What does God expect of Us?
Introduction: As a Christian, we are commanded and exhorted by God to read the Word of God. For what purpose? So that we can hear from God. This Bible is what God uses to communicate with you and with me.
II Peter 1:19-21 “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation”.
This Bible is the voice of God that we should follow:
I Samuel 15:1 – “therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the Lord.”
These Words of God are the voice that you should follow. God doesn’t speak to the ear, but to the spirit. It’s not an audible voice, it’s through the Word of God.
In reading the Bible, you will notice that God will begin to speak to you specifically.
With time, and the longer you read the Word of God, you will begin to ask yourself, like I did, what does God expect of me?
So, this morning we want to see three things that God expects you and I to do, every time we read the Word of God.
When we read the Bible, God expects you and I to:
I. Be Ready- I Samuel 3:10 “Speak, for thy servant heareth”. Based on Samuel’s response to God’s Word, Samuel was ready and prepared to hear God speak to him.
The Time to be Ready: Samuel was a young child and he was ready. The Time to be ready is from a young age, don’t waste any time being ready to hear the voice of God.
o I Samuel 2:18 “But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child”.
o From childhood, Samuel learned to be obedient to the voice of the person of authority, his parents, Eli the prophet. Three times, Samuel says to the voice of God, “Here am I”, Samuel was used to being obedient. From childhood, we need to submit ourselves to those that are in authority so that we can be ready to hear the Ultimate Authority, God, at the right time.
The Reason to be Ready: Samuel was ready to hear the Word of God. The reason to be ready to hear the Word of God is because God wants to speak to you personally and specifically.
o Samuel was chosen by God to replace Eli, as the spiritual leader of Israel. To be used as the mouthpiece of God I Samuel 3:11.
o God has a plan and a purpose for your life, and you need to be ready to hear the voice of God.
o Acts 9:6 Paul says “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? – Do you want me to serve in a specific area in my church, do you want me to go to the mission field, do want me to preach?
o There was a time in my life when I didn’t read this Bible, however in the last 15 years, my prayer has been the prayer of a ready person.
The Blessing of being ready– Samuel was ready and expecting God to speak to him and He did. Samuel obeyed the voice of God and was established to be a prophet of the LORD and judged Israel exactly how God told him to do so. God used Samuel for his service all the days of his life- I Samuel 7:15 “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life”.
o I Samuel 3:19-20 “the LORD was with him”
o Just like Samuel, you can be blessed by God by being in the exact place that God wants you to be, serving him with Joy all the days of your life, when like Samuel, you are ready.
o Hymn Chorus “ready to go, ready to stay, ready my place to fill. Ready for service lowly or great, ready to do his will”.
II. Be Available– Isaiah 6:8 “Then said I, Here am I; send me.” Isaiah made himself available. After being ready for anything that God can call you to do, be available when you read the Word of God.
The Time to be Available: There was a time when Isaiah made himself available. The time Isaiah made himself available was when he was in the right place, at the right time.
o The right place is church, God speaks to you through His Word and His preacher. In church, you are reminded of who God really is, Isaiah 6:3 “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts” Ifyou miss church, you’re lowering your availability to God.
o The right time is when we get very close to God and realize our true sinful condition. Isaiah 6:5 “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips”. That’s the time you realize you rather be on the Lord’s side.
o When I finally got in the right place, at the right time, that’s when I put myself in a place where I could be available. I wasn’t available when I had one foot in the church and one foot out the door, it wasn’t until I was fully committed.
The Reason to be Available: Isaiah made himself available and God used him. If you make yourself available, God can use you. And if God can use you, you need to recognize that it’s a privilege and honor to serve God. Isaiah made himself available, and God said Go!
o God is looking for Christians who want to serve Him. If you make yourself available, God can you use you for anything that God needs or wants done.
o It’s a privilege to be used by and serve our great God, Acts 5:40-42 “..rejoicing that they were counted worthy to surfer shame for his name”.
o When you, like Isaiah, are in the right place, at the right time, God will ask a question, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” and at that time, you have the opportunity to volunteer for God’s service.
The Blessings of being available: Isaiah was blessed by God for being available. When you make yourself available to God, God will use you for His service, which is an honor. Once you do what God calls you to do, you will be blessed.
o The Bible says in Colossians 3:23-34 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the LORD, and on unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ”.
III. Be Obedient– Jonah 1:3 Jonah initially flees from the presence of the Lord after the word of the LORD came unto Jonah however, in Jonah 3:1, God gives Jonah a second chance.
This time, Jonah arose and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Jonah was obedient unto God.
The Time to be obedient: Jonah ran from the Prescence of the Lord and was disobedient. Jonah 1:3 “But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD”.
o The time to be obedient is when God tells you the first time to do what He has called you to do. Don’t run from God. The Bible teaches that late obedience is disobedience. Jonah initially disobeyed God by running from God.
o Luke 5:10 Jesus told Peter, James, and John, that from henceforth, they would catch men, lead people to the Lord Jesus Christ. These men obeyed Jesus, “when they brought their ships to land”. That’s pretty quick.
o Luke 5:27-29 Jesus told Levi (Matthew), to Follow Him, notice how fast he obeyed, “rose up, and followed him”.
o These men obeyed right away. Unlike the young people of today. Teach your children to obey the first time.
The Reason to be obedient: God wanted Jonah to preach to Nineveh. Jonah 4:9-11
o God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”.
o Aren’t you glad for that? Those that are here today without Jesus Christ.
The Blessing of being obedient: Jonah got to see what God could do with someone who was initially disobedient and later was obedient. The blessing was for other people.
o You are being blessed today, because I chose to obey God. I didn’t feel worthy of preachingbut because I obeyed, God has allowed other people to be blessed by it. If nothing else, I’m sure having fun.
Conclusion: The next time you open your Bible to read it as you normally do, consider that God expects some things from you, out of what you read in the Word of God.
God expects you to be Ready, like Samuel was when he said “Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth”.
God expects you to be Available, like Isaiah was when he said “Here am I; send me”.
Lastly, God expects you to be obedient, like Jonah was when the Bible says that “Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD”.
Do what God expects you to do, and you’ll always be blessed!