What Does God Expect Of Me In 2008?

Last week I dealt with what kind of pastor did God want me to be. I know it is kind of customary to preach a challenging message to the flock on the first Sunday of the year. Well, I saved that for today. Just what does God expect from me? I don’t know about you, but I kind of like to know where I stand. Not that my wife would or does do this, but you have all heard this happen...The husband gets home from work and his wife is crying. “What is wrong?” He asks, truly concerned.

“Nothing,” She blurts out with a sob and cries even harder.

Now that is hard to fix.

But what if she lovingly tells you, “I got up before you left for work. I drew your bath, and fixed you your favorite breakfast, and baked you a cake, and squeezed you orange juice. I ironed your shirt and pants. I made you your favorite lunch. I polished your shoes (I know, you are thinking, someone is dreaming – this is too good to be true), and since it was cold outside I scrapped the ice from your car and started it to warm up.”

Okay, that is enough, you get the picture. So why is she crying? Let’s see her reason for sadness as she continues, “And you got up on your own, put on dirty clothes, never touched the breakfast, slipped out the back door, and walked to work. You rejected everything I did for you.”

Wow. Now that is really foolish on his part, don’t you agree? He had everything laid out for him, yet he rejected it for something that was in truth, inferior. I don’t know about you, but I am kind of thinking, “What an idiot!” This guy has everything, yet he ignores it and walks away from it. I know, the women are thinking, “Dump him, he doesn’t deserve your love.

Well, I sure can understand both sentiments. You see, this is like God’s love for us. He has done the unbelievable for us. He gave His only Son for us that we might have a life that never ends in God’s presence. Can you imaging that? Can you beat that? You might think, What’s the catch?” we none really, all you have to do is believe on His Son, that He is God’s Son, and ask Him to forgive you. Claim Him as your Savior.

“Really, it is that easy?” You might think.

“Yes,” Is my answer.

“Surely there is more?” “Why would God, do that for me?”

Well, He loves you. Just like the wife loves her husband and does things for him to prove her love, God loves us. I mean He really loves us… a lot!

Let me ask you, “How do you think a wife would feel if her husband did what I described? Hurt? Sad? Angry? A great many things enter this, right? Well how foolish does it seem to you if anyone rejects God’s gift of His Son’s sacrificial life? Doesn’t that seem kind of …dumb? Duh! You might say. And I would have to say yeah!

How sad that we sneak away from God’s blessings in life to do our own thing. We reject the very best effort God has to give us, and believe me it is good.

I know this is the kind of things we hear at the end of the message. I want you to think of this and let it soak in today, God has risen early and provided for you in every possible way. Will you purposefully walk away from His gift for you? Will you reject God’s Son? Will you say no?

Okay, let me get into the message. What does God want for my life?

Let’s look at some scriptures…

Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Mark 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

So it would appear that God wants something for our lives.

First…

He wants to be your protector and provider

The 23rs Psalm tells us, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.”

He certainly has provided for us with His Son, Jesus.

He has given us a great opportunity, how will we deal with this?

Also…

He wants us to possess His gift

It is not enough that He gave the gift, we must accept it

If we reject it, it will become useless to us.

And we know…

He wishes for our purity

I know that work kind of scares some people.

When they hear God expects purity, they panic.

They reason that they cannot be perfect.

I would agree, nor can I be perfect

But we know one who can be and was perfect – that was Jesus

But nevertheless, God demands that we not have sin. What can we do?

Trust in Jesus. It is His righteousness that God will see, not our sins.

Does that mean we can do whatever we like? No. To begin with, you will not like sin. But the scripture touches on that subject.

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? {2} God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? {3} Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? {4} Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

And…

He wants our praise

Not unlike the wife who had work hard and desired praise, God deserves our praise

Are you praising God with your voice?

Are you praising God with your life?

We also know…

He wants us to persevere

Just as the scripture said with all our heart and all our soul

God wants us to do our best – I know I said we could not get it right

Only through Jesus can we get it right!

His desire for us is that we keep on keeping on

And…

He wants our participation

Are you involved with the Lord and His work?

Are you part of a local church?

Are you really part of a church?

Are you really participating the way God wants?

(remember the husband and his antics)

Last…

He wants us to have power

He strengthens us with His Spirit

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;

We need His word

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We can use prayer

John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Strengthened through personal testimony

Psalms 66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

So, what does God want for our lives?

In a nutshell…

Know Him

Love Him

Follow Him

Serve Him

Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 011308am