We Aim to Please God
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TITLE: We Aim to Please God
SUBJECT: Attitudes
PROPOSITION: In this lesson we will set forth several reasons against pleasing people, and for pleasing God.
OBJECTIVE: That we would focus less on pleasing people, and more on pleasing God.
INTRODUCTION:
1. Read: Galatians 1:10
2. About the Text:
1) We are drawn to please people.
2) When we do something nice for someone else, we expect them to act in kind.
3) When we apply this rule consistently, we end up defining ourselves by how we please other people.
4) Think about all of the personal relationships you have and how difficult it would be to maintain such a formula.
5) This can build bitterness and resentment when others don’t meet our expectations.
6) Paul did not try to do this in his life, and we shouldn’t either.
7) His solution was to simply please God and not people.
8) In fact, he states that the two are incompatible.
9) Let’s talk about why we shouldn’t try to please people, but should seek to please God instead.
3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.
DISCUSSION:
I. It is impossible to consistently please people, but we can please God in Christ.
1. People are fickle.
1) Ephesians 4:14
2) James 1:6
2. People judge by appearances.
1) John 7:24
2) James 2:1ff
3. People judge based upon their own self-righteousness.
1) Luke 18:9
4. But God is pleased with us on account of our faith in Christ (Hebrews 11:6).
5. 1 Thess.4:1
II. We don’t know whether what we are doing will please people, but we can know how to please God.
1. We don’t know whether we are actually pleasing people or not, because we don’t know their mind.
2. (Story of buying a fire truck for boy in 4th grade.)
3. But God has revealed His mind to us.
4. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16.
5. Ephesians 3:3-5
III. Seeking to please people creates false standards of acceptance, but pleasing God doesn’t.
1. What happens when we set artificial standards for other people’s behavior?
1) What to say or not to say in certain social situations.
2) What kind of clothes to wear.
2. Some people will get it and some won’t.
1) What happens to those who don’t get it?
2) They will be ostracized for not conforming to the artificial standard.
3. Is this what God wants?
1) 2 Corinthians 10:12-13
2) 1 Corinthians 1:10ff.
IV. Pleasing people competes with pleasing God.
1. When we are trying to please everyone else, that’s less time seeking to please God.
2. What happens when pleasing men conflicts with pleasing God? (Acts 5:29).
3. Matthew 6:24 – The principle is true.
4. Instead of seeking to please men, we should just try to please God.
5. 1 Thess.2:4
CONCLUSION:
1. Why should we not try to please people?
1) It is impossible to consistently please people, but we can please God through Christ.
2) We don’t know whether we are pleasing people, but we can know if we are pleasing God.
3) Seeking to please people creates false standards, but seeking to please God doesn’t.
4) Pleasing people competes with pleasing God.
2. Invitation