B E H I N D / T H E / B A R

If you were to imagine your “This is the Life” kind of life, what would that look like?  The ideal life.  I shared my on Sunday at RiverChurch.  Crystal blue ocean, white sandy beach, a huge hammock hung between two palm trees, a summer breeze, ahh . . . This is the life.  Yours may look entirely different than mine.  But I’ve come to realize that God has an ideal life for all of us.  We can see that type of life lived out among the early followers of Christ, as they are described in the book of Acts.

Luke, the author of Acts describes a group of people who lived a “This is the Life” kind of life.  Their lives were full of awe, signs, and wonders, they had all things in common, they were of one heart and soul, they had glad and generous hearts, and had favor with all people, they lived with great grace, and no one among them was needy, and people were constantly healed in their midst. (Read Acts 2, 4, & 5)

I’m looking forward to unpacking the life of an Acts believer over the next few weeks at RiverChurch.  But one of the first things I’ve discovered about them, was that they were comfortable with waiting.

In Acts 1:1-5, 12-14, Jesus tells his followers to return to Jerusalem to “wait for the promise of the Father,” and that’s just what they did.  This promise was the Holy Spirit, and Jesus had told them what they could expect from the Holy Spirit in  John 14:16-17, 26, John 15:26-27, John 16:13-15

So they returned to Jerusalem, and waited.  Now we know through a bit of study, that they waited about ten days for the fulfillment of the promise.  But they didn’t know that initially.  They didn’t know how long it would take for the promise to be fulfilled, but interestingly enough you read nothing of impatience, or anxiousness.  They were comfortable in waiting.

Waiting isn’t fun, for any of us.  I hate waiting.  I know that makes me an impatient person by the standards of many.  Scripture has so much to say to us about waiting.

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So the “This is the Life” kind of life that God has intended for us, begins with us becoming comfortable with waiting, waiting on the promises of God to be fulfilled in our lives.  But it also means that we must know what His promises are, in the first place.

If we don’t know His promises, then when we enter seasons of waiting, we will get restless, weary, frustrated and tempted to throw in the towel, to quit, give up.

I know what this is like, in more ways than I care to describe here.  There have been times I’ve been inclined to give in to frustration and the temptation to stop waiting, to simply give up.   But I’ve learned that I have to be reminded of the promises God has given me.  That’s where the Holy Spirit steps in.  Remember what Jesus said in John 14:26?  “He will bring to your remembrance what I have said to you.”

If you aren’t living a “This is The Life” kind of life.  You can.  But perhaps, you first must get comfortable waiting.  Waiting and trusting in the promises of the Father.  Allowing your faith to be strengthened in times of waiting.

You have to know His promises, more importantly you have to trust and be willing to wait for them to be fulfilled.  Have you even begun to trust the promises of God?  Have you given up? Are you willing to wait for them, or are you driven by such impatience that you have decided to throw in the towel?

Let me remind you of some of HIs promises today:

Need Direction? – Proverbs 4:25-27 – Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.  Watch the path ofy oru feet and all your ways will be established.  Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.”

Need Forgiveness? – 1 John 1:7 –  If we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from ALL SIN.

Need Provision? – Phiippians 4:19 – My God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Experiencing Family Issues? – Acts 16:31 –  They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.

Have Unsaved Children? – Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Issues at Work / Business? – 1 Chronicles 22:13 –  You will prosper, if you are careful to observe the statutes and the ordinances which the Lord commanded Moses concerning Israel.  Be strong and courageous, do not fear nor be dismayed.

Experiencing Conflict? – Psalm 37:40 –  The LORD helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.

Fighting Depression? – Psalms 34:17 –  The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

Need Healing? Isaiah 53:5 – He was pierced for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities;  The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.

These are His promises.  We simply must trust and be willing to wait for their fulfillment, even when it may seem they are delayed.  As we wait, our hope increases, our faith is strengthened, and we discover a “This is the Life” kind of life.

Join us as we read through Acts 1 & 2 this week, and over the next few weeks as we discover what a “This is the life” kind of life looks like.