Disappointment

10 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel; Thus ye speak, saying, If our transgressions and our sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? 11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

Body

Disappointment: “The act of disappointing. The condition or feeling of being disappointed. One that disappoints.” -American Heritage Dictionary

Hmmm...

Disappointment: The feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of expectations or hopes to manifest. Similar to regret, it differs in that a person who feels regret focuses primarily on the personal choices that contributed to a poor outcome, while a person feeling disappointment focuses on the outcome itself. -Wikipedia

“Blessed is he who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed.” - Alexander Pope

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.” -William Blake

“We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappointment.” - Jim Rohn

“The depth of the love of parents for their children cannot be measured. It is like no other relationship. It exceeds concern for life itself. The love of a parent for a child is continuous and transcends heartbreak and disappointment.” -James E. Faust

“Disappointment is inevitable. But to become discouraged, there’s a choice I make. God would never discourage me. He would always point me to Himself to trust Him. Therefore, my discouragement is from Satan. As you go through the emotions that we have, hostility is not from God. Bitterness, unforgiveness, all of these are attacks from Satan.” -Charles Stanley (and, I would add, these are what I have ultimately chosen.)

Have you ever experienced disappointment in your life?

In others?

In yourself?

Do you remember that time?

Ever open a present and been disappointed at what’s inside?

[My promotion opportunity at TCF Bank]

For a period of time in my life, I was studying to be an Options Trader

Explain briefly

Reason:

Intellectually stimulating, but more importantly:

I didn’t have to depend on anyone but myself!

No one under me not doing what they’re suppose to be doing

No one over me making bad decisions that affect me

What do you do though, when every choice is perfect, every decision is right, and every action is spot-on, and still, the results are disappointing?

In other words, what does God do when He becomes disappointed?

Scripture Text

God is pleading with His people through the prophet to do right and live

He asks them why would you keep living like this and end up destroyed because of it?

It’s not His desire to punish the wicked, but to bless the just!

God was disappointed in the choices of His people!

Ezekiel 33:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.

God will warn His people if He’s disappointed in their choices

If God’s watchman does not sound the warning, God will hold the watchman responsible but God’s people will still die in their sins.

If God’s watchman does sound the warning, God will hold His people responsible for their sins and the watchman will be blameless.

Many examples of this in scripture

Noah preaching to his generation

Moses…many times

Nathan the prophet to king David

Jesus

Luke 13:31–35 KJV 1900

31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. 34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! 35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

God has been sending watchmen to His people from the very beginning of time, warning them of coming judgment against sin and rebellion, and exhorting them to live righteously so they can live peaceably and enjoy the blessings of God.

Sometimes they heed God’s warning and escape judgment (Jonah and Nineveh), and God is very pleased

Many more times throughout scripture, they don’t heed the warnings and God is disappointed

Noah

Joshua and Caleb warning the people to not rebel against the commandment of God to possess the promised land

Jeremiah warning the people to submit to the king of Babylon and live, but they would not

Matthew 21:33–40 KJV 1900

33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

God’s mercy will not last forever

God will not remain forever disappointed

At some point the warnings and the exhortations will cease in your life

At some point judgment will arrive, and the Lord will take no pleasure in it, but He will execute upon all the ungodly His righteous judgment.

Ezekiel 33:30–32 KJV 1900

30 Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. 31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. 32 And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument: for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

You’re in a very dangerous place when you can hear and understand the Word of the Lord, but you choose not to obey it.

God will not always strive with man, and He will not remain forever disappointed.

Conclusion

Luke 13:24–30 KJV 1900

24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. 27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last.

Jesus is referring here to the nation of Israel, but don’t think it doesn’t also apply to us!

More is required in serving God than merely hearing the preaching and enjoying the presence of God!

Serving and pleasing God requires far more than simply receiving His good things.