Pleasure

Pleasure I. Pleasure: (From old Romanic plasere---to please). The condition of consciousness or sensation induced by the enjoyment or anticipation of what is felt or viewed as good or desirable; enjoyment, delight, gratification. The opposite of pain. II. Earthly pleasure is a gift of God. 1TI 6:17; ECC 3:13. A. Pleasure may be good. PSA 40:8. B. Pleasure may be evil. PSA 62:4; ISA 66:3. C. The unqualified pursuit of pleasure is therefore a great error. III. What one views as most good is where his heart will be. MAT 6:21. A. A man's passion tells much. What is he most energized and excited about? B. A man's works tell much. Where does he apply time and energy most? C. A man's words tell much. What does he talk about freely? D. “When people show you who they are, believe them.” (Maya Angelou) IV. When it comes to pleasure, whose is paramount: yours or God's? The sole purpose of the creation is God's pleasure. REV 4:11. A. The great goal of believers should be God's pleasure. 2TH 1:11; COL 1:10. B. The great goal of ministers should be God's pleasure. 2TI 2:4. C. Christ Himself is the ultimate example of fulfilling God's pleasure. ROM 15:3; JOH 8:29. D. God has redeemed us with blood and made us new creatures expressly for this purpose. PHIL 2:13; HEB 13:20-21; ROM 7:22. E. Enoch was translated because he pleased God. HEB 11:5. F. Pleasing God is impossible without faith. HEB 11:6. G. Pleasing God is impossible for the carnal-minded. ROM 8:6-8. H. We do well to pay attention to what pleases God. 1. He delights in lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness. JER 9:23-24; ISA 53:10. 2. He delights in the prayer of the upright. PRO 15:8. 3. He delights in His election of some to salvation and the hiding of His truth from the wise and prudent. EPH 1:4-5; MAT 11:25-26. 4. He is pleased by our keeping His commandments. 1JO 3:22. 5. He takes more pleasure in His house than your house. PSA 87:2. 6. He delights in His kingdom and righteousness before our perceived needs. MAT 6:31-33. V. Scripture has some negative things to say about earthly pleasure. A. The unregenerate serve pleasures. TIT 3:3. B. One can become addicted to pleasure. ISA 47:8. C. The love of pleasure will lead to poverty. PRO 21:17. D. We should not live in pleasure. 1. Live: To pass life in a specified fashion, indicated by an adv. or advb. phrase (occas. an adj. or compl. n.) having reference a. to the manner of regulation of conduct, esp. in a moral aspect. 2. She that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. 1TI 5:6. Pleasure 3-20-11 Page 1 of 33. This is the manner of life of the oppressive rich. JAM 5:1-5. E. A characteristic of perilous times is men loving pleasures more than God. 2TI 3:4. F. Pleasures of life can choke the word of God. LUK 8:14. G. The love of this world and its stuff implies an absence of the love of God within and will lead one to abandon righteous company. 1JO 2:15; 2TI 4:10. H. Believers need to consider whether the pleasures they engage in are having any of these effects in their lives. VI. We must exercise restraint with regard to earthly pleasure. A. God commands temperance (The practice or habit of restraining oneself in provocation, passion, desire, etc.; rational self-restraint). GAL 5:23. B. Revelling is a work of the flesh. GAL 5:19-21; 1PE 4:3-4. 1. Revelling: Riotous or disorderly merry-making or festivity. 2. Riot: Wanton, loose, or wasteful living; unrestrained revelry, mirth, or noise. 3. Wanton: Of persons: Undisciplined, ungoverned; not amenable to control, unmanageable, rebellious. Of actions: Lawless, violent; in weaker sense, rude, illmannered. C. God damns those that have pleasure in unrighteousness. 2TH 2:12. D. Earthly pleasure must be restrained and brought under the discipline of God's law. VI. Inquire if an entertainment or desire promotes, condones or makes light of what Scripture calls the works of the flesh. GAL 5:19-21. A. They are worthy of death who take pleasure in those who do such things as listed in ROM 1:21-32. B. Rather than being entertained by sin, we should abhor it and be grieved by it. ROM 12:9; PSA 119:53, 136, 158; 2PE 2:7-8. C. We are not to walk as fools. EPH 5:15. 1. (PRO 10:23) It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom. 2. (PRO 14:9) Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour. a. Sin is no joking matter. b. The bloodied, beaten, pierced body of Christ on the cross demonstrates God's attitude toward sin. 3. (PRO 15:14) The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. 4. See ECC 7:2-6. a. A wise man will consider the reality of impending death. b. It is better to hear the rebuke of a wise man than to hear the song of fools. c. A fool's laughter is like the crackling of thorns under a pot: a lot of noise and blaze but useless as a lasting source of energy. VII. Be careful how a given entertainment affects you. A. (1CO 15:33) Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. B. We do well to avoid any entertainment that weakens our resistance to temptation. ROM 13:11-14; MAT 5:27-30. VIII. God by His grace gives His saints lasting pleasure that can never be overindulged. ISA 35:10; ROM 5:11. Pleasure 3-20-11 Page 2 of 3A. This pleasure does not depend upon earthly things. HAB 3:17-18. B. This pleasure can be had alway. PHIL 4:4. C. God's law should be our delight. PSA 1:2; 119:16, 24. D. God is our EXCEEDING joy. PSA 43:3-4; 37:4. E. If God is our true joy, we can take pleasure in our infirmities, etc.. 2CO 12:10. F. We should prefer God's house ABOVE our chief joy. PSA 137:5-6; 84:10; 102:14. G. Heaven is a place of endless pleasure. PSA 16:11; REV 21:4. Pleasure 3-20-11 Page 3 of 3