Now What?

We began this discussion several weeks back as we looked at the task of bringing renewal to the church. We learned that most have given up bringing renewal to the local church. In creating a church that is strong and poised for growth, I have been laying out for you what I believe are to be the priorities of the church: Love God, Love Others, Love the World.

It is in those moments when we get these priorities in order, that we can bring renewal and vibrancy to the church. A quick review of these three priorities, as revealed by scripture and more importantly in the teachings of Jesus, is found in the Gospel of John Chapter 17. This is the prayer of Jesus the night he was betrayed. Jesus left us this blueprint for the church, but it is not as easy to read as it might be had you been reading my bible. My bible has headings that divide different passages of scripture. There are three distinct headings:

Jesus Prays for Himself (v 1-5)
Jesus Prays for His Disciples (v 6-19)
Jesus Prays for All Believers (v 20-25)

Our three priorities are the same three priorities that Jesus had in the garden on that last evening – Love of God, Love of Others, Love for the World. These priorities are not chronological, but rather they are foundational. We do not accomplish one and then move on. Each priority feeds the other and becomes the foundation for all that we do. The style and manner by which they are acted upon will vary and it will change with time. The style and manner will be different in Indiana and Africa. It will be different in the suburbs versus the inner city versus the country.

These priorities are revealed throughout scripture. We often miss them because they do not come with giant headings that say things like, “Read here to find out what you should be doing!” But make no mistake the Bible is filled with reminders of our priorities.

Even in those rare moments when we get our priorities in the right order. In that moment when we decide we are going to change, we come to a point where we have to ask ourselves, "So, now what?"

This was the same question asked by the disciples in Acts 1:1-14 NIV.

pa•tience n. The capacity, quality, or fact of being patient.

Have you ever been forced to sit and wait for something? It takes patience.

In St Paul Island, Alaska it takes three days to deliver a pizza. I wouldn’t be ordering much pizza.

Patience denotes the capacity to endure hardship, difficulty, or inconvenience without complaint. Patience emphasizes calmness, self-control, and the willingness or ability to tolerate delay.

Unfortunately in our relationship with God, sometimes we must wait and be patient. Not everything we want happens with a command. Things take time. We have committed to renew our lives and this congregation, but many now ask, “Now what?” The disciples must have felt much the same as they returned to Jerusalem after Christ ascended.

What can we do while we are waiting?

Jesus’ last instructions to his disciples were to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit. They responded in obedience and returned to Jerusalem to wait for something they knew nothing about. It takes a lot of faith and plenty of patience to wait for something. Eleven apostles and Jesus’ mother and brothers waited along with others in the upper room in Jerusalem. Luke counts their total number at one hundred and twenty. So there they all sat and waited. They waited. How many times did someone ask, “Now what?”

Scripture tells us they did not just twiddle thumbs while they waited. They prayed. It would have been easy to say “it is already promised so let’s just wait” or Jesus knows what is coming so why do we need prayer. Instead they prayed as before seeking, asking, and entreating the Lord. We often forget the value of persistent prayer. How often do we pray and discard our request after one time? Our prayers are also an act of faith in showing God our faith and trust in Him. (Romans 8:28) Prayer is the only mechanism God has chosen for us to access His power. God is the one with the power – not the act of praying.

The group also studied. They studied scripture and reviewed prophecies. It would appear they were attempting to understand all that happened. It was there study that helped them gain understanding. Sometimes the answers are in our grasp if we would only look in the right places.

The group also worked and took care of business. They replaced their missing committee man (Judas). The structure that they had was missing a person so they conducted the business of filling the vacancy. We have responsibility to work while we wait for God. Scripture is filled with examples of this:

1) They filled the water pots then Jesus changed the water to wine
2) Apostles lowered the nets then God filled the nets with fish
3) The people moved the stone and then Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead

Truth is sometimes we must wait. In the entire book of Acts, this first chapter is the only chapter that is not filled with volumes of activity. I find it interesting that a book entitled Acts begins with a period of waiting. That is exactly where we are today as a congregation. We are waiting. We wait for the priorities to take hold. We wait for the changes to come in the activities of the church.

We wait and in many ways we wait without knowing what is coming. So we ask in this period of waiting, “Now what?”

While we wait we can learn from the early church and we can:

1) Pray
Pray for the church.
Pray for those that will come to all the new activities.
Pray for your involvement.

2) Study
Become involved in a small group
Become involved with Sunday Morning Class
Begin a personal study time

3) Work
Volunteer in our education programs
Volunteer to serve in worship
Volunteer to work in out outreach efforts

If are making the commitment to reorganize your life around these priorities then it’s up to you. And in the mean time . . .