People Pleasing And The Fear of Man

Ok so quite the opening title, but they usually are. 

Let’s see if the bible addresses both people pleasing and the fear of man. Maybe they are one in the same:

There is no exact, single number of scriptures that talk about people-pleasing because the Bible addresses the concept using several different terms, though resource databases like OpenBible.info catalog upwards of 50 to 100 verses that directly confront the heart of this struggle. 

While the modern phrase "people-pleaser" appears explicitly in a few verses, the Bible broadens its focus by addressing the root behaviors: "men-pleasing," "the fear of man," and "seeking the approval of others." 

Key Biblical Themes Regarding People-Pleasing

• Explicit "Man-Pleasing" (Colossians 3:22, Eph. 6:6, Gal. 1:10): The Bible warns against "eye-service"—doing good work only so that you can be watched so that when watched you are trying to gain human approval, rather than serving Christ sincerely. 

Jesus puts this work thingy in perspective when He states the following:

Luke 17:7-10 - 7 And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? 8 But will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me till I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. 10 So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’ ”

And but the following scriptures explain 

Colossians 3:22 – 22 Bondservants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God.

Eph. 6:5-6 – 5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

Gal. 1:10 - 10 For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.

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SPEAKER_00 0:15

Hello, this is Kenya Podcast Preacher. Welcome back to my podcast, Deep Waters. This podcast is brought to you by Applied Strengths Ministry, where we believe working together on our strengths is the effect of working out the will and calling of God in and through our lives. Thanks for joining me. Let's open up in prayer. Blessed be the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed you with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Just as he chose you and him before the foundation of the world, that you should be holy, without blame, before him in love, having predestined you to adoption as a son or daughter by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, which he purposed in himself, to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he made you accepted in the beloved. In him ye have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace which he made to abound towards you in all wisdom and prudence. Have he made known to you the mystery of his will, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth in him? I ask that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, and the knowledge of the mystery of him, to the deepest knowledge of him that you are willing and able to receive, that the eyes of your understanding would be open wider, and that you would be enlightened to who he is, that you may know what is the hope of his calling. What are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in you? What is the exceeding greatness of his power towards you who believe according to the working of his mighty power, which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, that he would grant that you would be strengthened with might through his spirit in the inner man, and in and through your spirit and heart, consistently walking in the spirit, so that you would be able to stand against the appetites of your flesh, the corrupted spirit of this world, and the devil and his demons, in and through any and all fleshly desires and temptations. I pray that your love may abound more and more in all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be real about your Christianity and unoffendable until the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, which are by Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to the glory and praise of God. I ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will and wisdom and spiritual understanding, that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing him, being fruitful in every good work, strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, who walk by the Spirit and in the light. I pray that your hearts may be encouraged, being missed together in love and unity, and that you would attain all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which has been given to each of my listeners by Christ Jesus, that you are enriched in everything by Him, in all utterance and all knowledge, so that you do not come short in obtaining or operating in your calling and purpose, nor in using any spiritual gifts or talents to perform mighty miracle signs and wonders, that we would do the greater works of Jesus yet to be accomplished, that we would be found eagerly waiting for the continued revelation of our Lord Jesus, who will confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the near coming of the day of our Lord, God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son Jesus. Okay, so now therefore, my sisters and brothers in Christ, when things get tough, think about whatever things are true, noble, just pure, lovely, and whatever things are of a good report. If there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things alone. I pray that in these very end of the end time days that you would let your love be without hypocrisy. Show people your faith by your works and service and love. Hate and loathe what is evil, cling to what is good and righteous, be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, and honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, burden and fully engulfed in spiritual fire, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, walking in the peace of God, patience and tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, that is each other, and that you would be given the hospitality. May the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like minded towards one another, according to Christ Jesus, that we learn to be of one mind, in one accord, striving to get along, no matter what disagreements we may encounter, operating completely and fully in love, always striving for the working out of God's specific will for each of our lives, while working in partnership with each other, within the church and the Holy Spirit, as he manifests his miracle signs and wonders through the daily activities of our ministry and kingdom work, and while we also go out preaching the gospel in word and deed. Let us love and serve one another, our enemy, and those who wouldn't expect us to do so, considering each person better than ourselves. Find up any words or thoughts that are contrary to the love of God or which would set you back in your Christian walk. Guard your hearts from anything that would hinder the growth of your character. Never forget that you can do all things in Christ, and never forget this means all things. Ah, step out in faith today and walk with God and with each other, being assured that nothing will separate you from Him as long as you abide in Him. Call those things that don't exist as though they do. Remember the faith of God, of which we have, created the universe by the Rama and Logos Word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. All that you need for this life is invisible until you apply your faith to receive it, but make sure your request to God is without fear, doubting, and unbelief. Never forget that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. Be more than a conqueror today, submitting to the will of God and everything. Never forget that each of you can do all things through Christ who will strengthen you this very day. Let each of us express uncompromising love towards one another in humility while maintaining a teachable spirit, seeking to grow no matter how much it challenges our current thinking. I pray that God will give you the revelation within this message that He intends you to receive with the understanding. Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To God our Savior who alone is wise, be glory in majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever. In Jesus' name we pray amen. The title of this message is People Pleasing and the Fear of Man. Okay, so quite the opening title, but they usually are. Let's see if the Bible addresses both people pleasing and the fear of man. Maybe they are one and the same. There is no exact single number of scriptures that talk about people pleasing because the Bible expresses a concept using several different terms. The resource databases like Open Bible. While the modern phrase people pleaser appears explicitly in a few verses, the Bible broadened its focus by addressing the root behaviors men pleasing, the fear of man, and seeking the approval of others. Biblical themes regarding people pleasing, explicit man pleasing. Colossians three twenty-two, Ephesians six, six, and Galatians one ten. The Bible warns against eye service, doing good work only so that you can be watched, so that when watched, you are trying to gain human approval rather than serving Christ sincerely. Jesus puts this work thingy in perspective when he states the following Luke seventeen, seven through ten. And which of you, having a servant ploughing or tending sheep, will say to him, When he has come in from the field, come at once and sit down to eat. But will he not rather say to him, Prepare something for my supper, and gird yourself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward you will eat and drink. Does he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not. So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say we are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do. And but the following scriptures explain Colossians three twenty two Bond servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh, not with eye service as men pleasers, but in sincerity of heart, fearing God. Ephesians six five through six Bond servants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ, not with eye service, as men pleasers, but as bond servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Galatians one ten. For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond servant of Christ. All right, so if we don't balance that with the scriptures that tell us what we have the opportunity to gain once we get into heaven, then Luke seventeen, seven through ten could come off harsh. Jesus clearly teaches that believers will be rewarded based on their earthly works in Matthew sixteen twenty-seven, where he states, For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and will then repay every person according to his works or deeds. Other key teachings. Revelation twenty two twelve. Jesus reiterates that at the end of the Bible saying, Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Matthew sixteen, nineteen through twenty one. He encourages followers to store up for themselves treasures in heaven, explaining that earthly actions for the kingdom have an eternal value. Luke six thirty five. Jesus links specific behaviors such as loving enemies and doing good directly to great heavenly rewards. Luke six thirty five. But love your enemies, do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the most high, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. The apostle Paul further expands on this concept in first Corinthians three, ten through fifteen, explaining that our works will be tested by fire, and those that survive will determine our eternal reward. Ah, but I'm not going to let us off so easy. Let's see the whole context of that scripture so that we have a proper understanding of what the Holy Spirit was saying through Paul. According to the grace of God which was given to me as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it, for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear, for the day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test each one's work of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. But if anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. And we know the type of work that will burn away, the wood, hay, and straw. The fear of man, Proverbs twenty nine, twenty-five, and Isaiah two twenty two. Scripture identifies the fear of others opinions as a snare or trap that keeps people from trusting God. Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. Matthew ten twenty-eight. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who is able to destroy both the soul and the body in hell. Isaiah two twenty-two. Sever yourselves from such a man whose breath is in his nostrils, for of what account is he? Should we do a nostril search so that we can see that we are more than a sneeze? Isaiah two twenty-two. Stop trusting in mere humans, who have but a breath in their nostrils. Why hold them in esteem? The message the prophet was driving home here is that the people should trust God, not mere humans, as they are nothing but mortals who have equal opportunities just like everybody else. Seeking human glory. John twelve forty three and Matthew six one. Jesus criticized seeking popularity or recognition from people over seeking approval from God. John twelve forty three. For they love the praise of men more than the praise of God, though they were and are the religious people who look for status and honor from men because of their position. We see that a lot in these days, don't we? Matthew six one, take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Historical examples first Samuel fifteen twenty four, Mark fifteen, fifteen, Galatians two, eleven through fourteen. Figures like King Saul feared people. Pilate wished to satisfy the crowd, and Peter separated himself due to pressure. Provide examples of the consequences of people pleasing. 1 Samuel 15 24. Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandments of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. We call that peer pressure, right? I tried the marijuana because everybody was telling me to do it, and I didn't want to seem like the odd ball out. I had sex with so and so because I didn't want to be a virgin, and people were constantly giving me a bad time about being a virgin. The devil's behind all of that. That's why we're told not to fear man. Mark fifteen, fifteen. So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabas to them, and he delivered Jesus after he had scourged him to be crucified. What kind of pressure would a man have to be under, knowing that he was about to kill a man who was totally innocent? Galatians two eleven through fourteen. Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face. This is Paul talking because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision, that is the other Jews who were not yet born again. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him. That means Peter had some leadership on him, and so when he sinned, he caused other people to sin. That's why leaders are going to be held to a higher standard. So that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, if you, being a Jew, live in the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? Okay, so some of those scriptures seem a little straight or sharp, right? But always remember God is trying to get us to a better place where we depend on Him for everything, including the acknowledgement of what we are doing for Him. Okay, so let's look at the fear of man and see if we can find anything interesting about that, even though some of those scriptures above talked about it. There's no official exact number of verses because the fear of man is expressed through many different phrases, but topical Bible databases like open Bible.info catalogue roughly a hundred verses that directly deal with fearing human opinions, power, or rejection. While the exact literal phrase fear of man only appears explicitly in a couple of places, most famously Proverbs twenty nine twenty five, the concept is woven through the entire Bible. Scripture addresses this heart issue across three main categories Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be saved. Alright, the first of those three categories direct commands and warnings. There's fifteen to twenty verses. The following explanations, along with some of those verses, explicitly tell believers not to worry about what other people can do to them or think of them. Proverbs twenty nine twenty five. The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is saved. Isaiah fifty one twelve. Who are you that you are afraid of men who dies? Of the Son of Man who is made like grass. Hebrews thirteen six. The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me? The second one seeking human approval over God's twenty to thirty verses. The New Testament frequently rephrases the fear of man as being trapped by a desire for human praise or a fear of human rejection. Galatians one ten. For am I now seeking the approval of man or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. You see how big of a deal this is if you're seeking to please men? That means you can't seek to please men and still be a servant of Christ. It's one or the other. That's what we call black and white. John twelve, forty two through forty three. Many authorities believed in Jesus but did not confess it, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue, for they love the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God. It's like telling a man who just offered you a brand new Bugatti, no, I'm gonna keep my Volkswagen because I'm more familiar with it. And I'm in a VW club, and they won't accept me if I have a Bugatti. I know that's funny, but it's still true. And the third is historical examples of the fear of man. There's about thirty verses or narratives. The Bible contains dozens of structural stories where a leader or individual falls specifically because they feared the people around them. King Saul transgressed God's command because he feared the people and listened to their voice. 1 Samuel 15 24. Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned, or I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. Pontius Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified, that is killed, that is murdered, because he wished to satisfy the crowd. Mark 15, 15. So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he delivered Jesus, remember, Jesus was innocent, after he had scourged him. And here's a good time to ask, why did he scourge him if he knew that he was innocent? To be crucified. He did so because of the pressure of the crowd. And it's important to know that the pressure was actually coming from the religious people. You know, the pastors, the evangelists, all those people that were the experts in the word of God are the ones that put pressure on a heathen to kill God Himself. I know that's a big deal, right? It came from the religious people, the Apostle Peter. Hypocritically, Peter drew back and separated himself from Gentile believers, fearing a circumcision party. We cannot be afraid to address the non-believer in Christ. We're the ones that are walking in grace, mercy, and power. They are under the power of Satan, and he's trying to kill them before we preach the gospel to them. This is a proper angle that we should take when we're dealing with people, rather than feeling the pressure that we have to fear what they can do to us, that we have to please them so that we're in the in crowd. The in crowd is going to heaven, and it's a smaller crowd than the ones that are not. So be sure that you fear God more than man. Let's close in prayer. May the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before your God and Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Now may the God of peace, the one in whom we call wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, may He Himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To our Lord of Lords and our King of Kings, to our high and lifted up great high priest, who has once and for all paid the price, that you might see and hear God. May He hear and respond to our prayers. To our God we stand in praise. He too always lives to make intercession for you while seated at the right hand of the Father. May the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, the great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do his will, working in you what is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all of it we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. To him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, amen. Well that's it today. Remember, it's not what you find wrong or disagree with regarding these messages, but what you can take away from it. Together we can do more to impact the kingdom than if we work alone. Let's flip the script and still kill and destroy the works of the enemy and create space for the light of light to shine through into people's lives. Plan a seed and click on the like and subscribe button. Repost on your social media platforms and help us make disciples. Link this message out or teach from it in your Bible study, your life or cell group, and yes, even in your church. You can be assured a constant one called to teach, and though imperfect, you have the word of God to use to test everything I say. Let's build this ministry together. Thanks and see you next time in Deep Waters.