11-16-2025 Pleasing God

Text: Hebrews 11:6

                   Today I’d like to talk to you about pleasing God.  This morning’s text is from Hebrews 11:6 where Paul wrote:  “But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him.”  Believing that God exists is only the beginning of pleasing God because even Satan and his demons believe in His existence.  God won’t settle for just the acknowledgment of His existence. 

                   Throughout the Bible, we learn that pleasing God was a desire of the heroes of the faith.  And as Christians, pleasing God should also be our number one desire.  But in a fallen world, it’s not always easy. 

                   Paul is telling us that it’s impossible to please God without faith.  That’s our faith is what will lead to a personal, dynamic relationship with Him.  But pleasing God can’t happen without faith.  Ephesians 2:8-9 tell us that we can be saved by faith because of God’s grace.  There’s no effort, ability, intelligent choice, or act of service on our part that can earn us the grace of God that leads to our salvation because is a free gift from Him.  Out of gratitude for this free gift, however, our hearts should overflow with a desire to help and serve others, with kindness, love, and gentleness.  God intends for our salvation to result in acts of service because we aren’t saved merely for our own benefit but to serve Jesus and to build up His Church.  Romans 5:1 tells us that because we’re justified through faith, we are at peace with God, which often differs from peaceful feelings such as calmness and tranquility.  To have peace with God means that we have been reconciled with Him.  There’s no more hostility that stands between us, and no sin blocks us from having a relationship with Him.  Peace with God is possible only because Jesus paid the price of our sins through His death on the Cross.  Even though we will experience great tragedies and difficulties in this life, we can have God’s peace because of His promises.

                   Religious activities don’t always please God.  Participating in religious ceremonies and giving without faith will not please God.  Our text proves two things.  First, it’s possible to please God, and second, faith is available to everyone as shown to us in John 3:16. 

                   So, what is faith?  Hebrews 11:1 tells us that it’s the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, and believing in God.  Think about how you feel anticipating your birthday.  You’re excited and anxious knowing you will likely receive gifts and other special treats.  Birthdays combine assurance and anticipation.  Faith gives us assurance and anticipation.  Faith is confidence based on past experiences – our own and from what we learn in the Bible - that God’s new and fresh surprises will surely be ours.  Accepting His invitation to come to Him in faith give us access to Him.

                   It’s the ingredients of faith that please God.  We must believe that God exists.  It’s one thing to pray, but its another to believe that God hears our prayer.  It’s one thing to worship God but it’s another to believe that our worship is accepted.  We must also trust that God rewards those who diligently look for Him.  James 2:14 show us that the kind of faith that pleases God is more than agreeing with a set of Chistian teachings.  If that’s all we do, then our faith is incomplete.  True faith transforms our conduct as well as our thoughts.  If the way we treat others remains unchanged, we haven’t truly internalized the truths we claim to believe. 

                   II Corinthians 5:17 tell us real and honest faith changes lives.  When we pledge our faith to Jesus, we become brand new people on the inside.  The Holy Spirit give us new life, and we are no longer the same people that we were.  We aren’t reformed, rehabilitated or reeducation – we’re recreated and living in meaningful union with Jesus.  The Bible is full of examples of the actions of those with true faith.  Faith made Able worship God, it made Enoch walk with God, and it made Noah work for God.

                   Sometimes we wonder about the fate of those who haven’t heard of Jesus and have never even had a Bible to read.  God assures us that all who honestly seek Him – meaning those who act in faith on the knowledge of God that they possess – will be rewarded.  When you share the Gospel others, encourage them to be honest and diligent in their search for truth. 

                   Those who hear the Gospel, however, are responsible for what they have heard.  II Corinthains 6:1-2 tells us that God offer of salvation is available to all people.  Many will put off a decision for Jesus thinking there will be a better time to make that decision.  But they could end up missing their opportunity altogether.  There is no better time than the present to receive God’s forgiveness.  Don’t let anything hold you back from asking Jesus to come into your life. 

                   Our text show us the invitation to faith in the middle of verse 6.  Anyone who comes to God must believe in Him.  God continually invites to have faith in Jesus because Jesus doesn’t work independently from God.  They work together.  John 6:37 shows us that this gives us even more assurance of being welcomed into God’s presence and being protected by Him.  Jesus’ purpose on earth was to do the will of God, not to satisfy His own human desires.  When we follow Jesus, we should have the same purpose.  When we follow the example of Jesus we are assured that God will receive us as His own.

                   Faith is our invitation to eternal life.  It’s not contingent on the good things we do or the religious ceremonies in which we participate.  It is telling us to come to Jesus just as we are with the good, the bad, and the ugly stuff we have in our lives.  As John 3:16 tells us:  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” 

                   Because we were not yet born when Jesus walked this earth in human form, we can only believe in Him through faith and studying God’s Word.  When we make the decision to believe in Him and trust Him as our Savior and Lord of our life by faith, then God is pleased, and will accept us into His family and reward us with eternal life in Heaven with Him. 

                   Living in faith doesn’t mean we will no longer experience problems and difficulties.  What it means is that we can trust the God is working all things together for our good in accordance with His will for us.  When bad things happen, turn them over to God with faith that He will see us through.   

                   Until we meet again, may God bless you and keep you, may He shine His light on you, show you grace, and give you peace in all the days ahead.