

 

 Sometimes we take a sentence from a paragraph and lose the meaning.

 

First let’s read it all in context.

 

Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

 

Now it seems “wait” means something else.

 

What does that WORD mean?

 

THAT word in THAT place, translated in Hebrew,

 

 IS translated as “wait”

 

 but is ALSO translated as “hope”

 

Hope meaning to LOOK to and TRUST God.

 

The statement isn’t meant to say those who “do nothing will be renewed.”

 

The statement means “those who are weak who LOOK to God will be renewed.”

 

“Waiting” On God Doesn’t Mean We Get To Sit And Do Nothing! It’s Time To Get Started With What God Called You To Do!

 

It says those who TRUST in God will be renewed.

 

Isaiah 40:29

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

 

Why are the people in this context weary??

 

Because they are doing something!

 

Not just the “sick and tired” people!

 

 Those who are tired from working!

 

Also in the text, “renew” means to change or replace.

 

I have a good example on how this works:

 

{Question}

When Do You Get Your Tires Changed On Your Car?

 

You get your tires changed when they’re worn out.

 

 - When you take your car for service…they do a check on your tires.

 

  - if they have good tread…those tires still have more work to do.

 

   - the car doesn’t need new tires.

 

When do you get your oil changed in your car?

 

 - When the oil is used up and needs replacing.

 

  - If the oil doesn’t need replacing…it has more work to do!

 

Why do we get our tires and oil replaced?

 

It’s for the sake of the car!

 

So our cars can continue the work they do.

 

If our cars break down…they aren’t good for anything!

 

God does the same thing!

 

This means that as you work for God there are things you are using up.

 

Those things may be your finances,

 

 - your peace

 

 - your strength

 

 - your life…

 

But God can restore all those things…

 

Ephesians 3:16

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being…

 

God will restore what you USED up for him!

 

As You Continue To Pour Out Your Cup For God, He Will Continue To Refill It!

 

Isaiah 40:29

29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

 

Psalm 119:28

 28 My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. 

 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10:

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 10…For when I am weak, then I am strong.

 

“Waiting For The Lord” Means To Trust And Hope In Him AS You Keep Working For Him!

 

{Used last month}

John 9:4

4 As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.

 

God is not telling us to sit still and await further instructions…

 

It’s time to move forward!

 

Another thing God will refill also…

 

From last week…

 

The Israelites were trapped between Pharaoh and the Red Sea.

 

What were their options?

 

 They couldn’t go forward into the sea…death.

 

 They couldn’t go backward…The Egyptians…death.

 

Exodus 14:14-16

14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

 

 

They had exhausted their strength.

 

They had exhausted their peace…

 

But they had also exhausted something else…

 

 their options!

 

There is NO way to go.

 

And in an impossible situation…

 

God restored and CREATED an option out of none!

 

God Refills Empty Cups, Not Full Ones!  If You Want God To Renew You, You Have To Use What You Have!

 

Isaiah 30:21 (NCV)

21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the right way. You should go this way.”

 

If you GO the wrong way…

 

Either way…GO somewhere!

 

Get to work!

 

God told the Israelites…

 

 MOVE ON!

 

 Don’t “WAIT” for me…

 

 Continue the plan!!

 

If you’ve taken a break…okay.

 

Get your wind together…

 

Get back going.

 

God Called Us To Help Others! Right Now Others Are Needing Your Help!

 

God called you for others…

 

Are you using your gifts for them?

 

Are you using your gifts for yourself?

 

Or are you not using your gifts at all?

 

If You Know What God Wants You To Do, Don’t Stop Doing It! Stick To The Plan!

 

All that came from that passage about “waiting for the Lord.”

 

But to be fair…let’s ask the direct question:

 

When IS It Good To Wait?

 

Lamentations 3:25-26

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; 26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 

“hope” in v25 is another example of the scripture from earlier.

 

 “wait” is used in the KJV/ESV (to those reading those translations)

 

  “hope” in the NIV

 

In verse 26 they both say “wait”

 

Lamentations 3:26

26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 

So it is GOOD to wait.

 

 wait for what?

 

 wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

 

It IS good to wait for something.

 

Noah had to wait for the flood waters.

 

Abraham had to wait for his son.

 

David had to wait to be king.

 

Joseph had to wait for the dreams to come to pass.

 

God does things in his own time.

 

Believing and WAITING and HOPING in God…

 

 his promises…

 

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

 

It may not look like things are working for our good right now…

 

 right now it might look like things are working together to destroy us…

 

 but God said they’re going to work for our good!

 

  So until they do…we’re going to wait on God

 

   with expectation that it WILL work!

 

Proverbs 16:3

3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

 

God I have committed myself to you.

 

 I have worked as you TOLD ME TO DO!

 

 My plans might not be succeeding right now…

 

 But you are NOT a God that would lie…

 

  so I’m going to wait patiently until you open that door!

 

{Isaiah 40:29 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.}

 

 we might have been working for the Lord for a long time…

 

 we might feel like our strength hasn’t returned yet…

 

 but because God WILL return our strength…

 

  we will continue to work…WHILE waiting on him!

 

It Is Good To Wait For God To Act. He Shouldn’t Have To Wait For US To Act!  Let’s Get Moving!

 

We don’t have the time God has.

 

“As long as it is day…”

 

“Night is coming…”

 

We have limited time!

 

We are already 2 weeks into the year.

 

Soon it will be June.

 

Let’s go!