April 1, 2026 • 47 mins
One week the crowd lays down cloaks and shouts “Hosanna.” A few days later the chant turns into “Crucify.” That swing isn’t just ancient history, it’s a snapshot of how quickly our hopes can harden when God doesn’t follow our script. Pastor Ryan and Pastor Tim kick off The Reveal Easter series by unpacking Palm Sunday expectations and the deeper question underneath them: are we trusting God, or are we betting everything on “the right guy” to deliver the life we want?
We walk through the story behind the story, from Israel’s long memory of oppression to the way signs and fulfilled prophecy fueled real confidence. Then we bring it painfully close to home by naming the versions of Jesus we’re tempted to build: problem solver Jesus when we’re desperate, prosperity Jesus when outcomes define our worth, comfort Jesus when we want relief without change, and political Jesus when we try to turn faith into a weapon for an agenda. These themes hit the core of Christian discipleship, spiritual formation, and what it means to surrender our identity instead of using God like a tool.
The turning point is simple but hard: our expectations aren’t too high, they’re too low. God’s purpose is bigger than immediate relief, and he often prioritizes transformation over rescue on demand. We close with a practical self-audit for anyone carrying disappointment with God, plus a call to stay faithful in the waiting so you don’t quit at the crucifixion and miss the resurrection. Subscribe, share this with a friend heading into Easter, and leave a review telling us what expectation you’re laying down today.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:08):
Welcome and thanks for joining us on this episode
of the Midweek Podcast, broughtto you by a Fresh Wind Church.
Each week our team brings younew content to help you take
steps towards Jesus and discovermore in Christ.
Today's episode is hosted byPastor Ryan.
SPEAKER_03 (00:27):
Hey, welcome back to the Midweek Podcast.
Pastor Ryan joined as alwayswith Pastor Tim.
And uh this week we kicked offour brand new kind of Easter
sermon series, The Reveal, andstarted off with the Palm Sunday
message.
And uh over the course of thisseries, we're gonna look at kind
of the we're kind of using thisstoryline plot of, you know,
(00:50):
here's here's what peopleexpected, here's the unexpected
turn.
That's gonna be good Friday, andthen Easter the reveal.
Um so I don't think you're gonnawant to miss it, but man,
started off with uh a prettyincredible message on uh on
Sunday um talking about just theexpectations of the people.
Um I thought you brought outsome really, really kind of
(01:10):
tough, challenging points.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
It was it was tough.
Um thank you for that.
That was a great compliment.
Um they're few and far between.
Yeah, they are.
They are.
I don't I don't what did Davidsay?
SPEAKER_03 (01:24):
Lord encourage me because nobody else encourage
myself and the Lord.
SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Um yeah, as I was studying it, um been studying it
for a couple of weeks now, and Ijust thought, man, if you just
if you lay it out and you do amacro view of the last, you
know, 300 years, they're like,We can do we just need the right
guy.
(01:49):
If we get the right guy, we canwe can do this again.
And uh and I don't think if youwould to interview them, you
know, some guy off the streetand say, You guys really think
you can kick Rome out?
I think they would say, No, butGod can.
We just need the right guy.
(02:09):
It's like, oh, okay, wait.
SPEAKER_03 (02:12):
Is it God or is it a guy?
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
And I I think um uh Judah, the Maccabees, you know,
he made a he made a great leaderand then his uh grandson screwed
it up.
But uh at the end um I thinkthey they were kind of convinced
because of the prophets, youknow.
(02:36):
Prophets had said all thesethings, and when Jesus came, he
started doing those things.
And uh I I know the religiousleaders looked right at him and
said, You're not the guy becauseI'm in power right now and I
don't want to give it up.
But the the people were saying,Is this the guy?
You know?
(02:57):
Uh but there was some doubt outthere, don't get me.
Even John said, Go ask Jesus ifhe's the one or are we looking
for another?
And so this idea of himconvincing everybody that he's
the guy, I think it it wasLazarus that flipped the switch.
SPEAKER_03 (03:15):
When you see uh a dead man get up and walk out of
a tomb, you're like, all right.
Yeah, he's gotta be the guy.
Something's going on here.
It's uh I I I thought the way,you know, felt felt a little bit
like a history lesson to startthe sermon on Sunday, but I
think it helped build the framefor why these people went all in
(03:38):
when they did.
Right.
Um, I mean the palm branches andthe the symbolism of that here's
our victorious king, he's thevictor.
Um and then to lay the the cloakdown, and you know, you talked
about how that represented theiridentity, it represented their
protection, and to lay that downis a sign of surrender.
(04:00):
Right.
You have authority over me, youare my identity, that's more
important.
What why?
What would it have been abouthim?
And I think what you said onSunday, you you kind of went
back into the history pages alittle bit, talked about the
Maccabees, that revolt thathappened the last time they they
were finally free, and then theystart seeing this Jesus guy come
(04:25):
on the scene and start doing allthis stuff, and they're like,
hey, this it's time, let's go.
And then fueled by, and Ithought this was insightful.
Um because they were fueled bythe scriptures, right?
It's not like they were justmaking stuff up and hoping on a
win.
They're like, no, this guy, hesaid this would happen.
(04:46):
Right, and it's happening, it'shappening.
This is it.
Let's go.
Um, and they they had all theseexpectations built up.
And I, you know, that's I thinkthat's a pretty common Easter or
Palm Sunday message to talkabout the expectations of the
people.
Um past few Easters I'vechallenged people, like, hey
man, it's a big book.
(05:07):
We got more stories.
You guys come every year and youyou only hear this one story,
right?
Um, because you know, you canonly preach on the resurrection
so many different ways, right?
You can only talk about PalmSunday so many different ways.
Um, but I I thought that angleof like, how did we get to the
point where the people wereready to to throw out the palm
(05:27):
branches, to lay down theircloaks and say, we're all in on
Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (05:31):
And not fear Rome's retaliation.
SPEAKER_03 (05:35):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, yeah.
You look what's going on over inIran right now, and you know,
they had people when the USstarted bombing, they had people
out in the streets going nuts,dancing, celebrating.
Now, you know, they got a newguy in charge over there.
They're like, well, let's not dothat so much.
But there was people who wereexcited about it, but then that
(05:57):
fear of retaliation from thegovernment, and oh man, what's
gonna happen to me if I getspotted on someone's camera, you
know, and post it on Facebook.
No, these guys were like lyingin the streets.
We're ready.
This is the time, let's do it.
Um and a lot can happen in aweek.
Um we'll we'll find that outGood Friday and then Easter
(06:21):
Sunday again.
Um lot can happen in a week, butthese guys were all in, and it's
it's that tension of man, whatwhat do I expect from Jesus?
And I think we all we all havegot those.
We've we've got expectations onon who we think Jesus is and
what he's supposed to do, and umwhat that looks like in my life.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
And yeah, and I think the the big reveal to me
was the fact that uh as I wasstudying this that the Maccabees
had turned the high priesthooduh into kingship.
It all became one thing.
So they got it all right.
Jesus came and he was gonna behigh priest and king.
(07:08):
Yeah.
And I mean they had everything.
This is the guy.
We got him.
It just wasn't gonna turn outthe way He wasn't gonna do it
the way they they uh dreamedthat he would.
So expectations were high.
And uh we always do we we dothat.
(07:28):
Um we're Lord, I'm we make dealswith God.
Um they never turn out the waywe expect them to.
And um but we're like, Lord, I Iknow I'm I'm I got a scripture
here, I'm putting my faith inthis, and I want you to do this
one thing.
Can you do this one thing forme?
(07:50):
And the expectation is that whywouldn't he?
Why wouldn't God do this for me?
He knows I love him.
And um and then it doesn't turnout the way we think and it
hurts.
You know, what we were talkingabout in the service yesterday
about the different kind ofJesuses we have, you know.
(08:11):
And when we're in a problem andand and we're hurting, we want
the problem solver Jesus, youknow, we want him to fix our
problems.
I didn't mean to be in jail, Ididn't mean to be facing a
judge, I didn't mean to be allthis kind of stuff, and suddenly
it's like Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,come save me, Jesus, because
there's no one else who can savehim.
SPEAKER_03 (08:32):
How many times, you know, as pastors have we had
those conversations with people,you know, if if God would do
this, then then I'll startcoming to church and I'll start
reading my Bible.
Problem solver Jesus, Jesus,come fix my problems, and then
I'll straighten up, I'll get inline.
And I'm sorry for behaving theway that I did and got myself
into this mess, but if you justcome fix it all, yeah, we we
want the problem solver, fix it,Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
And I think uh a lot of that mentality is good.
The reason that they're talkingabout the problem fixer Jesus is
because they realize if theywould have lived their life the
way God had intended them tolive, they probably wouldn't be
in this mess in the first place.
So it's not it's not all bad,but the problem is it's a
(09:17):
control issue, right?
Comes down to control.
I want to be in control until mycontrol gets me in trouble, and
then I want you to be in controlas long as I get out of trouble,
and then we'll talk about it.
And that's right, that's that'swhere we are when we're trying
to Jesus is our problem solver.
SPEAKER_03 (09:35):
Yeah, it's tag, you're it.
Ah okay, I want back in.
Yeah.
Um yeah, you you laid out a few.
So there's problem solver juice.
I think there was the um oh,what was the other one?
Um talked about prosperityJesus.
Prosperity Jesus, that was it.
Um, you know, God just blessedme, you know.
(09:56):
God, I need more money, I needmore finances, you know, this,
and and he becomes kind of thisgenie in a bottle sort of thing.
Um, where you know, I'm I'mgonna show up and God, if I read
the right verses, if I do theright things and I, you know, do
all this, then you're gonna giveme this, you know.
And we got this whole kind ofGod's in the business of making
(10:19):
my life better.
SPEAKER_01 (10:21):
Yeah, and that's bless my plans.
It's not all about money, butbless my plans, increase my
influence, you know, give me abetter position at work or a
better position at church or orwhatever we're looking for.
I think um we think of God thatway, and uh unfortunately our
(10:41):
identity in Christ gets tied tothe outcomes.
And if I don't get what I thinkGod what I deserve in Jesus,
that is just a weird phrase,what I deserve in Jesus.
Um if I don't get that, if theworld doesn't treat me like the
prince that I am because I'm ason of God, then um I end up
(11:05):
having a problem with God.
And that's just read the NewTestament.
They didn't all turn out itdidn't all turn out rosy.
Um we have a we have a God whowho demands our life, and
sometimes that's what you haveto give.
SPEAKER_03 (11:27):
Just read the dis account of the disciples.
I mean how many of them losttheir life, right?
You know, for the for thegospel.
Um we we have this idea, andman, that book was real popular
years ago, your best life now,or something like that.
Um and I know people got a lotof problems with Joel Olstein
(11:49):
sometimes.
I I don't know that I do, don'thave enough knowledge about him
as a as a man.
SPEAKER_01 (11:55):
Um knowledge I do have, I don't know if I was told
the truth.
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (11:59):
Um, so I'm not gonna sit here and say one way or the
other.
I think he's a great encourager.
Um, I think he's got a greatministry of encouragement and
has helped a lot of people umwho are down in the dumps.
Um and I've I've listened to hischurch share the gospel before
too.
Um people say they never aboutthe gospel, it's all about your
life.
And so I'm not I'm not gonnamake any of those judgments, but
(12:20):
I will say this whole best lifenow thing um sometimes doesn't
look the way that we we thought.
And again, it goes back toexpectations.
We thought my best life was, youknow, house with the white
picket fence and you know,golden doodle running around the
yard and three vacations a year.
Yeah.
Um listen, the best work thatGod's doing in your life is he's
(12:42):
turning you into the image of ason.
You're gonna look like Jesus.
And that usually involvessuffering, you know.
Um, it's pick up your crossdaily, follow me.
It's dying to yourself, denyingyourself.
That that's what it takes.
Um, now I think you know, you ifyou handle money and you handle
(13:03):
your time and you steward thosethings God's way, your talents,
you'll probably be better offthan if you did it, you know,
um, just because God'sprinciples are true.
But again, it comes back tothose expectations.
I expect God to do this.
And then when that's nothappening, like you said, our
identity becomes tied to ouroutcomes.
And when that's not happening,and man, I think men in
(13:25):
particular struggle with this.
Um, because the kind of paycheckwe bring home.
SPEAKER_01 (13:30):
I am what I do.
SPEAKER_03 (13:31):
Yep, the balance in our 401k that says a lot to us
about the kind of man we are andour ability to provide for our
families.
And when that thing doesn't seemto be lining up with who we we
dreamed that we were gonna beand how our life was gonna go,
all of a sudden we're like, man,I got I gave you a shot, but you
didn't work.
Didn't work, church didn't work.
(13:52):
You know, I showed up and it'sall still a m.
Um, and we've got thisprosperity, Jesus.
And then um that was the otherone that you were talking about
uh was it I don't know if it wascomfort Jesus, um, but you were
talking about I used a differentword, but that works.
Um like take away my anxiety,make me feel better.
SPEAKER_01 (14:15):
Um yeah, it was the make me be feel better, Jesus.
Um and that's you know, a lot ofpeople are looking for that.
But you know, that's uh the rootissue there, I think, is
avoiding transformation.
You know, why are you anxious?
Where where have you placed yourtrust?
And um uh why do you feel bad?
(14:36):
Why why are you angry?
Why are you depressed?
And uh we gotta look uh deeperand see why we we are struggling
in those situations.
And I think the Lord, the Lord,man, he swings a lot of straight
licks with a crooked stick.
And I just believe that um inthose situations, God is trying
to teach you something abouthim.
(14:58):
And we've gotta take some timefor the revelation, you know?
SPEAKER_03 (15:04):
Yeah.
Bridget, uh, she shared this onFacebook uh not too long ago.
She said, We don't strugglebecause God is silent, we
struggle because he's alreadyspoken and we're still deciding
if we agree.
SPEAKER_01 (15:16):
Ouch.
SPEAKER_03 (15:18):
Wow.
Yeah.
Should make her preach nextSunday.
No, I'm preaching on Easter.
Um, but man, isn't that that'srough?
Yeah, you know, we're justwaiting on God to speak.
And how many I've told peoplethis so he's spoken.
Here's 2,000 pages of it.
You want to read it?
Yeah, um, no, no, no, no.
(15:39):
I'm I'm waiting on him to letme.
In almost every situation, he'salready given us his thoughts on
those things.
Um, and man, we did that wholeseries on God's will for your
life, and you know, it's it'smore about who you're becoming
than what you do.
And we we we get ourselves allwrapped up into this thing.
(15:59):
And I think a lot of times, man,we're we're just avoiding
transformation.
I'm just gonna sit here.
I don't want God messing withthis stuff.
And does God want you to beanxious?
No.
Cast all your anxiety upon himbecause he cares for you.
That's what scripture says.
Um, and here's the the trickything with with these is God
(16:20):
cares about all of them.
God wants to fix your problems.
He does, he wants to give yougood things.
Every good and perfect giftcomes down from your father in
heaven.
He wants you to cast all youranxiety and care upon him.
He wants you to do all thesethings, but man, we again we
kind of use it as this genie ina bottle sort of thing where I
just come to the well when Ineed something.
Um and then, all right, you youyou go back to the shelf, and
(16:44):
next time I need you, I'll I'llget you down again.
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
Ugh.
And it's unfortunately when it'sjust like we were talking uh
last few weeks about in theshop.
You know, we gotta we gottaclean these things up, and and
it became becomes uh uh yeah, Igotta get my priorities
straight, I gotta get myrelationships correct, I gotta
get my uh maintenance schedulein, so I can keep what?
(17:12):
Well, it's it's not to keep yoursalvation, it's to keep your
relationship the way it shouldbe with Jesus, so he's not uh a
box of candy sitting on the topshelf that you don't get out uh
until you know you need it.
So we need to be um doing thosethings not to earn our salvation
(17:33):
or keep our salvation.
We need to do it to to stay in aposition where we're focused on
our relationship and growing tobecome more like Jesus instead
instead of all right, I've madea breakthrough, I've stepped up
here.
Okay, I got it from here, Lord,and uh I'll let you know when I
need you.
(17:53):
Yeah.
And uh, but when you think aboutthe whole thing, it w we feel
like we're teaching that.
You know, no, live your life,you know, follow Jesus, and then
uh when you get in trouble, youget serious.
SPEAKER_03 (18:09):
We're a bunch of uh Christian diabetics.
Sugars get low, we reach for thecandy bar, right, and then we're
good.
We're off and running again.
Um we're saying, no, we need towe need to level this out.
You know, it's it's about thewhole diet.
Um what are we taking in day byday by day um so that we can we
can be healthy when we canaccomplish and do all the things
(18:31):
that God wants us to do?
Um He's not He's not content tobe the genie in the bottle.
He's not.
He wants a relationship withyou.
Um and man, I think the the lastone you you talked about, and in
our current culture, this one'slike getting punched in the
mouth, but you know, thepolitical Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
Um or the agenda.
Yeah, I want a Jesus who'll getmy I can use to throw my agenda
around.
And um, I think we see a lot ofthat now.
SPEAKER_03 (19:03):
Uh on both sides, you know.
Um we got that guy down inTexas, um, Democrat guy, and
he's quoting Jesus in the Biblefor all sorts of stuff, and most
Christians are like, what?
That that's not what that means,you know.
But no, Jesus is gonna getbehind this agenda.
And and listen, we do it on theuh people on the right do this
(19:25):
too.
Yeah, um, Jesus is for this andthis and this and this.
And Jesus is not Republican,he's not a Democrat, he's not a
socialist, he's not a communist.
Yeah, he he he's God in our it'snot about getting Jesus behind
your agenda, it's about yougetting on the kingdom agenda,
(19:45):
right?
Um, oh, who was it?
Uh was it Tony Evans that wrotethose books um about being
kingdom-minded Christians?
Uh, this is about God's kingdom.
Um that that's who we need tobe.
Absolutely.
It's people about the king.
You you say this all the time.
What's the most important thingin the kingdom?
The will of the king.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (20:05):
This is about him.
And no, we yeah, we want a Godin the scripture to support our
viewpoints.
We try to pigeonhole Jesus intowhat we already believe instead
of letting him come in and justtake a wrecking ball to it and
say, all right, God, you teachme what's important to you.
What does it mean to have aheart after your heart?
(20:26):
You we just talked about that afew times over the past month or
so.
Um, and we're no, no, no, no.
I already have thesepredetermined beliefs and ideas,
and Jesus, how do you fit intothat?
SPEAKER_01 (20:40):
And it's it's a difficult thing because we got
so many avenues of thinking.
We got our uh political, oursuccess, our our occupations,
all all, you know, all thesethings.
Um I I think of people who workat the hospital, you know, uh,
especially the emergency room.
(21:01):
And you got people who arehurting, they're sick, some are
dying right in front of you, soyou're you're triaging
everything, right?
But you can never give yourwhole self to it because you
can't emotionally handle it, youknow?
It's like I gotta get you fixed,I gotta plug your holes, I gotta
come over here, oh, you know,you need this medicine, uh, so
(21:24):
forth and so on.
But you can't say, man, thatkid's really scared.
I should sit here with him.
You just can't do it.
And uh you're just but that'sthe way life is to everybody.
And uh the Lord says, Hey, I'mhere.
Um, let's coach.
I'll tell you when you can staya few minutes longer.
(21:44):
I can st I can tell you whenthis guy, well, you need to let
this go and come over here andplug this guy's hole so he don't
bleed out.
I I can I can help you makethose decisions, but we're like,
I don't know if I want to getall the way in.
And and Jesus was always all theway in.
That's right.
(22:05):
Uh, whoever he helped.
And uh, and some some were justthere for Jesus, like the ten
lepers, only one came back tothank him.
And uh I bet you if uh thoseother lepers were interviewed,
they'd say, Oh no, he wasawesome.
He was awesome.
(22:26):
Well, why didn't you go back andthank him?
Well, I I I it was Christmas andI didn't think about it.
And so no, but he he he wasawesome, but I'm fixed now.
I don't need him right now.
Uh and that's that's that's whatwe do with Jesus all the time.
(22:47):
But I hate this agenda thingwith Jesus.
I I hate uh Jesus is gonna be mybaseball bat and I'm gonna come
in here and and uh startswinging.
Um I don't th I I think thatdoes something to our soul.
(23:07):
Because sooner or later Jesus isgonna grab that bat and pull it
out of your hands and say, putthat down and then where are you
gonna be?
You know, when you can't useJesus to batter everybody down.
And uh I think it I think ithurts us in a in a deep, deeply
spiritual way.
So uh please um AfreshwinChurch.
(23:29):
I can't speak to anybody else,but you guys don't do that.
Don't let Jesus be your uhwrecking ball in other people's
lives deciding what's right forthem and what's not.
Now, you can use the Biblebecause the Bible uh helps us do
righteous judgments and uh butdon't use the person of Jesus to
(23:54):
be your um Well Jesus wouldn'tlike that.
Well we don't know what Jesuswould do in that situation until
you let him show up.
And um I don't know where I'mgoing with this, but I think
people get not a burnout, butthat you can you can see who
people who've done it for a longtime they're just angry and um
(24:19):
there it doesn't feel like theyhave any peace.
SPEAKER_03 (24:22):
We're not saying to not let your relationship with
God in the scriptures affect howyou vote or how you think.
Uh of course it should.
I think we live in a countrythat gives us a voice, and you
should let your relationshipwith Jesus affect that.
Right.
Um, we should vote for thethings that we think lead us
(24:44):
closer uh to what God wants onthe planet.
Um, Jesus taught us to pray,your will be done on earth as it
is in heaven.
Well, in the United States, wehave an avenue to help bring
that about through voting.
Um, and so we we you should thatshould shape how you respond in
culture.
Um but we need to allow Jesus inscripture to shape those things
(25:09):
and not try to fit Jesus intowhat the Republican Party says
or or the Democrat Party says.
Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (25:17):
And I think that's uh one of the big problems we
have tendencies to have.
I want to be loyal to Jesus, soI'm gonna cram him in there in
this situation.
And um, but uh Jesus is allpowerful and he doesn't need
you.
Remember, I've always said thistoo you don't wield Jesus, he
(25:40):
wields you, and that's thedifference.
SPEAKER_03 (25:43):
One of the great dangers in all of this is I and
I think this is where a lot ofpeople are.
We're we we don't reject Jesus,we reshape him, we just try to
mold him into what we want orwhat we need, and that's a
dangerous place to be.
You know, Jesus in Revelation Hesaid, Man, I wish you were hot
(26:06):
or cold, but because you'relukewarm, I'll spit you out of
my mouth.
And we're like, we want God, butwe want him on our terms and to
fit the mold, our expectations.
That's what we're talking about.
SPEAKER_01 (26:17):
And if you're trying to mold Jesus, sooner or later
you're gonna compromise.
SPEAKER_03 (26:20):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (26:21):
Hmm.
It's that we need to I need todo a series of sermons on that
because that's kind of animportant thing, especially in
our lives now.
You just go on YouTube and it'suh uh don't listen to this guy,
he's a heretic, listen to me,uh, wield Jesus, I wield Jesus
better than he does or whatever.
(26:41):
And it's like, no, uh, you'resupposed to be, you're supposed
to have your cloak off.
And uh he's supposed to berunning things.
So I don't know, that's a that'sa deep discussion.
We we don't have time to go intoit here, but uh we can talk a
little bit about the end resulthere.
Uh five days they went fromHosanna, uh, blessed is he who
(27:06):
comes in the name of the Lord tosave us now to crucify.
Yeah, we're no, we're gonna killyou.
That is that is uh that ishumanity in a nutshell.
I don't I didn't get it the wayI wanted it, and so now I'm
against you.
And I man, I sometimes I look atthe United States and how many
(27:28):
promises were made by all theseguys who run for president or
for Congress, we're gonna dothis, we're gonna do that, and
nothing gets done.
My entire lifetime, I'm 60 yearsold.
Why are we in so much?
I thought we were gonna fixthis.
Everybody said we're gonna fixit.
Now some things that areunfixable, they don't even bring
up, like the budget.
(27:51):
We can't fix that, so we're noteven gonna talk about it.
And uh, but back when I was um,you know, back in the 80s, every
president said we're gonnabalance the budget.
We're gonna balance the budget.
We can't go on like this, wecan't do this.
And but every every four yearsor every two years or six years
with senators, they all promisethe same thing and they never do
(28:14):
it.
I don't I don't know why wehaven't started yelling, crucify
them, to tell you the truth.
SPEAKER_03 (28:23):
You know, I this idea of our expectations, and
you know, you you said thisbefore we we jumped on and
started recording, but we don'tthink this way, but we we live
this way.
Right.
You know, we we have all theseexpectations and we bring them
(28:43):
into our relationship with God,but we don't really think that
that's but man, we hold them toit.
And you talked about it in thesermon on Sunday.
Every every couple I go throughpremarital counseling with, I
tell them the same thing.
Um unvoiced expectations are thekiller of relationships.
And so, yeah, you you're holdingyour future wife or your future
(29:04):
husband up to this list ofexpectations, and then you get
in and they're they're notliving up to it.
They don't change the oil everyyou know three, four, five
thousand miles like your dadtook care of, and they're
expecting you to get your ownoil change because it's the
stickers in your car just pullinto the oil change, you know?
Right, and and all of a suddenyour engine blew up, and you're
like, how come you didn't takecare of that?
(29:25):
Did you not see the sticker inthe window?
Um, we have these unvoicedexpectations and they kill
relationships.
And I mean, I I think we come tothat same place with Jesus as we
got these expectations.
He doesn't seem like he'smeeting them.
And and man, I want to cautionyou in this because what it
could sound like we're saying isyou need to have lower
expectations.
(29:45):
Right.
You need to lower yourexpectations of Jesus.
And that if that's what you'retaking, you've missed it.
You've missed it.
Their problem wasn't that theirexpectations were too high, they
were too low.
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (30:01):
You said it on Sunday, read the scripture.
My ways are not your ways, mythoughts are not your thoughts.
My ways are higher, they'rehigher than yours.
And so the problem isn't thatour expectations are too high,
it's that we're tooshort-sighted.
Man, we are so focused on ourimmediate needs and our
immediate relief that we don'teven have time to comprehend.
(30:25):
And I and I'm I'm gonna talkabout this a little bit in the
Easter sermon, so you're gettinga little bit of a preview there,
but we can't see the the grandredemptive story that's
unfolding right in front of us.
Yeah.
Because it is my job, myrelationships, my sickness, um,
my kids.
And listen, God cares about allof it.
(30:45):
He does.
He wants you to tell him aboutall of it.
Read the psalms, man.
We and this gets me sorry, on mysoapbox a little bit here, but
there's all these guys that geton YouTube and they, man, they
just, you know, gospel, gospel,gospel, and it's all about the
gospel.
But read the Psalms and listento all the times David's crying
(31:08):
out, Lord, where are you?
Why do the the the wickedprosper?
I mean, he just gives it to God.
And God says, Hey, come, bringthose things to me.
He cares about it.
But we need to raise ourperspective and realize while
God cares about you and He wantsto, and He's go not just wants
to, He's going to do what's bestfor you in every situation.
(31:32):
At the same time, He's doingwhat's best for the person next
to you, He's doing what's bestfor the person you hate and
can't stand at church.
He he's doing what's best forthe whole world.
SPEAKER_01 (31:42):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (31:43):
He's God, and we've got to to raise our so I I'm not
telling you to lower yourexpectations of God.
And I'm trying to remember theexact quote you said on Sunday.
Um I think it was our lowexpectations of God cause us to
miss his greater purpose.
I think is is how you said it.
And man, I pulled out my phoneand put that in notion.
(32:06):
I'm like, I need to write thatdown.
Um, because it's true, man.
It's the problem isn't ourexpectations are too high.
It's that they're too low.
We're too short-sighted,narrow-sighted.
We're the horse walking aroundwith blinders on, oblivious to
what God's really doing allaround us.
SPEAKER_01 (32:25):
It's easy uh to be disappointed in God.
And and I think it's ironic thatwe can't disappoint him.
But he disappoints us all thetime.
He always knows what we're gonnado or the decision we're gonna
make.
So he can't be disappointed.
SPEAKER_03 (32:41):
Never once, like, dang it, didn't see that coming.
SPEAKER_01 (32:44):
He knew.
He knew, he knew.
But at the same time, we we getdisappointed in him, and it's
and like you said, we need totalk to him about those things.
Or you'll never get the reveal.
unknown (32:55):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (32:56):
You'll never if you don't talk to him about why
you're disappointed in thesesituations that you expected
something different, um, you'llyou'll never hear the reveal.
Well, this is why I did that.
This is why I made thatconnection, and you didn't want
that you didn't want that tohappen.
But I I'm gonna use that toreach these people and um that
(33:19):
you don't even like.
And so we have we have thesethings that disappoint us, and
um I think we need to talk alittle bit about how much higher
his ways are.
Because Jesus doesn't meet ourexpectations sometimes because
he's after something deeper thanyour situation.
(33:40):
That's right.
And I don't I don't know whatthat would mean, but those
people they wanted freedom fromRome.
And Jesus said, I want you freefrom sin.
That's what I want.
SPEAKER_03 (33:56):
Again, it's a immediate need.
Rome is the problem, and it's abig problem.
But it's it's an immediateproblem.
And he's like, nah, we're we'redoing something eternal here.
And again, not too low, but itwas too high.
Um and you know, that's that's abig deal for us, man.
(34:16):
He's after something deeper thanthis this present situation.
And I think we need to say,Lord, open my eyes, let me see
what you're really what you'rereally doing here, not just in
this situation, but in mycommunity, in my family, in my
church.
SPEAKER_01 (34:28):
And one of the things he's always doing, and we
need to realize this in whateversituation you are, is he's
transforming us.
And he prioritizestransformation over relief.
He just uh he definitely wantsyou to be transformed more than
he wants you to have the reliefyou're looking for.
(34:50):
So um, and and in yoursituation, in your circumstance,
uh your transformation is whathe's looking for, not to resolve
your circumstance.
SPEAKER_03 (35:04):
Jesus said this, he said, Take heart, for I've
overcome the world.
But in this world, listen,you're gonna have trials, you're
gonna have tribulation, right?
Like it's not all gonna be easy.
And I know, and this kind ofgoes back to the prosperity
Jesus we were talking aboutearlier, the fix it Jesus.
Um, a lot of us bought the ideathat, man, I'm gonna give my
life to Jesus and theneverything's gonna get better.
(35:26):
Um and then when that doesn'thappen, right away.
Right, yeah, God, where are you?
How could you allow this tohappen?
I thought you were gonna fixthis stuff.
Jesus promised us that we weregonna have pain and suffering in
the world.
He said, Listen, people aregonna hate you, but guess what?
They hated me first.
Yeah, um, so of course they'regonna hate you.
(35:48):
We should expect it.
And I said earlier, the greatestthing God's doing in your life
is not fixing your situation orgetting you a job, it's making
you look like Jesus.
He's after your transformation.
SPEAKER_01 (36:00):
And that transformation is um how should
I say it?
It's it's gonna affect thepromise that he's given you.
unknown (36:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:09):
Uh the scripture says that uh the way you live
now is gonna make a differencein the kingdom that comes.
SPEAKER_03 (36:15):
In eternity, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:16):
And so we need to we need to realize, yeah, I'm not
getting what I want right now,but if I get the transformation,
that's gonna make my life withhim better.
And I think we don't realizethat.
I think we're so we're notheavenly minded enough.
Um I think we need to thinketernity in these things, but uh
(36:38):
no matter what situation you'rein, he's looking for
transformation.
So the key is is to align withthat as soon as you can figure
out what he's trying to do.
And uh and when you cooperatewith that, um things will
change.
Either you'll change in themidst of your situation, or God
will change the situation.
(36:59):
And that's that's what uh God islooking to happen.
When we were teaching aboutrelationships, um the alignment
series in uh in the shop, umpeople are really struggling
with that.
I don't want to let this personoff the hook.
You know, I don't want to, Idon't want to forgive them.
I don't want to forgive them.
Well, what does God want you todo?
(37:21):
He wants you to transform.
And the number one way wetransform is to forgive.
You know, I'm gonna change myheart.
Even though I don't feel likeit, I'm gonna choose to forgive,
and and then it opens the doorfor God to change your heart, to
change your bitterness, um, tolet that go.
But we have to uh cooperate withthat.
(37:45):
And uh so man, I didn't realizehow uh deep this situation was.
I preached that first sermon,and I man, I was struggling.
And I look back in my life as Iwas studying, I was like, all
the expectations I had for God,and and it didn't turn out the
way that I had prayed or the wayI had wanted.
And um, I basically preachedthat first sermon for me, you
(38:09):
know, and uh so I expected agreat response because I'm like,
I feel this way, everybody feelsthis way.
And uh and uh I got done and theLord said, Did you listen to
what you said?
And I said, No, this is not, youdidn't do this to me.
He goes, Yeah, that was for you.
(38:29):
And uh so I've had a lot ofgreat expectations and uh
disappointments in the Lord, andhe's transformed me through
those, and it hasn't been easy,I'll tell you that.
But uh he will, he will, andwhen you let that transformation
happen, um you become free.
SPEAKER_03 (38:51):
Yeah, I think it's important for us to to take a
time to do kind of diagnosethose expectations and and um
ask ourselves some questions,you know, where where where am I
frustrated with God right now?
Um that that'll give you someinsight into you know some
expectations maybe that you'vehad that you feel like God's not
(39:14):
not meeting or living up to.
Um what did I expect God to dodifferently?
It's another great question.
Um, this is the situation I'min.
What how did I expect that togo?
God, what did I think you weregonna do?
That'll that'll inform your yourexpectations you've placed on
them.
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
Um yeah, and then you need to, especially if
you've learned um the disciplineof finding a scripture to place
your faith in.
Um, Lord, what am I gonna do inthis situation?
Give me a scripture, and andthen uh even when you got that
scripture, these people hadscripture, you know.
(39:54):
Even when you have thatscripture, you have to ask
yourself, is my expectationshaped more by the scripture, or
is it shaped by my preferences?
Because sometimes, man, we canreally do a number on the
scripture and weave it into ourpreferences.
SPEAKER_03 (40:12):
You can find a verse to support just about anything,
yeah, you know, and it's am Ikeeping this in context?
Have I been faithful to what Godwas saying in this in this
verse?
Um, does it is it consistentwith with the rest of scripture,
you know, because and again,politicians are notorious for
this.
You know, they'll they'll quoteverses.
(40:34):
Um oh man, was it I think it wasTrump.
He got up and was sharing averse one time and said two
Corinthians, and you're like,Yeah, he ain't never read that.
SPEAKER_01 (40:44):
That's what that's what they do in Europe.
They don't do the So we have umwe have these uh big
expectations, but how do how dowe get from expectation to
patience and revelation?
Well, Jesus proved it in thestory yesterday.
He came in humility.
That's right.
And when you're in a situationyou and you don't know how to
(41:05):
get out, and you've turned toJesus, help me, the first thing
you need to do is be humble.
Don't you're gonna haveChristians come to you, you're
gonna have people come to you.
Oh, if you cry out to Jesus,he's gonna do this and he's
gonna do that.
The first thing you need to dois say, Lord, I'm here, I got
myself here, um, and I want yourhelp.
SPEAKER_03 (41:29):
And I'm throwing my cloak down.
SPEAKER_01 (41:30):
I'm throwing my cloak down.
You'll be my identity, you'll bemy authority.
And uh he's calling you rightnow.
Yeah.
So those are the things that ummake a big difference in
deciding when we're gonna getour expectations met or we're
(41:54):
gonna wait till God reveals whathe's trying to do in our life.
And sometimes it's not about thecircumstance, sometimes it's
about you.
SPEAKER_03 (42:06):
Sunday, you would challenged everybody.
Um, you know, as we head intothis Easter season, we're we're
looking for God to revealhimself to us and his plan, his
purpose for us.
And you you challenge people,listen, don't just go with what
you expect God to tell you here.
Wait.
Be patient, wait on onrevelation.
(42:26):
Um, and so I think there's acouple things that we can do as
we kind of lay this out beforethe Lord and in your in your
quiet time, in your devotionswith him uh this week, heading
up to Easter, is is number one,do that little self-audit that
we just talked about and namethose expectations honestly
before God.
In humility, come and say, God,this this is what I expected.
(42:49):
This is where I feel you let medown, um, or you didn't live up
to that expectation.
And I know we're afraid to talkto God that way.
He already knows your heart, healready knows you're feeling
that way.
This is just you being honest,bringing it into the light, and
saying, God, man, I honestly,you you kind of hurt me here.
Right.
(43:09):
I was, I thought you were gonnaheal my dad.
I thought you were gonna to fixmy marriage or this relationship
with my kids, God, and and it itdidn't happen.
And and I'm hurt by that.
Why would you allow that?
Bring that thing to him.
Listen, he's he's bigger thanour pain, and and his goodness
is better than our suffering.
Um, and so you need to bringthat thing to him.
(43:31):
Um, and then secondly, um, weneed to to start anchoring our
our expectations in scriptureand not our assumptions.
Yeah, go back to the word and weand you hear Pastor Tim and I
hammer this point home over andover and over again.
Man, it's it's the word of God.
What is what is God actuallypromised?
(43:51):
Scripture says all of hispromises are yes and amen in
Christ Jesus.
Um, and so when you find thosepromises in scripture, man, you
can you can take it to The bank,you can pin your hope to it.
Um, because he's faithful, evenwhen we are faithless, amen.
He's gonna come through.
Um and then and uh this onetakes uh some wisdom, takes some
(44:14):
discernment.
I mean, look for the deeperwork.
God, what are you actuallyforming in me?
Um because who you're becomingis more important than what you
do or the situation that youfind yourself in.
And so, God, in this season ofdisappointment, as I walk
through this this valley ofuncertainty and confusion, what
(44:37):
are you forming in me?
What what in it goes back tothat whole in the shop series, I
guess.
Um, getting the diagnostic andthe alignment.
Um, God is my maintenanceschedule out of whack, you know,
what what are you forming in meas I go through this?
Um and then this is again whatyour challenge is to on Sunday
(45:00):
to be patient, to practicefaithfulness in the waiting.
Um God, even when it seemssilent, even when I'm not
hearing the answer, um even whenI'm disappointed, I'm gonna keep
showing up, I'm gonna keep beingfaithful.
SPEAKER_01 (45:15):
Don't quit.
Don't quit at the crucifixionand miss the resurrection.
unknown (45:20):
Boy.
SPEAKER_01 (45:21):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (45:22):
Say that again.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
That's a good quote.
Don't miss the resurrectionbecause you quit at the
crucifixion.
Sometimes our dreams have to diefirst.
And there's whole books on that.
But the truth is, um sometimesGod's doing something different
that's greater, that's higher.
(45:44):
And uh we gotta wait for it.
We gotta be patient.
That's right.
Pray for us, Ryan.
SPEAKER_03 (45:50):
Father, we thank you um again, as is as we do every
week for your word.
It is true, and it is the thingthat never returns void.
And so, Father, I I pray thateven now, as as people are
listening to this podcast, thatit would um it would pierce us,
um, and it would do a workwithin us to to begin to cut out
(46:12):
the things, um, the the hurt,the disappointment, the
expectations, and and father, tobegin to to put the right things
in.
Um Lord, we're we don't want tohave low expectations of you.
We want to raise ourexpectations, to raise our
perspective, to see things theway that that you see them.
(46:33):
Amen.
And uh, Father, this this PalmSunday sermon of these people
laying their cloaks down and andshouting, Hosanna, God save us.
Lord, I pray that that would betrue for each of us.
That uh we would lay down ouridentity and that it would be
wrapped up in yours.
Um Lord, I know a lot can happenin a week.
(46:53):
We're gonna find that out.
But I pray that you would makeus here at A Freshwind God, make
us faithful in the waiting.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
SPEAKER_00 (47:02):
Thanks again for joining us for this episode of
the Midweek Podcast.
We'd love to hear from you.
Let us know how God is usingthis resource in your life or
send any podcast questions ortopic ideas to podcast at a
freshwind.org.
If you would like to supportthis ministry financially and
help us continue offering newresources that equip you to
discover more in Christ, simplytext any amount to the number
(47:26):
84321.
We're so grateful for yoursupport.
Make sure to tune in next weekfor a brand new episode of the
Midweek Podcast.
Be blessed and have a greatweek.
Welcome and thanks for joining us on this episode
of the Midweek Podcast, broughtto you by a Fresh Wind Church.
Each week our team brings younew content to help you take
steps towards Jesus and discovermore in Christ.
Today's episode is hosted byPastor Ryan.
SPEAKER_03 (00:27):
Hey, welcome back to the Midweek Podcast.
Pastor Ryan joined as alwayswith Pastor Tim.
And uh this week we kicked offour brand new kind of Easter
sermon series, The Reveal, andstarted off with the Palm Sunday
message.
And uh over the course of thisseries, we're gonna look at kind
of the we're kind of using thisstoryline plot of, you know,
(00:50):
here's here's what peopleexpected, here's the unexpected
turn.
That's gonna be good Friday, andthen Easter the reveal.
Um so I don't think you're gonnawant to miss it, but man,
started off with uh a prettyincredible message on uh on
Sunday um talking about just theexpectations of the people.
Um I thought you brought outsome really, really kind of
(01:10):
tough, challenging points.
SPEAKER_01 (01:12):
It was it was tough.
Um thank you for that.
That was a great compliment.
Um they're few and far between.
Yeah, they are.
They are.
I don't I don't what did Davidsay?
SPEAKER_03 (01:24):
Lord encourage me because nobody else encourage
myself and the Lord.
SPEAKER_01 (01:28):
Um yeah, as I was studying it, um been studying it
for a couple of weeks now, and Ijust thought, man, if you just
if you lay it out and you do amacro view of the last, you
know, 300 years, they're like,We can do we just need the right
guy.
(01:49):
If we get the right guy, we canwe can do this again.
And uh and I don't think if youwould to interview them, you
know, some guy off the streetand say, You guys really think
you can kick Rome out?
I think they would say, No, butGod can.
We just need the right guy.
(02:09):
It's like, oh, okay, wait.
SPEAKER_03 (02:12):
Is it God or is it a guy?
Right.
SPEAKER_01 (02:14):
And I I think um uh Judah, the Maccabees, you know,
he made a he made a great leaderand then his uh grandson screwed
it up.
But uh at the end um I thinkthey they were kind of convinced
because of the prophets, youknow.
(02:36):
Prophets had said all thesethings, and when Jesus came, he
started doing those things.
And uh I I know the religiousleaders looked right at him and
said, You're not the guy becauseI'm in power right now and I
don't want to give it up.
But the the people were saying,Is this the guy?
You know?
(02:57):
Uh but there was some doubt outthere, don't get me.
Even John said, Go ask Jesus ifhe's the one or are we looking
for another?
And so this idea of himconvincing everybody that he's
the guy, I think it it wasLazarus that flipped the switch.
SPEAKER_03 (03:15):
When you see uh a dead man get up and walk out of
a tomb, you're like, all right.
Yeah, he's gotta be the guy.
Something's going on here.
It's uh I I I thought the way,you know, felt felt a little bit
like a history lesson to startthe sermon on Sunday, but I
think it helped build the framefor why these people went all in
(03:38):
when they did.
Right.
Um, I mean the palm branches andthe the symbolism of that here's
our victorious king, he's thevictor.
Um and then to lay the the cloakdown, and you know, you talked
about how that represented theiridentity, it represented their
protection, and to lay that downis a sign of surrender.
(04:00):
Right.
You have authority over me, youare my identity, that's more
important.
What why?
What would it have been abouthim?
And I think what you said onSunday, you you kind of went
back into the history pages alittle bit, talked about the
Maccabees, that revolt thathappened the last time they they
were finally free, and then theystart seeing this Jesus guy come
(04:25):
on the scene and start doing allthis stuff, and they're like,
hey, this it's time, let's go.
And then fueled by, and Ithought this was insightful.
Um because they were fueled bythe scriptures, right?
It's not like they were justmaking stuff up and hoping on a
win.
They're like, no, this guy, hesaid this would happen.
(04:46):
Right, and it's happening, it'shappening.
This is it.
Let's go.
Um, and they they had all theseexpectations built up.
And I, you know, that's I thinkthat's a pretty common Easter or
Palm Sunday message to talkabout the expectations of the
people.
Um past few Easters I'vechallenged people, like, hey
man, it's a big book.
(05:07):
We got more stories.
You guys come every year and youyou only hear this one story,
right?
Um, because you know, you canonly preach on the resurrection
so many different ways, right?
You can only talk about PalmSunday so many different ways.
Um, but I I thought that angleof like, how did we get to the
point where the people wereready to to throw out the palm
(05:27):
branches, to lay down theircloaks and say, we're all in on
Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (05:31):
And not fear Rome's retaliation.
SPEAKER_03 (05:35):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, yeah.
You look what's going on over inIran right now, and you know,
they had people when the USstarted bombing, they had people
out in the streets going nuts,dancing, celebrating.
Now, you know, they got a newguy in charge over there.
They're like, well, let's not dothat so much.
But there was people who wereexcited about it, but then that
(05:57):
fear of retaliation from thegovernment, and oh man, what's
gonna happen to me if I getspotted on someone's camera, you
know, and post it on Facebook.
No, these guys were like lyingin the streets.
We're ready.
This is the time, let's do it.
Um and a lot can happen in aweek.
Um we'll we'll find that outGood Friday and then Easter
(06:21):
Sunday again.
Um lot can happen in a week, butthese guys were all in, and it's
it's that tension of man, whatwhat do I expect from Jesus?
And I think we all we all havegot those.
We've we've got expectations onon who we think Jesus is and
what he's supposed to do, and umwhat that looks like in my life.
SPEAKER_01 (06:44):
And yeah, and I think the the big reveal to me
was the fact that uh as I wasstudying this that the Maccabees
had turned the high priesthooduh into kingship.
It all became one thing.
So they got it all right.
Jesus came and he was gonna behigh priest and king.
(07:08):
Yeah.
And I mean they had everything.
This is the guy.
We got him.
It just wasn't gonna turn outthe way He wasn't gonna do it
the way they they uh dreamedthat he would.
So expectations were high.
And uh we always do we we dothat.
(07:28):
Um we're Lord, I'm we make dealswith God.
Um they never turn out the waywe expect them to.
And um but we're like, Lord, I Iknow I'm I'm I got a scripture
here, I'm putting my faith inthis, and I want you to do this
one thing.
Can you do this one thing forme?
(07:50):
And the expectation is that whywouldn't he?
Why wouldn't God do this for me?
He knows I love him.
And um and then it doesn't turnout the way we think and it
hurts.
You know, what we were talkingabout in the service yesterday
about the different kind ofJesuses we have, you know.
(08:11):
And when we're in a problem andand and we're hurting, we want
the problem solver Jesus, youknow, we want him to fix our
problems.
I didn't mean to be in jail, Ididn't mean to be facing a
judge, I didn't mean to be allthis kind of stuff, and suddenly
it's like Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,come save me, Jesus, because
there's no one else who can savehim.
SPEAKER_03 (08:32):
How many times, you know, as pastors have we had
those conversations with people,you know, if if God would do
this, then then I'll startcoming to church and I'll start
reading my Bible.
Problem solver Jesus, Jesus,come fix my problems, and then
I'll straighten up, I'll get inline.
And I'm sorry for behaving theway that I did and got myself
into this mess, but if you justcome fix it all, yeah, we we
want the problem solver, fix it,Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
And I think uh a lot of that mentality is good.
The reason that they're talkingabout the problem fixer Jesus is
because they realize if theywould have lived their life the
way God had intended them tolive, they probably wouldn't be
in this mess in the first place.
So it's not it's not all bad,but the problem is it's a
(09:17):
control issue, right?
Comes down to control.
I want to be in control until mycontrol gets me in trouble, and
then I want you to be in controlas long as I get out of trouble,
and then we'll talk about it.
And that's right, that's that'swhere we are when we're trying
to Jesus is our problem solver.
SPEAKER_03 (09:35):
Yeah, it's tag, you're it.
Ah okay, I want back in.
Yeah.
Um yeah, you you laid out a few.
So there's problem solver juice.
I think there was the um oh,what was the other one?
Um talked about prosperityJesus.
Prosperity Jesus, that was it.
Um, you know, God just blessedme, you know.
(09:56):
God, I need more money, I needmore finances, you know, this,
and and he becomes kind of thisgenie in a bottle sort of thing.
Um, where you know, I'm I'mgonna show up and God, if I read
the right verses, if I do theright things and I, you know, do
all this, then you're gonna giveme this, you know.
And we got this whole kind ofGod's in the business of making
(10:19):
my life better.
SPEAKER_01 (10:21):
Yeah, and that's bless my plans.
It's not all about money, butbless my plans, increase my
influence, you know, give me abetter position at work or a
better position at church or orwhatever we're looking for.
I think um we think of God thatway, and uh unfortunately our
(10:41):
identity in Christ gets tied tothe outcomes.
And if I don't get what I thinkGod what I deserve in Jesus,
that is just a weird phrase,what I deserve in Jesus.
Um if I don't get that, if theworld doesn't treat me like the
prince that I am because I'm ason of God, then um I end up
(11:05):
having a problem with God.
And that's just read the NewTestament.
They didn't all turn out itdidn't all turn out rosy.
Um we have a we have a God whowho demands our life, and
sometimes that's what you haveto give.
SPEAKER_03 (11:27):
Just read the dis account of the disciples.
I mean how many of them losttheir life, right?
You know, for the for thegospel.
Um we we have this idea, andman, that book was real popular
years ago, your best life now,or something like that.
Um and I know people got a lotof problems with Joel Olstein
(11:49):
sometimes.
I I don't know that I do, don'thave enough knowledge about him
as a as a man.
SPEAKER_01 (11:55):
Um knowledge I do have, I don't know if I was told
the truth.
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (11:59):
Um, so I'm not gonna sit here and say one way or the
other.
I think he's a great encourager.
Um, I think he's got a greatministry of encouragement and
has helped a lot of people umwho are down in the dumps.
Um and I've I've listened to hischurch share the gospel before
too.
Um people say they never aboutthe gospel, it's all about your
life.
And so I'm not I'm not gonnamake any of those judgments, but
(12:20):
I will say this whole best lifenow thing um sometimes doesn't
look the way that we we thought.
And again, it goes back toexpectations.
We thought my best life was, youknow, house with the white
picket fence and you know,golden doodle running around the
yard and three vacations a year.
Yeah.
Um listen, the best work thatGod's doing in your life is he's
(12:42):
turning you into the image of ason.
You're gonna look like Jesus.
And that usually involvessuffering, you know.
Um, it's pick up your crossdaily, follow me.
It's dying to yourself, denyingyourself.
That that's what it takes.
Um, now I think you know, you ifyou handle money and you handle
(13:03):
your time and you steward thosethings God's way, your talents,
you'll probably be better offthan if you did it, you know,
um, just because God'sprinciples are true.
But again, it comes back tothose expectations.
I expect God to do this.
And then when that's nothappening, like you said, our
identity becomes tied to ouroutcomes.
And when that's not happening,and man, I think men in
(13:25):
particular struggle with this.
Um, because the kind of paycheckwe bring home.
SPEAKER_01 (13:30):
I am what I do.
SPEAKER_03 (13:31):
Yep, the balance in our 401k that says a lot to us
about the kind of man we are andour ability to provide for our
families.
And when that thing doesn't seemto be lining up with who we we
dreamed that we were gonna beand how our life was gonna go,
all of a sudden we're like, man,I got I gave you a shot, but you
didn't work.
Didn't work, church didn't work.
(13:52):
You know, I showed up and it'sall still a m.
Um, and we've got thisprosperity, Jesus.
And then um that was the otherone that you were talking about
uh was it I don't know if it wascomfort Jesus, um, but you were
talking about I used a differentword, but that works.
Um like take away my anxiety,make me feel better.
SPEAKER_01 (14:15):
Um yeah, it was the make me be feel better, Jesus.
Um and that's you know, a lot ofpeople are looking for that.
But you know, that's uh the rootissue there, I think, is
avoiding transformation.
You know, why are you anxious?
Where where have you placed yourtrust?
And um uh why do you feel bad?
(14:36):
Why why are you angry?
Why are you depressed?
And uh we gotta look uh deeperand see why we we are struggling
in those situations.
And I think the Lord, the Lord,man, he swings a lot of straight
licks with a crooked stick.
And I just believe that um inthose situations, God is trying
to teach you something abouthim.
(14:58):
And we've gotta take some timefor the revelation, you know?
SPEAKER_03 (15:04):
Yeah.
Bridget, uh, she shared this onFacebook uh not too long ago.
She said, We don't strugglebecause God is silent, we
struggle because he's alreadyspoken and we're still deciding
if we agree.
SPEAKER_01 (15:16):
Ouch.
SPEAKER_03 (15:18):
Wow.
Yeah.
Should make her preach nextSunday.
No, I'm preaching on Easter.
Um, but man, isn't that that'srough?
Yeah, you know, we're justwaiting on God to speak.
And how many I've told peoplethis so he's spoken.
Here's 2,000 pages of it.
You want to read it?
Yeah, um, no, no, no, no.
(15:39):
I'm I'm waiting on him to letme.
In almost every situation, he'salready given us his thoughts on
those things.
Um, and man, we did that wholeseries on God's will for your
life, and you know, it's it'smore about who you're becoming
than what you do.
And we we we get ourselves allwrapped up into this thing.
(15:59):
And I think a lot of times, man,we're we're just avoiding
transformation.
I'm just gonna sit here.
I don't want God messing withthis stuff.
And does God want you to beanxious?
No.
Cast all your anxiety upon himbecause he cares for you.
That's what scripture says.
Um, and here's the the trickything with with these is God
(16:20):
cares about all of them.
God wants to fix your problems.
He does, he wants to give yougood things.
Every good and perfect giftcomes down from your father in
heaven.
He wants you to cast all youranxiety and care upon him.
He wants you to do all thesethings, but man, we again we
kind of use it as this genie ina bottle sort of thing where I
just come to the well when Ineed something.
Um and then, all right, you youyou go back to the shelf, and
(16:44):
next time I need you, I'll I'llget you down again.
SPEAKER_01 (16:46):
Ugh.
And it's unfortunately when it'sjust like we were talking uh
last few weeks about in theshop.
You know, we gotta we gottaclean these things up, and and
it became becomes uh uh yeah, Igotta get my priorities
straight, I gotta get myrelationships correct, I gotta
get my uh maintenance schedulein, so I can keep what?
(17:12):
Well, it's it's not to keep yoursalvation, it's to keep your
relationship the way it shouldbe with Jesus, so he's not uh a
box of candy sitting on the topshelf that you don't get out uh
until you know you need it.
So we need to be um doing thosethings not to earn our salvation
(17:33):
or keep our salvation.
We need to do it to to stay in aposition where we're focused on
our relationship and growing tobecome more like Jesus instead
instead of all right, I've madea breakthrough, I've stepped up
here.
Okay, I got it from here, Lord,and uh I'll let you know when I
need you.
(17:53):
Yeah.
And uh, but when you think aboutthe whole thing, it w we feel
like we're teaching that.
You know, no, live your life,you know, follow Jesus, and then
uh when you get in trouble, youget serious.
SPEAKER_03 (18:09):
We're a bunch of uh Christian diabetics.
Sugars get low, we reach for thecandy bar, right, and then we're
good.
We're off and running again.
Um we're saying, no, we need towe need to level this out.
You know, it's it's about thewhole diet.
Um what are we taking in day byday by day um so that we can we
can be healthy when we canaccomplish and do all the things
(18:31):
that God wants us to do?
Um He's not He's not content tobe the genie in the bottle.
He's not.
He wants a relationship withyou.
Um and man, I think the the lastone you you talked about, and in
our current culture, this one'slike getting punched in the
mouth, but you know, thepolitical Jesus.
SPEAKER_01 (18:52):
Um or the agenda.
Yeah, I want a Jesus who'll getmy I can use to throw my agenda
around.
And um, I think we see a lot ofthat now.
SPEAKER_03 (19:03):
Uh on both sides, you know.
Um we got that guy down inTexas, um, Democrat guy, and
he's quoting Jesus in the Biblefor all sorts of stuff, and most
Christians are like, what?
That that's not what that means,you know.
But no, Jesus is gonna getbehind this agenda.
And and listen, we do it on theuh people on the right do this
(19:25):
too.
Yeah, um, Jesus is for this andthis and this and this.
And Jesus is not Republican,he's not a Democrat, he's not a
socialist, he's not a communist.
Yeah, he he he's God in our it'snot about getting Jesus behind
your agenda, it's about yougetting on the kingdom agenda,
(19:45):
right?
Um, oh, who was it?
Uh was it Tony Evans that wrotethose books um about being
kingdom-minded Christians?
Uh, this is about God's kingdom.
Um that that's who we need tobe.
Absolutely.
It's people about the king.
You you say this all the time.
What's the most important thingin the kingdom?
The will of the king.
SPEAKER_01 (20:04):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (20:05):
This is about him.
And no, we yeah, we want a Godin the scripture to support our
viewpoints.
We try to pigeonhole Jesus intowhat we already believe instead
of letting him come in and justtake a wrecking ball to it and
say, all right, God, you teachme what's important to you.
What does it mean to have aheart after your heart?
(20:26):
You we just talked about that afew times over the past month or
so.
Um, and we're no, no, no, no.
I already have thesepredetermined beliefs and ideas,
and Jesus, how do you fit intothat?
SPEAKER_01 (20:40):
And it's it's a difficult thing because we got
so many avenues of thinking.
We got our uh political, oursuccess, our our occupations,
all all, you know, all thesethings.
Um I I think of people who workat the hospital, you know, uh,
especially the emergency room.
(21:01):
And you got people who arehurting, they're sick, some are
dying right in front of you, soyou're you're triaging
everything, right?
But you can never give yourwhole self to it because you
can't emotionally handle it, youknow?
It's like I gotta get you fixed,I gotta plug your holes, I gotta
come over here, oh, you know,you need this medicine, uh, so
(21:24):
forth and so on.
But you can't say, man, thatkid's really scared.
I should sit here with him.
You just can't do it.
And uh you're just but that'sthe way life is to everybody.
And uh the Lord says, Hey, I'mhere.
Um, let's coach.
I'll tell you when you can staya few minutes longer.
(21:44):
I can st I can tell you whenthis guy, well, you need to let
this go and come over here andplug this guy's hole so he don't
bleed out.
I I can I can help you makethose decisions, but we're like,
I don't know if I want to getall the way in.
And and Jesus was always all theway in.
That's right.
(22:05):
Uh, whoever he helped.
And uh, and some some were justthere for Jesus, like the ten
lepers, only one came back tothank him.
And uh I bet you if uh thoseother lepers were interviewed,
they'd say, Oh no, he wasawesome.
He was awesome.
(22:26):
Well, why didn't you go back andthank him?
Well, I I I it was Christmas andI didn't think about it.
And so no, but he he he wasawesome, but I'm fixed now.
I don't need him right now.
Uh and that's that's that's whatwe do with Jesus all the time.
(22:47):
But I hate this agenda thingwith Jesus.
I I hate uh Jesus is gonna be mybaseball bat and I'm gonna come
in here and and uh startswinging.
Um I don't th I I think thatdoes something to our soul.
(23:07):
Because sooner or later Jesus isgonna grab that bat and pull it
out of your hands and say, putthat down and then where are you
gonna be?
You know, when you can't useJesus to batter everybody down.
And uh I think it I think ithurts us in a in a deep, deeply
spiritual way.
So uh please um AfreshwinChurch.
(23:29):
I can't speak to anybody else,but you guys don't do that.
Don't let Jesus be your uhwrecking ball in other people's
lives deciding what's right forthem and what's not.
Now, you can use the Biblebecause the Bible uh helps us do
righteous judgments and uh butdon't use the person of Jesus to
(23:54):
be your um Well Jesus wouldn'tlike that.
Well we don't know what Jesuswould do in that situation until
you let him show up.
And um I don't know where I'mgoing with this, but I think
people get not a burnout, butthat you can you can see who
people who've done it for a longtime they're just angry and um
(24:19):
there it doesn't feel like theyhave any peace.
SPEAKER_03 (24:22):
We're not saying to not let your relationship with
God in the scriptures affect howyou vote or how you think.
Uh of course it should.
I think we live in a countrythat gives us a voice, and you
should let your relationshipwith Jesus affect that.
Right.
Um, we should vote for thethings that we think lead us
(24:44):
closer uh to what God wants onthe planet.
Um, Jesus taught us to pray,your will be done on earth as it
is in heaven.
Well, in the United States, wehave an avenue to help bring
that about through voting.
Um, and so we we you should thatshould shape how you respond in
culture.
Um but we need to allow Jesus inscripture to shape those things
(25:09):
and not try to fit Jesus intowhat the Republican Party says
or or the Democrat Party says.
Right, exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (25:17):
And I think that's uh one of the big problems we
have tendencies to have.
I want to be loyal to Jesus, soI'm gonna cram him in there in
this situation.
And um, but uh Jesus is allpowerful and he doesn't need
you.
Remember, I've always said thistoo you don't wield Jesus, he
(25:40):
wields you, and that's thedifference.
SPEAKER_03 (25:43):
One of the great dangers in all of this is I and
I think this is where a lot ofpeople are.
We're we we don't reject Jesus,we reshape him, we just try to
mold him into what we want orwhat we need, and that's a
dangerous place to be.
You know, Jesus in Revelation Hesaid, Man, I wish you were hot
(26:06):
or cold, but because you'relukewarm, I'll spit you out of
my mouth.
And we're like, we want God, butwe want him on our terms and to
fit the mold, our expectations.
That's what we're talking about.
SPEAKER_01 (26:17):
And if you're trying to mold Jesus, sooner or later
you're gonna compromise.
SPEAKER_03 (26:20):
Yep.
SPEAKER_01 (26:21):
Hmm.
It's that we need to I need todo a series of sermons on that
because that's kind of animportant thing, especially in
our lives now.
You just go on YouTube and it'suh uh don't listen to this guy,
he's a heretic, listen to me,uh, wield Jesus, I wield Jesus
better than he does or whatever.
(26:41):
And it's like, no, uh, you'resupposed to be, you're supposed
to have your cloak off.
And uh he's supposed to berunning things.
So I don't know, that's a that'sa deep discussion.
We we don't have time to go intoit here, but uh we can talk a
little bit about the end resulthere.
Uh five days they went fromHosanna, uh, blessed is he who
(27:06):
comes in the name of the Lord tosave us now to crucify.
Yeah, we're no, we're gonna killyou.
That is that is uh that ishumanity in a nutshell.
I don't I didn't get it the wayI wanted it, and so now I'm
against you.
And I man, I sometimes I look atthe United States and how many
(27:28):
promises were made by all theseguys who run for president or
for Congress, we're gonna dothis, we're gonna do that, and
nothing gets done.
My entire lifetime, I'm 60 yearsold.
Why are we in so much?
I thought we were gonna fixthis.
Everybody said we're gonna fixit.
Now some things that areunfixable, they don't even bring
up, like the budget.
(27:51):
We can't fix that, so we're noteven gonna talk about it.
And uh, but back when I was um,you know, back in the 80s, every
president said we're gonnabalance the budget.
We're gonna balance the budget.
We can't go on like this, wecan't do this.
And but every every four yearsor every two years or six years
with senators, they all promisethe same thing and they never do
(28:14):
it.
I don't I don't know why wehaven't started yelling, crucify
them, to tell you the truth.
SPEAKER_03 (28:23):
You know, I this idea of our expectations, and
you know, you you said thisbefore we we jumped on and
started recording, but we don'tthink this way, but we we live
this way.
Right.
You know, we we have all theseexpectations and we bring them
(28:43):
into our relationship with God,but we don't really think that
that's but man, we hold them toit.
And you talked about it in thesermon on Sunday.
Every every couple I go throughpremarital counseling with, I
tell them the same thing.
Um unvoiced expectations are thekiller of relationships.
And so, yeah, you you're holdingyour future wife or your future
(29:04):
husband up to this list ofexpectations, and then you get
in and they're they're notliving up to it.
They don't change the oil everyyou know three, four, five
thousand miles like your dadtook care of, and they're
expecting you to get your ownoil change because it's the
stickers in your car just pullinto the oil change, you know?
Right, and and all of a suddenyour engine blew up, and you're
like, how come you didn't takecare of that?
(29:25):
Did you not see the sticker inthe window?
Um, we have these unvoicedexpectations and they kill
relationships.
And I mean, I I think we come tothat same place with Jesus as we
got these expectations.
He doesn't seem like he'smeeting them.
And and man, I want to cautionyou in this because what it
could sound like we're saying isyou need to have lower
expectations.
(29:45):
Right.
You need to lower yourexpectations of Jesus.
And that if that's what you'retaking, you've missed it.
You've missed it.
Their problem wasn't that theirexpectations were too high, they
were too low.
SPEAKER_01 (30:00):
Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03 (30:01):
You said it on Sunday, read the scripture.
My ways are not your ways, mythoughts are not your thoughts.
My ways are higher, they'rehigher than yours.
And so the problem isn't thatour expectations are too high,
it's that we're tooshort-sighted.
Man, we are so focused on ourimmediate needs and our
immediate relief that we don'teven have time to comprehend.
(30:25):
And I and I'm I'm gonna talkabout this a little bit in the
Easter sermon, so you're gettinga little bit of a preview there,
but we can't see the the grandredemptive story that's
unfolding right in front of us.
Yeah.
Because it is my job, myrelationships, my sickness, um,
my kids.
And listen, God cares about allof it.
(30:45):
He does.
He wants you to tell him aboutall of it.
Read the psalms, man.
We and this gets me sorry, on mysoapbox a little bit here, but
there's all these guys that geton YouTube and they, man, they
just, you know, gospel, gospel,gospel, and it's all about the
gospel.
But read the Psalms and listento all the times David's crying
(31:08):
out, Lord, where are you?
Why do the the the wickedprosper?
I mean, he just gives it to God.
And God says, Hey, come, bringthose things to me.
He cares about it.
But we need to raise ourperspective and realize while
God cares about you and He wantsto, and He's go not just wants
to, He's going to do what's bestfor you in every situation.
(31:32):
At the same time, He's doingwhat's best for the person next
to you, He's doing what's bestfor the person you hate and
can't stand at church.
He he's doing what's best forthe whole world.
SPEAKER_01 (31:42):
Right.
SPEAKER_03 (31:43):
He's God, and we've got to to raise our so I I'm not
telling you to lower yourexpectations of God.
And I'm trying to remember theexact quote you said on Sunday.
Um I think it was our lowexpectations of God cause us to
miss his greater purpose.
I think is is how you said it.
And man, I pulled out my phoneand put that in notion.
(32:06):
I'm like, I need to write thatdown.
Um, because it's true, man.
It's the problem isn't ourexpectations are too high.
It's that they're too low.
We're too short-sighted,narrow-sighted.
We're the horse walking aroundwith blinders on, oblivious to
what God's really doing allaround us.
SPEAKER_01 (32:25):
It's easy uh to be disappointed in God.
And and I think it's ironic thatwe can't disappoint him.
But he disappoints us all thetime.
He always knows what we're gonnado or the decision we're gonna
make.
So he can't be disappointed.
SPEAKER_03 (32:41):
Never once, like, dang it, didn't see that coming.
SPEAKER_01 (32:44):
He knew.
He knew, he knew.
But at the same time, we we getdisappointed in him, and it's
and like you said, we need totalk to him about those things.
Or you'll never get the reveal.
unknown (32:55):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (32:56):
You'll never if you don't talk to him about why
you're disappointed in thesesituations that you expected
something different, um, you'llyou'll never hear the reveal.
Well, this is why I did that.
This is why I made thatconnection, and you didn't want
that you didn't want that tohappen.
But I I'm gonna use that toreach these people and um that
(33:19):
you don't even like.
And so we have we have thesethings that disappoint us, and
um I think we need to talk alittle bit about how much higher
his ways are.
Because Jesus doesn't meet ourexpectations sometimes because
he's after something deeper thanyour situation.
(33:40):
That's right.
And I don't I don't know whatthat would mean, but those
people they wanted freedom fromRome.
And Jesus said, I want you freefrom sin.
That's what I want.
SPEAKER_03 (33:56):
Again, it's a immediate need.
Rome is the problem, and it's abig problem.
But it's it's an immediateproblem.
And he's like, nah, we're we'redoing something eternal here.
And again, not too low, but itwas too high.
Um and you know, that's that's abig deal for us, man.
(34:16):
He's after something deeper thanthis this present situation.
And I think we need to say,Lord, open my eyes, let me see
what you're really what you'rereally doing here, not just in
this situation, but in mycommunity, in my family, in my
church.
SPEAKER_01 (34:28):
And one of the things he's always doing, and we
need to realize this in whateversituation you are, is he's
transforming us.
And he prioritizestransformation over relief.
He just uh he definitely wantsyou to be transformed more than
he wants you to have the reliefyou're looking for.
(34:50):
So um, and and in yoursituation, in your circumstance,
uh your transformation is whathe's looking for, not to resolve
your circumstance.
SPEAKER_03 (35:04):
Jesus said this, he said, Take heart, for I've
overcome the world.
But in this world, listen,you're gonna have trials, you're
gonna have tribulation, right?
Like it's not all gonna be easy.
And I know, and this kind ofgoes back to the prosperity
Jesus we were talking aboutearlier, the fix it Jesus.
Um, a lot of us bought the ideathat, man, I'm gonna give my
life to Jesus and theneverything's gonna get better.
(35:26):
Um and then when that doesn'thappen, right away.
Right, yeah, God, where are you?
How could you allow this tohappen?
I thought you were gonna fixthis stuff.
Jesus promised us that we weregonna have pain and suffering in
the world.
He said, Listen, people aregonna hate you, but guess what?
They hated me first.
Yeah, um, so of course they'regonna hate you.
(35:48):
We should expect it.
And I said earlier, the greatestthing God's doing in your life
is not fixing your situation orgetting you a job, it's making
you look like Jesus.
He's after your transformation.
SPEAKER_01 (36:00):
And that transformation is um how should
I say it?
It's it's gonna affect thepromise that he's given you.
unknown (36:09):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:09):
Uh the scripture says that uh the way you live
now is gonna make a differencein the kingdom that comes.
SPEAKER_03 (36:15):
In eternity, yeah.
SPEAKER_01 (36:16):
And so we need to we need to realize, yeah, I'm not
getting what I want right now,but if I get the transformation,
that's gonna make my life withhim better.
And I think we don't realizethat.
I think we're so we're notheavenly minded enough.
Um I think we need to thinketernity in these things, but uh
(36:38):
no matter what situation you'rein, he's looking for
transformation.
So the key is is to align withthat as soon as you can figure
out what he's trying to do.
And uh and when you cooperatewith that, um things will
change.
Either you'll change in themidst of your situation, or God
will change the situation.
(36:59):
And that's that's what uh God islooking to happen.
When we were teaching aboutrelationships, um the alignment
series in uh in the shop, umpeople are really struggling
with that.
I don't want to let this personoff the hook.
You know, I don't want to, Idon't want to forgive them.
I don't want to forgive them.
Well, what does God want you todo?
(37:21):
He wants you to transform.
And the number one way wetransform is to forgive.
You know, I'm gonna change myheart.
Even though I don't feel likeit, I'm gonna choose to forgive,
and and then it opens the doorfor God to change your heart, to
change your bitterness, um, tolet that go.
But we have to uh cooperate withthat.
(37:45):
And uh so man, I didn't realizehow uh deep this situation was.
I preached that first sermon,and I man, I was struggling.
And I look back in my life as Iwas studying, I was like, all
the expectations I had for God,and and it didn't turn out the
way that I had prayed or the wayI had wanted.
And um, I basically preachedthat first sermon for me, you
(38:09):
know, and uh so I expected agreat response because I'm like,
I feel this way, everybody feelsthis way.
And uh and uh I got done and theLord said, Did you listen to
what you said?
And I said, No, this is not, youdidn't do this to me.
He goes, Yeah, that was for you.
(38:29):
And uh so I've had a lot ofgreat expectations and uh
disappointments in the Lord, andhe's transformed me through
those, and it hasn't been easy,I'll tell you that.
But uh he will, he will, andwhen you let that transformation
happen, um you become free.
SPEAKER_03 (38:51):
Yeah, I think it's important for us to to take a
time to do kind of diagnosethose expectations and and um
ask ourselves some questions,you know, where where where am I
frustrated with God right now?
Um that that'll give you someinsight into you know some
expectations maybe that you'vehad that you feel like God's not
(39:14):
not meeting or living up to.
Um what did I expect God to dodifferently?
It's another great question.
Um, this is the situation I'min.
What how did I expect that togo?
God, what did I think you weregonna do?
That'll that'll inform your yourexpectations you've placed on
them.
SPEAKER_01 (39:32):
Um yeah, and then you need to, especially if
you've learned um the disciplineof finding a scripture to place
your faith in.
Um, Lord, what am I gonna do inthis situation?
Give me a scripture, and andthen uh even when you got that
scripture, these people hadscripture, you know.
(39:54):
Even when you have thatscripture, you have to ask
yourself, is my expectationshaped more by the scripture, or
is it shaped by my preferences?
Because sometimes, man, we canreally do a number on the
scripture and weave it into ourpreferences.
SPEAKER_03 (40:12):
You can find a verse to support just about anything,
yeah, you know, and it's am Ikeeping this in context?
Have I been faithful to what Godwas saying in this in this
verse?
Um, does it is it consistentwith with the rest of scripture,
you know, because and again,politicians are notorious for
this.
You know, they'll they'll quoteverses.
(40:34):
Um oh man, was it I think it wasTrump.
He got up and was sharing averse one time and said two
Corinthians, and you're like,Yeah, he ain't never read that.
SPEAKER_01 (40:44):
That's what that's what they do in Europe.
They don't do the So we have umwe have these uh big
expectations, but how do how dowe get from expectation to
patience and revelation?
Well, Jesus proved it in thestory yesterday.
He came in humility.
That's right.
And when you're in a situationyou and you don't know how to
(41:05):
get out, and you've turned toJesus, help me, the first thing
you need to do is be humble.
Don't you're gonna haveChristians come to you, you're
gonna have people come to you.
Oh, if you cry out to Jesus,he's gonna do this and he's
gonna do that.
The first thing you need to dois say, Lord, I'm here, I got
myself here, um, and I want yourhelp.
SPEAKER_03 (41:29):
And I'm throwing my cloak down.
SPEAKER_01 (41:30):
I'm throwing my cloak down.
You'll be my identity, you'll bemy authority.
And uh he's calling you rightnow.
Yeah.
So those are the things that ummake a big difference in
deciding when we're gonna getour expectations met or we're
(41:54):
gonna wait till God reveals whathe's trying to do in our life.
And sometimes it's not about thecircumstance, sometimes it's
about you.
SPEAKER_03 (42:06):
Sunday, you would challenged everybody.
Um, you know, as we head intothis Easter season, we're we're
looking for God to revealhimself to us and his plan, his
purpose for us.
And you you challenge people,listen, don't just go with what
you expect God to tell you here.
Wait.
Be patient, wait on onrevelation.
(42:26):
Um, and so I think there's acouple things that we can do as
we kind of lay this out beforethe Lord and in your in your
quiet time, in your devotionswith him uh this week, heading
up to Easter, is is number one,do that little self-audit that
we just talked about and namethose expectations honestly
before God.
In humility, come and say, God,this this is what I expected.
(42:49):
This is where I feel you let medown, um, or you didn't live up
to that expectation.
And I know we're afraid to talkto God that way.
He already knows your heart, healready knows you're feeling
that way.
This is just you being honest,bringing it into the light, and
saying, God, man, I honestly,you you kind of hurt me here.
Right.
(43:09):
I was, I thought you were gonnaheal my dad.
I thought you were gonna to fixmy marriage or this relationship
with my kids, God, and and it itdidn't happen.
And and I'm hurt by that.
Why would you allow that?
Bring that thing to him.
Listen, he's he's bigger thanour pain, and and his goodness
is better than our suffering.
Um, and so you need to bringthat thing to him.
(43:31):
Um, and then secondly, um, weneed to to start anchoring our
our expectations in scriptureand not our assumptions.
Yeah, go back to the word and weand you hear Pastor Tim and I
hammer this point home over andover and over again.
Man, it's it's the word of God.
What is what is God actuallypromised?
(43:51):
Scripture says all of hispromises are yes and amen in
Christ Jesus.
Um, and so when you find thosepromises in scripture, man, you
can you can take it to The bank,you can pin your hope to it.
Um, because he's faithful, evenwhen we are faithless, amen.
He's gonna come through.
Um and then and uh this onetakes uh some wisdom, takes some
(44:14):
discernment.
I mean, look for the deeperwork.
God, what are you actuallyforming in me?
Um because who you're becomingis more important than what you
do or the situation that youfind yourself in.
And so, God, in this season ofdisappointment, as I walk
through this this valley ofuncertainty and confusion, what
(44:37):
are you forming in me?
What what in it goes back tothat whole in the shop series, I
guess.
Um, getting the diagnostic andthe alignment.
Um, God is my maintenanceschedule out of whack, you know,
what what are you forming in meas I go through this?
Um and then this is again whatyour challenge is to on Sunday
(45:00):
to be patient, to practicefaithfulness in the waiting.
Um God, even when it seemssilent, even when I'm not
hearing the answer, um even whenI'm disappointed, I'm gonna keep
showing up, I'm gonna keep beingfaithful.
SPEAKER_01 (45:15):
Don't quit.
Don't quit at the crucifixionand miss the resurrection.
unknown (45:20):
Boy.
SPEAKER_01 (45:21):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_03 (45:22):
Say that again.
SPEAKER_01 (45:23):
That's a good quote.
Don't miss the resurrectionbecause you quit at the
crucifixion.
Sometimes our dreams have to diefirst.
And there's whole books on that.
But the truth is, um sometimesGod's doing something different
that's greater, that's higher.
(45:44):
And uh we gotta wait for it.
We gotta be patient.
That's right.
Pray for us, Ryan.
SPEAKER_03 (45:50):
Father, we thank you um again, as is as we do every
week for your word.
It is true, and it is the thingthat never returns void.
And so, Father, I I pray thateven now, as as people are
listening to this podcast, thatit would um it would pierce us,
um, and it would do a workwithin us to to begin to cut out
(46:12):
the things, um, the the hurt,the disappointment, the
expectations, and and father, tobegin to to put the right things
in.
Um Lord, we're we don't want tohave low expectations of you.
We want to raise ourexpectations, to raise our
perspective, to see things theway that that you see them.
(46:33):
Amen.
And uh, Father, this this PalmSunday sermon of these people
laying their cloaks down and andshouting, Hosanna, God save us.
Lord, I pray that that would betrue for each of us.
That uh we would lay down ouridentity and that it would be
wrapped up in yours.
Um Lord, I know a lot can happenin a week.
(46:53):
We're gonna find that out.
But I pray that you would makeus here at A Freshwind God, make
us faithful in the waiting.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Amen and amen.
SPEAKER_00 (47:02):
Thanks again for joining us for this episode of
the Midweek Podcast.
We'd love to hear from you.
Let us know how God is usingthis resource in your life or
send any podcast questions ortopic ideas to podcast at a
freshwind.org.
If you would like to supportthis ministry financially and
help us continue offering newresources that equip you to
discover more in Christ, simplytext any amount to the number
(47:26):
84321.
We're so grateful for yoursupport.
Make sure to tune in next weekfor a brand new episode of the
Midweek Podcast.
Be blessed and have a greatweek.
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