Pleasing to God #
Psalm 26:1-12
Introduction
I have always advocated that we should live our life in a fashion that is pleasing to God. If you stop and think about it, many times, people are looking for acceptance, approval and admiration. They want acceptance, approval and admiration from friends. They want acceptance, appr., admir. from family, they want aaa from neighbors. After all, if everyone else accepts, approves, and admires what you are doing, it must be good, and you must be a good person!
To a certain degree, God made us with the need to be accepted, approved of, and even admired a little. It is human nature. However, our approbation, is often sought in the wrong place. If our friends, family, neighbors, coworkers don’t accept, approve, and admire, then they are the ones that are off, when in reality, we are the ones off base.
God has a standard, that doesn’t move, change, or lower itself to our standard. His standard, His measure, HIS acceptance and approval, should be the most important one that is sought after! The Psalmist recognizes that, and starts off in with, “Judge me, O LORD!” - MOST are seeking to escape God’s Judgement, however the righteous need not fear God’s judgement!
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 – There is not a doubt, Christians will give an account to God for their works.
I. Consider the End (1-2) #
- 1 Corinthians 3:11-15
A. Standing Before God (1) #
1. Judge ME - #
2. Walked in mine integrity #
- Integrity – purity, genuine, unadulterated, something not corrupted!
3. Trusted in the LORD #
4. I Shall not slide! #
B. Standing Daily before God (2) #
1. Examine ME #
2. Prove ME #
- Prove – to try
Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.
3. Try my HEART! - To my center being! #
II. Chart the Course (3-5) #
A. Admire Holiness (3) #
1. Observe God’s ways of lovingkindness #
2. Walk in HIS truth (Word). #
Psa. 119:105 ¶ NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
B. Avoid Hypocrites (4) and don’t be one #
1. Vain persons #
2. Dissemblers - a hypocrite, one who conceals his opinions or dispositions under a false appearance #
C. Avoid Heinousness (5) #
1. Evil doers - #
2. Wicked - #
III. Choose God Presence (6-8) #
A. Purity (6) #
1. Water - “wash mine hands in innocency” #
Eph. 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
2. Sacrifice - “compass thine altar” #
Heb. 9:12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
B. Publish (7) “publish with the voice of thanksgiving” #
C. Place of God! (8) - The Church! #
IV. Concern before God (9-12) #
A. Supplication (9-11) #
1. Not to be associated with the wicked (9-10) #
2. Redemption & Mercy (11) #
B. Stability (12) 1. "in an even place" - not slippery 2. "congregations" #
Prov. 4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.