Faithful Waiting
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Living with Expectation
Living with Expectation
Last week, we dealt with the relentless pursuit of the accumulation of things. We found out that ‘things’ in and of themselves are not the problem, it is the improper focus on these things. When the focus on ‘things’ becomes the ‘life purpose’ the ‘things’ take an improper place ahead of what needs to be the focus of our lives.
~ Our love for our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ. Again, if we accumulate things, GREAT! Let us just use those things for building His Kingdom, …here on Earth as it is in Heaven.
We talked about faith, but that to far too many, is a concept that is overwhelming. Today, our goal is to help each and every one of us to find that mustard seed that releases God’s power in our lives, our homes, our Church and our World!
Jesus always meets us where we are. He speaks to us in terms we can always understand. Continuing with what we learned last week, Jesus is giving us a few signposts to help us navigate our God-centric life. Let’s look at those first…
Luke 12:32-36
1. Fear not!
1. Fear not!
Luke 12:32 (ESV)
32 “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
This is one of the most difficult things for people to do. We have all sorts of irrational fears!
Money / Cars breaking down / House repairs / job responsibilities / Family dynamics / health / relationships ~ Frankly, never underestimate one’s power to live in fear of something!
BTW, this is just one passage of hundreds that remind us to “Fear not,” Be not afraid,” etc… But here we are being scaredy cats!
2. God loves giving you the Kingdom!
2. God loves giving you the Kingdom!
What is this Kingdom we speak of? Here on Earth as it is in Heaven! What is in Heaven?
~ All your needs are met.
~ You live in perfect health.
~ You live in the constant favor of Almighty God!
What does Jesus say we need to do? Well, remember what Paul said to the Colossians?
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
As dead people, we have no rights to the possessions we hold so near and dear! Here is how Jesus told us…
33 Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.
3. Give it all away!
3. Give it all away!
Wait! What? Sell it all?Give it away?
~I’m reminded of the Country Song, “Live Like You are Dying” by Tim McGraw. He was given a stark reminder of this when his father Tug McGraw ~ One of my favorite pitchers ever, who made the famous utterance “You gotta believe!” for the New York Mets, Tug was hospitalized with brain cancer and died less than 10 months later…
So, be generous! Remember, it is the Father’s good pleasure to GIVE YOU THE KINGDOM! He’s giving YOU the Kingdom, not for your own personal gain, but rather to invest in the “here on earth,” so others may find, “ as it is in Heaven!”
Of course, to drive that home, Jesus says this…
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
It has often been said, “Show me a person’s bank records, I will show you what they love.” Again, it isn’t a bad thing to have a lot of money, possessions, etc… but rather are you “investing” in Heaven ~ The Kingdom of God, or are you amassing yourself, great riches like the guy last week? I assure you, .0001 nanoseconds after you die, you won’t care one bit about the riches you left behind. You will be standing before Almighty God the Righteous One in Judgement.
What words will you hear?
35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning,
36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.
We need to be ready!
4. Be Ready for Him to Come Back!
4. Be Ready for Him to Come Back!
Honestly, I have heard the phrase, “Jesus is coming back soon…” far too many times to count. I almost cringe when people say it. Not because I don’t believe it, but because I feel that far too many times, people say it, more as an excuse as if to say, “What more can be done anyway?”
We need to be vigilant about the “Father’s business” because He’s coming back soon not being resigned to an assignment of futility. One soul matters!
I love the analogy Jesus gives us in verse 39…
Luke 12:39-40
39 But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
40 You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
Well, that makes a lot of sense! Thieves don’t take out FaceBook ads telling us when they are coming to steal our stuff! Jesus is coming back, and there won’t be any news stories on ANY outlets telling when it will happen, and when it does, they won’t be able to tell you what happened either!
So, we’re dead. Have no rights. Supposed to give it all away. Be ready for Jesus to come back. So, how do we do that?
5. Be Believing Beyond Sight
5. Be Believing Beyond Sight
Well, I need to see it to believe it!
Good luck bubs!
This is where faith comes in. The writer to Hebrews says it like this…
Hebrews 11:1-3
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
I have hoped for a lot of things in my life. Some, I’ve seen come to pass, others, not so much. Frankly, it is probably a good thing I haven’t seen a lot of those things come to pass, because, those things I had hoped for were, as James says, “You have asked amiss…”
I need to put my faith into things of the Kingdom, ~ His Kingdom ~ “here on Earth, as it is in Heaven…”
~ not my will but thine be done!
Wait, didn’t Jesus say that? YUP in the Garden of Gethsemane on the eve of His suffering and death.
He had ‘hoped’ “for this cup to pass from my lips…” speaking of the suffering and ultimately, His death. But then, He placed “Kingdom first.” “Not my will, but thine be done…”
He had faith in the Father to build the Kingdom through His Mighty Act of suffering and death.
Well, that takes “convenience” and “comfort” off the table doesn’t it!
His hope was redirected to “Kingdom thinking” and today, WE have access to the King of Kings!
But that is more than I can handle. so, the writer must have understood that too.
2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
We didn’t have access to God without Christ’s hope, but we can understand that God had some incredible events and servants along the way that gave us Divine directions along the way. Here, He points first to the Creation of the Universe showing us that if He could create all with just His spoken word…
…Remember that Jesus when He sent the 12, said “…all power under heaven and earth have been given to me, and I give it to you…” If God hadn’t given it to Him, He couldn’t give it to us, but has given us Heavenly power and rights ~ because we are dead to ourselves and alive to Him!
The writer to Hebrews tells of Abraham and Sarah ~ even in advanced age were able to conceive and give birth to Isaac, the son of promise. Verse 12 sums it up…
Hebrews 11:12
12 Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born descendants as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.
So, what is this really all about… laying up treasures in Heaven, being generous, living by faith, being vigilant for His return?
6. Live in Authentic Worship and Obedience
6. Live in Authentic Worship and Obedience
Since God created it all with just His Spoken Word, and He redeemed it all with the sacrifice of His Only Son, Jesus, He deserves all the honor, praise and glory we can give ~ and more~ The Psalmist said it like this…
Psalm 50:23
23 The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!”
Everything we say and do, should show our gratitude for the One who created and redeemed us. He keeps on giving! Remember it is His Good Pleasure to give us the Kingdom!
It should therefore delight us live lives that demonstrate our gratitude through worship. Being generous is an act of worship! He gave it to us for the ability to build His Kingdom, let us be good stewards of His resources!
But I tithe and I serve the church in this way or that way! Great! But that in and of itself, is not what God desires.
Isaiah said in Isaiah 1:10-20, in essence that God isn’t impressed too much with that in itself.
Isaiah 1:10-20
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
11 “What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats.
12 “When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
13 Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Far too many people come to church week after week after week, throw thier pittance in the offering plate and think, “I’ve done my duty for God…” and then go off and live the same life they were living all along. If coming to church and tithing were enough, that is really disappointing! God is saying to the people of Israel and further, to the Church, “Save your time and money if that is your ‘reasonable service.’”
God desires worshippers who worship in Spirit and in Truth!
14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.
16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil,
17 learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.
The theme is all throughout the Bible. Jesus summed it up, ~ we have been saying it for weeks… “Love the Lord your God with all your Heart… Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Then…
19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Here is the promise for obedience to God, and the warning for disobedience.
I don’t know about you, but I rather enjoy eating good rather than being good at being eaten!
Let’s sum it up…
Fear Not!
God loves giving YOU the Kingdom
Give it all away
Be ready for Him to come back
Be believing beyond sight
Live in Authentic Worship and Obedience
Let’s come to the Table of God and feast of His Goodness!
