Great Expectations

Great Expectations: The sting is Gone.

(Pastor Craige LeBreton)

Life is wonderful…Life is good…Life is hope…Life is experienced…

In Life we need to distinguish between…the light and the darkness…

…living and existing…expecting and being anxious…

I once heard a simple…yet wonderful definition of Life…

“Life is what happens to you…while your making other plans…”

If you examine this statement…it simply means that…

life is always…full of uncertainty…

You and I must live…every day of our lives…with the realization…

That we cannot…totally predict what the future…will bring…

When you look at the word “Expect” you find that it means…

to look forward too…to anticipate… looking forward to an occasion…

or an event…Melissa is expecting…

And she and I…are both looking forward…to the birth of a child…

We are anticipating, through prayer…a healthy child…

but since Melissa is considered…A high-risk pregnancy…

we are also concerned and anxious…

When we don’t know what to expect…we become anxious…

we want the end results…right now…we live in an age of anxiety…

and too often…we don’t take are concerns to the Lord…

Jesus understands are anxiety…He recognized that anxiety…

is overtaking our lives…He recognized our anxious condition…

and He gave us an answer…the answer He gave…did not rest…

upon are curing…our own anxiety…Instead…He insisted that we…

turn our attention…away from our anxious selves…and toward…

the love of the father…

Text: Matthew 6:25-34

In this text…what is Jesus really saying to his disciples???

To paraphrase…He said to His disciples…something like this…

“Don’t be anxious about your life…”

He said… “You can’t add…even a tiny bit…to the length of your life….

by being anxious…

He said…”Instead of all that anxiety…turn your attention…to God…

and His way…of doing things…and when you do…everything else…

Will fall into place…”

Jesus later says… “Once you have turned your attention…to God…

Tell Him…what you need…tell Him…what you are looking for…

If you ask Him for something…don’t be amazed…if you receive it…

And if you are looking for something…don’t be surprised…

if he helps you find it…

and if the door of life…seems to be closed to you…

knock on it any way…

and don’t be taken back…when the door opens…

and it is God…turning the Knob…

Mathew 7:7 tells us:

¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Jesus also wants reciprocation…If He will open the door for you…

You need to be willing…to open the door for Him…the door of your heart… through repentance… and faith on Him…as your Savior…and Lord…

The book of revelation 3:20 tells us:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

The Bible tells us of such a man…a man who had great faith…

and great expectations

Let’s look at Luke 7:1-10

1 ¶ Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.

4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:

5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:

7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.

8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.

This Roman centurion was not anxious…He had Faith on Jesus Christ…and he had…great expectations…he knew that Jesus could heal…

he knew that Jesus…had the power…over life and death…

He had no doubts…he knew and expected…

that Jesus would heal his servant…This man knew that Jesus would…

answer his prayers…This man knew that God…would give His servant…

what he needed…

Not only does God know what we need…He also knows…