Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-05-15
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning May 10, 1912.

Prayer Meeting Topic FOR the week
Beginning May 10. 1912.
Topic.-why and how TO please Christ
II Tim. II. I-ls tUnion meeting with the
Junlors) Edited by Rev, sherman IL
Doyle. =. D.
The supreme desire of every Chris
tian should be to please Christ. for In
so doing he viii best serve God, which
is the great purpose Of his existence
in the world. No one and. above all,
no Christian should live simply to
please himself or to be "men pleasers."
In desiring and trying to please 9TH
ers there Is nothing discredItabie. The
true king tries to please his subjects.
The chief executive of our country Is
the chief servant of the country.
Even Christ" says Paul, pleased
not Himself" and Christ Himself said.
THE Father hath not left Me alone.
for do always those things that
please Him" II Christ pleased not
Himself, how can we be Christians
without living to please Himf Is the
disciple greater than his teacher or
the servant than his lord?
I.-Why Should We Please Christi
i. Our relationship to Christ should
lead us to please Him. AS Christians
we have accepted Him as our Master.
and the servant should always please
his Master. This relationship has been
voluntarily assumed, and this fact
should increase our willingness to
please Him. II Christ In any way
had forced His rule upon us we might
feel the less inclined to do as He de-
sires; but, since this Ia not the case
and since we have willingly conse-
Grated our lives to His service, there
can be no question as to the right and
justice of our pleasing Him. We are
volunteer soldiers of Christ and as
such should endure hardness as good
soldiers OF Jesus Christ" and the
aim and desire of every volunteer,
above all soldiers, is TO please his COM
mander.
2. Gratitude should lead US to please
Christ. When we think of what Christ
has done for us there should be no
question of our willingness to please
Him. He gave His life for us. and we
In return should consecrate our lives
to Him. II was on the basis of graf
itude for the mercies of God as mani
tested In the plan of salvation through
faith In Christ that Paul appealed TO
the Romans to consecrate their lives
to the service of God. On the same
basis we should please Christ No one
who fully appreciates all the blessings
that come to him through the life and
which He wants him TO do. ANY other
altitude toward Christ betrays spirit
of the basest ingratitude.
3. Self interest should lead us to
please Christ He only desires what
is best for US. II we please Him we
shall only be doing what should be
most pleasing to ourselves. and when
self interest and service are Joined to-
gether there should be no difficulty In
making a decision as to what we should
do.
Ii.-How May We Please Christi
/. Doing the will of God is pleasing
to Christ. Not every one" He says.
that saith unto Me. Lord. Lord.
shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.
but he that doeth the will Of My Fa-
ther which is In heaven" Christ
came to earth to do the win of God.
and 1t is His desire that His disciples
should follow In His footsteps and
make the will of God their will. IL
we live this principle, mot my will.
but Thine be DONE" we shall please
Him.
2. Obedience to the commands Of
Christ pleases Him ''Ye are Ny
friends II ye do whatsoever COM
mand you" To disobey His COM
mands is to dispiease Him We can
not live for ourselves. for the world
or with no thought for others and do
that which Is well pleasing In His
sight
3. Acceptance of salvation through
Christ Is pleasing Him. The sinner
can only please Him by repentance Of
sin and acceptance Of His atoning
sacrifice through faith In His blood.
The unsaved cannot please Christ.
The whole attitude of their life is con-
trary to His supreme desire that all
men be saved and the mission of His