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As my pastor, Dr. Bobby Roberson says all the time, “The hardest thing in the world to do is wait on God!” I echo those sentiments. Indeed, it is hard, but sweet at the same time. When you can, with the grace of God, wait on God, you can experience realms of glory not enjoyed by most Christians! This outline seeks to help us learn about the need of waiting on God!

Title: “The Need Of Waiting On God!”

Text: Psalm 40:1

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.” Psalm 40:1 KJV

Introduction:

•    In our day we are so used to having things right now! The Bible commands us as believers to wait and be patient, however, most of the time; we do not behave in this manner!
•    Waiting is very important in the leadership of a home, office, or church!
•    The quicker we learn this truth as a Christian, the better off we will be!
•    Truly waiting on God is a virtue that is hard to find, but is a sign of true faith in God!

Proposition: There are three things I want us to see in these verses that will help us consider making changes so we can wait on God more!

I.    Notice That We Should Wait Patiently On The Lord!

“I waited patiently for the LORD”

  
A.    Critical Notes: Literally – Waiting, I waited: in other words, David waited, and waited, and waited!

B.    Evidently there was some time before God lifted this conviction and cloud from David’s life!

C.    David is expressing in words many of the feelings you and I have!

D.    God had chastened him for various sins and he is looking for God to bring deliverance and favor back to his soul!

E.    This is a picture of Christ in his passion! Our Lord was patient towards to the cross. He left himself to the Father’s will as is seen in the Garden!

F.    As David, and Christ waited; you and I should wait with anticipation for God to deal with us again! Consider what Matthew Henry said in his commentary… Matthew Henry’s Commentary On The Whole Bible Volume 3 Page 315 :

His humble attendance upon God and his believing expectations from him in those depths: I waited patiently for the Lord, Ps 40:1. Waiting, I waited. He expected relief from no other than from God; the same hand that tears must heal, that smites must bind up (Ho 6:1), or it will never be done. From God he expected relief, and he was big with expectation, not doubting but it would come in due time.  There is power enough in God to help the weakest, and grace enough in God to help the unworthiest, of all his people that trust in him. But he waited patiently, which intimates that the relief did not come quickly; yet he doubted not but it would come, and resolved to continue believing, and hoping, and praying, till it did come. Those whose expectation is from God may wait with assurance, but must wait with patience.

(Galatians 6:9) “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”  (KJV)

(Isaiah 40:31) “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.”  (KJV)

(1 Timothy 6:11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  (KJV)

(2 Timothy 3:10-11) But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.  (KJV)

Wait in prayer.  Call on God and spread the case before.  Express your unstaggering confidence in him.  Wait in faith, for unfaithful, untrusting waiting is but an insult to the Lord.  Wait in quiet patience, not murmuring because you are under the affliction, but blessing God for it. –Spurgeon

II.    Notice That We Have A God Who Pays Attention To Us!

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me,”

A.    The Scriptures say that the Lord inclined unto David, the Psalmist. Be sure that God will incline Himself to us as well!

B.    It is an all consuming thought to consider that God is concerned about us!

Ps 139:17 ¶ “How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!”

Look at verse 5:

“Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” (Psalms 40:5 KJV)

C.    He knows all about us, even when we do not consider this at all!

D.    Though God seems far away, do not think for one moment that God has not inclined unto you!

E.    We, who are saved, have a Heavenly Father that has his all seeing eye fixed upon us. We should never forget this great truth!

F.    Joseph was not forgotten in his agony, the children of Israel had their prayers heard from their slavery in Egypt, the Hebrew Children were not forgotten, even though they ended up in the furnace!

(Hebrews 4:14-15) “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”  (KJV)

G.    We should wait patiently, but we should also wait because God has inclined himself our direction! His ear is bent toward us! He has His face looking in our direction!

III.    Notice That God Honors Those Who Wait!

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”

A.    What a great statement that He HEARD MY CRY!

B.    God hears all prayers, but He is only obligated himself to the prayers of His children.

C.    David received his deliverance from his situation and is seen in the next few verses:

“He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” (Psalms 40:2-4 KJV)

D.    Do you remember the day when He heard your prayer of repentance? How fresh it was, how new you may have felt?

E.    There is an old Jewish Proverb, “Good things come to those who wait!”

F.    We should wait patiently, we should wait because He is inclined our way, but also because He has heard us!

G.    We pray for direction, deliverance, necessities, and a host of other things, but in our prayers and praying we must wait for God to answer, and we know He will answer!

“And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.” (1 John 5:14-15 KJV)

H.    We should continue to wait on God with an attitude of prayer on our lips! Consider the following:

Quotes:

Spread out your petition before God, and then say, “Thy will, not mine be done.”  The sweetest lesson I have learned in God’s school is to let the Lord choose for me. –Moody

Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking.  The only way to trouble God is not to come at all. –Moody

Prayer is the chief agency and activity whereby men align themselves with God’s purpose.  Prayer does not consist in battering the walls of heaven for personal benefits or the success of our plans.  Rather it is the committing of ourselves for the carrying out of His purposes.  It is a telephone call to headquarters for orders.  It is not bending God’s will to ours, but our will to God’s.  In prayer, we tap vast reservoirs of spiritual power whereby God can find fuller entrance into the hearts of men. –Oldham

Sometimes God delays the answer to our prayer in final form until we have time to build up the strength, accumulate the knowledge, or fashion the character that would make it possible for Him to say “yes” to what we ask. –Pearson

Conclusion:

•    God wants His children to wait on Him!
•    We should wait patiently, wait because we are in the center of His attention, and we should wait because He has heard our prayers and continually hears our prayers!
•    We should endeavor to wait on our Lord and not get ahead of Him and His timing!
•    I hope that every Christian will somehow learn this valuable truth and apply it to their lives!
•    For the Sinner, I hope that they will be saved before it is too late!

God prepares men for a specific task(s). It is often through the harshness of providential circumstances that a man is meticulously prepared for a particular leadership position. Many times you will find that pastors are completely obvious to what God was doing until after some time has lapsed. It is only while looking back across the trodden pathway that you can see the web God has weaved for His leaders!

As Clay In The Potter’s Hand…

The adversity and obscurity found early (even before conversion) and continually in the life of an individual are used to shape the leader as clay in a potter’s hand. As the leader learns to change through suffering and embrace the traits, character, and virtues God wants him to learn, then God will move the man into new surroundings to live out what has been learned.

Through The Refiners Fire…

God may choose to shine light on the leader where he is at and not move him at all. Many pastors, missionaries and evangelists can testify to this. However, one must remember that He sends the fire to refine; wherever the prospective leader resides. This is the way God trains His leaders, and it is certainly backed up by numerous Bible examples. Abraham, Joseph, King David, Solomon, and John the Baptist, just to name a few, are men whom God trained and sent out.

The Trial Of Your Faith…

(1 Peter 1:7) “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”  (KJV)

One man said that faith which is not tried cannot be trusted. With this in view, we can see that God molds a man, often through harsh and grueling circumstances, so they can be tempered for greater degrees of leadership in even tougher arenas.

Conclusion…

God prepares leaders in many ways. Each person is unique and fitted for a specific purpose. God, in His infinite wisdom, is the only one who can see the end from the beginning. We cannot see what He sees in people sometimes. This is why we must be careful when being harsh on God’s men. Let God do the training, and follow the people He puts into your life so He can shape you!

Many years ago, my father gave me a book entitled, Don’t Lose That Fish by Ivor Powell, a Welsh Evangelist. Brother Powell loved to go fishing, just as me, so it was very natural for me to be engrossed into this particular work. His book illustrated how to be a better winner of souls from his fishing trips that he had taken while traveling around in the ministry!

This sermon outline is adapted from one of the chapters in Powell’s book dealing with ice fishing. He had traveled to Canada and was invited to go ice fishing. While approaching the lake, Brother Ivor noticed that there were buckets of fiery coals sitting by every fisherman. He asked why this was so and learned that it was to keep your hands warm. After all, you cannot grab your fish if your hands are frozen. This is also true when fishing for the souls of men. If we are cold spiritually, then we will not be prepared to win anyone to Jesus!

Title: “Holy Fire!”

Text: Leviticus 6:12-13

(Leviticus 6:12-13) “And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”  (KJV)

Introduction:

•    Fire in the Scripture can be used to symbolize several things:

     From The Holy Spirit by John F. Walvoord pages 20-21 Zondervan
          o    Symbol of Lord’s presence – Exodus 3:2
          o    Symbol of the Lord’s approval – Leviticus 9:24; I Kings 18:38; II Chronicles 7:1
          o    Symbol of the Lord’s protection – Exodus 13:21; Zechariah 2:5
          o    Symbol of the Lord’s discipline and testing – Malachi 3:3; I Peter 1:7; Hebrews 12:29 Revelation 1:14
          o    Emblem of God’s Word – Jeremiah 5:14, 20:9
          o    Symbol of God’s judgment – Leviticus 10:2
          o    Symbol of Holy Ghost!

•    In our text it speaks of cleansing and purification through the offering on the altar.
•    This cleansing and purification are both prerequisites for fellowship with God!
•    God said that the fire should continually burn upon the altar!
•    So must the fire upon the altar of our heart, if I could use it this way!
•    In Matthew 24:12 we find that the love of many shall wax cold. When you take that thought and compare it with Revelation 2:4 where it says that the church at Ephesus left their first love, we see that our love and devotion for Christ can often be symbolized by coals upon a fire.

(Matthew 24:12) “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”  (KJV)

(Revelation 2:4) “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.”  (KJV)

•    If I could say it this way: “You need to be on fire for God, that is, you need to stay close to God so you can be a useful tool in the Master’s hand!

Transition:

•    I am preaching a message I got out of Ivor Powell’s book entitled, Don’t Lose That Fish!
•    The principle I want to drive upon your heart, the same of which Mr. Powell brought out in his fishing trip, is the fact that you cannot catch fish if your hands are cold!

A church will call a minister, place him in a refrigerator, and expect him to sweat! – Dr. Jowett

Proposition: When holy fire is present in our life it will do four things!

I.    Holy Fire Destroys Within Us That Which Is Evil!

(Leviticus 10:1-2) “And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.”  (KJV)

A.    Nadab and Abihu sinned and the fire destroyed them.

B.    You and I, the closer we get to the Holy Fire of God, will stay away from evil.

C.    We will be less likely to be self-promoting!

D.    The strange fire of our day is found in contemporary music and liberal, carnal and apostate churches which are only concerned about one thing and one thing only – – – FLESH! Much more could be said!

E.    Keep your soul warm by the altar of God and you will stay away from sin!

II.    Holy Fire Promotes Humility In Worship!

(2 Chronicles 7:1-3) “Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house. And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’S house. And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”  (KJV)

A.    When the presence of God filled the Temple they all were humbled.

B.    This is a far cry from what we see attributed to God in modern day worship! Dancing a jig in the presence of God is not humility!

C.    When we see Him and only Him everything else means little!

D.    Ivor Powell said it well: “That’s when we learn that what we are to God is infinitely above anything we might ever do for Him!”

E.    Keep your soul warm by the altar of God and you will find yourself humble and better able to worship God!

III.    Holy Fire Is Both Guarantee And Guide!

(Exodus 40:38) “For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.”  (KJV)

A.    God made His presence visible through a cloud and fire!

B.    During the night the glow of the fire was inviting and gave the people comfort of His presence!

C.    During the day the cloud went before them as their guide to the Promised Land!

D.    Ivor Powell: “In BATTLES His presence meant strength, In JOURNEYS His presence promoted fellowship!”

E.    Keep your soul warm by the altar of God and you will find that God is closely leading you and your will have a sense of divine direction!

IV.    Holy Fire Provides Power For Service!

(Acts 2:1-4) “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”  (KJV)

A.    Without Holy Fire souls are not saved!

B.    Peter served many times with our Lord near, but when this Holy Fire was present souls were saved!

C.    Many times we drill a hole in the ice and never catch a fish. However, when we have the fire bucket at hand we are ready to catch something!

D.    Thus in order to serve God effectively we must stay close to the fire!

E.    Keep your soul warm by the altar of God and you will be empowered for service!

Conclusion:

To The Christian:

•    If we are to amount to anything for God whether in soul-winning, service, worship, fellowship, or just raising a family we must stay close to the fire!

To The Sinner:

•    Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died that you might be saved. Repent and place your faith in Him so you will not have to burn in the flames of Hell for your sins perpetually!