Faulty Expectations

Can we go 1st Corinthians chapter 4 more going to get into I want to open up this morning with a little bit of a story here. When I was in the eighth grade, we transferred schools over to Hedrick Middle School add on to a private school the year before before that. I was in a public school, but there is this thing in place in the Southern Oregon school district that every senior in high school had to do and for some reason in middle school. They started warning you about it. This thing that we had to do was called a senior projects that a thing here in Central Oregon a senior project most students take senior project and they do something great with it like community service and it looks great on a college application my stories going to be a little bit different but let me share with you why in a straight. I had this just horribly wretched English teacher the kind of teacher that was like chalkboard Nails get your attention kind of teacher and I want to see Her last name is like mrs. Grimes, cuz that's all I can remember of her and as an English student new to that class when things weren't going well, or I had gotten kicked out of class A few times my parents don't know that had to sit out in the hall for talking or chatting or whatever. It was. She always come around with a better get your act together because we're going to have to do this senior project and I'm like, I'm just trying to figure out my voice and puberty right now. Let alone a senior projects right as I would talk with her going. Oh my goodness, you're threatening this to me. Well as time with progress you become a freshman and you see the seniors going through this then you see the sophomores and they're talking about the dreaded senior project at you hit your junior year and you're supposed to probably have some kind of idea of what you were going to do my senior year. I just was like a bum sweatpants gloves that did that whole thing or on my longboard. Play I worked at Dutch Bros. I didn't have a whole lot going on in life is pretty phenomenal. And so they tell me I looked at my life at the time and what I was passionate about and I looked at all my friends who are doing some pretty neat stuff helping the homeless and they were taking up garbage for whatever reason it made van and cleaning the environment and doing all sorts of those things. And I went what is the easiest way I can get through this assignment. What am I currently already doing? And how can I name you just So I decided to find a senior trip for my friends and myself a trip to Newport Beach what it meant was I never meant to hurt. So my youth pastor who was like 19 years old and I was 17 years old.

We got pizza and you would just sign off my hours as we hung out that's been on the computer and I would maybe look at some places to rent and do a log my hours and so like all I got all the hours that I needed and you had to write a paper. It was a 10-page paper. I write like 10 to 15 pages every week now, that's nothing but this was this 10-page paper an annotated bibliography and all my goodness. This thing is huge monsters. What what am I going to do on this and I decided to write this paper on Martyrs in the 20th century and there's two murders that I picked out particularly when was named blind chain blind with a man who had become blind in the 1900s and went to the hospital there and receive the Gospel on upon receiving. The gospel is life was radically changing to begin to memorize large portions of the Old Testament memorize the entire New Testament and he would go and preach and teach Jesus in this was during the boxer Revolution and what Intriguing story for some people who wanted to take his life and others who are serving Jesus come to their Village and they hit him in a cave and they said you need to bring Chang down. Otherwise, we're going to kill 50 of you. One of the people snuck off to wear chain was hiding. He said surely I would die for 50. I would even die for one but a time they brought him back it already moved on to the next Village and ultimately you can read his story. His life has changed. The other man. I wrote on was Jim Elliot Jim Elliot so much of what we know about Jim Elliot comes from Elisabeth Elliot. She is phenomenal written books and shares her story and I never learned more in high school. Then when I did the senior project I've actually interested in it and there's a line that Jim Elliot has is written a journal. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot. Jim Elliot was a missionary in Ecuador three other friends and their spouses and they're trying to reach the unreached people for the gospel and their lives were actually taken chill eaten by these camels. Elisabeth Elliot later shares the story they went back to that Village and then it responded to the gospel these words. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose have wrong in my heart forever. Jim Elliot had this rule this Mission and a directed his life and it drove him and they gave him passion because of his love for Jesus in here and 1st Corinthians chapter 4. We come across the man. His name is Paul Paul is writing a letter to the church at Corinth. And Corinth is going through some problems. They are at church gone bad. They are Church gone wild. There's all sorts of division and problems because of their own sinfulness. They are subscribing to Sophos within the church. These would be the speaker to they said real line our lives with this teacher me a line with that teacher and the begin to go head-to-head with one another and there is division is Christ divided. No. History unite us are all sorts of other problems going on and it's Paul is writing them in verse 8 of chapter 4. He says already you have all you want. He's looking at corn corn to tried full court thinks they have their stuff together through egotistical. They think that listen to his language you arrived eschatological view that they already have everything and in one sense in Christ. We have all that we need were sustained satisfy Sanctified Justified made righteous by him, but they're acting and living in such a way that they Dean there's really nothing bad. It's going to come out there is nobody says Already you have become rich without you have become Kings and wood that you did rain so that we might share the rule with you. Oh Corinth, we wish you were on the throne because then we defo are co-regent with you. If you continue to use this sarcasm and says for I think that God has exhibited Apostle not just Paul specifically, but the apostles as last of all like men sentenced to death because we have become spectacles to the world to chat to angels and two men. We are fools for Christ's sake. I want that words to Ring in my ears and what you think about Jim Elliot for a second. He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. What is Paul say here. We are fools in the world eyes. You were to look at Jim Elliot and his friends. What would you say about them young in their Prime with their families? You fool? Why would you do that? Why would you go to Ecuador? Why would you risk your life? Why wouldn't you let somebody else or for that matter? Why would you even care if Paul says we we are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise In Christ, we are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor the Wii in disrepute to the present our we hunger and thirst. We are poorly dressed and buffeted homeless, we labor working with her own hands when reviled be blessed when persecuted wind or when slandered we entreat we have become and still are like the scum of the world the refuse of all things. All is looking at this church in Corinth right now. He realizes they have a problem in the problem. Is this they have some serious faulty expectations. Davis idea of what life in Christ would look like they are raining they are wise and he's looking at them going to do some serious problems. You have issues. I want to deal with these issues here this morning. It's just like I get lots of time to spend with both couple getting ready to get married as well as puppies who have couples who have been married and it's interesting because I always see for fault lines if you would have for false expectations were problems arise. Why do you end up in my office? What do we talk about in premarital counseling where do fights come from and strike the revolve around for issues, but you can get some money. Yeah sex in-laws and children. These are the four things that people fight about all the time. And so I try to do our wanted to do is lay out some realistic expectation and typically because we are putting our with our desire on the other person to do to perform to be something they were never intended to do for form or be and then it leads to all sorts of Devastation in our marriage because we're sitting over here going. Why can't you be more like..... Or I thought it was going to be like this or we would do that for the children. Are we have these the savings account and checking accounts in vacation and we can see that funky expectations cuz Division and problems amongst couples as well as in church supposed looking at this church here and he says you guys have some serious expectations and this isn't going to go well, For you this morning? What are they going to do now is Paul begins to get into the word and he wants to address this with them. I turned his attention and he uses the sarcasm to say this is what you should expect.

If you're any kind of a social media person, I don't know the last time you got onto an account under somebody's profile. They said scum-of-the-earth refuse to fall things completely disrespected and totally content. Les Paul's profile That's what he says. You guys think you're rich. You guys think you're phenomenal you guys think you're excellent. But let me tell you something. That's not what it's like for us. You have this wrong idea of what it means to be a Christian. You think we're living at a time of Peace twin fact, it's a time of war and there's two problems going on outside. You have an over realize idea of the world and the life to come and your Desiring it now, but now is not here because look at the Apostle look at how we're treated. Look at our present state it would cause us to think you fool Paul the Paula saying this is what it means to be wise. And so what's going on here? And what I want to pull from this this morning for us is these two ideas of a Theology of Glory? And if you ology of the cross. Theology of glory and if y'all have to cross this morning when I talk about a Theology of Glory when I first heard that term I thought when it's a wonderful good thing to talk about I'm not talking this morning about the glory of God. I'm not talking about future Glory with God I'm talking about the sea ology of Glory that glorifies are human desires. Physiology of Glory that looks at this world who thinks like the Corinthian people we should have everything we should be raining. We should be ruling we should be seated on the throne and really what we do with a Theology of Glory as we craft God in our image rather than being crafted in the image of God will be doing a Theology of Glory as we say, this is what it should look like to follow Jesus key should give us these things these families these desires these wishes and when we do that maybe because some well-meaning person came and evangelize to us and they said you need to follow Jesus. Why is that because if you follow Jesus baby everything gets better. Impulse as we started following Jesus and we got beat up. We started following Jesus we got persecuted. We followed Jesus things didn't get better things got worse for us. This is the present reality. Will they were trying to live in the future reality? He's grabbing and pulling them back in and Christians Listen to me. We live in an age of secularism and I know in Redmond, Oregon, we don't always feel that because it tends to be a very conservative town with conservative values. And so there's a sense in which we feel pretty yet. See because Redmond looks a lot like the judeo-christian values and moral system for the most part.

Pull up all the same as comfort is not what you want to be striving for? No. We're not at peace. We're at War and the ology of Glory which Luther he didn't come up with it. He just gave terms and words to it and explained it is where many modern evangelicals tend to sit. What you think about the Sonoran for a second your new Christian? Maybe you're just young and you've got kids or you're young and you're single you're trying to start a business and you go and seek somebody out older than you in the church. Because they're a humble God fearing God loving person the first thing to say to you and you say how can I be successful? Like you you go? I'm not successful because of anything I did. I'm successful because of him. It's true without your talents your gifting to your abilities that God has given to you. You would not be where you are. Trust me you wouldn't be. Now just as we are responsible for what we speak your responsible for how you hear something. This is really important. The really important is important in life lesson, because yes, I am responsible for the words that come out of my mouth and then I tell somebody because of God I stand here because I truly believe and me not to look at Austin happen if they sure can go cool. So if I just love God serve God Like You go to church like you give like you serve like you in this thing over here that I can't you bad advice on how to have these children that obey how to have this marriage looks content in great how to have a successful business that blossoms and blooms into something phenomenal if I just been like you because you said you said give it to God it's all about God and we run with that. What is that that is crafting God in our image. That is a Theology of Glory that demands what is going to be in the future to be right. Now. It's a theology that says if I subscribe to Jesus and his way and everything I've ever wanted. We're cracking God in our image. What we think is good or we think is right. And we say that's what I want when we do. What have we done? We should God I like you as long as you can get me over here. God I want you and I'll worship you should all eat sacrifice a little bit to you. As long as you get me to where I really want to be this Theology of Glory is a perverse theology Theology of Glory runs rampant through the name it and claim it Prosperity Gospel kind of gospel. Does not a gospel at all. This Theology of Glory says all of this life has to offer I need to obtain it to be something to be someone to be important and it creeps and so not only because we see God-fearing men and women who say because of God I am where I am or come to Jesus and help move and work and make things right in your life in one hand and a switch triology kind of way. Absolutely God redeems and reconcile safe and works in us without a doubt. But on the other hand will leave you got as a means to get what are true end is we've adopted a Theology of Glory that absolutely diminishes the very glory of God. We were never intended to be the Glorious ones with the reflect the glory of God Genesis image bearers reflecting. Not not the ones who are glorious in enough themselves. This is a problem for corn. What cheese we rule? We have a spiritual gifts more important people. We have all the answers come talk to us where the best show in town and mocks them in a sense and says, oh you've arrived good thing. We're out here getting beat up and we're dying. So what are we supposed to look at Marcy ology of Glory for the Theology of the cross at the ology of the Cross and looking at all of life through the cross and the cross changes everything. Let me take one example hear power. Hershey Tower when I going to do this, I don't throw any ideas out of here to popcorn ideas. We can maybe name some names. They typically be of people who are forceful who get what they want to make things happen who are movers and shakers the way of the world is this power and I can get things done in my mind in my strength and I can make it go my way is our desire. That's at least what I think of when I think of power I don't know about you but I think a power I think I've had my son wrestles with me. I destroy him 100. Out of 100 times he has no chance cuz he's six.

And I always make him cry Uncle cuz he doesn't have a brother. I destroy him ice power strength, not the machine abuses of power. What are we looking at through the cross? Was Jesus was Jesus powerful? I mean walked on water, storms heal the sick raise the dead was a carpenter. Probably pretty Burly dude. I mean, come on.

Yes, absolutely. He was manly I hate the effeminate look of Jesus that gets painted and put on Walt he was a man. But listen when you look at Jesus, did he operate in the way that we operate in power know he gave up power. In order to empower everybody else around him in weakness. He came as opposed to talking about to the Church of Corinth you guys all want strength and you mop Christianity become strong dislike religion is slanted down and you're done but he willingly lay down his life. It's a reversal of our values and ideas of our whole way of thinking. This is actually what power is power is giving up of yourself. It's weakness or another great word is meekness just strength under control she for maybe the .01 times. I let Benny win that's just power strength under control cuz I can make him tap out in a second, but the let him tend me to let him put me down is me saying I'm not going to use this power though. I have it in order for your good. Hour of power through the cross. Jesus changes it going to power you been given.

Good position to even given to exert power in how do you use the power that you've been given are your boss? apparent

What is it look like in your life your spouse? My goodness, how do we use the power that we have Jesus's through the cross through the cross to the Cross when you look at it through the cross it changes how we use it to think about wisdom wisdom Powers the person that gets things done wisdom knows how to get things done. This is wisdom. You walk in here and you go and under the most successful person isn't how I become friends with them in here if I can do that and get to know them. They'll help me get to the positions that I want wisdom uses people the worldly wisdom in order to get what they want Jesus in His Infinite Wisdom does not operate in that way. But he forgoes that laying down his life which them would go. Why would you do that and how so even throughout his life Jesus didn't go to the most powerful Dicky. When you see Jesus ministering throughout the gospels powerful people came to him insurance came to him rulers came to him. Where do we constantly see Jesus going people with problems. The marginalized videos that are on the outskirts Society the Pariah of a town and Jesus touches them and dines with them and spends time with them. That's not wisdom wisdom is get with those who can help you not with those who can't do anything for you. That's how you move up the ladder. That's how you become important not to become powerful. That's how you get what you want in this life is by using people.

Wisdom by the path of least resistance Beast senior brats who finds the easiest way to do a senior project that's wisdom is going to the poor to the weak to the marginalized and serving them. It's so contrary to what the rest of the world think that won't get you a head correct, but then you'll actually be living life. Is she when you live life to the lens of the Cross erratically enables you to view everything around you different what winds are and losses Are Pitch changes us it moves in US it allows us to see life in a few different ways how so when I see life through the lens of the cross. I understand that what might seem a lost is actually a win with John at work the greatest experience or example of this is the death of Jesus whom the Romans and the Jews all had a hand in killing him and him raising and power but let me give an example. That's probably a little closer to home. I was reading in Genesis as I'm attempting to read through the Bible in a year or anybody else trying that I'm going to get to Leviticus and it's going to get interesting. All right, but here's the deal in Genesis. There's a man named Jacob and he's kind of a shyster of a character right brother. Uncle Laban he gets tricked a little bit himself and gets what's coming to him to some degree. Well, there's chapter 38. I believe it is there he is in the wilderness in the well that Wilderness this Angel comes to him and they begin to wrestle. The wrestle all night and he has his Angel and lock of some sort of like I'd have any in. I mean just you're not getting away and he said until you do what until you bless me. Now I mean to be blast. If you ask me, what about to have is not a blessing? What's means something really good is going to come your way of saying? Oh my goodness. I'm just so thankful that gift that things such a blessing to me. What happens to Jacob there the angel of the Lord hits his hip. Pop's it out. And he says your name when no longer be Jake on it will be Israel of Israel. And for the rest of his life. This man goes through life with a limp. Do the shepherd probably walks 30,000 steps a day for high-speed got his Fitbit on his life depends on being able to manage and walk and do these things. How is that a blessing and we can look at that and go why would God even do that allow that we're one of the reasons I truly believe the blessing is for every step he would take then what looks like a weakness of looks like a problem. He's going to be reminded up the God who did that to him and his dependence on him. God has a way of taking the things that are hurtful and painful in our life and they're not pleasant. Goodness. I love this church body and because I love this church body. I know so many of you. And every single person that come into contact in this church walks with a limp you do. pain in some form or another loss joblessness runaway kids Houses that left you all sorts of problems and one thing we can do is we can look at the problem and just go it's all I see is the problem and God wants to take that problem and go I'm so much bigger than that problem. And yes that's painful now life through the lens of the crossed allows us to look at our problems and see God who has like in a Theology of Glory would only allow for us to complain to be angry and upset that life isn't going how we deemed it should go. Do, you know Christians like that? They're always complaining. They're always mad. They're always upset. It's cuz I subscribe to a Theology of Glory. It says this life should be the most glorious Caesars in the should do for God to reward me. This is how I'm currying favor with impediment to get what I want when we have a Theology of the Cross we expect suffering we expect there to be difficulty. We expect there to be a pain, but we see God in the midst of it and that changes Everything including you that's what we so often this when you walk with a limp it reminds you that it is God that is actually with you. So my Challenger for us this morning. We have this. Knowledgent. Gloryhammer, I think this is what it must look like to be a Christian and over realized estic logical view or we say everything in the future is now flooding in now and I must be healed. I must be yes. I must be that there shouldn't be paying the shouldn't be suffering and some dear brother or sister comes along side of me and says, you know what? You're right. He just pray more had more faith. This wouldn't happen. There wouldn't be problems in your life in your church do wrong. You're wrong. It's not this being promised all says there's problems but a Theology of the Cross allows us to live the cruciform life. The crystal formed life is one in which it examples. It's like after the cross and sees everything through the lens of the Cross it's able to take things like the limp and see God at work got in the mist and even in that, you know that really cliche verse and everybody wants to share when you're going through something really bad all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose and that verse I love that very personally. Black went when somebody near and dear to me have something horrible happen. That's not my first go to that's not really what we need in the moment, but it needs to be listening needs to be a part of our theology. We can't dismiss it either because truly God is at work in the bad stuff that happens. In fact, you wouldn't be who you are today if that stuff didn't happen. You didn't have pain you didn't have suffering you didn't have heartache. You didn't have heartbreak. There's a good chance that you wouldn't see any need in this world for a savior that you're doing. It just fine on your own and what are pandas is an ultimately drives us to God Theology of Glory Rises to ourself. Our works are efforts checking in with God read enough to Day Parade enough to date a man Church. All right, we're good. You and I must be good things are going to go. Well my life get rid of that the ology of the Cross as I want to be here. I want to read Because you changed me. I love you. I'm growing relationship with you. But also says I can look at the pain. I can face the hardships and see the suffering cancel. My savior did the cruciform life is one in which it molds itself after the cross redeemers. That's my heart for us. Can we see your pain or suffering when others come to us this year with hardship? I can Shine last week for healthy. What is that mean a baggage on top of baggage dragged by their husband with baggage? And you know what, we need to be in a place where we can show them the cross and this Theology of the cross in which we see all of life through. My hope is Jesus. The foundation is Jesus and that's what Paul is directing them to hear us pray for God. Thank you. You for your word. It's for your hope.

Thank you for what is important and pressing on our church here? You got me. We not miss this moment for anybody in here who is given their life over to a theology Emporium either BD pretensions reviews you to get what we want rather than seeing you is all that we want a repent and turn from that and worship you. Unless you are suffering right now. But no means do we have want to minimize pain, but we do want to see you in the midst of it. Compressing heart that you were with him. She love us and care for us in Jesus name. Amen.