A.One of the governing principles of Christianity given by the Lord Jesus is that of exceeding expectations.
1.The Lord expressed this principle by a figure in Matthew 5:41 by saying, "Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.”
2.It is important to understand whose expectations we are to exceed.Certainly, we cannot exceed the expectations of God, "for for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23), but rather it is the expectations of men that we must exceed.
3.Indeed, men have their own expectations regarding righteousness, but Jesus said, "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).
B.Not only did Jesus teach the principle of exceeding expectations, but He also demonstrated it perfectly.
1.While the Jews were expecting the Messiah to be a glorious warrior-king that would deliver them from the oppression of the Romans, Jesus Christ came as a humble carpenter from Nazareth to deliver both the Jews and the Gentiles from the oppression of sin and death (Phil. 2:5-8).
2.Whereas the Jews and many others today expect the Messiah to establish a kingdom on earth, Jesus has already established an eternal kingdom in heaven (Isa. 2:2-4; Dan. 2:44; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:14-36; Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:22-24).
C.Presently, let us consider how God has exceeded men’s expectations and how Christians must do the same.
II.GOD EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
A.God is able to exceed every expectation of men.
1.There is nothing conceivable to the mind of man which God cannot exceed.
a.Consider Ephesians 3:20-21 – "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”
b.This truth is a great source of comfort for those who trust in God.It means that even when they cannot see any way for God to deliver His promises, God is still able to do so (consider Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac in Heb. 11:8-19).
2.Sometimes men are not pleased when God exceeds their expectations.
a.Men do not always recognize that God’s ways are better than their ways (Isa. 55:8-9).Because they foolishly expect their inferior ways to produce superior results, they are disappointed when God’s ways prevail.
b.Sometimes men expect for God to grant to them everything they want, but God exceeds their expectations by giving them what they need through their ability to work and do for themselves (Prov. 30:7-9; Eccl. 5:18-20).
c.Sometimes men expect for God to tolerate their sins, but God exceeds their expectations by teaching them how to be righteous, disciplining them, and providing forgiveness of sins through faithful obedience in the Savior (Acts 17:30-31; Heb. 5:9).
d.Sometimes men expect to have heaven on earth, but God exceeds their expectations by saving heaven as an inheritance for His faithful children (1Pet. 1:3-5).
B.Consider some of the ways God has exceeded men’s expectations.
1.In creation, God exceeded men’s expectations.
a.Many men suspect that the world came into existence accidentally, and they expect it to continually evolve by natural processes.In this, they are amazed by the power of nature.
b.God exceeded those suspicions and expectations by creating the world through the power of His word (Gen. 1; Ps. 33:9; John 1:1-3).Now that is something to cause amazement!
2.In salvation, God exceeded men’s expectations.
a.By most men’s standards, they would not give their lives to save others.In some rare cases, a man may give his life to save the innocent.God has exceeded such standards by giving His own Son to save the souls of guilty sinners (John 3:16).
b.Notice Romans 5:6-8 – "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
3.In judgment, God will exceed men’s expectations.
a.Some men may expect that some deeds will go unnoticed, but God exceeds those expectations by seeing all and judging even the intentions of the heart (Heb. 4:12-13).
b.Some men may expect to escape judgment, but 2Corinthians 5:10 says, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”
c.Some men may expect that their sins are too grievous to be forgiven, but God exceeds those expectations by providing a way for forgiveness for even the worst of sinners (1Tim. 1:12-16).
III.FOLLOWERS OF JESUS SHOULD EXCEED EXPECTATIONS
A.God expects more from us than men do according to Matthew 5:38-48.
1.The expectations of the Jews according to their traditional interpretation of Exodus 21:24 ("eye for eye, tooth for tooth”) was for everyone to practice retaliation.However, Jesus taught them and us to exceed those low expectations.
a.When slapped on one cheek, we are to turn the other.When sued, we are to give more than what is demanded.When forced to go one mile, we are to willingly go two miles.In other words, we are to exceed the expectations even of those who do us harm.
b.Jesus embodied these instructions, for "while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1Pet. 2:23).
2.Furthermore, the Jews’ expectations were for friends to love one another and enemies to hate one another.However, Jesus taught them and us to exceed those low expectations.
a.If we love and hate according to the expectations of men, then Jesus asks, "What do you do more than others?”The Lord requires us to exceed men’s expectations and love even our enemies.
b.The reason for exceeding men’s expectations is so that we may be sons of the Father in heaven.Christ said, "You are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
3.Unfortunately, Christians sometimes conform to the wrong standards and comply with the expectations of men rather than the expectations of God.
B.Exceeding expectations is a common theme in the New Testament Scriptures.
1.Consider a few examples:
a.Peter wrote of exceeding the expectations of the sinful Gentiles when he wrote, "In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead” (1Pet. 4:4).
b.Paul wrote of his confidence in Philemon’s ability to exceed his expectations, saying, "Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say” (Philem. 21).
c.Paul instructed the Thessalonian Christians to "excel still more” as they "walked” to please God (1Thess. 4:1) and as they practiced love for one another (1Thess. 4:9-10).
2.From these examples, let us understand that God expects for us to grow and make progress in our faith (2Pet. 1:5-8; 3:18).
a.No Christians should rest on the past or be satisfied that they have done enough for the Lord (Phil. 3:12-14).
b.Such an attitude may satisfy the expectations of men, but we must exceed those expectations.
IV.CONCLUSION
A.In general, men expect too little of themselves and others regarding righteousness.
B.The expectations of God are that His children should exceed the low expectations of men.
C.Nevertheless, God does not expect too much from us, nor does He expect more than He was willing to give Himself."For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
