Not What I Deserved

We are talking about having an expectant Christian Lifestyle

Taking God at his Word - Expecting him to do what he said and promised

It’s what we are calling this year, “Living Expectantly.

Peter in his second letter, says this in chapter 3:14

2 Peter 3:14 NKJV

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Or - while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in His sight.

We said that the first thing that we are Live Expectantly in is our Glorious Inheritance

Living Expectantly in our Glorious Inheritance

We have a living hope

It is sure

It is Eternal

and it is Enduring

We have a Genuine Faith

It’s the real thing.

It’s founded in the real One

It’s proven by the fires of life

and it’s found in Christ.

All because we have an Awesome Salvation

You cannot have salvation without faith

and you cannot know hope outside of salvation

Salvation is a commitment that God has made to us

It is a process of renewal and restoration

It is a future that we would have never known

A change that we could have never made

and an eternity that we would never have seen

So my brothers and sisters - we are rich beyond compare

Let’s live in it every day and make sure that we sharing it with all around us.

1 Peter 1:13–21 NKJV

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

1 Peter 1:13-

My brothers and sister, REJOICE, Because we have been given GRACE

A couple of weeks ago, I told you that we were living, much like the church of the New Testament, in a time of GRACE.

In that message, I gave you the dictionary meaning of grace, but today I want to give you the biblical meaning of the word.

grace is favor, "unmerited favor."

It is God's unmerited favor - His goodness toward those who have no claim on, nor reason to expect, divine favor. (that’s me and you.)

So God’s amazing grace says to each of us, and praise God - We get something Awesome, that we never deserved.

Paul says it this way to the church in Ephesus

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

So, my brothers and sisters, last week we said that we have this awesome salvation that we should be expectantly living in

That’s because we have been shown amazing grace from the glorious God above that should excite every part of our lives.

As the title of the sermon says, “It’s not what I deserved, but I sure am glad I’ve got it.

So in your living this week -

Expect to Be Sober!!!

I’m not talking about a drunk sobering up and coming to reality - though that could be a part of it

I’m not talking about a drug addict getting clean - though that’s not a stretch

I’m talking about a view and a thought on life that takes on a whole different meaning

I think Paul says it best in

1 Corinthians 13:11 NKJV

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

So being sober is a growing up and a maturing in life.

That can only happen as we begin to see what life is really about. - It’s all affected by the spiritual

It’s the ten commandments - right with God = right with man

It’s the commandments that Jesus taught - Love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul and then love your neighbor as you love yourself

We begin to live life according to different rules and regulations

We begin to see ourselves in a different light

Paul goes on in

1 Corinthians 13:12 NKJV

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

1 Corinthians

Spiritual sobriety wakes us up from the junk of this world, the illusions and facades to who we really are in Christ.

Read

Sober people make better judgments - they drive better, they treat people around them better. The drunk doesn’t care who they hit, or what they say (until the next day)

Spiritual Sober people make better judgments. Because now they live with an eternal mindset

They understand that what they do impacts their testimony

Where they are seen affects their integrity

Who they are seen with speaks volumes to whom they serve

How they act, either brings glory to their God or belittles him

Sober people are better workers - a drunk may not get out of bed, and will definitely make the work place dangerous for themselves and others they work with

Spiritually sober people are about the Kingdoms work. They know their mandate and they make it first in their lives.

Sober people know the dangers of life - They see the guardrails. They stay away from situations that might kill or maim. A drunk will stumble and fall into anything

Spiritually sober people know who the real enemy is

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

So when we live expectantly of this grace that God has showered down upon us, we live life in a different light

It’s different than that of the world

It’s different than that we used to live

It’s a life that lives daily, wide open to the grace, accountability and power of the Word of God.

Let’s live expectantly of God’s grace

Let’s live spiritually sober lives - eyes wide open and seeing life for what it really is

When we think about God’s grace -

Expect to be Holy!!!

Peter goes on in verses 14-16 to tell us that we are no longer ignorant. Why? Because we are sober. Our eyes have been opened

We are no longer conformed to those former lusts, but we are now Holy

Holy = Websters tells us that it is to be exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness.

But that’s not ours to have.

Psalm 99:9 NKJV

Exalt the Lord our God, And worship at His holy hill; For the Lord our God is holy.

Only God is Holy. But verse 15 tells us, BUT he has called you holy

Peter and the sheet lowered from heaven - Don’t call unclean that which I have called clean - or made clean

So Christ makes us holy

The definition of being holy at relates to what God has done for each of us is dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred

Much like the parts of the old tabernacle

Except we are not things. god doesn’t see us as things

He see’s us as holy people

1 Peter 2:9 NKJV

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

My brothers and sister, live expectantly this week of being holy.

Because God has called us Holy, Peter says to be holy in your conduct.

Is that what it says there? verse 15? No - not just your conduct, but ALL of your conduct

It’s what causes us to live soberly

So how do we live holy in all of our conduct?

Allow the HOLY Spirit to live through us

Die to our spirit and allow his to live in us

it means to live a life that is set apart from the secular world. A Christian, for instance, who is living a holy life avoids and resists the temptation to sin and focuses his/her attention and energies on God and good works.

It is being obedient to God in every area of our lives

It is knowing and obeying God’s Word

It is offering our bodies as a living sacrifice to God

It is living life to glorify God and display his nature to those all around us

It is living in true freedom from the bondage of our sin

Pray that we would see ourselves as God sees us

So this grace upon our life gives us the ability to be Holy, just as our God is Holy

Or in other words to be His children

As children of God

Expect to Have a Great Father!!!

A father who shows no partiality - God is the only father who loves all of his children the same

Expect to be Holy - Saved by grace

I can tell you that I have tried to father my boys without partiality but it always showed one way or the other

It all depended upon their mood, their characteristics and personalities, and even the moment.

Expect to have a Great Father - Your heavenly and perfect father

To the point that I made a game out of it to let them see that I wasn’t perfect - Kris - today you are my favorite

Dads, don’t beat yourselves up about that. If you need to make something right - go do it

But just know that our hearts aren’t like Gods

He’s perfect

He’s good

We are not. But we are sober now and he calls us holy.

But God looks at us in impartiality. He loves the ornery one just as much as the one who seems to have it all together

My brothers and sisters live expectantly that your Heavenly Father is going to love you tomorrow as much as he did today. No matter how you wake up

Live expectantly that your Heavenly Father will hear you when you call

Live expectantly that your heavenly father will supply all of your needs.

Live expectantly that your heavenly father will never walk out on you.

will never abuse you

Will never lie to you

How can you know that? Because of the price that he paid for you.

Your earthly father could only deal out earthly goods for you

Peter says corruptible things like silver or gold

But God sought you and adopted you (no stepchildren) with the precious blood of his only son

And he gave his son for you. For you.

Say this with me - God gave his son for ME!!!

You can call God your father. Some of us have problems with that

calling my mother in law mom

My daughter in law calling me dad

Pray that we would get to know the Father’s Heart of God

So my brothers and sisters, in closing today

Live expectantly

2 Peter 3:14 NKJV

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

2 Peter 3:14 NKJV

Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless;

Live and enjoy every day with your sober eyes wide open. Give God thanks in all things

Live as a holy child of God. Not with snob noses lifted high, but don’t look down either

For greater is he who is living in us than he who is active in this world

You have the victory

You have the name Son/daughter of God

So live

And that will cause your life to be so much different than you have lived it thus far.

So expect it.

PRAY