Pleasing God

“Pleasing God”  Colossians 1:10-11

 

In  July 1924 Eric Liddell won the Olympic 400 meter in Paris. Remember this happened after he refused to run in the 100 meter because the race was on Sunday. His principles may seem strange to many today. But his motive was to please the Lord.  Here is the account from his biographer John W. Keddie, Running the Race:

 

“When Eric became aware of this he made it perfectly clear that he would take no part in any events scheduled for the Lord’s day, the Christian Sabbath. As far as he was concerned, that was a day of rest and worship in terms of the Fourth Commandment. It was, for him, not a day for recreation or work, apart from such works as were of necessity or mercy. The theology of the Lord’s day as Christian Sabbath to which Eric Liddell subscribed held that the Sabbath principle was preserved though the day was changed from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week. Most evangelical Christians held that the change of day was necessitated by three things: first, commemoration of the resurrection of Christ on the first day of the week; second, the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost on the first day of the week, seven weeks after the resurrection; and, third, New Testament precedents. The terms ‘Lord’s day’ to describe the Christian Sabbath derives from Revelation 1;10. Naturally, the argument that the Sabbath principle continued rested on the principle that the Ten Commandments contained permanent spiritual and moral precepts which in their very nature could not be abrogated.

At any rate, Eric made his position clear – he would not run in any events scheduled for a Sunday. As his friend D P Thomson put it later, ‘That decision there was no hope of changing. It was based on principles from which he never deviated a hair’s breadth.

There is irony in this matter of Eric Liddell’s refusal to run in the events scheduled for Sundays. His widow Florence later recalled that ‘Eric always said that the great thing for him was that when he stood by his principles and refused to run in the 100 metres, he found that the 400 metres was really his race. He said he would never have known that otherwise. He would never have dreamed of trying the 400 at the Olympics.’”

Today’s thoughts are around this subject---“Pleasing God”.  Our object , our ambition should be to be “ pleasing unto him.” That was the theme of our seminary when I attended there.  Our scripture is a prayer that the Apostle Paul makes, “ that yoy may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way.”

I want to ask this question today.  How may we live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way?  We live in a world ( and it has drastically affected the Church of Jesus Christ) that asks, “ what can I do to feel better about myself?”  That is seen as the goal in life.

First, can we know how to please him?  Deuteronomy tells us that we can do it.  Look at 30:11 , “ For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off..”  I remember in seminary that my theology professor used to say , “ we have all we need for this life and godliness and the life to come.”  The problem is that we do not like it . So we make excuses. “ the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body…for good…if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God , to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.”

This is an important point, because the world and many in the Church tell us today that the Word is not an important guide.  If our feelings are telling us something, then do it.  The Word goes by the way-side.  We can know God and His will for ways in which we may please Him.  That is why I like to remember His law in the Rehearsal of the Ten Commandments.  I note with sorrow that it is often not done at all.

2. “ in every good work bearing fruit and growing into the knowledge of God.” Col 1:10

It is important that we link our knowledge of God that we are growing in as we read the Scriptures with good actions.  That is what the Gospel lesson is about.  The religious leaders passed by, the priest and the Levite.  The Samaritan came where the man was and took pity on him.  He went to him, and bandaged his wounds.  I do not think we need to dwell on this , for most of us are well aware of the story.  The problems comes in applying it, for we too are like the expert in the law seeking to justify ourselves. 

The question becomes who is my neighbour, and what am I doing about it if I do not ignore my neighbour?

3.  Lastly, we have the encouragement of “ with all power being strengthened according to the might of His glory to all endurance and longsuffering with joy.” I am not alone in this quest to please Him in every way.  He has equipped me.  He has rescued me from darkness, given me His redemption and the forgiveness of sins.

Now you may say, this is not a sermon on how to do this.  ( live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way).  I wanted us to get thinking about the goal.  This should be it.  We have His Word and His Church to get started.  We know we should be growing in the knowledge of God and applying that to our neighbors as well.   We say it once a month in the Holy Communion Service. ( Love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and will all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it.  Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.)

Lastly, we have the power to do it.  Now the goal is clear.  What should we be doing to fulfil it?  It is time for you and I to begin filling in the blanks.