Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. In all that we do, in all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. And this Sunday morning here as we look at the wonderful Word of God on May the 18th 2025 the 20th of our 5785 of the Hebrew calendar, please if you would hey take your Bibles over to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verses 9 and 10 and just for a little while I'm going to be talking to you about making it our ambition to please him making it our ambition to to please him. This comes from our series Secrets of Successful Living. I thank God. True success in life is not measured by fame and fortune or followers, but by faithfulness, fruitfulness, and fellowship with God. You know, the world chases success through self-promotion, shortcuts, and shallow pleasures, but God's Word reveals a better way, a sacred path lined with eternal principles. And so the secret to successful living begins with a surrendered heart. Psalms 1 shows us that the blessed man delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on it day and night. And his success is not found in circumstance, but and rooted in God's word. Secondly, success is fueled by steadfast obedience. Joshua 8 reminds us that prosperity and good success come not from strategy, but from meditating and doing all that is written in God's book. Obedience is not a burden, it's the pathway to peace and progress. And thirdly, successful living is shaped by a spirit-led life. Paul said in Galatians 5 that when we walk in the spirit, I'm glad that that is the greatest success because the secret isn't a principle, it's a person, and his name is Jesus Christ. And so I'm glad here, if you've found your place over in 2 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verses 9 and 10. The Bible says wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ that everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad. Let's have us a time of prayer before we go into the message and the word this morning. And I want to ask you to pray with us as we look to making it our ambition to please him. Father, we come before you with hearts yearning to be well pleasing in your sight. And as your word declares in Paul's writing, wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. Lord, we confess our sins. We seek forgiveness daily, desiring to walk in your will and purpose. guide us this morning as we get into the wonderful Word of God to instill in us the ambition to please you in all things. Lord, I pray that you'll knock at a lost sinner's heart this morning and a cold and indifferent Christian as well. In Jesus' mighty name, we pray. Amen. You know, when we look at this, we think of several things. The motivation to please God, because we've got the assurance of judgment that stirs a longing for a heavenly home. judgment spurs a diligent labor, constantly aiming to be ambitious, to strive earnestly. Paul's example is labored to be accepted by God. And so that second motivation is facing the judgment seat of Christ. For the love of the Lord drives labor. We're motivated by honor, ambitious, and we strive earnestly to make it a goal. to be a well-pleasing accepted by the Lord and not self-glorification. And so it's a call for humanity and harmony. And God's desire, our attitude of glorifying and pleasing Him that maybe one of these days we'll hear Him say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou've been faithful over a few things. And so faithful servants, not necessarily successful by worldly standards, but living with an eternal perspective. How to please the Lord with our life is one of the things that we think about when we read this, not to entangle ourselves in the worldly affairs, as 2 Timothy said, and demanding faith in the Lord and the writer of Hebrews, but involved in doing good and distributing and sharing with others. We've got to walk with the Lord. And as we do that, to be able to make it our ambition to please him, it's the duty of all Christians. a desire of all servants of God to be able to please the Lord. And so I'm glad that as we look, our goal and passion for pleasing God fosters an eternal perspective that enables looking forward to meeting the Lord one of these days. And so in a dusty Italian village in the 1800s, a young boy named Luca grew up with one dream to play the violin before royalty. He trained tirelessly under the stern eye of a maestro Verdi who drilled in him, Luca, play every note as if the king himself were listening, even when no one else claps. Years passed and Luca became a skilled violinist and was finally invited to perform before the King of Italy. The Grand Theater was filled with nobility, scholars, and common folk alike, and he stood alone on the stage. Violin in hand, the room fell silent. He played with every fiber of his being. When he finished, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause except for one elderly man in the back, his old teacher, Verdi, who remained still. Luca saw it. The cheers faded into the background. All that mattered to him was Verdi's silent stare. After the crowd quieted, Verdi slowly rose to his feet and gave a single nod. That nod, not the applause, was the moment Luca lived for. That's what it means to live for an audience of one. And I'm glad that Paul writes in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 9, Wherefore we labor that whether present or absent we may be accepted of him. This verse confronts us with a sobering question. Are you living for the approval of people or for the acceptance of God? Huh? You know, each and every one of us, as we go through life today, is pleasing Christ your daily ambition or a forgotten footnote? And so we live in a world obsessed with likes, applause, and recognition. Everybody on Facebook wants to get a few minutes and make somebody laugh, and they want to be the top of the subject of the hour. But scripture calls us to aim higher, to make it our ambition to please Him, whether we're in this body or standing before Him face to face. So a man recounted how a young daughter, after watching him fix a leaky faucet, proudly declared, Daddy, you're my hero. And though the task was minor, her admiration was immense. This antidote reminds us that our actions, no matter how small, can have significant impacts when done with love and purpose. And so, similarity, our lives, when lived with ambition to please God, can have profound effects. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5.9, our goal should be to be accepted by him, whether we're present in body or absent, making it our ambition to please him. Is pleasing God the driving ambition of your life? Huh? I wonder, or is it, as we look at this, is it something else that's causing you to want to be. Are you living for the approval of people or the acceptance of God? And so each and every one of us, as we look at our life and begin to realize that, first of all, the meaning of our ambition, because Paul uses the Greek word meaning we are ambition or we make it our aim. Because what did he tell us? He says, wherefore we labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. The motivation to please God. I wonder how many have that motivation today. And so to be able to want to please our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so we all need to have that same type of ambition. And that's the meaning of our ambition, praise God, in verse nine. And that is to be able to please him, praise God. And so I'm glad that when we look and realize that it conveys a sense of honor and diligent effort on our part, our constant aim should be to be well-pleasing to him. Paul says before, it's not only a new view of death, but a new view of duty. First, there's the focus, wherefore we labor, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. And so the word for labor here, it means to seek after honor. It carries the idea of ambition that can be rendered. We have a holy ambition. We make it our aim, and our aim is to please him. That should be the great focus of all of our lives, whether here or F.F. Bruce puts it another way to the original musician that he talks about how that if this life so many strive after financial success, they strive after fame. We should strive to please the Lord down here in this world while we're away from him, as we surely will when we are at home with him. Paul himself was driven with this holy ambition. I read one time of a man who spent all of his life climbing the ladder of success, not particularly concerned about those he trampled on the way up, only to discover that when he reached the top, that the ladder was up against the wrong wall. If our ambition is to please the Lord, we shall have no such disappointment when we reach the end of the journey. And there is the case, for example, that all of us goes through in this life today. And so I'm glad but the fact that we must also appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone may receive the things done in this body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Paul has already elaborated on this to the Corinthians in a previous letter in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. The judgment seat of Christ is a fact. Every believer will have his life reviewed. The must is inescapable. The judgment in view here is not penal, but parental. An issue is not whether a person is saved. That issue is settled already at Calvary. An issue is what each believer has done with his or her life, his or her gifts, his or her opportunities from the time of salvation to the time of their death. This judgment is a very serious affair, and there'll be both rebukes and rewards. Some had tended to water down the meaning of the judgment, but Paul vested with awesome originality. It's not merely, it's not a mercy seat to which we are to be summoned, but a judgment seat and our performance in the family will determine our position in the kingdom. We are going to have to face the things that we've done in our mortal bodies, both the bad and the good. And when Paul was being tried for high treason by Nero, he could say to Timothy, only Luke is with me. Of Demas, he had no record. Demas had forsaken me. Having loved this present world, it must surely be evident that the two men will fare differently at the judgment seat of Christ. We're going to be held accountable for what we have done with our time, our talents, with our money, with our influence, with our opportunities and with our advantages. And so when we look at that demand, the meaning of our ambition, we look and we see, first of all, ambition is rooted in love. Our ambition is to please God through stem from which should stem from our love for him. And as Jesus said in John 1450, if you love me, keep my commandments. And so that ambition should be rooted in love. And I'm glad that that ambition expressed through obedience as well. Obedience is a tangible expression of our desire to please God. And so each and every one of us when we look and we realize that through that ambition, amen, I'm glad that we see the meaning of our ambition because our ambition is rooted in love. Ambition is expressed through obedience because of what Paul said in Romans chapter 12 verse 1 that urges us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto him. But thirdly, not only ambition rooted in love and ambition expressed through obedience, but ambition sustained by faith. Because when we look and realize the meaning of our ambition, and that is making it our ambition to please him. That ambition is sustained by faith. Faith is essential in our pursuit to please God. Hebrews chapter 11, verse six states, but without faith, it is impossible to please him. You know, in the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Little says, when I run, I feel his pleasure. His athletic pursuits were driven by his desire to honor God, illustrating how our ambitions, when aligned with God's will, bring him joy. And so is pleasing God the driving ambition of your life? Well, not only the meaning of our ambition, but secondly, the manner of our ambition, our ambition to please God should be evident in our daily conduct, reflecting our commitment to him. And so we see in that manner of our ambition, amen, the consistency in conduct, whether in public or private. Our actions should consistently reflect our desire to please God. Paul said in Colossians 3, 23 that he advises, and whatsoever you do, do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. And so he tells us. about the consistency in conduct, and he tells us about the integrity in our intentions. Our motives matter to God, and 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 4, reminds us that we should speak and act not to please men, but God, who tests our hearts. And so, when we look at the matter of our ambition, The consistency in conduct, the integrity and intentions. We see thirdly, the diligence in duty because we're called to be diligent in our service to God. 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 10 encourages us to give diligence to make our calling and election sure. And so. I was reading of a janitor who, despite his humble position, performed his duties with such excellence that he was noticed and promoted. His commitment exemplifies how diligent in our task you and I can honor God each and every day in all of the simple or even the complex things of life that we do. And so we see, is pleasing God the driving ambition of your life? The meaning of our ambition? the manner of our ambition, but thirdly, the motivation behind our ambition, because understanding why we strive to please God reinforces our commitment to this pursuit. And so, we see the gratitude for grace. Our efforts to please God are responses to His grace. Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 and 9, that emphasizes with Paul's writing that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. And so, the gratitude for grace making it our ambition to please Him. But secondly, anticipation of accountability, because I'm glad of that anticipation. We will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10 states, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. And thirdly, we see not only that gratitude for grace and that anticipation of accountability, but thirdly, the desire for divine approval. Our ultimate reward is hearing. Well done, thou good and faithful servant of Matthew chapter 25, verse 21, that reflects this commendation for faithful service. I hope and pray that's what you hear. A teacher shared how a student's simple thank you after a very challenging lesson made all the efforts worthwhile. And similarly, every one of us, when we begin to desire, when our desire is to hear God's approval, for all of our faithful service as well. Our ambition to please God should permeate every aspect of our lives by understanding its meaning, practicing it daily, embracing our motivations, we align ourselves with God's will. Now, there was an old missionary, as I close out, he spent 40 years in a remote village, preaching, feeding the hungry. raising the orphans. And when he retired and came home, there was no crowd waiting at the airport, no parade, no celebration. A businessman on the same flight was welcomed with cameras and cheers, and the missionary quietly packed up his bag and he whispered, Lord, I guess no one noticed. In that moment, the Holy Spirit whispered to his heart, you're not home yet. This life is not the stage for our reward. It's the arena of our obedience. Our true well done won't echo from a crowd, but from the mouth of a master. Praise God. Paul said we labor, didn't he? We strive, we press on to be accepted of him, not to earn salvation. No, like some religions do out there, but to walk in love, gratitude, and holy ambition to make every choice, every sacrifice, every moment of obedience, a gift laid at his feet. So when the lights dim, And the crowd's fate, we finally stand in eternity. May it be said of us, they live for the nod of the master. They made it their ambition to please Him. And so, is pleasing God your primary ambition? I hope that you reflect your daily goals, whether they align with God's desires. The question that I wonder, do your actions consistently reflect your commitment to please Him? We all need to evaluate areas in our life where our conduct may honor God. Now, I want to make that plain. I wrote down a self-evaluation list of my life, areas where my conduct may not honor God. And I'm going to mention it to you as I think about 2 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 5. Examine yourselves, whether you be in the faith, prove your own selves. One of the things that I had to write down to grade myself is my speech and my communication. Do I use my words to build up or tear others down? Have I gossiped, lied, or spoken harshly? Do I speak in ways that reflect the love, the truth, and the humility of Christ? Because Paul said, let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth. And so not only speech and communication, but my thought life. Because are my thoughts pure and noble and God honoring? Do I dwell on bitterness, lust, jealousy, or fear? Am I mentally submitting to Christ daily? Because Paul said in the scripture, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. And then, am I holding unforgiveness, resentment, or anger toward anyone? Do I love others sacrificially without favoritism? Am I reconciling broken relationships when possible? It's all about our relationships and our forgiveness. The Word of God says, if we forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses. And the use of my time. Do I spend more time on entertainment than on God's Word? Am I lazy? Am I distracted? Am I wasting time that could have been used to serve others? Do I seek God's kingdom first and in how I prioritize my day? Oh, my goodness. The use of time. I'm glad Paul said one time redeeming the time because the days are evil. I think of my financial stewardship. Am I generous and faithful in giving? Do I give that 10% that I believe I already give because it belongs to the Lord and I'm a good steward with his money? Do I spend money selflessly or hoard without trusting God? Am I using my resources to bless others and further the gospel? Because he says, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. And so I think about all of these, my integrity and my honesty. Am I truthful in all things, big and small? Do I cut corners cheap or compromise my values when it's convenient? When others describe me as trustworthy, Paul said, provide things honest in the sight of all men. I think about my spiritual discipline. Am I consistently reading the Bible, praying and seeking God? Do I attend church and fellowship with other believers? Is my faith growing or have I become spiritually lazy? James says, draw nigh to God and he'll draw nigh to you. And so, I wonder, as I look at all of these things, I wonder about my moral and my sexual purity. Am I guarding my eyes? Am I guarding my body? Am I guarding my heart from lust? Do I entertain sinful media or inappropriate relationships that I should not be doing? Because, listen, am I honoring God with my body as a temple of the Holy Spirit? I'm glad Paul said, flee fornication. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost. And so it's all about our attitude and our gratitude. Am I thankful or always complaining? Do I have a spirit of contentment or entitlement? Am I joyful in my trials or bitter and prideful? Because I'm glad for Cicelone says in everything give thanks for this is the will of God. And then lastly, I think this last thing is I begin to look at my life and that is obedience to God's prompting. Have I ignored the Holy Spirit's leading? Has he told me to do something and I've just drug my feet and I ain't about to do it or I'm afraid to do it because God may send me somewhere I don't want to go? Am I delaying or disobeying God's call to serve, forgive, or witness? Do I choose comfort over obedience? Well, James says to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not to him, and it's sin. And so the psalmist says, search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me. And so we need to consider what drives our actions and our decisions. If you recognize these areas that are that are similar to yours that I just named off in mind, where your ambition has been so to please God, I want to invite you to come forward to seek his forgiveness or his salvation. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved and commit anew to making him your life's focus. Will you? make it our ambition to please Him. And so, as I close out, I hope that in doing so, that we make our ambition to please Him. And that involves the meaning of our ambition. Ambition that's rooted in love. Ambition expressed through obeying. Ambition sustained by faith. And the manner of our ambition, consistently in conduct. Integrity in intentions. diligent in duty, and thirdly, the motivation behind our ambition, the gratitude for grace, the anticipation of accountability, and our desire for divine approval. Will you pray with me as I close out? And maybe I can pray with someone that's asking the Lord to be the keeper of their soul. Maybe I can pray with a Christian that's straddling the fence, that's cold and indifferent, and they have not kept the Lord in their relationship They need to restore that. They need to rededicate themselves to the Lord. I pray all of those as I close out. Father, thank you for the reminder that our lives should be lived with the ambition to please you. And I may be praying with someone that this is the first time they've ever asked you to come into their heart and lives and be the keeper of their soul. I may be praying with a Christian that has not been right in their relationship with you for some time. Forgive us for the times that we pursued our own desires over yours. Empower us through your spirit to live lives that are well pleasing in your sight. And may our thoughts and our words and our actions reflect our commitment to you, Lord, as every one of us, as we try to use this time, Lord, to be able not only to make it our ambition to please you, but let it be our secret of successful living of Heavenly Father, that Lord, that our secret to successful living begins with a surrendered heart, fueled by steadfast obedience, and then shaped by a spirit-led life. In Jesus' marvelous mighty name, we pray. Amen. you