Trying To Please The Lord - Zac Poonen
Summary
True discipleship is not measured by external religious activities like preaching or miracles, but by the inner life that pleases God the Father. The speaker emphasizes that maturity involves aligning one's thinking with God's will, which is revealed in Scripture. Ultimately, believers must shift their focus from seeking the approval of man to living a life that pleases God.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
Growing in maturity by aligning our thinking with GodJust as children grow to understand their parents' desires, spiritual maturity is marked by our thinking aligning more and more with scripture.
How did Jesus please the Father for thirty years?While the gospels focus mostly on Jesus's public ministry and miracles, the first thirty years of His hidden life demonstrate how He lived to please the Father without performing miracles or preaching.
Living to please God instead of seeking human praiseIf we seek to please men, we cannot be true servants of Christ; we must determine to abandon the search for human approval.
Doing good in secret where only the Father seesTrue godly people do good without needing others to know about it, realizing that God's knowledge alone is enough.
Trying to learn what is pleasing to the LordJust as a student or a child makes a concerted effort to learn difficult things, believers must make it their top priority to discover what is pleasing to God.
Overcoming the inner giants like the Israelites in the wildernessThough blessed with outward provisions, the Israelites displeased God because they lacked faith and allowed giants like lust, anger, and unforgiveness to rule their bodies.
The faith of a man under authorityThe Roman centurion understood spiritual authority because he was a man under authority, demonstrating a foundational principle for overcoming sin in our lives.
Material blessings are not proof of spiritual approvalGod sends sun and rain on both the righteous and the unrighteous, proving His general goodness rather than endorsing anyone's spiritual standing.Matthew 5:47
Becoming like a little child to be greatest in the kingdomJesus taught that true greatness and entry into the kingdom require being converted and humbling ourselves like a little child who is free from the opinions of men.Matthew 18:1–4
The gentle and quiet spirit as precious before GodBelievers, especially women, are called to cultivate the hidden person of the heart—a gentle and quiet spirit which is exceedingly precious in God's sight.
