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Printed Service – Sunday 25th October 2026
Prepared by Rev. Saul Tadzaushe
Wait a bit longer
Hymn 51 : Great is thy faithfulness
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Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ teach me to wait for your plans and promises to be fulfilled in my life according to your time. Your time is always the best. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer : Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Bible Reading : Exodus 32:1–6 : When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”
Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.” So, all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of the calf and announced, “Tomorrow there will be a festival to the Lord.”So, the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterward they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.
Sermon : Wait a bit longer
When Moses went up Mount Sinai, the Israelites remained at the foot of the mountain. Moses was meeting with God, but the people could not see what was happening above them. After some time, they became anxious. Scripture says, “When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron” (Exodus 32:1).
They said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us.” Aaron collected their gold and made a golden calf. The people began to worship it, celebrate, and forget the God who had delivered them from Egypt.
Their failure began with impatience. They were not willing to wait for God’s appointed leader. They wanted something immediate, visible, and easy to control.
The problem was not simply that Moses was delayed. The deeper problem was that the people stopped trusting God while they waited.
Waiting is difficult because it reveals what is in our hearts. When God does not answer quickly, we may become worried or frustrated. We may think, “Perhaps God has forgotten me.” Then we may try to solve everything through our own strength.
Henri Nouwen wrote, “Waiting is never a movement from nothing to something. It is a movement from something to something more.” Waiting is not wasted time when God is involved. God may be developing our character, strengthening our faith, or preparing us for what comes next.
Think of a patient in a hospital waiting for treatment. The patient may be in pain and may not understand why the doctor has not arrived. But the delay does not mean the doctor has forgotten. The medical team may be reviewing the results, preparing the right medicine, or planning the safest treatment. The patient must resist panic and continue to trust. Acting without proper direction could cause greater harm.
Israel acted without waiting for God. They created their own solution, but their solution became an idol. What they made with their hands soon controlled their hearts. We can face the same temptation today. When God seems silent, we may create our own “golden calves.” These may be money, success, relationships, status, possessions, or personal ability. These things may not appear religious, but they can take God’s place in our lives.
Anything we trust more than God can become an idol.
The Israelites assumed that Moses’ delay meant God’s absence. But Moses was not lost. He was meeting with God. While the people were waiting below, God was working above the mountain. This is an important lesson for us: God’s delay is not God’s absence. His silence does not mean that he has stopped working. We may not see his activity, but we can still trust his character.
Perhaps you are waiting for an answer to prayer. Perhaps you are waiting for healing, guidance, provision, or a change in your circumstances. The delay may be difficult, but do not allow impatience to lead you away from God. Continue to pray. Continue to obey. Continue to worship. Continue to do what is right, even when the result is not yet visible.
Waiting does not mean that we have no faith. Sometimes, waiting is one of the clearest expressions of faith. It says, “I do not understand everything, but I believe that God is faithful.”
The people of Israel wanted a god they could see. Faith teaches us to trust the God we cannot see. The golden calf was immediate, but it could not save them. The living God seemed hidden, but he was their true Redeemer. Therefore, when life becomes uncertain, wait a bit longer. Do not replace God with something temporary. Do not let fear make your decisions. Remember what God has already done, and trust him for what he has not yet revealed.
Let us pray: “Lord, teach us to wait with faith. When answers are delayed, keep us from fear and false substitutes. Help us to trust that you are working, even when we cannot see it. Give us patience to remain faithful until your purpose is fulfilled. Amen.”
Hymn 11 : Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty.
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Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
early in the morning our song shall rise to thee;
Holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!
Holy, holy, holy! all the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
which wert and art and evermore shalt be.
Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy, there is none beside thee
perfect in power, in love, and purity.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God almighty!
all thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea;
holy, holy, holy! merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Blessing : May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen