Living to please God
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Introduction
Good morning. This morning I want to talk for a moment about living a life that pleases God. A life that you are not ashamed for God to see. A life that is a model of Christ rather than a rebellious and self-gratifying. We have looked for several weeks at the book of James in a series called “faith that works”. We are not going there this morning because it wouldn’t be fair to those that haven’t been here from the beginning. I am keeping the theme this morning- practical living, living your faith, and pleasing God. Who by the way is the most important one you want to be pleased with your life. Apostle Paul and Timothy are writing the Thessalonian church. The Thessalonian church is a carbon copy of what our society looks like today. The church with it’s believers smack down in the middle of a city that was out of control with it’s immoral behavior, in a society that is centered on self-gratification and a society of believers that struggled to live a life that God would be pleased with.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
Here’s a fact you can write down. In the middle of a world that is centered on what you can do for me.. In a world that pleasing God is the last thing they want to do.. You and I with God’s help can live a life that is pleasing and.. Live a life that is full of excitement and joy and.. Live a fulfilled life.
Illustration (Sermoncentral)
A mother was preparing a salad for the evening meal when Ken asked permission to go with a few friends to see a R-rated movie. Ken knew the family rule was to not attend any movies rated stronger than PG, but he thought, just this once, my parents might give in. Ken’s mom went to the pantry and began to get small bits of trash and throw it in the family’s dinner salad. Ken protested, mom, what are you doing? Your putting trash in the salad. Mom replied, I thought you would not mind a little trash with your meal. It is just a small amount. Without a word, Ken, got the word and decided not to go to the R-rated movie. Apostle Paul (v1) “We instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are now living, now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.”
Listen to me- most have been raised in a Christian homes, most have heard the way that you are suppose to live. 66 % of kids raised in the church after high school are leaving the churches. Because God is not relevant? No Because they have bought into the lie that God isn’t concerned with how we live. He is more concerned that we are happy. Buying into professors who have no heart for God tell them that what you think and feel is more important than God’s clear directions and guidance for our lives.
Question asked frequently- What is God’s will for my life? (Take a fishing pole out) We begin fishing in the worldly pond trying to find what God wants for our lives. God’s will is found by asking God. You will never find God’s will for your life if you are not asking God. God takes our desires, our gifts, and He desires to work out a plan for our lives.
- God’s will is that you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and body, and that you love your neighbor as much as yourself. (If your in the worldly pond, He will reel you back in)
- He says that you should honor and love your parents, that they have a responsibility in how you live your life. (If you are fishing in the worldly pond, They will reel you back in)
Read verse 3-8 again.(Put pole away)
- God’s will is that you would be sanctified. A 10 dollar word that means set apart, different, peculiar, not the same as the world.
Avoid sexual immorality
learn to control yourself
not to harm your brothers and sisters
called us not to be impure, but live a holy life.
Each of us has something that motivates us. At least we should. If not, throw out that t.v., put down the gaming device, and find out what excites you. When I was in the second grade. Recess excited me. Running around, doing boy things. I think the teachers were pleased if they could keep me focused for the day. When I got home, I did expanded boy things, examining bugs, playing in the dirt, chasing girls out of my fort that I built, and making weird noises. But one day you have to realize that there is more to life than that. Kids mimic their parents. They do certain things because they want to be like them and they want to please them. Some of that is good and some is bad, depending on what they are doing. God desires us to mimic the things we know to do. We do that by listening to Him, spending time with Him, and obeying what we know to do. We need to study to show ourselves approved. Workmen that can rightly divide the truth. God’s Word Did you know that there are phrases people throw around and quote them that they are in the Bible. When in fact , they are not in there. Here are a few.
-Spare the rod, spoil the child.
- Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
- God works in mysterious ways.
- Pride comes before the fall.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness.
These sayings have developed throughout the years by a variety of ways. Scripture supports the purpose of some of the sayings while contradicting others. Some are close and some have the same meaning, but it is not the same.
Apostle Paul tells us three things to get from this passage to be in God’s will. (1) That we should be sanctified (2) That we should avoid sexual immorality (3) learn to control ourselves.
Lets start with the word sanctification. Being set apart. Being in second grade and living for recess is acceptable, it is expected. Being an adult and living life like you are on a permanent recess will destroy you. Remember Paul is writing to the church, a new church, who had a lot of new converts. In a society that believed if the man took care of his wife and family, he was socially okay to have another woman. T.v. programs today make reference that that kind of lifestyle as being acceptable. There is even a hint of being noble for taking care of them. Grown up’s living everyday life like it was recess. Listen, God is not telling us to hide in the sand, pretend we don’t live in this world, but He is telling us that we are different and we should be set apart from what they are doing. If you claim to be a Christian, you should be a person of integrity.
- someone asks you to do something illegal, you walk away.
- To hurt someone else for your gain, you don’t do it. Apostle Paul was a man of integrity. “I discipline my body daily, bringing it into all subjection lest when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Cor 9:27) . Sanctification is being different. Under God’s direction. Even your Girl Scout promise says that you are different.
On my honor, I will try;
to serve God and my country,
to help people at all times,
and to live by the girl Scout law... that’s your promise.
Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place , and be a sister to every Girl Scout. That was founded on Biblical principals. Love God, Love others, love self. God being first in your life. Juliet Gordon Low the founder of the Girl Scouts in the USA took biblical principals and set out to be different. Not the same as everyone else. In the early 1900's, when woman didn’t have much say, she was going to be a remarkable achiever.
Ronald Reagan, our 40th president said “ If we ever forget we are a nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under”
(2) that we should be sexual pure and avoid immorality. God summons us to be pure. To be different. Not watch what everyone else watches. Apostle Paul was hard on the Thessalonian church because society had gone out of control with what they put their approval on for living. Prov. 25:28 “whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls.” (It is being vulnerable and looking for trouble)
Romans 12:9 “Let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil.cling to what is good. It is not only being sexual pure, though that is very important. It is about clinging to what is good. Psm. 101:3 “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes” Paul tells us - “whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is excellent and praiseworthy- think about these things.
Closing
Paul beings this home- he says we have to learn to control our bodies. That God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. V8- Therefore he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you the holy spirit. I did not say that God said it. Living a life that pleases God must include God. Make it your ambition he says so you may win the respect of outsiders.
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