GREAT EXPECTATIONS

And I was really expecting bad news. This thing is really been just makes me cranky more than my usual self and Debbie wants to kick me out of the house cuz I'm always complaining moping around by Leo my leg hurts went to the doc for the results. I was really expecting some bad news and

He came back with the results of the MRI and he said well. And yes, you know they put the images up on the screen and they're explaining all that and it did you know, it doesn't make any sense to you, but you nod your head and smile and go along with it. And he said there's a bone spur.

And here's a little tear in your meniscus. And for some reason we don't know but your ACL is really inflamed really bad. And if you see all this white stuff in the Gap she goes that's arthritis. The pretty good news. I was really expecting something really really bad.

So I'm going to do not elevate my service. How are you were really expecting me to get up on that ladder weren't you?

song I don't know how long here I got to get I'm out of practice. I haven't done this for a while. So phone has to go off, right? Make sure your phones are off. I put that back of my pocket. And expectations. Wow, is that the title my message today? I decided to call it Great Expectations. And no, I'm not going to give a long lecture on the novel The Novel by Charles Dickens, you know, he wrote Great Expectations.

And I shamelessly borrow the title, okay. benefits

but really in a way so it is the tale of Great Expectations that Dickens wrote back there in the mid-1800s because he wrote it about a impoverished boy named pip.

Who was orphaned life was a struggle life was difficult he got involved with some shady characters and his life was one mishap after another but he had a turn of Fortune. And he came into some well and he decided to make himself to become a great success in and he won it all the trappings of of a great life with its wealth and fame and and soul. The novel was about one pursued after another. exist young boy becomes a man coming of age and in his heart and mind he thinks if I can just fill my life.

with these trappings

if I can just acquire these things the success in the fortune and the fame and love I will finally forever break the chains of my low self-worth.

And that's the novel is a series of Pips Great Expectations, man. I can't do this. Michelle guys sit or stand in one place and try to preach can't do it can't do it all ice beneath later.

Great Expectations That's what we're talkin these recent weeks about the church and uncertain times. So, how did these Great Expectations? For us as God's people as Kingdom people. How does it how does it connect? How do we how do we deal with the difficulties our society today? You know, I'm A lot's going on in our country and we all have expectations or maybe better Behavior or or yet all better law enforcement than better civil control. We have all these expectations and when we watch them play out. We're often disappointed.

For pip his search in life was one great expectation after another when he was confronted with being wealthy.

as he became wealthy he was not fulfilled as he is great expectation was to acquire Fame and success in life as he acquired those things.

his expectations of what they would bring to him fell short and we go man. But what about our lives? Some of you this morning probably are greatly disappointed. I didn't climb that silly ladder. There you go.

It's all disappointment sets in.

And for the disciples and here's the transition to the church. What do they look at their life? The walk with Jesus they're part of being included in the Kingdom of being offered all the promises of God.

their expectations of what that meant and would mean for their lies and how it applies to our spiritual journey today scripture can be

Dr. Luke is continuing the Gospel of Luke.

Riding to his friend Theophilus in my former book The awfullest. I wrote all about Jesus being what he began to teach and do. Until the day he was taken up into heaven after giving instruction through the Holy Spirit to the apostles. He had chosen After his suffering he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to the disciples and a. Of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

On one occasion while he was eating I didn't know it flip it one occasion while he was eating with them. He gave them this command. Jesus is giving a command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift that the father has promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Then they gathered around him and asked him. Lord are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? And Jesus said to them for you to know the times or dates. The father has set by his own authority. It is not for you to know the times and date that the father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the Earth and we're going to particularly focus on the last three verses of that portion of scripture.

Great expectations for the church in difficult times in a world that seemingly is blowing itself to Pieces. What are your expectations of God?

We know the disciples. We know God or Jesus Christ. He came to this earth. I grew up to be a man he began to teach and as he teach TB Grant Gann to acquire disciples followers to teach them to show them how to be a kingdom person and so he chose a few fishermen and he he chose lawyers in common people coming Everyday People.

And he chose them and begin to teach them live with him. Love them. Show them who God the Father really is. They followed the Messiah for three and a half years. We know the story is recorded in the Gospels. We know that as they followed the Messiah they had grown up with hearing the prophecy of how God would send his son the Messiah and when the Messiah would come he would deliver Israel. He would set them free from their Captain their captors. He would conquer them as a conquering General. He would Empower them to be the leaders of the world.

They heard the prophecies. They knew his teachings. They saw the Miracles. He worked. He saw the healings that Jesus performed. They were on the fast track to enjoy all the benefits of being in on the inside with the Son of God. Can you imagine having that kind of inside knowledge? We know a little bit inside knowledge. It isn't always beneficial especially for those on Wall Street store to get them in trouble. If they have inside knowledge of trading's of deals and companies going broke or on the rising and they jumped the gun and they begin to wheel and deal and buy and sell it gets him in trouble here. The disciples run the inside track. They were hobnobbing with the Son of God the Messiah.

At because they were in. They thought they had it made. And they had great expectations.

Messiah

I don't believe you could call anyone Messiah without placing Great Expectations upon them.

When you came to Christ when you begin to live this life and follow him, what did you expect? And what are you expecting? I tell you a little about my time in my life. I'm not real proud of it. I excused it for stupidity and immaturity, okay. And I know the Lord has forgiven me, but I still even to this day some 50 years later. I still

cringe I was newly married. We were struggling financially. We lived in Terre Haute. That was home. Terre Haute Indiana down on the Wabash River where Old Fort Harrison used to sit Pillsbury, you know, the famous Pillsbury Doughboy. They had a big fat free down there on the river. And they were hiring and pay was good and I was a follower of Jesus and I just knew that whatever I asked. God would provide

That's all I went down there. Put all that time in filling applications out waiting for the call waiting for the call waiting for the call. About a week later. I got a letter in the mail. Thank you Robert for applying but at this time we're not fulfilled you're not you know not I wanted that I still remember standard 110 South 12th, Terre Haute, Indiana. It's a doorway of I can still remember it like it was yesterday and I got angry I got mad. I should got I guess you just want me to be poor all my life. As soon as I said at the Holy Spirit convicting me. And to this day that's still as you can tell if it's sensitive man. I got mad at God over that stupid thing would work out Pillsbury and flower wasn't what God intended for my wife. I just couldn't see it at that time. I was almost 20 years old.

I had an expectation because I was a follower of God that whatever I wanted when I wanted that God would provide it. How about you?

listen The disciples had some issues. Here's Messiah Great Expectations. The prophecy was he would coming over for over enemy state, which at that time was Rome. When Messiah would come the expectation was he would at that time restore the davidic kingdom, which meant that Israel would rule over all of its enemies all over the land with power.

Wow, what a great time to be a kingdom person. And as Messiah they knew that he would appoint members only that he would appoint the inside crowd as state officials went to the kingdom got in place and they would be persons of power. That was their expectation of this Messiah.

and don't we follow with Messiah expectations Now if you just give me that job. If you just heal mom or dad or or my child or me, if you just get do these things your Messiah and I'm following you and I've got you know, I got these expectations that you're going to provide with for some success and somewhere else and it come on Lord. I got expectations here lesson.

The problem with these kind of expectations and for a lot of us a reason we stay so close to the Lord is that it's more about us than the kingdom.

It's more about us than the kingdom. It's more about us than the righteousness of God. It's more about us getting ahead then being followers of a humble lowly carpenter. There is where expectations begin to crumble. My expectation was Jesus. I need this job. So get it for me. Jesus expectation was Bob. I want you to be a Spirit-filled follower of me so that no matter what happens if you put your trust in me and it'll be okay. I wasn't there yet. I didn't learn and I hadn't learned at that point to take my hands off of my life. That's a tough thing to do and neither have the disciples after three and a half years. You go to the gospels and find that last week week and a half of Jesus life man. The disciples had seen all of this that Jesus had done and they don't get it.

So they're making their way now to Jerusalem. Jesus said I have to go to Jerusalem. And they couldn't dissuade him he was going they tried. So that wasn't their expectation expectation for the Messiah wasn't to go. Hang on the cross and died.

Lego tooth through a village of Samaria and you have to understand the cultural racial social aspects of Samaria. It was it was Israel's half brothers and sisters. They weren't full-blooded. They didn't have full right to send ancestry from Abraham, but they were partially included but they were looked down upon.

They were not to be associated with but it's either effect Jesus a whole lot. He was a kingdom person.

But they were going through city of Samaria Jesus. It was getting evening. They needed a place to stop over and rest and this Billy said no, you cannot stay here through them out Jesus and his clan.

And I suppose if the disciples had You know if they were able to have modern technology today, it would go something like this. Peter would be in a little room somewhere with a monitor and his little joysticks and he would call the James if they James we have acquired the target. The Drone is now circling overhead, and we're ready to launch Hellfire missiles.

James looks to Jesus. It says we're ready to fire lord. We're going to blast these Rascals right off the face of the Earth. That was their idea of kingdom. That was their idea of their Messiah. Hey, you crossed me. You stand against a few resist us and fight against us. We're just going to blow you off the face of the Earth. Lord, how about now we call this is what they pray. We were praying that God will rain fire down and just burn this Village. Handel Messiah says wait a minute boys. You got the wrong idea.

pray for those

To abuse and misuse you. forgive those who mistreat you

actually see Peters finger twitching on the switch.

Great expectation. Hey, where was Messiah? He's going to restore now. He's going to restore the kingdom. Now we're going to pray for these people.

We're going to forgive them.

They go a little further.

apparently they didn't get totally out of Samaria because Jesus fulfilled he's got to finish this story and he tells us the story about the Good Samaritan again. socio-cultural racial, Outkast He falls the Samaritan falls on hard times. He falls among Thieves. He's beating Left 4 Dead. We know the story. the priest ditto and all these people that are supposed to be righteous from Israel pass by and they step over the dying guy. They just go on because after all they are a little higher they have elevated themselves above a lowly Samaritan.

And one brave soul asked the wrong question. He says what Jesus who is my neighbor? This is what here's your neighbor. He's dying. He's hurting. He's bleeding. Go take care of him.

Don't step over him. Don't turn the other way don't ignore his suffering. Is that what we do is if people

when other people don't fall in step with us and our expense expectations and somehow we're Kingdom people and we don't have time for the center. We don't have time for those that are rebellious and and are always a about resisting this thing or that thing are we going to show them the true Messiah?

who says go and

bandage him up and pay for his hotel and come back later. If you need anything else and provide for that wasn't their expectation of Messiah. And then ultimately all the Glades the night of the Passover. Jesus comes into the upper room and shuffling over around the table and there's loud voices raised in Jesus's. Hey boys, what's going on now?

And disciples are arguing. I have the right to sit next to you.

James and John were so bold to say. Hey ask God to allow us to sit next to you in the banquet hall.

I want to be first. I'm better than you. I'm elevating myself above everyone else.

We hear Echoes of our own heart beating here in this story. of our expectations

of who God is and how we're supposed to act in the kingdom and we're acting just like the disciples.

You crossed me up. I'm going to hurt you. I don't have time if you're not like me. I don't have time for you and I I'm not even interested in knowing who you are or your culture.

I'm number one. These were disciples. These were followers.

and Jesus as only Jesus can

stripped off his outer garments Now he's enslaved clothing. Danza towel It's a base in the water.

And begins to wash their feet and he says listen, if you seek to become number one, you're going to end up last in the kingdom of God. Expectations of who Jesus was was unlike anything even after three and a half years. They still didn't get it and after the resurrection of Christ, they still don't get it.

What are you going to restore? Our power is what they're really saying here. Are you going to put his real number one again? So that we can be in control that we can manipulate God. Great Expectations at every turn they were disappointed in who Jesus was.

foremost Jesus in the end on the cross was a disappointment. Well, what do you say that Pastor because the scripture said there was no one left. Everyone had left him. His disciples had fled even at that point. They thought man, it's just futile keep following this guy.

disappointment

why wouldn't they feel that way?

You see the irony. And Dickens intended it to come out this way getting back to the novel.

the irony in Dickens novel and for us is that expectations?

That are fulfilled or attempted to be fulfilled through our own strength. are futile

I don't know. I really don't only you can answer what you expect from God when you become a god person.

But I want to turn this around today. It's not about what we expect from God. It's what God expects from us.

I never most of us. trip it's not what that what I'm supposed to sit around expecting God to bless me and give me money in and give me a nice home and nice clothes and good friends and no no no, no. Jesus expect something from let's go back to the scripture verse 8

Can we do that but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and that sounds fun. I want to have power. Here we go power, baby.

I will be number one in God's Kingdom.

I want to be a big flash in the sky.

I want to be somebody in the kingdom of God. Why do people drink that Kool-Aid, you know?

When the Holy Spirit comes and you have power. You will what?

I'm not going to be in control of anybody. I'm not going to have my own little domain that that you wanted establish me on what's going on here. You'll be my Witnesses. my mouthpiece as I have taught you for three and a half years how the live Kingdom Life now you will have my power in you that you may go out and live that kind of life.

That you will suffer. for my namesake

that as they hated the master so they will hate you. What I signed on for wait a minute here.

I signed up for the blessings and the good things. I know you're going to be my Witnesses and you're going to do it wherever you are because I am with you. And God through those in feeling power of the Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ in US gives us now the power to live that life. He gives us that power. And once I learned in my life.

That I had to trust.

And I had to surrender.

woohoo

I had to trust I had to surrender all that all these messed up expectations. I had of being a kingdom person and once I did that and lay that down and my expectations no longer about what I was going to receive God gave in that amazing. Will I quit expecting God to give me something God gay.

He gave the Holy Spirit. He gave that personal in Philly that everyday of my life. I don't need to live a life of disappointment. I've done disappointing things. I shared with you. There's things I've done in my life that believe me. That was the mildest thing. I've done that I've ever been embarrassed about I've done a lot of things. I'm ashamed of but now in the power of the Holy Spirit, I can live a kingdom life.

Answer about what God asks of us.

to be kind to be compassionate to be loving don't give with expecting something to be double or triple back in return be a kingdom person. That's what God expects of us.

That is the conclusion. The complete the conclusion for us is to trust surrender. It's rendered to a God who is who in his time and purpose gives to us exactly what we need to become the people that he expects us to become.

Stop seeing your relationship with Christ as an Avenue to achieve wealth health. special status

Jesus said if you want to be great. In the Kingdom you have to be the least.

Final quote from the book that Dickens wrote Great Expectations through all the searching all the high hopes for his wife all the Great Expectations that pip had for himself. It comes down to this and it comes down to this for you and me in the kingdom of God.

When were in the midst of difficult times hard times? Why are these things happening? Why is it happening to me? Listen to what tip says? suffering has been stronger than all other teaching. I have been bent. I have been broken. but I hope into a better shape

God wants to take us. Playing our expectations of what it means to be a follower of Christ far and wide. Allow him to fill you with his Spirit trust surrender allow the Holy Spirit to take control of your life.

And you will know what power to follow him that did not exist before just asked the disciples read the book of Acts. The Holy Spirit comes these guys are supercharged. It's no longer about. Hey, I'm going to go out and be somebody in the Kingdom but it's about hey, have you heard of the Messiah who's bringing the kingdom to you? Our message changes. Our purpose changes were no longer focused on ourselves, but about pleasing him.

Yeah, we can Elevate sure we can we don't need a ladder to do it. We just need to open our hearts and let the Holy Spirit fill us. In difficult times. We need that more than ever. You need to be close to Jesus more than ever. You need. You need to be filled and living in the realm of the power of His Spirit every day of your life.

That way you can put feel his expectations. for you and I can personally attest. There's no higher Joy. There's no greater purpose than knowing that you are right in the center of the will of God. Osprey Observer praise team comes Father in heaven

We don't know today we come in many of us. We're all in different places in our lives. We have an idea of you and and in through the word what you're supposed to do in our lives, but we very seldom ask Lord. What can we do in relation to you? And for your kingdom? Because honestly that answer will not come until and only when we open our heart and say lord, it's whatever you want from my life. That way Lord. We have no great expectation beyond the fact that Lord we desire that you be with us and you promised us that that you would always be with us through good or bad.

Good days cloudy days. It doesn't matter Lord. Whatever life brings.

Through the struggle through the suffering. We are taught to depend on you. It's always thank you today Lord for your word. We thank you Lord for the power that you bring it to our life as we trust you and father. We thank you for the opportunity today that you have open their eyes hearts and ears and now Lord we can express that through the joy of song and singles Praises To You Lord because you have set us free. Because our only hope and expectation is upon the solid rock.

That's when our Lord as we dismiss bless us Lord help each one of us individually this week. To be that witness that you called us to be in Jesus name we pray. Amen.