Bringing Joy to God
Introduction
1. Just how personal and emotional is God?
2. The answer: Very!
3. G. Walter Hansenin, Christianity Today wrote, “I am spellbound by the intensity of Jesus’ emotions: Not a twinge of pity, but heartbroken compassion; not a passing irritation, but terrifying anger; not a silent tear, but groans of anguish; not a weak smile, but ecstatic celebration. Jesus’ emotions are like a mountain river cascading with clear water. My emotions are more like a muddy foam or a feeble trickle.”
(source: sermonillustrations.com)
4. The Bible is filled with references to God’s emotions: His love and compassion, His jealousy, His wrath, His rejoicing.
Main Idea: Although it is true that God wants to bring His children joy, it is surprisingly true that we can bring God joy too!
I. Those IN CHRIST Can Please God Best
1. The Natural Person is DISADVANTAGED
• Romans 8:5-9, “ For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”
• Because we are saved by grace through faith, we have no desire to bribe or manipulate God; He is already predisposed to us. We can therefore please Him freely without self-interest:
Joke:
Going to the front desk of New York’s exclusive Pierre Hotel, Mr. Mendelbaum requested some stationery.
The clerk asked, "Are you a guest at the hotel?"
Mr. Mendelbaum snapped indignantly, "No, I am not a guest. I am paying $300 a day!" (source: www.haruth.com)
• In the case of God, we are His guests; there is no charge; we are freely forgiven, so we can freely please Him
• People trying to earn heaven never have this freedom from agenda we have
2. FAITH is a prerequisite
• Hebrews 11:5-6 “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
• Why is faith so crucial? Because it reflects our attitude toward God. Is God’s integrity something we value to the point that we trust His Word? Or is He fickle and undependable?
If someone does not believe me, it could be because they think I am a liar or I am wrong. But, since God makes no mistakes, if we do not believe God we make Him out to be a liar; there are no other other options. So faith affirms God’s character, disbelief insults His integrity.
Hence, if we want to be right with God, we must believe.
Although it is true that God wants to bring His children joy, it is surprisingly true that we can bring God joy too!
II. God Does Take Pleasure in US
1. His LEADERS
• Of King David, we read in I Chronicles 28:4, “Yet, the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever For He has chosen Judah to be a leader; and in the house of Judah, my father’s house, and among the sons of my father He took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel.”
2. ALL of His people
• Psalm 149:4 reads “For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.”
• We praise Him because He likes us:
Psalm 100, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
• Too many parents have used religion to scold and shame their children!
Rick Warren writes: “You don’t bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding your abilities or by trying to be someone else. You only bring him enjoyment by being you….Every human activity, except sin, can be done for God’s pleasure…”
3. But God takes no pleasure in the WICKED
• Psalm 5:4-6, “ You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong. You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors.”
4. He wants the sinner to REPENT
Ezekiel 18:23 reads, " ‘Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘rather than that he should turn from his ways and live?’”
Although it is true that God wants to bring His children joy, it is surprisingly true that we can bring God joy too!
III. God Wants Sacrifices from the HEART
Leviticus 17:6 is one of many verses that describe the OT sacrifices as pleasing to the Lord: “The priest is to sprinkle the blood against the altar of the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and burn the fat as an aroma pleasing to the LORD.”
In OT, sacrifices accomplished several things: averted God’s wrath in this life, made one ritually pure, and pleased God with a sweet aroma. Sicne Christ is the the Christian’s sacrifice (offered 2,000 years ago), and since God’s wrath is already propitiated, and since we are clean, the only aspect of a New Testament sacrifice left is "pleasing God."
In Rick Warren terminology, we can say that appropriate sacrifices make God smile.
1. The Sacrifice of SURRENDER
• Our great sacrifice, Romans 12:1-2, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
• On the altar like Isaac
• The evidence of surrender is obedience, service, a Biblically ordered life, and good works.
• The surrendered life is anchored to a renewed mind
• Proverbs 15:26, “The LORD detests the thoughts of the wicked, but those of the pure are pleasing to him.”
• In some instances, this turns into a drink offering, 2 Timothy 4:6: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.”
2. The Sacrifice of WORHSIP
• Worship is also a mind-intensive activity:
• John 4:23-24, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.
• In spirit (with our hearts, sincerely)
• In truth (pursuing knowledge of God)/center around the Word
• Both verbally and quietly: Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
• Includes prayer, contemplation of God’s Word
• Hebrews 13:15-16, “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise–the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
3. The Sacrifice of GROWTH
• Philippians 2:13, “ for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
• The man of God delights Himself in the Word of God (Psalm 1)
• Growing in groups is called EDIFICATION
• Romans 14:17-19, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.”
• Growth measured in 3 virtues: FAITH, HOPE, and LOVE
4. The sacrifice of FINANCIAL support
• Philippians 4:18, “I have received full payment and even more; I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.
5. The sacrifice of sharing the GOSPEL
• 2 Corinthians 2:14, “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?”
Although it is true that God wants to bring His children joy, it is surprisingly true that we can bring God joy too!
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Conclusion
1. “Even though there are more than 10 to the 22 known stars in the universe, each one is unique. No two stars have exactly the same properties. This may sound like guesswork, since we have analyzed very few stars in detail, but the conclusion is a certainty. A star has so many variables in its makeup that the probability of two identical stars is zero. These variables include the total number of atoms, exact chemical composition, size, temperature, and motion. Some stars show obvious color and brightness differences. Others require spectroscopic study to detect their particular identity or fingerprint.
Similarly, it is also true that every snowflake, blade of grass, and grain of sand is unique. They may all look alike but they’re not identical. On the microscopic level there is practically an infinite number of ways to arrange atoms. Even a single snowflake, for example, has about 1020 atoms to arrange within itself!
Every individual object in the universe, no matter how large or small, shows God’s distinct creative glory and artistry. The same is also true, of course, for every person on Earth.” (source: www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/star-differences.html)
2. No one is just like you. No one can glorify God exactly like you can.
3. So there’s the challenge: Bring a smile to Him as only you can.
