Sermon Prepared by James McCullen
Email Preach Him with Dr. Jim
How Can An Individual Please God?
Heb. 11:6 and Others Heb 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. NKJV

Rom 8:8-9 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. NKJV

1 Thess 4:1-28 1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. NKJV

John 8:29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. NKJV

2 Tim 2:4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. NKJV

Ps 69:30-31 a 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 This also shall please the LORD . . . " NKJV

Prov 16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him. NKJV

Introduction
On one occasion our daughters asked us to sit down with them at the dinning room table and talk about rules and restrictions. I remember one thing about that meeting and it is this our daughters said "we want to please you, but sometimes we don't know how." Do we know how to please God?

1. To Please God An Individual Must . . Have Faith. Heb 11:6
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. . . . 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. NKJV

A. A . . Representation of A Pleasing Faith. 11:1
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

        F forsaking
        A all
        I
        T take
        H him

B. The . . Requirement of A Pleasing Faith. v 6 a
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,..."

NT:102 adunatos (ad-oo'-nat-os); from NT:1 (as a negative particle) and NT: 1415; unable, i.e. weak (literally or figuratively); passively, impossible: KJV - could not do, impossible, impotent, not possible, weak.

NT: 1415 dunatos (doo-nat-os'); from NT: 1410; powerful or capable (literally or figuratively); neuter possible: KJV - able, could, (that is) mighty (man), possible, power, strong.

C. The . . Reward of A Pleasing Faith. v 6 b
". . . and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

Illustration
Suppose a millionaire says his gifts to the church and mercy missions is his ticket to pleasing God. What do you say?

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him,. . ."

Suppose a person does as many good works as someone like Sister Theresa. What do you say?

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him,. . ."

Suppose a person just says I have not done anything that bad to be sent to hell. What do you say?

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him,. . ."

Application

If anyone pleases God they must have Faith. They must Forsake All and Take Christ as the hope of heaven.

2. An Individual Must Be . . Led by the Spirit. Rom 8:8-9
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. NKJV

A. The . . Contrast of Leadership by the Spirit. 8:8
8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

NT:3756 ou (oo); also (before a vowel) ouk (ook); and (before an aspirate) ouch (ookh); a primary word; the absolute negative [compare NT:3361] adverb; no or not: KJV - + long, nay, neither, never, no

NT:1410 dunamai (doo'-nam-ahee); of uncertain affinity; to be able or possible: KJV - be able, can (do, + -not), could, may, (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers - Concordance)

1. The . . Confidence of Leadership by the Spirit. 8:9
9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. NKJV

Illustration
A lady went to a jeweller to have her watch fixed. He disappeared to the back and soon returned with it running perfectly. Surprised, she asked how he could fix it so soon. He told her it only needed a new battery. Battery? Battery? No body said anything about a battery.

I've been winding it every morning!" --A lot of Christians do not realize the inner power of the Holy Spirit to handle things they think they must take into their own hands.

Application

If we please God we must not depend upon our flesh to wind things up or work things out but upon His Spirit to do His work in and through us.

3. An Individual Must Be . . Obedient to the Commands of God. 1 Thess. 4:1 b -2, John 8:29
". . . how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him. NKJV

A. The Commands of God Concerning the . . Flesh. 1 The. 4:3-5
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

B. The Commands of God Concerning the . . Fellowship. 1 The. 4:6-7
6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is
the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to
uncleanness, but in holiness. NKJV

C. The Commands of God Concerning . . Forfeits. 1 Thess 4:8
8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy
Spirit. NKJV

        1.    Forfeits About Time.
        2.    Forfeits About Talent.
        3.    Forfeits About Treasure.

Ps 69:30-31 30 I will praise the name of God with a song, And will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 31 This also shall please the LORD NKJV

Prov 16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Col 1:10 that you may have a walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; NKJV

Col 3:20 Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord. NKJV

Heb 13:21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. NKJV

Illustration THE CARROT, THE EGG AND THE COFFEE BEANS
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they got soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked. "What's the point, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity--boiling water--but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate to another level?

How do you handle Adversity? ARE YOU A CARROT, AN EGG, OR A COFFEE BEAN?

Application

Don't tell GOD how big your storm is. Tell the storm how big your GOD is!
Decide in what ever climate you find your self to PLEASE GOD!

4. An Individual Must Be . . Free from the Affairs of this World. 2 Tim 2:4
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. NKJV

A. Free from . . Worldly Entanglements. 2:4 a
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, . . ."

1. Not a week goes by that we don't hear about someone getting all entangled in a worldly
situation.

2. Why? No daily goal to please God.

B. Free for . . Warfare Enlistment. 2:4 b
". . . that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier."

1. I am a soldier for the Lord.
a. He enlisted me.

Illustration R-RATED BEHAVIORS
As a general rule, people in R-rated films drink more and smoke
more than people in other movies. Dartmouth College has discovered the impact that rule has on kids whose parents let them watch R-rated movies.

"Among those who had no restrictions on R-rated films, they were more likely to have tried both tobacco and alcohol," said researcher Jennifer Tickle. Tickle worked on the survey of more than 4,000 young people in the 5th through the 8th grades, and found that, among kids who regularly watched R-rated films, nearly half had tried alcohol and more than a third had tried smoking. Among kids whose parents totally banned them from seeing such movies, only four percent had tried alcohol and only two percent had tried smoking.

Application

Do we want to please the Lord.

You Must . . Have Faith. Heb 11:6

You Must Be . . Led by the Spirit.

You Must Be . . Obedient to the Commands of God.

You Must Be . . Free from the Affairs of this World.

And it all begins with faith in Christ