Pleasing God Pleasing God – part 1– part 1

Pleasing God Pleasing God – part 1– part 1

Romans 12: 1-2 Romans 12: 1-2 (TNIV)(TNIV)

““Therefore, I urge you, brothers Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is true worship. Do not – this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, what God's will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”pleasing and perfect will.”

Ephesians 5: 1-2 Ephesians 5: 1-2 (NIV)(NIV)

““Be imitators of God….and live Be imitators of God….and live a life of love, just as Christ a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”and sacrifice to God”

Ephesians 5: 10 (NIV)Ephesians 5: 10 (NIV)

““And find out what And find out what pleasespleases the Lord.” the Lord.”The MessageThe Message

““Figure out what will Figure out what will pleaseplease Christ, Christ, and then do it”and then do it”Amplified VersionAmplified Version

““And try to learn [in your experience] And try to learn [in your experience] what is what is pleasingpleasing to the Lord [let your to the Lord [let your lives be constant proofs of what is lives be constant proofs of what is most acceptable to Him]”most acceptable to Him]”

Pleasing God Pleasing God involves sacrificeinvolves sacrifice

Mark 8: 34-35 (TNIV)Mark 8: 34-35 (TNIV)

Then he (Jesus) called the crowd to Then he (Jesus) called the crowd to him along with his disciples and him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”will save it.”

Pleasing God Pleasing God means living by faithmeans living by faith

Hebrews 11:6 (New Century Version)Hebrews 11:6 (New Century Version)

““Without faith no one can Without faith no one can pleaseplease God. Anyone who comes to God God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to he rewards those who truly want to find him.”find him.”Romans 10:17 (New Living Translation)Romans 10:17 (New Living Translation)

““Faith comes from hearing, that is, Faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about hearing the Good News about Christ”Christ”

Pleasing God Pleasing God means living by faithmeans living by faith

John 8: 29 (TNIV)John 8: 29 (TNIV)

““The one who sent me is with me; he has The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what not left me alone, for I always do what pleasespleases him.” him.”

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)  Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) 

““Whatever you do, work at it with all Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving”serving”

Pleasing God means Pleasing God means aligning ourselves with aligning ourselves with

His purposes His purposes Eric LiddellEric Liddell

““I believe God made me for a purpose, I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast, and when I but he also made me fast, and when I run, I feel God’s pleasure.”run, I feel God’s pleasure.”

““To give up running would be to hold To give up running would be to hold him in contempt.” him in contempt.”

2 Timothy 2: 4 (TNIV)2 Timothy 2: 4 (TNIV)

““No one serving as a soldier gets No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs; rather, they involved in civilian affairs; rather, they try to try to pleaseplease their commanding officer” their commanding officer”

Pleasing God means Pleasing God means aligning ourselves with aligning ourselves with

His purposes His purposes

Psalm 14: 2 (Living Bible)Psalm 14: 2 (Living Bible) ““The Lord looks down from heaven on all The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who are mankind to see if there are any who are wise, who want to wise, who want to pleaseplease him” him”

Rick WarrenRick Warren When you live in light of eternity, your When you live in light of eternity, your focus changes from “How much pleasure focus changes from “How much pleasure am I getting out of life?” to “How much am I getting out of life?” to “How much pleasure is God getting out of my life?”pleasure is God getting out of my life?”

Is pleasing God our Is pleasing God our deepest desire?deepest desire?

2Corinthians 5: 7 & 9 (TNIV)2Corinthians 5: 7 & 9 (TNIV) ““We live by faith, not by sight…So we make it We live by faith, not by sight…So we make it our goal to our goal to pleaseplease him, whether we are at him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it ”home in the body or away from it ”

Colossians 1: 9-10 (TNIV)Colossians 1: 9-10 (TNIV) ““We continually ask God to fill you with the We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and pleaseplease him in every way: bearing fruit in every him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God”good work, growing in the knowledge of God”

Pleasing GodPleasing God

Become a living sacrificeBecome a living sacrifice Live by faithLive by faith Align ourselves to God’s Align ourselves to God’s

purposespurposes