Living and Thinking Like Jesus Did
and to patience godliness
Titus 2:11,12
I. Introduction (Psalm 12:1)
A.
Faith gets us into Gods family,
and forms
the foundation upon all the rest of our life
B. Virtue keeps us from getting trapped and defeated by sin
C. Knowledge gives me answers for the problems I go through, and for the uncertainties in those troubles in other words, if I could just KNOW some things, the devil cannot scare me!
D. Temperance helps me control myself when I want to do wrong!
E. Patience enables me to wait on God as I grow and as I struggle he has grace with me, I should too!
F. Next comes godliness, and it is directed towards the world I live in
G. Review the steps and how they arm us to face our world. Each one of the steps affect different things in our lives they each have a different affect on different areas of our life
1. Faith is directed towards God and pleases God
2. Virtue is directed towards sin, and helps me resist temptation
3. Knowledge is directed towards my problems and the uncertainty in handling those problems
4. Temperance is directed towards self and bringing it under Gods control
5. Patience is directed towards the promises of God, believing them, and trusting them more than my abilities or lack of them
6. Godliness is directed towards the world shows the world how to REALLY live
7. Brotherly Kindness is directed towards believers
8. Charity is directed towards everyone!
H. Simple Outline of People to Learn from
1. Add to your faith the virtue or courage of David.
2. And to the courage of David, the knowledge of Solomon.
3. And to the knowledge of Solomon, the temperance of Paul
4. And to the temperance of Paul, the patience of Job.
5. And to the patience of Job, add the godliness of Daniel.
6. And to be godliness of Daniel, the brotherly kindness of Jonathon.
7. And to the brotherly kindness of Jonathon, and the love of John.
II. Practical Definition of Godliness
A. Living and Thinking Like Jesus Did - In other words, living toward God instead of towards the world
B. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world" - Ti 2:11-12
C. True godliness does not turn men out of the world, but enables them to live better in it and excites their endeavors to mend it. William Penn
D. The opposite of godliness is worldliness like the world
E. CHART
III. Comparison of False with True Godliness
A. False Godliness (2Tim 3:1-5)
1. Displayed by those who are "lovers of pleasure" rather than "lovers of God"
2. Such piety or godliness is just an outward form
3. Done only to be seen by others, to impress them, for the purpose of self-glorification
B. True Godliness
1. True godliness is characterized by a "God-ward attitude"
2. I.e., seeking to be seen and approved by God, not man
3. Devoted to the will of God, desiring to please Him
4. Unless we have this "God-ward attitude", any act of piety is simply hypocrisy
C. The mystery of godliness is contrasted in the Bible with the mystery of iniquity (Cf 2 Thes 2:7) both are hard to grasp
IV. Our Great Example of Godliness Jesus (1Tim 3:16)
A. When Paul says Great, he means, How wonderful and how amazing is this thing called godliness
B. And Paul then summarizes the effect of the life of Christ
1. A Life lived in the flesh no cheating God lived right here, among us, and under His own rules
a. Lived it out, day by day no skipping home when no one was looking
b. Endured
c. Was tempted in all points that we are, yet without ever sinning
d. Felt pain, hurts, hunger, thirst, loneliness, and sorrow
e. Jesus lived and dwelt among us (John 1:14)
2. Jesus was Proven by the Holy Spirit empowered, and honoured by the Holy Spirit of God
a. Proven to be God in the flesh no doubt virgin birth, prophecies
b. Shown to be right resurrected like He said He would
c. Didnt ever show off He was exonerated, and exalted
3. Watched from heaven Jesus had heavens attention the whole time (cf Acts 19:15) glued to their TV sets
a. At any moment all of heaven would have bolted for this planet to aid Him in the wilderness temptation
b. On the cross could have called 12 legions of angels
4. He preached to the uttermost person those most unlike Him Gentiles, lost, ignorant, no rights
a. Samaritan women
b. Lepers
c. Canaanite woman
d. Roman centurion
e. Woman caught in adultery
f. After the resurrection, His followers were commanded to go to the uttermost parts of the earth and to compel every and all people everywhere to come home!
5. He was and is believed on and trusted by the whole world not just by a select few, but by young and old, smart and dumb, rich and poor
6. He is now in heaven, seated in glory and is King of kings and Lord of lords!
C. Try to measure up to Him! Well, that is the goal! Godliness is to have my life lined up with Christs life to be living God-ward, instead of world-ward
V. Facts About Godliness
A. Godliness is Awesome it is GREAT not for wimps and cowards. It is profitable for all things... (1 Ti 4:7-8; 6:6)
1. Profitable for the life that now is - Mt 6:33; Mk 10:28-30
2. Profitable for the life to come - Mk 10:30; Ro 6:22
3. It is a way of life to be lived NOW because it is what eternity is like 2 Pe 3:10-14
a. Everything in this life, of this world, (the universe, the earth, and all its works) will one day be utterly destroyed the real big bang!
b. So, what manner of persons ought we to be RIGHT NOW?
4. Godliness is the only true wealth worth striving for!
B. Godliness is a source of Real Power in Your Life.
1. Paul warned about those with a form of godliness, but denying its power - 2 Ti 3:5
2. True godliness contains "power"
3. In other words, if our conduct pleases God, He empowers us!
a. He works in us as we strive to do His will - Ph 2:12-13
b. He strengthens us by His Spirit in the inner man - cf. Eph 3:16
c. With a power beyond comprehension - Ep 3:20
d. Enabling us to stand strong in the strength of His might - Ep 6:10-13
4. -- Do we desire power from God in our daily living? Then godliness, godly living, is necessary!
C. Godliness is only learned it is not automatic, nor naturally occurring in your life:
1. Learned through right instruction (1Tim 6:3-11)
2. And learned through patiently going through trials godliness is Built Upon Patience no short-cuts. It is something that is ADDED to our lives, one experience at a time not automatic
VI. Godliness Shows - In every area of our life that is seen by those around us
A. The way we talk godly or worldly
B. The way we give liberally or selfishly
C. The way we dress modestly or worldly
D. The way we love selflessly or greedily
E. The way we think and feel about others, or only about ourselves
F. The way we die expectantly and restfully only falling asleep, or fearfully, and lost!
VII. Growing in Godliness
A. Requires Exercise... strenuous effort on our part
1. As Paul told Timothy (1 Ti 4:7-8)
a. Just as physical exercise provides benefit for healthy living
b. Even more so, spiritual exercise provides benefit for godly living
2. The type of spiritual exercise needed - cf. 1 Ti 4:12-16
a. Set out to be a consistently good example for others
b. Give attention to reading (esp. the Word of God), exhortation (preaching), doctrine (learning what is true and right)
c. Make good use of your abilities and opportunities use your life as a blessing to others work at your Christianity
d. Focus your efforts on living towards God, and your growth will be evident easily seen by everyone
3. As Peter said, it requires "giving all diligence" - cf. 2Pet 1:5
B. Requires Abstinence...
1. From disputes and arguments over words - 1Tim 6:3-4
2. From men who wrangle over words - 1Tim 6:5
3. From materialism and the love of money - 1Tim 6:6-10
C. Flee these things, all the while hotly pursuing godliness (1Tim 6:11) like a police car after a suspect, or a man after a bride!
VIII. Conclusion
A. It is God's desire that we live godly lives, God-ward lives - Living and Thinking Like Jesus Did - In other words, living toward God instead of towards the world
B. Satan will direct his efforts on getting your focus on this world, and on this life, and on the failures and frustrations of this life, instead of on the Lord
C. Godliness has an enemy self-righteousness
1. Any other focus in our lives, other than that of Jesus Christ, is a wrong focus a wrong target, a wrong goal!
2. Love not the world, neither the things in the world
D. Our Great Example of godliness is Jesus
E. He proved that Godliness is Great, it is a source of REAL power, and it is something that is ADDED to our lives, one experience at a time not automatic
F. Godliness Shows - In every area of our life that is seen by those around us
1. The way we talk godly or worldly
2. The way we give liberally or selfishly
3. The way we dress modestly or worldly
4. The way we love selflessly or greedily
5. The way we think and feel about others, or only about ourselves
6. The way we die expectantly and restfully only falling asleep, or fearfully, and lost!
G. Godliness Grows in Our Lives by
1. Spiritual Exercise... strenuous effort on our part
2. Abstinence...
a. From disputes and arguments over words - 1Tim 6:3-4
b. From men who wrangle over words - 1Tim 6:5
c. From materialism and the love of money - 1Tim 6:6-10
3. Fleeing those things, all the while hotly pursuing godliness (1Tim 6:11)
Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church
Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland