REFRESH – Gaining Perspective, Power and Purpose to live for God’s glory (2 of 5)

Key Verse:    Colossians 1:10

10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Main Point: Living to please God brings Him glory and grants us clarity and simplicity for our lives.

• Introduction:
  • 2 Corinthians 5:9-15   Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 11 Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.12 For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; 15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.
  •  We will be looking at this portion of scripture to consider our purpose for living in order to simplify our lives and get rid of things that cause us unnecessary grief. To ask ourselves what it is that we are aiming for in life. We will draw out 3 characteristics that are required in order to live to please God.

Living to please God requires being:

Intentional  

• 2 Corinthians 5:9 "Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him."  
• Daniel 1:8  But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
• Matthew 3:17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Accountable 

• (2 Cor 5:10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. 
• 2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
• James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, [b]fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Reasonable 

• (2 Cor 5:14) For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
• Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.