Living to Please God

Intro:

We are called to live a life that pleases God. Proverbs 16:7 “When a man’s ways pleases the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.” Jesus always does things to PLEASE His Father, God. What about us today? What about you ?

Background: Asa – great, great grand son of King David, – did that which was good and pleasing to the Lord 2 Chronicles 14:2

King Asa did 3 things that impressed the Lord – our God is a Holy God and He cannot stand SIN so when someone does something that is different, something that is radical, which is pleasing to God -He takes notice!

Removed the pagan alters & shrines – which had you set up

Smashed the sacred pillars & cut the poles – which you reverent

Commanded the people to seek the Lord & Obey

There are Benefits when you start to PLEASE God

But there are Warnings too but if you abandon Him, He will abandon you v 2b

Many of us are living with our feet in two boats - one that pleases the Lord for Sundays and then another one that pleases the self for every other day!

We need to re-consider our priorities and desires seriously and find out what PLEASES God and do those things.

But King Asia’s life took a turn around towards the end of his reign

REASONS

i. Wrong alliances - working with the enemy

1. Took the silver n gold from the Temple and used it to gain favour 16:2

2. Never touch that which belongs to God Tithes and offerings belong to God what is God’s is God’s

Do not be unequally yoked - marriage, business

ii. Lifestyle

It is not how you have started the race but how you are going to end. Yes, all of us do make mistakes – but it is realising and coming back to God that which is important.

Pride can keep many of us from seeking forgiveness from God .Our God is a Holy God that wants all of us to live in the right manner

We have our own way of living – but is your life glorifying God?

How is your lifestyle? – Good & Pleasing to God?

Let the Word of God and the Holy Spirit be your guide

Read: Galatians 5: 19 - 21 & also 22 - 26

p. God is interested in your life

I. 2 Chronicles 16: 9 “The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts Are fully committed to Him.”

2. Recognising

Know the Character of God - who God is

Draw Closer Intimacy relationship with Him –– needs to renewed – reading the Word & Prayer

My CALLING in life is to Honour Him and brings glory to Him daily

Remember that Compromise is fatal

Conclusion:

What is God going to say to you?

Good & Pleasing - Well done good and faithful servant? Or is your life going to be a disappointment. everything is within your reach and decision

God wants all of us to be exemplary in our conduct - Even when there is no one watching. It is not enough for us to believe in God – we need to live a life that pleases Him.

BENEFITS OF LIVING IN GOD’S WAY

Two weeks ago I shared about ‘Living to Please God’ and used King ASA as an example
In order to please God you need to do your part and God will do His part.

Today I want to take another step further in our study of ‘Living to Please God’by looking at another King – King Jehoshaphat

READ 2 Chronicles 17: 1, 3 – 7 & 10
3 Benefits that comes our way as we live in God’s Way

The FAVOUR of Lord is upon you  – established him v5

a.    Followed his father’s example – sought his father’s God v4
b.    Obeyed His commands instead of following the practises of the society
c.    Committed to the ways of the LORD
d.    Taught the ways of God throughout the towns

The FEAR of the Lord is upon you and you will affect many

COMPROMISE is a dangerous path – though it is easy and convenient and may even makes sense especially when riches and fame rises When you are with the wrong company you need to be involved in activities that you might don’t approve -STAY ALERT & AWAY from any such relationships

CONSULT - Lets find out what does God want in this situation 18:4
 CRY - to God in every situation and He will help you
CONFRONTATION should change us to be  better and not bitter

 FAITH level in the Lord will increase 20: 5 – 9,12
PURSUE God with all of your heart even when you face crises
PRAYER LIFE: God answers in your darkest moments especially
PRAISE & WORSHIP brings adoration to the throne of God
POWER OF GOD – at work  - He fights all your battles as you trust and lean on to Him for your victory

ARE you Living in God’s WAY today?

m.    Walking in Love
n.    Walking in the Light
o.    Walking in the Spirit
p.    Walking in Unity


God is looking for people who will walk in His ways in every area of their life, in whatever situation. He is looking for genuine believer.
        
             Are you LIVING or simply existing?

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THERE are 6 reasons why all of us have to be engaged in Missions on a regular basis whether we are at home or we are send to a foreign land.

God as a PLAN & PURPOSE with all our lives (Jeremiah 29:11)
    God who is our creator has a plan for all our lives , we are not a mistake but created with a purpose to accomplish great things for Him. That’s why He has not only called us (Luke 5: 10  & 11) to be fishers’ of men  but also commissioned us to  Go  to the ends of the world (Matthew 28:19 & 20) . It is a great privilege and honour to be called by God to be His co-workers. Think about it!!

God has EMPOWERED us to accomplish Missions (Acts 1:8)
    To carry out His plans and purposes is not easy that’s why He send the Holy     Spirit to come to our aid. So that we will be effective and  will not be burnt     out by the heavy load but will find Missions as rewarding and worthwhile for     all believers.

We have an OBLIGATION to this dying world ( Acts 10:33)
    The world is waiting to hear the Good News, the Message. But how could they     hear if none of us are willing to go for many reasons? We have no excuses but     are compelled by the Holy Spirit to go. Each one of us have a story to tell of     how He marvellously saved and rescued us.

Daily people are PERISHING without hope. (2 Peter 3: 9 & 10)
    Look around you today  - not a day passes by without a tragedy or calamity in     different parts of the world. This world is coming to an end very soon the     signs are written all over! We need to rise up and bring Hope to the millions     who are perishing daily without any!

The LOVE for God and men should compel us to move (Matthew 22:37 -39)
    The Greatest Commandment given to us was not meant to be memorized but     to  practised - not only to love God but also to love God’s creation - mankind.    Yes, many times it is difficult to love anyone but we need to ask God for     His     love to flow through us ,then it becomes possible to love that particular     person!

His desire is that all will have ETERNAL LIFE (John 3:16)
    God so loved the world, so He gave His very best so that we could have     Eternal Life. God does not want anyone to be lost but each one to come to     saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But how could they hear or know unless we    - Go and share the Good News !

   
    MISSIONS IS ALL ABOUT PEOPLE

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God wants us to do everything in the BEST way à  WITH EXCELLENCE

When God created the world, after each day He said it was good

We need to be people with the character of God in our lives
Actions ,Words ,Attitude
WORK, Studies , Business
Your YES must be yes and your NO must be no

GOD IS LOVE

We need to demonstrate that love to all around us
We cannot show partiality
We need to pray and ask God for His AGAPE love to flow to us so that it will touch loves around us.
Especially now in Ireland there are so many people from different nations
We need to learn the language so that we can communicate with them
You are missionaries to Ireland

TODAY - I want to share a message entitled

 TO EXCEL IN EVERYTHING  
READ : 2 Corinthians 8: 1 - 9

What can we learn from the Macedonian church about Giving?

Church in Macedonia was going through difficult times v1
Much trouble, Hard times, Deep poverty
Anyone in that category
Many of us have come from similar backgrounds
But coming to Ireland - has transformed you
You see everything in Euros
There is so much and you have your plans

They gave with  much - Deep joy - overflowed in rich generosity
How could they give with joy when they don’t enough for themselves?
How could giving be a joyful experience?

They realise that a few things about Sowing - 6 things
The Harvest is according to the Sowing
Galatians 6:7-8 ‘ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.’

The Harvest is determined by the kind of seed sown
Genesis 1: 11 - 12 ; Matt6: 14 -15; Luke 6: 36 -37
Forgiveness = forgiveness, apples = apples

We reap in a different season than when we sow
Ecc 11:1 ‘Cast your bread on the surface of the waters for you will find it after many days.’
Gal 6:9 ‘ Let us become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’

The Harvest is in proportion to our sowing
Mathew 7:2 ‘with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.’
2 Cor 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.’

We reap more than we sown
Luke 6:38 ‘Give and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be ber measured to you.’

Our future harvest can be determined now
We can determine the next season of harvest by the KIND of seed, the QUALITY of seed and QUANTITY  of the seed which we sow.

Not only they gave but far more
They did it out of a free will
They begged us to give them the privilege of giving to brothers in Jerusalem
They just wanted to be part of the giving
What will many of us do in that place?
We will say let those who can afford do it - they should ask from, us because we are not wealthy.

They dedicated themselves to God and leaders v5
The sign of a matured believer is that they dedicate themselves to God first
The Word becomes the standard of their instructions
They then respect and submit to the leadership above them
You see the blessings flowing through your life as you submit to your leaders.

We are called to Excel in Everything
Faith , Worship, Hospitality, Deep hunger for the Word
Prayer , Love
Is there any area in your life that you need to excel?

To prove your love for God is real
How do you show your love for your wife ?- not only in words but also in action
You will say that is not fair
For we really love the Lord - we attend church
We do this and that
But why is it that when it comes to giving EVERYONE have a problem?
It hurts your pocket
You don’t mind giving your energy, your time, your knowledge
But money is my hard earn money
I have plans with that money that I am earning
It is not for the church to use it as it wants

Poor widow who gave from her nothing 1 Kings 17: 8 -16
God prepares the heart of the giver
God wants us to give from our lack            
God wants to bless us as we step out in FAITH
God blesses Obedience which leads to the supernatural

Why is giving so important to the Gospel? Matthew 6: 19 -24
It shows where your heart is
With our heart we can say that we love God
But how do you show your love for God?

How can we give today?
Many ways that we can give to see the Gospel reaching the ends of the earth
Tithing & Offering
YOU DON’T BECOME POOR BY PAYING YOUR TITHE
YOU CAN LIVE WELLWITH THE 90% & BE MORE JOYFUL
Many struggle with Tithing - giving of 10% to your local body
It is not an Old Testament law because it was initiated even before the law was step up - when Abraham gave a tithe to Melshedick , the King
We are not under the law but under grace
How much more should     we give for the furtherance of His Kingdom?
Every Believer ought to pay their Tithes - not half/quarter but your full Tithe to the store house which is the Church you are planted.    
We cannot run a church with no support or little support
You cannot be attending here and don’t give your Tithe

Mission Faith Pledge

Calvary CC - Supports the Mission work around the world
We do it every 6 months during the Mission months in January and July
You make a pledge and you honour it every month during the duration of that 6 month
We are going to support the following     
Many of you like to give to orphanages or homeless by yourselves because you receive the praises
Your feel that you have done something to help them
But when you give to the church - no one praises you
We want all of us in this church to be part of this giving    
So that the whole will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour of their life
So heaven will be populated and each experiencing the eternal life that
God has promised us.

That we ought to love everyone because God loves the world - it doesn’t matter what your background - your social status, racial background or educational qualifications

Example used was that of God challenging Peter to go and share the Gospel with a Gentile - Cornelius.

Peter - religious, apostle
    - mightily used by God
    - highly regarded in his community
    - God had to challenged him to change
    - all of God creation is precious to Him
    - many of us are prejudice -  racially, socially , or even intellectually

Peter told the group in Cornelius house v 28
“You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But God has shown me that I should never think anyone as impure.”

Cornelius v33 “Now here we are, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”

The world is waiting to hear the Good News - are we ready to share with them?

GOD SO LOVED

Is the Message of the cross,
Is the message of the saving grace of Jesus
Is the message of the love of God -  for everyone to hear and experience
But it is for each one of us to share it to someone else who has not heard it.

We can’t deny this precious gift to someone else just because they are not as same as you
We need to pray and ask God for His AGAPE love to flow to us so that it will touch loves around us.

Especially now in Ireland there are so many people from different nations
We should take advantage of this open doors before us to share.
Build relationships with those who do not know the Lord so that it becomes easier to share
We need to start at home first before we can go to the nations - we need to get over whatever prejudices so that going to the nations becomes easier.

TODAY

Not only GOD SO LOVED BUT HE ALSO GAVE

READ : 1 Kings 8 - 16

Many of us have no problems in sharing the Gospel with others because you have been blessed - you are filled with gratitude
But when it comes to the area of giving it becomes tough - it hits your pocket!!!! Ouch!!
It caused God  - His very Son when He gave us Eternal Life

Lets look at this story of Elijah and the widow
4 things that we should consider when it comes to Giving    

God prepares the heart of the giver v  8
God’s nature is to give and to bless all of us
God told the widow to take care of Elijah
But God did not tell her how
The ‘how’ part is left to us to figure out    
It always starts from little and then more.
God has to see that you are trustworthy to handle bigger amounts than He starts pouring it into your lap!
Why did God speak to this poor widow and not to some wealthy or religious person in that town?
God is looking for man and woman with a willing heart to respond to Him
Are you the channel of blessing to someone today?

God wants us to give from our lack        
Then you are trusting Him to provide
If not you are tapping from your recourses
Elijah meets this lady - total stranger and ask for a cup of water v 10 & 11
She was very hospitable enough to bring him that cup
But then this great prophet turns and tells her bring him a ‘sandwich’
That was bit too much to ask a poor old widow - who was going to have her last supper - literally her last meal for herself and her son.
All her defence mechanism began to set into motion
All the excuses why she cannot oblige to that request

It is ok to tell God all your excuses and why you find it difficult to give right now
Maybe you have just made plans to buy a house or a car
Or maybe you are trying make your ends meet and it is so difficult to meet another financial obligation
Or maybe you have already committed to some other organization or person  - you are keeping it for your children’s education.
Maybe not now - some other time        

There is no better time than the present
You will not do not do  it later because there will be other responsibility    

God wants to bless us as we step out in FAITH
When we give what we have that is not faith but its your goodwill/ kindness
It is a frightening place to be in when you start to exercise FAITH
Without Faith it is impossible to please God Hebrews 12:6
Elijah told her ‘Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and cook that ‘last meal’ BUT bake me a little loaf of bread first.
We will say that Elijah was very insensitive - trying to manipulate a poor old lady
But he was telling her what God had put into his heart.
Sometimes it is very difficult to receive God’s word but when you start to obey you see every word of God coming to pass

God blesses Obedience which leads to the supernatural
    She did what the man of God told her v8
What was going on in her mind as she used the floor to back the last meal
What if - it is not true
What if - there is none for my son and myself
    There can be many ‘what ifs’ that can go through all our minds  - when God speaks to us to do something that is beyond our understanding

God cannot lie and He is keeps to His word
That lady saw a miracle in front of her eye
What a testimony for her son!
I am sure he was a great man of faith as he  grew up
She lacked no food throughout the drought - at least for few years

Friends we need to step out into the supernatural and see God at work

How can we give today?
There are many ways that we can give to see the Gospel reaching the ends of the earth
Tithing & Offering
Mission Faith Pledge
Each one of us must step out and give because God not only loved us but also gave His very Son for each one of us ,so that we can have life to the fullest.