Transcript of a published sermon by Dan Gibson, transcribed from YouTube. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Go and wait for the promise
- Jesus gave his disciples instructions: do not leave Jerusalem, but go and wait for the promise.
- We get in a hurry — to get to the next level, to make something happen because time feels short — but Pentecost came to people who had lingered in prayer, in one mind and in one accord.
Scriptures: Acts 1:4
Don't quit praying — your prayers are about to be answered
- Some have been praying certain prayers for quite some time and are getting a "not yet" or seemingly nothing at all, not seeing any of it come to pass.
- Those prayers have been as incense before the Lord; he hears the prayer, knows the loneliness, and has not turned a deaf ear.
- The word sent today is: don't quit praying, because your prayers are about to be answered.
Zacharias, your prayers have been heard
- In Luke 1, the priest Zacharias was faithful to the house of God, doing his duty and offering incense, though he and Elizabeth were old and she was barren.
- Right in the middle of his prayers, the angel interrupted him at the altar: your prayers have been heard, and you are going to have a child — the impossible.
- God will interrupt us in our prayers; nothing is impossible with him, and prayers that seem past their time can still be answered today.
God has a waiting room
- God asks for time with us; when he says wait, everything else is put aside, and we sell ourselves short of what he wants to do when we refuse to slow down.
- Prayers once given up on can be rekindled at the altar; the response is surrender — not my will, but thine be done — and thanking him for hearing rather than only asking again.
- In his presence priorities are rearranged; after years of praying, Zacharias heard God speak when he expected just another prayer meeting, and some may need to wait a little longer in this service.
Scripture index: Acts 1:4.
About a week ago, the Lord began to deal with me on this subject. This scripture came to mind. Acts the 1 chapter verse 4. Just stay where you're at, folks. I'm not. We're not driving you out of what you're feeling right now. Acts 1:4. Jesus has given his disciples instructions. Tells them not to leave Jerusalem. And he says, "Go and wait for the promise." Tells them to wait. Don't leave. Go wait. And I I feel it very The presence of God is in this room. And if we could see it right now, it would be as if we are in that holy place and that smoke has filled that room.
You've heard us talk the last few weeks about how that we get in such a hurry. get in a hurry to get to the next level. We get in a hurry to to make something happen because you know time is short for us. We get in a hurry. Acts two goes on to say that there was a special day on that great day called the day of Pentecost that the people were gathered and it said that they were in one mind and in one accord. You see, they had been lingering in the spirit of God in prayer, asking the Lord for that promise.
I want you to lift your hands once again. There are some things in this place today that I feel this. I felt this in the Holy Ghost this morning earlier when I was praying that God has given some of you some prayers. You've been praying some prayers for quite some time and you're getting this not yet or you're not getting anything at all. You're not seeing it. You're not seeing any of it come to pass. But I feel that I've been sent here to tell you today.
Don't quit praying because your prayers are about to be answered. And I wish somebody would open up and accept what God has spoken that the prayers that you've been praying They have been as incense before the Lord. And he hears your prayer. He knows the loneliness that you feel. He knows what you're feeling right now. It It would be as if he has turned a deaf ear. The truth is he hears you. He hears you. He hears you. You have to excuse me. I I have got all kinds of things I could talk about right now, but I just feel this.
Lift your hands once again in this place in the name of Jesus. You've been praying it for quite some time. Been praying it for quite some time. And you just don't know if it's going to come to pass. Oh Jesus. Oh, it's okay. Come on. It's okay to linger in his presence. This is what he asked of his disciples. Would you just Would you just wait for just a little bit? Could you tar for just a little while? I want to share one more area with you just for a moment.
Bear with me. I just I feel like God's getting ready to do some things in this place. Luke the first chapter. There was a priest there that was mentioned. His name was Zachcharias. He was married to Elizabeth was of the lineage of Aaron. They were not allowed to have children. Her womb was dried up. Could she was barren. Scripture says this. Read it. Luke the first chapter. Scripture says that Aaron is doing his duty. He is faithful to the house of God. He is doing what he's been asked of.
The scripture says that Aaron or Zachcharias comes to the part that he's supposed to do and that is to offer incense. Zachchariah walks in and he begins to offer incense to the Lord. And as he begins to offer incense to the Lord, the scripture says that an angel appeared on the right hand of the altar. Mind you, I don't know what Zachcharias's prayers were, but we do know what the scripture says. The scripture said, the angel says, Zachcharias, your prayers have been heard. I've come to tell somebody today, "Your prayers have been heard." Zachcharias knew.
He says, "I'm old. My wife is old. And you're saying I'm going to have a child?" He says, "Your prayers has been heard. God's speaking to us today and he's letting us know that the prayers that are going up, you have come to the altar time and time and time again. I want you to know today your prayers have been heard. I want you to lift your hands with me once again across this room. If you would, I want everyone in this place, if you would stand, if you're able to stand right now, and I want you to make that that appointment right now that God has asked you that would you wait for me just a few moments.
I think so many times we sell ourselves short of what God really wants to do in our lives because we get such a hurry and God says, "I just want time with you. I just want time with you. I'm not going to talk to you much longer because I know this that there are people in this room right now that you have been asking God time and time again. You've been asking God for certain things. And God has sent us here today to tell you your prayers have been heard.
Why don't you spend some time with the Lord right now? Why don't you spend some time with him and let the Lord talk to you? Allow his voice to speak into your life. You see, God will interrupt us in our prayers. Right in the middle of Zach's prayers, the angel interrupted him and said, "You're going to have a child, impossible." Don't ever think that there's anything impossible with God. Don't ever put it past the Lord. You say, "Well, God, my time my time is spent. I don't I don't understand this." And some of you've given up on some prayers.
Why don't you rekindle that fire right now? Why don't you do that? These altars are open, folks. These altars are open. Would you come before him? Come to his altar and say, "God, I pray once again. I pray once again in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Come on folks. Why don't you offer up that sacrifice right now? In the name of Jesus. I've prayed and I've prayed and I've prayed. And once again, God, I'm here praying. Allow him to talk to you right now.
In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Come on. Step out from where you are. Come find your place. Or if it's if it feels better where you at, turn around. Find yourself a place in the name of Jesus. Right now, God, right now, Lord. In the name of Jesus. Oh, in your name Jesus. in his presence. You're in his presence right now. Let him talk to you. Why don't you wait for him? Wait on him right now in the name of Jesus. Not my will, Lord Jesus, but thine be done.
Oh, in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. In your name Jesus. I want to do something right here. continue to pray with me. Would you continue to pray? Those that are those of you that are at the altar, pray, but maybe there's, and I know you're here, but maybe there's some people here that want to step out right now. There's some things you've been praying about. And it may have been for quite some time. It may have been some things that that you've not given up on yet.
But maybe you're here and there's some prayers you have given up on. I would I would like to challenge you right now. You haven't got an answer. You don't know. I want to challenge you right now. if you would come forth and I want you just to stand right across the front right here. Come on. Just stand across the front. There's questions in in some prayers that you've prayed and you can't seem to find the answer. In the name of Jesus. It's okay. It's okay. Okay, folks.
Because see, this is where this is where we put our faith in God. Come on, Whitney. Get over here. You just can't seem to get that answer. Or maybe it's not the answer you're looking for. Those of you that are standing right here, I want you to lift your hands and there needs to be total surrender. God, I don't understand or I can't get that answer. God sent a word to you today. He has sent a word to you that says he hears your prayers. He hears your prayers.
And what I need you to do right now is just thank you, Lord, for hearing my prayers, God. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayers in the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus, I thank you Lord. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer. Thank you Jesus. Don't ask him right now. I want you to thank him for it because he hears it. He hears it. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for hearing my prayer, Lord. Thank you, Lord. I worship you because of who you are, Lord.
I worship you because I know that you have answered this prayer, God. You've answered it. In the name of Jesus. Oh, in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Come on, just love him right now. Would you do that across this building? Love you, Jesus. I love you, Jesus. Oh, I love you, Lord. I love you, Lord. Hallelujah. Let that word speak to you right now. Let it speak to you right now. Yes, I've been waiting for quite some time, but God, you hear my prayers. And if I have to wait another week, you hear my prayers, oh God.
Oh, hallelujah. Hallelu. Hallelujah. My faith is in you, God. My faith is in you, Lord. Yes, Jesus. Your name Jesus. Yes. I thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Thank you Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus. Hallelujah. Oh, in your name Lord. Oh, in your name Lord. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Can you feel his presence around you right now? Amen. Yes, Jesus. Yes, Jesus. Why don't you pray this with me? Not thy will, not my will, but thine be done, Lord. Not my will, but thine be done.
Would you pray that? Not my will, but thine be done. Come on, pray it right now. Lord, I know that you're there. I feel your presence. I feel your anointing in this room. Hallelu. Hallelujah. You see, it's in the presence of God like this right here that things can be changed, your mind can be changed, rearranged, and and all of those things that we have accumulated in our lives, he can rearrange our priorities right here. You see, that's what he was asking for when he he asked the disciples to go and wait.
I don't know about you, but life can get busy and we got a lot that we got to do. God says wait. And when God says wait, that means put along put put everything aside. When's the last time that you sat alone with nothing in your hand and you said just God speak to me. Such an anointing in this place right now. God is God is stirring our hearts. And I hope you get the message today. God does have a waiting room for us that he says, "Not yet.
Not yet. After all those years of praying those prayers, Zachcharias heard the voice of God speaking. And the scripture said that it startled him. He was afraid. because he just thought it was just an going to be another prayer meeting. But truth be told, God says, "Today, I'm answering your prayer." God sent us here to tell you today, Sister Keela, your prayers have been heard. Your prayers have been heard. Oh my. Why don't you lift your hands with us once again? Would you do that in the name of Jesus?
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for the still small voice. Thank you for those words of encouragement that come. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, that you hear my prayers in the name of Jesus. I'm going to ask the media team to put our prayer up, but folks, you may need to wait a little longer in this service. Maybe you you've got something God's talking to you about. Don't pass this opportunity up. He's in this room right now in the name of Jesus. Lift your hands with us once again and love him.
Would you do that? In the name of Jesus. In the name of Jesus. Name of Jesus. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. In the name of Jesus. Yes. Yes, Lord. Open your mouth and shout yes Lord. Lord Lord Lord open yes Lord. Yes Lord. One more time. Open your mouth and shout yes Lord. Lord open your mouth and shout yes Lord. Lord open your mouth and shout yes Lord. Say yes Lord. Yes Lord. Lord. Yes Jesus to your will. Yes Jesus to your Jesus to your word. This is always in the building.
I got a praise. I won't let somebody just Come on, put your hands together in the building. Put your feet on the ground and give God a liar. The devil is a liar. God is a liar. God is the liar. and the shallop. You ought to put your hands together and shout for joy. You might as well just dance for a minute. Why don't you pray our prayer with us in this place and I'm not going to mess that up. Would you pray with us? The Lord bless you.
down shelter.
Scripture references as spoken: Acts 1:4.