Expectations - Philippians 1:18c-21
Expectations - Philippians 1:18c-21
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 8, 2009 AM
Expectations can be far greater in life than what is in reality true. Take circuses for instance. We all expect fun when entering the big top and yet, like the baby on the e-Trade commercials, we did not consider the creep factor of clowns! We’ve experienced this with the recent Presidential elections. Many expected “change,” not realizing that’s all that would be left in their pockets! Just as a nation cannot spend its way into prosperity, neither can people think themselves into the kingdom of heaven. Ignoring a problem or throwing more money at a crisis is not the solution. If it were I could charge my way out of credit card debt and expect my life to get better, but the reality is that it places me more in debt! Disregarding your sin will not get you into heaven either. You can be as nice as possible and you will end up nicely in hell! What you expect in life can be truly disappointing when “the chickens come home to roost!”
Paul understood this as well, yet he also knew what to expect and why he could depend on the expectations he had. Why? Paul understood what was important in life and what he could depend upon when times got tough. His expectations were firmly fixed in his faith in Jesus Christ. As he wrote to this little church in Philippi, Paul wanted them to have realistic expectations that were based on their faith and nothing else. Paul knew expectations in life can be far greater that what is in reality true, but when expectations are based in Jesus Christ, you can depend on them when nothing else makes sense. Let’s see why Paul could write such a thing…
READ: Philippians 1:18c-21
What is the most important thing in life for you? Friends? Family? Fame? Fortune? The future? Faulty faith finds fear in focusing on forces we cannot influence! The other night, I confess, I had a panic attack. Cold sweats, heart beating fast, and an overwhelming sense of fear. And no, it was not brought on by the anguish over Britney Spears’ new concert tour! Rather, it was over the general state of the nation right now. But as quickly as it occurred it went away. The reason? I know the One who is control. Paul did as well. This is why he could write, “But what does it matter?” We find that…
I. Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in! (Vv. 18c-19)
1. Because “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12) Do you have confidence during uncertain times? You can. Remember where Paul is writing from. He was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel. However, Paul was confident in his imprisonment! Why? First, Paul believed the gospel he preached! He had been changed by it. So much so that he no longer put any stock in the world or what it had to offer. He considered it trash! Secondly, Paul knew that the prayers of God’s people had a powerful impact! These are not the namby-pamby good time rock and roll feel good for a moment prayers of the world. You know what I mean. The kind of prayers mouthed by people who want you to think they care when in fact they don’t, but they want to seem “spiritual.” The phony prayers of the political pundits, the Hollywood haughty, and the spiritually shallow who do not actually believe in anything and yet appear like they actually do. Paul knew without a doubt that the prayers of righteous Godly Jesus-believing Spirit-filled folks would make a difference. For Paul prayer was not some escape hatch he desperately relied on when all else failed! Paul knew that when others like him spoke with God on his behalf God listened and responded. It was through these folk’s prayers that Paul could face any imprisonment. And finally, Paul had the help given by the Holy Spirit. Paul was empowered by the promised parakletos, counselor, of the Lord! Paul knew that the personal comforter in his life made it possible for him to face anything that came his way, even if it was death. He knew that at the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit lived in him and the power of God was always embracing him, with him, and guiding him! Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in! Does yours?
EXAMPLE: Uncertain times call for a unswerving confidence in the face of disaster. The only way you can experience this kind of confidence is if your expectation is grounded in what you have placed your faith and trust in – Jesus Christ! Have you been changed? Prayer is not the pathetic platitudes of the general population. It is the spoken confident conversations of the Christian saint speaking with his Savior and Lord. A life that has been changed through the power of the Holy Spirit relies on the empowered presence of God living through your life! Far too many of us have swallowed the worldly lie that we should not expect too much in life so as to not be too disappointed when it does not happen. But my dear friends in the Lord, I expect a whole lot from the promises of God! It is time that His church, that is called by His name, act like they expect great things from a great and mighty God as did Paul! Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in, does yours?
The novel by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, is the story of the orphan Pip, writing about his life from his early days of childhood until adulthood and trying to be a gentleman along the way. He goes through four “expectations” in life and learns from each of them what it truly means to be a real gentleman. We all have expectations in life but they do not always come true. We dare not, the Bible teaches us, live in the past nor worry too much about the future. How is this possible? Paul wrote the Philippians about this very thing. We find that…
II. Paul’s expectations were founded in faith! (Vv. 20-21)
1. And “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!” (Hebrews 11:1) Notice that Paul’s outlook on life was totally different from the world’s view of things. He wrote, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed.” And Paul could have had a lot to be ashamed of in life because he had once persecuted and killed Christians! But what he was more concerned about now was being a good witness for the gospel! He did not want anyone to be ashamed of him nor the gospel he preached. He goes on to write that his desire was to “have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death!” WOW! Can you imagine being so concerned of your personal witness that your only desire is to be courageous even in facing death so that Christ would be exalted? This kind of attitude flies in the face of a selfish worldview! We live in a day when all we can think of is ourselves. We have gotten sidetracked as a “country of Christians”. Wake up American Christians! We have reduced the gospel message to personal pastime of pleasure, a happy hour, a slap and dash Benny Hinn extravaganza! The gospel message is not about you. Surprised? If you are, something is drastically wrong with what you believe. The gospel is the good news of Jesus, not some Dr. Phil self-help therapy group! Talk about a reality check! Paul’s main reason in living was to glorify Jesus. Jesus was the essence of Paul’s life, and this is why when he bluntly writes, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” that it is such a startling statement for us! We do not comprehend that kind of devotion. In fact, we often laugh at it and call it “fanatical,” but it was not! Paul knew that if he were killed in Rome, Jesus would be glorified through the testimony of his own death! And Paul knew that he himself would benefit in ways no one could comprehend because his death would result in his being in the presence of his Savior and Lord! Paul’s expectations were founded in faith! Are yours?
EXAMPLE: I am continually amazed at the fact that each day brings me something new and different. When I go to sleep at night I do not know what will occur when I wake up tomorrow or even if I will wake up tomorrow. Therefore I am always so grateful when my eyes open and I begin a new day. In fact, I do not remember a thing about being born and so death has never been that fearful of a thing for me. All of it is part of my life and when I discovered that a biblical writer expressed what I felt about all of this, I was truly amazed and excited! This guy wrote, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it!” Guess who it was? PAUL! (1 Timothy 6:7) The same dude that wrote to the Philippians, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!” (Philippians 1:20-21) Stop holding onto the ungodly worn out worrisome things of life as if by doing so you can change what happens in your life. You cannot! Live a life of godly expectation like Paul did instead, whose expectations were founded in faith!
Conclusion:
Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in and Paul’s expectations were founded in faith!
---
This article is the copyrighted 2009 © property of Lee Hemen and may not be copied or reproduced in any way shape or form without using the full text of this entire article, and getting the permission of its author.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 8, 2009 AM
Expectations can be far greater in life than what is in reality true. Take circuses for instance. We all expect fun when entering the big top and yet, like the baby on the e-Trade commercials, we did not consider the creep factor of clowns! We’ve experienced this with the recent Presidential elections. Many expected “change,” not realizing that’s all that would be left in their pockets! Just as a nation cannot spend its way into prosperity, neither can people think themselves into the kingdom of heaven. Ignoring a problem or throwing more money at a crisis is not the solution. If it were I could charge my way out of credit card debt and expect my life to get better, but the reality is that it places me more in debt! Disregarding your sin will not get you into heaven either. You can be as nice as possible and you will end up nicely in hell! What you expect in life can be truly disappointing when “the chickens come home to roost!”
Paul understood this as well, yet he also knew what to expect and why he could depend on the expectations he had. Why? Paul understood what was important in life and what he could depend upon when times got tough. His expectations were firmly fixed in his faith in Jesus Christ. As he wrote to this little church in Philippi, Paul wanted them to have realistic expectations that were based on their faith and nothing else. Paul knew expectations in life can be far greater that what is in reality true, but when expectations are based in Jesus Christ, you can depend on them when nothing else makes sense. Let’s see why Paul could write such a thing…
READ: Philippians 1:18c-21
What is the most important thing in life for you? Friends? Family? Fame? Fortune? The future? Faulty faith finds fear in focusing on forces we cannot influence! The other night, I confess, I had a panic attack. Cold sweats, heart beating fast, and an overwhelming sense of fear. And no, it was not brought on by the anguish over Britney Spears’ new concert tour! Rather, it was over the general state of the nation right now. But as quickly as it occurred it went away. The reason? I know the One who is control. Paul did as well. This is why he could write, “But what does it matter?” We find that…
I. Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in! (Vv. 18c-19)
1. Because “In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12) Do you have confidence during uncertain times? You can. Remember where Paul is writing from. He was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the gospel. However, Paul was confident in his imprisonment! Why? First, Paul believed the gospel he preached! He had been changed by it. So much so that he no longer put any stock in the world or what it had to offer. He considered it trash! Secondly, Paul knew that the prayers of God’s people had a powerful impact! These are not the namby-pamby good time rock and roll feel good for a moment prayers of the world. You know what I mean. The kind of prayers mouthed by people who want you to think they care when in fact they don’t, but they want to seem “spiritual.” The phony prayers of the political pundits, the Hollywood haughty, and the spiritually shallow who do not actually believe in anything and yet appear like they actually do. Paul knew without a doubt that the prayers of righteous Godly Jesus-believing Spirit-filled folks would make a difference. For Paul prayer was not some escape hatch he desperately relied on when all else failed! Paul knew that when others like him spoke with God on his behalf God listened and responded. It was through these folk’s prayers that Paul could face any imprisonment. And finally, Paul had the help given by the Holy Spirit. Paul was empowered by the promised parakletos, counselor, of the Lord! Paul knew that the personal comforter in his life made it possible for him to face anything that came his way, even if it was death. He knew that at the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit lived in him and the power of God was always embracing him, with him, and guiding him! Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in! Does yours?
EXAMPLE: Uncertain times call for a unswerving confidence in the face of disaster. The only way you can experience this kind of confidence is if your expectation is grounded in what you have placed your faith and trust in – Jesus Christ! Have you been changed? Prayer is not the pathetic platitudes of the general population. It is the spoken confident conversations of the Christian saint speaking with his Savior and Lord. A life that has been changed through the power of the Holy Spirit relies on the empowered presence of God living through your life! Far too many of us have swallowed the worldly lie that we should not expect too much in life so as to not be too disappointed when it does not happen. But my dear friends in the Lord, I expect a whole lot from the promises of God! It is time that His church, that is called by His name, act like they expect great things from a great and mighty God as did Paul! Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in, does yours?
The novel by Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, is the story of the orphan Pip, writing about his life from his early days of childhood until adulthood and trying to be a gentleman along the way. He goes through four “expectations” in life and learns from each of them what it truly means to be a real gentleman. We all have expectations in life but they do not always come true. We dare not, the Bible teaches us, live in the past nor worry too much about the future. How is this possible? Paul wrote the Philippians about this very thing. We find that…
II. Paul’s expectations were founded in faith! (Vv. 20-21)
1. And “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see!” (Hebrews 11:1) Notice that Paul’s outlook on life was totally different from the world’s view of things. He wrote, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed.” And Paul could have had a lot to be ashamed of in life because he had once persecuted and killed Christians! But what he was more concerned about now was being a good witness for the gospel! He did not want anyone to be ashamed of him nor the gospel he preached. He goes on to write that his desire was to “have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death!” WOW! Can you imagine being so concerned of your personal witness that your only desire is to be courageous even in facing death so that Christ would be exalted? This kind of attitude flies in the face of a selfish worldview! We live in a day when all we can think of is ourselves. We have gotten sidetracked as a “country of Christians”. Wake up American Christians! We have reduced the gospel message to personal pastime of pleasure, a happy hour, a slap and dash Benny Hinn extravaganza! The gospel message is not about you. Surprised? If you are, something is drastically wrong with what you believe. The gospel is the good news of Jesus, not some Dr. Phil self-help therapy group! Talk about a reality check! Paul’s main reason in living was to glorify Jesus. Jesus was the essence of Paul’s life, and this is why when he bluntly writes, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain,” that it is such a startling statement for us! We do not comprehend that kind of devotion. In fact, we often laugh at it and call it “fanatical,” but it was not! Paul knew that if he were killed in Rome, Jesus would be glorified through the testimony of his own death! And Paul knew that he himself would benefit in ways no one could comprehend because his death would result in his being in the presence of his Savior and Lord! Paul’s expectations were founded in faith! Are yours?
EXAMPLE: I am continually amazed at the fact that each day brings me something new and different. When I go to sleep at night I do not know what will occur when I wake up tomorrow or even if I will wake up tomorrow. Therefore I am always so grateful when my eyes open and I begin a new day. In fact, I do not remember a thing about being born and so death has never been that fearful of a thing for me. All of it is part of my life and when I discovered that a biblical writer expressed what I felt about all of this, I was truly amazed and excited! This guy wrote, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it!” Guess who it was? PAUL! (1 Timothy 6:7) The same dude that wrote to the Philippians, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain!” (Philippians 1:20-21) Stop holding onto the ungodly worn out worrisome things of life as if by doing so you can change what happens in your life. You cannot! Live a life of godly expectation like Paul did instead, whose expectations were founded in faith!
Conclusion:
Paul’s expectations depended upon what he had confidence in and Paul’s expectations were founded in faith!
---
This article is the copyrighted 2009 © property of Lee Hemen and may not be copied or reproduced in any way shape or form without using the full text of this entire article, and getting the permission of its author.
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