Living with Reverence: Pleasing God Daily

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, we are blessed with the power and presence of God, much like the electricity that powers our homes. However, just as we handle electricity with care, we must approach God with reverence and seriousness. To fear God is to take Him seriously, to honor His thoughts, views, and perspectives. This is not about living in constant fear, but about living with a deep respect and understanding of His power and authority in our lives.

Our ambition, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:9, should be to please God in all that we do. This means starting each day with the intention to honor Him in our words and actions, and ending each day reflecting on whether we have achieved that goal. It is a daily practice, a continuous effort to align our lives with His will. We are not perfect, and God knows this, but He desires that we pursue His pleasure earnestly. As we make pleasing Him a habit, we will find more satisfaction in our days.

Furthermore, understanding the fear of the Lord means recognizing the seriousness of our relationship with Him. It is not about using His name casually or superficially, but about acknowledging His authority and living accordingly. Our society often takes God's name lightly, but we are called to a higher standard. We must influence others to fear God as well, starting with our families and extending to our communities. This is why accountability within the church is crucial. We need each other to stay on the right path, to remind us of the day when we will stand before God and our actions will be judged.

Our role as a church is not just to preach but to persuade, to challenge each other to live lives that honor God. We are to be a community that loves, corrects, and serves one another, always pointing each other back to the truth of God's word. In doing so, we prepare ourselves and others for the day when every knee will bow and every work will be examined.

Key Takeaways:

- To fear God means to take Him seriously, much like how we handle electricity with care. This reverence is not about living in fear but about respecting His power and authority in our lives. [06:48]

- Our daily ambition should be to please God in all aspects of our lives. By starting each day with this intention and reflecting on it at the end of the day, we cultivate a habit of living in alignment with His will. [01:28]

- Understanding the fear of the Lord involves recognizing the seriousness of our relationship with Him and not using His name casually. It is about living with a deep respect for His authority. [07:22]

- We are called to influence others to fear God, starting with our families and extending to our communities. Accountability within the church is crucial for staying on the right path and preparing for the day of judgment. [09:03]

- The church's role is to persuade and challenge each other to live lives that honor God. By being a community that loves, corrects, and serves one another, we prepare ourselves and others for the day when every knee will bow. [10:30]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:11] - The Power of Electricity
- [00:32] - Ambition to Please God
- [01:09] - Daily Reflection
- [02:07] - Pursuing God's Pleasure
- [03:24] - Knowing the Fear of the Lord
- [04:03] - Taking God Seriously
- [05:33] - Illustration of Electricity
- [06:31] - Handling God's Power
- [07:06] - Casual Use of God's Name
- [08:21] - Persuading Others
- [09:03] - Accountability in the Church
- [09:45] - Role of the Church
- [10:30] - Facing the Day of Judgment

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

Observation Questions:
1. What does 2 Corinthians 5:9 say about our ambition as believers? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on pleasing God daily? [00:32]
2. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of fearing God using the analogy of electricity? [05:33]
3. According to the sermon, what is the significance of taking God's name seriously, and how does this relate to the fear of the Lord? [07:22]

Interpretation Questions:
1. In 2 Corinthians 5:9, Paul speaks about making it our ambition to please God. What might this look like in practical terms for a believer today? [01:28]
2. The sermon mentions the importance of accountability within the church. How does this accountability help believers prepare for the day of judgment? [09:03]
3. The sermon discusses influencing others to fear God, starting with our families. What are some practical ways this influence can be exercised in a family setting? [08:38]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your daily routine. How can you intentionally start each day with the ambition to please God in your words and actions? [01:28]
2. The sermon compares fearing God to handling electricity with care. What are some areas in your life where you might be taking God too casually, and how can you change that? [06:48]
3. Think about your use of God’s name in daily conversations. Are there instances where you might be using it casually? How can you ensure you are honoring His name with reverence? [07:22]
4. Accountability is crucial in the church. Do you have someone in your life who holds you accountable in your faith journey? If not, how can you seek out such a relationship? [09:03]
5. The sermon emphasizes the role of the church in persuading and challenging each other to live lives that honor God. How can you contribute to this mission within your church community? [10:30]
6. Consider your family and community. What steps can you take to influence them to fear God and live according to His will? [08:38]
7. Reflect on the idea of standing before God on the day of judgment. How does this perspective influence your daily decisions and actions? [09:45]

Devotional

Day 1: Reverence for God's Power
In our journey of faith, we are reminded of the importance of reverence for God's power, much like the careful handling of electricity. To fear God is not to live in terror but to hold a deep respect for His authority and presence in our lives. This reverence shapes our actions and thoughts, guiding us to live in a way that honors Him. Recognizing God's power means acknowledging His role as the ultimate authority and aligning our lives accordingly. [06:48]

"For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe." (Deuteronomy 10:17, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you demonstrate a deeper reverence for God's power in your daily life, especially in situations where you might be tempted to act independently of His guidance?


Day 2: Daily Ambition to Please God
Our ambition, as followers of Christ, should be to please God in all aspects of our lives. This involves starting each day with the intention to honor Him through our words and actions and reflecting on our progress at the end of the day. By making this a daily practice, we cultivate a habit of living in alignment with His will, finding satisfaction in our efforts to please Him. Though we are not perfect, God desires our earnest pursuit of His pleasure. [01:28]

"So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him." (2 Corinthians 5:9, ESV)

Reflection: What specific actions can you take today to ensure that your ambition to please God is reflected in your interactions with others?


Day 3: The Seriousness of Our Relationship with God
Understanding the fear of the Lord involves recognizing the seriousness of our relationship with Him. It is not about using His name casually or superficially but about living with a deep respect for His authority. Our society often takes God's name lightly, but we are called to a higher standard. This means acknowledging His authority in our lives and living accordingly, influencing others to do the same. [07:22]

"Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!" (Psalm 33:8, ESV)

Reflection: How can you ensure that your words and actions reflect the seriousness of your relationship with God, especially in environments where His name is often taken lightly?


Day 4: Influencing Others to Fear God
We are called to influence others to fear God, starting with our families and extending to our communities. Accountability within the church is crucial for staying on the right path and preparing for the day of judgment. By living lives that honor God, we set an example for others, encouraging them to develop a reverent relationship with Him. This influence begins at home and extends outward, impacting those around us. [09:03]

"Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you." (1 Samuel 12:24, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your immediate circle can you encourage today to develop a deeper reverence for God, and what practical steps can you take to influence them positively?


Day 5: The Church's Role in Spiritual Growth
The church's role is to persuade and challenge each other to live lives that honor God. By being a community that loves, corrects, and serves one another, we prepare ourselves and others for the day when every knee will bow. This involves not just preaching but actively engaging in each other's spiritual growth, holding each other accountable, and pointing each other back to the truth of God's word. [10:30]

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you contribute to the spiritual growth of your church community this week, and what specific actions can you take to encourage others in their faith journey?

Quotes


To fear God means to take God seriously, His thoughts, His views, His perspectives. He says in verse 9 of 2 Corinthians 5, therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. We have as our ambition and ambition is a goal. [00:00:19]

So the first thing we must do in preparation for that day is to begin today to ask by the end of the day, did I please God with my day? To start your day and to say, Lord, my goal today ambition is to please you in word and deed in talk and walk in life and lip in mouth and movement. [00:01:09]

I want to please you today so that when I lay my head on the pillow tonight I can look back and say you were well pleased today, and then you repeat the same thing tomorrow and the day after that and you make it a daily Enterprise to be pleasing unto Him. [00:01:47]

Now we are not perfect, God knows that we are not perfect, but at the very same time He wants it to be clear that we are pursuing His pleasure, and if we are pursuing His pleasure you will find more and more days that you in the day satisfied then dissatisfied because pleasing Him has become a practice. [00:02:07]

The word fear means to take God seriously. The Apostle Paul is the most spiritual person in the New Testament, he's the greatest Christian probably that's ever lived, and he says I operate in the fear of God, knowing the fear of God. The Bible has a whole lot to say about the fear of God. [00:03:29]

To fear God doesn't mean to walk around trembling like this to fear God is to take Him seriously as opposed to taking Him casually. It means that you don't just throw out the name God and leave it empty, that name has substance to it, knowing the fear of the Lord because He's just said in the previous verse. [00:04:18]

We have a society today that's playing with God, well they'll throw out His name, they'll use His name. One of the best illustrations uh, what it means to fear God is, is how we fear electricity, electricity is a blessing, we are blessed with electrical power, the lights come on, the appliances work. [00:05:21]

You enjoy electricity but you handle it carefully because you know this power is not to be played with, toyed with. To fear God means to take God seriously, not just using His name for invocations and benedictions, but His thoughts, His views, His perspectives. [00:06:43]

But today we've gotten so used to the casual relating to God that we throw His name out and we could care less what He feels about it. You'll have comedians on award shows thanking God for their Awards and then dive into all kind of profanity, dive into all kind of misogyny dive into all kind of of of evil. [00:07:16]

You should be influencing somebody else to fear God, parents you should be training your children to fear God. We have a culture where people say well I don't want you in my business you you better get somebody to help you for this day, that's why I see people don't want accountability. [00:08:31]

That's why you ought to be part of a church not so you can sit soaking sour but so that somebody close enough to you to persuade you, to call you back when you've moved too far right or too far left to pull you back because if you've forgotten it they haven't forgotten it that you gonna face this day. [00:09:32]

Our job as a church, it's not just to preach but to persuade, to challenge you and me and us because we all need it because we all facing this day where every knee will bow and every man's work will be examined, good and bad. [00:10:17]

Chatbot

  • I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Aug 02, 2023. Do you have any questions about it?

Transcript
What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?
Were there any personal stories shared?