03.09.11 - Expectations

1. 1. What Do You Expect?

1. a. What do you expect when you come to church?

1. b. What Biblically do you have the RIGHT to expect when you come to church?

1. i. Can you list Scriptures to support your views?

1. 2. Same Ole Same Ole (please read Acts 3:2-8)

1. a. Acts 3:2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb . . . KJV

1. i. Can you even imagine the life this guy lived?  Lame from birth, likely resigned to the fate of each day being carried to the same spot, to do the same thing, to end the day with the same results.  Routine.  Mundane.  Unremarkable.  Sounds pretty boring to me, not the life that anyone would purposely choose, but you know, I think to a lot of people that life sounds just like their own life.  More importantly, I think many would agree that it sounds like their church experience as well.  Same thing.  Week after week.  Month after month.  Same burdens.  Same sin.  Same empty feeling upon leaving as upon arriving.  

1. a. In what ways might your life resemble that of the lame man?

1. b. Do you ever desire to "break free" and for things to change?

1. c. Do you ever think " this might be the service where I get what I'm looking for" or do you most of the time think this service will be just like the last ten?

1. b. We get what we have come to expect.  This guy was sitting there, without hope and without really putting any thought to what he was doing.  This was who he had become.  Head bowed, legs splayed at an odd angle, he hears the sound of feet and voices as someone approaches, so he does what he does, he lifts up the empty cup. He does not lift up his eyes.  Nor does he lift up his hope.  But Peter sees him.  With the voice of a once lost fisherman turned to a fisher of men, Peter boldy tells him " Look on us!!!" 

1. i. What do you think might have gone through the lame man's mind at that moment?

1. ii. The Bible tells us that the lame man "gave heed" to them, expecting to receive something.  Think about where he was, who was around him, what he was accustomed to getting: what do you think he expected to receive?

1. iii. Can you imagine again what must have gone through his mind when Peter actually had the boldness to tell him to get up and walk, and then reached out for his hand?  At that very moment, years of what had always been crashed into what might actually be, and he chose faith.  He chose obedience. He chose to walk.

1. iv. In this instance, the faith of Peter was joined with the faith of the lame man, and things dramatically changed forever. If the lame man had not acted on Peter's faith, or taken Peter by the hand, he might still have been laying there.

1. a. Why do you think it is so hard to act on faith?

1. b. Is it easier to move, as the lame man did, in the faith of others or your faith alone?

1. c. How might any one of us  in the same position as the lame man responded to the loud burly voice demanding that we stand up and walk?

1. d. In all honesty, what do you think you personally would have done?

1. 3. Did She Ask Nicely, Or Make A Demand? (Please read Matthew 9:20-22)

1. a. To get a full understanding of this Scripture, we need a bit of background.

1. i.  Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings KJV

1. a. The word "wings" in this passage could be translated as "border" or "hem," such as the hem of a prayer shawl that the Lord was very likely wearing at the time. I believe this precious lady had heard that passage. She understood that passage.  She received that passage. She EXPECTED that passage.

1. b. Matt 9:21 For she said within herself KJV 

1. i. She had faith in the Word of God, that what the Word said, what the Word  promised, God could deliver. Her faith made a demand on the Healer!  Not in a rude or obscene or unholy way.  She believed! Her belief ignited the power within the Holy Christ and she was healed.  Faith activates. In Luke's version of the story, Jesus plainly knew that someone had touched Him, in the mass of people, because He said " I perceive virtue has gone out of me." Awesome! Do you get it? Do you see that the one that had the faith, the one that expected MORE reached out and touched the King and it activated the Power of the Almighty and she was healed! The rest of the congregation, oh, I mean crowd, went on not knowing what had really even happened.

1. c. We can go to revivals, hit every prayer meeting and be in the pew each time the doors are open, but without that expectancy, without faith, we will be like the throng that surrounded the King that day and not get what we are looking for, what we are needing. 

1. d. Please understand what I mean when I say she made a demand on his Divinity.  I see this as a precious thing.  A father at the top of the stairs calls to his toddler to jump into his arms.  The toddler does not stop and demand that the daddy catch her, she just jumps.  In her jumping, with the faith of a child, a demand is placed on the father to do all that he can to catch her.  In this same way, this lady reached out to touch what she already knew in her heart would heal her. It is not a verbal demand, it is an act of faith that activates whom that faith is placed in.

1. e. Deep in your heart, what do you expect when you come to church? Are your expectations backed by your faith?