Trusting God Amidst Unmet Expectations and Offense
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound theme of being "Offended with God," drawing from Matthew 11, where John the Baptist, imprisoned and disillusioned, questions if Jesus is truly the Messiah. This narrative serves as a backdrop to discuss the common human experience of grappling with unmet expectations and the resulting offense that can arise towards God. We delved into the reality that life often doesn't unfold as we anticipate, and God doesn't always intervene in the ways we expect. These moments test our faith and challenge our understanding of God's nature and promises.
We reflected on personal experiences, like the loss of a home, to illustrate how these trials can lead to offense if we hold onto our expectations rather than trusting in God's character. The key is to cling to God more than the answers we seek, embracing the mystery of His ways. We also examined how Jesus' words can confront our ways, leading to offense if we resist aligning our lives with His teachings. The challenge is to let His words guide us into a life of abundance rather than stumbling over them.
The remedy lies in allowing the Word of God to set and reset our expectations. By immersing ourselves in both the written (logos) and spoken (rhema) Word, we can align our expectations with God's truth, preventing offense from taking root. The Word of God is not just information but a transformative relationship that washes away the world's influence and renews our minds.
In conclusion, we are encouraged to renew our commitment to daily engage with the Word, allowing it to shape our understanding and expectations of God. This practice will help us navigate life's uncertainties without falling into offense, trusting that God is with us in every circumstance.
Key Takeaways:
1. Offense with God arises when life doesn't meet our expectations. When God doesn't act as we anticipate, it challenges our faith. These moments are opportunities to deepen our trust in God's character rather than our understanding. Embracing the mystery of God's ways can lead to spiritual growth and freedom from offense. [39:55]
2. Jesus' words can confront our ways, leading to offense. When His teachings challenge our lifestyles, we face a choice: align with His truth or stumble into unbelief. True discipleship involves surrendering our ways for the abundant life Jesus offers, even when it feels uncomfortable. [53:22]
3. The Word of God sets and resets our expectations. Immersing ourselves in Scripture helps us align our expectations with God's truth, preventing offense. The Word is a living, active force that transforms our understanding and guides us through life's challenges. [59:50]
4. Trust in God's character over our understanding. In times of trial, holding onto God's nature rather than seeking answers can prevent offense. Trusting in His goodness, even amidst mystery, allows us to experience His peace and presence. [48:16]
5. Daily engagement with the Word is essential. Regularly immersing ourselves in Scripture and prayer allows God to wash away worldly influences and renew our minds. This practice strengthens our faith and helps us navigate life's uncertainties without falling into offense. [01:08:08]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[00:02] - Introduction and Greetings
[00:45] - Opening Prayer
[01:30] - Introduction to Matthew 11
[03:15] - John's Question and Doubt
[05:00] - Offense with God
[07:30] - Personal Story of Loss
[10:00] - The Reality of Offense
[12:00] - Living Under God's Blessing
[15:00] - Jesus' Words Confront Our Ways
[18:00] - The Role of Scripture
[20:00] - Trusting God's Character
[23:00] - The Power of the Word
[25:00] - Application and Prayer
[28:00] - Closing and Invitation to Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Offended with God
Bible Reading:
- Matthew 11:2-6
- Isaiah 61:1
- Proverbs 3:5-6
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Observation Questions:
1. In Matthew 11:2-6, what question does John the Baptist ask Jesus, and why might he have been prompted to ask it? [39:55]
2. How does Jesus respond to John's question, and what does this response reveal about His mission? [39:55]
3. According to Isaiah 61:1, what are some of the roles and actions of the Messiah? How might these have influenced John's expectations? [46:51]
4. What does Proverbs 3:5-6 advise about understanding and trusting God, and how does this relate to the theme of offense with God? [48:16]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. Why might unmet expectations lead to offense with God, as illustrated by John's situation in prison? How does this challenge one's faith? [39:55]
2. How does Jesus' response to John in Matthew 11:4-6 challenge the common expectations of the Messiah at the time? What does this say about the nature of Jesus' ministry? [43:24]
3. In what ways does Proverbs 3:5-6 encourage believers to trust in God's character over their understanding? How can this trust prevent offense? [48:16]
4. How does the concept of "mystery" in God's ways, as discussed in the sermon, impact a believer's relationship with God? [49:45]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when life didn't go as you expected. How did you respond, and what role did your faith play in that situation? [49:33]
2. When Jesus' teachings challenge your lifestyle, how do you typically react? What steps can you take to align more closely with His words? [53:22]
3. How can you incorporate daily engagement with the Word of God into your routine to help reset your expectations and prevent offense? [59:50]
4. Think of a current situation where you are struggling to understand God's plan. How can you apply Proverbs 3:5-6 to trust in God's character over your understanding? [48:16]
5. Identify an area in your life where you might be holding onto offense towards God. What practical steps can you take to release this offense and renew your trust in Him? [49:33]
6. How can you embrace the mystery of God's ways in your life, allowing it to deepen your faith rather than cause offense? [49:45]
7. Consider a specific expectation you have of God that may not align with His Word. How can you adjust this expectation to better reflect biblical truth? [59:50]
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Unmet Expectations
When life doesn't meet our expectations, it can challenge our faith and lead to offense with God. This is a common human experience, as seen in the story of John the Baptist in Matthew 11, who questioned if Jesus was truly the Messiah while he was imprisoned and disillusioned. These moments of unmet expectations are opportunities to deepen our trust in God's character rather than our understanding. Embracing the mystery of God's ways can lead to spiritual growth and freedom from offense. Instead of clinging to our expectations, we are encouraged to trust in God's nature and His plans, even when they are not clear to us. [39:55]
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: Think of a recent situation where your expectations were not met. How can you choose to trust in God's character and His higher ways in this situation today?
Day 2: Aligning with Jesus' Teachings
Jesus' words can confront our ways, leading to offense when His teachings challenge our lifestyles. We face a choice: align with His truth or stumble into unbelief. True discipleship involves surrendering our ways for the abundant life Jesus offers, even when it feels uncomfortable. This requires a willingness to let go of our preconceived notions and embrace the transformative power of His teachings. By aligning our lives with Jesus' words, we can experience the fullness of life He promises, avoiding the pitfalls of offense and unbelief. [53:22]
James 1:22-25 (ESV): "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing."
Reflection: Identify one teaching of Jesus that challenges your current lifestyle. What practical steps can you take today to align your life more closely with this teaching?
Day 3: Resetting Expectations with God's Word
The Word of God sets and resets our expectations, helping us align them with God's truth and preventing offense. Immersing ourselves in Scripture allows the Word to transform our understanding and guide us through life's challenges. The Word is not just information but a living, active force that renews our minds and washes away the world's influence. By engaging with both the written (logos) and spoken (rhema) Word, we can prevent offense from taking root and experience the transformative power of God's truth in our lives. [59:50]
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV): "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Reflection: How can you incorporate more time in God's Word into your daily routine this week? What specific passage will you meditate on to reset your expectations?
Day 4: Trusting in God's Character
In times of trial, holding onto God's nature rather than seeking answers can prevent offense. Trusting in His goodness, even amidst mystery, allows us to experience His peace and presence. When we focus on God's character, we can find comfort and assurance, knowing that He is with us in every circumstance. This trust in His character over our understanding helps us navigate life's uncertainties without falling into offense, allowing us to experience His peace and presence in our lives. [48:16]
Psalm 9:10 (ESV): "And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you."
Reflection: Reflect on a current trial you are facing. How can you shift your focus from seeking answers to trusting in God's character and His presence with you?
Day 5: Daily Engagement with the Word
Daily engagement with the Word is essential for strengthening our faith and navigating life's uncertainties without falling into offense. Regularly immersing ourselves in Scripture and prayer allows God to wash away worldly influences and renew our minds. This practice helps us align our expectations with God's truth and strengthens our faith, enabling us to trust in His character and His plans for our lives. By committing to daily engagement with the Word, we can experience the transformative power of God's truth and navigate life's challenges with confidence and peace. [01:08:08]
Colossians 3:16 (ESV): "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."
Reflection: What specific time each day can you dedicate to engaging with God's Word and prayer? How will this commitment help you navigate life's uncertainties with greater faith and peace?
Quotes
1. "What do you do when life doesn't go like you thought it was going to go? What do you do when God doesn't act like you think God is going to act? You know, where you're, you're following God, you're coming to church, you're doing what you know to do, but then the bankruptcy happens. The lawsuit comes out of nowhere. The diagnosis happens. The loved one who you've been praying for still passed away, even though you were praying and praying and praying." [00:37:34] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "And all of us across this room, and everybody watching online or through the stream, we've all got our stories, right? Of ways that we're going about our life. And then all of a sudden something happens and we're blindsided. And it's in those moments where we are susceptible to become offended with God. God, why? God, why is this happening? And so Jesus said to John, and he says to all of us today, blessed is the one who is not offended because of me." [00:39:55] (30 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "You can be offended with God. Did you know that? Maybe you hadn't put it in those terms before, but that's what we're going to look at today because it is very possible and highly probable that many people today, whether you know it or not, you are holding some offense with God in your heart. But today's going to be a day of freedom for many people in the room. And God's going to do some things in you." [00:40:25] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "God wants you to be blessed in your finances, your relationships, your marriages, your business, your schooling. Every area of your life, God wants you to be blessed. But the thing is, is that if we have offense in our hearts with God, then we are blocking the channel of that very blessing that God wants to give us in our lives." [00:41:51] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Number one, here you go. You can get offended with God when life doesn't go like you thought it would and God doesn't intervene. Like you thought he would. And you can leave this point up for a little bit. I want people to be able to write it down or whatever you do, take a picture. You can get offended with God when life doesn't go like you thought it would. And God doesn't intervene like you thought he would." [00:41:48] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Offense with God can come when life doesn't look like we thought it was supposed to look, and God doesn't intervene like we thought he would intervene. And I just want to get real for a moment here, because obviously just the numbers in the room, and the numbers of people that are online, people are going through some really, really hard stuff right now in our church." [00:45:09] (19 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "But what it was, is that when we came to Jesus, is this assurance that somebody will be with us as we go through all the things that we're going to go through until we're in heaven. And you might have asked this question, I know I have, and I've sat with people who have asked this question, okay, God, if you're good, then why, and fill in the blank. God, if you're good, then why did my loved one pass away?" [00:46:11] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "So I want to encourage you today, we need to surrender the mysteries of God to God because we will never understand on this side of heaven. So we find this in scripture that God has revealed so many things to us in scripture, right? But how many of you have realized there's a lot of stuff that God has chosen not to reveal to us in scripture?" [00:47:09] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "I held on to the promisor more than my version of what I felt like the promise was. I want to tell you today, you need to hold on to the healer more than you're holding on to the fact that you're not seeing healing right now. You need to hold on to the God of mysteries more than the mystery that you find yourself in the middle of, and hold on to the God of the word more than you, even hold on to what you think the word of God is saying." [00:50:46] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "So the word of God in written form, spoken form, sets right expectations of God for life with him. Hebrews 4 .12 tells us that the word of God is, living and active. So the word sets our expectations. And every time you come back to it, it resets your expectations. And you might veer off a little bit and get this weird kind of ideology over here. It resets your expectations." [01:02:36] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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