Galatians 1:10 (NIV)
Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Let’s Pray.
Dearest Heavenly Father, enable me your servant to be able to preach well your word so that others will know what is the right thing to do. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
Today. I will be covering on 3 main points:
- Pleasing People. Pleasing Others
- Pleasing God
- False Teaching
We live in a world that taught us we need to do well. Be successful. Show your achievement. We are told by society, our parents, our boss to be better, try harder. Be the best. Some of you might even compromise your own conscience to fit in with others to please them. You want to receive recognition, praise. You want their attention and feel loved by them. You want to feel significant. You might receive condemnation when you didn’t achieve what others want. You feel sad, unhappy when you are condemned. Is pleasing others the right thing to do?
There are now many social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, WhatsApp, Tik Tok, Twitter. You see many postings of people sharing about good, happy things. Do you have the habbit of frequent posting in social media about the good things you are doing, showing you having fun, your accomplishment?
I believe most of us like to share good things in our social media. Do you have the habbit to check whether your friends have read your post and like your post? Some of us like to get our friends attention and approval. Wanting praise. What about bad, unhappy things? Do you post them? Most of you will probably say No. You don’t want to share any bad unhappy things. Don’t want others to see the ugly side.
Let me share with you an example of pleasing yourself and others in the Bible. What’s the consequences?
King David saw Bathsheba taking a bath and lusted over her. He got his servant to get her and committed adultery with her. She got pregnant. Bathsheba had a husband name Uriah who was fighting a war that time. King David after committing the adultery want to keep the secret of the adultery when Bathsheba got pregnant. He ordered Uriah to be killed in the battlefield after many attempts to get Uriah to have union with his wife but Uriah didn’t lay with his wife when he was called back from battlefield. After the killing, King David married Bathsheba and they had a son but the son died shortly after birth on the 7th day despite King David praying to God for mercy.
Now let’s look at the sins of King David & Bathsheba.
King David used his authority as King to call for Bathsheba and have sex with her despite knowing she is married.
Bathsheba knowing that David is King obeyed to his request. She pleased him despite she was married with Uriah.
King David after knowing Bathsheba got pregnant with his child killed Uriah.
What’s the lesson from this?
Temptation can lure us to our desire. After the pleasure, we feel broken, guilty, sad. Temptation promised happiness but it leads to sin. Sin brought suffering and grief to our life. It is not always necessary to please our leaders, boss, family and friends as it may affect our conscience. We need to seek our own conscience and do what is the right thing to do.
Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:22: “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Now let’s look at today’s text Galatians 1:10 Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
What’s the context in this verse? Paul was facing disapproval from the Galatia Church of his teaching. They doubted Paul that he was not an apostle. Galatians 1:1 started off with Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead. This sentence is a reaffirmation to the Galatians Church that Paul was sent by God. He is apostle. What is the meaning of apostle? It means being sent out on a mission.
The Galatians Christian were turning to a different teaching which is not gospel at all. People were confusing them and perverted the gospel of Christ. Judaizers told them they were not saved at all. They emphasize on the law of Moses and about works. Not about grace. They also said they need to follow the Leviticus practice of flesh circumcision for men which Paul disagree as he emphased the circumcision of the heart in believers when they believe in Jesus in Romans 8:28-29. Let me read this verse A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God. He also mentioned a few times in Philippians 3:1-8 and Colossians 2:11-15. Let me read Colossians 2:11-15 to you.
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ,
12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,
14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
These Galatians Christian used to be happy that they were saved from sins with Christ sacrifice but quickly doubted when the Judaizers told them they were wrong. They believe in outward circumcision than of inward circumcision.
They also said that Paul’s teaching, he learnt it from others. Is not from God. Is human teaching. He was not the 12 apostles. He learnt from the apostles. Paul emphasized he was not taught by human, not by the 12 apostles. He received revelation from God. He was not taught by human.
He shared he knows Judaism and used to believe in Judaism. He was zealous, persecuted the church of God and try to destroy it. But when God revealed His Son Jesus Christ to him, he changed and turn to God.
Paul emphasized that he did not go about pleasing people with pleasing word. If he did, he will not be a servant of Christ.
Are you listening to a different gospel than what is the true gospel? Listening to a pleasing sermon that makes you happy but did not talk about the true message from God. There are prosperity gospel teaching which promises wealth, successes and health. They did not talk about repentance of sins. They only talk about the good things to please others. There are pastors who preach only on grace without works, only focus on new testament without the old testament. But we learnt that faith without works is dead in James 2:17. Be careful, you need to have discernment is the pastor preaching rightly from the Bible. Refer to the Bible if you are unsure, ask God for discernment.
Now let’s talk about is your actions pleasing people or pleasing God? Are you focusing on pleasing people and forget about God?
Let me share with you my experience, I didn’t grew up from a Christian family. I came from Buddhist & Taoism background. I was a firm Buddhist believer and had studied Buddhism in my secondary school days. I scored A in class and was top in class for Buddhist Studies. When my dad got cancer, pneumonia, I persecuted some Christians who visited my dad and prayed for him. I told them not to come when his pneumonia got worst. Chasing them out of my house. I told my dad who got well after his thymoma surgery success not to visit church as we were Buddhist, we should believe only in Buddhism. He was happy after his successful surgery and asked me to bring him to visit a church. I didn’t. He went on his own. After that, I didn’t allow him to visit church. Reminding him we were Buddhist. He went back to visit Buddhist & Taoist temples. As we went to see the Dr for his follow up, the Dr advised us to have radiotherapy in case there are still cancer cells left. I being the eldest and my dad’s favourite child made the decision on the spot and agreed to the Dr request without further thought, consultation. Later, because of radiotherapy he got pneumonia infection which killed him. Me persecuting the Christian who prayed for my dad ordering them not to visit us, not to pray for my dad had affected my dad.
I was wrong to insist my dad to please me. To obey my commands and listen to me. Pleasing me than pleasing the real true God. Giving up on God shortly after having joy with God.
I was grief by his death and did not celebrate Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year for many years. Let me share with you how I overcome this grief, it was on a New Zealand holiday that let me notice the Church, the Cross on Christmas Day. On that day, I felt joy as I saw many churches that day suddenly and I had free dinner and the best Chocolate Pudding I ever had. I didn’t become Christian immediately. It took a few years later before I become Christian.
Shortly after I become Christian, I set up this ministry Christ Unite. I felt called by God to become a pastor to preach his word. I told my Christian friends, church leaders about it. Most of them were all sceptical about it. Doubting me as I was a young Christian. Also, some of them don’t believe women can be pastor. At first, I was very enthusiastic to become a pastor wanting to go to seminary. But after facing many doubts from others, I began to doubt even though after a few years, some pastors asked me to go to seminary. I thought I was not qualified, I thought I was too young. Many doubts. I don’t dare to write sermons and preach them. It was only after my surgery last year, I felt I need to obey God’s call to preach and serve Him then I started preaching in December last year in 2022 for Christmas. Is only after 8 years as Christian then I started to preach. Even though I am not an ordained pastor, didn’t go to any seminary school. Many things I shared with others were revelation from God. Some doubted over my teaching. Some don’t feel I am qualified. I keep telling people is from God. They don’t believe. I shared with some about God’s presence. They doubted. I showed evidence. They said is coincidence. Must I please them to make them happy or must I please God? In the past as Christian, I tried my best to please my family and friends. But I started to question about pleasing others or pleasing God? When I tried to please others, I forget about God. I was not really happy. Now that I preach, my sermons, my devotion, my sharing with others may not be pleasing to some but I have done what I think I should do. That is to obey God’s message. Remember this, there is no condemnation for those who trust in God. While people may condemn you and me, remember God doesn’t condemn.
Let me share with you, why I preach this sermon. I just felt called by God to share on Galatians 1:10 after facing many unhappy situations lately. I can identify with Paul in many ways. Facing rejection. Used to persecute the church now preaching the faith. Did well in my former religion class. Learnt many things. Many skills. I had eyes vision problems. Bright light glaring.
Another thing I like to share is this website ChristUnite.com was created in a very short time around a month. I didn’t know how to use the software. Is totally new to me. The Holy Spirit just enable me to know how to use it. He guided me what are the structure of the website, how to organize it. What content to put. I was a young Christian at only 2 months in my faith and I was building this website from scratch. Over the years, I have built other websites including a church website, I realized it is with God’s divine help, His enabling me to make this website in such a short time. Other websites took a lot more time and effort and had a few problems. Is not as smooth as ChristUnite.com. Some people thought I had a church with members with this ministry, I had a team of people managing this website. Actually, I don’t have members or team. No staff. I am operating this ministry with God’s help. People asked me did your church asked you to preach when they saw me preaching. I didn’t really answer the question directly. If you are one of those who hear this sermon today, I hope now you know who is the one calling me to preach.
I hope with this sermon you realize we should examine ourself whether is it always require to please others. Is it appropriate? Does it affect my conscience? Does it please God?
Let’s pray.
Dearest Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your word today. Letting us realize we were wrong in pleasing others, pleasing ourself to meet our ego needs and others. Forgive our sins, our past mistakes. Help us to remember to please you. You are our number one priority. Help us to have discernment to know the truth, your word and not listen to false teaching. Not fall to wrong thinking. Help us to flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
By Janice Ong