An Ambition To Please God Alone | LIVING A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD | Zac Poonen
Atlanta Conference 2015 Theme: LIVING A LIFE THAT PLEASES GOD Message Title: 1.An Ambition To Please God Alone - Zac Poonen Visit our website for more information: www.cfcindia.com
Summary
The central message is that a Christian's ultimate ambition must be to please God alone, mirroring Jesus' own life and Paul's example. The speaker emphasizes that true discipleship involves living for Christ's glory both on Earth and in eternity, rather than merely focusing on getting into heaven. He urges listeners to examine their current life direction to ensure it aligns with pleasing God.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What is your primary ambition?Paul states in 2 Corinthians that his one ambition whether at home in heaven or on earth is to please God, mirroring Christ's life and direction.2 Corinthians 5:9
Living for Christ now versus just wanting to go to heavenMany Christians live self-centered lives for earthly pleasure while hoping to slip into heaven, missing the opportunity to take up the cross and deny themselves here.
Gathering people who want to follow Jesus on EarthTrue discipleship means denying oneself daily to follow Jesus, and there is no second chance to show love for Christ through sacrifice once we reach heaven.
The old Covenant has been abolishedMany Christians mistakenly try to live under the abolished old Covenant of external rules instead of embracing the New Covenant established by God.
Writing laws on the heart instead of stoneWhile the old Covenant had laws written on tablets of stone outside of man, the New Covenant places God's laws directly into our minds and hearts.
An internal good life instead of external complianceSalvation addresses the penalty, power, and future presence of sin, moving us past mere external behavior modification into a true inner life.
Surpassing the righteousness of the scribes and PhariseesJesus taught that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, whose correct doctrines and external cleanliness masked corrupt inner lives.Matthew 5:20
The Sermon on the Mount addresses heart motivesThroughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus moves past external actions like murder and adultery to address the root sins of anger and lust in the heart.
The necessity of the Holy Spirit for the inner lifeAn external life can be improved through human techniques or management seminars, but an inner passion to please God requires the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus pleased the Father without performing public ministryAt his baptism after thirty years as an upright working carpenter, the Father declared He was well pleased with Jesus before He had performed any miracles.
Many will do miracles yet fail to please GodJesus warns that many who preach, cast out demons, and perform miracles in His name will be rejected because they lived in sin and lacked true fruit.Matthew 7:22
God was not well pleased with the disobedient IsraelitesEven though the Israelites experienced extraordinary miracles like manna and water from a rock, God was not well pleased with most of them.1 Corinthians 10:5
