The Power of Tarrying
The key that turns followers into witnesses
Dear #DailyFollower,
Introduction
Yes, Christ called us to follow (following the logic in Mark 13:37: what I say to one, I say to all), but right after that call, He commits to making us fishers of men (and women).
The first part of the making process is the impartation of knowledge. Christ spent over three years imparting knowledge to His followers and us; thank God for dutiful scribes who documented this knowledge for us (so that what he said to one gets to everyone who comes to the saving knowledge of our Lord Jesus).
The second and final making process is the impartation of the Spirit of Jesus. This part can’t be taught or breathed, as Christ released a breath, and His disciples received the Holy Spirit. It can only be obtained by tarrying.
Tarrying Is An Instruction Christ Gave Us
Followers only become witnesses when they tarry.
We tarry in obedience to Christ’s instruction in Luke 24:49, NKJV:
49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
The Promise of His Heavenly Father that Christ referred to here is His Spirit, a gift He prayed His Father would send to followers who show their love for Him by obeying His instruction, especially the instruction to tarry, as we see in John 14:15-17, NKJV:
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
When we tarry - waiting on God for greater dimensions of His Spirit, we receive the impartation of the Spirit of Jesus, the vital piece of Christ that makes us His witnesses.
What Is Tarrying?
Oxford Languages Dictionary defines tarry as stay[ing] longer than intended or delaying leaving a place.
That is precisely what Jesus asked His disciples and us to do - wait until God delivers His Spirit in the dimensions we need to partner with Him to execute His counsel in any given session.
Bible Scholars tell us that the 120 disciples of Jesus in the upper room waited ten days for the manifestation of the promise of the Spirit of Jesus.
That’s tarrying!
What Happens When We Tarry?
We receive POWER! Power to witness.
Power to witness Jesus to the world around us. We see examples right after the manifestation of the infilling of the 120 disciples in Acts 2.
First, Peter’s message (after denying Christ under 60 days before this message) resulted in 3,000 souls turning to Christ (Acts 2:41).
Next, Peter and John demonstrated the healing works of Jesus, commanding a cripple man to stand in the name of Jesus (Acts 3:1-10), opening the door to another message that brought another 5,000 souls to Christ (Acts 4:1-4).
Then, we see community transformation follow these massive soul harvests (Acts 4:32-35).
When we tarry, we yield ourselves to God so that He can work in and through us to:
Bring people to the knowledge of His saving grace,
Mature believers and set them on the trajectory to become His witnesses and
Transform societies around us into peaceful, prosperous, and productive places.
Conclusion
God needs available, yielded and equipped vessels.
The harvest field is still great, and the Lord of the harvest needs you and me to partner with Him to rake in the great harvest, but we need to tap into the power of tarrying consistently.
A way to do this would be to follow Christ’s model in Mark 1:35, EXB:
35 [Very] Early the next morning, while it was still dark, Jesus ·woke [got up] and left the house. He went to a ·lonely [isolated; deserted] place, where he prayed.
Jesus tarried, and I believe He did more frequently than the Scripture record. If the Son of Man (who was fully human and fully God) had to tarry, we all must tarry.
It is the key to becoming channels through which the power of God flows into our world.
Could you make time to tarry this year? You’d be glad you did.
Yours faithfully,
John, a #DailyFollower.
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Tarrying in God's presence is vital for our walk with Him and our work for Him. It strengthens our relationship with Christ and equips us to be His witnesses. Thank you, John, for sharing this profound message. May God's grace continue to abound in your life. Amen.