A Call To Pursue Pt. 2 How To Please God

PURSUING GOD

Part II: How to Please God

Micah 6:6-8:
With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? 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?

I. INTRODUCTION

II. A HEART MATTER: PLEASURE IN GOODNESS

Mark 12:33-34:
And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.

Hebrews 10:6-8:
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You had no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come—In the volume of the book it is written of Me—To do Your will, O God.’ ” Previously saying, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the law)

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A. Just DO Right

1. 1. You know what’s right
      1. Don’t do what others do
      2. If they smite you, then turn the other cheek
      3. Do right even when it’s hard
         1. Means to act honorably with God and with people
         2. Tell Yourself I must need this, or I wouldn’t be in it
         3. When its hard, sow hard, radically sow & Reap radical harvest

John 15:10-11

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

III. LIFE OF JESUS: PATTERN FOR PERFECTION

Mark 8:34:
When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.’

1 Peter 2:21:
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:”

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1 John 2:6: He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”

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Hebrews 12:2-3

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

IV. THE PLEASING LIFE OF JESUS

Matthew 3:17:
And suddenly, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’

Hebrews 11:5:
By faith, Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken, he had this testimony that he pleased God.

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John 5:41:
I do not receive honor from men… How can you believe, who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?”

John 5:44:
not by the way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart.”

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V. WHAT PLEASES GOD?

A. A DESIRE FOR MERCY

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. and He was right there to pick me up.

Psalm 18:35 Thou has also given the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand has held me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou has enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.

Mercy is the compassionate treatment of those in distress, especially when it is within one’s power to punish or harm. A price paid (show compassion, have some pity for someone, you might need some someday). The level at which God has shown you mercy is the level at which you ought to show mercy to someone else.

B. HUMBLE HEART

Psalms 51:1-12

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against You, you only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin, my mother conceived me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part, You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Psalms 51:16-17: For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart—These, O God, You will not despise.

C. OBEDIENCE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

1 Samuel 15:22:
So Samuel said: ‘Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.’

C. FAITH

John 6:28-29:
Then they said to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.

Hebrews 11:6:
But without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

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Romans 3:28

For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. So, we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.