LESSON 5
"WHAT PLEASES GOD?"
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The main objective of a person’s life (or at lease should be) is to know and
love and make God pleased with us. IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU IT IS ABOUT GOD.
We exist for his good pleasure.
IT MAKES GOD PLEASED TO DO WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.
(Psa 115:3 KJV) But our God is in the heavens: he hath done
whatsoever he hath pleased.
A. God is doing it his way. We live in his universe. Everything is running
according to his plan and purpose.
B. He can grow a tree - put a star so far away that it takes a million years
for the light to travel to earth.. Stop and smell a rose.
You might say, “I don’t like that. I don’t know if I want to be in a universe
where there is a God running things and I don’t have control. Too bad!
I. IT PLEASES GOD TO EXALT JESUS, HIS SON TO THE PLACE WHICH HE DESERVES
(It is not about you and it is not about me – it is all about Jesus).
COL. 1:15 Who is the image of the
invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16 For by him were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by
him, and for him:
17 And he is before all things, and by him all
things consist.
18 And he is the head of the body, the church:
who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might
have the preeminence.
19 For it pleased the Father that in him should
all fulness dwell;
II. IT PLEASES GOD TO SAVE HIS ELECT
(1 Cor 1:21 KJV) For after that in the wisdom of God the world
by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save
them that believe.
III. IT PLEASES GOD FOR PEOPLE TO TRUST
HIM.
(Heb 10:38 KJV) Now the just shall live
by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
(Heb 11:6 KJV) But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
IV. IT PLEASES GOD TO HAVE HIS PEOPLE
WORSHIP AND PRAISE HIM.
HEB. 13:15 By him therefore let us offer
the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips
giving thanks to his name.
16 But to do good and to communicate forget not:
for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
(Mal 3:16 KJV) Then they that feared the
LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a
book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and
that thought upon his name.
V. IT PLEASES GOD WHEN WE HELP EACH
OTHER.
Matt 25: 34 Then shall the King say unto
them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee
drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?
or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
An interesting bit of history!
His name was Fleming, and he
was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his
family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools
and ran to the bog. There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified
boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad
from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.
The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings.
An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father
of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. "I want to repay you," said the
nobleman. "You saved my son’s life. "No, I can’t accept payment for
what I did," the Scottish farmer replied, waving off the offer.
At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.
"Is that your son?" the nobleman asked. "Yes," the farmer
replied proudly. "I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level
of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father,
he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of." And that he
did. Farmer Fleming’s son
attended the very best schools and in time, he graduated from St. Mary’s
Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son who was saved from the bog was
stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. The name of
the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill.
Someone once said:
What goes around comes around.
VI. IT PLEASES GOD TO PROSPER THOSE WHO
LIVE FOR HIM.
(Psa 35:27 KJV) Let them shout for joy,
and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let
the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
CONCLUSION
WHAT IS IT THAT GOD HAS NO PLEASURE IN?
(Ezek 33:10 KJV) Therefore, O thou son
of man, speak unto the house of
(Ezek 33:11 KJV) Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD,
I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from
his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O
house of