What to Expect When You're Expecting
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Pregnancy expectations — this long wait — and sometimes it can be so different than you expect.
WHEN YOU THINK OF GOD, WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
WHEN YOU READ THIS VERSE WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
11 For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
WHEN YOU THINK OF GOD HAVING A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways.” This is the Lord’s declaration.
GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK HOW WE EXPECT. BUT GOD ALWAYS WORKS THINGS OUT FOR THE GOOD
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN GOD DOESN’T WORK HOW WE EXPECT?
INTRO ABRAHAM
INTRO ABRAHAM
Called to leave his country and his family and go towards this place that he didn’t know where it was. But just start walking and God would tell him when to stop walking.
Changes his name. But the big part of this story is God promises him a son. At this point he had no son.
ABRAHAM EXPECTED A SON YOU KNOW… RELATIVELY SOON.
Not to get to graphic but… generally… you do something… maybe a few tries… some run throughs, some practices.... 9 months and you got a baby.
Abraham waits 20 years.
And along the way Abraham has to reign in his expectations. In fact at one point he get’s tired of waiting on God. Takes things into his owns hands.
BUT JUST BECAUSE GOD WASN’T WORKING ON ABRAHAMS TIMELINE DOESN’T MEAN GOD WASN’T WORKING.
And so ABRAHAM had already been through seeing first hand what it was like to see God defy your expectations but then realize that God had a plan all along.
TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN AND TIMING IS ALWAYS BETTER
But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier does it?
A BENEFIT OF THE BIBLE IS THAT WE GET TO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLES EXPERIENCES
Learning from others experience instead of your own is always better.
But LIKE I SAID knowing that doesn’t make it any easier does it?
WHAT IF YOU AND I ARE SUPPOSED TO SACRIFICE OUR EXPECTATIONS?
EXPECT God to move
EXPECT God to come through
EXPECT God to provide
DO NOT EXPECT Him to do it the way you want
UNMET EXPECTATIONS CAN LEAD TO DISOBEDIENCE
When God doesn’t come through it’s time to do it my way
The hurt of it not happening the way I thought. I don’t want to ever feel that again.
GOD’S JOB IS THE OUTCOME OUR JOB IS OBEDIENCE
1 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he answered.
2 “Take your son,” he said, “your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.”
IM SORRY....... WHAT?
God you promised me a son. An heir. That involves him being alive.
Why is this something you would ask me to do? Did you even mean your previous promise? Did you actually come through before? Because my son being gone means you never actually came through on your promise.
BUT LOOK AT WHAT WE SEE ABRAHAM DO
3 So Abraham got up early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took with him two of his young men and his son Isaac. He split wood for a burnt offering and set out to go to the place God had told him about.
OBEDIENCE WAS ABRAHAMS RESPONSE
This isn’t anything close to what anyone should expect God to do. But Abraham chose obedience anyway. Why?
BECAUSE TRUSTING GOD’S PLAN AND TIMING IS ALWAYS BETTER
OBEDIENCE IS UNDERRATED
YOU CAN BE DISOBEDIENT AND YOUR LIFE WORK OUT OKAY
Tons of Christians do this
TITHING — BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE OBEDIENT
GIVING INTO TEMPTATION — BUT YOU’LL NEVER BE OBEDIENT
CHURCH GOD’S WORD PRAYER — WON’T BE OBEDIENT
YOU’LL NEVER EXPERIENCE WHAT A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE IS LIKE
A life of obedience ALWAYS see’s God do what only God can do. IN HIS TIME AND IN HIS WAY
7 Then Isaac spoke to his father Abraham and said, “My father.” And he replied, “Here I am, my son.” Isaac said, “The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”
8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” Then the two of them walked on together.
9 When they arrived at the place that God had told him about, Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood. He bound his son Isaac and placed him on the altar on top of the wood.
10 Then Abraham reached out and took the knife to slaughter his son.
11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” He replied, “Here I am.”
12 Then he said, “Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from me.”
13 Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it as a burnt offering in place of his son.
14 And Abraham named that place The Lord Will Provide, so today it is said, “It will be provided on the Lord’s mountain.”
BUT CODY… GOD PROVIDED LIKE ABRAHAM PROBABLY THOUGHT HE WOULD.
But these are real people. With real emotions. You don’t think he had some unmet expectations along the way.
WALK THROUGH HIS UNMET EXPECTATIONS
WHAT WILL YOUR RESPONSE BE WHEN GOD DOESN’T MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS?
IF ABRAHAM DOESN’T KEEP WALKING IN OBEDIENCE AFTER EVERY TIME GOD DOESN’T MEET HIS EXPECTATIONS HE DOESN’T GET TO SEE GOD DO WHAT ONLY HE CAN DO.
RESTORE THE RELATIONSHIP
PROVIDE THE FINANCES
PROVIDE THE JOB
REMOVE THE TEMPTATION
WHAT WILL MY RESPONSE BE WHEN GOD DOESN’T DO IT IN MY TIME OR MY WAY?
OBEDIENCE IS ALWAYS BETTER
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