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Expectations |
Dear Brethren,
What should we do when our expectations are not met?
When the time came for Jesus' last Passover in His earthly life, things were
not shaping up in the way most of His followers expected. Many,
who were close followers and knew Him best, considered that
Jesus might be a total failure. Nothing, it seemed, that He had
promised had come to pass. His disciples dispersed into the night
leaving Him all alone to be led away to a lonely death - the shame
of the cross (Hebrews 12:2). To those who literally abandoned Him
in that dark hour, it seemed that there was nothing left to show for
all the hard work of His three and a half years of public teaching
and miracles. Those He was closest to lost faith, doubted, and
returned to their old jobs.
But, what was Jesus, Himself, going through? Remember, He was being
sacrificed for them and for us. There was much more to His
sacrifice than His physical agony at the time of His death. The
pain of betrayal is the worst pain that exists. Think about this;
Jesus was betrayed - not only by Judas - but by His disciples and by
all of us.
Sometimes brethren, for us too, the future also looks bleak. It is
easy for us to become discouraged and lose faith because things do
not work out as we had hoped they would. Could it be that Christ is
allowing us to experience some of what He had to endure for us? Can
we learn another vital lesson - the same one the disciples would
learn very shortly after Jesus died?
The extreme physical agony that Jesus suffered was made much worse
by the debilitating mental anguish, which burdened Him as a result
of the betrayal and abandonment, by his closest and dearest
friends. The deep hurt and profound discouragement that Jesus faced
caused Him to beg His Father for relief. When the grief and
suffering seemed to be more than He could take, Jesus prayed, "O
my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me."
(Matthew 26:39)
Let's admit it, if we had been there, we would have doubted, just
like the disciples did. To them, Jesus had not become the
anticipated world ruling King over the Empire of Israel. He hadn't
even established a functioning Church group of true believers.
Those people, who were taught directly by Jesus, didn't have any
idea where to go or what to do. Their little world crashed about
them - their hope was lost. Their minds were not on what Jesus
Christ was doing for them. Don't we find ourselves in similar
situations, occasionally?
Jesus Christ is our example. Have we forgotten what He has done,
and is still doing for us? Jesus is alive and on His heavenly
throne - and His Father's Kingdom will soon be set up here on the
earth. Discouragement is natural, but we have His example and the
promise that we will be delivered out of our troubles. "God is
faithful, who will not suffer you to be tested above that ye are
able; but will with the trial also make a way to escape, that ye may
be able to bear it." (1Corinthians 10:13)
Let us continue with all of our ability, and the help of God's Holy
Spirit, to do those things we have been taught to do. We are a part
of the "small flock" as described in the Scriptures. The
words of Jesus apply directly to us today, "Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." (Luke 12:43) When we read down a little further in Luke, we see that we
should have expected the scattering that we see all about us,
"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay;
but rather division. "(Luke 12:51).
These verses are for our encouragement! We, like-minded brethren
today, are to be equating ourselves, with those powerless people
that God promises to use mightily. "God hath chosen the weak
things of the world to confound the things which are mighty."
(1Corinthians 1:27) Our duty, in humility, is to serve and help
one another - even to the extent of laying our very lives down for
each other - as Jesus did for us. "If I then, your Lord and
Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's
feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have
done to you." (John 13:14-15) Jesus said, "You know that
the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they
that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be
so among you, but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
servant." (Matthew 20:25-26). This shows us that it is wrong to
take advantage of others by wielding authority over them in a
forceful way.
Jesus Christ does not measure success the same way that the world
does. "The last shall be first, and the first last."
(Matthew 20:16) Let us be encouraged by the promises that we are
never alone as He was on the cross. "I will never leave you,
nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5) Finally, let us be
encouraged by the fact that everything is working out according to
His eternal plan. "We know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to
his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
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Sermon: |
"John the Beloved Apostle" |
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