What Pleases God



NT Reading: Ephesians 5:1-17 (Congregation’s version is Good News).
v.10 “Try to learn what pleases the Lord.”
v.17 “Try to find out what the Lord wants you to do.”


What pleases God? What makes God happy? What is it that puts a smile on the divine face? What fills his heart with joy? As a Christian, as a follow of Jesus, I want to know.

Ephesians isn’t the only place we are instructed to please the Lord: Proverb 16:7, Psalm 104, Hosea 6, Malachi 3, 1st Thessalonians 4, 1st John 3, and both Corinthian letters encourage us to focus on pleasing God; Colossians 1 instructs us to please God in all respects; and 2nd Timothy 2:4 states, “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.” This is only a sampling of the many places the Bible refers to figuring out what pleases God and then doing it.

Pleasing God is perhaps the most important thing we can do.

That’s quite a claim, so let’s think about it a moment: I am a man, a person. I have height, depth, and perhaps a little more width than I’d like sometimes, especially after one of Olivia’s good Hungarian meals! The point is I have limits. I imagine you’re pretty much the same. We live for a few years on earth, trapped in the ceaseless flow of time, unable to undo the past or to control the future. All of our life is filled up by individual moments, brief opportunities to do something. We are completely dependent upon other things for our survival.

God is not like us in these limitations. God has no beginning and no end. God is not limited by time or location. God doesn’t need anything. God is completely independent. The Bible says that God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, which is about the greatest understatement ever. God made the hills, and the continents they sit upon, and the world, the solar system, the galaxy, the whole universe, and even time itself with just a word. Do you realize just how small we really are? How seemingly insignificant?

A fellow named Andy Reese put out a video recently called Magi, which talks about creation and the birth of Jesus. He makes the point that everything we have ever known, all of history, every famous person, every nation and culture, every king and every slave, each great moment and every meaningless sporting event… all of it has happened on a little speak of dust floating around a smallish star on the edge of one average galaxy out of literally millions of galaxies.

However… however, the Creator of all of this carved out a perfect place for us to live our little “to do” moments, created us, loved us… God even became like one of us and died for us, so that we might be saved from the fruit of our choices, restored, able to enjoy Him and all that he has made instead of being cast into the nothingness as we deserved for selfishly failing to be what God created us to be. We were like ruined pots or rebellious children, fit only for exclusion. But, the God who created the heavens and the earth also created us and determined to find value in us, even if it meant giving up his own self.

He bore our punishment, so that we might once again bear his image.

I think we ought to be thankful for that. I think we ought to express our gratitude. I think we ought to set aside the little things we spend our lives so occupied with this morning and take one of these little “to do” moments and discover how we can put a smile on that beautiful face and some joy into that amazing heart. Don’t you? I think we ought to “learn what pleases the Lord” and “find out what the Lord wants us to do.”

Now, there are a few moments in the Bible when specific examples are given of what pleases the Lord. When Solomon asks the Lord for wisdom instead of riches in order to lead the holy people, 1st Kings 3 says that God was pleased. Psalm 69:30-32 says offering a song of praise to God pleases Him. And, Colossians 3:20 says that a child’s obedience to his parents is well-pleasing to the Lord. But is there somewhere in the Bible where we can find a summary statement, a guidepost or outline for what pleases God?

Micah 6:6-7
"What shall I bring to the LORD, the God of heaven, when I come to worship him? Shall I bring the best calves to burn as offereings to him/ Will the LORD be pleased if I bring him thousands of sheep or endless streams of olive oil? Shall I offer him my first-born child to pay for my sins?"

First, let me clarify what Micah is not doing: Micah is not saying that sacrifice isn’t needed.

Sacrifice, and the sacrificial system in the Old Testament, is an important part of God’s relationship with humanity. It is a prophetic symbol of Jesus’ death for our sins, and the means by which God is able to “pass over” the sins committed before Jesus until he arrives on the scene personally to put an end to the reign of sin and death. (Romans 3:25) Sacrifice is also a means of worship and fellowship with God, our Creator. The ability to sacrifice is God’s gift to us, and we need it.

Sacrifice is necessary. It makes a difference when we bring God an offering, but the offering itself isn’t what pleases God. God doesn’t need our stuff; he wants us.

The best example of the necessity of sacrifice is the death of Jesus, without which we could not even know God. And, without making our own sacrifices (time, money, energy, habits, and our very lives), we could not properly respond to God. But though the sacrifice is necessary, it isn’t in itself what makes God happy.

Giving God back a thing that is already His doesn’t put a smile of His face.

So, what does make God happy?

Micah 6:8
"No, the LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humbles fellowship with our God."

Verse 8 tells us what is good, three things we can do that please God. In fact, the Hebrew text tells us that these three instructions summarize all we can do to please God.

1) “To do what is just.”

2) “To show constant love.”

3) “To live in humble fellowship with our God.”

We will explore these three ideas, so we can “learn what pleases the Lord” and “find out what the Lord wants us to do” as we were instructed in Ephesians 5.

1) “To do what is just.”

We are instructed to do what is just. Literally, it says “to make justice.” And, we are to do it actively, without respect to time or person. We are to always do it, for everyone.

Justice is the word the Bible uses to describe how God governs the world. It refers to the King’s judgment, manner, custom, and law. It is the rule and standard by which righteousness is determined, a prescription for holiness. It is a description of God’s character and behavior.

Making justice is ruling our lives in a character worthy of bearing the name of Christ.

It is the father leading his family with integrity and courage. It is the wife supporting her husband as he leads. It is the husband loving his wife as Christ loved the church, and giving himself for her. It is the child honoring his or her parents, not because they are always right, but because they are the parents God has given to them and they represent God’s authority in their life.

It is keeping our homes pure, keeping our promises, maintaining the law of the land (unless it goes against Scripture), defending those who cannot defend themselves, and having self-control. It is about paying our debts and not abusing the generosity of others. It is making it right when we have done wrong. It is ruling over our passions to honor the Lord, instead of allowing our passions and desires to rule over us.

When we make justice, when we govern like God governs, it pleases God.

2) “To show constant love.”

In the same way as we are told to make justice, we are instructed to show constant love; literally “to be in love with Love,” to be in love with showing God’s kind of faithful, covenant love. This second word for love is hesed, and is communicated in the Bible with words like: mercy, kindness, loving-kindness, goodness, faithfulness, loyalty, unfailing love, devotion, favor, conviction, and intimacy. It is God’s type of love. Again, we are to do it actively, without respect to time or person.

Loving to show God’s kind of love is focusing on the other, rather than focusing upon ourselves.

It is turning the other cheek, forgiving those who wrong us, and going the extra mile. It is helping those in need, ministering to widows and orphans, and visiting those in prison. It is sharing what we have with others, laying down our life for our friend, and allowing the Lord to guide us into open-handed living.

It is looking for opportunities to encourage others in their relationship with Jesus. It is praying for your friends, your family, your pastors, missionaries, the nations, and the people you encounter every day. It is giving love without demanding anything in return, and hoping it will make a positive, perhaps even an eternal, difference in another’s life.

When we love like God loves, it pleases God.

3) “To live in humble fellowship with our God.”

The third way we please God is a little different. There are actually two specific inter-related instructions in this phrase:

a) “to make humility” This addresses the modesty and lack of pride our behavior is to show. This is the only passage in the Old Testament which describes humility as something we can make or cause. And:

b) “to walk with your God” The verb “walk” is about how we go, how we travel, how we cause motion or follow motion. The use of this word in this passage implies that God is also on the move, and we must humble ourselves to go where He is going, rather than try to determine our course for ourselves.

Together, they literally say “and making humility, toward walking with your God.”

The first two instructions (“govern like God governs” and “love like God loves”) are given more simply, sort of like commands for those who want to please God: If we do these things, it pleases God. Not easy, but we’re willing to give it a try. But, God isn’t satisfied to watch us perform for Him. That cannot please Him. God wants us. He wants our hearts.

God knows that anything we do ourselves can lead to pride and separation from Him, which can never make God happy. The Bible tells us that pride makes us forget the LORD (Deut. 8:14), and that the proud of heart are an abomination to God (Pro. 16:5).

Therefore, the third instruction includes a requirement we cannot accomplish on our own: making humility.

To defeat our pride and enable us to please God, we are instructed to make humility “toward walking with our God.” The little letter in Hebrew, which means toward or in regard to, implies that this “making humility” in our walk with God is a process, a reference point, a goal we are constantly trying to achieve. It isn’t an outward action or activity we can just decide to do and then take credit for. It is an inward change that we can never fully accomplish on our own.

Making humility is a constant, foundational maturating. It is the rejection of both false, sinful pride and of falsely putting ourselves down. It is recognition and acceptance of God’s truth. Making humility is realistically remembering who we are and never forgetting whose we are.

Making humility is the recognition of the un-earnable privilege of knowing Jesus. It is constantly remembering from whence we were saved and where we are going. That is, it is remembering the Gospel: that I was a sinner, bound for hell, and now God has given me redemption; that my life now has purpose, meaning, and eternal direction, but always and only because of Him.

Making humility is also living in community, considering others more important than ourselves, and allowing others to help us; admitting that we can’t do this on our own. It is consistently making sure Jesus is on the throne of our hearts, and remembering how easy it is to take it back from him if we aren’t careful. It is recognizing that we all have a lot to learn, submitting to spiritual authority and teaching, and growing in the faith.

Without humility, we cannot govern like God governs. Without humility, we cannot love like God loves. Without humility, we cannot walk with God.

Even Jesus humbled himself and took on the form of a bond-servant, a slave, in order to display his love for us in his death and be enthroned as ruler over all the earth in his resurrection.

The second part of this instruction is “toward walking with God”.

Walking with God is a journey, not a destination. It is allowing God to lead; it is not an equal partnership. We must never forget who is to be in control; it isn’t us.

Walking with God takes time, energy, and focus. It isn’t something done in an hour or two one day each week. Rather, it is a daily submission to the Lordship of Jesus in all aspects of our life and character as He molds us into His image, making us look more like him in all sorts of ways. It takes a teachable spirit, an obedient heart, and a regular dose of humble pie. It isn’t easy; but it is worth it, and it brings joy to both God and to us.

Taken as a whole, “making humility toward walking with God” is a process of rejecting pride, remembering our need, and depending upon God. It is allowing God to dig deep, not just scratch at our surface. It is every day, not just Sunday. It moves beyond showing up to being changed; from attendance to discipleship, from observation to application, from conformity to transformation, and from religion to relationship.

When we intentionally submit to walk along with God in the way He chooses, it pleases God.

So, what pleases God?

1) “To do what is just.”

To govern like God governs.

2) “To show constant love.”

To love like God loves. And:

3) “To live in humble fellowship with our God.”

To intentionally make humility toward walking with God.

The key, I think is found in the third instruction: making humility. This is the point where God’s hand is required, where His work is need. And, since we are His workmanship, it makes sense that it makes Him happy to be at work within us.

A truly humble heart pleases God.

It takes a humble heart to admit that we are completely and utterly lost without Jesus; a proud heart will not do it. It takes a humble heart to be saved from our sin; a proud heart will never give up trying to fix itself. It takes a humble heart to walk with God; a proud heart will never admit its need for God.

It takes a humble heart to live by faith, and Hebrews 11:5 teaches us that, “without faith it is impossible to please Him.”

But, what if our hearts struggle with being humble? Mine does. Well, Hebrews 11:5 goes on to say that God “is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

And Jesus says in Luke 11, “…ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

And again, Jesus says to the church in Revelation 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.”

What pleases God? What makes God happy? What is it that puts a smile on the divine face? What fills his heart with joy? As a Christian, as a follow of Jesus, I want to know.

Do you see? God wants to be pleased with us even more than we want to cause Him pleasure. He invites us to seek Him; but He also seeks after us. He knows that no proud heart ever truly encounters God without being made humble. God wants us to truly encounter Him. He wants to enable us govern likes He governs, to love like He love, and to make humility toward walking with God. He delights in our knowing Him (Hosea 6:6).

“The LORD has told us what is good. What he requires of us is this: to do what is just, to show constant love, and to live in humble fellowship with our God.”

This is God’s will for us, and it is pleasing in His sight.

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This sermon was preached in March of 2012 for City Light Inner City Ministries. It was inspired by a conversation I had with Olivia.