The waiting| Colin N

This message was preached by Colin Nicholes on November 12th, 2015 at the Regions Beyond annual gathering of the nations- 'the HUB 2015' in Dubai. 

Are you tired of waiting? What do you do when waiting? What is the result?

As a family of churches we have this amazing call of God upon us. We have had these prophecies- don’t think of a small vegetable patch but a global field. That’s why the name Regions Beyond. Do you feel that impact?

There is a call of God upon us. How will this happen? Reproduction- it is God’s desire for us to be fruitful. If we read the book of Genesis 1- it says multiply and fill the earth with His glory and people like him. Jesus had no small thing in mind in Matthew 28- go into all the world!

We’ve heard about prophecies of trees and fruit. Families and reproduction is also a biblical picture.

1 Samuel 1:1-8

This is Hannah’s story- dearly loved and yet barren. The most dangerous question your spouse could ask is “why do you love me?” God answers that question with “I love you because I love you”. When you have a baby, you hold it and love it even though it does not do a lot. You love it because it is yours- not because of what it did but who it is.

We are loved because we are loved. The grace of God! We are in Christ and nothing can make him love us less or more. We are his workmanship. We are being re calibrated to know that. 
We know this and yet it gets tested. Like Hannah who is loved but barren, God will ask you “Am I enough?” especially when things go wrong. All of us in leadership will have to answer this. It’s one of those things that we have to face and live.

Hannah had to come to terms with it that she was loved yet barren. And yet there was a longing in her heart to reproduce. There are these good works we have been called to. There are things God has put in our hearts. There is this yearning for fruitfulness.

You get provoked by the second wife- the building down the road, the other pastor’s success/ and you get agitated.

We are chosen for fruitfulness. Jesus who could do everything makes us wait sometimes.

1 Samuel 1:9- 11

Why the wait, the discouragement, when we have the plan perfectly in place? Because we can only reproduce who we are- and God cares who we reproduce. God wants to work in us before he works through us. Jesus said go out and bear fruit. Those who are fruitful he will prune so that we will be more fruitful.

Q. what is Hannah learning?

Who is bringing the fruit. We have many storms like this. It made her realize who gives the fruit. We have to learn from realizing on the natural to the supernatural.

“If only the leaders would see the gift in me, I will be fruitful”. Your leaders can’t make you fruitful. Methods can’t make you fruitful. God is bringing us to a place of desperation. Some of us are feeling God is looking for people who will look to him.

We all think we are strong but God loves the weak things just so that we know who brings the strength and power.

Hannah came to the place and she prays that she will give it back to God. What God gives us is not for us but for God. Before we understand fruitfulness we need to understand dying i.e. we are letting go- God is not about me but you.

We need to come to this place. We have dreams for things but we have a season of dying and giving it up. When we do this, we will have many more sons and daughters as an inheritance.

There is a call to hang on in the time of barrenness before fruitfulness. You will produce fruit if you don’t give up. It’s a biblical principle- you will reap what you sow.

1 Samuel 1:12-40

There is fruitfulness that we will unlock over the next few days.  The longing for a child with a childless couple is strong. This is the longing of God for us- to be fruitful. For those of us- to be fruitful, for those of us who have been barren- God is on our case working on us, getting us ready.

We are fortunate- we come from rich heritage. When Terry Virgo says I am releasing sons to start their own sphere; Steve Oliver is about releasing new leaders all the time.

We need to keep longing for this- give us children God. Don’t give up until we see what God has for us. Asking God to put his spirit in us to do what he wants to do.

Give yourself today- to seeking God to make us fruitful.      

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.