Five Ways To Make God Smile

5 Ways to Make God Smile

Genesis 6:5-8

Introduction

This year our theme and our goal is focused on Finding and Following God’s Plan for our life, Finding our Passion and Fulfilling our Purpose. And we are having a tremendous time in Bible Study as we are journeying through Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life.

And as I shared with the Bible Study Class, some of the principles that we are learning are so powerful that I feel I need to share them on Sundays.

One of the most powerful principles that we have studied over the past several weeks is that we were planned for God’s pleasure and regardless of our individual callings and gifts, the #1 purpose of all of our lives is to please God. IOW, the #1 purpose and goal of each of our lives is to make God smile. And since this is the goal of every Christian life, our most important task is to discover how to do that. Ephesians 5:10 in the Message Bible says, “Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.”

The Bible gives us a clear example of a life that gives pleasure to God and the man’s name is Noah. In Noah’s day, much like our world today, the entire world had become morally bankrupt. Everyone lived for their own pleasure, not God’s. God couldn’t find anyone on earth interested in pleasing him, so he was grieved and regretted making man. God became so disgusted with the human race that he considered wiping it out. But there was one man who made God smile. The Bible says, in v. 8, “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.” I like the translation of this verse from the Living Bible, “Noah was a pleasure to the Lord.”

So essentially, God said, “This guy brings me pleasure. He makes me smile. I’ll start over with his family.” Because Noah brought pleasure to God, you and I are alive today. From his life we learn the five acts of worship that make God smile.

1. If you want to make God smile, you’ve got to love Him more dearly.

Instead of going the way of the world, Noah made the decision that I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world, rather than stand with the world and be judged by God. So many folks are following the followers of the devil, following the followers of the ways of the world, following folks who say stuff like, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”

Noah loved God more than anything else in the world and even when no one else did. Some people try to be in the church and in the world at the same time. But is there anybody here today that has made up in their mind, I don’t care who it offends, I don’t care who can’t get with me, but I love God with all my heart and I’m gonna put Him first in my life!! Jesus called it the greatest commandment!

2. If you want to make God smile, we must see Him more clearly. What God wants more than anything else is an intimate relationship with us. We must get to know God for who He is. God said in Hosea 6:6, I don’t want your sacrifices—I want your love; I don’t want your offerings---I want you to know me! We must learn to see God in everything and praise Him continually. Noah’s life brought pleasure to God because He had a real relationship with God.

3. If you want to make God smile, you must follow Him more nearly.

God gave Noah specific instructions on how He wanted the ark built. He said I want you to use gopher wood, I want it to be 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits high. He gave Him detailed specifications. Noah followed them to the letter. He didn’t go to the woods and say, I can’t find any gopher wood, cedar will do just the same. You see so many of us, God gives us an assignment, but we want to do it our way. But when God gives you an assignment, you must do it His way, and here’s a principle for you note takers in the house:

“If you obey God’s instructions, He will handle the obstructions” (anything that gets in your way!)

4. If you want to make God smile, you’ve got to serve Him more cheerfully.

God smiles when we use our abilities. But more importantly, God smiles when we show Him our availability. God has gifted everyone of us with numerous gifts and talents, and He expects us to serve Him by serving others.

God also wants us to enjoy this journey with Him. The Psalmist said in Psalm 100:2, “Serve the Lord with gladness…. Some of us serve him with sadness, some folks serve him with madness, some folks serve him with badness, but if you want God to smile, you’ve got to serve Him more cheerfully!

Noah’s life brought pleasure to God because Noah lived with a heart of praise and thanksgiving. That’s what we’ve got to do if we want to make God smile!

5. If you want to make God smile, you’ve got to trust Him sincerely.

This is one of the main reasons that Noah pleased God and made Him smile, because He trusted God, even when it didn’t make sense. The Bible says, “By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn’t see (i.e. RAIN) but he acted on what he was told, and as a result, Noah became intimate with God.(Heb. 11:7) Can’t you see Noah saying to God, God, I’m glad to do what you told me to do, but I got just one question for you--what in the world is RAIN?

Noah trusted God even though it may have caused him to look like a crazy man to all the people who passed by and saw him working, for 120 long years, building a giant ship in his yard, yet Noah kept on building and kept on preaching, It’s gonna rain!

Noah knew that Trusting God was also an act of worship!

Abraham followed God’s leading without knowing WHERE it would take him!

Hannah waited for God’s perfect timing without knowing WHEN He would come through!

Mary expected a miracle without knowing HOW God would do it!

Joseph trusted God’s purpose without knowing WHY circumstances happened the way they did!

Each of these people fully trusted God!

Proverbs 3:4 says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding!