2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What do others expect of you as a parent, a grandparent, student, employee, friend, and neighbor?

• Take a moment and jot down what others may expect of you and whether or not you are fulfilling those expectations.  Ask yourself whether others might come up with the same list that you did.  Take a big breath and honestly begin making a list about what Christ expects of you.  Ask yourself whether or not you are fulfilling those expectations.  WOW, SOS, OH ME!!!  
• If we all honestly take the time to make these lists of friend’s and God’s expectations of us, we would probably find out that we come up way short. 
• The whole reason for the exercise that we have honestly and sincerely completed is to be counted worthy.  Not worthy in our eyes, but in our friend’s eyes, and more importantly in God’s eyes.

Phil 2:12-  “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

• Christ must be first and foremost in our lives.

Colossians 1:9-14 –  “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.  He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Ephesians 4:1-3 –  “Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Micah 6:8 – “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

When we talk about God’s expectations and being worthy, there is the danger that we begin to think we can somehow earn God’s love and mercy.  The Bible is clear that we are made worthy only by the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

• Worthy…not by our deeds but by His grace.
• Worthy…by His labor of love on the cross, not by our labors.
• Worthy… through His grace…only His grace.
• Worthy…through placing our trust in Him.
• Worthy…through walking in obedience to His Word.

But there is a danger of taking God’s mercy for granted.  While salvation is free, it is not without cost.  It cost Jesus his very life.

So – to think about God’s expectations of us is not to put us on a guilt trip or start down the road of trying to be good enough.

But it is rather to realize what a great gift God has given us in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that should lead us to want to walk in a way that will bring glory and honor to Him. 

If we call our self a Christian let us walk in a way that honors the family name.