Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24:45-49
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1:1-8
Have you ever wanted to just get on with it? Have you ever felt that you have a good sense of what you’re supposed to do and where you’re supposed to go and how it’s supposed to happen? You’ve been given strength and energy, and before you get too old you’d like to get it done?
I was meeting recently with a fellow who loves the Lord and has a real desire to do something for God. He said at one point, “I keep having to resist the thoughts that go through my mind.” At 38 years old he sees the hourglass, and the sand is falling fast.
At 38 years old Moses was still in Egypt. He hadn’t even started his 40 years of caring for somebody else’s sheep. God had a plan for Moses. In fact, the plan was so great Moses couldn’t have imagined it. Yet, it wasn’t time to do what he was supposed to do. The preparation would not be in vain. Most of Moses’ life would be waiting.
If you walk in obedience to God, you will find yourself repeatedly having to wait on His timing. You’ll have to do things His way and in His time in order to be obedient.
The disciples had been told what they were to do. They were supposed to go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples out of all the nations. They were supposed to be baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And yet, they were told, don’t go anywhere yet. Don’t start now. Wait in Jerusalem until you receive what has been promised.
I want to highlight several things about this interlude in the lives of the disciples as they awaited Pentecost. First, it was a matter of obedience. The reason that they stayed in Jerusalem was obedience to God. It wasn’t because they were tired. It wasn’t because they were nervous. It wasn’t because they were afraid to obey. It was because they were obedient. That’s important because some of us have a hard time waiting.
Others of us really like the waiting part. “No hurry. I’m comfortable, thank you very much. I’ll stay right here. Okay, somebody get me another cushion.” The body of Christ has both extremes. It isn’t as if one extreme is godly and the other extreme is ungodly. The issue is, are you where you are because of obedience? Lagging behind is no better than running ahead. The important thing is to obey. These men were told, “Stay in Jerusalem, until you are clothed with power from on high.”
There are times when God tells us to do something, and we think, “God, am I hearing you, right? You want me to do what? That doesn’t make any sense to me. Why should I do that?” And the answer is, “Because I said, so.” God will never contradict the scriptures. Still, there are a lot of things we’re not going to understand until we get to heaven. If you think God needs to explain it all to you before you are obligated to obey, you are mistaken.
A favorite passage of mine that illustrates this is in Mark chapter 6, when Jesus commanded, required, made His disciples get in the boat. In Mark 6:45, Jesus is going to stay behind, while the disciples are sent to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Several of these men were commercial fishermen before they began following Jesus, and they knew how to handle a boat. They also knew that there are times when it is best not to head out because the weather is not looking good. Apparently, this was one of those times. A storm was coming and they were going to get caught in the storm, on the lake, all night long. Jesus told them to go to the other side. They would spend most of the night trying to do what He said without success.
You and I are sometimes told to do things, and although we’re really trying, we’re just not able to get it done. Jesus was not being cruel. He was about to reveal Himself in an unforgettable way. While they were out there struggling during the last watch of the night, Jesus would walk out across the waves to meet them in the darkness. Do you think they’d ever forget that? In order for them to be in a position to experience that miracle, they had to obey, even when it didn’t make sense to them. That’s why it says He made them get into the boat and go to the other side.
This is typical of how God works with His people. He is training us to be obedient, no matter the cost, no matter how foolish it looks to us.
This matter of obediently waiting was actually Jesus’ pattern as well. He did not begin His public ministry until He was around 30 years of age. When He was 12 years old at the temple, He was already able to baffle the scholars of His day. Yes, He did grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. But as one who started preaching publicly at age 15 and got married at 21, I’m sure that by the time Jesus was 25, He was capable of great things. Why wait until He’s 30? There were sick people when He was 25. There were demoniacs when He was 25. There were people who were praying for Messiah’s arrival when He was 25. Jesus was already on the scene, but He wasn’t revealing who He was. He had not started His public ministry. What was He doing at age 28?
Let me tell you what He was doing at age 28. I know this from scripture. He was being obedient to the Father, and it wasn’t time for Him to be revealed. Jesus was perfectly obedient to the Father’s will. Jesus said He only did what the Father told Him to do and He only said what the Father told Him to say. That’s why His public ministry didn’t start until He was about 30 years old.
So, when you’re thinking, “God, what are you going to do with all my potential?” get some perspective. Simply wait,
and just do what He says.
