Gods Great Expectations! Last week we considered how important it is for believers to have great expectations, but lets now think about Fathers expectations; for He has very large expectations. I am not thinking about the divine plans, those eternal counsels which are going to be gloriously completed, not shadow of doubt about that, but other expectations for here and now. Lets consider a well known verse - I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Jer 29:13. - The Jews were captives in Babylon and false prophets were telling them they would soon go home; but God through Jeremiah says, settle down, enjoy, youre there for 70 years, then youll come home. But also the prophecy goes on into the future Millennial Kingdom when the plans will be totally fulfilled and its going to be fantastic. God has plans for us today, he has a work for us to do, plans from before the world was made, thats how important they are; Eph 2:10. It is a good work for us to do and in doing it we will be very blessed; so will others! More, when we do it, therell be a great reward in heaven at the Judgement Seat of Christ, for a well completed work. So yes, God has great expectations of us! As I often say – Hes waiting for us! - But we must remember that we cant do the work on our own, of our own ability, however hard we might try, unless God builds the house, the builders labour in vain, Psa 127:1. Its - Christ in us that is the hope of glory - and we can only - bear much fruit - as we abide in Him. I fear that the widespread lack of fruit and the paucity of church testimony today shows that most of church is self effort, mere religion. If we are to bear much fruit, then we must use the Holy Spirit given gift under His power, motivated by nothing but love for Christ. It is in this issue of gifts that we make our fatal mistake, for some gifts are natural abilities and if that is used in service for God without total dependence on the Holy Spirit, devoid of agape love, then there will be no fruitfulness; thats merely exhibitionism. It is very strange but Christians find it hard to see through this problem in the church and accept those who take part publicly in self strength, using their natural ability; but non Christians see through the façade and are not impressed. Why is this? One issue is that we church people are so accustomed to the performance from the pulpit, but visitors can see that its not real, not genuine. However there is additional issue, the Holy Spirit will not work conviction and repentance in the mind of the visitor unless the church is under the total guidance of the Holy Spirit. So its not just the speaker on the platform that is the problem, there has to be a genuine team of elders who can care for new converts. Gods expectations for each church is very high, He alone expects be in charge, not us. This is the big problem as the vast majority if churches are totally stuck in their traditions – this is the way we do it here - is the terrible phrase that I hear all too often! We call it spiritual pride but that is a contradiction in terms! Usually it is interdenominational pride – were proud of our church – it can be Baptist, brethren, Pentecostal, Anglican or any other label, God hates all labels! So we can say that God has only one expectation and that is, He must be in total control! Now I hear many church leaders saying – but we are the faithful, we do it according to the Book! - but the simple fact of their barrenness proves that they do not do it according to the Book, but rather, their traditions rule. People say to me – what do you want the church to do? - but I say – nothing, except that we need to ask God what He wants us to do! - be assured God wants to tell us what to do! The Holy Spirit will guide us in everything, if we allow Him! So we need to get down to some serious prayer to ask God what He wants and firstly, its vitally important that we have to be fully repentant for our long time barrenness and unwillingness to give Him control. That was the condition for Israels plans in Babylon to come to good, they had - to seek God with all their hearts - that is our condition for blessing too, so we have to give up our control! Now theres the word – control – it is the hardest thing to lose control; especially for church leaders, for most are control freaks! Let go & let God! Really now, too many of the church leaders I know are simply control freaks and it will take something really major to break them down so that they would be willing to come into line with Gods great expectations, so that their barrenness can become great fruitfulness! Maybe they will first have to shut the doors to stop their sham of worshipping God, Mal 1:10; maybe the church would get the message that something radical has to be done to please God. Lets remind ourselves that God ALWAYS wants to bless, thats His great expectation. He is so sad about the mess that we have made of everything. He is not so arbitrary as to save a million people from the 1904 generations and hardly any since; in comparison. Do you really think that few are to be saved, what kind of God is that? Really, many Bible teachers have a very strange God who delights in the death of the wicked. Rubbish! We really have been taught some nonsense in the past, its time to get before God and find out what He thinks and wants! Come on, even scripture says – God doesnt delight in the death of the wicked! - its high time we asked the Holy Spirit to interpret scripture to us and stopped relying on all the old fads that created barrenness. I really shudder as I think of some of things I was taught by the last generation of Bible teachers. I am afraid that many of them will stand at the Bema empty handed, saved as though by fire! 1Cor 2:15. Lets really get it into our heads that God really does hate all the suffering and misery that is in our world today; He is very sad that He cannot bless as He desires, those great expectations! But He does not intervene, He waits for His people to be willing, Psa 110:3. We really have to be willing to allow God to do things His way; we really do have to forget our way, our traditions, our church order, our formats, our programs! The Holy Spirit will certainly guide us into all truth, if we really want it! Lets get down to some prayer so that the mighty power of God will be seen once more before the Saviour returns; thats how we will please and honour Him, so that He can bless to His Great Expectation!
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:38:17 +0000
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