Conduct That Pleases God

CONDUCT THAT PLEASES GOD

TEXT: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (KJV), “1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:

4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:

6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

8 He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

10 And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;

11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

12 That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

INTRODUCTION: This portion of Scripture strongly encourages Christians to live lives of unceasing prayer, praise, and practical sanctification.

THEME: God pleasing, Bible based conduct draws us closer to God and to each other.

I. Four Items For Discussion

A. Seek to Please God.

B. Live a Holy Life.

C. Practice Love for the Brethren.

D. Mind Our Own Business

II. (1 Thess. 4:1) Seek to Please God

A. Some obsessed with pleasing others

B. Pleasing God is low priority to some--Why?

1. seemingly abstract, intangible, and distant

2. Not modeled by some authority figures

3. Not an ongoing nurturing of a relationship with God

C. Our highest good is His (God’s) highest desire, but

He must be given first place.

D. “He is not God at all unless He is God of all.__selected

III. ( 1 Thess. 4:3-7) Live a Holy Life.

A. Philippians 2:13

B. Philippians 2:12b

C. God works it (sanctification and holiness) in; we work it out.

D. Peter (2:5a) declares that we are built up a spiritual house.

1. God dwells there.

2. Mortify the thwarting, hindering, and besetting sins.

3. Maintain that building (1 Corinthians 6:19). What? know ye not that your body is the

temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

In applying this command, defilement, personal corruption, and

the slow eating cancer of self righteousness can be eliminated

from one’s life and ministry.

4. Status Quo in holy living is stagnation that leads to

deterioration and decay.

5. ( 1 Cor. 11:28a) “…let a man examine himself, …” (See Strong’s G1381, to

recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy)

6. Put on the Holy Christ and let Him live His life through you.

E. We are fighting a battle of purity in a corrupt world ( Luke 3:7).

IV. Practice Brotherly Love (1 Thess. 4:9).

A. The Lord is pleased when the saints have a brotherly love for each other.

B. “Brothers” means from the same womb.

1. common origin

2. equality/kindred spirit

3. “An overflowing heart of love is one of the best and surest evidences of the

abundant spiritual life.”__H. C. Woodring

C. Unbelievers can tell if we are genuine.

D. John 13:35, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

V. Mind Your Own Business (1 Thess. 4:11-12)

A. 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

B. A busybody, saint or otherwise is a nuisance.

C. Dealing with “self” is very much a full time job.

D. Those that send a wrong message of the Church to outsiders:

1. wranglers, Those engaging in lengthy and complicated quarrels or disputes.

2. gossips

3. critics

4. ranters, those who rant and rave; speak in a violent or loud manner.

5. idlers

E. There is a higher standard for the Church.

CONCLUSION: God pleasing conduct is necessary for our spiritual sanity.

God pleasing conduct is necessary to our soul winning.

God pleasing conduct is necessary to our fulfillment of

The great commandment and commission.