Opening illustration: While I was doing the Rapture series a number of years ago, one evening on not finding me in the house, my wife thought I was raptured. She had a panic attack …
Let read Hebrews 11: 5 – 6 and see what was the second testimony of Enoch that raptured him.
Introduction: Implied in the declaration in Genesis 5: 22 that he “walked with God.” This denotes a state of friendship between God and him, and of course implies that his conduct was pleasing to God. The apostle appeals here to the sense of the account in Genesis, but does not retain the very “words.” The meaning here is not that the testimony respecting Enoch was actually “given” before his translation, but that the testimony relates to his having “pleased God” before he was removed. The man who professes that it is his duty to worship God, must, if he act rationally, do it on the conviction that there is such a Being infinite, eternal, unoriginated, and self-existent; the cause of all other being; on whom all being depends; and by whose energy, bounty, and providence, all other beings exist, live, and are supplied with the means of continued existence and life. He must believe, also, that he rewards them that diligently seek him; that he is not indifferent about his own worship; that he requires adoration and religious service from men; and that he blesses, and especially protects and saves, those who in simplicity and uprightness of heart seek and serve him. This requires faith, such a faith as is mentioned above; a faith by which we can please God; and now that we have an abundant revelation, a faith according to that revelation; a faith in God through Christ the great sin-offering, without which a man can no more please him.
Ref: Romans 8: 8 (Galatians 1:10; 1Thes 2:4 men pleaser); Hebrews 13: 16
A clean heart is shaped / stirred by keeping the commandments of God and doing the things that please God. If a child disobeys his father, he displeases his father. The only way he can please his father is by obeying him. The same is true with God. If we are going to please God, we must obey God.
Note another fact as well. A father cannot reward his child if the child disobeys. The father just cannot grant the child’s request, not if he wants to teach him good behavior. Neither can God. The only way we can receive the things we ask is to obey God. He cannot reward our unfaithfulness and disobedience.
If we please God then we must do that what pleases Him. We cannot just choose anything and say, “this is to please God.” OR “Such & such thing pleases God.”
And the reason why, is because there are certain things that don’t please him. Through His Word and the Spirit he shows us what is pleasing:-
How can we please God? [What does the Bible say as to how we can please God?]
1. ASK GOD FOR THE RIGHT THINGS [1 Kings 3: 9 - 10]
“Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.”
Ref: King Solomon asked God for wisdom to be able to judge the people rightly.
2. SEPARATED FOR GOD [2 Timothy 2: 1 - 4]
“You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
Ref: God had desired to keep Samson separated for Him but Samson out of his own will and wish had blown it.
3. PRAISING GOD [Psalm 69: 30 - 31]
“I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or bull, which has horns and hooves.”
Illustration: It is intriguing to see Muslims praising God for everything and in everything. Job praised God even after he had lost everything which pertained to the physical world. Bro. Mohan was in a bad car accident. He had multiple fractures, lost his young son, wrecked his car and the family was wounded, yet he praised God.
4. YIELDED TO THE SPIRIT [Romans 8: 4 – 8]
“That the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Ref: War of the Flesh vs. the Holy Spirit. My testimony of pleasing God rather than man by not complying with the school board who wanted me to give higher marks to the children of the board members and even pass some who had failed miserably in their exams.
5. APPLYING OUR FAITH IN HIM [Hebrews 11: 6]
“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Ref: Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab …
It is impossible to please God without faith. By faith is meant a living, active faith, a faith that knows and follows God, communes and fellowships with God. It does not matter what a person does; without faith he cannot please God. It is utterly impossible to please God without faith. What does this mean? The person will never be acceptable to God nor accepted by God. Without faith the person will never live with God, not in this world nor in the next world. Without faith, a person has to plow through this life all alone and handle all the trials, temptations, sufferings, accidents, diseases, and death by himself. Without faith, a person stands all alone in this world - utterly without God. It is impossible for him to please God. A blind faith in God is all that matters.
6. BEARING FRUIT [John 15: 8; Colossians 1: 10]
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”
“That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
“I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.” [Luke 15: 7]
Why don’t we just quit trying to impress God and just please Him. We don’t have to try out before God. The Bible say’s there is more joy in Heaven over the saving of one soul than all that 99 righteous people can do. All of our activities will not please God as much as one soul Saved.
(Soul-winning is important and pleasing to God)
Illustration: Terry a dear friend of ours who was also a missionary to China bore fruit, though she died of cancer, during her funeral there were a number of people who testified to her bearing fruit by bringing more souls into the ‘Kingdom of God.’
Application: We should take into account that these points are just biblical guidelines into how one could please God. There may be others which we could glean from God’s Word. But we have discussed some of the most important ones this morning. One should not think that if we practice the above guidelines to please God, we would be raptured. I reiterate again that these are some possible guidelines which we could follow in order to please God.
The final question arises ~ “Are we really pleasing God?”
If we aren’t it is time we get back to Him. If we are, let us not leave any stone unturned and be perseverant in continuing to do so. May God continue to give you the strength and wisdom to please Him.
In Matthew 24: 40 – 42 and Luke 17: 33 – 36 we see that there will be two in the … one will be taken, one left …
God is sovereign and knows who will go and who will be taken. We can only pursue to walk with Him and please Him … Will you be a people who would walk with God and please Him?
