Open Heaven 20 January 2019 – Men Pleasers

Topic: Men Pleasers
(Open Heaven 20 January 2019)

Memorise: “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”- Proverbs 29:25

Read: Matthew 10:28-33 (KJV)

28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.

32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

Bible in One Year: Mark 10-11, Isaiah 18:1-19:15

Open Heaven 20 January 2019 Sunday MESSAGE:
There is a trait that God hates so much but many people don’t pay attention to, despite the many examples in the Bible that should deter them from it. This negative trait manifests itself in the form of trying to please men at the expense of loyalty to the Almighty God. Doing this arouses divine jealousy, and when we provoke God to jealously, the result can be devastating. When we choose to please men instead of God Almighty, we have made men our gods, and this is contrary to the commandment against idolatry in Exodus 20:3. It is unfortunate that many people do not know this. Some people try to please men because of the fear of what they can do to them. It should not be so with us believers. Our Lord warns us not to be afraid of men who can only kill the body; rather, we should fear the One who can destroy both the body and soul in hell.

An example of a man who was a “men pleaser” is King Saul. He bungled his throne because of the fear of men. When he was confronted with his blatant disobedience to the Lord’s instructions, he himself admitted in 1 Samuel 15:24:

“And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice.”

On the other hand, the three young Hebrew men in Daniel 3:14-26 chose to please God, even in the face of a burning furnace. Although they were furiously thrown into the fire, the fire could not hurt them because the Son of the Living God was already waiting for them (Daniel 3:25). One thing we can learn from their experience is that even though they got into the fire, their salvation was already waiting for them in there. We must also learn to endure to the end because our ultimate salvation is reserved for us if we stay focused on God. In Matthew 10:22, Jesus said:

“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Many people practically deny Jesus Christ for different reasons: persecution, fear of ridicule, and for some, because of what they will eat, drink or wear. For these reasons, some ladies cannot resist illicit sexual advances, while some men kill for money. In Matthew 10:32-33, Jesus said:

“32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

If you therefore desire a glorious future in heaven, you need to take a stand for Jesus, no matter what you may be going through.

Open Heaven 20 January 2019 Sunday Prayer Point:
Father, please help me to stand for You, come what may.

Open Heaven 20 January 2019 Sunday Hymn 10: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus
1.I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
2.The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
3.Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow;
Though none go with me, I still will follow
No turning back, no turning back.
4.My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
My cross I’ll carry, till I see Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
5.Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.