The Waiting Room Part 1 “Waiting for the Right Sign” Traditional Service Livestream
Most of life is spent waiting.
Waiting to see the doctor. Waiting to graduate.
Waiting to be accepted in college. Waiting for your first job offer.
Waiting for the right time to start a family. Waiting for your test scores or the test results. Waiting to find out what God wants you to do.
Waiting for your ship to come in, your dreams to come true, or prayers to be answered.
If you’ve ever been in a hospital waiting room, you know the feeling. Waiting is hard.
But we also wait for the signs. The signs that tell us when to move forward or when to stay put. The signs that tell us to change directions or seek a new path. Signs that tell us a door is opening, a window is closing, or something significant is about to happen.
Something unexpected happens in our lives and we’re shocked and surprised. We stop and say, “I never saw that coming!” As if we had no clue. But then we look back and realize the signs were always there. We just didn’t see them.
Jesus didn’t suddenly appear out of the blue unannounced. He never does.
The signs were everywhere:
“Therefore, the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14
A guiding star
Angels announcing
A manger in place
John the Baptist shouting at the top of his lungs
Wise men from the East
The signs were everywhere. Most of the people just didn’t see them.
So, every Christmas we tell the same story. For the most part it never changes. The one constant message proclaimed for thousands of years is this; Jesus Christ is born, and He comes to the world to save us. That’s the story.
So, if you’re looking for some new twist, or a different take on the Christmas story, or some clever new, never heard before details, you’re going to be disappointed.
The church’s job is to tell the story and stick to the script.
Seriously, why do we tell the same story every year? From a marketing perspective it doesn’t make sense. Any good businessperson will tell you to rebrand, change it up, keep it fresh. But we tell keep telling the same story, singing the same hymns, reading the same passages, using the same decorations, and preaching the same sermons.
Why? Because it’s not just an ancient story about Jesus who came into the world at a particular time and place.
It’s about how Jesus comes to us here and now, where we live and breathe.
There’s more to being in the waiting room than just sitting and waiting.
If you find yourself stuck in the waiting room of life, look for the signs.
They are everywhere.
