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God’s Expectation of Us

Posted on 25 Nov 2018, Pastor: Tolu Makinde

Title: God’s Expectation of Us

Text: Deut. 10:12-17

[Deu 10:12] “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,

[Deu 10:13] and to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command you today for your good?

[Deu 10:14] Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, alsothe earth with all that is in it.

[Deu 10:15] The LORD delighted only in your fathers, to love them; and He chose their descendants after them, you above all peoples, as it is this day.

[Deu 10:16] Therefore circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be stiff-necked no longer.

[Deu 10:17] For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

Introduction

In any relationship there are expectations from the two parties that formed the relationship
There are expectations in a marital relationship. Husbands have expectations of their wives, and equally, wives have expectations of their husbands
There are expectations in an employer/employee relationship. You expect to get paid for the work you did. If that expectation is not met, you will leave.
Similarly, with our relationship with God, there are expectations on both sides.
Our expectations from God may vary from one individual to another, may depend on the depth of the relationship, and may depend on the situation or circumstances we find ourselves in.
There are also expectations of us from the Lord
Why? So that we can live up to the expectation and not miss the mark
Deut. 10:12-13 summed up what God is expecting from us very well
Five items were listed: We are to fear the Lord, walk in all His ways, love Him, serve Him with all our heart and all our soul, and to keep His commandments and statutes.

Main Topic

1. Fear the Lord your God

[Pro 1:7] The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
[Pro 9:10] “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
[Pro 19:23] The fear of the LORD leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil.
God expects us to fear Him.

2. Walk in all His ways

[2Sa 22:31] As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
[Psa 18:30] As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
The way of the Lord is perfect.
The way of the Lord is proven.
The way of the Lord is His Word.
The way of the Lord is Jesus
[Joh 1:1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[Joh 14:6] Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
God expects us to walk in Jesus. How? Through the Spirit of God.
[Psa 25:9] The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.
[Psa 37:34] Wait on the LORD, And keep His way, And He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

3. Love the Lord your God

1 John 4:7-21
- [1Jn 4:7] Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
- [1Jn 4:8] He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
- [1Jn 4:9] In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
- [1Jn 4:10] In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
- [1Jn 4:11] Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
- [1Jn 4:12] No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
- [1Jn 4:13] By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
- [1Jn 4:14] And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son asSavior of the world.
- [1Jn 4:15] Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- [1Jn 4:16] And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
- [1Jn 4:17] Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
- [1Jn 4:18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
- [1Jn 4:19] We love Him because He first loved us.
- [1Jn 4:20] If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
- [1Jn 4:21] And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves Godmust love his brother also.
To show that you love God, you must love your fellow brother or sister
We cannot claim to love God if there is hatred towards a fellow brother or sister
We are expected to love the Lord our God and prove that love by loving our fellow brothers and sisters

4. Serve the Lord your God with all your heart

We are not just to serve the Lord, we are to serve the Lord with all our hearts
It is not enough to just be born again and be spirit filled
It is not enough to come to church and be served
It is not enough to serve the Lord
We must serve the Lord with all our hearts
What does it mean to serve the Lord?
- You have hands. Use them to do what God would do.
- You have legs. Use them to do what God would do.
- You have skills. Use them to do what God would do.
- Use what you have to do what God would do.
- What would God do? God would do good (Acts 10:38)
Ps. 100:2 – Serve the Lord with gladness
[1Co 7:35] And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.
[Col 3:23] And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
[Col 3:24] knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
Remember that we cannot serve two masters.
- [Mat 6:24] “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

5. Keep His commandments

[Ecc 12:13] Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all.
[Ecc 12:14] For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.
[Joh 14:15] “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
[Joh 15:10] If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
[1Jn 2:3] Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
[1Jn 2:4] He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
[1Jn 5:3] For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
What is His commandments?
- [Rom 13:9] For the commandments, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” “YOU SHALL NOT MURDER,” “YOU SHALL NOT STEAL,” “YOU SHALL NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS,” “YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
- Love yourself
- Love your neighbor as yourself

Conclusion

There is indeed an expectation of God for us. It is not enough to sit as a born again child of God and say, this is it.
We are to be God’s hands and feet in this world
We are expected to fear the Lord,
We are expected walk in all His ways,
We are expected to love Him,
We are expected to serve Him with all our heart and all our soul,
We are expected to keep His commandments and statutes.

Sermon

God’s Expectation of Us