Table Talk | August 01 & 02
Growth Group Guide: Waiting Well - Anticipating His Return
Overview
This sermon wraps up the Waiting Well series by focusing on a specific kind of waiting: the eager, forward-leaning anticipation of Jesus's return. The sermon traces this theme from Genesis 3 all the way through Revelation 21, challenging us to honestly evaluate whether Christ's return is something we genuinely long for or something we have quietly pushed to the back of our minds.
Key Takeaways
The promise of a "snake crusher" in Genesis 3:15 set the entire biblical story in motion as one long, forward-leaning anticipation of God making things right.
Old Testament saints like Simeon lived with a head-stretched-forward, eyes-fixed-on-the-horizon posture, eagerly expecting God to fulfill his promises.
The New Testament consistently assumes that followers of Jesus will be eagerly anticipating his return, not merely acknowledging it as a distant theological fact.
There are three postures toward Christ's return: indifference, obsession, and anticipation. The goal is to live in the tension of anticipation, encouraged by what God has promised while actively engaging in the mission he has given us.
Heaven is not the consolation prize. It is the prize. It is the full restoration of relationship with God that humanity was created for.
God is not slow in keeping his promises. His patience toward us is itself an act of grace, giving more people the opportunity to come to repentance.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Opening
When you were growing up, what did you imagine heaven to be like? How has that picture changed over time, if at all?
Pastor Todd used the image of a hunter or fisherman waiting with intense focus for the right moment. Can you think of a time in your own life when you waited for something with that kind of eager, active anticipation? What made that waiting feel different from ordinary waiting?
Going Deeper
Pastor Todd described three postures toward Christ's return: indifference, anticipation, and obsession. Which of the three most honestly describes where you are right now? What do you think has shaped that posture in you?
In Hebrews 11:13, the author describes Old Testament saints as people who admitted they were foreigners and strangers on earth, longing for a heavenly country. How comfortable have you made yourself here? In what ways might that comfort be working against a forward-leaning anticipation of eternity with God?
Pastor Todd pointed out that in 2 Peter 3:9, God is described as being patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish. How does it shift your perspective to think of God as the one who has been waiting on you, rather than only the other way around?
Pastor Todd shared the story of a man who had just sold his company, received a terminal diagnosis, and said his prayer was "either a miracle or Jesus' return." He noted that the people who seem to anticipate heaven most are usually the elderly or the terminally ill. Why do you think that is? What does it say about how the rest of us are living?
The sermon drew a distinction between anticipation and obsession, noting that obsession can become more about control and deciphering mysteries than about Jesus himself. Have you ever seen this play out, either in yourself or in others? How do we stay centered on the person of Jesus when thinking about his return?
Bringing It Home
Titus 2:11-14 describes a life shaped by grace while we wait for "the blessed hope." In practical terms, what does it look like for the anticipation of Christ's return to actually change how you live this week, not just what you believe?
Pastor Todd mentioned that a low view of heaven may be partly a ploy of the enemy to keep us distracted and disinterested. What false or shallow pictures of heaven have you carried, and how might a more biblical picture change your longing for it?
Romans 8:22-25 describes creation and believers groaning inwardly as we wait eagerly for full redemption. What are the things in your life right now that cause you to groan and long for Jesus to make all things right?
Practical Applications
This Week:
- Set aside 15 minutes to sit quietly and ask yourself honestly: How often does the anticipation of Jesus's return actually enter my mind? Journal what comes up without editing yourself.
- Identify one person in your relational world who does not yet know Christ. Pray specifically for them this week, holding in tension the longing for Jesus to return quickly and the desire for that person to have time to respond to the gospel.
- This Month:
- Consider working through Andrew Murray's "Waiting on God," a 31-day devotional referenced in the sermon. You could read it individually and bring reflections back to the group, or work through it together.
- As a Group:
- Close each small group gathering for the next month by reading Revelation 21:3-4 together and praying the prayer, "Even so, Lord, come quickly." Let that posture become a regular rhythm rather than an afterthought.