EAGERLY WAITING

Pastor Corey Mantz

Woodland Church

Sunday, December 1, 2024

(Hebrews 9:28, NLT) “Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.”

1.  Eagerly waiting changes my perspective

(Romans 8:25, GW) “But if we hope for what we don’t see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.”

a.  You will experience peace

(Philippians 4:7, GW) “Then God’s peace, which goes beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your thoughts and emotions through Christ Jesus.”

b.  Develop a desire for community

(Hebrews 10:25, GNT) “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing. Instead, let us encourage one another all the more, since you see that the Day of the Lord is coming nearer.”

c.  My life will be prayerful

(Matthew 6:9-10, NLT) “Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon.  May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”

d.  Live a godly life

(2 Peter 3:14, NLT) “while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.”

2.  Eagerly waiting gives me new hope

a.  I’m a citizen of Heaven

(Philippians 3:20, NLT) “But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

(1 John 2:15-17, NLT) “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

b.  I’ll be completely transformed

(Philippians 3:21, Message) “But there’s far more to life for us. We’re citizens of high heaven! We’re waiting the arrival of the Savior, the Master, Jesus Christ, who will transform our earthy bodies into glorious bodies like his own. He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.”

Growthwork

1.  Find a place to serve

(Matthew 5:16, NLT) “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”

2.  Meditate on His Word

(Deuteronomy 6:5-9, NLT) “you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

3.  Remember Christ’s Promise of Heaven

(John 14:2-3, NLT) “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.”

4.  Eagerly look forward to His Return

(Revelation 22:20, NKJV) “He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.”  Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”