God Pleaser
DNA 2019 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 137 viewsThe call of a Jesus follower is always a call to live by faith. Faith seems to be a lost concept in the christian community yet without it, it is impossible to please God or even join God in what He is doing. This message is meant to define the term of faith and guide us in learning to live by faith.
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
We’ve started this year out on a spiritual journey together.
One that will draw us closer to God and allow us to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to experience all the love and joy he has for us and for those around us.
We have begun to ask ourselves to pretty intence questions about our walk with the Lord as we match up to the core values of Reliant.
Bible Believers: Am I submitting to the Father by obeying His Word for all life and practice? Am I a doer of the Word or just a hearer of the Word?
Disciple Makers:
Am I gathering people to Christ or scattering them from Christ? Learning the principle that when I draw close to God I others close to God as well.
Am I affective at applying the gospel to the lost and broken hearted of this world? Am I making disciples that are strong enough to make disciples?
God Pleasers: Am I trusting God with every aspect of my life as I join Him in His work? Am I walking by faith and not by sight?
Decisions, Decisions, Decisions. All day long we are confronted with decisions.
Decisions are formed by the thoughts we think and the words we say.
The decisions we make determine The actions we take, the habits we form, and the course of our lives.
This is something that every single person on the planet deals with. It is estimated that on any given day a person will make 35,000 decisions.
For some, decisions are hard, sometimes even paralyzing. They are scared to make a decision because they are unsure if it is the right decision or not.
Decisions have consequences in our lives. So they can be dangerous.
What should I spend my money on?
Who should I date or even bigger who should I marry?
Should we have kids?
What should I eat today? or What should I cook for dinner?
What clothes should I wear?
Where should I live?
What Church should I attend?
What friends should I have?
What toothpaste should I use?
With so many decisions to be made in a single day no wonder we are feeling stressed out and sometimes lost in all of it.
The only way to relieve some of the burden of decision making is to have some clear directives in your life that makes some of the decision making a no-brainer.
These directives are determined by asking yourself some key questions.
These directives are determined by asking yourself some key questions.
What is your purpose in life?
What are your dreams and aspirations in life?
Are you willing to put forth the effort to attain these dreams or will you settle for something less?
What are the milestones to achieve your goals?
What are the steps you need to take to hit each milestone?
Some people are proactive in their decision making and some people are reactive in their decision making.
Some people are proactive in their decision making and some people are reactive in their decision making.
Today as we continue our DNA series we are going to be talking about a proactive way of approaching life.
In this way of life most of the decisions are very clear and easy to manage.
It is the life of faith! Notice I didn’t say fate but faith.
his world.
Our mission statement at Reliant is
“Producing Jesus follower of faith that expand God’s kingdom.”
Core Values
Bible Believers: submitting to the authority of the Bible for all life and practice.
Disciple Makers: Applying the gospel to the lost and brokenhearted of this world.
God Pleasers: Living by faith as we join God in his redemptive work.
Community Engagers
Kingdom Builders
The call of a Jesus follower is always a call to live by faith. Faith seems to be a lost concept in the christian community yet without it, it is impossible to please God or even join God in what He is doing.
What is faith?
What is faith?
When a person does begin to live by faith the pressure, stress, and worry of the decisions of life are dramatically reduced.
To unpack the core value of God Pleaser we will answer 3 questions:
What is Faith?
What does it mean to live by faith?
How can I grow in my life of faith?
What is faith?
What is faith?
1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
The two key aspects of faith.
The two key aspects of faith.
“Assurance”
“Assurance”
The greek word for assurance is hypostasis = a sure foundation or substructure.
An assurance of future promises or truth.
Assurances are made to us by God in his Word.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
“Conviction”
“Conviction”
the greek word for conviction is elenchos = evidence of proof through testing.
Truth established through trial and testing.
Conviction is different than belief.
Belief needs no proof, trial, or testing.
Conviction occurs when the burden of proof is met through evidence.
We use this in the court system today when a person is convicted of a crime. A person is not convicted on belief but on evidence even sometimes on circumstantial evidence if there is enough of it.
Working definition of Faith toward God.
Working definition of Faith toward God.
“Faith is a sure foundation of future truth based upon tested and proven evidence of things not seen.”
“Faith is a sure foundation of future truth based upon tested and proven evidence of things not seen.”
Gravity: I’ve never seen gravity. No one is able to explain why gravity is in affect on the earth. But we know through experience that if I let go of this ball gravity will pull it as close to the Earth’s core as it can get without obstruction. Through past experiences I have the conviction and faith that gravity is real and will effect this ball when I let it go. But this conviction cause me to hope in future events for I have not yet dropped the ball.
The same faith that I have that the ball will fall to the floor is the same faith I have toward my God that I cannot see.
The same faith that I have that the ball will fall to the floor is the same faith I have toward my God that I cannot see.
I have the assurances of his promises to me for now and for the future.
I trust these assurances he made to me because of the evidence I see of his hand.
The undeniable intelligent design of the cosmos.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
The undeniable evidence of the resurrection of Christ.
1 Cor 15:3
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
What does it mean to live by Faith?
What does it mean to live by Faith?
What does it mean to live by Faith?
What does it mean to live by Faith?
Every Jesus follower is commanded to live by faith.
11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Gal 3
Living by faith is walking in the assurances and conviction of God’s promises and power.
Living by faith is walking in the assurances and conviction of God’s promises and power.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
When you walk by faith toward God you are walking in faith with God.
Those that trust in the Lord are rewarded and strengthened by Him.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. 8 It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
5 I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. 6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around. 7 Arise, O Lord! Save me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked. 8 Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah
Ps
Pro
When we walk by faith we join God in His work of redemption and restoration of this sin cursed world.
Living without faith is disappointment to the Lord and destruction to the soul.
Living without faith is disappointment to the Lord and destruction to the soul.
Heb
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
38 but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” 39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
Heb 10:38-
How can I grow in my life of faith?
How can I grow in my life of faith?
Believe that God is who he says he is and seek Him with your whole heart.
Believe that God is who he says he is and seek Him with your whole heart.
When Elijah the prophet was standing on the top of Mt. Carmel the people of God were not walking by faith. they were trusting in the false gods of this world.
21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.
1 Kings 18:
There is nothing worse than an unbelieving Christian
Jesus said to the Church of Laodicea
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
15 “ ‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
Rev 3
Or as my Dad used to say, “Crap or get off the pot.”
When Joshua led the people into the promised land and God had subdued all their enemies before them. Joshua called them to decision.
14 “Now therefore fear the Lord and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 15 And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Josh 24:14
God is calling us to join him in a supernatural work that we can’t do on our own.
He is calling us to walk by faith and not by sight.
Every Christian and every Church has to make the same choice that God’s people have always made.
If the Lord is God, follow him. If the gods of this world look better to you then follow them. But by all means choose today whom you will serve.
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
Learn to walk in the assurances God has given you in the Bible.
Learn to walk in the assurances God has given you in the Bible.
This is where a discipleship path can really help you as you systematically learn how to walk in the confidence and conviction of God promises.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
2 Peter 1:3-4
These precious promises are your assurances from God.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5
Knowledge is not the goal but a faith walk with God that expands His kingdom and his glory.
If your not going forward in your faith then you’re falling backward.
9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.
2 Peter 1:
God is not pleased with a waisted life of no faith, because the cost to redeem that life was so high. It cost him his son. A life for a life.
Let the evidence of God’s unseen hand build your confidence and conviction as you join God in His work.
Let the evidence of God’s unseen hand build your confidence and conviction as you join God in His work.
Conclusion:
Here is the questions you will need to answer for yourself this morning.
God Pleasers:
Am I trusting God with every aspect of my life as I join Him in His work?
Am I walking by faith and not by sight?
You can come to Church. You can give to the poor You can serve on a serve team. But without faith in is impossible to please God.
Have you put your faith and trust in God this morning?
Are you tired of being paralysed and unable to move forward in your life?
If you can muster up just enough faith in God to believe that he is who he says he is, God will reward you and your journey of faith will begin.
Trust him today! Seek Him with your whole heart!
Cry out to Him and ask him to forgive you and save you and he will.
The just shall live by faith.