Understanding The Mystery Of Expectation by Bishop David Oyedepo: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Mystery of Expectation

Understanding the mystery of expectation.

Hebrews 11:1 — "Faith is the substance of things hoped for" — that is, things expected. So the substance of the faith that works is expectation. Expectation.

You cannot walk out of your community at 75 without knowing where you are going. But holding to what God said, Abraham stepped out.

Romans 4:18 — "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken: so shall thy seed be."

The hopelessness of the physical situation could not render his hope helpless. His hope was anchored on what was spoken. And being not weak in faith, he staggered not at the promise through unbelief but was strong in faith.

The strength of faith is in expectation.

Proverbs 24:13-14 — "My son, eat honey for it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to your taste. So shall the knowledge of wisdom be to your soul, and when you find it, there shall be a reward, and your expectation shall not be cut off."

Expectation is the wisdom that gives strength to faith to deliver. The labor of the foolish wearies everyone — he knows not how to go to the city. Faith will only deliver what is expected. What is not expected, faith cannot deliver.

Expectation is the wisdom that strengthens faith. Anywhere the word says "believe" in scripture, you can replace it with "expect." Whatever you desire when you pray — believe, or expect — that you receive them, and you shall have them. Expect and then you shall have. You do not expect, you will not have.

Elijah's expectation was very intact. 1 Kings 18:21-39 — in calling down fire, he said, "Let it be known that I have done all these things according to thy word." And the fire of the Lord fell. He was relaxed in the midst of the ordeal. The priests of Baal were cutting themselves, blood gushing. But Elijah knew the God he served.

1 Kings 18:40-46 — As he knelt to pray for God to send rain — it had not rained for three and a half years — he said to his servant, "Check the sky." The servant said, "Nothing." Elijah replied, "There must be something when I pray. Go check again." On the seventh check, the servant said, "I see a cloud in the form of a human hand." Elijah said, "Tell Ahab to run — rain is here."

It began by saying, "I hear the sound of showers of rain." He expected that when he prayed it would fall, and it happened.

There are many barren prayer people in the world today — no expectation. They rise from prayer saying the exact opposite of what they prayed for. They didn't expect anything to happen. They just fulfilled the religious motion of prayer. Whatever you desire when you pray — believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. Expect, because you are praying to a prayer-answering God. When you pray according to his will, he hears you. And if you know that he hears you, you can be confident — this prayer has ascended the throne and the answer is back in my hand.

Mark 9:23 — "If you can believe — that is, expect — all things are possible to him that believes."

Pay attention to your expectation. That is what defines your destination. As long as it is not born out of vain imagination but out of revelation — you can depend on God to make it happen.

When God said, "You are in my employment — I am responsible, just stay on duty," the expectation was set to be constantly paid as that duty was maintained. And for 45 years, God was never reminded once — he always provided.

Powerful expectation — that is the strength of faith.

Matthew 9:29 — "Be to you according to your faith" — that is, be to you according to your expectation. Your lot is a direct function of your expectation.

Job 14:14 — "All the days of my appointed time I will wait till my change comes." Job said, "I know my change is coming." He was in dust and ashes, but he knew. And the Lord turned the captivity of Job — he had twice as much as before. Job 42:10.

What to Expect

• Expect a raw encounter with the resurrection power of Christ — resulting in supernatural turnaround. He is not here among the dead — he has risen. His position has changed.
• Expect a supernatural shift in your spiritual life — that is the root of every event in your life. To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 1 Timothy 5:6 — she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. There is need for a shift.
• Expect the dominion verdict of resurrection to be conferred on your life. Ephesians 2:6 — raised up together with him and made to sit together with him in heavenly places, which is located far above all principality and power and might and dominion. That is dominion. Resurrection repositions the redeemed for dominion.
• Expect the fire of the word to burn off every char. Jeremiah 23:29 — "Is not my word like a fire, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" Jeremiah 20:9 — his word was like fire shut up in the bones. When the fire of the word comes in, action is triggered. You cannot sit with fire in your bones — you rise up. Luke 24:32 — "Was not our heart burning within us when he talked with us by the way, and opened to us the scriptures?" Resurrection came down with the fire of the word.
• Expect an encounter that will make you conformed to the image of Christ in all areas of life. Philippians 3:10 — "That I may know him and the power of his resurrection." 2 Corinthians 3:18 — as we behold him in his resurrected state, we are changed into the same image from glory to glory.
• Expect every form of frustration to be turned to testimonies. He showed up at the disciples' boat: "Children, have you any meat?" They said, "Nothing." He said, "Cast your net on the right side." They caught a great multitude. He stepped in and turned their frustration to celebration. He is stepping into your case.
• Expect death to be swallowed up in victory — because a good old age is your birthright in the covenant. Revelation 1:18 — "I am he that was dead, and now I am alive, and have the keys of hell and of death." Genesis 15:15 — "You will go to the grave in a good old age." Abraham believed it, expected it, and so experienced it.
• Expect all your expectations to be turned to manifestations.

Don't come to any service without expectation — you return with nothing. Expectation is what gives strength to your faith for delivery.

Sit up and outline your expectations. Let the spiritual component be prominent — because that is where the trouble of most people is drawing from.

It is your expectation today that defines your tomorrow. Not vain expectations — word-based, word-anchored expectation. It defines every believer's tomorrow.

Every session must be approached with the question: what is God showing me? What part of life is God unveiling to me? What seed of the word is God dropping in my hand to go and sow?