Pleasing God

Saturday, August 31, 2024

by Dr. Paul Chappell

For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Galatians 1:10-12

Because they were reaching out to people regarded as unworthy by many, General William Booth and the Salvation Army were frequently criticized. Even some prominent religious leaders were publicly quoted in their condemnations. At one point Booth's son Bramwell brought in a newspaper with one of these attacks prominently featured. William Booth read it and then said, “Bramwell, fifty years hence it will matter very little indeed how these people treated us; it will matter a great deal how we dealt with the work of God.”

It would be nice if doing the right thing made people like us and pleased them, but that is not the goal we are seeking. Rather than seeking the praise of men, we are to seek the praise of God. While we certainly should not seek to be obnoxious or offensive, we must recognize the reality that the world is still fighting against God, just as it has done since sin entered the world. Those who hate God are not likely to be favorable toward us if we are doing His work faithfully. But that is not what matters. Our focus must always be on pleasing God with our lives. There is no greater honor that could be given to us than to receive His words of approval, like the faithful servant in the parable of the talents that Jesus told. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord” (Matthew 25:21). God's opinion matters far more than what anyone may think or say about us as we do His work.

Today's Growth Principle
Our highest priority must always be to please God rather than to fit in with the world around us.

Old Testament Reading

Psalm 132-134

PSALM 132

A Song of degrees.

¹ LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions: ² How he sware unto the LORD, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob; ³ Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; ⁴ I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, ⁵ Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. ⁶ Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood. ⁷ We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool. ⁸ Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength. ⁹ Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints shout for joy. ¹⁰ For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.

¹¹ The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. ¹² If thy children will keep my covenant and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore. ¹³ For the LORD hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. ¹⁴ This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it. ¹⁵ I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. ¹⁶ I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy. ¹⁷ There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed. ¹⁸ His enemies will I clothe with shame: but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

PSALM 133

A Song of degrees of David.

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! ² It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; ³ As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

PSALM 134

A Song of degrees.

¹ Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, which by night stand in the house of the LORD. ² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD. ³ The LORD that made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion.

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

¹⁷ Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. ¹⁸ For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. ¹⁹ For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. ²⁰ When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. ²¹ For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. ²² What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.

²³ For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: ²⁴ And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. ²⁷ Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. ²⁸ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. ²⁹ For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. ³⁰ For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. ³¹ For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. ³² But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. ³³ Wherefore, my brethren, when ye come together to eat, tarry one for another. ³⁴ And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I set in order when I come.

Proverbs Reading

Proverbs 31

¹ The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. ² What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? ³ Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings. ⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: ⁵ Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. ⁶ Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. ⁷ Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more. ⁸ Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. ⁹ Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. ¹⁰ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. ¹¹ The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. ¹² She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. ¹³ She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. ¹⁴ She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar. ¹⁵ She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens. ¹⁶ She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. ¹⁷ She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms. ¹⁸ She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night. ¹⁹ She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff. ²⁰ She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. ²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet. ²² She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. ²³ Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land. ²⁴ She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant. ²⁵ Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come. ²⁶ She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. ²⁷ She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. ²⁸ Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. ²⁹ Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. ³⁰ Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. ³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.