Sunday Worship June 18th

Yeah. Well There we go. Next time, just tell me there's nothing on the screen cuz I clicked the wrong button. Okay.

Okay, so pleasing parents, here's the question for us this morning. Can you be pleasing to God almighty? I know a lot of folks will say, yes, but then there's a lot of folks, those have other answers and take just a moment, think about it longer. If you will, for a bit about when you I say that, can you please God Almighty let that running around inside for just a minute, don't just grab the first answer. When you hear that, what do you think about? When you hear that, what do you see? When you hear that? Can you please. What do you feel? Not everybody has the same answer many think they can't many think feel and believe they cannot please God Almighty because they see God is Almighty in perfect. So how in the world could eyes a human being possibly, please God all night and there's a number of reasons for that. Some people are consumed with what I call toxic shame. Now Shane can be very valuable, Paul talks about in the sense of being Godly sorrow, that causes you to repent and turn. But there's a version of Shame where people come to believe is their growing up. That they really are not good, not good enough for anything. Now, some parents instill that sell them for whatever reason, but they really begin to feel and believe and think of themselves and see themselves as something that's just plain flawed and broken. Other folks. Out of a sense of what I call false humility. Will think and feel and believe that. Well, if I start thinking I can, please God, I'm being prideful. And I sure don't want to start down that road. Other folks will think once they're convicted by the gospel of sin, that my sins are so great. How can I possibly please God Almighty. Now, that's not a complete list of what Pete goes on in people's minds. And like I said some folks will just say, yeah, I can, please God So, we're going to look at this morning, some about pleasing God. What is pleasing to God. So we know we're going to talk about how we can do it and a y, and so on. So we start with a few verses. What is pleasing to God? Matthew the third chapter verse 17? And this is about Jesus and he is our example for everything. Is he not? He's the one we should look to. And the number of occasions God publicly announced. The Jesus was pleasing to him and Matthew 3. This is at the baptism of Jesus. Now, if you remember, John the Baptist was out, baptizing people for repentance and forgiveness of sin and some people that said, was, why did Jesus get baptized? Cuz he hadn't sinned. It was because Jesus lived under the Old Testament law of Moses and in that long noses whenever God would send a prophet, a real Prophet from him, not a false one. People were to listen to that profits and follow that profit, of course the prophets tried to turn the Jewish Nation. Coming back to law of Moses, they have become incredibly idolatrous. But when the prophet came along and said, here's what God wants and he's actually God Prophet that needs to be done and Jesus, living under that system said to fulfill all righteousness. I need to be baptized by you and he was baptized came up out of the Waters of baptism in the Holy Spirit, descended upon him as a dove and a voice. From Heaven said, This is my beloved Son with whom I am. Well pleased.

Coruscant was pretty Place New Beginning when Jesus was born with the angels and the announcements and all the things that happened. But here God and Nelson, has publicly a voice from Heaven. That everybody, if they could hear, That this is my son and with him, I am, well, pleased in the 12th chapter of Matthew. And interesting thing gets said here, I'll read it for you. It says this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet. Isaiah. Behold my servant whom I have chosen. My beloved with whom. My soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon Him. He will Proclaim Justice to the Gentiles will not quarrel or cry out loud. Nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets? A bruised Reed, he will not break and a smoldering Wick. He will not plant, Chantilly bring Justice to Victory and in his name's the Gentiles will hope.

Silver. 400 years. Before Jesus was born here into this world in a man's body. God is predicted to Isaiah. The prophet that his servant. And that's what a lot of Isaiah talks about is my servant speaking of Jesus. And I think it's around the 42 chapter where this is quote from from, and he said, ahead of time, I will be well, pleased with my servant. And Jesus comes along and this prophecy, nicer record it as having been fulfilled by Jesus living a life, that was pleasing to God.

Bible also says. Matthew 17:5. He was still speaking, when Behold a bright Cloud. Overshadowed them a voice from the cloud said. This is my beloved Son with whom. I am well pleased with listen to him.

This is now the second time, the voices said it, there will be three altogether times at The Voice. Speaks from Heaven speaks about God being pleased with his son. But this was at the Transfiguration, If you remember James, John. Went up with Peter and Jesus up to the mountain and Jesus went to pray. And while praying, he be carrying literally began to become pure light, It says His Garment, his body glowed and a light that no amount of cleansing here upon Earth of a person's garment could ever achieve and quite literally, rip your calls that he was shining in his glory. Peter, of course, jumps up and says, hey, Moses. And Elijah were there and that being Peter, he was trying to do was right all the time and he kind of overdid the pleasing thing sometimes without thinking And this Cloud chatted over them and this is my beloved Son. And whom I well pleased, listen to him. Nobody has announced on multiple occasions, his pleasure with Jesus and how Jesus was living.

And that is an important piece of what we want to know. How is it that Jesus live now? Yes, I know you are not God, we're not God in a man's body where his disciples but disciples are learner's and followers. So we want to please God and we can scriptures been saying we can. If we want to please God we need to imitate as much of Jesus's life as possible. Peter and 2nd Peter 1:17. Remember when they left the mountain, Jesus told James, John and Peter. Don't say anything to anybody about this till after I'm gone. And Peter recounted it, Matthew wrote it down and Peter said in Matthew or 2nd Peter 1 verse 17 for when he received honor and Glory from God the Father the voice was born to him by the majesty and Glory. This is my beloved Son with whom I am. Well pleased.

So we turn now to what the Bible says about us. Pleasing God. And that it can be done. The Bible says in 1st Thessalonians 4 verse 1. Finally, then Brothers we asking heard you in the Lord Jesus that you read that, as you receive from us, how you ought to walk and to please God. Just as you are doing that, you do sore more and more. And we recently went through on Wednesday night, the Thessalonian letters. And one of the amazing things that we all shared and talked about and we're impressed with was Paul telling them. Well first, he told him you all are loving each other and your loving others and do that more Excel more. He said at it. And here, he's telling them that you are pleasing God as to how you walk. Remember, when you run to do these words, like how you walk? That is how you live. That's what that term means in Greek. So when he says, hear from us, how you ought to walk into, please God, just as you are doing that, you do so more and more. Another words you can always do more forever level. You're out of pleasing. God, there's more for you to do. He also said, in here, he use the word thought. At least in the English Standard Version. Now that word Literally carries with it. In the Greek. It means a command a must So, Jesus was pleasing to God. He told us, who is that weird to be like little children. And we know little children very pleasing to their parents and now we have scripture telling us that we as Christians, his disciples, we ought to please God.

I know some of you if you're following the outline this is where I changed it this morning a little bit but you'll catch up. Ephesians 5 verse 8 through 10, if you're following, Four at one time. You were Darkness, the Bible tells them and us but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

Try to discern it. Try to figure it out, try to read about it in scripture and place it in your heart things that are pleasing to God. And make that like Jesus did how you live, how you ought to walk through your life and proceed on a daily basis. Maybe it'd be good for us. Sometimes when we first wake up in the morning to acknowledge to God, if you don't already the blessings of the fact that you have another day to be of service, and get the heart and mind focused upon, pleasing him. Yes, we got all kinds of Earthly things, adult things to do, but this is what we're supposed to be doing this should take precedence and he says, you should just try to discern. What is pleasing to learn about it? It is the fruit of the light he says that is found in all that is good, right? And true. Noticed Colossians, 1 verse 10 on the subject. The Bible says so as to walk in a manner, worthy of the Lord fully pleasing to him, Not about pleasing ourselves. Kids get into that as they grow up, don't they? It's all about pleasing self. When specially, when they start hitting adolescence, everything's life and death. But is little children, they're not. So consumed about pleasing self as they are about to complete the pleasing mom and dad. And here, he tells us. So where the walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. Bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

now, if you want to sum up in a nutshell, how to do this, or what to do, Every good work increasing in the knowledge of God and to grow more more. So the question we're never done. But it's that doing of this will of God. It's a us doing what he's asked us to do in following the what the Bible tells us that we two will be pleasing to him.

So let's look at some things that are pleasing. That scripture tells us some things that are pleasing to God. Colossians 3:20. And this is to remind us. That when we were children and did what God at or what our parents told us to do, we were pleasing to God in that act. Paul says that in Colossians 3:20, children obey, your parents and everything for this pleases, the Lord.

So when we was kids did that we were pleasing to God. In Ephesians 6:1 he says children obey your parents in the Lord. For this is right. Honor, your father and mother. This is the first commandment with a promise that it may go well with you. And that you may live long in the land. So bury it. Deep inside of us, as we left childhood. There is a part of us as we loved our parents. We wanted to please them and that needs to be growing in us as Christians out of our love for God. We are driven motivated to please. He What else, pleases? God, the Bible says you can please, God by praising him and expressing in song and expressing thankfulness, as long as the guy running. The computer gets the songs, right? Ephesian are not Visions. Psalm 69 First 3631. He says I will praise the name of God with a song. I will Magnify Him with Thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and Hooves. David lived under the Old Testament law, and the sacrifice of the auction, the bull in the shape, and the Lambs and the goats. And so on, was a really big deal in the Jewish Nation, kind of got wrapped up in that the Pharisees especially got wrapped up in those kinds of things to physically do. And David make something even clear. He says here this will please the Lord more than an ox a bull with horns and hugs. David was called man after God's Own Heart. and what he's talkin about here and this should be when we sing out of our love for him and our gratitude or thankfulness for what he has done for each and every person in this room. Paul says, every good thing that's come down to you and come from God, all the positive things that are in your life has come from God. The opportunity, we have this morning to worship Him and praise him. In song has come from God. The fact that Jesus died for our sins has come from God so that we can stand with our souls pure and cleansed and David regulations that. And he also mentions Thanksgiving in Ephesians 5:19 and 20.

Addressing one another, in Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs singing and making Melody to the Lord with your heart. Giving. Thanks always for everything to God, the father in the name of our Lord. Jesus Christ. That's a pretty big statement. And a lot of times we go to that statement, trying to prove this thing is what we are to be doing, but look at how he says to do it. Melody from the heart.

that's the motivation, our love for him and our gratitude, Thankfulness that this morning, you could wake up alive, have some food to eat. People that love you, people to love and to be able to come and worship with him and he says, giving thanks, always David. Did that in the songs? A lot. Paul talks about it repeatedly in Colossians 3:16, let the word of Christ dwell in you richly teaching and admonishing one. Another with all wisdom singing songs, hymns spiritual songs with thankfulness in your heart. So when we do that Paul, his said we're pleasing Peter, I'm sorry. David is said, we are pleasing to God, when we sing these songs that we sing and from our hearts praising, Jesus said worshipping God in spirit and Truth, Hebrews 12:2 it verse 12. Go to passage about day about Jesus a prophecy. He says, I will tell of your name to my brothers and in the midst of the congregation, I will sing your praise. That's what are singing is supposed to accomplish. Praising him thanking him.

Bible says it pleases God through the Folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

when it comes to going out and talking to people about Jesus Christ, having been raised from the dead, having died for one sins, God gets pleased with that. Now, tell the world that's a real foolish message. Are you think about it right now. All that, you know about the world do we live in? Do you really think that anybody in the world would think that your leader has been crucified on the cross and buried in a tomb? And you all say is Rhys but you killed him as a criminal.

To the world, that's falling. To the world that that was introduced them with all the Greeks and they did not believe in life after death, that was incredible falling. Dustbuster need for God. Have eyewitnesses. Some 500 + who were alive at the time. Paul wrote 1st Corinthians the 15th chapter. So I Witnesses could say. Yeah he did that and that's who I owe your father. Notice what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 1:18 through 21 about the sea says for the word of the cross. That's the blood sacrifice for everyone, sins for the word of the Cross is folly to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. Or it is written. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and the discernment of the Discerning. I will fort. Where is the one who's wise? Where is the Scribe? Where's the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish. The wisdom of this world. and you really has, Every time man thinks he's something. God finds a way to turn it against him. We think we're incredibly amazing. We think we can do a lot for a human life. This week it got announced on the internet that some scientists have been able to send phatic Lee, create an embryo in a test tube. Now the law won't allow them to go further than six weeks of its growth, but they're trying to say and this is what the headline was. They said we'd man and man's created life in a test tube and week have embryos growing and we did not need a male or a female to do this. Now, if you read down further in their article, they do say that these were created from stem cells. So you taking stem cells from a live. Human being who were created by a man and a woman. And you take those and you put things together in a test tube in an embryo bregans to grow. And you say, see, we don't need the egg, we don't need the sperm that that's how hypocritical they are. They are trying to really create life. They can't because every time they do something like this and they have all the ingredients, they don't have the life force itself, that is God, And that's necessary to create a human being. Although that's on here. He says well he just told us the wisdom of the world's foolish man verse 21. He says $0.04 in the wisdom of God. This is what God thinks, the world did not know God through wisdom. Otherwise, you can't figure out who God is or what he wants on your own. He says it please God to the Folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

Jesus said, I am the way the truth, the life. No one comes to the father, but by me,

Please God, the gospel has to be preached. Then believed sends repented of confessed of Jesus being the Savior baptism. And then walking with him trying to please him throughout one's life. The world thinks we're foolish. The majority of people in the world will think we're foolish. I know there's a lot of folks who think Christianity should be the most is the most popular religion and we are a majority but it's never been that way. It'll never be that way. We're a minority we always have. Then we always will cuz Jesus said many are called but few are chosen. Were chosen to the preaching of the Gospel. Were chosen through telling people you're supposed to follow a dead man who's now a live? Who's you can't see feel or touch. But here we have some evidence eyewitness accounts, the word, which is the power of God to Salvation. And when we talk to people about that when we make the effort to get someone to come to worship or a Bible study, God is well pleased.

Under the setting. What's pleasing to God I needed to throw in something that's not cuz there's a lot of things not, but in relation to this preaching of the Gospel in Galatians, 1 7 through 9, the holy spirit said this Not that there is another one but there are some who trouble you and want to distort, the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel, contrary to the one we preached to you. Let him be accursed as we said before. So say I now again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel, contrary to the one. You receive. Let him be accursed when people distort and twist the gospel. God is not pleased with that. So that leaves us with this. How? How do I go about pleasing God? We looked at what takes, what it takes to please him, what does please him? He's been very vocal about that and you told us plenty about it. So we know, he can be who we also know if we're ought to please him fully. So we know we're commanded to be. How do I do that? Turn Lexi wood in your Bible to Hebrews the 11th chapter verse 5 and 7.

You've all heard of Enoch? He is used as a example. One of the heroes of Hebrews 11 chapter of what faith is and it says 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 please God without faith. It is impossible to please him. Or whoever would draw near to, God must believe that he exists and that he is rewards those who seek him. I read that passage of hundreds of times. And I never really stopped and noticed this little part here, he says by faith. Enoch was taken up, so he should not see death. He was found not found because God had taken him notice this par now before he was taken, he was commended as having, please God. That means that before Enoch was taken up. He lived by faith. And God commended him somehow. Somehow God, made it known that he was pleased with Enoch before he took him. Now he took him up because he walked by faith and then he says, in verse 6 without faith. It's impossible to please him. That is God for whoever would draw near to God must believe he exists that he rewards those who seek him.

We talked a lot about faith the last few months. Number H, St. Humility surrender and Trust, I would suggest you Enoch live that way. Didn't serve himself. He apparently was serving God. We don't given all the details, but we know that he had faith in faith is has humility in that. Humility, as you serve someone other than self, And you obviously surrendered to God's Will and he put his trust in God. That's flipped three characteristics of faith that saves. Now, for us, we look at this and how can we, please God, we can please God by living by faith. So, how do I get Faith? You know, the answer. Romans 10:17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, of the word of Christ venue, which translation to read. That's how you get Faith, Enoch heard about God, somehow. Cuz that's how Paul says the Bible says, we did it. And knows what Paul says, I'm suffering friend, things, 57 for, we walk by faith, not by sight. We are literally when we walk my studies book chapter and verse and how we do our life trusting, God day in day out, surrendering is constantly to his will as best. We can humble enough to serve him and not self. When we do that, we are walking by faith here in this world the same way, Enoch walk by faith. And we please God. Pretty good description of how we play Z. In Romans 12:1 and 2.

The Bible says something about how to play him for us, who are Christians. When you get to Romans 12, you have to understand the context of that book and no, we're not going to go in a long discussion about it. Paul does that for about eleven chapters? But Paul's argument from chapter 1, all the way through chapter 11 of rump, of Romans is the about faith and how faith not works. That is faith in God. Not anything. We do it ourselves, but trusting in his power to do it. That's how we can do what's here in Romans 12 verse one. And two, Romans 12 starts the Practical side of Paul's argument that he went into detail about Abraham and faith and works and how it all works out in God's on our side and so on In 12, 12, he says, I appeal to you there for that, I appeal to you. Therefore, reaches back to all the rest of the book is said because you're saved by this faith that he talked about faith in Christ. He says, I appeal to you, therefore, Brothers by the mercies of God, that's how we're able to, please him by his Mercy. We didn't do this or deserve it. He gave it to us the system Salvation And he says by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a Living Sacrifice. Holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

See, with the understanding of the Old Testament, you know, sacrifice was really important. Now, we don't sacrifice animals.

We sacrifice our bodies. We don't listen to what the body screams it wants to do. We listen to what God says it needs to do. We take our lust of the flesh pride of life and lust of the eyes and we put it into control of Christ. As Paul said to the Corinthians, it's the love of Christ that controls us. That's how we please. God that's how we walk. We present our bodies to God is a sacral. Yes we're alive! We're walking but we're not going to do the lust of the flesh. We're going to do the fruit of the spirit. He goes on. His says in verse to do not be conformed to this world. That's what he's telling us. Don't yell at your body, conforming to this world, he says, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

That by testing you may discern, what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. That were transformed in. The Greek is metamorphosis. You know, the whole thing about caterpillars to butterflies, that get the Cocoon and they go through a metamorphosis a change. And Paul is telling us hear the Holy Spirit Stone was the Bible Stillness. Are you there? Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Go through a metamorphic change. Most folks don't know this but that chemical. That chemical that takes a moth and turns it into a butterfly. We possess that chemical in our brains. We have access to that chemical in our brains. And God is his power in his word by the renewing of our mind. We can transform into being pleasing to God and how we live.

The word here is where he says, what is good and acceptable? I gave the Greek word. They're pleasing and acceptable is what that word means in the Greek. So how can you know that you are walking and pleasing God? Second print of the Corinthians, 13:5 examine yourselves to see. Whether you are in the faith, test your cells, or do you not realize this about yourselves that? Jesus Christ is in you unless indeed, you fail the test So I know I can please him. I know I have an example of Jesus. I know I have the command. He's told me to walk by faith. That's how the, how can I be sure? I'm doing that in here. He says the Holy Spirit. The Bible says test yourself to see if you're in the faith. Now Faith is used two ways in Scripture. It's use one about what you do. The believing the humility, the surrender. The Trust In choosing to believe, God and trust him that's the verb but there's fate word. Faith is also used as a noun and if you remember nouns or person places or things and the faith is the content of what we're supposed to believe. And if we're in that context, but it's a, there's a box here, this is the faith. Everything you're supposed to do is in this box, if you're in that box, you test yourselves, new find, you're in here. You're good to go. You three said, beloved though, I was eager to write to about our common salvation. I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend earnestly for the faith, which was once for all delivered to the st. Jude's telling you this box of Faith, this container of what we're supposed to believe has already been given its once for all, it's never going to be giving again. We've got everything we need to know if we're in the face pleasing God. 2nd John 9 says, everyone who goes ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have. Whoever a bye to the teaching, has both the father and the son Jesus said it this way. And John 14:23, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My father will love him. We will come to him and make our home with them. Do you think God goes and makes his home here in Christ with something? This displeasing He don't. So, we walk by faith. We're inside the box of faith without faith. That is God's word. We're inside. What? John says here. We're not transgressing it. So we don't have God, we're in it. We're doing it in Jesus says, when you're in there doing that you have God and you can know You can know that you are pleasing to God by what you do.

So, that brings us to the invitation to close in this lesson.

Listen here with your ears, your heart. The invitation that God, the father, Jesus, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. To come and be pleasing to God almighty. That is the invitation this morning. Know, maybe if we've gone through this, you've gone. You know what? I'm in the Box I'm doing good, I need to grow more great or maybe somewhere along the way, something was touched. But you need to repent of. So that you can stay in the Box. Luke 13:3 just said, I tell you no, but unless you repent, you all likewise perish and then Luke 15:7. Jesus and that 15th chapter talking about, The lost sheep, The Prodigal Son. And so on says this, he says, I tell you there be more joy in heaven, over one sinner, who repents than over ninety-nine persons? Who need no repentance

so, if you find Did you need to repent of something between you and God? I would suggest make Heaven joyful. Know when we come to the need to repent, we usually have a heavy heart, we still Godly sorrow and we feel like we're not pleasing God, but the act of repentance causes joy in heaven. Do you think God would be happy with you? And I if we have an air place in our life we need to repent of And the invitation this morning is to do just that and I think the song is 559.