Pleasing God

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 29th of January, 2017.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Two weeks ago we concluded that if we remember the great sacrifice Jesus made for us, we would obey His commands.  Last week we said that at least part of that obedience includes being willing to go where God sends us and do what He would have us do.  And we saw where God will reward us for obeying Him and doing His will in and through our lives.  Well, Family, we can take great reward and humbling satisfaction in knowing that our obedience and our good deeds please our heavenly Father.

Pleasing God really is easy, and it all begins with faith.  Listen and follow along as I read from the letter to the Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 1 through 16, reading from the Contemporary English Version of our Holy Bible.  I know this is a little long, but please bear with me…

1 Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. 2 It was their faith that made our ancestors pleasing to God.

3 Because of our faith, we know that the world was made at God’s command. We also know that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen.

4 Because Abel had faith, he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. God was pleased with him and his gift, and even though Abel is now dead, his faith still speaks for him.

5 Enoch had faith and did not die. He pleased God, and God took him up to heaven. That’s why his body was never found. 6 But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that He rewards everyone who searches for Him.

7 Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God.

8 Abraham had faith and obeyed God. He was told to go to the land that God had said would be his, and he left for a country he had never seen. 9 Because Abraham had faith, he lived as a stranger in the promised land. He lived there in a tent, and so did Isaac and Jacob, who were later given the same promise. 10 Abraham did this, because he was waiting for the eternal city that God had planned and built.

11 Even when Sarah was too old to have children, she had faith that God would do what He had promised, and she had a son. 12 Her husband Abraham was almost dead, but he became the ancestor of many people. In fact, there are as many of them as there are stars in the sky or grains of sand along the beach.

13 Every one of those people died. But they still had faith, even though they had not received what they had been promised. They were glad just to see these things from far away, and they agreed that they were only strangers and foreigners on this earth. 14 When people talk this way, it is clear that they are looking for a place to call their own. 15 If they had been talking about the land where they had once lived, they could have gone back at any time. 16 But they were looking forward to a better home in heaven. That’s why God wasn’t ashamed for them to call Him their God. He even built a city for them.

--Hebrews 11:1-16 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, we have come to worship You and to listen to what You would tell us.  Speak to us in Your quiet way that we might hear Your message.  May our worship and attention to Your voice please You.  In the beautiful name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


Christian author Kent Crockett once wrote:

“We have let the world define greatness for us. Our society has built itself on the philosophy of the devil instead of on the wisdom of God. As long as we believe Satan’s big lie that our lives are insignificant unless we are on top, we will live in constant state of dejection, worthlessness, and strife.

“To overcome this incorrect way of thinking, we must change audiences. Which audience are we trying to please: people in this world, or God in heaven?”


Almost from the very beginning of the Christian church, the world has crept in and tried to corrupt it.  Even the Apostle Paul tried to address the issue of which audience are we playing to, such as in his first letter to the church in Corinth.  We try to block out the world during this sweet hour of worship, but we tend to bring the world in with us.  Our true and sincere worship pleases our Lord, but I don’t think He likes it so much when we worry more about pleasing each other than about pleasing Him.  Paul often addressed how the world can damage our relationship with God, but I think the following, from chapter 8 of his letter to the church in Rome, verses 5 through 9, gives us a clearer understanding of how a sinful nature impacts our pleasing God… or not pleasing Him, as the case may be…

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to Him at all.

--Romans 8:5-9 (NLT)

If we want to please God, we must let His Holy Spirit control our minds, our thoughts, our deeds, and not give in to the sinful nature of this world.


The author of the Book of Hebrews defines faith and emphasizes the role it plays in pleasing God.  He even says in verse 6 of our reading that without faith, we cannot please God!  Let me repeat that:

Without faith we cannot please God!

Martin Luther's “light bulb moment” came while studying the Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans, verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1, which ends by saying that "The just shall live by faith."  Luther explained it this way: "God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing." [Emphasis mine.]

We spoke last week of having faith and trusting in the Lord, but faith is not something we can go out and buy a great supply of when we start getting low.  Faith is a gift from God, freely given, but it is up to us to maintain that faith.  We can exercise it and help it grow, by attending worship and studying God’s word in our Bibles and trusting that He will make all things come out for our good because we love Him and He loves us.  With our faith firmly established and growing stronger each day, we can really set our minds to pleasing God.

So what are some of the ways we can please God?  What are some of the things we can do that will make God happy with us?  Our Bible gives some very good examples.  From our reading of Hebrews 11:6 we’ve already seen we must first believe in God and in His promises.  In Matthew 3:17 and Colossians 1:15-19, we read that we can please God by exalting His Son Jesus Christ.  1st Corinthians 1:18-2:5 tells us to proclaim the message of the cross.  Our Old Testament, in 1st Kings 3:10, even provides help by instructing us to ask God for wisdom, a plea echoed in Colossians 1:9-14 and James 1:5-8.  Paul repeatedly tells us to stay away from sexual sin in order to please God, such as in Ephesians 5:3, 4 & 10 and 1st Thessalonians 4:1-8.

Sharing the gospel with unbelievers pleases God according to 1st Corinthians 9:14-27 and 10:31-33.  So does giving to others in their time of need, as noted in Philippians 4:10-20 and Hebrews 13:16.  It pleases God when we submit to those in authority over us, as per Romans 8:7-8, Colossians 3:20, and 1st John 3:22.  And we can see in Psalm 69:30 & 31 and Hebrews 13:15 & 16 praising God for all things is pleasing in His sight.


Like I said, it really is easy to please God, and it all begins with faith – that wonderful gift from God.  Think about this…  doesn’t it make you happy when you give someone a gift and they really appreciate and use it?  It’s the same with God, our Father.  He gives us this gift of faith and it makes Him really happy when we show our appreciation by putting the gift to good use and making it grow.

I mentioned the 13th chapter of the letter to the Hebrews a couple of time a few minutes ago, so I think I’ll let its author have the last word on pleasing God.  In chapter 13 verses 10 through 16, he writes…

10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make His people holy by means of His own blood. 13 So let us go out to Him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace He bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.

15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to His name. 16 And don’t forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

--Hebrews 13:10-16 (NLT)

The “altar” he speaks of there is the cross, and all it represents to the believer.  People brought animals to the priests to be sacrificed in atonement of their sins, and then the carcasses were burned outside the camp or city walls.  Just as Jesus was sacrificed for the atonement of our sins, taken outside the city and hung on that cruel altar, the cross.  So our author says that we, Christ’s followers and believers, should go outside our camp to Him, if necessary bearing in His name the same disgrace and ridicule and persecution as He bore.  For we are merely pilgrims; this world is not our permanent home, our eternal home awaits us.

So let us offer a continual living sacrifice of ourselves, our time, our resources, proclaiming our steadfast allegiance to Jesus and His holy name, doing good and sharing with those in need.  And in this we will be pleasing God.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, we understand that we cannot even begin to please You if we don’t have faith in You.  Faith is a gift You give us, but we know it is up to us to maintain our faith and exercise it so that it will grow and stay strong.  Help us, please Father, to keep our faith in You strong no matter what happens.  May our every thought and action and word be pleasing to You.

Hear us now, Father, as we pause and quietly speak our personal prayers to You from our hearts, repenting and seeking forgiveness of our sins, asking for Your help in our daily walk…

Lord Jesus, Your servants – the Apostle Paul and the author of the Book of Hebrews – both provide us with a clear explanation of what we can do to please our Father God, and also of what displeases Him.  We know, Lord, that sometimes we are more worried about what our friends and relatives and ever perfect strangers think of us than we are about the impression we make on You and our heavenly Father.  Forgive us, Lord, when we put more emphasis on the things of this world than on the things of heaven.  Help us to be more faithful to You and more pleasing to God in everything we do.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.

Go Where Sent

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 22nd of January, 2017.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

I talked to the kids a few minutes ago about how Jonah tried to run away from doing what God told him to do.  Now I’d like to look at someone who did precisely what God, in the person of Jesus, told him to do.  The Apostle John tells of this man and the chore Jesus gave him.  And in this little story, Jesus also answers a question I think many of us have, at one time or another.

Listen and follow along as I read from the 9th chapter from John’s Gospel account, verses 1 through 7, reading from the New King James Version of our Bible…

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.

--John 9:1-7 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  …  Father God, speak to us this morning in words we can clearly hear and understand.  Tell us what You would have us do, and show us how to carry out Your will.  Help us obey Your voice, and Your commands.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


Some poet whose name has long since been lost to time once wrote:

Where our Captain bids us go,
'Tis not ours to murmur no;
He that gives the sword and shield
Chooses, too, the battlefield
Where we are to fight the foe.


When Goliath came up against the Israelites, the soldiers all thought, "He's so big we can never kill him."  David looked at the same giant and thought, "He's so big I can't miss."

The Israeli soldiers were afraid to face Goliath.  But a young shepherd boy had a different take.  It’s almost like he’d read the words of our unknown poet.  God sent David unto that battlefield to face a mighty and fearsome enemy.  And David went where he was sent, completed the task he was given, did just what God asked, and was eventually rewarded, not only with a kingdom on earth but also by heading up the line from which God’s Messiah would come – Jesus Christ, our Lord.


Our little story in the Apostle John’s Gospel account opens with a quick “question and answer” session between Jesus and His disciples, as we so often see.  When they came upon a man who was born blind and had always been sightless, they asked why he had been so afflicted at birth.

It was not at all unusual in that culture to think that someone suffering some great disability, like blindness or deafness or paralysis, had sinned and were being punished by God.  If the person were too young to have sinned themselves, such as a baby, then the punishment must have been because of the sins of their parents.  And truth be told, many people today still believe that some illnesses and infirmities must be punishment for sinful behavior.

But Jesus set His disciples straight, and it’s a message we all need to hear.  The man was not sightless because of punishment for sin, neither sin of his own doing nor that of his parents.  He was blind so that the works of God could be revealed through him!  And Jesus certainly revealed the mighty works of God by giving this man sight.

But God can also be revealed through suffering.  We all know people who suffer greatly, but with great grace.  I can point to more than a few right here in our own Pilgrim family.  Their faith does not waver, no matter their level of pain or discomfort.  They thank God for the good days and endure the bad, giving Him all the praise and glory.  Even if this kind of suffering were punishment, it is intended to draw us back closer to our Lord, and in that way He is revealed also.

The blind man in our brief story did what God asked, just as did David.  He followed Jesus’ command and went where he was sent and did as he was instructed.  Jesus made a salve from dirt and His own saliva and placed it on the man’s eyes.  Then He told the man to go to the pool of Siloam and wash the salve off.

Did you catch what the name of that pool means?  Siloam: Sent.  The man was sent to the pool of Sent.

He washed his eyes like Jesus told him to do and he was given sight in return for his faith and obedience.  The man could have gotten mad at Jesus for putting mud on his face.  He could have shrugged off Jesus’ command.  He could have washed off in the nearest water source rather than go to the pool of Siloam.  He could have ignored Jesus and gone the other way.

But let’s face it…  we really can’t run away from God.  Jonah tried, and only later realized what he did wrong.  Listen to how he opened his book of prophecy in chapter 1, verses 1 through 3…

1 The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are.”

3 But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord. He went down to the port of Joppa, where he found a ship leaving for Tarshish. He bought a ticket and went on board, hoping to escape from the Lord by sailing to Tarshish.

--Jonah 1:1-3 (NLT)

God gave Jonah a specific message and told him to go to Nineveh and announce it there for all to hear.  The people had been judged for their wickedness and God would destroy them if they didn’t repent.  But Jonah hated those people and wanted them to be destroyed, so he headed off in the opposite direction.  He was “hoping to escape from the Lord”.  It just doesn’t work that way.  God can be pretty persistent and insisting.


Last week I asked if we remember Jesus’ words, His love, His great sacrifice.  I made the claim that if we do remember, we must obey His commands.  If we obey, we must go where we're sent.

Later that afternoon we had all our organizational meetings for the various church committees, and they were fairly well represented.  We laid out some plans for the year ahead, things we want to do both within the church and outside these walls in the greater community.  I prayed, and I hope others did, too, that God would guide us in these activities so that we would do what He wanted us to do.  I prayed we would have the courage to go where sent.  I prayed we would remember our promise to serve our Lord, to obey His instructions just as the blind man did.

But you see, the thing is, if God sends us, we won’t be going alone.  In Joshua chapter 1 verse 9, when God placed the mantle of leadership on Joshua after the death of Moses, God tells him…

9 “This is My command—be strong and courageous!  Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

--Joshua 1:9 (NLT)

That should be our motto: God is with us wherever we go.  Our bulletins say that this is a place to belong, to believe, to become.  And our church family is all of that, in my opinion.

But it’s not a place to stay, or at least not to stay put!  This is just the starting point.  It’s a place to gather for worship and to regroup before heading back out again.

We’ve chosen some projects and set some goals that will benefit this family itself, and some that will benefit the greater community.  Even those that seem to be just for us also have a positive effect on the community because we, this family, have a positive effect on the community.  Maintaining and upgrading our facilities allows us to provide certain services to others, not only those who come here to use what we provide but also those who we go out to after walking through these doors.  Our giving not only supports the church, it supports those around us who have needs we can help with.  Our work and our efforts directly benefit those in the outside world who need our blessings, just as we need the continued blessings of our Father God.

Some of our projects may seem ambitious, some of our labors long and hard, some of our giving may stretch our personal budgets.  But if we are going where God sends us and doing what He wants us to do, He will be right there at our side and He will reward our efforts.

So be strong!  Be courageous!  Go where sent!

Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, we know You have a plan for each of us.  There is something You want us to do, somewhere You want us to go, some job You want us to complete.  Father, please help us discern Your will and then give us the strength and the courage to carry out the task You set before us.  Forgive us, Father, when we hesitate, when we think we just aren’t good enough or big enough or strong enough to do what You ask.  Help us understand that You will equip us to do whatever job You might assign.

Hear us now, Father, as we quietly raise our personal prayers to You straight from our hearts, asking forgiveness of our sins, seeking Your will over our lives…

Lord Jesus, we want to serve You and our heavenly Father, but we are so often confused and unsure of ourselves.  First we’re not certain of what You would have us do.  And then we worry that we just don’t have what it takes to get the job done.  Or we’re willing to settle for just good enough, when we could excel by simply relying on You.  Help us, please Lord, to see how we can best serve You.  Help us to look at where You are working and then to join in on that effort.  And then, Lord, give us what we need to get the job done.  Send us where You want us to go.

This we pray in the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, the Son of Man, the one true Son of God.  Amen.

Do We Remember?

[The following is a manuscript of my sermon delivered on Sunday morning, the 15th of January, 2017.  Today’s service included the observance of Holy Communion.  Look for the video on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

In a few minutes we will observe the last meal our Lord shared with His closest friends here on this earth.  And we will receive the very same instruction He gave His followers that night: “remember Me”.  The Apostle Paul tells us of a church family that did indeed remember Jesus and what He commands us, and how they benefitted by doing so.  Listen and follow along as I read the 1st chapter from Paul’s 1st letter to the Thessalonian church, from the Contemporary English Version of our Bible…

1 From Paul, Silas, and Timothy.

To the church in Thessalonica, the people of God the Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I pray that God will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

2 We thank God for you and always mention you in our prayers. Each time we pray, 3 we tell God our Father about your faith and loving work and about your firm hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

4 My dear friends, God loves you, and we know he has chosen you to be his people. 5 When we told you the good news, it was with the power and assurance that come from the Holy Spirit, and not simply with words. You knew what kind of people we were and how we helped you. 6 So, when you accepted the message, you followed our example and the example of the Lord. You suffered, but the Holy Spirit made you glad.

7 You became an example for all the Lord’s followers in Macedonia and Achaia. 8 And because of you, the Lord’s message has spread everywhere in those regions. Now the news of your faith in God is known all over the world, and we don’t have to say a thing about it. 9 Everyone is talking about how you welcomed us and how you turned away from idols to serve the true and living God. 10 They also tell how you are waiting for his Son Jesus to come from heaven. God raised him from death, and on the day of judgment Jesus will save us from God’s anger.

--1 Thessalonians 1 (CEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, speak to us this morning in words we can understand.  Tell us of Your Son’s sacrifice on our behalf.  Imprint on our hearts His instruction so that we might never forget Him, His act, His love.  In the glorious name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.


Forget each kindness that you do as soon as you have done it.
Forget the praise that falls to you the moment you have won it.
Forget the slander that you hear before you can repeat it.
Forget each slight, each spite, each sneer, whenever you may meet it.
Remember every promise made and keep it to the letter.
Remember those who lend you aid and be a grateful debtor.
Remember all the happiness that comes your way in living.
Forget each worry and distress; be hopeful and forgiving.
Remember good, remember truth, remember heaven is above you.
And you will find, through age and youth, that many will love you.


As near as I could determine, a lady by the name of Priscilla Leonard penned that little poem.  I believe it encapsulates so much of the intent of Jesus’ instructions to us.  We shouldn’t make a big deal out of our kindnesses and charity, nor of when we feel slighted or wronged.  But we should always remember those kindnesses done to us, and those promises we have made.

When Jesus said “remember Me”, He wants us to remember all He taught us.  Otherwise His great sacrifice on our behalf was made for nothing.  Jesus really doesn’t ask much of us.  The prophet Micah describes it quite well, in the 6th chapter of his book of prophecy, verse 8…

8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?

--Micah 6:8 (NKJV)

Doesn’t that little poem speak clearly of doing justly, having mercy and love, and walking humbly with God?  It all begins with love, and that is what Jesus tried so hard to impress on us – that we love one another.  And that we love unconditionally - ignoring slights, turning the other cheek, giving of ourselves just as He did.

Do we remember?  Do we remember His words, His love, His sacrifice?  Do we get the full significance of His life on this earth and exactly what He did for us?  If we do, then why do we have so much trouble following His simple command to truly, unconditionally love one another?!?


In a moment we’ll take the bread that Jesus used as a symbol of His body that He allowed to be broken for us, the punishment that He took on our behalf.  And we’ll take the cup of juice that He said was the new covenant between God and us, a covenant written in His blood that He shed just so we might be washed clean of our sin and stand spotless before God.

But sometimes we get confused about this most holy Christian ritual.  It’s not about bread, or juice.  His own disciples even had trouble understanding what Jesus was trying to tell them sometimes.  Listen to what the Apostle Matthew recorded in the 16th chapter of his Gospel account, verses 5 through 12…

5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. 6 “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

12 Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

--Matthew 16:5-12 (NLT)

It’s not about the yeast in the bread.  It’s not about the bread.  Jesus could easily multiply a little bit of bread to make enough to feed the whole world, if need be.  It’s all about what the bread represents, and it’s importance is completely wrapped up in what Jesus says as He hands it to us:  “Remember Me.”  “Follow My example, walk the path I laid for you, heed My voice, obey My commands.”  “Love each other as much as you love yourself, as much as I love you.”

And oh by the way, we need to remember all this for longer than the ten minutes it takes to observe this Holy Communion with God.  We need to remember every minute of every day.  We need to remember when someone presses one of our hot buttons and makes us angry.  We need to remember when we don’t get exactly what we hope for, or even what we pray for.  We need to walk in Communion with Jesus with our every breath so that we never forget His great love for us, His selfless sacrifice.  So that we can remember that He asks us to be selfless and sacrificial in our love for others.  Because that is how we can best show our love for Him.

Do this in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You gave us a fairly simple set of commandments to follow, and then, because You love us so much and knew we’d have trouble, You made it even easier for us.  All You ask is that we do justly, that we love mercy, and that we walk humbly with You.  And the biggest part of that walk is believing in Jesus as Your Son and surrendering ourselves to Him as our Master.  Father, may we never forget or take for granted Your great love for us, the undeserved mercy You show us.

Hear us now, Father, as we bow before You in the silence, opening our hearts to You, sharing our wordless prayers with You, listening for Your reply…

Lord Jesus, You gave so much for our sake, yet ask so little in return.  It should be easy - loving others; You showed us how.  Help us, Lord, to remember what You told us.  Help us to remember what You did for us and for others while You walked this earth.  Help us to remember to do as You command us, even when Satan is doing his best to urge us to abandon You, to disobey You, to forget Your sacrifice.  Help us to always remember.

This we pray in Your blessed name, Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, the one true Son of God, in whom we place all our hope, all our trust, all our faith.  Amen.