Your Bible Boost
Pastor Leonard Navarre
Pleasing God or pleasing people??
That’s a very good question for us today!! Especially during this election year! Are we pleasing God or pleasing people? I sure most of us have noticed that some people especially politicians feel that saying that right thing to the public (pleasing people) is the get to getting elected. They even slightly change the rhetoric depending on what group of people is the audience. Focus groups and lobbyists provide information about what people want and if a certain politician won’t give it to them another one will. It is not uncommon for those running for office will change their “convictions” upon being elected. However, those who study God’s Word notice that even in politics God rules in the kingdoms of men and allows and appoints those who are in these governmental positions.
Paul, in Galatians 1:10, states, “obviously, I am not trying to win the approval of people but God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be a servant of Jesus Christ”.
Paul faced tremendous pressure to change his sermons, his message to go along with the traditions espoused even to rearranging the entire gospel of Jesus Christ. BUT, HE DIDN’T!! As Paul stated, if we seek to please people we are not the servants of Jesus Christ.
Our focus needs to be on eternity. On the souls of men. Our focus should be on THE TRUTH. On knowing and obeying God’s Word, the Bible in the here and now. Missionary Elliot once said, “it is not foolish to give up things we cannot keep, to gain things which cannot be lost”.
Here are some questions for us!! Should Noah have taken a poll of the community before building the ark? Should Moses have give the people a ballot vote on choosing God or the golden calf? Or how about, whether to move forward or return to Egypt? Should the captives during the days of Daniel taken a vote to see whether or not they should obey the King’s servant or God? It’s absurd to believe that Jesus should have asked for a show of hands about whether or not to go to Jerusalem to die? What was the popular opinion among the disciples? Don’t go!!! But Jesus steadfastly turned His face to Jerusalem to accomplish the task set before Him to go to the cross, bleed and die for our sins. Noting the vote of the 12 spies in Numbers 13…just because there is a majority doesn’t necessarily mean the majority is right.
Abraham Lincoln was once asked if he felt that God was on his side and the side of the north on the slavery issue. Lincoln responded that he was not concerned whether God was on his side, but he was overly concerned that he was on God’s side.
Are we more concerned about being politically correct or being correct on God’s truths.
Remember, when Peter and the apostles were arrested and thrown in prison in Acts 5? Their crime? Of course, healing the sick, touching the afflicted and preaching about salvation in no other name but Jesus Christ. They were given STRICT orders to NOT preach in the name of Jesus Christ or tell of His death and resurrection. Here’s Peter and the apostles response: “we must obey God rather than men”. (Acts 5:29)
So my friends, that is the challenge today!! Who will we obey? Who will we please? Are we more “politically correct” or God’s truth correct!! Are we pleasing people or pleasing God? “We must obey God rather than men”!!
