Holding on to Pleasing People

Welcome!

Welcome to New Hope! We’re so glad you are here this morning. If this is your first time to New Hope, we’d like to extend a special welcome. Thanks for being with us. We understand that strange places + strange people sometimes can equal a strange experience! That’s certainly not our desire. Our desire is that you’d feel incredibly welcome, and you’d find these next few moments meaningful & an opportunity to connect with God.

Today is a special day. We are so excited to be able to celebrate with several families, decisions that have been made for Jesus. I mean, really, that’s why I’m here. I hope that’s why you’re here too. We get a little weird when people make decisions for Jesus, so don’t hold that against us. So all the baptism candidates who are in this service, please begin making your way backstage through the black curtain. We’re going to sing a couple songs and then celebrate with baptism. After that, we will hear from God’s word, and then end our service with communion. That’s a lot today! And we’re glad you’re here to share it all with us!

Now if you are able, please stand with us as we sing songs of praise to the One who is worthy of it all! UP-BEAT PRAYER!

Baptism

Outward expression of an inward work. The incredible thing is… what you are about to witness is nothing short of a miracle. It’s God’s handy-work. The Bible tells us that “He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until Jesus returns.” This is part of that “good work”, and we get a front row seat.

Message

Intro

We started a new series last week titled - THE ART OF HOLDING THINGS LOOSELY

It’s not an original saying with me, but I heard it a few months back and it stuck with me. In fact, it was Chuck Swindoll who said, “I'll never forget a conversation I had with the late Corrie ten Boom. She said to me, in her broken English, "Chuck, I've learned that we must hold everything loosely, because when I grip it tightly, it hurts when the Father pries my fingers loose and takes it from me!”

So last week we launched into this series about the things that we grip tightly - the things that we are not willing to let go of - things that we haven’t learned how to grip loosely

We cannot serve two masters; We cannot love God and be enslaved to money; We cannot love both the world and have God’s love in us at the same time; We’re called to live in the world, but not to be of the world (Not to allow the values, customs, & attitudes of this world to enslave us); For where your treasures are, there your heart will be also.

Today

Today, and for the next few weeks, we get more specific explaining THE ART OF HOLDING THINGS LOOSELY

If you’d like to refer to our scripture texts this morning, please turn in your Bibles to the New Testament book of Galatians - Page 700.

Galatians is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the churches of Galatia.

These early churches were in turmoil. As you read through this letter, you clearly see the struggle that was going on.

Paul breaks down this struggle between two groups of people;

A group of Jewish Christians (Judaizers) who were teaching that;

People who came to faith in Jesus must become “Jewish”

In order for your faith in Jesus to “count”, you must walk like a duck, talk like a duck, act like a duck (or Jew)

You must follow all the Jewish traditions, rules, rituals, & laws - even the oral ones - beyond the scope of the OT

In fact, there was a conflict between Paul & Peter beginning in .

Peter (who was a Jew) showed up in Antioch and he ate with the Gentile believers who weren’t following the Jewish customs

But later when some of his Jewish buddies showed up, he wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of what they might think of him or say about him. As a result there were other Jews who followed suit & did the same thing Peter did.

So Paul calls him out in front of the crowd - “Dude, what are you doing? Why was it ok to share with the non-Jewish Christians before your posse showed up, but now it’s not. What has changed?

There will always be Judaizers around us

There will always be people around us telling us what’s better for us

There will always be people who think they mean well, but may not know God’s best for us

Sometimes there are people who are simply selfish or have their own interest at heart

Doesn’t mean we are rebellious just to be a rebel; but we seek to do what’s right in God’s eyes

Wait a minute… Are you saying that we shouldn’t follow the law? Are you saying the OT law no longer applies? Why then was the law ever given? “Glad you asked!”

Galatians 3:19–25 NLT

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ. Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed. Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian.

Galatians 3:19–22 NLT

Why, then, was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins. But the law was designed to last only until the coming of the child who was promised. God gave his law through angels to Moses, who was the mediator between God and the people. Now a mediator is helpful if more than one party must reach an agreement. But God, who is one, did not use a mediator when he gave his promise to Abraham. Is there a conflict, then, between God’s law and God’s promises? Absolutely not! If the law could give us new life, we could be made right with God by obeying it. But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ.

The other group was the Gentiles (non-Jewish followers of Jesus)

They were taught, maybe like many of you, that salvation comes through faith in Jesus

That God’s extended His amazing grace through the person of Jesus; that if we would believe in Him we would have everlasting life; Or to say it another way...

We are made new because of Jesus + nothing

Followers of Jesus

Galatians 5:1–4 NLT

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NLT

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Galatians 2:16–21 NLT

Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.” But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

So what does all this mean and how does it apply to “the art of holding things loosely”?

New Living Translation Chapter 1

10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

One of the things we don’t hold loosely is what others think about us.

Who would be honest and confess that they’re people pleasers?

In fact, we can struggle big time with this. And at first glance it might seem like no big deal.

Our goal cannot be to please God and please people

We cannot share our allegiance; We cannot serve both God and man; We cannot please both God and people

What is our pursuit in pleasing God?

In fact, God seems to work in this way at times. The very thing He might ask from us may not make those around us all that happy. Why is that? Because we’re not perfect! Because we’re flawed people! Because we don’t have it all figured out! Because we’re marred by sin!

Our goal cannot be to please God and please people

Paul says,

Galatians 1:10 NLT

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

The same goes for us - if pleasing people is our goal, we will not be Christ’s servant.

We cannot waffle; we cannot flip-flop; Pleasing God must rule the day! God’s approval must be our priority in all things!

Wrap up

In fact, we can struggle big time with this. And at first glance it might seem like no big deal.

1 Thessalonians 2:4–6 NLT

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts. Never once did we try to win you with flattery, as you well know. And God is our witness that we were not pretending to be your friends just to get your money! As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or anyone else.

What is our pursuit in pleasing people?

- For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts.

As we prepare this morning for communion… How’s your soul?

What is our pursuit in pleasing God?

Psalm 19:14 NLT

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Here’s the deal… If those around you are upset at your pursuit of pleasing God, what does that say about the people you’ve surrounded yourself with?

Wrap up

As we prepare this morning for communion… How’s the direction of your life? How’s the condition of your soul? Is your priority to please God, or is it to please people, or would you say it’s both?

New Living Translation Chapter 6

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”

35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

John 6:32–33 NLT

Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Here’s the deal… If those around you are upset at your pursuit of pleasing God, what does that say about the people you’ve surrounded yourself with?

John 6:35 NLT

Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

You may now eat the bread and drink the cup.

Offertory

I’d like to take this time to say, “There’s some cool stuff going on!” That’s not the most accurate way to say it - “There’s some amazing God-stuff happening!” He gets all the credit… He gets all the glory…

Marriages are being healed & restored

Relationships are being mended

People are being set free from addictions

People are coming to know Jesus & getting baptized