Dover Assembly of God
We started last week talking about disappointment.
What does the Bible say about disappointment? The first section was disappointment with people.
We talked about being disappointed in people because people sin.
Then we showed that we can be disappointed in people because they make choices or have lifestyles that are not sinful, but are different than ours.
We may become disappointed in people because they don’t act or respond in the way we think they should so we feel let down.
Lastly, we talked about being disappointed in ourselves through our choices or decisions that we look back on and wish we would have done things differently.
In all those cases, we stressed that our disappointment with people should not affect our walk with God or our calling to accomplish what gave us to do.
Today we are going to talk about “are we disappointed in God?”
Did God not deliver what we feel he should have?
Did God not answer our prayers? Either in a timely manner or even at all?
Let’s define disappointment:
“Sadness or displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations”
“To fail to meet the expectation or hope of something.”
When we have “hope” or a better term would be “expectation” of God intervening in our lives in a certain manner and he doesn’t, we will have the feeling of disappointment.
If we find ourselves disappointed with God, it’s probably because God didn’t do what we thought he should or expected him to do.
We live in an age and culture that has been blessed more than any other generation or country ever has been.
So I think that breeds in us an expectation mentality. We expect some new invention to come along and make our lives easier. We expect this pill to make us better. We expect to find all we need in the grocery stores and malls or on Amazon.
Couple that with some preachers telling us that God wants to give you everything you want. He never wants us to struggle. That God is our butler just waiting to bring us what we ask for.
That is just not scriptural or even experiential. We struggle, we have hardships, we suffer sometimes. Our prayers aren’t answered like we want.
So naturally, we could feel a bit of disappointment with God.
Maybe God isn’t fair. Let’s look at both extremes today.
People that God blessed, used and allowed to have great lives and testimonies. And some people that had none of those.
Hebrews 11 has been called the faith chapter or the hall of faith.
Every paragraph details the successes of faithful men and women of old.
Hebrews 11:32-35 NIV
We all surely know of men and women today, who have done great things for God, have experienced many miracles that God has used in a great public way.
Their lives seems to be blessed!
And don’t we all want to be like them? Who wouldn’t want to be thought of by God as great men and women of faith and power?
And there is nothing wrong with being that person.
We all know people who have been healed, or delivered or that God did something miraculous in their lives that defy explanation.
But if we are honest we know that those things don’t happen every day.
Miracles by definition are things that are not commonplace.
“an extraordinary event”
Not an ordinary event. It’s that way today and it was that way in the Bible.
Because in this chapter of great faith and great exploits, we also read this...
Hebrews 11:35-38 NIV
Do you imagine that these people prayed for their suffering to end? Do you think that they trusted God? Do you think they might have been a little disappointed in God?
Probably at some point.
Where was God’s promise of deliverance? Where was God protecting these people? Were they less of believers that caused them this hardship?
Did they just not have enough faith to believe and therefore not receive
What does God say about them?
Hebrews 11:39 NIV
I heard a quote at the men’s conference that stuck with me.
The first part is this: Faith and obedience are not a means to an end. They are the end!
Faith and obedience are the end. That is the goal of God. To walk in faith and obedience.
Do I have the faith and obedience to do what God tells me regardless of what the outcome might be? Regardless of what battles I am facing now, am I faithful to complete God’s calling?
Stepping out in faith and obedience is what God wants. The outcome for us could go either way. Our ability to step out and try is what God is looking for.
Do you think that those who suffered didn’t know they were in a spiritual fight? There is always a spiritual battle going on. Especially when we attempt things for God.
Do you think that at some point they thought about giving up? Recanting, or denying or surrendering? Since God isn’t delivering us, then we might as well just give up and move on.
Do you think they were disappointed in God?
But they didn’t give up or recant or surrender. They kept on fighting the battle. Why? Because they knew it wasn’t the outcome that mattered, it was how they stood in the face of the battle.
If we realize that we are in a spiritual battle, and that God is responsible for the outcome we are responsible for battling in faith and obedience.
We stand in faith and obedience regardless of the outcome.
Disappointment, if we let it, will lead us to wanting to quit.
Since God isn’t answering my prayer or preventing my suffering, then I should just quit. You are choosing the outcome and not standing in faith. You’re not doing battle for God’s kingdom.
“It’s too hard!”
Spiritual battles are hard. Anything of value is hard. There is always going to be a battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness.
The very next chapter in Hebrews tells us this about standing and fighting. About it being hard.
Hebrews 12:1 NLT
A few notes about that verse...
Therefore - What's it there for? To link the previous statements about faithful men and women to this next part.
since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith - He was including those who did great things as well as those who suffered. Both were considered witnesses to the faith.
There will be multiple battles we face in our service for God. And we have to have endurance. That means it’s constant.
Hebrews 12:2-3 NLT
The writer knew that our natural tendency when we get disappointed in what God is or isn’t doing, that we want to quit or give up and not stay in the fight.
But then the writer kind of rebukes that attitude.
Hebrews 12:4 NLT
“I know your battle is hard, but you’re not dead yet."
How does all that apply to each of us?
We’re not being held prisoner, or in fear of being executed, but we each have our troubles that to us could be equally disappointing.
Maybe God didn’t heal you as you wanted. Or God didn’t answer your prayer. Or maybe situations in your life are causing you to want to quit God because the fight is too hard.
I don’t want to pop your balloon, but you will either be in a spiritual battle or you will give in to the enemy.
And especially since none of us is facing death, like the writer to Hebrews says, then we all have the ability to get back up and fight.
As the kingdom of God advances and we seek to do what God has called us to do both individually and as a church body, there will be things that we encounter along the way that will want to make us disappointed in what God is doing or not doing.
Remember it’s faith and obedience that God is looking for.
We are obedient to “pray continually” we are faithful to believe that God heals, delivers and blesses.
And we live that way and leave the results up to God.
Let's look at a verse in Daniel...
If you don’t know the story, 3 Jewish guys were told to worship a god other than Jehovah. If they didn’t, they’d be tossed into a furnace and killed.
The acted in faith and obedience and refused, leaving the result up to God.
Daniel 3:16-18 NLT