HOW TO PLEASE GOD (6 OF 10)
Scripture: I THESSALONIANS 4:1-12
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How to Please God (6 of 10)
Dr. J. Gerald Harris
I Thessalonians 4:1-12
The deep desire of our hearts as Christians ought to be this -- to please the Lord. In the last part of verse 1 in our text Paul says, "...ye ought to walk and to please God. The word "ought" is often translated "must" in the New Testament. Jesus used this word when He said to Nicodemus, "You must be born again." There is force in this word. Here is something binding, something we must do.
Pleasing God is not an option for the Christian. God requires it. Being a committed Christian is not just reserved for a few super-saints who happen to like that kind of thing. It is for every Christian. It is what it means to be a Christian. If we belong to Jesus Christ, then we belong to Jesus Christ! He owns us. We are His slaves, therefore we must glorify God in body and soul which are His. We must please God.
Many Christians are miserable because they don't seek to serve and please God every day. Christianity is more than just a "Sunday-morning-go-to-church" thing! It is a way in which we live; the way we dress, the way we act, the way we talk. Show me someone who is miserable as a Christian and I will show you a person who does not live in the awareness that he belongs to God.
Notice in verse 1 that he says, "so ye would abound more and more." God wants us to do more than just exist. He wants us to possess abundant life. Many people think, "If I get serious with God, He will take all the fun out of life." No, He will put zest in the life! Real monotony and drudgery is to go on a rat race of one sensation after another, always coming up empty, frustrated, and guilty. But when we come to God, He puts adventure and excitement into our lives. He puts peace and fulfillment in our hearts.
Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10). God wants us to really live. And the point is this. We will never be happy if ...
Dr. J. Gerald Harris
I Thessalonians 4:1-12
The deep desire of our hearts as Christians ought to be this -- to please the Lord. In the last part of verse 1 in our text Paul says, "...ye ought to walk and to please God. The word "ought" is often translated "must" in the New Testament. Jesus used this word when He said to Nicodemus, "You must be born again." There is force in this word. Here is something binding, something we must do.
Pleasing God is not an option for the Christian. God requires it. Being a committed Christian is not just reserved for a few super-saints who happen to like that kind of thing. It is for every Christian. It is what it means to be a Christian. If we belong to Jesus Christ, then we belong to Jesus Christ! He owns us. We are His slaves, therefore we must glorify God in body and soul which are His. We must please God.
Many Christians are miserable because they don't seek to serve and please God every day. Christianity is more than just a "Sunday-morning-go-to-church" thing! It is a way in which we live; the way we dress, the way we act, the way we talk. Show me someone who is miserable as a Christian and I will show you a person who does not live in the awareness that he belongs to God.
Notice in verse 1 that he says, "so ye would abound more and more." God wants us to do more than just exist. He wants us to possess abundant life. Many people think, "If I get serious with God, He will take all the fun out of life." No, He will put zest in the life! Real monotony and drudgery is to go on a rat race of one sensation after another, always coming up empty, frustrated, and guilty. But when we come to God, He puts adventure and excitement into our lives. He puts peace and fulfillment in our hearts.
Jesus said, "The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness" (John 10:10). God wants us to really live. And the point is this. We will never be happy if ...
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