Thread: Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Admin
Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Posted : 26 Jul, 2011 02:39 PM
Are You Trying to Win Approval of Men... Or Are You Pleasing to God?
Hear what Paul writes to the Thessalonian church in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2:You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us. 9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. 13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God's word, which is also at work in you believers. 14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own compatriots as they did from the Jews, 15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out; they displease God and oppose everyone 16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. Thus they have constantly been filling up the measure of their sins; but God's wrath has overtaken them at last. 17 As for us, brothers and sisters, when, for a short time, we were made orphans by being separated from you--in person, not in heart--we longed with great eagerness to see you face to face. 18 For we wanted to come to you--certainly I, Paul, wanted to again and again--but Satan blocked our way. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 Yes, you are our glory and joy!
We kive n a society where everyone is more concern about their own personal trinity...Me, Myself, and I. Rather than being committed to the Godhead, which is the trinity God the Father, God the Som, and God the Holy Spiirt.
Many Chirstians are more concerned with what they get instead of who is the giver is, they worry about stuff instead of souls being saved. Our life goal as Christians while here on this earth should be about doing the work of the ministry for the kingdom of God.
In this chapter, Paul addresses the slander of the Jews that questioned his commitment to Jesus Christ. But he wanted the church to know that his life goals and commitments were to please God and not man, no matter what others said about him or did to him, he was committed to continued preaching and teaching Jesus with much joy.
Although the Jews had forced Paul and Silas to leave Thessalonica, Paul did not consider his mission to the city a failure, he accomplished his goal through his preaching and giving out the warnings God had first sent him to give to the church, and by living the gospel through his lifestyle.
His lifestyle proved to those who ran him out of town that he was committed to Jesus Christ, and proved to be evidence of his commitment to please God and not himself, he set an example just as we, as believrs should be committed to set examples of our lifestly if we are to proclaim Jesus as head of our life, declaring the gospel.
Our lifestyle and conduct and behavior are dynamic sermons about Jesus' role in our daily lives and what He has done for us, and this is also the word that we are to share with others through our daily living for Christ.
I can't tell your story as to how you live daily as a Christian for Christ if I am not around you or come in contact with you, just as you can't tell my story as to how I live for Christ daily. But we are called to be ambassdors for Christ and to let our lights so shine so that other may see our stories and this will tell our stories for others to see as to how we live representing who we say we ae in Chirst. Our lifestyle, conduct and behavior is our story for the world to read.
As Paul reminds us that it is not enough to just be or say you are holy, righteous, and blameless and that you teach and preach the word of God. But we MUST also live what we preach and teach, just as Jesus, Paul and the apostle did before the people. Our lifestyles portrays the Lord as to who He is in us.
QUESTON: If you were on trial for your commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ, and your life depended upon your testimony and witness based upon your lifestyle as a Christian believer... what evidence could be used to prove you innocent or your guilt?
Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Posted : 26 Jul, 2011 03:02 PM
All Christians agree that our lifestyles, behavior and conduct is a story for the world to read and that we can not teach and preach effectively if we are hypocrites:
However, the question is: Is that enough to save them without the Word of God???
I Peter 1:23,24: "You:rolleyes: have been born again, not by perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring Word of God. For all men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the Word that was preached to you."
John 17:17: Jesus commands, "Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is Truth."
Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Posted : 26 Jul, 2011 07:20 PM
Richard, what spiritual life application do you get out this chapter?
And If you were teaching I Thessalonians chapter 2, in a Bible Study Class, Just what would be the spiritual message Paul is speaking to the church at Thessalonica and to all believers?...
Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Posted : 26 Jul, 2011 07:43 PM
ET has asked me:
What are the main spiritual applications that you would teach from I Thessalonians, Chapter 2??
Paul speaks quite a bit about his relationship with the Thessalonian church in spite of much opposition. My favorite verse in this chapter is:
I Thessalonians 2:15:
"And we also thank God continually because, when you received the Word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the Word of God which is at work in you who believe!":rolleyes::angel:
Are You Trying To Win Approval of Men... Or, Are you Pleasing To God?
Posted : 26 Jul, 2011 09:31 PM
The purpose of my thread is to show all Christians how they can practically witness to the lost and to believers using the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God since God's Word says that we are born again through the Word of God and that we are sanctified through the Word of God.
And also that is very important that are lifestyle, behavior and conduct show that Jesus has changed our lives so that we can effectively teach and preach God's Word.
