Get Godly
Text: I Timothy 4:7-10
Part Two in series - I: Get a good souls rest. II: Get Godly and live! It is so easy to get outta' shape! Quality of life declines!
Spiritual flabbiness? Affects home, family, work, church. Busy lives, time slips by - we find ourselves spiritually outta' shape! Live in fear, apathy, isolation, and hopelessness. Even Christians!!
You can have the highest quality of life! It is entirely up to you! Do you want to really live?
Get Godly and live! Q: How do you get Godly?
1) Get Active
V7- "Train yourself to be Godly." It is entirely up to you to decide to be Godly! You must make the decision and take the action.
A) Paul calls Timothy to train!! Exercise! Word for train is our word for gym! Train in the gym of truth!
My goal is Godliness! I train in the gym of truth! !! Tim. 3:16 - I sweat the truth! I train under the leadership of the word!
You get active in the gym of truth!
Sweat the small stuff! Godliness is Godlikeness - every aspect of my life I'll pay attention to. Work on parts that need training! Cannon balls, guns, VO2 max,- spiritual parts!
B) Look out for gimmicks!! V7 - "wives tales" Paul warns Timothy of the tactics of the enemy - V1 - Burn fat while you sleep! "God helps those who help themselves" - Ben Franklin.
Jer 17:5 (NIV) "This is what the LORD says: "Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD."
Prov 28:26 (NIV) "He who trusts in himself is a fool... "
Get active! "The sword for the Lord and for Gideon!" Work out with God! Get active and live! Find purpose, hope, passion, victory, strength!
News article - people living in fear! Even in perilous times I can have the highest quality of life! Timothy lived in perilous times! Look at Christianity today! Don't quit!
2) Stay motivated - V8 - Godliness has value - holding promise.
A) Godliness gives you an advantage! Gives you gain - profit - in all things! You name it and Godliness adds value to it! You find real quality of life!
The merciful receive mercy! The forgiving receive forgiveness - reap what you sow! God working in you!
B) Expect to discover God's promises - Present and future promises.
What are some promises Paul might be referring to? Winning the race of the day! The reward of Godliness! The spread of the good news! The voice of hope and the blessings of God in your life!
C) Physical degeneration - Spiritual regeneration! You continue to grow stronger and stronger in Christ! Stay motivated! The great discoveries you can make every day!
2 Peter 1:3 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."
Stay motivated- God cares about you! God will guide, protect, provide, and save!
Charlie Brown - "If I stand here, I can see the little red haired girl when she comes out of her house... Of course, if she sees me peeking around this tree, she'll think I'm the dumbest person in the world... But if I don't peek around the tree, I'll never see her... Which means I probably AM the dumbest person in the world . . . which explains why I'm standing in a batch of poison oak."
Inspirational slogans? No pain no gain? Don't limit your challenges, challenge your limits? Life is a Daring Adventure." - Helen Keller. "May you live all the days of your life." - Jonathan Swift. "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." - Sir Winston Churchill. "We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
3)Live inspired
V9-10 - "Trustworthy saying..." inspiring words for us to remember! These words inspire us to labor and strive! Means work hard and agony! Yes we will face trials, and tests. Yes we will face obstacles and enemies. Yet we give our all!
A) God is the one and only Savior! Christ died for all! There is hope for all people! As long as there is life there is hope!
B) Especially for believers! I'm saved! I'm a winner! Live inspired! Your hope is placed in Christ! You now have entered into life!
C) "Put our hope.." you know where your hope is!
1) God is alive! - means lively-active-vibrant - Heb. 4:12
2) God is God - Sovereign Almighty
Lock in on God! Put your hope in him! Live inspired!
3) God is savior - he rescues-he delivers-he saves! Trust in God! Live inspired!
When you feel like Charlie Brown, remember this saying: "God is the Savior!" Live inspired!
Conclusion:
Percentage of Americans who own running shoes but don't run:87%. Perecentage of Americans who claim to be Christians and don't show it? Unknown! Godliness is the expression of Godlikeness! We have to know Him before we can express Him! If you get Godly you will begin to really live! You will get in shape! Fit to serve! Fit to face the day! Fit to fight the battles of sin, self, and Satan. You'll be fit to live in perilous times with the attitude of hope, love, and faith! Get godly and live! Get active! Stay motivated, and live inspired!