Please God All The More

SYZYGUS IN CHRIST CHURCH

TEXT : 1 THESSALONIANS 4:1-12
THEME : SPIRITUAL GROWTH
TITLE : PLEASE GOD ALL THE MORE
PROPOSTION: AREAS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE THAT NEED GROWTH
TO PLEASE GOD


I. INTRODUCTION

A. Paul Ministered at Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9)

1) The Preaching
2) The Power
3) The Persecution
4) The Perseverance

B. The Commendation – Model Church

1) Their Faith(1:3)

- work
- service
- endurance

2) Their Character (v.6)

- imitators of the Lord
- steadfastness
- joy

C. The Final Instruction

Paul was asking and urging them to grow in the life they are living in order to please God.

1) The Problem

a) Spiritual Dwarfism – The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9)

- seed along the path, birds came up and ate it up
- seeds on the rocky places, scorched and withered because of sun
- seeds on the thorny places, choked by the thorny plants
- seeds on good soil, produced a crop, bear fruits

Christians must grow and bear fruits.

b) Lack of Spiritual Nourishment – They neglect the following:

Prayer, word meditation, and fellowship

This implies that, if there is no growth in the life of the one who is professing that he is a Christian, I believe he is not. Because the Bible is crystal clear in telling that there must be growth throughout the life of a Christian, They must grow and bear fruits. Because the grace of God is so rich that it will give him desire to grow, a power to grow, resources to grow and inspiration to grow which is to be more like Jesus Christ.

c) Biblical Examples (Characters)

- Jacob, from being deceiver to being righteous
- Moses, from being idle to being a exhausted leader
- David, from being adultery and murderer to being victorious sufferer
- Peter, from being compromiser to being faithful minister


II. Body

A. The Final Instructions and the Purpose

1) Continue to live a life that they are living that is pleasing to God
2) To excel in living a life that is praiseworthy.

Ref:

Christians are God pleasers not man pleasers. And all other true Christians will be inspired by the example of life that he is living and that life is to please God because of their faith.

B. Total Reliance to God – In the Lord

Reliance to power of God to live life pleasing to Him. Jesus is our potential, our resources, our basis of life.

C. The Authority of Christ

The instructions are from God not from mere men.
Following the instructions is a must because we, Christians are accountable (v.2,8)
- duty
- promise
- judgment


D. The 3 Areas of Christian Life Need to Grow to Please God

1) Personal Holiness – (Sanctification)
From Positional Righteousness to Practical Holiness (v.7)

- growing hatred of sins
- pursuance of holiness (desire to live holy life and act to live a holy life)

Justification

We have righteousness in Christ because of what Jesus did on the cross. (Romans 5:19)
The Bible is teaching that we must live a holy life. (2Tim. 2:19, 1John 3:24, Titus 1:16)
James attacked those who were professing that they have faith and through that kind of faith they are justified made righteous even though there is no pursuance of holiness.

Sanctification

Christians need to live a holy life more and more because it pleases God. Everything we do must be doxological, for His glory. The be conformed more in the image of Jesus for God’s glory.





2) Spiritual Relationship – (Brotherly Love)
From Congregational Love to Denominational Love (v.9-10)

- be example to the church in the Lord
- be model to other church in the Lord

Love one Another (John 13:34-45)

Jesus new command is to love one another. It is a kind of love for all the believers so that the world may know that we are disciples, in unity and bind with His love.



3) Social Life – (Concern for Others)
From Concern for Brothers to Unbelievers
- don’t be a burden to others this is a sin of immaturity and implication of no growth
- don’t be idle because this is a sign of a Christian

In Matthew 5, we are salt and light of the world and God’s glory is exalted and His name is praised and it pleases Him.

On the other hand, you may gain respect of others and God uses this as instrument for them to believe in Him.




III. CONCLUSION

Brothers God has called us, redeemed us and when God saved man He also changed that man and also throughout the course of life in Christianity there will be growth. There will be a growing love of God, a growing desire to obey Him and a growing hatred of sins. The one who began this good thing is the one who will finish the course. Wake up Christians its about time to grow. Feed your soul with the His Word. Ask Him to give you desire and strength to grow so that you can please the God whom you love. Look at your own life, your personal life, your relationship with other Christians and to unbelievers. Love your God. Please Him not men. You’re claiming to be a Christian so please Him. You said that He had saved you from eternal condemnation the hell so do whatever he demands to you. Don’t be contended in what you are now. Search more how you please Him according to His own will. Love Him. Please Him. It’s your duty to grow in the grace and knowledge of God for His glory. Let your words of love for God be real in your actions. God bless you.



For God’s Glory
10/25/09