Life Ministries

“What Can I Expect?”
Scripture - Matthew 2:1-16

    We began this week with a focus on the word “expectations”. It started with the fact that we often live according to our expectations. It’s kind of like “Murphy’s Law”… If we expect to fail, we will live our lives in fear of failure. If we expect great things from God, we will live as if God could do something at any time!  There are a lot of things that affect the way we live and act, but the greatest factor, is our expectations. It has been said that we get exactly out of life what we expect to get; and we will get out of this Christmas season exactly what we expect. If we expect to be grumpy and broke, or if we expect to be stressed out and unprepared; we will be!  I have set out to try and change our expectations this Christmas - in and through the wonderful Christmas story we have all come to know.  Probably the most important point for us to remember is that when Jesus was born, King Herod and all the people were not expecting God to do anything!  They had lost the expectation of God’s promise. 

    In giving some signs and expectations about the “last days” the day of His return; Jesus said; “No one knows the day or the hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of man.” The question then becomes; “Are we any more ready today than they were then?”
    I want to use this story of what we have come to call the “wise men” who came following a star; to bring gifts to a new born king; as an example of what we should expect when we make the choice to follow Him.
    These men were thought to be religious leaders, as well as astrologers who were obviously watching for signs in the heavens, and who knew the prophecy of Numbers 24:17 which says; “A star will come out of Jacob, a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Now, I don’t know anything about astrology, but I have read that there are some constellations associated with Israel; which is probably what they were watching. I also believe that this particular star was a supernatural event done by God himself as a means of fulfilling prophecy and guiding these men. Verse 9 tells us that the “star went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was”. It sounds a little like the “pillar of fire and the cloud of smoke” in the Exodus story. Tie this together with the fact that they were warned in a dream - by the Holy Spirit - not to go back to Herod, and it becomes obvious that this was a timeless God working supernaturally within the realm of the time of man. So, it has been my experience, that when we choose to follow Him, we can expect God to do supernatural things that we cannot explain but must accept by faith!
    Secondly, we can expect the journey to be long and challenging. That’s because most of us choose to learn things the hard way!  It is our job to be in touch with God; and to be led by the Holy Spirit; and not to “conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds”…Following God’s lead took Peter, John, Paul, and even Jesus himself on a long and challenging journey.
    Third, we can expect the unexpected. I could write a book of all the times God did the unexpected in my life. God has done some unexpected things in my churches over the years; which ought to increase our faith ever the more! The wise men were expecting to find the “king of the Jews”, but they were not expecting to find him in Bethlehem. One thing we come to find out about God is that He is unique! “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways, says the Lord Almighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:27 tells us that “God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; He will use the weak things of the world to shame the strong; When following God, we should expect the unexpected.
    Fourth, we should expect some changes in direction. The wise men expected to go back to Herod and report the good news! But, God changed their direction. In the Book of Acts, Paul wanted to go to Asia to preach the Word, but was prevented from doing so by the Holy Spirit and was sent instead to Macedonia.  The disciples were expecting to go to Jerusalem to start a new kingdom, but instead, they witnessed the death of their king and leader and teacher. God changed their direction. In Proverbs 16:9 it says “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps”…I could write a book!  When we follow God, we can expect some changes in the direction of our lives.
    Fifth, we should expect to be supplied with everything we need, when we need it. If we had a couple of hours, I could tell you all about the many times God provided what we needed…exactly when we needed it!  He has even at times, provided a need for someone else, exactly when they needed it! That’s even more of a blessing!  Think about it, Mary and Joseph were supplied with “gold, incense, and myrrh” just before they had to leave on a trip to Egypt!  Sometimes, we don’t even realize we will have a need…but, God who knows what the future holds, knows our need before we even have a need…and He knows exactly how He will provide for that need.
    Finally, when we choose to follow God, expect to be used in ways you never expected. The wise men never realized how God would use their gifts, or how their presence in this story would be used for generations to come. Zacharias and Elizabeth were retired, and never thought that God would use them to bear the child that would prepare the way of the Lord. Mary and Joseph never expected to be used by God to raise His Son. Many people throughout history never thought that God could use them and develop their gifts and talents in the church. Twenty years ago if you would have told me that I would be doing what I am doing today, I would have thought someone spiked your eggnog!
    Some may wonder why or how I can have such confidence and faith in God? It’s because I have experienced all these things I have talked about today, and I have come to expect these things from the God whom I serve!  I have come to realize that He is who He says He is! He can do what He says He can do! And no matter who people think I am, or even who I think I am, I am who God says I am! And, I can do nothing in and of myself, but only through Christ who strengthens me!
    When you make the choice to follow Him, you can expect the journey to be long and challenging; you can expect the unexpected; you can expect some changes in direction; you will be supplied with all your needs exactly when you need them; and, you will be used by God in some unexpected ways!
    These are the things that keep me “drop jawed” in my faith! These are the things that cause me to say “Our God is an awesome God!”…“What are your expectations of life?  What are your expectations of God?  “Unto Him who is able to do, exceedingly, abundantly, more than we could ever ask or even think, to him be the glory forever”, Amen.