A leader's Instruction on Pleasing God

Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us  instruction  as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. (1 Thessalonians 4:1 NASB)
As a pastor and leader one of my responsibilities is to provide clear and practical instruction on how to live a life that is pleasing to God. In addition, to providing instruction on how to excel even more in pleasing God. It is one thing to get someone to start their walk or Christ adventure, it is a whole other thing to model and empower them to excel, to always take next steps, positioning themselves for new depths in the life worship experience. It is always harder to finish then it is to begin.  Followers of Christ start off with a "come and see" mindset, but the further they go in sanctification they begin to experience what Jesus meant when He said, "come and die". This progress in transformation is to be both modeled and intentionally incarnational.

The overarching question...how do we do this? How do we as leaders model and instruct followers of Christ in how to live a life that is pleasing to God? What will it look like and how do we transfer these basic and advance principles so that they can be replicated in the lives of others?
1. What pleases the Lord? Total and unlimited love for, out of obedience to, sacrificial life worship, and surrender to God.
2. Starting daily in the basics: prayer or conversation with God, adoring His awesomeness with thanksgiving, speaking things that are unseen into being and bringing His beloved before Him through petition. An immersion in His word: find a God thought, unpack what it means to you, how you will make it live and with whom will you share it? Regular tithing and sacrificial giving. Service to Christ's body and intentionally sharing your Christ life story with pre-Christians.
3. Walk with a mentor: Time shared with someone who is more mature in Christ who will listen, model and challenge you in your walk with Christ.
4. Share life in community: gather with other believers who strive to live out the great commandment and the great commission. Share each other's burdens, encourage and empower each other in ways that constantly point to a deeper relationship and life expression with Christ.

My Life Expression of Worship

One of my life verses that I believe is key to my walk with Christ is Romans 12:1: Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (NASB)

It is amazing how much scripture comes to life when the Holy Spirit speaks it with another layer of depth and conviction. (That is the “living and active” part of God’s word. Heb. 4:12) Let me unpack this verse as I understand it today. God’s mercies or compassion brings both a comfort and conviction. Comfort knowing that he forgives us our sins, our utter wickedness when we respond to him in repentance. So too, it is convicting; knowing that He is merciful causes me to not continue sinning or at best it expresses His light that shines brightly revealing the right path I am to take. It is because of God’s mercies that we are able to thrive in righteous living.

How are we to live righteously in view of God’s mercies?

It is based on the type of life offering we present to Him. Remember in Genesis 4 the story of Cain and Abel where the brothers each brought an offering to the Lord. One offering was regarded (Abel) and the other rejected by God (Cain). It can be said, that Cain wasn’t rejected because of his offering, but his offering was rejected because of Cain. Abel’s offering was of the first and best of his flock: unblemished, and numerous it was an offering of total adoration and given not grudgingly but more so the heart-set that he couldn’t wait to present his treasured offering to the Lord. Cain on the other hand offered some of his produce, meaning he reluctantly gave, his heart was not God focused but self-focused. With Abel it was the very best part of his being that he gave to God his offering was pleasing, while Cain simply went through the motions sacrificing virtually nothing. I know people who attend religious meetings and participate in church activities but there is no proof that they're true believers. It's possible to have "a form of godliness" but never experience its saving power (2 Tim. 3:5). "These people come near to Me with their mouth and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me" (Isa. 29:13; Matt. 15:8). The most costly sacrifices apart from the submission of the heart can never make the worshiper right before God (Ps. 51:16-17). "The way of Cain" (Jude 11) is the way of self-will and unbelief. To make it hit even closer to home, how often do we go to church, small group or to a meeting because we feel obligated, not because we want to give the very best of ourselves to God and the brethren? We are to present every part of our being as a living and holy sacrifice, meaning we don’t just give Him the parts that are comfortable and convenient, that would be to blatantly show contempt for the Holy and His body the church. It reflects our heart when we complain, hold back, or don’t really engage. This can be measured by our prayer life (non-existent or the same powerless verbiage) Word time: (enough time for a “box check” but it is not living and active in your life) Fellowship: (never challenging others spiritually, nor allowing yourself to be challenged) “Other Lens”: (how do you view those around you, the homeless, different ethnicities, or the famous EGR?)

The crux of our Christian life is the condition of our beating hearts. It either beats for the Creator or for His creation or both. Many of us try to worship God through a “percentage” life perspective. We give God a certain percentage of our life while giving another percentage to other things, people or to ourselves. God deserves nothing less than complete surrender and a “to die for” commitment from His children. (100%) What stirs my heart is the haunting truth that not all sacrifices were/are accepted. There was no “regard” for Cain’s offering and in many other accounts in scripture. There was no unleashing of divine power, and thus was not pleasing the Lord. Everything we think, say and do is our expression of life worship to God. We either worship as Cain or we worship like Abel.

So here are my questions:

·        How does viewing and receiving God’s mercies motive you to live a holy and pleasing life to Him?

·        What is one “blemish area” that you are still holding on to that you want removed from your life? How does it negate your life expression of worship?

·        Are you seeing divine power in and through your life or just in the lives of those around? (2 Tim. 3:5)

·        What percentage numbers would you put on your expression of life worship? (80/20, 90/10, 60/40 etc.)

·        What does “holy” look like to you? How can you increase your life percentage of life holiness?

·        Who will you share your heart discoveries based on this devotional challenge?