Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 ; Psalm 1
Theme: "It's Been My Pleasure"
Paul gives us three great ways we can PLEASE our LORD GOD ALMIGHTY - 1. Being a bold and courageous witness 2. Possess a "Pleasing God" Mindset 3. Serve with Agape Love (Nursing Image)
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God our Father and from Jesus Christ, God's Only Son - our Messiah, Savior and King! Peace from the Holy Spirit who infills us and transforms us this morning!
We have all watched it in some form or fashion and more than likely we have all done it or been the recipients of it. What is "it"? We have all done our best or have watched others do their best to either please us or we please them.
+We have watched a young man or a young lady do their best to please their girl friend, boy friend or spouse. They have spent hours getting ready, putting on the right clothes, the right make-up or getting their hair fixed just perfect. They have spent hours putting together the perfect date or the perfect meal or vacation. They have lost weight, gained weight, gotten into shape, bought new clothes, a car, learned how to do all kinds of new things all with goal of pleasing the person that they care about and love. They are willing to do practically anything to bring that other person some happiness and joy.
+We have watched parents attempt to do the same thing for their children. They give of their time, talents and resources to make their children happy. They go out of their way to find this particular electronic device or that particular pair of shoes or article of clothing. Countless hours are spent in gyms, on ball fields, at music and taekwondo studios, cheerleading sessions and who knows what else. More than enough Happy Meals are bought, Chuckie Cheese trips are made along with the occasional adventures to Wendy's and Burger King. Vacations to Disney World are carefully planned out and executed to bring happiness and joy to their little ones. And as the children grow older there are I-pads, I-phones, I-tunes along with a host of other "necessary" electronic devices all bought with the sole purpose of pleasing this child or that child.
+We have watched people at work do everything within their power to please the boss or the company. Precious hours spent at work instead of being with friends and family. Hours of work brought home so that some boss could be pleased or so that some report could be turned in that would make the boss look good.
+We have watched the same thing with some teacher or some student athlete with their coach or team. They sacrifice their time, their talents and even their bodies to please the coach, the team or the teacher.
In our passage this morning we see this same mindset and passion from the Apostle Paul. Only instead of trying to please a spouse, a child or someone else the Apostle Paul is doing his best to please the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
In verse four we read these words:
"Rather, we speak as people whom God has validated to be entrusted with the gospel; not with a view to pleasing people, but in order to please God, who validates our hearts." (KNT)
The goal for Paul is that of pleasing God. It's the same goal that we see in our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. In John 8:29 the Bible tells us - "And the one who sent me is with me. He hasn't left me alone, because I always do what pleases him."
And in fact, that is exactly the response that we see Jesus receiving on the day of his baptism. In Matthew's account of Jesus' baptism these are the words he recorded -
"Then there came a voice out of the heavens. This is my son, by beloved one, said the voice, I am delighted with him." (Matthew 3:17 - KNT)
This morning, let's look at those little phrases - "in order to please God", "I do what pleases him" and "I am delighted with him".
What exactly does it mean to please the LORD? What exactly does it mean to have that as one's life goal - "TO PLEASE THE LORD?" What does it look like in every day life?
I mean is that a concept that we see a great deal in our world today? Is it not true that when most people think of God they think more how God can please them? How God can meet their needs? How God can answer their prayers and take care of them? How many people come to church, read their Bibles and say their prayers all with the underlying notion of getting something from God? They do this so naturally God has to do that.
All of those are questions that may make us feel uneasy this morning. Do we really find ourselves at times wanting God to do whatever it takes to please us rather than us please the LORD? I am afraid with some individuals and in some cases the answer is "YES".
Now, is that bad? Not on the surface. After all, when you share a love relationship with someone it is merely part of the relationship that both partners will do what they can to please one another. I mean do you really want to be in a relationship with someone who is only interested in themselves? Do you really want to spend time with someone who is only wrapped up in their own little world?
That is not the relationship that the LORD seeks to have with us or one in which He has created us to enjoy with one another or with Him. Agape love is both giving and receiving. The ancient Jews saw the LORD as the God who lives in Covenant Love - a love that does all it can for the other person but a love with also receives all it can from the other person. That is what true love is all about.
That is part of the mystery of the Trinity. The more you understand the Trinity the more you understand the giving and receiving of Agape Love. God the Father does all He can to please God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God the Son does all He can to please God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. God the Holy Spirit does all to please God the Father and God the Son. And in this whole relationship we see giving and receiving, sharing and loving one another.
With all of that in mind what does it mean for us to live a life pleasing to the LORD? What exactly can we learn from the Apostle Paul in this passage that will help us be able to please the LORD? Let's take a few moments and look at few of them:
I. God takes Great Pleasure in Our Boldness and Courage as His Witnesses
God is greatly pleased when we are bold and courageous in sharing the Message of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul was willing to endure great trials and persecutions to please the LORD. In these verses, Paul shares how that he has had to endure hard times both in Philippi and in Thessalonica in order to share the message of Jesus.
Paul's love relationship with the LORD came at a cost. All love relationships do. It is what it means to love. For Paul it included physical pain, emotional pain and financial pain. In Acts 16 we read how Paul and Silas were arrested, beaten and put into prison for sharing the message of Jesus. Their backs were ripped open with whips and their feet were forced into stocks spreading their legs as far apart as possible to increase their pain even more. They had also been falsely accused of starting a riot and promoting treason against the Empire.
Acts 17 tells us that in Thessalonica a similar picture was beginning to be opened but before it got out of hand the Apostle Paul was sent away towards the south. But before his departure Paul had been accused of being a charlatan, speaking untruths, being unclean, greedy and out only for himself. Paul had been accused of being the very opposite of what he really was - gentle, affectionate and self-giving.
That is the way the Devil attacks. When a person sets out to do all they can to please the LORD the Devil does not stand idly by. No, the Devil begins an all out assault on that person's character. The Devil does his best to malign the person, to tear down their character and standing with other people. The Devil does his best to whisper into the ears of those around them to believe in the worst of lies about that person and/or their family and friends.
Sadly, today we live in a world that is more bent on receiving, adopting and assimilating negative news about someone rather than taking the time to find out the truth about someone. More than one person I know has had their character assassinated through the spreading of half-truths. The problem is not that people lie in a fallen world. That people lie is a given. The problem is all too often we accept the "DEVIL'S FAKE NEWS" report about someone without doing our homework to find the real truth.
This is what happened to the Apostle Paul time after time after time. The Jews that did not want Paul to preach that Jesus was the Messiah did all they could to put out fake news about Paul. The pagan priests did all they could to stop Paul because if people believed in Jesus no longer would their pagan temples be visited or supported.
Paul's love for God was a danger to all of them. Most of all it was a danger to the Devil. If more people loved God like Paul then more and more people would come to Jesus. They would see Paul's life, his courage, his witness and his boldness and want to be a part of the Early Church. They would see the power of agape love and would want to experience the same freeing, forgiving, rescuing and redemptive love.
However, Paul's desire to please the LORD was greater than his own desire to please his own flesh or to please mankind. Paul had given himself 100% to the LORD and was sold out body, mind and soul.
In so many ways the Apostle Paul was living out the life portrayed in Psalm 1. He was a perfect example of what it meant to be a living and breathing Psalm 1 Person. Paul knew what it meant to remove himself from evil while at the same time making his goal that of being happy in the LORD, in the Lord's ways and principles.
Paul's words in Philippians 2:7- 8 were not vain words - "But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ."
Paul knew firsthand the boldness and the courage it takes to please the LORD. Paul knew what it takes to show all those around him that loving the LORD is to be a person's #1 priority in this life and in the life to come. Paul knew firsthand what it meant to live out the commandment - You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, mind and soul.
Today, we all face the temptation to "love lite". We face the temptation to live a minimum Christian life. We face the temptation to put God on the back burner or to have a warmed over experience with the LORD.
The Devil knows if we live that way then he can spend all his time creating chaos, destruction and eventually death. The Devil knows that if he can get us to think that God only exists to meet our every need or that the Church only exists to serve us then the cause of Christ will be hindered if not stopped entirely.
There is nothing more beautiful that to see a couple living for one another. There is nothing more wonderful than seeing a coach and his or her team pouring out their hearts, minds and bodies for one another. There is nothing more wonderful than to see a student and teacher sharing with one another, learning from one another and helping one another. And there is nothing more mysterious and more wonderful than to see a soul doing all it can to please the LORD and in return the LORD doing all He can to bless, anoint and have fellowship with that soul.
In Hebrews 11:5 we have these words written about a person who lived a long time before our LORD walked on the earth. This person like Paul had made his #1 passion to please the LORD. Listen to this verse:
"By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God." (ESV)
Did you hear that? Enoch so pleased the LORD that God just had to have him in Heaven. Wow!
Similar things are said about Abraham, Moses, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Mary and others. Psalm 149:4 reminds us:
"For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; he adorns the humble with salvation."
This morning, the Apostle Paul lets us know that one of the ways we can be pleasing to the LORD is to be a bold and courageous witness for Jesus.
II. Secondly, Paul lets us know we have to have our Minds Focused on the Goal of Pleasing the LORD.
Living a life that is pleasing to the LORD does not happen by accident. It is not something that we spiritually slip up on. Anyone who wants to please another human knows that it takes the right mind set that is then put into action. The same is even more true when it comes to pleasing the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!
Say, I want to make my wife happy by buying her a special gift. Now, I could go out to Saks Fifth Avenue and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and not please her. At the same time I could go to Wal-mart and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars and not please her. But then again I could spend a lot or a little and it would please her.
It all involves getting to know the person - what they like, what they don't like. What they are wanting or needing at the moment. What is special to them.
At times for Rebekah that means merely cooking a simple meal for her or doing the laundry or folding the clothes or cleaning the house. At other times it means going out to eat or going with her as she shops. At other times it means providing an environment in which she can bake, cook, put up things for storage or watch a certain program on TV uninterrupted.
You get the gist. You have to be in contact and in communication with the person. You have to listen and keep clued in as best you can.
How many of us have gotten a gift we had no clue we wanted or needed because someone half heard a conversation. We mentioned that we liked someone's gift and suddenly we received one of our own. We were only being nice and thought that it was the perfect gift for that person never thinking that we would get a similar one.
It takes hard work at times to know how to bring pleasure and joy to a loved one. But then again, should it be simple? Should we really want it to be simple? Isn't it a part of love to experience the adventure, the hunt and then know that we truly have brought joy and happiness to those that we love.
King David wanted nothing more than to please the LORD. That is the reason he tells Nathan the prophet that he wants to build a Temple for the LORD. However, at that time that was not pleasing to the LORD. David was told that God did not desire a Temple at that time. So, what did David do? Did he listen and obey? Did he start ground work anyway? Did he get all upset and get angry at the LORD?
No, David knew that the number one thing to do to please the LORD was to obey the LORD. David knew well the words of the Prophet Samuel
"But Samuel replied, "What is more pleasing to the LORD: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams." - 1 Samuel 15:22 (NLT)
One of the most important things that any of us can do to please the LORD is to merely obey. Just to place ourselves into God's hands and obey. But in order to obey we must listen. And to listen we must be in God's presence and be quiet. All of this points out that prayer is one of the best ways for us to please the LORD.
Originally the Bible tells us that it was the Apostle Paul's intention to continue to go east with the Gospel into the areas of Asia and beyond. Paul wanted to go the opposite direction of Philippi, Thessalonica and Corinth. But the Holy Spirit told Paul that he was to turn around and go west. The Holy Spirit told Paul to go towards Macedonia and Rome.
None of us like to have our plans changed. Paul had set out to go east. He was prepared to go east. No doubt he had prayed and was laboring to go east. He knew the landscape. He knew the people and he knew that opportunities that were be open to him. But if Paul was going to please the LORD it meant that he had to get a hold of God's mindset. He had to listen and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit. And so, in Acts 16 we see Paul doing a roundabout. We see Paul taking his whole operations which was headed east and turning around and heading west.
Paul understood that one of the most crucial things in doing one's best to please the LORD was to be in constant obedience mode and in constant flexibility mode. Paul knew that the winds of the Holy Spirit were the ones to give a person direction and power. They winds of the Holy Spirit are not to be opposed nor is a person to go against the leading of the Holy Spirit. That is if one has as their mindset to please the Lord God Almighty.
For Paul this meant that he had to endure a time of testing, trial, persecutions and difficulties if he was going to both obey and please the LORD. But for Paul to do anything otherwise was impossible. He had sold out to the LORD. He knew what it meant to be the recipient of God's grace, mercy and love. He knew what it meant to walk in the anointing of the LORD. He knew what it meant to be a person of righteousness and Paul wanted nothing more than to please the LORD.
This morning, if we want to please the LORD we have to make it a key part of our mindset. Otherwise we will never take the appropriate actions to hear and obey the leadings of the Holy Spirit.
So, we see that Paul tells us in this passage that two of the ways that we are able to please the LORD is:
-By being a bold and courageous witness for the LORD
-By making the goal of pleasing the LORD our Mindset
III. Finally, we see that for Paul it meant to Serve with Agape Love
At first glance when you think of the Apostle Paul you may not think of a nursing mother (verse 7). Usually that is not the first image that pops up in your mind. It is more likely that the image we have of Paul is one of a mighty missionary, a great prayer warrior or a fantastic preacher. We may even think of him as a great teacher, a leader of men and a man ready to face down Rome, persecutions and the Sanhedrin. But a nursing mother?
And yet, that is what Paul is called to be as he opens up the church in Philippi, in Thessalonica and beyond. For that is what baby churches need - the need a nursing mother image. They need someone to protect them, to take time out for them, to provide nourishment for them and to help them grow. They need someone who is more interested in helping them than they are in them accomplishing some mission or goal.
When you think of a nurse - you think of a nursing mother or perhaps a person who is doing their best to help someone get over an illness or even a person who is helping someone who cannot take care of themselves. As you read Paul's letters we see him doing all three of these things. To the Churches of Philippi and Thessalonica he is helping them get their footing. He is providing for them prayer support, educational support and social support. He is visiting them, teaching them and pouring out his life for them.
Later on, for the Churches at Corinth, Paul is having to be a little tough. He is having to put some things back into their proper order. Similar to a nurse after a surgery or during an illness may have to remind their patient that they will occur some discomfort and pain on their way to recovery. Paul is willing to do whatever is necessary for the Church to get back on the right path even if it means that he has to be a little tough or they have to endure a little pain.
Paul was very aware that in Christ one not only has to experience the transformation that occurs in the New Birth but also the continual transformation of being restored into the image of Jesus through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Paul knew that this journey had its ups and downs. He knew that there were some individuals that would need some nursing to help them over some difficult times and some nursing that would get them moving again. He knew that there were even some congregations that we in danger of losing out . Some that were in danger of falling apart and disintegrating.
We see this spelled out years later in the Jesus' words to the 7 Churches of Revelation. The Church of Ephesus although it had been established for quite a number of years was in danger of falling apart and disintegrating. It's problem was that it had allowed its love for the LORD to grow cold. Like Paul, the LORD was doing all he could to nurse the Church back to health.
Ephesus' sister Church in Sardis was also in danger of allowing itself to disintegrate and die. The congregation in Sardis had sat down and expected the LORD to come in and do a miracle without it being a church of prayer, obedience and action. They wanted God to serve them rather than them be focused on pleasing the LORD.
The truth is we all at times need a nursing mentor in the LORD. Whether we are a new start church, a church going through a difficult time or a church that has some age. We all need a spiritual nurse who can not only help us to grow up but can also compel and challenge us to move some spiritual muscles and also to invest ourselves into the next generation.
Over the years I have had some wonderful medical nurses. Some I never even knew their name or how well they cared for me. My first 30 days of life was spent in the nursery of a hospital. I would have died had not some nurses seen to my every need. When I finally got to go home my mom nursed me and took care of me and watched over me until the day she went to heaven.
A few years ago when I had to undergo some necessary surgery the nurses that took care of me before and afterwards were excellent. Especially the nurse afterwards. While she was kind and considerate she reminded me that I had to do certain things in order to get fully well. She reminded me that there would be some pain but I was not to stop moving or doing all that was necessary to get better. It was all a process of getting better.
Paul was that type of nurse to his congregations. He was there to help them come into the world. He was there to help them with some course corrections and he was there when they were in danger of falling apart. We need those kind of spiritual nurses today. We need churches and people to reach out and be a nurse to another congregation as well. More established churches and those that are in their prime need to take their vision off of their own kingdom and put it on helping young churches, struggling churches and those who appear to be on their last legs.
For if we are going to be pleasing to the LORD it is going to take boldness and courage. It is going to take having a proper mindset and it is going to take us getting into the spiritual nursing ministry.
-What would happen if an established church would become the prayer partner for a struggling church?
-What would happen if an established church would volunteer for a period of time to help a struggling church with some support?
- Why is it easier to give to people and congregations half a world away but almost impossible to give to those who live and worship just down the street?
-Why is it easier to give to strangers than it is to give to brothers and sisters of a different tribe when they are struggling?
We have to bold and have courage to see one another with Jesus eyes. We have to have the same mindset of Jesus who "humbled himself, and became obedient even to death, yes, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8 KNT)
And we have to have a nursing mindset that sounds forth the message that we will endure the tough times for one another, we will spend the time, money and resources to help others and we will do all we can for one another.
After all, isn't that what it means to be Jesus and to reflect the image of God in our lives here on earth?
I remember years ago when we were the pastors of a home mission church that we received some unexpected help getting some repairs to the church and getting some new tires for our little car. Our congregation was small in numbers and weak in finances. So, some churches came together and helped us out. They became spiritual nurses to our congregation and to our family. They help us when we could not help ourselves. In essence, they were being Jesus to us.
That is what Paul was doing for the congregations located in and around Jerusalem and in other places as well. Paul did his best to promote intercessory prayer, raise money and needed supplies for the new churches that were struggling around Jerusalem and other parts of the Empire. He raised money for those congregation that were in danger of disintegrating. If Paul could do that kind of ministry why can't we?
So, what I am I saying? I believe every congregation needs to be in the spiritual nursing business. I believe every congregation needs to find a sister congregation that it can help spiritually, physically, emotionally and financially if possible.
For example, smaller churches may not be able to provide financial support to some other churches but they can gather together and be prayer warriors for other congregations. They can gather for no other reason than to pray for a sister church. I wonder what would happen if the Church of Jesus would gather together to pray for one another regardless of tribe? I wonder what would happen if one church started praying for another church and that church in return found another church to pray for? I wonder what new insights, new ministries and new anointings might happen in all those churches?
James 5:16ff says this:
"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit."
We can never underestimate the need and the power of prayer. Prayer is the key to all things. When we pray we are sharing sacred space with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. And God is so pleased when we come before Him in prayer for others.
This morning, we need people who will see as their #1 goal in life to find ways to please the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY. We need people who will be bold and courageous in sharing the message of Jesus with family, friends and others. We need people who are more concerned about pleasing the LORD than the LORD pleasing them. We need people who will stand up to evil and who will lead the march towards spiritual victory on their knees in prayer.
We need people who will commit to having a mindset dedicated to following and doing all they can to please the LORD.
We need people who will commit to the ministry of spiritual nursing. We need people who will step up and say - I will be there for new people, new churches, struggling people, struggling churches and for churches and people who are in their twilight years.
I believe with all my heart that God is calling His People everywhere to unite together for new strength, for new anointings and for new miracles. The Early Church got together for 10 days of prayer, fellowship and Bible Study and look what happened - Pentecost.
While all of our churches may not physically be able to come together we can pray for one another and uplift one another, encourage one another and do all we can for one another. Then the world will know us for our love and not for our brokenness and for our fragmented congregations that at times do not love or even appreciate one another. Is this not the time we should be interceding more and more for our fellow brothers and sister in Christ?
Can we please the LORD - yes, yes and yes again. How do we do it?
+By being bold and courageous
+By having as our #1 focus and mindset of "Pleasing the LORD"
+By living out agape love - by being a spiritual nurse to those around us
Today, how is our boldness? How is our courage? Is pleasing God our #1 focus? Are we in the spiritual nursing business?
As we close today let us come to the LORD in prayer. Let us ask for more courage, more boldness in sharing the message of Jesus. Let us surrender our hearts, minds and soul to the Holy Spirit so that our hearts and minds can be so transformed that more than anything else in this life we want to be pleasing to the LORD. And finally, let us ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to being a spiritual nurse to congregations around us and to individuals around us.
Prayer/Open Altar/Benediction and Blessing
