At The intersection of Expectation and Disappointment Pt 1

open your Bible with me to the Gospel of Matthew at chapter number 11 hmm and that's what church oughta sound like it's a good thing to give Him praise amen amen amen from verses 1 through verse number 6 and it came to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ he sent two of his disciples and said unto Him art thou he that should come do we look for another jesus answered and said unto them go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see the blind receive their sight and the lame walk the lepers are cleansed and the Deaf hear the dead are raised up and the poor have a gospel preached to them for six reads and blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me thank you you may have a seat the grass withers and the flower they're all faded away with the word of our God shall stand forever I want to talk this morning from this subject Epis at the intersection of expectation and disappointment at the intersection of expectation and disappointment how many times have all of us stood at the intersection of expectation and disappointment you expect one thing and get something else you had hope that your child would turn out one way and they turned out another way you trained for the position and they gave it to somebody else you had hope that your marriage would last but he or she walked out how many of us have stood at the intersection of expectation and disappointment a French Roman Catholic Archbishop theologian and poet named Francois fénelon in his book the Royal Way of the Cross says this God must tear from us what we love wrongly unreasonably or excessively that which hinders his love in so doing Finland says he causes us to cry out like a child from whom one takes the knife with which it would name or kill itself we cry loudly in our despair and murmur against God as the petulant baby cries and murmurs against its mother but God lets us cry and saves us anyway he must tear from us he must rip out of our hands what we love wrongly unreasonably and excessively God must take from us what we think we can't get along without strip us of what we think we have to have so that God is all we have left and when you wake up and discover that God is all you have left I promise you God is all you need brothers and sisters much preaching today has become therapeutic deism therapeutic deism is the innate optimism of humanism mixed with the false teachings of Pelagianism resulting in a toxic brew of narcissistic spirituality that is pragmatic and insipidly positive but upon closer examination it is Christianity without bruises it is Christ with no scars any faith that has not been bruised any Christianity that has not had any scars laid to it any faith that has not been challenged in the crucible of disappointment is a faith that's not worth having in the long run because if God would use us greatly he's got to hurt us deeply this this matter of disappointment and expectation those of us have been Christians for years know that it's up one day down the next day some days chicken some days feathers some days sunshine some days rain some days laughter some days tears some days your child makes you proud some days they break your heart I used to hear my grandmother say when they are small they on your knees when you grow up they're on your heart if it ain't one thing is another trials and difficulties good days and bad days that's all a part of being a child of God because God is not in your debt to make sure you're happy with how your day is going because God has not come through Jesus Christ to make us happy but to make us holy and to make us holy sometimes requires bruises those of us who were raised right when our parents chest eyes - they said I'm doing this because I love you and I say to myself if you love me and leave me alone but you can't get anywhere that's worth being without some bruising I wish I had a witness here I need some people here who had some bumps along the road some situations that you got yourself into that God got you out of some decisions that you wish you hadn't made some wrong roads you wish you hadn't traveled if you could go back in your life and look at your life in slow motion there are some things you would pull out of your film there's some things you would edit out of the video but those things have served to make you the person you are right now because if you had not had those struggles you wouldn't be as close to God as you are right now yes just take a moment when you get a chance not now but when you get a chance just look at your life in slow motion and see the things that has happened that have served God's purposes to make you who you are all things have worked together for good I wish I had a Bible reading to them that love God and to those who are weak old according to his purpose his purpose is not always clear but it's always right have we got a witness here sometimes God doesn't show his hand right away sometimes God does not do what we expect him to do because because God is reliable does not mean God is predictable his reliability does not equal predictability because God does whatever pleases him to make us like Jesus now to get to get really what what what John is experiencing Jesus is born and John is the forerunner of Jesus Christ mary and elizabeth's are pregnant six months apart and when Mary comes to salute to greet Elizabeth her older relative she is now six months pregnant with John the Baptist and when Mary gets near in this abyss pregnant in her womb John the Baptist recognizes who Jesus is and the Bible says he leaps he shouts in his mother's womb because even before he's born he knows who Jesus is but in prison he's disappointed now his question to Jesus by his disciples is not born out of doubt because I just mentioned he knows who Jesus is he shouted in the womb he was there when Jesus walked to the Jordan to be baptized yeah John said I need to be baptized of you jesus said suffer it to be so that scripture may be fulfilled john saw the heavens open he saw ad of the sin and light on the shoulder of jesus he heard the audible voice of god himself saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased John knows who Jesus is but prison has disappointed him and brothers and sisters you and I can get locked in the prison of disappointment and forget everything we say we know somebody ought to help me preach it not now here is where John's disappointment is born in Chapter three of the Gospel of Matthew here is what John is expecting he says around verse seven but when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism he said unto them all generation of vipers who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruits meet a worthy for repentance and think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our Father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and we find John expects Jesus to come and lay the ax to the root of the tree of bad religion but here Jesus is preaching John expects Jesus to burn some people up and here is Jesus healing he expects Jesus to come and destroy the law and here is Jesus eating with sinners he expects Jesus the baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire and that's fire from heaven to destroy Bad Religion but here is Jesus working miracle it is disappointment not doubt that is behind John's question because the answer is in the question our parents do that to us those of you who are married your wives do that to you they ask questions that they already have the answer to been trying to trip you up brethren talk back to me if you can but they'll ask you something like are you gonna leave that dish in the sink unwashed the translation of that is are you going to wash that dish do they already know the answer to the question they're just trying to vex you my car needs some gas in it that's that's that's that's not a question that's a demand it's not a request it's a demand that's that's the way women do they that they make demands wrapped in requests somebody gonna get with me here in a minute it is your mom and him coming for Christmas the answer is in the question they don't really want your people to have somebody gonna help me here in a minute how many people coming your sister to expectation disappointment I wish I had my 7:30 to cry John's question is a request wrapped in a demand that is almost a command now that's a difference a world of difference between a request a demand and a command it almost sounds like he's demanding Jesus show up and tell me what you up to now thank ought to tell somebody who's been at the intersection of expectation and disappointment Jesus will not show up and tell you what he's up to because then it would not be faith I wish I had a Bible River we walk by faith and not by sight if God showed us everything we wouldn't have faith to believe have I got a witness here we've got to trust God with what we can't see so when he finally reveals the answer we can come to his house and celebrate is there anybody here this morning but their time in your life when you couldn't see your way and God revealed what his plan was for your life and God worked it out for you just fine as a matter of fact it was better than you expected that's when you ought to come to God's house and give God thanks like the psalmist I will bless the Lord I wish I had some noise here at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth I was watching some of you earlier while we were worshiping and I don't know if you're on medication oh I don't know if you don't have no beds at your house or you can't sleep I don't know what your problem is but you look sleepy and tired and lawn and church just got started it's just the first service I mean I mean you just woke up from from a light of a night of sleep so you ought to be rested enough I think to give God praise but even if you're not feeling well and God let you get here even if things are upside down in your life but God still giving you your health and strength even though God is not showing you everything he's up to but you're not putting your shoes on your head and your hat on your feet you still in your right mind with a reasonable portion of health and strength if you got strength enough to raise your hands won't you try it right now if you can open your mouth and say thank you what you just tried it right now cuz when praises go up yes I've been disappointed but God has met every one of my needs yes I've had some tears in my eyes but God's been good to me every day of my life yes I wish things would get better but I thank God they're not as bad as they could be also I've learned I wish I had a Bible reader in whatsoever state I find myself in I've learned how to be content I know how to shout when I'm up and when I'm done when I got money and when I'm broke when I got friends and if I got a shout by myself if nobody else was to praise him I will if nobody else was to lift glad hands in the sanctuary I will if nobody else wants to celebrate God's goodness I will I will give God thanks I will give God praise I will give God my best hallelujah one of my favorite one of my favorite poets one of my favorite poets is named Ruth green and Ruth green says I've dreamed many dreams that never came true I've seen them vanish at dawn but I've had enough of my dreams come true thank God to keep me dreaming on I prayed many prayers when no answer came though I waited patient and long but God has answered enough of my prayers to keep me praying on I left his last stanza I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain and I've gone many days without a song but I've shipped enough nectar from the Roses of life to make me want to live on God's been good to me I'm not bragging I'm testifying I said God's been good to me in spite of the sins in my past in spite of the mistakes I wish I could undo God's been good to me who was ahead of witness here and my my disappointment sometimes is not borne out of doubt cuz I know what God can do have a got a witness here I am a living testimony of what God can do God can raise the dead God can open blinded eyes God can heal the sick God can save a sinner loss and on his way to hell I know what God can do but God doesn't always do what he can and because it doesn't always do what he can that disappoints me cuz sometimes like David I want God to kill my enemy what they doing with a new house beyond they don't love your name I'm serving you I'm praising you I'm giving you all I can their children are successful and I put everything in the mind and it looked like they're going nowhere fast see Envy is is terrible and and jealousy is terrible but Christians that are raised by the faithful are not born out of envy and jealousy is born out of the fact that life is just not fair good people suffer stay sick a long time folk who don't even go to church never have a headache that's not fair I was a head of witness hear that that that fool that that sick man who kidnapped those three young girls upstate I don't think he ought to get life in prison I don't think we ought to waste money trying to keep him alive I think you ought to die instantly but he's going to live that's not fair little baby's sick at Texas Children's Hospital never done anything to anybody got cancer and these people walking the streets selling dope and pants hanging down their book and they doing fine that's not faith but God bless his sunshine on the judge as well as the unjust have a got a witness here god is good and that's his rainfall on the righteous as well as the unrighteous failed expectation is at the heart of every disappointment but as I keep you too long I want to say two or three things about this that I'm going back on my vacation I'm going to do what y'all do on your vacation I'm gonna drink smoke and stay out all night pray for me Jesus came for us but he did not come to please us let me run it by you one more time God is with us and Jesus came for us but he did not come to please us Jonah got disappointed because God told him to go to Nineveh he wound up on a ship headed to job you gonna help me preach this watching and when God caught up with him in the storm threw him out the ship and into the belly of that great fish and God started talking to him he said you know why didn't you do what I wanted you to do Jonah said I knew if I would preach to them they would repent and you would forgive them somebody ought to help me here Elijah got disappointed with God Elijah stabbed down 850 prophets of bail at Mount Carmel and ran from Jezebel and asked God to take his life because he said I'm the only one left calling on your name the Lord said Eliezer you're not the only one I got 450 other prophets who've not yet bowed their knee to bail you go help me creatures watching and you remember Elijah and his young servant they were in the house and the servant went out and saw all the hosts that were surrounding the house of the Prophet and the Elijah was in the house calm and sedate his servants a master what are we going to do he said old man they who are with us I'm more than they who are with him you go help me preach this lunch the service is all I see his horses and chariots here and he lashes said Lord open his eyes that he might see what I see and the seven went out again and saw chariots of fire surrounding Elijah's house Rebecca got disappointed with God he said why do the evils seem to have it easy and the righteous are having a hard time he said I'm going to sit right here to wait and see what you're going to do and then God showed him in a vision he wrote it and he made it plain you'll help me preach this won't you and he said though that be known feeds on the vine know that be no cattle in the stall I will still praise God never got a witness here Jesus came for us but he didn't come to please us he came for us but he did not come to answer us you remember Joel had children livestock beautiful wife the richest man in the east and one day Satan presented himself with the sons of God and God says since you ain't got nothing to do have you considered my servant Joel you go help me preach this won't you the stress in that text is my servant Joe he said I thought about it I would get at it but you got a hedge around it if you lower the hedge if you move that hedge I'm making Christian to your face have a got a witness here and the Bible says that does job lost all his sheep all his livestock all his camels his children were having a party at the oldest brother's house a storm came and killed all his seven sons and his three daughters and then Satan comes back to the Lord and he says skin for skin you've taken some things that job has but if you take his health from him let me grab his health and he'll crush you to your face God said you can have everything but his soul and Satan comes and joel is stricken with boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet as wife business job said why don't you curse God and die job said we don't just receive good at God hand and then fall out when disappointment comes naked came I from my mother's womb and naked I shall return the Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be the name of the Lord and that's what I want to share with somebody here this morning if you're standing at the intersection of expectation and disappointment bless it be the name of the law Lord has not forgotten you the Lord has not turned his back on you the Lord has not given up on you just because it looks like God is asleep God is really watching over you all night and all day angels keep watching over me is there anybody here been disappointed with your children don't give up on them because if you're raising right if you train them right God will bring them back to that census is there anybody here been disappointed with somebody in your family don't stop praying for them because just like God had patience with you God will be patient with them is there anybody here been disappointed in your health disappointed in your marriage disappointed in things in your family don't give up this morning God will turn it around for you if you wait on him he'll turn it around I said if you wait on him he'll turn it around I said if you wait on it he'll turn it around because they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like eagles they shall run and not get weary they shall walk and not faint God will sure God will come to your rescue God will make a way I don't know where God will come to see about him is there anybody here at the intersection of expectation and disappointment cheer up my brother cheer up my sister God will come to your rescue God will show up right on time won't he do it won't he do it he may not come with your warning but he's always right on time somebody might be disappointed this morning somebody might be sad this morning because things are not going just right in your life but I dare you to give God the praise I dare you to give God the glory I dare you to shout anyway I dare you to say Alleluia in her no matter what tomorrow agree i'ma say it hallelujah no matter what my enemies I'll say I'm gonna give God some have a new here please why don't you drive somebody tell them this too we'll pass this too will pass no matter what's going through this too will pass God will make a way out of knowing shake somebody's hand encourage somebody this moment who's at the intersection of expectation and disappointment tell them right now God will turn around God will turn it around God will turn it around be not dismayed whatever be tired God will take care of you beneath his wings of love apart God will take care of you wanna do it I said wanna do it why don't you hug somebody tell them I'm with you in this thing I'm praying with you I'm praying for you I want you to make it cheer up my brother cheer up my sister God will yes yes you will I know I'm running out of time but he yes you will yes he will anybody know he'll fix it anybody know you'll turn it around anybody tried in this moment if you're trying it and you're not ashamed to testify why don't you tell somebody he's able to do exceeding abundant above all even ask often won't he do it won't he do it I know either Jesus Jesus Jesus said go tell John the blind see telling the lame-o walk-in tell him the dumb are speaking tell him the poor are having the gospel preached to them blessed is he who does not take offense because of me because God doesn't answer right away does not mean he's not gonna answer at all he will show up but you got to learn how to wait on it has not not known as thou not heard that the everlasting God the Father the creator of the ends of the earth there is no searching of his understanding he giveth power to the faint and to them that have no night he increases their strength the youth shall faint and grow weary young men shall utterly fall but they the wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not get weary they shall walk and not feet we used to sing when I was a boy walk together children don't you get weary there's a great camp meeting in the promised land if you be not weary in well-doing in due season you will reap if you faint not the proverb says if you faint in the day of adversity it's because your strength is small jeremiah says if you run with the footmen they have wearied you how shall you contend with horses if you can't make it in the land where peace and prosperity abide what are you going to do at the swelling of the Jordan if you're at the intersection of expectation and disappointment I've got good news for you Jesus does not offer an answer he offers himself because he is the answer you

Channel: Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church

Views: 178,693

Keywords: Reverend Terry Anderson Pastor Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church Houston Texas

Id: t7ibw1ZXWjA

Length: 43min 52sec (2632 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 03 2014