A WILLINGNESS TO PLEASE GOD
Psalms 9:1-2
The Webster’s New Dictionary give the following definition of the word, WILL: A desire, or willingness;a determinatiom;controling one’s action;an act.
We all have a will, and God’s desire is that we exercise it toward Him, making us Christ-like.
Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. said, "Success is knowing the will of God and doing it."
David Brainerd was an American colonial missionary to the Indians who died at the age of twenty-nine. His diary reveals a young man intensely committed to God. Brainerd once said to Jonathan Edwards: “I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honor to God. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven, whether I have a high seat or a low seat there...My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory.”
I-THERE IS THE I WILL OF CONFIDENCE: ISAIAH 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for Jehovah, even Jehovah, is my strength and song; and he is become my salvation.
In his hands I am safe. God is the foundation of our confidence; and trusting in him, his people shall never be moved.
ILLUSTRATION: William Penn, the founder of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, was well liked by the Indians. Once they told him he could have as much of their land as he could encompass on foot in a single day. So, early the next morning he started out and walked until late that night. When he finally went to claim his land, the Indians were greatly surprised, for they really didn’t think he would take them seriously. But they kept their promise and gave him a large area which today is part of the city of Philadelphia. William Penn simply believed what they said. Should we do less with God!We can take God at His word and we can trust Him to do everything he has promised to do-David DeWitt
Our text says, I will trust and not be afraid.
It was F.D.R. who said, in an address to the nation following the attack on Pearl Harbor, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." At first that may sound like double- talk, but it is really a good state- ment.
ILLUSTRATION: A lady told D.L. Moody that she had found a wonderful promise in the Bible that helped her overcome fear. Her verse was Ps. 56:3, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee." Mr. Moody replied, "I have a better promise than that!" and he quoted Is. 12:2, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation."
II-THERE IS THE I WILL OF CLOSENESS: PSALMS 18:3
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
PSALMS 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
[As for me] In strong contrast with the aims, the desires, and the condition of worldly individuals. "They" seek their portion in this life, and are satisfied; "I" cherish no such desires, and have no such prosperity. I look to another world as my home, and shall be satisfied only in the everlasting favor and friendship of God.
The Psalmist also said, “I will draw near to God and fear him”
ILLUSTRATION: Danny Simpson a 24 year old Canadian, went to jail for robbing a bank, in Ottawa. His gun went to a museum. He was arrested for robbing a bank of $6,000 and then sent to jail for six years. He had used a .45 caliber Colt semi-automatic, which turned out to be an antique made by the Ross Rifle Company, Quebec City, in 1918. The pistol is worth up to $100,000. If Danny Simpson had just known what he carried in his hand, he wouldn’t have robbed the bank. In other words, Danny already had what he needed.
There are so many Churches in the world today are searching for power and presence of God, not knowing they already have what they need in their heart.
Heb 10:22 says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
We need to draw near to our Father, and we need to learn to have reverence for him.
III-THERE IS THE I WILL OF COMPASSION: PSALMS 18:1
“I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength.”
Hebrew, love with intense affection , to love from the inmost bowels: The love of God experienced so richly by David generated in him an intense reciprocal love toward God.
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Your every effort should be in loving God! Your every waking moment, your every dream, should be showing your love for God!
ILLUSTRATION: Truett Cathy is an extraordinarily successful businessman who has done some very unusual things. Truett is the founder of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain. Even though it has cost him millions and millions of dollars, all of his 1,000 restaurants are closed on Sundays. It is that important to him to honor the Lord’s Day. Why did he do it? He loved the Lord and wanted to obey His Commandments.
Also, If you neglect to love your neighbor, in vain you profess your love for God; for by your love for God the love for your neighbor is produced, and by loving your neighbor your love for God is nourished.
ILLUSTRATION: The wife of a British colonel in India. She was expecting important guests for tea one afternoon. Looked out from her front porch after lunch & was horrified to see that the man who swept the leaves off her stairs every morning had not shown up for work. When he finally got there, she tore into him. "Don’t you realize what you’ve done to me? Do you know who’s coming here in an hour? I ought to fire you and see to it that you don’t get another job anywhere in the city!" Without looking up the man said, "I’m sorry. My little girl died during the night and we had to bury her today." For the first time, the colonel’s wife began to see this man as something more than just a device that swept her stairs every day.
IV-THERE IS THE I WILL OF COMPLAINCE: PSALMS 119:45
I have called with my whole heart; Answer me, O Jehovah: I will keep thy statutes.
David was saying I am resolved by thy grace, I wll keep thy statutes. He knew he could not expect God to answers his prayer unless he was living according to the Word of God.
ILLUSTRATION: It is recorded that during the coronation of Edward VI, after various ceremonial swords had been brought to him, the king said to his nobles: "There is one sword yet lacking, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Without that sword we are nothing and we can do nothing!" To what the king said we can say "amen". This sword is vital to our existence as Christians. We can do nothing without it and without it we are nothing. This evening I want to challenge each of us to know, to trust, and to use the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.
John 14:23 says, “Jesus answered him, "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
V-THERE IS THE I WILL OF CONSECRATION: PASLMS 116:9
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
It is our great duty to walk before the Lord. I am the almighty God; walk before me, Gen 17:1. We must walk worthy of the Lord unto all well-pleasing.
ILLUSTRATION: The story is told of four ministers discussing the pros and cons of various Bible translations and paraphrases. Eventually each stated which version, in his opinion, is the best. The first minister said he used the King James because the Old English style is beautiful and produces the most reverent picture of the Holy Scriptures. The second said he preferred the New American Standard Bible because he felt it comes nearer to the original Greek and Hebrew texts. The third minister said his favorite was the paraphrased Living Bible because his congregation was young, and it related to them in a practical way. All three men waited while the fourth minister sat silently. Finally he said, "I guess when it comes to translations and paraphrased editions of the Bible, I like my Dad’s translation best. He put the Word of God into practice every day. It was the most convincing translation I’ve ever seen."
VI-THERE IS THE I WILL OF CELEBRATION: PSALMS 7:17
I will praise the LORD according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the LORD most high.
He was saying I shall celebrate his justice and him mercy. He would sing praises to the name of the Lord Most HIgh.
ILLUSTRATION: F.B. Meyer wrote about two Germans who wanted to climb the Matterhorn. They hired three guides and began their ascent at the steepest and most slippery part. The men roped themselves together in this order: guide, traveler, guide, traveler, guide. They had gone only a little way up the side when the last man lost his footing. He was held up temporarily by the other four, because each had a toehold in the niches they had cut in the ice. But then the next man slipped, and he pulled down the two above him. The only one to stand firm was the first guide, who had driven a spike deep into the ice. Because he held his ground, all the men beneath him regained their footing. F.B. Meyer concluded his story by drawing a spiritual application. He said, "I am like one of those men who slipped, but thank God, I am bound in a living partnership to Christ. And because He stands, I will never perish."
VII-THERE IS THE I WILL OF CONDUCT: PSALMS 101:2
I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way: Oh when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
David desired to conduct himself in such a way that his life would be above reproach. He was determined to walk with integrity of heart even within house.
I am not perfect. No one is perfect Paul said that “there is none righteous no not one.” But that does not mean that we cannot stand before God with a perfect heart. It is what God expects of us. So, what is a “Perfect Heart”? Is it doing the right thing?
ILLUSTRATION: In the days of war the Japanese policeman who had absolute power said that within three days everyone in a certain Formosan mountain village must come to the police station and swear that he would not be a Christian, or he would be tied hand and foot, and stones tied to him, and he would be thrown from the high bridge into the rushing river below. The Christians met at midnight to decide what to do. Some said, "We’ll have to give it up. We cannot be Christians now. He will surely kill us."
Then a young boy arose. "But don’t you remember that Jesus said not to be afraid of those who can only kill the body, but to be afraid of those who kill body and soul? If he kills us, it will only be our bodies. Our souls will go to be with Jesus." They all said, "That’s true." When the vote was taken, every hand was raised--all voted to die. Next day the policeman laughed cruelly, and said, "Tomorrow you die."
Now the policeman liked to fish, and waded out into the river. A rock or tree in the current struck his leg and broke it. While the mountain people were praying, a messenger rushed in, and said, "The man who was to kill you tomorrow has been drowned in the river." It took a child to remind these Christian missionaries to walk wisely. They were looking at the situation though their own human eyes. they did not have that faith. But the boy reminded of the promise of Christ.
My hope and prayer is that you and I will have a willingness to please God by doing His will. Let us have the willingness and desire that Jesus had to please His Father.
CONCLUSION-A New England girl became engaged just as the Civil War broke out. Her fiancé was called into the army so their wedding was postponed. Amid many battles, he was faithful to write her as often as possible. She read and reread each letter until they were all memorized. Then the letters stopped coming. She heard that he had been wounded in the Battle of the Wilderness. She was frantic with worry. Finally, a letter arrived but it was in someone else’s handwriting. It read, "There has been another terrible battle. It is very difficult for me to tell you this, but I have been wounded. I am paralyzed. Both my arms and hands are useless. A friend is writing this letter for me. While I love you as much as ever, I release you from our engagement that you may find a husband who is whole." Immediately, she left New England and traveled a dangerous journey through war-torn countryside. Eventually arriving at the field hospital from which she received the last letter, she asked directions and made her way to her fiancé’s side. She fell on him and kissed him and said. "I love you and can never leave you. I won’t give you up. My arms will be your arms. My hands will be your hands."
*Sermon Idea-Dewayne Gamez
