HOW TO BE PLEASING TO GOD

Many years ago, singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman wrote these lyrics:

This is my heart's cry I want to know the one who saved me and gave me life This is my heart's cry to be so close to Him that all my life becomes A testimony of my Savior's grace and love --This is my heart's cry

This is my heart's cry Much more than just a great desire - it's like a fire in me I hear my heart cry each time I think about the cross where Jesus died

The cross should have been mine but His love broke through time And heard my heart's cry - he heard my heart's cry

Now every other hope and dream is lost inside of this one thing To know the one who died for me and live my life for Jesus Christ Is my heart's cry

So let my life become a testimony of my Savior's grace and love Oh - this is my heart's cry - to stand before the Father one day And hear Him say well done - this is my heart's cry

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I sincerely hope that each of us share this heart’s cry!

I invite you to turn in your Bible to 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2, as we return to our study of this wonderful epistle, and consider How to be Pleasing to God.

Since we have been away from our study for several weeks, it might be good to remind ourselves about how the Church in Thessalonica was formed, and about the highlights of what we’ve learned thus far in our study.

The second half of the Book of Acts chronicles the missionary journeys of the Apostle Paul. During his second missionary journey Paul and company brought the message of the gospel into the continent of Europe. Their first three missionary endeavors on this continent were in the region of Macedonia. They first ministered in Philippi, and after being chased out of this prominent city they made their way to Thessalonica. In Acts 17:1-9 we read:

Acts 17:1–9 NASB95PARA

Now when they had traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And according to Paul’s custom, he went to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and giving evidence that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of the God-fearing Greeks and a number of the leading women. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have upset the world have come here also; and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” They stirred up the crowd and the city authorities who heard these things. And when they had received a pledge from Jason and the others, they released them.

After leaving Thessalonica their next stop was in Berea. Once again they faced opposition there which seems to have been especially aimed at Paul, and so the Berean converts sent Paul off to the region of Achaia, and the city of Athens. Eventually Paul’s lieutenants, Silas and Timothy, caught up with him in Athens, but Paul sent them back to check on the welfare of the churches in Macedonia; specifically, he sent Timothy to check on the Thessalonians. By the time Silas and Timothy caught up with Paul again, he had already established a new work in another place in the region of Achaia, the city of Corinth. And it was from there, apparently immediately after receiving Timothy’s report on the welfare of the church in Thessalonica, that Paul wrote this letter.

In the first portion of this very personal epistle:

Paul provided not only some solid doctrinal teaching, but also an overview of their brief time together.

He remembered in prayer their work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in Christ.

He expressed his confidence in their profession of salvation because they imitated the things that were going on in various Christian communities.

He reflected on the power of the gospel which was at work in the life of these persecuted believers.

He reminded them how he and his companions worked hard so as not to be a burden to the Thessalonians.

He reflected on his great desire to know about their spiritual welfare.

He rejoiced in the good news that Timothy brought to him about their progress in the faith.

He informed them about his desire to be with them again some day soon.

And he prayed that God would allow that to happen.

As is common in the epistles of Paul there is a shift from the content which is focused on doctrine, to the ethics or practical living out of the doctrines which Paul has taught. And that is where we pick things up this morning.

I like what John Stott wrote in his commentary regarding the lack of Christian ethics often seen today in the evangelical church:

One of the great weaknesses of contemporary evangelical Christianity is our comparative neglect of Christian ethics, in both our teaching and our practice. In consequence, we have become known rather as people who preach the gospel than as those who live and adorn it.

Stott went on to write:

The Message of Thessalonians Introduction: The Teaching of Ethics

One of the main reasons for this is that our churches do not (on the whole) teach ethics. We are so busy preaching the gospel that we seldom teach the law. We are also afraid of being branded ‘legalists’. ‘We are not under the law’, we say piously, as if we were free to ignore and even disobey it. Whereas what Paul meant is that our acceptance before God is not due to our observance of the law. But Christians are still under obligation to keep God’s moral law and commandments.

Stott, J. R. W. (1994). The message of Thessalonians: the gospel & the end of time (p. 76). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Our passage for this morning is the introductory statement to ethical portion of this great letter to a persecuted church. And the central thought is that believers are to live in such as way as to be pleasing to God. As a matter of fact, the desire of every believer in Jesus Christ should be to please God in everything we say and do. In our passage for this morning, Paul mentions one inherent way and two active ways in which the believer pleases God.

Let’s read the passage together.

1 Thessalonians 4:1–2 NASB95PARA

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Let’s look first at the inherent aspect of pleasing God:

The Believer’s Union with Christ

Note that:

To please God one must be united with Jesus Christ

The union of believers with Christ is, as I’ve said on many occasions, the most precious of doctrines to me. And it seems to have been to Paul as well since he often refers to it. All who are believers are united with Christ. Our salvation is based upon this union in such a way that Christ death was our death, that His resurrection is our resurrection so that we too might walk in the newness of life. Because of our union with Christ, when He fulfilled the requirements of the moral law of God, it is counted on our behalf as well.

Romans 8:3–4 NASB95PARA

For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Not only is our salvation dependent on our union with Christ, our spirit growth is also dependent on this union.

Note that Paul refers to the Thessalonian believers as being family members: “Finally then, brethren.”

John 15:4 NASB95PARA

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

So Paul has written to those who have an equal standing before God with him, those who are apart of the same family of God. He and his companions also derive their authority to instruct others in the way of the Christian faith from Christ as well. Notice verse 2:

1 Thessalonians 4:2 NASB95PARA

For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

The term for commandments is used of an instruction from a higher ranking officer being passed down through the ranks. The words: “the authority of” are not found in the Greek text. The translators of the NASB95 inserted them to give clarity to the statement which literally reads “what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.”

So we’ve seen that all believers are united with Christ, and this truth inherently pleases God.

Let’s look next at the first of the two active ways to please God which Paul addressed in our text:

Walking in a Worthy Manner

Note that:

To please God we must walk in a way which pleases Him

Paul frequently uses the term walk to describe the way people live; both in Christ and outside of Christ. Paul uses this term dozens of times in his epistles.

Categories

A Unified Walk

The first category of verses has to do with the believer’s union with Christ.

· Rom 6.4 – newness of life

· Col 2.6 – as you received Christ, so walk in Him

A Spirit Directed Walk

The second category of references emphasize the impossibility of the believer pleasing God in their own strength and power. Believers need divine direction and empowerment.

· Rom 8.4 – according to the Spirit

· Gal 5.16 – by the Spirit

A Proper and Improper Walk

The vast majority of references have to do with how to walk properly before both God and man.

· Rom 13.13 – walk properly as in the daytime

· 2 Cor 5.7 – walk by faith and not by sight

· Eph 2.10 – walk in good works

· Eph 4.1 – walk in a worthy manner

· Eph 4.17 – walk no longer as gentiles walk

· Eph 5.2 – walk in love, just as Christ

· Eph 5.8 – walk as children of Light

· Eph 5.15 – walk in wisdom

· Phil 3.17-18 – walk according to the pattern you have seen in us, not as enemies of the cross of Christ

· 1 Thess 4.1 – walk as taught so that you may please God

· 1 Thess 4.12 – walk properly before outsiders

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Back to our text, let’s look at verse 1 again.

1 Thessalonians 4:1 NASB95PARA

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.

We don’t know how long Paul was in Thessalonica before being chased out. However, the apostle reminds his readers that he was there long enough to give them the basic instruction as to how to live properly before God. Timothy has brought him a report of their spiritual welfare. So he acknowledges that the Thessalonians are indeed walking according to the instructions they had received from him. This is positive reinforcement at its finest!

The first active way in which to please God, as mentioned in our text, is to walk in a worthy manner. Now let’s consider the second active way of pleasing God which Paul addressed in our text:

Excelling in What We’ve Learned

Note next that:

To please God we must continue to progress in our current walk with Christ

Over the past couple of months, for various good reasons, I have not played the piano hardly at all. And last week when I had to fill in for Byron, who was out sick, I could tell that I had not practiced! I felt that my playing was very sloppy, and I was more than a little embarrassed by that.

When we as believers don’t put into practice the things which we have learned about how we should live, we become sloppy in our Christian walk. We become what James referred to as hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word.

After using positive reinforcement to encourage the Thessalonian believers, he then exhorted them to excel in the things they have learned and practiced.

To excel at something a person has to have knowledge of the subject. In other words, the reason Paul could exhort these dear believers to excel in pleasing God is that they had already been taught how to please God. Look at verse 2 again.

1 Thessalonians 4:2 NASB95PARA

For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

Are we pleasing God in our walk?

Are we living our life in such a way as to reflect our union with Christ?

Are we in constant reliance on the Holy Spirit to help us live in a pleasing manner before God?

Are we walking in a proper way before God and man?

Are you and I excelling in the things we’ve learned?

Are we willing to seriously consider if our lives are pleasing to God or not?

This is my heart's cry I want to know the one who saved me and gave me life This is my heart's cry to be so close to Him that all my life becomes A testimony of my Savior's grace and love --This is my heart's cry

This is my heart's cry Much more than just a great desire - it's like a fire in me I hear my heart cry each time I think about the cross where Jesus died

The cross should have been mine but His love broke through time And heard my heart's cry - he heard my heart's cry

Now every other hope and dream is lost inside of this one thing To know the one who died for me and live my life for Jesus Christ Is my heart's cry

So let my life become a testimony of my Savior's grace and love Oh - this is my heart's cry - to stand before the Father one day And hear Him say well done - this is my heart's cry

Let’s pray.

Closing Song: #234

Now Unto Him