FALSE EXPECTATIONS

Posted on Oct 25, 2025 by Shane W. Roessiger | Comments (0)

This message pertains to everybody because everyone has been entangled with false expectations: from our parents, children, leaders, bosses, family, and ourselves. Why are they false expectations? Because we visualize them, we fabricate them, we believe this is how it should be… "When I do this, they will react this way," "When I get married, my life will be this way," or "A perfect leader should look this way." If we have thoughts like these, we are already setting ourselves up for frustration and disappointment.

Expectation means a strong belief that something should happen. For example, some people have different ideas about what the end times should look like. They fabricated these ideas. But when things start happening in a different way, they will be deceived. Expectation about love: God loves us, but we expect to be loved by God in a different way, so we never connect God loving us with God correcting us and chastening us. Because of that, our false expectation causes us to be mad and offended at Him. In our carnal mind, we think things have to happen this or that way. We think people should be and do this and that. If we get a vision and a dream from God, we start assumptions and presumptions. We are always expecting something, but in our own time, and we get angry and frustrated and hopeless! One real obstacle could be a prophetic dream from God, but we interpret it totally wrong; then we are expecting something, and it does not happen when and how we thought it would. Another example: you give a gift and expect excitement from them, but they are expecting you to give them something better or different. Both expectations are false and cause a lot of problems.

Now, let's go to the Bible and see this story in 2 Kings 5:1-19. Here is this Naaman man, a captain, very honorable but covered with leprosy. His wife was expecting a prophet from Samaria, "to recover him of his leprosy" verse 3. The King of Syria sent a letter to the King of Israel and sent silver, gold, and raiment (verse 5). There was a lot of expectation upon the King of Israel, "Am I God?" verse 7. He got mad: "Are you starting a problem, asking me to do something that I cannot do?" But here comes Elisha, hearing about the situation, asking them to send him to him (verse 8).

This rich captain, with all of his horses and chariots, was very prideful. A man filled with leprosy but very prideful. Imagine. You would think that the leprosy would have humbled this man and would have made him desperate and willing to do whatever it takes, but as we know, the pride of life and the pride of man can surely mess up one's character. Elisha was not a respecter of persons and was not expecting money. He was just obeying God because he wanted them to know there was a real prophet of God in that region.

He told him: "And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. " Verse 10

Naaman was too proud to go down. He was expecting better treatment. He was wroth! "But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me..." (verse 11). He will surely love to meet me: that was his entitlement heart though… "and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper" verse 11. Think about these two words mentioned in verse 11: "I THOUGHT!"I was expecting a different way of healing!" He had his word filled with expectations! "Do you know who I am?"; "Do you know these other rivers have better water, and cleaner water?" Do you understand how this happens when we have our own expectations about how God would do something in our lives? We get mad at people who do what God tells them to do when we want to do it, but our way!

We have to learn to lose all expectations about what people should do or look like! It was all about Naaman: "Yes! I have money. I will give all of this silver and gold, so for sure the King will move on my behalf!" In other words, Naaman wants to get what he wants to get his way! He won't do what somebody else was telling him. God first instructs us, then He does what He said when we obey.

We know that God loves us, so it does not matter how He shows this love. We need to expect from God all that He wrote in His book to happen. But we cannot tell God how and when to do it! Paul had learned about how to be content in abundance and in lack. He did not have faith in his own expectations! He was expecting God to take him to his own destination! This test of my faith, this opposition, does not mean that God has left me; whatever I am facing, the trying of my faith is working in me way more than what I am expecting from Him. It is written that the trial of our faith is more precious than gold and silver (1 Peter 1:7).

I cannot expect from people what I can only get from God. Don't put that on people. God will use people, but be ready for disappointment if you keep expecting from others what can only come from God. You may also end up hearing the same word as the King of Israel: "Am I god?" God gave everything for us. He is the only one who knows what and how He expects from us, but it does not go vice versa. But those who give back to Him, He gives back a thousand more! Naaman was wroth. He saw in his mind his own way of healing! But he ended up doing what the prophet told him: "Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean." Verse 14

Wow! Isn't that what really matters? It does not matter where, when, or how. He was made clean! Naaman came to the realization: "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel." Verse 15

Elisha was not expecting money and refused to take it (verse 16)… "But he said, As the Lord liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused" verse 16, and also, "And he said unto him, Go in peace. So he departed from him a little way" verse 19. We know the rest of the story. We know what Gehazi did, and he ended up getting what Naaman had: leprosy! Don't take something from people if God does not want you to.

Let's make it clear: we always have to have high expectations of God and His word, but never a timing or a demand on God. Never try to make Him prove who He is. We see later in this text that we need to have faith always and always trust Him. Never put high expectations on man, on yourself, and on people. Let's see some examples! We know even when God sends us to do something, we want to expect from Him, but the result and the way He does it are up to Him! You cannot expect something God did NOT say or even did NOT do; then we can become: angry, bitter, resentful, depressed, and disappointed. We will start blaming God, or leaders, or somebody else when something was not even promised by God! All was the result of our own false expectations! Then we begin to doubt God and ourselves. Then we start to: lose faith, lose endurance, lose hope. All because of us, because of our expectations on the results from our own presumption, imagination, or even lust.

We start expecting that all would be perfect! But all we should really do is to love God and have a grateful heart. Whatever happens, whenever it happens! But people keep losing faith and hope because they have their expectations on the wrong things. Then you start thinking, "It is what it is." No! The problem is that you are living in this fairy tale! You start being judges of other people and their freedom because you are so self-centered and so focused on you!

The whole time, everything is going as planned, but you were expecting: a different result, a different way, and a different outcome. We have other situations in the New Testament! A prominent biblical example of unmet expectations is the story of John the Baptist, who had expected the Messiah's kingdom to arrive with power and justice but found out that Jesus's ministry was more focused on mercy and preaching. Israelites who, despite being delivered from Egypt, repeatedly complained in the wilderness when they didn't get their desired provisions, as detailed in Exodus.

Let's get to more examples:

John the Baptist: John the Baptist had expected Jesus to be a warrior king who would bring immediate and powerful judgment on Rome.

When Jesus's ministry of mercy and of Grace did not align with his expectations, John the Baptist became doubtful and sent messengers to ask Jesus if He was truly the Messiah. Then he began to question his own experiences with God and what he had heard God tell him to do! Jesus's response pointed to his works because John was well-versed and knew that when the Messiah came, He would do these things. Jesus was trying to affirm and bring him peace, but ultimately, He acknowledged John's expectations were not met while in prison; so, John sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). John had different expectations, and Jesus had a heavenly vision to complete. "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers." Luke 7:22

Not only John, but some of Jesus's other followers thought that as well, and often had their expectations disappointed, as they believed he would overthrow the Roman Government. Israel wanted revenge towards a corrupt kingdom, with horses and chariots, by force. They also had false expectations. Because Jesus told them, "My kingdom is not of this world" John 18:36. They were expecting Jesus to pay evil for evil! Jesus' ministry did not align with earthly, selfish, or carnal expectations. Nor revenge. He always said that will come in the end. But now He was seeking and saving the lost (Luke 19:10).

The Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:2-3): After being freed from slavery in Egypt, the Israelites immediately began to complain and express unmet expectations for their new life. When they feared death in the wilderness, they said it would have been better to remain slaves to the Egyptians, a stark contrast to their earlier pleas for freedom. Even after God parted the Red Sea and provided food, they continued to complain and question his plan. Can you imagine? They were free, but in bondage to their own expectations.

You expect from people. But remember, people are expecting from you as well! It goes both ways.

Elijah (1 Kings 19:1–2): After a great victory, Elijah expected a similar outpouring of favor, but Jezebel's reaction and the subsequent rejection he received led him to despair and wanting to die. Elijah put pressure on himself! But he was expecting victory, constant victory, and here comes Jezebel! A great prophet hiding in a cave, depressed because he was not expecting that to happen to him. God had met him and showed him in the Spirit, "There were many with us, and you cannot see them around you right now."

Always expect God! But never expect God to do HOW and WHEN and WHAT you want Him to do! Expecting God to move, know that He will. But what if it does not look like what you want and when you want it?

People in Jesus's hometown had expectations for what a prophet should do, and when Jesus didn't fulfill those expectations, he was not able to perform many miracles there because of their lack of faith (Matthew 13:57). They got offended at him, but what stopped the miracle was their lack of faith. "And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house."

The expectations of Judas: Not only John, but also some of Jesus's followers often had their expectations disappointed, as they believed he would overthrow the Roman government! This expectation caused Judas to betray Jesus! This false expectation caused him to turn on all of them! Remember, He turned on Jesus, but for all we know, they could have ended up arresting all the disciples! Money was just a part of the problem because it was what Judas was expecting Jesus to do that started Him on the road to betrayal! If you betray the Body, you betray the head! If you betray the head, you betray the Body. Judas betrayed them all. Judas had his self-expectations. The devil used lust of greed to tempt him to do what he did. He was questioning why and how Jesus did the things He did. Let's look at the woman with the precious oil (Matthew 26:6-13). What a great example of division and expecting it his way! He wanted the money that the oil would have brought if sold. God wanted the worship and the ministry to Jesus to prepare Him for burial.

Peter committed a crime because he was expecting war, but when God moves, even the law of man can't touch you. God protected Peter. He cut the ear of the soldier (John 18:10-11). Peter, this is what you should expect: Drink from His cup! What cup are you expecting? The cup of the Lord, or your own cup filled with false expectations? You obeyed God and expected everything to be perfect. NO, you obey God, take the next step, and give God a chance to build your faith! But if you expect God just to do it all for you without your faith being perfected, you won't grow in Him! You become the god of your own making! We may suffer. Does it mean God does not love us? No. You want to isolate like Elijah, you want to quit, you want to blame something or someone when all along it was not something you were expecting! But it was not supposed to happen! Many turn their faith into false expectations. Then they call it Faith, but it was never the heavenly vision! It was their own vision, then what happens?

Let us not expect something that is NOT written in this Word. Let us NOT expect something that IS written in this Word to happen when we want and how we want! What we cannot expect is God to move at the snap of our fingers! He won't move! We just need to expect God to be God and not God to be our servant! Let us always expect that we are going to see Him when He splits the sky. Let us expect that whatever we face, it will work out for good. Yes, it is not what I thought it was supposed to be. But I must believe in His goodness! I need to press on because He is the only hope; my hope is not in my expectation! My hope is in the glory, in the bread of everlasting life!

"Father, thank you for all you are. We cannot expect from man, but all that we expect is from above. We don't expect our fulfillment to come from our children, wife, husband, people, job, or leaders! You are the only one who can fulfill all of my holy expectations. Let us not birth any false expectation because we know we will lose hope and start thinking we did something wrong. Burn out all self-centeredness, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency because my poverty will be found in you, in Jesus' name!"

FALSE EXPECTATIONS

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