The Importance of a Christian’s Life Pleasing God
Revelation 4:11
DATE: 7 April, 2002 AM PLACE: BBC Blarney
DATE: 28 April, 2002
PLACE: BBC Mallow
I.
Introduction (Rev 4:11)
A. There are three kinds of lives that a person can live
1.
The Common life
a. Just going with “the flow” – call it Normal
b. Born a certain way, raised a certain way
c. Just will die one day – nothing special
d. This kind of a life is called the natural life – it is not a great life
1) It is a life lived to the best of one’s abilities
2) It is a life lived by the “seat of the pants”
3) It is a life that has nothing certain, and no certain hope
4)
It is the life of the lost
e. THAT is the kind of life that 90% of the world is living!
2. The Carnal Life –a person who, one day, at a specific place and time:
a. Repented of their sinfulness – knew they were lost and sinful
b. Cried out in prayer to God asking for forgiveness, and for the gift of eternal life, and they GOT IT – and they KNOW it
c. But they keep going backwards
1) Keep trying to live like they are NOT different now that they are saved
2) Keep trying to HIDE their relationship with Jesus
3) Keep trying to only pray when in trouble, or in desperate need
d. These are the “christians” who never grow! Babies
e. They are known for:
1) Always in-fighting
2) Always angry
3) Always disappointed, unsatisfied
4) Always self-driven – in all their decisions
5) Always struggling hard to “act” like they should, but with little success, and with very little joy!
f. Yes, they are saved, but they find it impossible to live like it
g. I’m glad there is another kind of life we can live…
3.
The Christian life
a. This is a life that pleases God – end of story!
b. They may have a rotten life, a miserable time, a lot of disappointments, but through it all, they walked with their Lord, and God was not ashamed to be called their God!
B. Let me introduce you to some people that were able to please God
1. Solomon (1Kg 3:10) – by dependant prayer
2. Enoch (Heb 11:5,6) – by consistent life of FAITH
a. Not a life full of WHAT you believe
b. But a life LIVING what you believe – examples:
1) I could believe in flying
2) It’s a different thing if I spent my life building, flying airplanes
3) Enoch believed God’s word so much, he spent every day, all day with God, talking to Him, and leaning upon Him through everything!
3. Jesus (Mt 3:17; 17:5)
a. By living the perfect life that we could never live
b. By being just exactly what we as sinners needed (Isa 53:10)
C. Let me demonstrate how important it is for our lives to please the Lord
1. Pr 16:7 – see Jacob and Esau (Gen 27:41; 32:6,7; 32:28; 33:4)
2. 2 Sam 11:27 – because otherwise, we get into trouble with God!
3. If we are not deciding to please the Lord in all things, then we end up only pleasing:
a. Other people – sounds good, but it is a dead end street because it becomes manipulation, and exploitation (as seen today by priests, and almost all of the advertising media)!
b. Our flesh – our own sinful pride
c. Our enemy – the devil, who seeks us not to do evil, but not to do right
D. Let me give you some thoughts on how to live a life pleasing unto the Lord
II.
Message – How to Live a Life Pleasing to God
A. Live it Fearfully (1Thes 2:4; Col 3:22) - Fearing God – this is the first step – don’t skip it!
1. Fearing God pleases God because we actually show some signs of intelligence when we fear messing with God’s laws, and God’s will – it is the beginning of wisdom!
2. David loved the Lord a lot, but he sinned a lot because he did not fear the Lord a lot – he soon learned to fear the same Lord that he loved, and the Psalms are rich in that truth! And his life is still labelled GREAT!
B. Live it Obediently - Obeying God (Col 3:20; 1Jn 3:22)
1. This follows along with fearing the Lord
2. The most important thing in life is to do things HIS way
a. He wrote the book on marriage – live it HIS way
b. He wrote the book on child-training – do it HIS way (not the world’s)
c. He wrote the book on money management – do it HIS way
d. He wrote the book on dealing with temptation – handle it HIS way
e. He wrote the book on soul-winning – win souls HIS way (patiently, lovingly, but urgently)
f. He wrote the book on courtship – find a mate GOD’S way
g. He wrote the book on how to pray – do it HIS way
h. God wrote THE BOOK about life – live it HIS WAY!
3. Today, a bunch of dissatisfied pagans are running around showing off some new way to pray, and worship, and live with each other – wicked
4. None of this world’s religions, or its governments, or its schools please Almighty God unless any of them are living BY GOD’S BOOK!
C. Live it Simply (2Tim 2:4)
1. That doesn’t mean ignorantly! The simple life doesn’t live in monasteries
2. But keep away from things that would entangle you so that you couldn’t live for your Lord
a. Like big financial debts
b. Like away from bad friends, and tempting relationships that might leave you – guys and girls need nothing to do with each other until 18
1) Pregnant and unmarried
2) Carrying venereal disease
3) Hurt and humiliated
c. Not involved in rituals, and ceremonies, and religious exercises – but in the simplicity that is found in a relationship with Jesus Christ (2Cor 11:2,3)
d. Talking about things that become a consuming concern (Luke 8:14) – like living to be rich
3. One last warning (2Pet 2:20)
D. Live it Cleanly (1Thes 4:1-8)
1. When a person gets saved, their sins are washed AWAY – “for He shall save His people FROM their sins!”
2. How is it that a Christian could think we could get away with living like the devil?
3. Our task is to keep ourselves unspotted from the world (James 1:27)
4. The beauty of holiness
a. Beautiful for us to see a clean person, inside and out
b. More beautiful for GOD to behold – He sees the heart!
5. We need to repent of living just above the sewer spiritually
E. Live it Thankfully (Ps 69:30-33) – notice the poor are THANKING God instead of griping to God!
1. Being grateful for things in your life – treating all things as gifts – good and bad
2. Thanking the Lord pleases the Lord
3. Is there not ANYONE in this room that could attempt to go all day one day thanking God for absolutely everything in their life, and for everything happening in their life?
4. Try it for one day, and then go for an entire week sometime!
5. See if your enemies become at peace with you or not!!!
F. Live it Fruitfully (Jn 15:8)
1. Set out to do something just for the Lord
2. You must make it a task to do each day to be a witness, to point people to the Bible’s message, to get people to see their need for Jesus!
3. Christianity is failing because we are not multiplying!
4. The Lord is blessed when we live our lives not like a shrivelled up bush, but like a vibrant vine, full of roses, or grapes
G. Live it Completely
1. God is not pleased with once off displays
2. God is pleased with FINISHERS (Acts 20:24; 2Tim 4:7)
3. Live your Christian life 24/7
4. Live it to its fullest
5. Find a way to pray while you drive, while you work
6. Memorize Scripture as you walk the dog
7. Witness at every chance
8. Study your Bible every day
9. Give back to the Lord of every blessing he has first given to you!
10. Don’t be the fool who at the end of his life only had regrets!
III.
Conclusion – What is a Life that Pleases God?
A. One that is Lived Fearfully (1Thes 2:4; Col 3:22) - Fearing God
B. One that is Lived Obediently - Obeying God (Col 3:20; 1Jn 3:22)
C. One that is Lived Simply (2Tim 2:4)
D. One that is Lived Cleanly (1Thes 4:1-8)
E. One that is Lived Thankfully (Ps 69:30-33) – notice the poor are THANKING God instead
F. One that is Lived Fully
G.
One that is Lived
Completely