Living for Jesus vs. desired results

Introduction:  What do you have in mind?

John 7:23-24–If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well?

-Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, which conflicted with what the religious had in mind, when it came to honoring the Sabbath-So Jesus points out the ridiculous nature of what they had in mind when it came to being     godly=faith/relationship should bless promoting freedom in Christ, not hold people in bondage to what we have in mind

Ex:  We preach Jesus Christ and the gospel, for the sake of you coming into relationship with God-that you don’t need someone to tell you what we have in mind to be godly=empowerment-preach what God has in mind, and your relationship leads

2 Corinthians 3:17–Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

-These Pharisees were angry with Jesus because He didn’t do what they had in mind, and instead of humbling themselves-they thought Jesus was wrong and their unrepentant anger led to them eventually killing Him

Ex:  Has the Lord operated in way that you never had in mind, and sometimes it is a welcomed surprise, and in other times it has brought you to fierce anger?-the anger comes from the idea of what we had in mind, “how Jesus should operate and handle my life”, compared to what He has allowed

-That anger can live with you a long time, because the pride of not wanting to accept what Jesus does-can end up being a stumbling block to our soul, where we have this offense against God b/c of what happened=listen to how you speak on people/situations

James 3:10-11-From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?

Though this is more obvious to us;  Jesus is asking the Pharisees, can you see the good that has happened from this situation? Are you seeing the good from yours?-Jesus healed a man, but it wasn’t good to them because it violated what they had in mind; their “law” of how He should do things=I’m god, and offended b/c I’m not getting my way

-As I preach through this, I want you to examine yourself and ask-is their something can’t see the good that has come from it, to you it was useless, so we’re angry (it hasn’t furthered God’s purpose in my life?) Are you offended b/c Jesus violated what you had in mind…

You will stay angry if you don’t see your life shaped to further God’s purpose-living offended, b/c you have wrongly interpreted what relationship with God is about=(not getting your desired results, or what you had in mind, but living for His-takes real humility to declare His way is better, and real faith to “Trust Him”)

Luke 7:23–And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”-you have submitted to God’s way though you don’t understand it or like it=blessed

 

Unmet expectations teaches us to live in relationship

Habakkuk 3:17-19-17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

-Like this prophet, there are numerous periods in life, things don’t happen as we hoped-most expectations we have are naturally good; you should expect fruit to blossom and your produce to come in, etc.-(It’s not wrong to desire a good outcome or even expect it-the test is when what you expected doesn’t come!)

Ex: this is where we see things deteriorate between people, organizations, businesses, and churches-because whenever you have other people involved, there are different hopes and expectations each has in mind–(our response to unmet expectations determines how the relationship is going to develop-this is why unconditional love and a relationship with Christ becomes crucially important)

1 Peter 4:8-Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

What does a relationship with Christ preserve (if) when expectations go unmet:

1)  because you’re in relationship with Jesus; we see our need for mercy, from our failure to fulfill what God expects

-many times when I come into tough seasons to fight my own sins-it is usually b/c God is preparing me to be merciful and compassionate in ministering to someone else=I’m experiencing unconditional love, now I can give it!

2)  Unmet expectations teaches me to preserve whats important; Habakkuk was prepared to accept what normally he would expect in this season of life, fruit/prospering-he didn’t abandon the relationship with God, because He knew that was most important, he wasn’t worshiping God for “blessings”, he was worshiping for who He is!

-When we abandon people and situations because our expectations are not met for a season, can we say we love unconditionally?-so if our love and respect is based on seeing a desired result, we’re conditional and immature; b/c we arrogantly assume we’re fulfilling what God expects from us=we’re not, it’s mercy, so we should give as God gives to us!

Job 2:9-11-Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die.” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”  In all this Job did not sin with his lips.

-Job’s wife is fed up with the result of what their life has come to- (Job’s reply)-do we stay w/ God just because we were rich in blessings, no, but we stay with God when we lost everything, because He’s most important!

-Job suffered to preserve what was important, and God would honor that in his life-because he wasn’t with God for a desired result, because that would’ve proved he loved God conditionally, leaving Him when He didn’t fulfill his expectations!-what was God teaching Job, and Job teaching his wife?=how to be conformed to Christ image

3)  Relationship with God conforms us to the image of Christ:  The prophet says that though he may not see what he desires from God, he will continue to rejoice in the God of his salvation.

-the goal of God the Father is to conform us into His Son-that we like Jesus worship the Father b/c of what we share with Him in relationship, the lover our soul (Jesus is our “soul mate”)

Ex:  like children do generally, they learn to love someone based on their expectations/desired results being met-so when you do what they want, love is expressed, you don’t do what they want they’re angry with you–(they have to mature that when they don’t get what they want, that’s good for them too-b/c they learn to trust the wisdom and love of their parents)=discipline is love

Hebrews 12:10-11-For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The prophet shows us his relationship was mature, in that he was faithful in spite of expectations unmet-real love doesn’t abandon easily; he had a deep love and appreciation for who God had been to him…

 

Conclusion:   Recognizing the Lord as our Strength-The loving grace to persevere

Habakkuk 3:19 God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.

-The prophet skips over all the possible unmet expectations in his life, and realizes that this season of life is not about getting what he should expect, but persevering-That there is a season for everything to “plant and uproot”, you cannot grow efficiently without pruning

John 15:2-Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.=the goal in our life is not getting everything we want but be fruitful, effective, aka like Jesus

–Sometimes unmet expectations, disappoints, dry seasons, etc. are all designed to learn to live upon God alone-such seasons are for us to know that our strength is not us, not our spouse, children, or anything else, but God

–The beauty that comes out of such seasons of suffering, is that you realize that it was God who preserves and no one else- which births a gratitude for God, based on relationship, that He preserved us from depression, anxiety, suicide, etc=

deeper worship from a deeper gratitude; (a lack of thanksgiving comes from a lack intimacy-to recognize what God has done in preserving you from what could’ve happened if not for Him)

Deuteronomy 29:5-7-I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.

-God wanted the children of Israel to understand that it was His love for them that preserved them-yet because they always lusted for what they expected, they didn’t develop gratitude for what God was doing in the moment-(in that He could’ve let them die in that season-because He did kill previous generations, He didn’t have to keep them alive!)

When we get to the place where we realize that we don’t “have to have” anything, than gratitude emerges-But lust and greed always is disappointed in what we don’t have, instead of focused on what we do have=a relationship with God