The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on 11th January 2009 by Georges Kisombola
"An Attitude of Expectancy"
An Attitude of Expectancy Acts 1:1-14
Introduction:
Some of the most exciting periods of our lives are the times of anticipation. The times when we can't think of anything but what we are expecting to occur. I can remember many times like these: When I was in Africa I had excitement to finish my secondary school; going to university… When I was in refugee camp, my expectancy was that one day I would be able to go back into a normal life. When I was in America, I expected to have a family. In the UK, among many expectations I can name some like the wedding, my integration into the British Community, getting a stable job, getting a driving licence, getting my British citizenship… When we are living with an attitude of expectancy our steps begin to quicken & our eyes brighten as we reach out to our future dreams.
When Jesus ascended from the Mount of Olives to His throne in glory, He left His church in an attitude of expectancy.
Acts 1:1-14 Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
Here in this last earthly meeting of Jesus & His disciples we find the Lord leaves them with a promise of something great that is going to take place in their lives. They are to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will empower them to be witnesses for Jesus to the world. Jesus left them in an attitude of expectancy.
We at King's must also learn to have an attitude of expectancy.
1. WE MUST LEARN TO WAIT WITH EXPECTANCY
A. For over 3 years Jesus had prepared His disciples for the mission before them.
He had taught them with words that burned in their hearts. He had challenged them with the Great Commission: Mat 28:19 (NIV) "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit," And here in the last moments of His earthly ministry to them, He gave them the final command, (v.4) "wait". "Do not leave Jerusalem but wait". Wait? Surely not wait? After 3.5 years of preaching & teaching & miracles & death & resurrection, now it's time to wait? Yes, Jesus told them to wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit to come upon them so that they might receive His power so they might be equipped to witness.
B. Sometimes Jesus' word to us is "wait".
We pray for something we believe is God's will, & His answer comes back "wait". We work diligently as the Lord has commanded us & look for the results from God's supernatural anointing, and God says "wait for this seed to grow". And sometimes, like these disciples in our text, we must wait upon the Holy Spirit. We are not waiting for the Holy Spirit to be poured out like they were, that's already happened; He now lives in us; but sometimes we need to wait for Him to act in our lives.
C. In vs.7 Jesus gives us a principle that we need to understand:
Time is in God's hand. We often fail to understand this truth. God answers our prayers & works in our lives according to His timing, not ours.
D. Our response to God's word must look unbelievably inconsistent to Him.
When God tells us to "Go", we want to plant our feet firmly on the ground & stay. But when He tells us to "Wait" we become impatient & want everything yesterday. And because of this attitude, sometimes God responds to our prayers and we do not see it.
E. The secret to learning how to wait is expectancy. And the secret to expectancy is faith.
If I truly believe that God will do what He says He will do then I have a lot less trouble waiting for Him to do it. If I pray expecting that God will answer I can wait for that answer patiently. If I witness expecting God to work on the lost person's heart I can wait for their conversion with anticipation. If I am struggling with questions needing answers I can wait for the Holy Spirit to show me the way without getting distraught if, and only if, I am expecting Him to move in my life. When you believe God will do what He says, you won't give up waiting for His timing. Fizi Project illustration.
2. WE MUST LEARN TO WATCH WITH EXPECTANCY
A. We need to live our lives with one eye on the world & the other focused on the sky.
Mat 24:42 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Mat 25:13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." Like the early church, we can live with an attitude of expectancy that makes us watch for the coming of Christ in His glorious kingdom. It is true that we do not know the day or the hour--all the more reason to live our lives as if He is coming today. We must watch for Christ's return with expectancy.
B. We must also watch for the power of the Holy Spirit working in our lives and in the life at the church here at King's
Jesus told His disciples to wait for the promise of power from the Holy Spirit. They waited & watched for God to keep the promise that began with Pentecost & continues to this day. We need to pay close attention to the Spirit working in our lives & in our church. Are you living day by day expecting the Holy Spirit to make a difference in your life? Do you expect Him to open the Word of God to you? Do you expect Him to counsel you? Do you expect Him to lead you into Christian growth? Did you come here this morning expecting the Holy Spirit to change your life? One of the characteristics of growing Christians & growing churches is a reliance on the Holy Spirit, rather than a reliance on self. The Christian who watches for the Spirit's moving in his/her life is one who realizes that sometimes the Spirit whispers back. If we are to have an attitude of expectancy we must watch--for the coming of Christ & for the Holy Spirit's involvement in our lives.
3. WE MUST LEARN TO WORK WITH EXPECTANCY
A. The words of the angels ought to ring continually in our spiritual ears: Verse .11".
Expecting Christ's return will drive us to do more than wait & watch. Living with an attitude of expectancy will lead us to work for the salvation of our fellowman.
An American, walking in Ireland, became lost while looking for a certain town. Hot, tired, & discouraged, he sat down by the side of the road. A farmer soon noticed him & asked if he could help. "You're in luck", the Irishman said when he learned of the man's destination, "That town is only about half a mile on down the road." The American thanked him & walked the half mile, only to realize there was no town to be seen. So he stopped & asked another man. Again, he was told "a half mile." But again, he found nothing. It was only after the scene was repeated several times that he finally came to the town. A few days later he happened to run into the first man who had given him directions: "Why did you tell me the town was so close?" he asked. "Well" the Irishman replied, "you looked so tired I didn't want to discourage you by telling you how far away the town really was. In Ireland we are always trying to soften the journey of a stranger by giving him little dribbles of encouragement that help him along."
The American was shocked, & said, "In America they are always careful to give you the exact information." Shaking his head, the Irishman said, "That's the trouble with Americans. They don't think enough of you to tell you a lie."
Many of us harm our friends through our consideration. We care for them deeply & don't want to upset them. So we tell them a lie. For others we deceive them by never sharing Jesus Christ with them. And our silence about sin & judgment tells our friends that everything is alright with their life. Our unwillingness to talk of eternity lulls them into a false sense of security. Being a true friend means sharing the truth.
B. Stephen Crane has a memorable passage in his poem, "The Black Riders"
He describes "a creature, naked, bestial" who eats his heart in a desert. Asked if it is good, the creature replies, "I like it/ because it is bitter/ and because it is my heart." That could well be the autobiography of many people.
They are killing themselves with their own sins, & all they can taste is the bitterness of their failed lives. If we are to work with expectancy, we will share with those who are hurting the invitation of Jesus Christ, "Come to me all you who are weary & burdened, & I will give you rest." Jesus is coming again, & I want Him to find us working when He comes. We do not want to be among those He will say to:" departs from me because I do not you". So let us be ready and right with Him every day.
Conclusion:
Some of the most exciting periods of our lives are times of anticipation. These are times when we can't wait for our expectations to be fulfilled. I've mentioned High School, graduation, weddings, getting driver's license as those kinds of exciting periods. For others, it may be Christmas. These are Periods when we find ourselves with an attitude of expectancy.
I'm going through a period in my life like that right now & I hope you are too. As a member of this church I am expecting King's Church to do great things for God.
We can only do that If we truly believe that God will do what He says He will do
We can only do that If we pray expecting that God will answer-
We can only do that If we witness expecting God to work on the lost person's heart,
We can only do that If we are expecting Him to move in the life of the Church
We can only do that If we live our live expecting that Jesus may be returning today by Getting in to God's business and being ready all time.
And I pray that you will join me in anticipation of what God can do through us here, this year.
