Aligning Expectations: Embracing God's True Purpose
Summary
In the late 1980s, I embarked on a journey across Europe with two colleagues, Glenn and Winston. Our travels took us to various historical sites, including the city of Worms, known for the Diet of Worms where Martin Luther was declared a heretic. My playful deception about the city's name led us there, and we also sought out the Lutherbaum, a tree of supposed significance. Our misunderstanding of its size taught us a lesson about misguided expectations, a theme that resonates with the Gospel lesson from Luke.
In Luke 4, Jesus returns to Galilee and reads from Isaiah 61 in the synagogue, proclaiming the fulfillment of the prophecy. Initially, the people are in awe, but their expectations of a Messiah who would bring material prosperity are shattered when Jesus reveals a different mission. Their wrath is ignited by the realization that God's plan diverges from their desires. This reflects a broader issue of humanity's captivity to sin and rebellion, as highlighted in Isaiah.
Today, we too grapple with misguided expectations of God. Often, our expectations are either too low or misaligned with His promises. We envision a small God, failing to recognize His grandeur and the depth of His love. When we approach God in prayer, we must align our expectations with His Word, trusting in His promises and His will.
God calls us to live in the world, not as captives, but as lights in the darkness. Our mission is to share the Gospel with those who do not know Him, to be a reflection of His love and grace. We are reminded that our expectations should be rooted in His Word, and that He often exceeds them in ways we cannot imagine. As we engage with the world, we are transformed by His presence, becoming flexible, resilient, and radiant with His light.
Key Takeaways:
1. Misguided Expectations: Our expectations can cloud our vision, preventing us from appreciating the wonders before us. Like the people of Nazareth, we may miss God's true purpose when we cling to our own desires. Aligning our expectations with God's Word allows us to see His work clearly. [03:31]
2. Captivity to Sin: The true captivity described in Isaiah is not political but spiritual. Our rebellion against God is the root of our struggles, and Jesus offers freedom from this bondage. Recognizing this helps us understand the depth of our need for a Savior. [10:58]
3. Prayer and Expectation: When we pray, our expectations should be grounded in God's promises. He invites us to pray boldly, trusting that His will aligns with His Word. This confidence transforms our prayer life and our relationship with God. [19:16]
4. Living as Light: We are called to be lights in a dark world, sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Christ. Our lives should reflect His love and truth, drawing others to Him. This mission is both a privilege and a responsibility. [25:22]
5. God's Surpassing Plans: God's plans often exceed our expectations. When we align our desires with His will, He works in ways that surprise and bless us. Our role is to trust and be open to His leading, knowing that He is faithful. [30:57]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:48] - Journey to Worms
- [03:31] - Misguided Expectations
- [06:52] - Jesus in Nazareth
- [08:10] - The Messiah's Mission
- [09:15] - Isaiah's Context
- [10:58] - Captivity to Sin
- [12:59] - Modern Expectations
- [13:49] - Imagining God's Presence
- [15:49] - God's Loving Face
- [17:23] - Prayer and God's Will
- [18:24] - Aligning Expectations
- [19:16] - God's Promises
- [20:33] - Living in the World
- [21:57] - Our Mission
- [23:02] - Encouragement and Community
- [23:54] - Earthly Opportunities
- [25:22] - Sharing the Gospel
- [27:00] - Starting with Prayer
- [28:25] - God's Love for All
- [30:05] - Personal Testimony
- [30:57] - God's Surpassing Plans
- [35:49] - Silly Putty Analogy
- [37:02] - Glowing in the Dark
- [37:59] - Conclusion
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Luke 4:16-30: Jesus reads from Isaiah and reveals His mission.
- Isaiah 61:1-4: The prophecy Jesus reads in the synagogue.
- Hebrews 10:19-25: Encouragement to hold fast to faith and stir one another to love and good works.
#### Observation Questions
1. What was the reaction of the people in the synagogue when Jesus read from Isaiah 61, and how did it change? ([06:52])
2. How did the expectations of the people in Nazareth differ from the mission Jesus proclaimed? ([08:10])
3. What does the sermon suggest about the nature of captivity described in Isaiah? ([10:58])
4. How does the pastor describe the role of prayer in aligning our expectations with God's promises? ([19:16])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might the people of Nazareth have been upset by Jesus' message, and how does this reflect on their understanding of the Messiah's role? ([09:15])
2. How does the concept of spiritual captivity in Isaiah relate to the struggles faced by individuals today? ([10:58])
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that our expectations of God might be too low or misaligned? ([13:49])
4. How does the pastor's analogy of "glowing in the dark" relate to the Christian mission in the world? ([37:02])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when your expectations of God were not met. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience? ([03:31])
2. How can you ensure that your expectations of God are aligned with His Word and promises? What practical steps can you take in your prayer life to achieve this? ([19:16])
3. Consider the people in your life who do not know Christ. What specific actions can you take to be a light in their lives and share the Gospel with them? ([25:22])
4. The sermon mentions the importance of community and encouragement. How can you actively participate in encouraging others in your faith community? ([23:02])
5. Think about a situation where you might have underestimated God's plans for you. How can you remain open to His leading and be prepared for His surprising ways? ([30:57])
6. Identify one expectation you have of God that might be too low. How can you adjust this expectation to better reflect His grandeur and love? ([13:49])
7. How can you incorporate the practice of praying for others, especially those who do not know Christ, into your daily routine? ([27:00])
Devotional
Day 1: Aligning Expectations with God's Vision
Our expectations can often cloud our understanding of God's true purpose. In Luke 4, the people of Nazareth were initially in awe of Jesus, but their expectations of a Messiah who would bring material prosperity were shattered when Jesus revealed a different mission. This reflects a broader issue of humanity's captivity to sin and rebellion, as highlighted in Isaiah. Today, we too grapple with misguided expectations of God. Often, our expectations are either too low or misaligned with His promises. We envision a small God, failing to recognize His grandeur and the depth of His love. When we approach God in prayer, we must align our expectations with His Word, trusting in His promises and His will. [03:31]
Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Reflection: What is one expectation you have of God that might be limiting your understanding of His greater plan? How can you realign this expectation with His Word today?
Day 2: Freedom from Spiritual Captivity
The true captivity described in Isaiah is not political but spiritual. Our rebellion against God is the root of our struggles, and Jesus offers freedom from this bondage. Recognizing this helps us understand the depth of our need for a Savior. In Luke 4, Jesus proclaims the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy, offering freedom to those who are spiritually captive. This freedom is not about changing our external circumstances but transforming our hearts and minds. As we acknowledge our spiritual captivity, we open ourselves to the liberating power of Christ's love and grace. [10:58]
Romans 6:17-18 (ESV): "But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness."
Reflection: In what ways do you feel spiritually captive today? How can you invite Jesus to bring freedom to these areas of your life?
Day 3: Boldness in Prayer
When we pray, our expectations should be grounded in God's promises. He invites us to pray boldly, trusting that His will aligns with His Word. This confidence transforms our prayer life and our relationship with God. By aligning our prayers with His promises, we open ourselves to the possibility of God working in ways that exceed our expectations. This boldness in prayer is not about demanding our desires but trusting in His perfect will and timing. [19:16]
1 John 5:14-15 (ESV): "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him."
Reflection: What is one bold prayer you can bring to God today, trusting in His promises and will?
Day 4: Living as Light in the World
We are called to be lights in a dark world, sharing the Gospel with those who do not know Christ. Our lives should reflect His love and truth, drawing others to Him. This mission is both a privilege and a responsibility. As we engage with the world, we are transformed by His presence, becoming flexible, resilient, and radiant with His light. By living as lights, we not only fulfill our calling but also experience the joy of being part of God's redemptive work in the world. [25:22]
Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Reflection: How can you be a light in your community today, reflecting God's love and truth to those around you?
Day 5: Trusting in God's Surpassing Plans
God's plans often exceed our expectations. When we align our desires with His will, He works in ways that surprise and bless us. Our role is to trust and be open to His leading, knowing that He is faithful. By surrendering our plans to Him, we allow Him to guide us into a future that is beyond what we could imagine. This trust is not passive but active, requiring us to step out in faith and embrace the opportunities He places before us. [30:57]
Ephesians 3:20-21 (ESV): "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to trust God's surpassing plans? How can you actively surrender this area to Him today?
Quotes
And being a Lutheran my whole life, there was a part of me that wanted to see something of some kind of Lutheran historical significance. And I was in my early 20s, and I can't say that I really remembered all of it, but as I was looking at the map, I saw that on the road going back to Frankfurt, just off of the road that we were on, was the city. It was the city of Worms. [00:01:05] (23 seconds)
And for those of you who may remember your Lutheran history, there was the Diet of Worms. It was when the emperor decided that he was going to hold a trial, and for four months, he grilled Martin Luther, and at the end of it, declared him a heretic. And I thought, oh, let's go to the castle, let's go to the cathedral, rather, where the Diet of Worms was held. [00:01:28] (21 seconds)
And we looked back and three guys, each of whom had university degrees that were for the most part math degrees, hung our heads and realized we didn't remember the difference between circumference and diameter. And so the tree was just a little was not 36 feet across but more like 11 feet across and while an 11 foot tree is really something impressive for us it was incredibly disappointing when you have expectations that are way up here and you see something that is way down here well we call those misguided expectations and what a misguided expectation can do is it can cloud your eyes so that you don't get to appreciate the wonder that's before you and that's what happened in the gospel lesson that was just read. [00:03:40] (62 seconds)
And what happened is that their misguided expectations were dashed. Because Isaiah 61 would have been very familiar to these people. They knew this. This was one of the messianic prophecies. This was one of the things that led to the long -expected Messiah. And Isaiah 61 begins with the words that Jesus said. If you go back into Isaiah 61, you'll hear that some very familiar passages arise, shine, right? This is my anointed one. [00:07:08] (36 seconds)
And it's to this captivity that Jesus stands among them and says that he's one to release the prisoners, to give sight to those who are blind, light to those who are in darkness. He comes to those who are in prison to that. He comes to those who are in prison to that. He comes to those who are in prison to that. And because the children of Israel at the time of Jesus had built their hopes and their dreams on four verses from Isaiah 61, rather than understanding the whole story, because they had misguided expectations. [00:11:43] (42 seconds)
And the Father is running towards you with His arms out like this, yelling something about a fatted calf, or something like that. And you're standing there, and you're standing there, ready to be a fucker because He wants you to be a man of His faith, surprisingly efectoful. Father's presence, and I know you're standing there like that. He's running out to hug you. Oh, wow! But there's more. Because He comes to you and says, what do you want, what would you like? [00:17:38] (23 seconds)
And he commands us to pray to him. And he commands us and tells us that if we pray according to his word and promises, then we can say, thy will be done, right? Good. Isn't his word and aren't his promises his will? And we can confidently pray to God, thy will be done because this is what your promise told me. And we can expect that God will not dismiss us. We can expect that the son of God will not walk through our midst and on his ways. [00:19:40] (39 seconds)
And the first one is one that God doesn't want me to do and that is sin. Suffer the consequences, temporal consequences of sin. I get to do that now but there's none of that in heaven. There is neither. No rebellion, no anarchy, there's no turning against God, none of that. And the Bible tells us that in heaven there are no more tears and no more pain. It's a different place. I think that's kind of awesome. [00:24:19] (34 seconds)
But here, in this dark room with just a little bit of light where it seems like things are getting darker, there are a lot of people who don't know him, who don't know him. And in my experience, people who were in this spot, who are still in prison, who are still blind, well, they have some expectations, don't they? And the expectations, well, they're of a God that's completely different than the one we know. [00:26:03] (35 seconds)
And if I go into God's presence and I ask for Chris, not just today, but tomorrow, and I go to him again and again because sometimes he likes to wrestle with us. Well, God has a way of doing things with our prayers. I'm reminded of a time just after I came back, from Finland. I moved to Saskatchewan. Saskatchewan and was living there and I was fairly well off because I didn't have any expenses the whole time I was living overseas and so all of my income went into the bank. [00:28:59] (33 seconds)
And it occurs to me that after being in the Holy of Holies, being in the presence of the Almighty God, you are a silly buddy. We are a silly buddy. Because when we come out of the presence of God back into that dark room, we are going to bounce. There's something that will change in us and put a bounce in our step. We're going to be more and more flexible, confident in our faith and able to be able to sit down with people who don't believe the same things we believe. [00:36:52] (39 seconds)
But one of the coolest things is that when we take time and we spend the time in his word and in prayer, and we are there seeing the incredible smile of our Father through all of this, when he sends us back into a dark place, we're going to glow in the dark. Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have a God who shuffles expectations. And he's going to work in his word to take your high expectations and bring them down. [00:37:23] (36 seconds)
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