God-Pleasers – Part 3
Colossians 1:10
We are wrapping up a three part mini-series entitled God-Pleasers. I have come to understand that what God expects from you and me is to live as God-Pleasers. Jesus did, and the Father said of Him, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus Himself made this incredible statement in John 8:29, “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”
Paul understood this and lived his life with the same goal – that was constantly before him – he tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:9 “Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”
We are instructed to make that very same goal the ambition of our lives – anywhere - everywhere, any time - every time.
Colossians 1:10, “. . . walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”
That, folks, is the mandate. That is the bottom line. Allow me to give you a very simple but powerful question to ask. This will change the way you do what you do when you ask it. Are you ready?
Is what I am thinking, doing or saying please to God or displeasing to God!
Is it not interesting but if you ask the average Christian what pleases God you will probably get one of two responses. You either find them tongue-tied – not sure how to answer it – or you they will give you some outward measures. They will speak of . . .
Certain religious experiences (prayer, Bible study, witnessing, mode of baptism)
The absence of certain vices (don’t smoke, don’t drink, don’t dance, don’t watch "R" rated movies)
The affirmation of certain theological litmus tests (abortion, view of the end times, stance on spiritual gifts, and version of the Bible you use.)
Now folks, here is a very important truth – if we miss this we may miss the whole thing altogether – and not even know we are missing it. You and I do not get to decide what pleases God. God has told us what pleases Him. We must go to the Word for that. If you and I will live to pursue that – it will save us from the ever present and spiritually crippling dual tendencies we have on the one hand to live to please others and on the other, to live to please ourselves.
We firstly spoke about The Biblical Pattern for God-Pleasers
Secondly we have seen some of The Biblical Practices of God-Pleasers
This morning I want to wrap that second point up and then thirdly look with you at . . .
The Biblical Promises to God-Pleasers
The Biblical Practices of God-Pleasers
So far we have seen from the Word of God that God-Pleasers . . .
Seek Intimacy
Walk by Faith
Worship as a Lifestyle
Study Diligently
Commit to Justice, Kindness and Humility
Faithfully Obey
Pursue Integrity
Now we learned last week that we need to take stock as God’s people. Watch this - you cannot pray your way into what you will not obey your way into! Why? Because prayer is not a substitute for obedience. As a matter of fact, we saw last week that . . .
Prayer without obedience is presumptuous.
Faith without obedience is pretentious
Positive Confession without obedience is arrogance.
The Biblical Practices of God-Pleasers
h. God-Pleasers Have a Faith Reputation
I would dare say that each one of us is known for something. It may be the fact that you are pretty, or successful or good with people or loud or too hasty. We all have reputations one way or another.
Hebrews 11:5 “For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.”
This issue at the end of the day is simply this – am I living as a God-Pleaser? Is that my ambition – my goal – my singular purpose – my reputation? Here is how it works in Christian maturity. You make a principle decision to pursue a life that is pleasing to God. Then as you grow, as Christ is formed in you, as you mature you discover more and more that the things that please God please you too. Now watch this - when the things that please God are the things that please you, you can ask for whatever you want, and you will receive it. You can believe for whatever you want and you will be given it. You can do anything you want and you will succeed at it. You can confess anything you want and it will happen. You can have faith for anything you want and God will move heaven and earth to give it to you. Listen to this – God will move heaven and earth on response to the faith of somebody doing what He wants them to do. Here is the dirty little secret we easily get twisted. Faith is not the way for us to get God to do what we want, but the way God empowers us to do what He wants. Church – may I say that again? Faith is not the way for us to get God to do what we want, but the way God empowers us to do what He wants. Faith gets twisted when I use it to accomplish what I want, when I focus on me. The reason faith is given is to accomplish divine purpose.
Now I realize there are many things you can do without faith. You can get married, buy a car, build a house – and if you are talented enough, you can even make a few million dollars while you are doing it. There are many things you can do without faith. But there is one thing you cannot do without faith – you cannot please God! If you want to be a God-Pleaser you must pursue faith – the faith that seeks what God wants not what you want. The writer of Hebrews tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him."
May I tell you about that faith?
· First, faith that pleases God is a faith that believes Him even though what He has said or promised is not seen (Heb. 11:1)
· Secondly, faith that pleases God approaches Him the way He wants us to, not the way we want to. (Hebrews 11:4)
· Thirdly, faith that pleases God believes that God is and believes He hears our prayers and rewards those who seek Him even when we do not see the answer to our prayers immediately.
· Fourthly, faith that pleases God walks in principle obedience to His will for our lives individually through the power of His Holy Spirit.
It pleases God when that is the reputation you and I have.
God-Pleasers Have a Faith Reputation
9. God-Pleasers Build God’s House
Haggai 1:8 “’Now go up into the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple that I may be pleased with it and be glorified’, says the Lord.”
Precious believer – one of the most effective ways to please God is to make a principle commitment to spend your life building His house, growing His Church, pursuing His purpose, chasing His call upon your life. “How do I build God’s house? Good question! You build God’s house by . . .
Laying hold of His purpose for your life,
Utilizing the gifts He has given you
Functioning in His power He has made available
Building His Kingdom and His people
Committing to His purpose every day
Pleasing His heart through intimate fellowship and worship
Glorifying His name in all you say and do
I meet people all the time who consider their ministry a kind of part-time voluntary position and their careers as their full time vocation. It is not that they are not serious about their ministry – they are – but on a part-time basis. The truth, dear friend, is that your job is a part-time voluntary position – and your calling is with you 24/7.
Some people think that serving God is like a military camp you go to over weekend – and the rest of the time you are free. My friend - God has no reserve forces or weekend warriors. If you want to please God – it is going to be a full time commitment – in every area of your life. Paul has this in mind when he says, ‘Hey guys – here is the choice I have made – I have chosen to “. . . lay hold of that for which I was laid hold of by Christ.”
May I tell you about the word for ‘laid hold’? It means to take ownership of, to seize with intent, to possess with purpose, to inhabit as my own. Have you done that? Are building the house of God? Are pursuing your ministry in that fashion? You will be inhibited by Satan until you become inhabited by God. You will be intimidated by man until you become animated by God. You will be distracted by the things of this world until you become directed by the things of God.
Have you yet made the decision to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of you – to be inhabited by that for which Christ inhabited you – to be possessed by that for which Christ possessed you?
God-Pleasers Have a Faith Reputation
God-Pleasers Build God’s House
10. God-Pleasers Walk in Righteousness
Malachi 3:3-4 “He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the Lord offerings in righteousness. “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years.”
May I tell you about that? God is purifying you like a smelter would purify gold and silver – so that you will present to Him offerings in righteousness. Now watch this if you will – when you face trials and hardships and storms in your life – the thing that marks God-Pleasers is that they engage it from a divine perspective. They, in the words of Matthew, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. They, in the words of James, consider it pure joy when they face trials of various kings for they know that the testing of their faith develops perseverance. They, in the words of Hebrews, endure hardship as discipline knowing that God is treating them as sons. They, in the words of Malachi, embrace the fires of life knowing that God is purifying them. They, too, are seeking the purity and righteousness that can only be found in the fire. They understand that gold fears no fire.
Precious believer – I must ask you this morning, are you a God-Pleaser?
God is calling this church to another level of walking with Him – to another level in our spiritual journey. Perhaps you have been resting – or taking it easy – engaged like a weekend warrior. Or perhaps you have taken a break for a little while - put your time in and just don’t feel it any more. My friend – there is no greater choice you can make this morning but to be a God-Pleaser.
The Biblical Pattern for God-Pleasers
The Biblical Practices of God-Pleasers
3. The Biblical Promises for God-Pleasers
May I tell you about just some of the promises God makes to God-Pleasers?
You will walk in the Divine Promises
Numbers 14:8 “If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey.”
You will walk in Miraculous Peace
Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways are pleasing to the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
You will walk in Extravagant Provision
Jeremiah 27:5 “I have made the earth . . . and I will give it to the one who is pleasing in My sight.”
Listen to me precious believer – God promises extravagant blessing to the faithful. I am talking about ‘my cup runs over’ blessing. I am talking about ‘pressed down, shaken together running over’ blessing. I am talking about ‘open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much that you will not have room for it’ blessing. How many of you could stand a bit of that this morning?
If you want it – this and all the other things we have been talking about is available to the God Pleasers. We have come to the end of this service and the end of this series – and we have come once again to decision time . . . your decision time.
Will you pray with me please?
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