Pleasing God — Jim Cymbala

The Thessalonian Church and Paul’s Opposition

So in the beginning of this year, we started a series together on the book of 1st Thessalonians. It's a letter. It's not a book. But we call it books of the Bible books of the New Testament. The Apostle Paul had started a church there in northern Greece in Thessalonica.

Everybody say Thessalonica and that's how we get Thessalonians. He stayed there not long had risked his life to preach the gospel. Started a church. How he did these things. We still don't know in such a short period of time.

Ordained leadership then went on. Wondered how they were doing sent Timothy to find out how they were doing as a young assistant. Timothy comes back tells them good things for the most part some doctrinal confusion.

Which he's going to get to a little later on in that letter about the coming of Christ. But he also found out along with the good things that their faith was strong. He found out something that he kept finding out almost everywhere.

He went that after he left already back then 2 ,000 years ago there were religious con artists who came in after him and Did two things. They tried to fleece the people of their money. Nothing's changed.

Number two they threw Paul under the bus and said nasty negative things about him. And we learned that even though Jesus didn't open his mouth. And that was for a reason to fulfill prophecy in the Old Testament.

He'll like a lamb led to slaughter. He didn't open his mouth said a few words to Pilate before he was crucified. But otherwise he didn't talk to King Herod and and kept quiet. Some people have made that the basis of whenever someone says something nasty tells a lie.

Slanders you you should never say anything. Well, we find out that's not true when it affects The Christian Church and people's faith you do speak up not out of anger not out of personal recrimination but out of The welfare of God's kingdom and the progress of the gospel.

But you do it by reasoning with people in a kind way as he's going to do now. Because he Timothy came back and said you can't believe what these people have said who came after you. They didn't start the church.

There's a whole brand of people who travel through the centuries if you study church history. They go around and proselytize they don't make new converts. They just come in where there are converts and they try to Steal you over to following them their personality their charisma or they go after your money or they put down somebody else who really loves you and.

That's the way it goes. What happened 2 ,000 years ago is still happening. They don't make converts. They don't have that kind of blessing from God to lead people to Christ. They just come in and spoil the crops and mess up everything.

And this was happening there. So let's see how he defended himself now as I read this you're gonna say pastor Simba. Why don't you just read this for yourself? Because this is really a picture of what ministers should never do.

But God put it in the New Testament so that you would not only Not only for ministers so that we could aim at something higher and better. But it's a warning to all of us watch out for people who? Remember the the wolves come in what kind of clothing?

Yeah, so not everything that looks good is good. Not everything that looks legit is legit. So, how do you know how can you discern? So there's some warnings here, right and this was happening already 2 ,000 years ago.

So it's a lesson to all of us. Let's let's let's be careful. Let's have let's be wise as serpents harmless as doves as the scripture says. Let's be able to discern not be hypercritical not be judgmental but at the same time let's understand there's difference between sheeps and wolves and We're also going to see a principle in here that applies to all of us.

Paul’s Boldness in Philippi

So let's look at it. Shall we first? Thessalonians chapter 2, you know brothers and sisters that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered he's speaking about Philippi where he had been before.

Thrown in jail beat up and had been treated outrageously in Philippi as you know. But with the help of our God we dared look at the boldness. We dare to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition.

Five Corrupt Motives Paul Rejects

For the appeal we make and now he's going to go to five negatives things that he didn't do. For the appeal we make does not spring from error number one or Impure motives to nor are we trying to trick you three on the contrary?

We speak as though approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God who tests our hearts. You know, we never use flattery. Nor did we put on the mask to cover up greed five.

God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people not from you or for anyone else even though as apostles of Christ. We could have asserted our authority and told you to help support us. Which he's going to later go on and explain why he wouldn't take money from them.

And he worked with his own hands making tents, which was his trade. Every Jewish Person brought up under the law the parents had to teach them another trade. They just couldn't be religious. They had to know how to do something.

So when push came to shove they could make a living. The rabbis taught anyone who raises a child to study the law and be a rabbi, but doesn't have a trade is Violating the law. So Paul at night worked making tents so that he wouldn't be a burden to them.

So now how does he defend himself? He reasons with them he says as you know, he's not talking smack he's not making up stuff. He's saying come on. I was there you were there you remember what we didn't do.

What didn't we do? These other guys are trying to bury him. These other guys are trying to ingratiate themselves with the people in Thessalonica. He only cares about their spiritual welfare. Paul these other people have bad things on their mind.

The Sufficiency and Authority of God’s Word

So Paul says this first of all the teaching we gave you was not based on error. We didn't make up stuff. We didn't give you our dreams or stuff that just came in our head. We did as he later told Timothy to do preach the word.

Somebody's dreams won't help you. You need the Word of God. I need the Word of God heaven and earth Will pass away, but this word is never going to pass away. Every time you hear anyone speak starting with this person or anyone who's here or anyone you watch on TV.

You just question everything they say and say. Is that in the Bible? No, no, but an angel told me I don't care what angel told you is that in the Bible how many are with me here? Say amen. Because Paul says our teaching was based on the final authority of God's Word.

Truth is found in God's Word and when we leave it or a minister leaves it. He's going into uncharted waters. And we do not follow him. You don't follow me if I start preaching something that's in not in the Bible.

It's best if you get up while I'm preaching and leave because obviously I've lost my senses. And I'm going to be used to hurt a lot of people so you question everything you ever hear. Is this in the Bible I?

Don't care where the guy said the Holy Ghost. Just told me this that is that in the Bible. Did people do that in the Bible. Did people act like that in the Bible? But of course you won't be you and I won't be able to do that unless we know our Bible.

That's why you got to read your Bible every day. Look at me everyone you have to read your word every day. Line upon line precept upon precept you got to fill yourself with the Word of God. How will you know the counterfeit if you don't know the real?

The reason there's such biblical illiteracy now. That's why a lot of these con artists exist because the people don't know what a real minister looks like what Jesus did. They just go by some kind of the good Lord or the man upstairs, and they don't know the Bible.

So they're just pray for these vultures who come in and take advantage of them. Paul said it was not based on error but we never Had wrong motives impure motives not meaning sexually impure. The word there in the Greek is probably used we were not conniving at something underhanded to take advantage of you.

Rejecting Trickery and Manipulation

Number three he says and we never tried to trick you. Back in that day there were traveling itinerant philosophers speakers rabbis. Pseudo-christian speakers who would get up without a microphone, but they knew how to with speech trick people make arguments that were bogus, but you you had to be pretty smart to understand the error in that and They would appeal to whatever just to trick the people to take advantage of them.

Paul says we never tricked you. There's a lot of tricksters. But we weren't one of them. We didn't use tricks on you we didn't try to get over on you. How would we say it today? We didn't play you. How many meet people they try to play you come on if you live in New York someone tries to play you every day come?

He said I we didn't use those tricks. I'm studying a book right now about 19th-century Christianity in America. Some of the emphases that developed in this country as it was still growing before the Civil War antebellum after the Civil War postbellum and Some of the characters that were raised up to get people to follow them.

I mean the whole Mormon religion began when a guy Joseph Smith went up and said an angel said, you know Talk to him up in Upstate New York and he came out with this these writings and and all of this and a whole religion began think of all the Mormons.

It began with people listening to something that's not in the Bible. It was extra biblical. Yeah, the Bible is okay. But now here's the whole truth. Listen when you have the Bible you have the whole truth.

Can I get a loud? Amen? Come on. Let's say amen to that loud. You can't add. You can't add you can't add no matter what? Joseph Smith said or some minister or the Pope or anyone else you cannot add or take away from the Word of God.

Flattery, Greed, and Prosperity Scams

Paul said we also didn't use flattery. That's interesting. We didn't use flattery. One of the tools that these speakers who travel around to get money they would use flattery by buttering up the people and telling them what they wanted to hear or Holding back truth from them because they knew it would rub against them the wrong way.

That's a very evil thing. When you know the truth about sin judgment God Jesus Heaven hell the future that everyone listening to me today 1 billion years from now. We're all going to be somewhere. When you know Jesus said you must be born again not go to church not try to live a good life.

Not join the Brooklyn Tabernacle. You must be born again. You must have an Relationship with Jesus to hold that back because it might rub people the wrong way is a very evil thing. It's a it's a kind of negated flattery.

Don't tell people something they don't want to hear. By the way, if you have friends who never speak the truth to you. That's not a true friend a true friend. If you read Proverbs the the wounds of a friend are like oil that come because a true friend will say Yo, you're off.

I Thought that was profound. Nobody said amen or anything. No a true friend isn't always going yo, David. You're the best and all that a true friend will take you aside and say you know what I heard I saw how you just did that that probably isn't the best thing you should do that wouldn't remind anyone of Jesus.

Hey, what do you mean? No? I'm a true friend. I have friends around the country Pastors and my friends and I tell them anytime you see something here's something that you're not buying into you knock on my door.

Others visit and preach here. We have a relationship. Anything you pick up you come and tell me because the first rule of life is you could be wrong. Am I wrong or right here on that? Well, of course if you never could be wrong, then you're God and None of us are God.

One of the first things he says we didn't use flattery and finally we didn't put a mask on to cover up greed. These are the five things he said. We didn't trick you. We didn't have bad motives. We didn't preach error.

We didn't use flattery. These are all the tools of people who have ulterior motives other than glorifying Christ and helping the people of God and They're running all over the place. Sure, I had a guy when I the church was first starting to grow he called me and he said hey listen.

He's fairly well known in certain circles. Hey, yo, can I come to your church? I'll preach. I Had heard of him and he said here's the way I work it. You don't have to give me an honorarium. I'll come and preach but I take the offering.

Oh. This is talking commonplace stuff here fans. This is what goes on many times behind the scenes. I Take the offering. I keep 80 you keep 20. No one knows. But his offering was going to take 40 minutes.

He was gonna preach for 15. Aren't you from Brooklyn, aren't you from New York? Don't you watch TV? Send in $177. Seven is the number of completion. Paul says we didn't put on notice when people are gonna lift your money.

They don't tell you. Hey, I'm a crook. I'm gonna take your money now. He says we didn't put on a mask to cover up greed. He's not. I didn't want your money. I wanted you look at me everyone. Paul's feeling was like this.

I don't want your money. I want your welfare. I want you to know God. I want you to grow. I want you to love me like I love you. I don't care about your money. I'll work making tents. I'll find another way, but I'm after you.

I'm not after what you have. What an example to everyone who's in the ministry, right? Just think of that and the day we live in to one minister. Well known on TV if you want to book them. It's public knowledge if you want to book him.

He you can have him but you have to pay him a hundred thousand and fly him in a private plane. He's not flying even first-class. You know, he's not flying first-class. You send a plane. It's like that.

Sounded a lot like Jesus, doesn't it? Or the Apostle Paul. So this isn't to denigrate anyone. This is to say heads up. Heads up. Don't be deceived, you know warning caution signs. Paul was just the opposite.

Serving People Rather Than Using Them

He wasn't interested in those things and then he says something which I want to close with as he says that's not what the minister should look like and that's what we shouldn't look like as Christians you shouldn't use flattery to get on the good side of people because you want something from them.

Flatterers are very dangerous people. When someone flatters you flatters you and flatters you. Look for your wallet. Just hold on to that baby right there right. Like why are you saying all that stuff?

He said he claimed I didn't use flattery. We should never be using people brothers and sisters. Look at me. Let's help people. Let's try to understand what they're going through and be a blessing to them.

Not what do you have? That I can use and then when you don't have it anymore. I don't have time for you. When I was in the ministry about five years a well well-known guy he's still on TV poor soul and He told the minister friend of mine who told me he said, you know what brother so-and-so says.

He said this is one of the first rules of his of his ministry never hang around anyone who can't help you. Never be around anyone if they can't help you. Why are you wasting time? That really sounds like Jesus doesn't it who had friends like Simon the leper?

And Mary Magdalene and the other. So we should never have it in us that we use people Christians who are filled with the love of God, they're givers. They're not takers. You shouldn't be always looking for an angle and the edge.

With people because that doesn't represent Jesus. How many are with me say aloud. Amen better yet. Come on, let's put our hands together say yes to that. Then he says the sentence we learned a little bit about the ministry.

What a challenge to me and others to all of us the things we should avoid and the things to watch out for. I Could review with you, but you all I I value as being really smart and discerning. But for some of you are not just just remember when anyone is preaching about Jesus and mentions God.

God’s Grace Cannot Be Bought

I don't care what they say. But you can't get your blessing unless you send them money that is wrong. God gives blessings free. I heard someone say I Heard someone say and it's just pure blasphemy. In fact I yelled out as we were just watching a little bit.

My wife screamed turn it off if you send the 177 or whatever the con game is they're playing. Once I get it, then your daughter will come to Christ. Now that's blasphemy. That's basing God doing something on them getting money.

That's what started the Protestant Reformation, right? John Tetzel and others were collecting indulgent. Selling indulgences and they would say the moment the coin hits the bottom of the pot. All your loved ones who are being punished in purgatory, which is of course not in the Bible.

They'll all be released. But the money has to get there first and Luther went wild when he heard that because he knew this Bible. You don't buy people out of anything. God is a good God if we ask we will receive.

He's rich in mercy to everyone who calls upon him. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you'll find knock and it will be open. Come to the prayer meeting on Tuesday night and see God will do things for you and I that we can't even dream about.

Did you hear me you don't have to pay anything and you have to bring an offering on Tuesday. You don't have to bring anything if you don't want to give it. If you don't want to give to God keep it. But God he's so full of mercy when you and I weren't looking for him.

He already sent his son. Why would I have to send money to somebody to have anything happen? Am I wrong or right here? I Saw this other one. They're selling prayer shawls. So listen send your whatever offering your seat, whatever.

It's just a total scam. So these are prayer shawls that have been worn by Jewish people for thousands of years when they pray. I'm not Jewish and I don't need a shawl. How many know you can call on God wherever you are in the subway lift your hand.

He's rich in mercy. I don't need a shawl. But then worse and this gets into black magic and that kind of thing because as you put the shawl on there's an Anointing with the shawl. There's no anointing with any physical object.

No object has power over us. That's a principle of voodoo not of Christian faith. You need to buy anything and how about people who are too poor to buy the shawl? So now that God has them at the disadvantage, you know, I'm not going to answer you.

You don't have your shawl, but I have no money. Tough how many are happy. God is not like that. God is a good God. God is a merciful God. Then he says this. Why did I do all of that? Why didn't I do all those things?

Pleasing God Rather Than People

We'll find out next Sunday the things he did do that. He points to why didn't I do all of that? Why didn't I try to do that? Because he said what you have to understand is I'm not trying to please men.

I'm trying to please God. Why didn't I do that? Oh, it might have made you happy. But if God's unhappy, I'm in the soup. I'm trying to please God not men. What a principle what courage. But let's apply it to ourselves.

See every one of us here when you wake up in the morning, you're trying to please someone that day. It's a given. Nobody isn't trying to please anyone. You can try to please yourself. You can live to please others or you can live to please God.

But every one of us here and some of these interweave and we're not as single-minded as we ought to be. But everybody here whether you believe in God don't believe in God. I'm telling you I know this about you because it's true about me every day.

We're trying to please someone now most of us most people on the earth just try to please themselves whatever the urge is whatever the desire is whatever the lust of the eye or of the flesh or Whatever the pride show of life is I got to have that dress got to look good to people got to do it that way.

Hey, I'm not some scrum here. You know, I got to do it, right? All of that is a manifestation of something that denies Jesus. Because the whole reason he gave his life for us is now that we would belong to him and we would live lives wanting to Please him.

Paul says over and over good learn to live lives that are pleasing to God. Make God happy. I can be happy. I can be unhappy when I'm living for myself if things work out. It's like yo nice. When things don't work out good, then I'm unhappy.

Why. Because I wanted to please myself, but it didn't happen. That means God can be pleased and made happy and God can be made sad by all of us. Obviously anything you do. You plan to get married you plan to switch jobs.

You talk to someone at lunch. You plan a wedding whatever you do. It can be pleasing to God or not pleasing to God. Here's the crazy thing about life. The more you live to please yourself the less you please yourself.

The more you aim at no, I got to have it my way I want it the more you get it it's empty. There's still this thing inside and the more you live to please God the happier you get inside and you weren't even trying to be happy.

But by living to please God who made us he automatically transfers joy and peace to us. So the worst thing to do to get happy is try to be happy. The best way to please yourself is to forget yourself.

That's why Paul says I die daily. To live to please me. That's the root of sin. Jim symbol of pleasing himself. That's the root of all sin whether stealing lying immorality. Gratifying my desires because yo, I'm the center of the universe.

That's to deny Christ to come to church and say you're a Christian and then live only to please yourself. It's it's a contradiction. So there's no answer there. Paul didn't live to please himself. But then there's another trap you try to please people and here's the thing about pleasing people no matter how hard.

You try to please people you won't. Even your family even your sister even your brother. I Went to visit my mother yesterday. She's such a trip. My mom's gonna be 102 in November. So my brother's coming in town my older brother.

My dad's favorite was my younger sister. My dad passed away. That was his favorite because he had two boys then this girl. He always wanted a girl. My mother's favorite was my brother. I don't blame her.

She was a model child. I was always getting in trouble. He's six years older. He got A's in school. I got M's and N's and O and P and all kinds of stuff like that and I Would kid her, you know, but I'm getting closer to her now because he's in the West Coast, but he's coming into town next week.

I Brought some food over to yesterday. I'm talking to her and I go mom. She's holding my hand. She's kissing it and we're just I'm telling you how much I love her and I said mom your favorite son is coming into town.

And she's just chewing this thing. I gave her and I said mom I said Bob's coming your favorite son and she turns she goes. He doesn't think he's my favorite son, does he. I Said yeah, he does mom. Everyone does everyone knows and she looked at me.

She said good. This is why I'm in therapy. I'm still getting counseling. What are you gonna do? So if you try to please others, here's what happens. It's a trap. Read Proverbs. Solomon looked at life.

He had more wisdom than anyone who ever lived except for Jesus and he said trying to please people is a trap. It gets you into trouble to evil and it leaves you empty because the people you're trying to please they could turn on you in a New York second and many people by the way.

We dress everything the way we act the way we talk at the job at the office party. We compromise. Why why do we compromise and we throw Jesus out? Why because we're trying to please others and we don't want them to go like yeah, what are you crazy?

What are you Christian? Are you a holy roller? What are you a nut? So we play games. No, don't live to please ourselves. Let's not do that. He never pleased himself. You think the cross made him happy in the flesh the nails the crown of thorns.

You think he was pleasing himself? No, he's pleasing God for us. And Paul says no, I don't live to please myself and I don't live to please Others because that's a trap. Oh, is that a trap? I Wasted a good part of my college years.

I was there on a basketball scholarship and I was shaking and baking and all of that. But oh what a compromiser I was because I wanted to fit in with the student body my peers. What a total trap and what does it get you when you lay in bed at night or when you face death?

You think it'll matter what people thought of you? Won't matter a second. You know, it'll matter what God thought of you. That you live to please him how many wanted to start today by God's grace. I'm gonna want to live every day every conversation with a thought.

Does this make him happy and by the way, this does away with all rules all regulations all laws for the most part. Look at me everyone. Listen. I don't know if I should go to that club and and all of that and the you know.

They're hanging out and they say they're Christian. Maybe I should hang out in that club. Well, you know what goes on in that club? Would that make Jesus happy if it would make Jesus happy and you could take him then go.

If it wouldn't make him happy then don't go you don't need a minister to tell you you don't need rules and regulations. Would it make Jesus happy to hear you tell that joke? That thing you're watching when no one's around would that make Jesus happy or is that making you happy in some sick way?

That's all that's the rule. Do anything you want just love Jesus and try to make him happy then do whatever you want. Do whatever you want. Well, you can tell me this pass symbol walk with your mom and spend two hours with her.

Well, what should I do? No, I Know how you love her. Do whatever you want. Because I'm never gonna hurt my mom never you put a gun to my head. I'm not hurting my mom you take my life. But I'm not hurting my mom.

Not gonna talk rude to my mother not gonna tell her a lie. Why. Because I want to make her happy. Just make God happy. Don't make yourself happy. You'll never be happy. Don't live to please people. They'll never be happy and they don't matter anyway.

Remember though you're kind to people. We're nice to people. Don't be a bull in a China shop and be rude and nasty and Lemony and citrus and whatever and then blame it on. I don't live to please people.

Prayer for a Christlike Church

That's not what this verse is telling us. Paul elsewhere says be kind to everyone be gentle with everyone, but don't live to please them. Live to please God. Close your eyes with me Jesus. I thank you that you didn't come to please yourself.

But to lay down your life for us. Give us that spirit. Start with me Lord. Take away everything that's not of you and my preaching my ministry. Take it away from our church. Make us a church that when people leave they say you know what?

God's love is there those people are trying to please God. There's so many voices Lord calling us the media the office pool the school. Family culture. We surrender ourselves to you fresh today. We want to please you every word.

We speak let those words make you happy whatever we look at. Let it make you happy if that we're gonna look at something or go someplace that won't make you happy. Holy Spirit come and give us a check.

Just check us just Convict us whatever you have to do because we don't want to please ourselves or fit in with people. Because then how can we say we belong to you so Jesus do a new deep work in all of our hearts.

Help us never to use other people. But to serve other people. You took off your garments and you knelt Jesus and you washed the disciples feet including Judas. Judas you washed his feet. If people think they're getting over on us let them think they're getting over on us.

We just don't want to be takers. We want to be givers. Gentle kind. Not using false flattery. Never putting a mask to cover up greed or self-serving. We thank you Jesus. We belong to you today, and your spirit lives within us now.

Let there be an explosion of your spirit in us so people will see Jesus and not Jim Simba. He's no advertisement for anything. But let them see you. Jesus, please God. I pray publicly in front of everyone let the world see Jesus in our lives.

We thank you for the family. You've given us the family of God. Bless us and make us a blessing. We pray in Jesus name everyone said. Everybody stand up. Every lady hug five ladies and say something good to them.

Something kind brothers come on no handshakes give a hug.