Sermons - 2008 Week 14 - Apr Wk 1
More Like the Master - Pleasing God (Part 1)
John 8:29
What does God expect from us? Does God expect anything?
God certainly expects something from us. We were created in His image to glorify Him, yet most Christians live as though God does not expect anything.
John 8:29, Jesus says “I always do those things that please Him.”
What about us, should we not be more like the Master?
One example in the Scriptures is David. In 1Samuel 13:14, “The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart.”
What does this mean?
It was the examples by which David sought God’s heart and will. He did not do anything on his own accord without the overarching presence of God and his obedience to God.
Have we done this? Have we pleased God by our obedience?
In 1Samuel 17, David defeated Goliath by faith alone and the Word of God.
Surely we can do this? The question one should ask of ourselves is how strong is our desire to please God? Is our life structured in such a way that we please God in all we do?
If your answer to the above is a resounding “yes”, then you would want to know how to do it.
We start with the prerequisite. As believers, we stand righteous before God. Our debts have been paid in full. We cannot go into debt again. We often do fail or fall short of His glory but we will never suffer His wrath. We also know that in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” This tells us plainly that we have been saved by God’s grace through faith. It emphasizes that works is not going to save us unlike the belief in many other religions. We do not perform services for God because we want to score points. We perform services for God because we love Him and we are obedient to Him.
What does God want in order that we may please Him?
He wants faith in Him. Hebrews 11:6 gives us the answers, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Well, do we trust God as our very, very first yet continuing step?
It is not just that first step, it is the trust we manifest throughout our lives. It is the hardest thing to do because “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Yes, it is not seen, not experienced by our physical senses. When we fail to trust, God we question His sovereignty and we doubt His goodness.
In Psalms 78:19-22, God’s anger was finally manifested because, in times of adversity, the people failed to trust God and began to doubt His sovereignty.
Do we fail to trust God in times of adversity when we start to gripe and complain?
Another area where we often do not please Him is in the area of worship.
What is worship?
We know it primarily as formal or ceremonious rendering of reverent honor and homage paid to God. However, it is not only the Sunday worship that is in view here. True worship comes from the heart, if it is only a ritual, it will not please God. Worship is honour and adoration directed at God, the idea of giving of ourselves, our attitude and our possessions. Worship can be expressed by sharing love with fellow believers. Sharing the Gospel with unbelievers is also worship. Giving is also worship. It incorporates the attitude to honour and adore God.
True worship must come from the heart.
Do you truly worship God?
Mr and Mrs ET Chua
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