Text: John 8:19-32
Introduction:
One of the greatest secrets of the successful Christian life is to please God instead of pleasing ourselves or other people such as the ungodly crowd.
Jesus Christ’s autobiography can be summarized by John 8:29 “for I do always those things that please him.”
I. Some other Biographies of Jesus Christ are:
(Luke 19: 10) “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
(John 1 :14) “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”
Peter at Cornelius’ house said of Jesus that He ” … who went about doing good, … “ Acts 10:38.
In eternity past the Son is saying to the Father, regarding His incarnation, life on earth, death for our sins and resurrection, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: … “ Psalm 40:8.
As a boy Jesus said, ” … I must be about my Father’s business?” Luke 2:49.
At Jesus baptism, the Father said ” … Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mark 1 :11
Peter said of Jesus that He was a “man approved of God.” Acts 2:22.
Jesus pleased His Father in life, “The pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.” Isaiah 53:10
Jesus pleased God in death, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” Isaiah 53: 10.
(Romans 15:3) “For even Christ pleased not himself;”.
The one consuming passion in Christ’s life was to please the Father.
Nothing else mattered.
Lesson:
The most miserable and wretched life is one that constantly tries to please itself.
Away with the selfish life. “Get all I can and can all I get” doesn’t make anyone happy.
If we want to please God, we must find out what pleases Him.
If a young man is courting a young lady, he will find out what she likes and do it.
Just like a husband, will find out what his wife wants and do it.
Give her what she likes.
II. The Bible tells us what pleases God.
It pleases the Father when:
1) We exalt His Son.
Colossians 1:18-19.
This means that we should exalt the Lord Jesus Christ who contains all the fullness of God.
It pleases the Father when we talk about Jesus Christ.
Good songs to sing are: “What a friend we have in Jesus”, “All hail the power of Jesus’ name”, “No one ever cared for me like Jesus”, “Let’s talk about Jesus, the King of Kings is He, the Lord of Lords supreme, through all eternity.
The great I am the way, the Truth, the Life, the Door.
Let’s talk about Jesus more and more.
2) We Do Good.
Hebrews 13:15-16.
By doing good, we please God, such as when we help others, or buy things for those in need.
Don’t hoard your money all to yourself.
Use it to help others, and get the gospel out, so you can still enjoy the effects of your money when you are 150 years old, 200, 1000, 1 million years old.
It pleases God when we do something for others to help them know Jesus Christ.
This is why we emphasize soul winning, missions and tract distribution.
3) We Love One Another.
Romans 15:1-3.
If you love others you’ll exhort them to get busy serving God.
Some day you’ll have to face Jesus Christ and tell Him why you wasted so much time in laziness on earth.
I want you to enjoy heaven more and not to be ashamed at Christ’s coming.
God wants us to love one another.
Question: Do you hate anybody today?
Question: Did you criticize anyone lately?
That doesn’t please the Father.
Question: Have you stood in the way of sinners, or sat in the seat of the scornful? Or criticized some good Bible preacher?
That doesn’t please God.
God is pleased when brethren dwell together in unity.
Psalm 133:1-3
To God, it smells like ointment.
God says, “When my people love each other, it smells like sweet perfume. If they fight each other, it stinks.”
4) We are Fruitful.
Colossians 1:10
When you bear fruit by leading someone to Christ, there is much pleasure in heaven
(Luke 15:7,10).
Question: Are you bearing fruit for Jesus Christ?
5) We Praise Him.
Psalm 69:30-31
God would rather have heartfelt praise than temple sacrifices or good intentions.
It pleases the Father:
a) When you lead someone to Christ & they tell someone:’! have received Jesus Christ as my Saviour’
b) When someone gets baptised, and praises Christ for saving him.
c) When we go soul-winning, and tell sinners how good God is.
d) When we praise God in hard times.
e) When we come to church and praise God in song.
f) When we disciple people so they get back into fellowship with God & praise Him.
That pleases God
6) We pray for a wise and understanding heart to serve others, as Solomon prayed.
I Kings 3:9-10.
Question: Do you study God’s Word to become wise to serve God and people better?
7) We preach the gospel to lost sinners.
I Corinthians1 :21.
Many Christians fear soul-winning because they may look foolish before men.
God is pleased when we are prepared to look foolish for Him so sinners can get saved.
8) We seek to please God rather than men.
Galatians 1:10.
It pleases God when we are prepared to take a stand against the ungodly crowd and the ways of the world.
9) We walk with God in sweet fellowship, as Enoch did.
Genesis 5:21-24
Hebrews 11 :5.
Enoch pleased God by walking with God in the midst of an evil world.
Do you walk daily with God?
10) We do things by Faith and Obedience.
Hebrews 11 :6
It pleases God when we obey and trust Him in hard situations.
11) When we give God’s Word out to people.
Isaiah 55:11
12) When we choose the things that please God.
Isaiah 56:4-5.
These include such things as giving Sunday and our lives wholly to serving God.
13) When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and not led by the flesh.
Romans 8:8.
14) When we don’t entangle ourselves in the affairs of this life but seek to please Christ who has chosen us to be a soldier.
II Timothy 2:4.
We are soldiers for Jesus Christ.
15) We bless Israel.
Numbers 24:1.
Genesis 12:3
16) When we abstain from fornication.
I Thess. 4: 1-8.
God avenges (v.6) those who fornicate and defraud (take advantage of) others.
Ill. Things That Displease God
1) When people kill and persecute Christians.
I Thess. 2:15-16
2) When people commit adultery.
Example: David – II Samuel 11 :27
3) When people rejoice when their enemy falls.
Proverbs 24:17-18.
4) When people complain
Numbers 11:1
I Cor 10:5,9-10
5) When people are proud of their achievements.
I Chron.21:1-8
6) When justice and judgment on sin is not done.
Isaiah 59:14-15
7) When people turn little children away from Jesus.
Mark 10:13-16
IV. Conclusion:
Do you please God or displease God?
Do you please yourself?
Do you seek to please the ungodly crowd?
What are you doing that is displeasing to God?
Get right with God today.