The Meaning of Godliness

Godly Dr. Tony Evans is we make a mistake.

We only consider God once a week, and in one location.

That's why people live in his presence. They are celebrating 40 years of faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative students are or you can complete a first-rate logic, teacher, boss, but they're unlikely to receive credit. If what they did was not the assigned task today. Dr. Evans points out the failures we experience in life may be the result of working on the wrong assignment.

Let's join him as he directions to the task at hand is about the third year of seminary that I got a major paperback with a big fat.

My goal was to make nothing but A's and outpoured everything I had into this assignment shock as I looked at my paper.

I read underneath the failure sign a note from the professor. The note said great, but I believe the phrase great paper was the phrase wrong assignment. I miss read the assignment I have done the wrong thing, with a lot of effort, but a lot of work on the wrong thing still gave me an F. A lot of Christians today are working on the wrong assignment when working with putting all the effort we think we can put in is just not working. Everything is coming up with failing in our lives were failing in our priorities were failing in our families, with failing in our commitments with family while working hard and I like to suggest to you with that is because much of what we're doing is not tied to the assignment we've been given the day I want to talk you about godliness and I would like to suggest to you that is all assignment that if you are here today and you have been redeemed. The same you been saying for the purposes of becoming godly. We stayed busy as people embed ministries doing a lot of things often not tied to be assigned first Timothy chapter 4 verse eight says, for bodily discipline is only a little profit but godliness is profitable for all things since it holds promise for the present life and also the light to come in second Timothy chapter 3 verse five we read these words, he says, holding off godliness, although they deny it. Avoid such amenities about a goal of godliness, something that looks like it, but is not godly and there be no substance. You can have the words of godliness to be no reality. You can look the part know if you are looking the part versus the part is the full godliness, but denying the power he says you know is not godly whenever willpower attached to it because connected to it. Religion gives the impression of something related to God to reveal. I mean you can look religious out with religious people can there be no power. Many of us knows what is to go to church for years and not be changed going to charge itself will not have the power to make you more godly like going into a garage when I have the power to turn you into a cop. The location in and of itself is not sufficient for the godliness concerns has power to. So if you're going to the board and lacking the power that means were not yet godly or not growing in godliness. So the question is, what if it were godliness is used about 15 times in the New Testament. Most of the usages are found in the pastoral epistles first of the second Timothy and Titus and you would expect to be used as since that's the assignment of the church. The pastoral epistles were written to the pastor tell the pastor what I want to be happening with the congregation and Paul tells Timothy you want to pursue godliness so that I assignment my assignment, our assignment is to produce an environment where godliness is understood and challenged and achieved that. That's all assignment all the other stuff we do must be measured by whether we making the assignment or else we're working on the wrong assignment were not getting a passing grade. Please notice in chapter 6 the first of the diverse traits. If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ with the doctrine conforming to godliness, she brings up godliness again at the end of verse five. Suppose that godliness is a measure of game she brings up godliness again in the beginning of verse six but godliness actually is a means of great games will talk about that will talk about how to make a profit by being godly in verse 1150 brings up godliness again, even as one chapter leasing four times already this word godliness. The great legacy BL please reference toward God.

Here is the definition of godliness. Godliness may be defined as a lifestyle that consistently reflects the character of God. Godliness is a lifestyle, not an event.

It's a way of living a lifestyle. It's the way you will is how you rate it is a lifestyle that is consistent with the character of God watches godliness assumes you agree with something. Godliness assumes that you agree and do not disagree with God. That may sound like a simple statement but it's deeper than it sounds.

You can meet godly and disagree with God. If you disagree with God you cannot be godly because once you disagree with God, you have made yourself your own idol. What you say I don't think God right on this one. You will just judge God and if you judge God, you became God.

Another God is so you just know the mind when you disagree with God, which means you cannot become godly godliness. So what the Scripture says what it says let God be true and every man alive that when disagree, all went God and my peace disagree with God and professes disagree that all went God and the rich disagree. One of the things that keep us from godliness is that we keep debating God, which will manically block any hope of ever becoming godly. You can't be disagree with the person you're trying to be like godliness is a lifestyle that is consistently reflecting the character of God before you decide what God says is right. What that disagrees with you about how long been dealing with what my friends say it is all disagrees with a lashes.the hope of experiencing both and the provision of the power of godliness is lost. Godliness means that I am not in the light of his presence there is a consciousness of God's presence and that presence is. That's why people are not experiencing more of God because they don't live in his presence.

They bid his presence as long as your visitor. You can leave where you live is when you hang out, God has visiting hours on Sunday morning for most people, and so we give God the visiting hours but we don't live in his presence and therefore we don't become.

We visited the godly person is obsessed with God's presence there obsessed with pleasing God because the ever conscious of where he is consistently evaluating things from his perspective as he think about that how we feel about that say about that fix constantly on their mind. The best saying you are not constantly reflecting on him and his influence on the everyday life. God becomes the best solar system where the planets of all actions revolve around him take the enemy of godliness. Godliness in his tracks and also regress you.

Chapter 2 verse 16 of second Timothy since this but avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, the enemy of godliness is worldliness.

Godliness has an enemy. It's worldliness. He says worldly channels worldliness. What does worldliness means it's that system headed by Satan. That leaves God out.

Worldliness simply means you leave God out.

You have to be a criminal to be worldly. All you gotta do is leave God out of the equation and you just became we talk about the world of fashion. Since everything got to a close about the world of politics is something that the government talk about the world of finance of the job would not stop at the world's fourth. Everything got to do with mathematics when we talk about place all the places we talk about an orientation have to do with the central subject to be worldly spiritually as the central subject as dodging opponents. I'm including this use there with you on this moment you do that you are operating worldly doctrines will have more force on the meaning of godliness when he continues her message just a moment. Stay with us throughout anyone's life. You hold many roles and so often can feel like you just plotting to get through.

We know that this can feel like obscurity and mundane tasks whenever God is called to do yourself and that is connected with the team tearing the legacy of Lois and that is Crystal Harris and Priscilla Scheier encourage you to not just survive the season here in the time there with the new Ford DVD Bible study seasons of a woman's life with your generous gift to the urban alternative received the classic book workbook in DVD series now visit Tony Evans.org learn more about how you can get the seasons of a woman's life Bible study package and that's also where you can go to receive a full-length copy of today's message part of a short but powerful new series. Tony is bringing called in pursuit of godliness this for message collection will take you deeper into scripture to explore what it means to be godly. God allows us to approach him and just why godliness is something we should seek in the first place.

You can get the complete series on CD and digital download is our gift when you make a donation to the ministry of the alternative, and right now as a special bonus will also send you a copy of Tony's popular book, God himself. A journey through his attributes.

This exciting work takes a look at God's wisdom and wrath its efficiency and sovereignty and his goodness, grace and glory. Dr. Evans dives deep into the character of God giving you fresh new insights that will deepen your understanding and love for your creator. Just visit us today@tonyevans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 make a contribution and letter sent you as a thank you gift in pursuit of godliness and Tony's book, God himself will ever contact information for you again after part two of today's lesson. We've all seen fish that have been caught and put on a boat since mobile is fins opening second definition trying to do was trying to make that fish is trying to make it, but it's trying to make it in the environment.

It was created to one created for this prison violence was only created but may find itself a fish out of water but yet it's using it stinks to try to make it to this, that to make it to is going to know it sucks no matteropening close doing his death because the environment in which his tribe went God's will and still doing this because your you will never create not what you been converted not want you been redeemed. If you're not a Christian you don't have this new environment. If you are a Christian that is your environment. God is your environment. That's why I'm using the word to become obsessed with God because it is your new environment and the reason why we often stated for so long is because with something in the place we don't know like the Bible says bad company corrupts good morals. You hang around with the bad people long enough, you will become one of the baby because your environment. You win so godliness is this lifestyle that becomes consistent with the character of God.

That's what this could now I want to give you some really exciting news about godliness. Remember that we will likely get into the bank to the profit margin in God is a big profit margin Bible calls it gave game will show you something. In second Peter chapter 1 verse 371 three says, seeing that his divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence, densely just told you everything you need to be godly you already, he says, seeing his divine power law has given you everything pertaining to life and godliness.

So I just saved you a whole lot of money with that statement that you have the bowel and self-help books you have to buy all that stuff today trying popular television need to become what God wants you to be you haven't already.

When you accepted Jesus Christ, if indeed you are a Christian, the spirit lives your human spirit lives your human spirit and quickened you and made you alive. The problem now is because the job of the devil is to abort the conception. Satan seeks to the ground of the spiritual life with you so that godliness is never achieved unlimited. We achieved or periodically achieved the God possesses you his divine power has given you everything his divine nature. You have a new nature use another word maybe this will help us God is giving you a new appetite for new appetite. Your nature defines your appetite.

For example, you have to teach pigs to light slop is in the nature that the learned role in slop they gravitate slop the nature you that is the redeemed you say you knew nature in you.

If God stopping for God and for God because that's the divine nature and divine nature and that nature is being stopped because God can get enough of God. God wants all the God he did so we can grow God in you grow God in me. But if God did God we wind up weak because it's his nature to us. So here we go. He was much out of my way to so you know everything you need to become godly what God wants you to be you already have and batteries are included. The best stuff we kids in the battery that you forgot to bring a battery that means you have the parts without.

I love when I see about some of the grandkids. This is batteries included. That means I don't have to go somewhere else to get the to pull off the performance.

God not only gave you the provision coming with it is the power to be and to live life the way that explodes God's Dr. Tony Evans will come back with a godliness challenge for each of us just a moment.

You know the perfect way to build on today's teaching is to request the complete four message series called in pursuit of godliness.

As I mentioned earlier, you can get all the lessons on CD and digital download as well as a copy of Tony's powerful and insightful book, God himself. This package of resources is yours is a thank you gift you contribute toward the work of the urban alternative, you can make all the arrangements by calling our 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 or visit us online at Tony the start or you know there are some great foods out there that simply can't be made when the recipe omits a key ingredient.

Likewise, godliness will never be realized in our lives if we leave out the essential component tomorrow. Dr. Evans will explore just want that special ingredient is when he unveils the mystery of godliness right now, though he's back with this final thought in question is my challenge to me to you. I want you to work on a godliness degree. One of the primary reasons that you decide to keep going at the high school and you go to college to keep going at the cottage so you get a Masters anything to keep going after the Masters in on the doctrine is because of the financial benefit. The degree represents the study and you may like the subject, but you think about the money to think about just show where God godly person gets a great day so long as the motivation for you will agree this is going to greet the more thing you gotta move out of the way so you can get on the same program and get a degree unless it will take you like to do just some things because of the group stand up all night, all not looking to give TV show not doing that skipping battle in the last line was bad.

What do you want to do like some folk who spent all their lives in school. Another one would just pick a class in the class. They never wound up with people that's profitable this profit, godliness, success want you to see him at a level never seen before. So the question on the floor, something the alternative with Dr. Tony Gavin is brought to you by the urban alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you