Keith Battle - Living with Great Expectations - Part 1

Now we live with great expectation. My subject today is «Living with Great Expectations.» Peter is writing to a group of believers who are challenging to reach primarily through letters because their circumstances have kept them scattered. They are experiencing tremendous burdens and difficult circumstances, and part of their challenge is the persecution they are enduring as followers of Jesus Christ. In their persecution, not only are they being oppressed for their faith, but they have also been displaced. In fact, verse 1 states that they are foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia; they don’t even have a home. Peter says to these displaced people going through persecution and suffering, «All praise be to God!» How so? Because he lets us know right off the bat that praise, in its purest sense, is not circumstantial. God is always worthy of praise, no matter the circumstances. Whether you’re displaced, disoriented, disgruntled, or discouraged, God is still worthy to be praised.

You see, the thing about it is there is always space within a circumstance to find gratitude to God. Let me tell you something: no matter how bad it is, it could be worse; and no matter how dark the situation is, it could be darker. No matter how deep the situation you are in is, it could be deeper; and no matter how lonely the situation is, it could be lonelier. No matter how painful the situation is, it could involve more pain. Who understands what I’m talking about? God is good, not just that He is good for the things He prevented from happening—and for how it wasn’t worse than it is. One of the keys to living life with great expectation is learning how to praise God in every circumstance. Just elbow somebody next to you and say, «Find a praise!» You have to find the praise. Find something to be grateful for! Stop complaining about everything. Sometimes it’s cold, it’s hot, I’m sleepy, I’m tired, I can’t go to sleep, I’m bored—find something to be grateful for! I’m hungry, I’m full—find something to be grateful for!

So, I’m telling you, if you’re disappointed in someone and feeling discouraged about them and how much they let you down—find something about them you can thank them for. «I’m grateful for this,» you could say. «You didn’t clean up your room, you’ve been tripping, you got in trouble at school, but you know what? That’s a nice outfit you have on. I’m praying for you!» You’ve got to find something to be grateful for, and that shows your maturity. «All praise be to God! All praise be to God!» Because what I’ve found in life is that, no matter what you’re facing, every now and then, God will peek in and give you glimpses of His glory—even in the situation. He’ll give you a glimpse of His grace, a glimpse of His mercy, a glimpse of His power, a glimpse of His presence, and a glimpse of His Spirit. Who understands what I’m talking about? He’ll give you glimpses that, every now and then, it hurts—but you’re here! I’m in pain, but I know You’re here! It’s not coming together yet, but I know You’re here! Who am I talking to? I know You’re here! That’s why I give You all praise!

We praise Him not because He needs it; not because He’s impressed by our praise. For God, our praise doesn’t lift His ego; it doesn’t help His self-esteem. We praise God because He is perpetually worthy of praise, and it is just good manners to praise God. I don’t understand why so many of us, who are adults, don’t praise God. It feels hypocritical because we keep teaching our children from the time they’re little to say «thank you.» «Thank you, Tata! What do you say, Tata?» That’s what I’m talking about! «What do you say? Thank you! If a stranger gives you something or gives you a compliment, we just say, ‘What do you say? Thank you! What do you say? Thank you! ’»

Imagine you’re in the car, and we want to go to Chick-fil-A. You pull up, and they’re in there eating number threes and number fours, and you just pull over. «What do y’all say? Thank you!» I came here to preach to somebody; I’m pulling up on y’all, and I’ve got three words for you: «What y’all say?» What do you have to say? He opened doors for you, made ways for you, healed you when you were sick, protected you when you were lost, opened a way for you during COVID, kept you in your right mind, saved your soul, rescued your family—what say you? All praise be to God! Then verse 3 gives us something to praise Him for. He says, «You praise God because it was His great mercy that made us born again.» Because of God’s great mercy, we have been born again!

Oh, let me see—okay—every single one of us in here was born. I know you needed me to say that; you wouldn’t be alive if you weren’t born. Here’s something else that’s true: you had absolutely nothing to do with your birth. You had nothing to do with your being here; your birth was caused by someone else. Somebody else did it; somebody made that happen for you. And just as that is true in the natural realm, it is also true in the spiritual realm. You cannot be born again yourself, just like you cannot give natural birth to yourself. You cannot give…