- 5 weeks ago
How do you handle a situation that is contrary to your expectations, as a Christian? In her first sermon since becoming a mother, Allison shares a practical message filled with valuable lessons of life, taking inspiration from the case of the Canaanite woman, titled, 'Expectations In Faith'.
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TVTranscript
00:00Recognizing that we are undeserving and being thankful for anything helps us to set expectations in the right way, not material, but spiritual.
00:18And when we do that, when we set our expectations in faith, there is no room for disappointment, for complaining, murmuring, or fear.
00:33Grace and peace to you all in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
00:46Wow, what a blessing to be back on this platform to share the living word of God with you all.
00:55And before I share these words of encouragement with you, let us pray.
01:01Lord Jesus, we thank you for today.
01:05We thank you for your mercy, for your favor in our lives.
01:10We thank you for your presence in this heavenly connection.
01:15We ask your Holy Spirit to capture our hearts, to give undivided attention to your word.
01:24So it may teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and instruct us in righteousness.
01:31So that each of us, as your children, as your servant, may be thoroughly equipped for every good work,
01:45according to what the Bible says in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 and 17, in Jesus' mighty name.
01:56And yes, most of you, you know, the reason why I was absent from the screens here on God's Heart TV.
02:06It was because of a wonderful stage in our lives.
02:12Brother Chris and I became parents, and God has blessed us with a healthy and beautiful baby boy named Josiah.
02:23And the grace of becoming a mother is teaching me valuable lessons that requires a greater submission to God's will
02:36and a greater recognition of how much we need God for everything.
02:44That's why today I'm going to share with you one of these lessons.
02:50When the news that we were going to be parents arrived, it was one of the most exciting moments in my life.
03:03Thousands of thoughts began to cross my mind, and I began to form expectations while I was pregnant.
03:13And please take note of the word expectations.
03:16By the grace of God, it was a normal pregnancy.
03:22God kept me strong, and our baby developed healthily and normally.
03:29Thank you, Jesus.
03:31And as the time for Josiah's arrival into this world drew me, drew closer,
03:40I was filled with even more anticipation, and I created expectations about when and how the birth will take place.
03:54My expectations were that the birth will take place at week 39, 40, that is the normal time to give birth,
04:06and that the labor and delivery will be quick, you know, like a Hebrew woman.
04:14So I play my role.
04:17I prepare myself physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
04:23And people of God, for the glory of God, nothing happened as I expected.
04:30Yes, things did not happen when I expected and how I expected them to.
04:39I gave birth at week 41 and few days, which is considered overdue.
04:46I had weeks of contractions and pain, and the labor and delivery itself lasted more than 17 hours.
04:58Yes, thank you, Jesus.
05:00This experience taught me a very important lesson about the way we set expectations as a Christian
05:12and how we should handle situations when they don't go in the way we expect.
05:21At this point, I would like to ask you, what are your expectations today?
05:31What are you expecting as you are connected to this online service?
05:38How did you set those expectations?
05:41Did you set them in faith, in hope, or in fear, in despair, in impatience?
05:54The way you respond to your situation when things don't go the way you expect or when your expectations are not met
06:06will tell you what you based your expectations on.
06:11And I want you to meditate on this, brethren, because the problem I see in many of us today is the way we set our expectations
06:26is already setting us up for disappointment.
06:30We often create expectations with the wrong focus, selfish expectations.
06:39We create foolish expectations.
06:43We only expect things to happen in the way we want them to happen.
06:49We create unrealistic expectations because we base them on fantasies.
06:57We allow ourselves to be disappointed so easily and make it easy for Satan to attack us.
07:07For this reason, people of God, I would like to encourage you with a very famous Bible story
07:17in the book of Matthew, chapter 15, from verse 21 to 28.
07:23I believe you will be inspired by the way she set her expectations and how she responded when she faced different trials, different tests.
07:45So please go with me to Matthew, chapter 15, from verse 21 to 28.
07:54Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
08:03And behold, a woman of Kenyan came from that region and cried out to him, saying,
08:12Have mercy on me, O Lord, son of David.
08:16My daughter is severally demon-possessed.
08:21But he answered her, Not a word.
08:26And his disciples came and arched him, saying, Send her away, for she cries out after us.
08:36But he answered and said, I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
08:45Then she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
08:51But he answered and said, It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.
09:02And she said, Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master's table.
09:13Then Jesus answered and said to her, Oh, woman, great is your faith.
09:22Let it be to you as you desire.
09:26And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
09:32Thank you, Jesus.
09:34We are reading here about a Gentile woman who was going through a very difficult time.
09:45Her daughter was being afflicted by an unclean spirit.
09:51And in the midst of that situation, she heard about Jesus.
09:57And perhaps she said to herself, This man is the son of God.
10:06And if he's able to heal, to deliver others, he can do it for my daughter.
10:15If I run to him, if I cry out to him, my daughter will be delivered.
10:21This woman expected to find a way out for her daughter in Jesus Christ.
10:33Perhaps, brothers and sisters, you have said the same to yourself when you heard the testimony of other people
10:43or when you read your Bible, you have said to yourself, If God has done it for them, he can do it for me.
10:54If God has intervened in their situation, he can intervene in mine.
11:00And today you are connected here with the expectation that God can do something about your situation.
11:09However, this woman's faith faced several trials and tests, which possibly contradicted her expectations
11:23as she decided to run to Jesus to cry out on behalf of her tormented daughter.
11:30First, we read in the Bible that this woman faced seeming delayed when Jesus ignored her.
11:43In verse 23, we read that when she cried out to Jesus, he did not answer her a word.
11:55How many can identify with this scenario?
12:00When the answer to our prayers seems to be delayed, when it is not coming at the time we expected,
12:12and perhaps you have said to yourself, Does God hear when I pray?
12:20In this scenario, people of God, are you discouraged or do you continue to press on?
12:29Because after being ignored by Jesus, this Canaanite woman faced seeming opposition.
12:41We continue reading that the disciples urged Jesus to send her away, to dismiss her,
12:51because she was crying out after them.
12:55Have you faced opposition after prayer in this scenario?
13:05Are you discouraged or do you continue to press on?
13:11And as if that were not enough for this woman,
13:15In the following verses, we read that she faced seeming rejection.
13:27And not only once, but twice.
13:30When Jesus reiterated that she did not belong to the house of Israel and in fact compare her to little dogs.
13:45Once again, people of God, when the circumstances around you seems to contradict what God said,
13:54What God promised, do you fall into the trap of Satan by thinking,
14:01The more I pray, the worse my situation becomes.
14:07The more I pray, the more I seek God, the more difficult things are.
14:14In this scenario, are you discouraged or do you continue to press on?
14:34Brethren, let us be inspired by this woman.
14:40She did not give up, and the genuineness of her faith helped her to overcome these trials.
14:53And Jesus granted her the miracle.
15:01Jesus delivered her daughter.
15:03And here, I want to highlight an aspect that helped this woman to not be disappointed when she faced disappointment.
15:28Her expectations were spiritual.
15:35Her expectations were based on faith.
15:43And that is the title of this message, Expectations in Faith.
15:49The way she behaved during her encounter with Jesus Christ suggests that her expectations were not based on carnal considerations,
16:04on how or when Jesus would do something for her.
16:10She recognized Jesus' sovereignty.
16:15She did not see Jesus just as another healer, another rabbi, another alternative.
16:27She was convicted that Jesus Christ was the Son of Almighty God.
16:34And in humility, knowing where she was coming from,
16:43she acknowledged that she was not worthy of that miracle.
16:50She said,
16:52Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David.
16:59Indeed, this woman considered the spiritual first.
17:05If the canonate woman's expectation had been carnal,
17:12she would have given up and become impatient
17:15when she faced a delay in hearing a response from Jesus Christ.
17:23She would have given up and become depressed when the disciples asked Jesus to send her away.
17:32She would have given up and become offended when Jesus Christ compared her to little dogs.
17:41Her expectations were based on faith and the mercy of Jesus Christ.
17:51She did not base those expectations on the miracle itself or the outcome of her prayer.
18:02She recognized that she was undeserving.
18:08And that's why even after Jesus' seeming rejection,
18:14we read in verse 25 that she worshiped him.
18:18Other versions say she knelt down and cried out again,
18:26Lord, help me.
18:29She considered the spiritual things first.
18:36She continued pleading without being discouraged
18:41because her expectations were based on faith.
18:46She established them in humility.
18:52Prophet T.B. Joshua taught us that those who are conscious that they deserve nothing
19:01will be thankful for anything.
19:05What powerful words.
19:10Recognizing that we are undeserving
19:12and being thankful for anything
19:17help us to set expectations in the right way.
19:24Not material, but spiritual.
19:29And when we do that,
19:31when we set our expectations in faith,
19:34there is no room for disappointment,
19:38for complaining, murmuring, or fear.
19:42This woman is giving us a great example
19:48when we face seeming rejection,
19:54seeming opposition,
19:56seeming delay.
19:59The trials, the tests she passed through
20:03caused an increase in her faith.
20:07As Christians, the trials, the trials, the tests,
20:19the challenges we go through,
20:24even after we have brought our petitions and requests
20:29before the Lord have a purpose.
20:35They are to increase our faith,
20:40to speed us up spiritually.
20:44Because God can work through any circumstance in life
20:50to speak strength to our spirits.
20:55I know many may say that
21:00the best way to avoid disappointment
21:04is not to have expectations at all.
21:09That the best is to expect nothing.
21:13But people of God,
21:15in Hebrews 11, verse 1,
21:19the Bible says that faith
21:21is the assurance of the things
21:24we hoped for.
21:27For faith
21:29is expecting God
21:31to do what He promised to do.
21:34In Mark 11,
21:37verse 24,
21:38Jesus encourages us
21:40to pray
21:42with the expectation
21:43that God
21:44that God will answer us.
21:46In Proverbs 10, 28,
21:49the Bible says
21:51that the hope
21:52of the righteous
21:53is joy.
21:56So it is not
21:58about
21:59not having expectations.
22:03In fact,
22:05we should have expectations.
22:08But in faith,
22:11with the awareness
22:12that we are undeserving,
22:16being thankful for everything,
22:18with the recognition
22:20that God's plans
22:22are sovereign
22:24and His will prevails.
22:28As Proverbs 16, verse 9,
22:30and 19, verse 21 say,
22:34the Canaanite woman
22:36faced disappointment
22:38without being disappointed.
22:42And as I said,
22:44this is a wonderful example
22:45we can take
22:47from her.
22:48Because the most exciting thing
22:51in this story
22:53is that Jesus honors faith
22:57as He did
22:59with this woman.
23:02There is another aspect
23:04in this inspiring story.
23:07this woman
23:09in the middle
23:11of her affliction
23:12set her expectations
23:15in faith.
23:17And Jesus
23:19honored her faith
23:21by sending forth
23:23His word
23:24and her daughter
23:26was delivered.
23:28which reminds us
23:30that distance
23:31is not a barrier
23:33for the power of God,
23:35for the move of God.
23:38But take note,
23:41this woman
23:42didn't see
23:45the evidence
23:47of her miracle
23:48immediately.
23:50The miracle
23:51did not happen
23:52in her presence.
23:54She had to go
23:57her way
23:58with the conviction
23:59that
24:00it had been done.
24:03Her faith
24:05did not finish
24:07there
24:09with encounter
24:10with Jesus Christ.
24:12She had to continue
24:15in faith
24:16until she got back home
24:18and saw
24:19her daughter
24:20delivered.
24:21that's why
24:23people of God
24:24our prayers
24:27must be followed
24:30by an absolute
24:32confidence
24:32that God
24:34is working
24:35out
24:36the answer.
24:38I also
24:39want to point
24:41to the fact
24:42that this woman
24:43set
24:44her expectations
24:46in humility.
24:48She acknowledged
24:50she was not
24:51worthy
24:51of the miracle.
24:54People of God,
24:56we all
24:57are coming
24:58from somewhere
24:59just like
25:01this
25:01Canaanite woman.
25:04Romans
25:053.23
25:06say,
25:08For all
25:08have sinned
25:10and fall
25:11short
25:12of the glory
25:13of God.
25:14No one
25:15here
25:16is above
25:18errors,
25:20above
25:20mistakes.
25:22It is
25:23the grace
25:25of Jesus
25:25Christ
25:26that brought
25:27us out
25:28of the
25:29darkness
25:29in which
25:30we lived
25:31and brought
25:32us into
25:33the light.
25:36We have
25:37been saved
25:38not by
25:40our own
25:41works
25:41or
25:43merit.
25:44It has
25:45been
25:45a gift,
25:47the gift
25:47from God.
25:50We are
25:51here today
25:52not because
25:52we have
25:53been good
25:53people
25:54or because
25:55we have
25:55done
25:56good works.
25:57No,
25:58it's by
25:59God's
25:59grace.
26:01Therefore,
26:02we have
26:03no right
26:04to determine
26:06how
26:07God's
26:08answers,
26:09God's
26:10blessings
26:11manifest
26:13when we
26:14approach
26:15him.
26:17So
26:17finally,
26:18brethren,
26:20put
26:20all these
26:21considerations
26:22towards
26:23setting
26:24expectations
26:25in all
26:27areas of
26:28your lives.
26:30Expectations
26:31in faith
26:32focus
26:34on God,
26:35on the
26:36miracle
26:36walker.
26:37recognizing
26:40his
26:40sovereignty.
26:43Expectations
26:43in faith
26:45acknowledge
26:47we are
26:49undeserving
26:50and makes
26:51us thankful
26:52for everything.
26:55Expectations
26:56in faith
26:57give us
26:59the confidence
27:00that God
27:01is working
27:03out the
27:04answer.
27:05And those
27:06expectations
27:07lead us
27:09not to
27:11be
27:11disappointed
27:12but rather
27:13prepare us
27:15and strengthen
27:17us for
27:18the blessings
27:19that lie
27:20ahead.
27:22So may
27:23the Lord
27:24bless
27:25his word
27:26in the
27:28middle of
27:28our hearts
27:29in Jesus'
27:30name.
27:31God
27:32is
27:33a
27:33man
27:33to
27:34be
27:36a
27:36man
27:36to
27:37see
27:40in
27:41a
27:41man
27:41to
27:42see
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