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Expectation
Joel OsteenAbout this sermon
Expectation is the breeding ground for God to do the impossible in our lives. Have you started expecting lack, mediocrity, and struggle? Begin to shift your perspective and expect to see the miraculous in your life. Expectation is not just positive thinking, expectation is our faith being put into action! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Source: Joel Osteen
Transcript
0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military e
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0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.360 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.440 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.120 Are you ready to move your career forward? Make your 0:00:33.159 --> 0:00:36.640 comeback with Perdue Global and get college credit for your work, school, life, 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.840 or military experiences. With these credits, you may have already 0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:42.680 completed up to seventy five percent of your undergraduate degree. 0:00:42.720 --> 0:00:44.800 You've worked hard to get where you are. It's time 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:46.920 to get the recognition you deserve and earn a degree 0:00:47.000 --> 0:00:49.600 you'll be proud of, one that employers will trust and 0:00:49.720 --> 0:00:51.840 respect when you take the next step in your life 0:00:51.880 --> 0:00:55.040 and career. Make it count with Perdue Global produce online 0:00:55.120 --> 0:00:59.720 University for working adults. 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See terms and conditions at UNEs 0:01:29.760 --> 0:01:30.080 dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.680 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.000 --> 0:01:37.440 We enjoy spending this time with you, and I hope 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:38.400 you'll leave inspired. 0:01:38.720 --> 0:01:41.600 Make sure you subscribe to get new messages every week. 0:01:41.800 --> 0:01:44.960 We appreciate your support. It helps keep the ministry going. 0:01:45.319 --> 0:01:46.640 Enjoy our son Jonathan. 0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:59.280 Today tonight, I want to talk about expectation, whether we 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:02.240 know it or not, We're all expecting something. When we 0:02:02.280 --> 0:02:04.880 turn the key, we expect the car to start. When 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:08.080 the clouds darken, we expect it to rain. When our 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.840 team's up forty points, we expect to win the game. 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:14.960 The question is not if we're expecting, but what are 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:18.360 we expecting? Are we expecting the right things? Are we 0:02:18.400 --> 0:02:22.360 expecting enough? The Bible shows us that God meets us 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:25.679 at the level of our expectation. When we wake up 0:02:26.040 --> 0:02:29.160 expecting to have a great day, God meets us right there. 0:02:29.480 --> 0:02:33.480 When we expect opportunity, he opens doors. When we expect 0:02:33.480 --> 0:02:35.880 to meet the right people, he brings them across our 0:02:35.960 --> 0:02:40.240 paths Wherever our level of expectation is. That's where we're 0:02:40.280 --> 0:02:43.919 asking God to meet us. That's the extent we're allowing 0:02:44.000 --> 0:02:46.400 him to move in our lives. He wants to do 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:48.880 something amazing, but we got to give him some room 0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:52.880 to work. We got to expect the miracle, expect the breakthrough, 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:57.120 expect our dreams to come to pass. Sometimes we find 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:00.840 ourselves expecting the very things we don't want. We expect 0:03:00.880 --> 0:03:04.240 the relationship not to last. We expect that we won't 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:07.600 get the job or the position. We expect to struggle 0:03:07.639 --> 0:03:11.120 with addiction. When God's saying I want the best for you, 0:03:11.520 --> 0:03:14.919 why are you expecting the worst? Maybe we think if 0:03:14.919 --> 0:03:17.920 I don't expect much, then I won't be disappointed. The 0:03:18.000 --> 0:03:21.400 truth is, if you don't expect much, you'll miss your destiny. 0:03:21.800 --> 0:03:24.120 If we're going to become all that God's created us 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:27.960 to be, we have to learn to expect on his level. 0:03:28.320 --> 0:03:31.880 We have to take a step beyond what's familiar, beyond 0:03:31.919 --> 0:03:35.200 the ordinary, into what only He can do. This is 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:39.720 a time to redefine our expectations. If we don't set them, 0:03:39.760 --> 0:03:43.400 then people and circumstances will set them for us. I've 0:03:43.400 --> 0:03:46.200 heard it said things just keep getting worse. This is 0:03:46.320 --> 0:03:49.200 just the way the world's headed. That kind of talk 0:03:49.280 --> 0:03:53.400 has created such a negative outlook in our generation. We've 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:57.560 been told twenty seventeen was bad, twenty eighteen made it worse, 0:03:57.600 --> 0:04:00.760 and now it's all downhill from here about you. But 0:04:00.840 --> 0:04:04.640 I'm done letting anyone other than God tell me what's next. 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:09.480 Let's stir our expectation in twenty nineteen. Let's believe for 0:04:09.560 --> 0:04:12.240 our best year yet. Let's believe this is the year 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:15.480 we see our family restored, this is the year we 0:04:15.520 --> 0:04:19.039 are set free. This is the year we take new ground. 0:04:19.560 --> 0:04:24.680 It's not just positive thinking. Expectation is our faith being released. 0:04:25.000 --> 0:04:26.919 It's a force that can move mountains. 0:04:27.240 --> 0:04:29.760 Part sees bring the dead to life. 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:35.760 If our expectations don't seem impossible, if our dreams aren't intimidating, 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:40.200 if what we're believing for is anything less than extraordinary, 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:44.880 then it doesn't take faith. We're talking about God size expectation. 0:04:45.480 --> 0:04:48.480 The kind of expectation that says, I'll pay this car 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:51.240 off in half the time and be able to give 0:04:51.279 --> 0:04:54.760 it away. The kind of expectation that says, right now, 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:57.760 I'm working for this company, but one day I'm gonna 0:04:57.760 --> 0:05:00.840 own it. The kind of expectation and that says I 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:04.080 will be healed, I will be set free despite what 0:05:04.200 --> 0:05:08.200 the situation looks like. Maybe you're thinking that sounds awesome, 0:05:08.279 --> 0:05:11.240 but you also sound crazy. Then we're off to a 0:05:11.240 --> 0:05:14.720 good start. Let's get our hopes up. I imagine God 0:05:14.760 --> 0:05:18.159 looks at that level of expectation with a smile and says, 0:05:18.200 --> 0:05:21.960 I'll meet you there. Finally she's getting a glimpse of 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:25.800 who I am. Finally he's scratching the surface of what 0:05:25.920 --> 0:05:30.080 I have in store. Isaiah thirty eighteen says God is 0:05:30.200 --> 0:05:33.920 longing to be good to those who expect and look 0:05:33.960 --> 0:05:37.760 for his goodness. My question is what are you looking for? 0:05:38.360 --> 0:05:41.320 What are you expecting? Are you looking for what could 0:05:41.360 --> 0:05:45.359 go wrong? Are you expecting more of the same, or 0:05:45.400 --> 0:05:48.839 are you looking for God's favor? Expecting him to show 0:05:48.920 --> 0:05:51.960 up this year? He's longing to be good to people 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:56.320 like that. Let's raise our level of expectation. In twenty nineteen, 0:05:57.000 --> 0:06:00.440 there are hundreds of people gathered around one man, A 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:03.040 man they said could make the blind see in the 0:06:03.160 --> 0:06:06.320 lame walk, a man who could touch a leper and 0:06:06.400 --> 0:06:09.360 cause him to be healed. The whole city had come 0:06:09.400 --> 0:06:12.400 to get a glimpse of this man, Jesus. As he 0:06:12.440 --> 0:06:15.719 made his waist through the streets, the people pushed and shouted, 0:06:15.760 --> 0:06:18.359 trying to get as close as they could. In the 0:06:18.400 --> 0:06:21.240 midst of all that chaos, a woman pressed through the 0:06:21.240 --> 0:06:23.760 crowd with one thought in her mind. If I can 0:06:23.800 --> 0:06:27.600 touch him, I'll be healed. This woman had suffered for 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:31.000 twelve years with chronic bleeding. It took all the strength 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:33.800 she had just to be there that day. With every 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:37.039 step she took, she said it again, I will be healed. 0:06:37.440 --> 0:06:40.560 When she could finally see him, she reached out and 0:06:40.640 --> 0:06:45.120 touched his robe, knowing full well what was about to happen. Suddenly, 0:06:45.240 --> 0:06:49.160 Jesus stopped and asked, who touched my robe? The disciples 0:06:49.200 --> 0:06:52.040 probably thought, here we go again. Why does he always 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:55.599 ask these kind of questions. Jesus, everyone's touching you. There's 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:58.880 hundreds of people here. He said, no, this was different. 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:00.240 Who was it? 0:07:00.880 --> 0:07:03.520 When she realized she couldn't hide any longer, the woman 0:07:03.880 --> 0:07:06.440 stepped forward, hung her head and said it was me. 0:07:07.560 --> 0:07:10.400 Jesus looked at her with a smile, lifted her head 0:07:10.440 --> 0:07:11.600 and said, you took a risk. 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:15.239 Now you're healed and whole, Go and live well. 0:07:16.200 --> 0:07:19.920 Dozens of people brushed up against Jesus that day. The 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:24.440 woman who reached out in expectation received a miracle. 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:26.200 Where are we in that crowd. 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:29.680 Are we brushing up against him just hoping something happens, 0:07:30.160 --> 0:07:33.840 or are we like the woman who reached out expecting. 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:34.040 To be healed. 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:36.960 There are a lot of people with needs that day. 0:07:37.480 --> 0:07:39.720 The fact that they were even there shows us that 0:07:39.800 --> 0:07:43.160 they believed what they had heard about Jesus. But there's 0:07:43.200 --> 0:07:47.840 a difference between believing and expecting. The others said God, 0:07:48.080 --> 0:07:51.080 I know you can. This woman said, God, I know 0:07:51.240 --> 0:07:54.160 you will. If we want to see the power of 0:07:54.200 --> 0:07:56.760 God in our lives, we need to go from believing 0:07:57.080 --> 0:08:01.040 to expecting. Many of us believe God can do great things. 0:08:01.320 --> 0:08:04.400 We know it's possible with him, but we don't expect 0:08:04.640 --> 0:08:07.120 that it will happen to us. We don't make room 0:08:07.200 --> 0:08:11.000 for him to work. When we live expectantly, it gets 0:08:11.000 --> 0:08:15.640 God's attention when we wake up each day expecting to overcome, 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:19.720 expecting to be debt free, expecting to be a greater blessing. 0:08:20.320 --> 0:08:23.040 Heaven sees that, and the angels go to work. 0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:27.239 They get that miracle, that breakthrough down off the shelf 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:29.680 and put it in one of those brown Amazon boxes 0:08:29.720 --> 0:08:33.960 with your name on it. They're like, finally someone is 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:37.560 expecting a delivery. We've got warehouses full of this stuff 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:41.040 up here. Why don't we throw in a few extra blessings. 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:45.040 Send the joy, send the strength, send the opportunity. God 0:08:45.120 --> 0:08:47.679 is longing to be good to us. Let's not keep 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:51.800 them waiting because we're not expecting. The Bible says she 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:55.280 kept saying to herself, I will be healed. She didn't 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:58.120 just say it once, she said it over and over. 0:08:58.480 --> 0:09:02.960 I will be healed, will be restored, I will overcome. 0:09:03.600 --> 0:09:06.480 She was releasing her face, and it started with what 0:09:06.559 --> 0:09:10.360 she said to herself. It started with her thoughts in 0:09:10.400 --> 0:09:13.240 the same way. We can't go around thinking I'll never 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:15.640 get any better. This is as good as I get. 0:09:15.640 --> 0:09:19.200 There's nothing good in my future. Doubt and fear may come, 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:21.320 But like that woman, we have to speak up and 0:09:21.480 --> 0:09:25.679 keep saying to ourself. I will succeed, I will be free. 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:28.960 The best is yet to come. Don't just say it once, 0:09:29.360 --> 0:09:32.440 say it until you're convinced. This is our year to 0:09:32.600 --> 0:09:35.840 expect great things. This is our year to dream again, 0:09:36.320 --> 0:09:39.480 to see God do something new. We can talk ourselves 0:09:39.840 --> 0:09:41.959 out of the miracle, or like she did, we can 0:09:42.000 --> 0:09:45.440 talk ourselves into it. Let's set our thoughts in the 0:09:45.520 --> 0:09:50.040 right direction. In twenty nineteen, the difference between believing and 0:09:50.160 --> 0:09:52.920 expecting is that two people can be in the same 0:09:52.960 --> 0:09:55.720 place at the same time, doing the same thing and 0:09:55.800 --> 0:09:57.679 have entirely different experiences. 0:09:58.200 --> 0:10:00.480 Some of the people there that day we're. 0:10:00.320 --> 0:10:03.640 At the right place at the right time, and even 0:10:03.760 --> 0:10:07.760 came into physical contact with Jesus, but miss the miracle. 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:10.720 Why there was no expectation. 0:10:11.520 --> 0:10:14.720 How many times have we bumped up against Jesus thinking 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:17.320 he doesn't have anything for me. I don't want to 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:20.360 bother him. The good news is tonight. We're in the 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:23.240 right place at the right time, and God saying, will 0:10:23.280 --> 0:10:26.080 you just reach out? I want to be good to you. 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:30.120 Are we coming on Sunday night expecting to hear from God? 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:33.040 Or are we waiting for the songs or the speaker 0:10:33.080 --> 0:10:36.160 to determine what kind of experience we have. We should 0:10:36.200 --> 0:10:40.679 come expecting God to show up. We should come expecting 0:10:40.920 --> 0:10:43.800 to make new friends. We should come expecting to be 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:47.319 refreshed and renewed. When we approach life like that, we'll 0:10:47.320 --> 0:10:50.960 stop brushing up against Jesus and start reaching out for him. 0:10:51.160 --> 0:10:53.480 He's not going to pass us by. We're not going 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:56.320 to miss what he has for us. We're determined to 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:59.440 become all that He's created us to be. When a 0:10:59.480 --> 0:11:02.400 couple is believing for a baby, it's one thing they 0:11:02.440 --> 0:11:04.840 may believe for a few months or a few years 0:11:04.840 --> 0:11:09.600 before anything happens. But when the woman becomes pregnant, everything changes. 0:11:10.200 --> 0:11:12.880 And I'm not about to assume what that's like, but 0:11:13.000 --> 0:11:15.840 I do know it's a whole new attitude. It changes 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:18.800 the way they talk, the way they think. It's no 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:22.960 longer if it's when they start getting ready for what's 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:27.040 about to happen. They buy toys and clothes, they read books, 0:11:27.240 --> 0:11:29.960 they get a crib, they start making a list of names. 0:11:30.280 --> 0:11:34.920 Now they're expecting when that baby finally arrives, they've prepared 0:11:35.000 --> 0:11:38.640 for it. That's how we should expect, not if, but 0:11:38.800 --> 0:11:42.720 when when I get promoted, when I get healed, when 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:46.880 my family is restored. Start getting ready for what God 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:49.400 is about to do. Let's get a vision for what 0:11:49.400 --> 0:11:52.800 we're expecting. Take a tour of that campus, meet some 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.120 people there, go to that open house. 0:11:55.160 --> 0:11:55.520 They don't know. 0:11:55.559 --> 0:11:58.760 You can't afford it right now. Maybe you're single, you 0:11:58.760 --> 0:12:02.040 can plan your wedding annivers or if you're in the hospital, 0:12:02.400 --> 0:12:04.679 have someone bring your running shoes and keep them by 0:12:04.679 --> 0:12:05.120 your bed. 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:06.800 That's what my grandfather did. 0:12:07.080 --> 0:12:09.319 You might not be able to use them right now, 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:11.680 but every time you look at them, you can say, 0:12:11.720 --> 0:12:13.000 I will run again. 0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:14.280 You're expecting. 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:18.240 At first, when there's no sign of a baby, the 0:12:18.280 --> 0:12:20.440 couple doesn't say, you know what, it's been a month 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:24.640 and I haven't seen anything. I don't think we're expecting anymore. No, 0:12:24.720 --> 0:12:27.160 they don't need to see it, they don't even need 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:29.320 to feel it. They got a report from the doctor 0:12:29.320 --> 0:12:31.959 that says a baby is on the way. That's all 0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:33.960 they need to start making preparations. 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:34.800 If we can. 0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:38.520 Expect what a doctor says, surely we can expect what 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:42.840 God says. There was a couple that lived in a 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:45.800 tiny apartment and they were happy, but they knew God 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:48.760 had bigger plans. So they bought this couch that was 0:12:48.800 --> 0:12:51.360 way too big for their living room. It was pushed 0:12:51.400 --> 0:12:53.080 all the way up against the wall and they still 0:12:53.080 --> 0:12:55.920 had to turn sideways just to get by. Whenever people 0:12:55.960 --> 0:12:58.280 came over, they would say, I'm sorry, you'll have to 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:00.920 excuse our couch. We bought it for our new house. 0:13:01.520 --> 0:13:04.840 When asked where they were moving, the couple always replied, 0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:07.520 we don't know yet. We just know we're not staying here. 0:13:08.200 --> 0:13:11.320 Some people thought that was crazy, but these people just 0:13:11.400 --> 0:13:14.520 knew God had better things in store. They were getting 0:13:14.559 --> 0:13:17.920 ready for it. Three years went by and those same 0:13:18.000 --> 0:13:21.160 people would ask when are you moving? The couple would 0:13:21.200 --> 0:13:24.360 always say soon. They didn't let it bother them. They 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:27.080 never thought, maybe we should have just bought a smaller couch. 0:13:27.120 --> 0:13:28.080 This is ridiculous. 0:13:28.480 --> 0:13:32.080 No, they kept expecting until one day they were offered 0:13:32.120 --> 0:13:36.040 this huge promotion. It was an amazing opportunity. And do 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:38.560 you know where that couch is now? It's not in 0:13:38.600 --> 0:13:41.800 their new house. They bought other furniture. They gave that 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:45.520 couch to another couple that's expecting their dream home. We 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:50.280 can't overestimate God. He always meets us at the level 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.560 of our expectation. Take the limits off, don't let it 0:13:53.600 --> 0:13:56.600 be so low he can't fit anything there. Start getting 0:13:56.640 --> 0:13:59.400 ready for what God's about to do. Make some room 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:01.720 for him to work. We don't have to buy a 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:04.840 really big couch, But what can we do to show 0:14:04.880 --> 0:14:08.880 God that we're expecting. Let's say what that couple did soon? 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:12.880 When is that problem going to turn around soon? When 0:14:12.920 --> 0:14:15.760 are you getting out of debt soon? When is that 0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:19.400 door going to open soon? Say it by face, Say 0:14:19.440 --> 0:14:23.040 it with expectancy, and watch how God meets us there. 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:25.720 Have you ever told a five year old something and 0:14:25.760 --> 0:14:29.040 then almost wished you hadn't because they never ever forgot it. 0:14:30.240 --> 0:14:33.200 I have some friends of mine have a little boy 0:14:33.200 --> 0:14:35.200 that's about five years old, and one day he was 0:14:35.240 --> 0:14:38.040 playing with some legos that I have. He's flying this 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:41.440 ship around making the sound effects. It keeps falling apart. 0:14:41.520 --> 0:14:43.920 I'm trying to put it back together. But he doesn't care. 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:48.480 He's loving life. You've never seen happiness like this. So 0:14:48.840 --> 0:14:51.120 in the spur of the moment, I say, hey, I'll 0:14:51.160 --> 0:14:54.240 get you some of these legos. I meant for his 0:14:54.320 --> 0:14:57.600 birthday or for Christmas. I didn't mean I get them. 0:14:57.640 --> 0:15:01.400 In like fifteen minutes, I said that. It was all 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:04.240 he could talk about. He kept asking, Jo, did you 0:15:04.240 --> 0:15:07.360 get my legos yet? I said, it's been three minutes. 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:09.360 I've been right here the whole time. How would I 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:12.240 have gotten your legos? The next time I saw him, 0:15:12.240 --> 0:15:14.720 he didn't say hi, He didn't give me a hug. 0:15:15.040 --> 0:15:17.200 The first words out of his mouth were, did you 0:15:17.240 --> 0:15:20.440 get my legos? I would get calls from his parents' 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:22.880 phone throughout the week, and when I answered, this little 0:15:22.920 --> 0:15:24.040 voice on the other end. 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:27.560 Would ask me about legos. I could not escape it. 0:15:28.000 --> 0:15:31.400 But he wasn't being rude, he wasn't being unfriendly, he 0:15:31.440 --> 0:15:34.400 wasn't even demanding. He just knew if I told him 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.960 I'd get him legos, I would. He believed me enough 0:15:38.000 --> 0:15:40.720 to expect it. The thought that he wasn't going to 0:15:40.760 --> 0:15:43.760 get legos never crossed his mind. He might not have 0:15:43.840 --> 0:15:47.680 known when, but he never doubted I even overheard him 0:15:47.720 --> 0:15:50.440 telling other people I was going to get him legos. 0:15:51.240 --> 0:15:54.400 It wasn't his birthday, it wasn't Christmas. But I finally 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:56.600 got him those legos, and I think I was even 0:15:56.680 --> 0:15:59.360 happier than he was now that he had stopped asking. 0:16:00.520 --> 0:16:03.280 Isn't that what we should expect from God, that if 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:08.160 he said he'd do something, he'd do it. That's childlike expectation. 0:16:08.800 --> 0:16:11.960 When we take God at his word, we hold on 0:16:12.080 --> 0:16:14.920 to the promise. We can't help but tell other people. 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:17.800 This little boy didn't ask if I could afford it. 0:16:18.160 --> 0:16:20.560 He didn't try to give me directions to the store 0:16:20.840 --> 0:16:23.560 or check if it was in stock. And the same way, 0:16:24.000 --> 0:16:26.280 we don't have to figure it out for God. We 0:16:26.320 --> 0:16:28.520 don't have to tell him how to do it. We 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.040 don't have to have a step by step plan with 0:16:31.120 --> 0:16:36.000 our expectation. The Bible says, ask and keep asking, expect 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:39.880 and keep expecting. God knows what he's saying, He meant 0:16:39.880 --> 0:16:43.000 what he said. If there's no way he can make one, 0:16:43.440 --> 0:16:45.560 sometimes it feels like if we can't figure it out, 0:16:45.560 --> 0:16:49.880 then God probably can't either. We think expectation sounds great, 0:16:50.160 --> 0:16:53.840 but let's be realistic. There's not enough time. This stet 0:16:53.880 --> 0:16:57.240 is too great. I've had this addiction too long. No, 0:16:57.440 --> 0:17:01.600 God didn't say ask, but keep it real, realistic, expect, 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:03.000 but don't get carried away. 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:04.800 He created reality. 0:17:05.080 --> 0:17:08.399 He gets to decide what's realistic, and he says we 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:12.000 can do all things through his strengths. He says we 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:16.880 are free, equip talented. He calls us his children. Why 0:17:16.880 --> 0:17:18.720 don't we expect like kids? 0:17:18.760 --> 0:17:20.879 Again? God is a good father. 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.199 He's longing to be good to us. Let's not keep 0:17:24.280 --> 0:17:26.879 him waiting because we're not expecting. We don't have to 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:29.560 beg We don't have to figure it out. We can 0:17:29.600 --> 0:17:32.359 trust because he's faithful. And if he said he'd do it, 0:17:32.560 --> 0:17:35.919 then we can praise him like it's already done. In 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.960 Psalm five, David writes, each morning, I bring my request 0:17:40.040 --> 0:17:44.560 to you and wait expectantly. He didn't pray and then 0:17:44.680 --> 0:17:48.280 get discouraged. He didn't ask God and then become complacent. 0:17:48.880 --> 0:17:53.680 David waited expectantly, and the time before our prayers are answered, 0:17:54.040 --> 0:17:56.639 the moment's leading up to the promise. There's always a 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:59.720 period of waiting. The question is are we waiting the 0:17:59.800 --> 0:18:03.240 right way? When we wait expectantly, we wake up saying, 0:18:03.280 --> 0:18:06.080 this could be the day I get the call, This 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.240 could be the day the situation turns around. We have 0:18:09.440 --> 0:18:12.800 anticipation in our spirit. We might not see it yet, 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:15.240 but we talk like it's on the way. We act 0:18:15.280 --> 0:18:18.440 like it's going to happen. We're not just waiting, we're 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:22.639 releasing our faith. We see this all throughout David's life. 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:26.119 He said things like, surely goodness and mercy will follow 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:27.280 me on my days. 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:31.480 He wasn't just hoping that happened. David was convinced. 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.240 He expected it, and this is one of the reasons 0:18:34.280 --> 0:18:37.159 God called him a man after his own heart. He 0:18:37.240 --> 0:18:41.160 had great expectation. When David wrote some of these things. 0:18:41.160 --> 0:18:43.400 He wasn't the king of Israel. He was a man 0:18:43.440 --> 0:18:46.760 on the run. The current king wanted him dead. Yet 0:18:46.800 --> 0:18:49.639 he still said, I am confident I will see God's 0:18:49.680 --> 0:18:52.119 goodness in the land of the living. He knew it 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:54.600 was only a matter of time before God delivered him, 0:18:54.840 --> 0:18:58.720 and until then he was going to wait expectantly. True 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:03.840 waiting is not past, it's actively expecting. We're not thinking 0:19:03.880 --> 0:19:06.360 this is never gonna work out. I should just learn 0:19:06.440 --> 0:19:10.680 to live with this problem. Like David, we pray, believe 0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:14.040 and then start looking for the answer. We can say 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:17.679 things like, surely his blessings will chase me down. I 0:19:17.720 --> 0:19:20.400 am confident God is going to show up. It could 0:19:20.440 --> 0:19:22.680 be a work, it could be a school. I could 0:19:22.680 --> 0:19:26.280 get a call whenever wherever I'm on the lookout for 0:19:26.400 --> 0:19:30.600 God's goodness. The Bible in the Book of James encourages 0:19:30.680 --> 0:19:34.359 us to wait for God's promises like a farmer waits 0:19:34.359 --> 0:19:35.120 for the harvest. 0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:36.600 Think about that. 0:19:37.400 --> 0:19:40.040 A farmer doesn't plant his crops and spend the next 0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:43.680 six months worried. He doesn't stress when he can't see 0:19:43.680 --> 0:19:47.200 the seed. He doesn't kick back and do nothing until springtime. 0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:52.240 He's actively expected. He waters the seed, takes care of 0:19:52.280 --> 0:19:55.239 the soil, pulls up the weeds. On top of that, 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:59.280 he's making preparations for the harvest to come. He's getting 0:19:59.280 --> 0:20:02.600 ready for what it's about to happen. Like a farmer, 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:05.840 we don't have to live anxious and worried while we 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:09.320 wait for the promise. We know it's not if it's 0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:12.040 when God has us in the palm of his hand, 0:20:12.520 --> 0:20:15.920 He'll never leave us or forsake us. He promised to 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:19.640 keep us in perfect peace. We don't have to stress 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:23.160 when the seed's underground. When we don't see anything happening, 0:20:23.440 --> 0:20:25.320 we know God is at work behind the scenes. 0:20:25.640 --> 0:20:28.480 He's still in control. He'll do what he said. 0:20:28.800 --> 0:20:31.640 When doubt and fears come pull him up like their weeds, 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:34.199 Let's just let them know that the harvest is on 0:20:34.320 --> 0:20:38.720 the way. We're not waiting anxiously, We're waiting expectantly. It's 0:20:38.760 --> 0:20:42.959 an active position of faith. A farmer isn't complacent. He 0:20:43.160 --> 0:20:46.160 cultivates what he's expecting and God causes it to grow. 0:20:46.640 --> 0:20:49.359 It's our job to do the same while we wait. 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:51.800 Let's thank God for what he's done in the past. 0:20:52.080 --> 0:20:54.280 Let's praise him for what he's going to do in 0:20:54.320 --> 0:20:58.040 the future. Keep saying to yourself, the promise is coming. 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:01.600 Don't give into negative thoughts. Stand on God's word and 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:04.960 start getting ready for it, making room for what is 0:21:05.000 --> 0:21:08.359 about to happen. Let's worship while we wait. When we 0:21:08.400 --> 0:21:11.199 do what we can, God does the things we can't. 0:21:11.680 --> 0:21:14.600 He brings the healing, he brings the favor, he brings 0:21:14.640 --> 0:21:19.040 the deliverance. He's faithful to his promise. The Bible says, 0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:22.719 while we wait, God gives us strength. He causes us 0:21:22.720 --> 0:21:26.439 to soar like eagles. We may still face challenges, but 0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:30.240 we can expect to overcome. We'll rise up and soar 0:21:30.400 --> 0:21:33.920 above the difficulty. Maybe you're thinking, what if I expect 0:21:33.960 --> 0:21:36.680 and it doesn't happen. What if I say this could 0:21:36.680 --> 0:21:39.840 be the day and it's not. Then you're one step 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:43.440 closer to the promise. It might not have happened today, 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:47.080 but God can still do it tomorrow. We're not talking 0:21:47.160 --> 0:21:50.399 about one or two days of expectation. We're not talking 0:21:50.400 --> 0:21:52.800 about expecting for a week and seeing if it works. 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:57.040 We're talking about a lifestyle of expectation. Let's not miss 0:21:57.080 --> 0:21:59.760 what God has for us because we weren't willing to 0:21:59.800 --> 0:22:03.800 see step out in faith. It might seem impossible. God's 0:22:03.840 --> 0:22:06.919 not asking us to deny the facts. He's looking to 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.119 see if we'll put more weight in his promise or 0:22:10.160 --> 0:22:13.800 our problem. The impossible hasn't stopped him yet. He flung 0:22:13.840 --> 0:22:17.200 stars into space, He created the universe. He breathed life 0:22:17.520 --> 0:22:21.760 into every soul. We can expect great things from our God. 0:22:22.359 --> 0:22:26.159 Romans eight says creation weights an eager expectation for what 0:22:26.240 --> 0:22:31.119 God will reveal. One translation says, on its tiptoes, what 0:22:31.200 --> 0:22:34.280 if that's how we approach this year on our tiptoes 0:22:34.560 --> 0:22:38.640 and expectation, knowing that at any moment God could show up. 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:41.840 We can be on our tiptoes at work, at school, 0:22:41.880 --> 0:22:45.000 at the grocery store. We're so looking forward to what 0:22:45.080 --> 0:22:47.000 God is going to do that we can't keep our 0:22:47.040 --> 0:22:50.760 feet on the ground. When people ask why we're so excited, 0:22:51.320 --> 0:22:54.520 we'll tell them we're expecting the best. Twenty nineteen is 0:22:54.560 --> 0:22:57.879 going to be a great year. That old cynical attitude 0:22:58.280 --> 0:23:01.600 never got anyone anywhere. Let's leave that in the past 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:05.560 and be a generation on our tiptoes and expectation for 0:23:05.640 --> 0:23:08.800 what God will do. What are you expecting this year? 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:13.120 Is it enough? Let me say it this way. If 0:23:13.160 --> 0:23:16.160 God gave us what we were expecting in twenty nineteen, 0:23:16.680 --> 0:23:18.959 would we be pleased or would we look back and 0:23:19.040 --> 0:23:22.359 wonder why we didn't expect his best. Don't be just 0:23:22.400 --> 0:23:25.720 another person in the crowd. Reach out like that woman 0:23:25.960 --> 0:23:29.840 and receive the miracle. The Bible says God has blessings 0:23:29.880 --> 0:23:33.160 stored up for the righteous. Twenty nineteen is a time 0:23:33.200 --> 0:23:35.359 to bring some of those blessings. 0:23:34.840 --> 0:23:35.880 Out of storage. 0:23:36.400 --> 0:23:37.919 For as much as I didn't want to let that 0:23:38.000 --> 0:23:40.480 little boy down when I said I'd get him legos. 0:23:40.960 --> 0:23:44.359 How much more will your heavenly father not let you down? 0:23:44.920 --> 0:23:48.760 There are scholarships and management positions waiting for you. There 0:23:48.840 --> 0:23:52.720 is freedom and healing and breakthrough in your future. God 0:23:52.800 --> 0:23:55.359 is longing to be good to you. Don't let a 0:23:55.440 --> 0:23:59.040 lack of expectation keep you from your legos. This is 0:23:59.080 --> 0:24:02.480 your year to see the miraculous. This is your year 0:24:02.760 --> 0:24:05.960 to experience God's goodness. He's going to show up. 0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:06.720 He's going to. 0:24:06.760 --> 0:24:09.760 Open doors and break chains. He'll take you to a 0:24:09.800 --> 0:24:13.280 new level. You will be healed, you will be free, 0:24:13.640 --> 0:24:17.320 you will fulfill your destiny. Let's do our part and 0:24:17.480 --> 0:24:21.080 expect it. Let's get on our tiptoes. Let's wake up 0:24:21.119 --> 0:24:25.040 like David and start looking for God's promise. It might 0:24:25.080 --> 0:24:28.679 not happen our way or on our timetable, but God 0:24:28.760 --> 0:24:32.119 always has our best interest at heart. He always meets 0:24:32.200 --> 0:24:36.480 us at the level of our expectation. Take the limits off, 0:24:37.000 --> 0:24:41.359 dare to expect great things. Dare to dream again. Dare 0:24:41.400 --> 0:24:45.159 to believe God for the impossible. Release your faith and 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:47.119 watch how he responds. 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:48.400 Let's pray. 0:24:49.720 --> 0:24:54.080 God, We're on our tiptoes and expectation this year. We 0:24:54.160 --> 0:24:55.400 don't just believe you can. 0:24:55.520 --> 0:24:57.000 God. We know you will. 0:24:57.960 --> 0:25:02.000 You will heal, you will respect, or you will break chains. 0:25:02.720 --> 0:25:03.000 Lord. 0:25:03.119 --> 0:25:05.360 We know it's only a matter of time, and until then, 0:25:05.600 --> 0:25:07.639 we're going to wait expectantly. 0:25:08.280 --> 0:25:08.520 Lord. 0:25:08.560 --> 0:25:12.520 We're looking for your goodness this year. We're not expecting 0:25:13.000 --> 0:25:15.640 just to maintain, just to barely get by. 0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:16.040 God. 0:25:16.359 --> 0:25:20.800 We're expecting your best in our lives. We're expecting your 0:25:20.840 --> 0:25:24.480 best in your church. We're expecting the best in this city, 0:25:24.760 --> 0:25:28.040 and we're expecting the best in this world. We believe 0:25:28.080 --> 0:25:30.920 it and we expect it in Jesus' name. 0:25:32.160 --> 0:25:35.000 Thank you for listening to the joelos Deine podcast. 0:25:35.359 --> 0:25:38.000 Help us continue to share the message of hope with 0:25:38.119 --> 0:25:39.439 those all over the world. 0:25:39.760 --> 0:25:41.320 Visit joelostin dot. 0:25:41.119 --> 0:25:44.159 Com slash give Hope to give a gift today. 0:25:45.440 --> 0:25:47.879 Thanks so much for listening to today's message. 0:25:48.000 --> 0:25:50.760 I hope you'll subscribe so you can receive the latest 0:25:50.800 --> 0:25:53.840 podcast to keep you inspired all through the week. 0:25:54.080 --> 0:25:55.040 We're praying for you. 0:25:55.200 --> 0:25:56.919 I know God's best is still ahead. 0:25:57.160 --> 0:25:58.160 We'll see you next time. 0:26:06.760 --> 0:26:09.280 More than ever before, people are turning to the church 0:26:09.320 --> 0:26:12.880 for their mental health struggles. 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