An expectation is what is considered the most likely outcome in a certain situation. We all have expectations of life, whether these are expressed or not. Sometimes, our expectations are realistic and based on reliable experience (we expect that the sun will rise in the morning and set in the evening, for example) and at other times, they may be unrealistic and based more on wishful thinking or fantasy than any experience based in reality (expecting to win the Lottery when you don’t even compete, for example.)

Expectations generally lead to other emotions: satisfaction if they are fulfilled; disappointment if they are not,  with frustration, anger and resentment being other reactions to unfulfilled expectations.

Quite a lot of the negative emotions we experience may well be due to unfulfilled and unrealistic expectations. We can feel frustrated with ourselves when we do not reach the targets we have set for ourselves; we can feel annoyed with other people when they do not do what we want them to do.

We can even feel angry and upset with God when He does not meet our expectations.

We need frequently to tug away at the layers of our expectations to find what resides underneath. Were those expectations realistic? Were they based on fantasy or rooted in truth? Did we ever voice those expectations to others or just expect them to intuitively know what we expected of them? Have we projected our expectations onto God without pausing to consider if they line up with His revelation of Himself? One of the most piercing lines I have ever encountered says ‘With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is’, going on to ask ‘But will we trade our dreams for His?’ (‘Somewhere In The Middle’, Castings Crowns)

Laying down our expectations is painful. But there is a world of difference, as Eugene Peterson comments on Psalm 127, between ambition and aspiration. There is a world of difference between our dreams and God’s. God’s dreams and expectations are much bigger than ours. C. S. Lewis writes ‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.’ (‘The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses’) Sometimes we have to let go of our expectations – and other people’s expectations of us – in order to embrace God’s. There is, after all, a world of difference between Biblical hope and our expectations. I’m not sure we should never expect, but I do know that we should always hope!

Stephen’s sermon last night concluded with the rousing words from Charles Wesley’s hymn ‘And Can It Be?’

‘No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold, I approach th’ eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.’  (‘And Can It Be?’, Charles Wesley)

This theme has been developed by many modern songwriters, such as Tim Hughes in his song ‘Holding Nothing Back‘:

‘You washed my sin and shame away
The slate is clean: a brand new day,
Free now forever
Now boldly I approach your throne
To claim this crown through Christ my own
Yours now forever.’ (‘Holding Nothing Back’, Tim Hughes)

The most recent song I have discovered which looks at this theme is Rend Collective’s ‘Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration’):

‘By grace alone somehow I stand
Where even angels fear to tread,
Invited by redeeming love
Before the throne of God above;
He pulls me close with nail-scarred hands
Into His everlasting arms.

When condemnation grips my heart
And Satan tempts me to despair,
I hear the voice that scatters fear;
The Great I Am the Lord is here.
Oh praise the One who fights for me
And shields my soul eternally.

Boldly I approach Your throne,
Blameless now I’m running home.
By Your blood I come,
Welcomed as Your own,
Into the arms of majesty.

Behold the bright and risen Son
More beauty than this world has known
I’m face to face with Love Himself
His perfect spotless righteousness
A thousand years, a thousand tongues
Are not enough to sing His praise

Boldly I approach Your throne
Blameless now I’m running home
By Your blood I come
Welcomed as Your own
Into the arms of majesty

This is the art of celebration,
Knowing we’re free from condemnation.
Oh praise the One, praise the One
Who made an end to all my sin.’ (‘Boldly I Approach (The Art of Celebration’), Rend Collective)

All of these songs look at the theme of the forgiveness we have in Christ and how there is now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus because through Christ, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8:1-2) It is so easy to feel condemned. Our own hearts condemn us (see 1 John 3:19-20 for help in dealing with the condemnation of our own hearts.) Other people condemn us, judging us by their standards, by external appearances, by actions that so often do indeed fall short of the glory of God. Satan whispers condemnation daily into our hearts (not for nothing is he called ‘the accuser of the brethren [Rev 12:10]!) Under such condemnation, from so many different sources, it is easy to buckle, to fall into Bunyan’s ‘Slough of Despond’. At such times, we need to be encouraged that ‘the great I Am, the Lord is here’, the One who fights for us and shields our souls eternally, the one who welcomes us with nail-scarred hands and never rejects us.

As we prepare our hearts this week to remember His great sacrifice on Golgotha and His sin-defeating Resurrection, let’s understand the power of the truth there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and boldly approach the throne of grace (Heb 4:16), confident that there we will find mercy and grace: ‘Blameless now, we’re running home.’

Stephen concluded his series on the Lord’s Prayer last night (Matt 6:9-15), having previously looked at God’s splendour and purpose and plans for our lives and His ability to provide for our every need. The final part of the Lord’s prayer (which is a template for each one of us not only for prayer but for living) looks at the debts we have been forgiven and how we need to forgive as we have been forgiven, as well as praying for protection and deliverance from temptation and from the evil one.

Change and redemption are possible for each one of us because of the work Christ accomplished on Calvary. Rom 8:1-2 reminds us that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The verses in the Lord’s prayer may seem repetitive, but sin is like a chain that binds and holds us back and so often, we fall and stumble at the same fences. God’s gift is not like the trespass, however. (Rom 5:15-19) He can deliver us and set us free from all sin. If we live under the law, we are required to fulfil all the law (James 2:10) and have to acknowledge our imperfections, the fact that we fall short of God’s intentions. If we rely on Christ, however, we see that He has made the impossible possible and has made a way for us to know freedom and acceptance.

This morning’s service was at Cherry Tree Court and Mark spoke about friendship. He started with some quotations about friendship: ‘a true friend thinks you are a good egg, even though he knows you are slightly cracked’ and ‘friends are God’s way of apologising for families!’

The Bible reminds us of the importance of friendship, with Prov 17:17 telling us that ‘a friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity’ and Prov 18:24 reminding us ‘A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.’ Jesus told us that a true friend is one who is willing to lay down their lives for their friends (John 15:12-17) and demonstrated that Himself in dying for our sins. He is always there for us – He never goes to sleep, goes on holiday or leaves us. (see Heb 13:5) He is our friend even if no one else wants to be friends with us and this gives us hope even in difficult circumstances.

Tonight’s Bible study took a slightly different form, involving litmus tests! Generally, a litmus test is understood as being a way of testing for an acid or an alkali in chemistry, so we did various experiments to find out if these liquids were acids or alkalis.

Such an approach might seem to have little to do with 1 John 2:18-27, but the second meaning of ‘litmus test’ is ‘a test that uses a single indicator to prompt a decision.’ John is giving us, in this portion of Scripture, a doctrinal test that enables us to distinguish between true and false. In a day and age when there are many antichrists (1 John 2:18), we need to be able to discern between the true and the false, and just as John has previously given us tests connected with obedience (1 John 2:3-6) and with love (1 John 2:7-11), now he enables us to see how right belief is necessary for right living, for we must be able to recognise who is the liar. (1 John 2:22) This is crucial, for what we claim to be true has to be evidenced in our lives; what we say we believe (and what we actually believe!) will determine the kind of fruit we bear (see James 2:14-26 and Matt 7:15-20).

John tells us it is our core beliefs about God, and specifically our understanding of the Fatherhood of God and the doctrine of Jesus Christ His Son, which will act as the litmus test for faith. (1 John 2:22-23). Whilst we may debate endlessly about who is the antichrist or what John means by ‘the last hour’, the key truth is that there are only two forces at work in today’s world:

1. Truth, working through the Church by the Holy Spirit
2. Evil, working in the world through the energy of Satan

We need not be afraid, even though lies may be spread by those in sheep’s clothing, for God has already overcome the world. (John 16:33) We have an anointing from the truth, the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us and leading us into all truth. (1 John 2:20-21, 25)

Further studies on these verses will look at 3 key questions. Think about these before the next Bible study!

1. How do we balance confidence with uncertainty?
2. How do we recognise truth from lies?
3. Why does it matter what we believe about God?

This Sunday (13th April) will see us take the morning service at Cherry Tree Court at Highgate again. The service there will start at 10:30 a.m. and so there will be no morning service at our building on Market Street. Please pray for the service there and for God to bless the residents of this housing complex. The evening service at church will be at 6 p.m. at our building as normal and as is usual for the 2nd Sunday of the month, will include taking Communion.

On Saturday 19th April, we are joining with other local churches for an Easter ‘March of Hope’ around Goldthorpe. We will be meeting at the Roman Catholic church on Lockwood Road at 10 a.m. and will be marching around Goldthorpe, finishing at our coffee morning at about 11 a.m. Please do join us if you are able and pray for this witness to our local community. We want local people to know that Jesus is alive and that He is working in all the local churches!