The Motivation for Godliness, Part 1

Dr. Tony Evans says we can't get to godliness, not content with God's goodness woman celebrating faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the alternative.

Every day we have the option to respond or circumstances with either griping or gratitude today. Dr. Evans explains why the choice we make affects much more than the way we feel as he explores the motivation for godliness. Let's turn to first Timothy chapter 6 were today's lesson is consistent not mean perfection, inconsistency where we functioning in a way that God is demonstration like we explain religious and not be godly like a baby with a pacifier who thinks he is getting something beginning something nutritional just because it charges for a lot of people become so big marriage. When actually being fooled and faked because there is no benefit accruing godliness is consistent and functionally reflecting the character of God will web you know what, I'm not begging for godliness. It's begging to be filled with more of God and because this is not being godliness, you wind up with a starving soul shall be deprived of what it is longing for once it is been converted in the spirit of God, for experiencing God's presence in the soul is called the mystery of godliness about previous sermons. Christ in you the hope of glory. Another way you need to be God you already have. Because of the mystery not understood what has been revealed in the New Testament the problem. It's a big problem because there is one above all things that interrupts our move toward God.

This thought did not pursue godliness. One thing is about all Paul tells to both for himself and both of the congregation to make this point clear as we get into our study today so this will be a little uncomfortable.

Some of it will be a little stretching somebody maybe walk out what the word of God and not with me.

You want to be godly because the profit margin at the end of verse godliness is a means of great gain is the difference between your expenses. That gives us our profit margin to be small thinking when it comes margin not only a good profit. Great profit making a profit. Profit margin brigade in the way you godliness as a means of gaining diverse today. Using religion from theology, not prospering prosperity theology. Using religion for the monitoring benefit you can get out of all folk want to be blessed with how much of it involves money, even money itself raise a better job things money can buy a house, so they go to church to get my blessed religious so that God will give me more money so they use money, use this godliness for the financial benefit that will accrue to this thing called materialism or what he calls in verse 10 of money itself will explain this a moment to say longing for nothing and longing for one thing that will block you from moving the gun.

I know the principal thing with and longing for it will put a stop to you toward godliness. Chapter dealing with the subject. No money.

I dated size about asking Janet but I don't love money will materialism the love of the level stuff money what money can buy. It is cool stuff, a greater priority than the spiritual and materialist money. I am a materialist money. When money or the stuff taken by students and with the spiritual when I don't seek first the kingdom of God and all these things be added to my priority is flip materialist. That is a lover money if you spend more time complaining about what you don't have been giving thanks for what you money your financial life is knowing in your spiritual life is going down money. If you compromise spiritual principles to gain a profit you money if you will look at the growth of your Money if you then people don't not money and offerings in order to get all you get for yourself all the people who love money because money is not only it is a function because love is you do not merely so you money based on that mission spiritual becoming secondary to the material you not money.

You have just godliness.

Which means when spiteful and greater profit margin pieces godliness when done right, brings great day subordinates. One day went to a department store and they wanted to be mischievous and so they switched the expense of garments on the cheap garment and took the tags of the chief garments to put on expensive garments so people will pay a lot of money for job a little bit of money for excellence because they had switched tracks. I switched they have made the valuable things look cheap and the cheap thing about the both and we have spent our life and that which offer us a great gain but actually distracts us from drinking because the material has been made secondary to the spiritual. This can happen in church. Churches can get into this thing of putting down people don't and raising of people because somehow shift. Ecclesiastes 510 says money will because it will never be enough to want something and more and more. One lady said anybody who says the money will bring you happiness not know when to shut because there is this idea that I can pay my way, my way in my pocket. Yet when you look at the age of people who are committing suicide. You look at the fights of people as they go up there marriages break up and all this other stuff. Evidently the tags have been switched and we have settled for removing ourselves from the primacy of godliness, a lifestyle consistent with the character of God. So really want to make a big profit I'm discussing here today great day discussing puny really make a profit. People tell you how to do it. Here is verse number six but godliness actually is a means of high profit margin when a company by contentment your life to be profit margin, and not a limited profit margin than a marriage needs to occur between your personal godliness and your contentment in life.

Contentment will stifle godliness contentment with the process of godliness will give you a proper margin that will blow your mind. Dr. Evans will expand on that God returns with more of today's message just a moment.

First I want to let you know about a book 20s written because hand-in-hand with what we been learning today. It's an in-depth study of the attributes and characteristics that make the Lord who he is called God himself. The more you learn about God, the more there is to worship. This book will deepen your sense of awe as well as your understanding of God's nature's values and his heart that yours is our thank you gift when you make a contribution in support of Tony's ministry as a special bonus but through tomorrow only it'll come to you bundled with all four full-length messages in Tony's current teaching series in pursuit of godliness.

A glimpse into the meaning and mystery of godliness that will give you the motivation and means of living a life consistent with God's character get all the details and make your request right away@tonyevans.org or call her 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 will come back with part two of today's lesson right after this was my first time meeting Jesus died on Wednesday after studying theology to Tony Evans training center taught by renowned theologian Dr. Tony Evans online courses feature controlling and exclusive video and audio teaching class and interactive scripture based curriculum you can access online or through the mobile app sign up now Tony is chaining down like Dr. Evans and exploring the kingdom anytime, anywhere. Tony happens to me. Finally, this is subject to his lack of contentment.

Please efficiency in spite of external circumstances. Hebrews 13 verses five and six that that man or woman who holds that God is contentment is not complacency. Contentment is being added until God allows me to go beyond where I get to be asked where I will job making you discontent you have nice enough clothes you don't drop nice enough, you don't live in a big enough with the best kind of people and you what the Jones make you feel content with way, nothing pros would discontent like the amount of bills. We all use money to buy things we didn't need to impress people. We didn't know that this contentment because the media and the Joneses have said you got habit about a habit you needed to do that now. So you discontent because God has children who would discontent at rest percent to seven says God makes poor and rich and contentment has to be learned.

Philippians 411 to 13 Paul says I've learned to be content. Learn pulse as well be content is that God would let me take some time not doing good sometime got badly made and God let me go down to teach me to rest in him.

So contentment. Not always, but by having it all to be okay. Remind me of the story of the businessman want to get away from the hustle and bustle. He just needed to be by himself to get some rest and flew to Mexico I went to a little Mexican town far away you know from all the high-tech stuff when I walked on the beach to relax a bit. Came across this Mexican fisherman would have the siesta right down the middle of the day struck up a conversation with Mexican Bishop said you are getting the things we do is that when you know I went on Christmas morning I caught my allotment for this, children like you just can't come back out tomorrow. She told him so you know best, McGonigal based on what you told me today if you would double your workload than what you could do is you would have a greater profit when you did not long enough you could buy additional boats. When you get that long enough then you could build your own Camry when you did not long enough.

All the other Fishman would then have to come to you when you Camry got big enough that I can connect you in New York with focal dues that would expand your market share your market share.

You can go public with your new business next and what I do is you could relax on the beach when I what I'm doing right now because we live in a world that wants to make us discontent with those verse nine would get rich fall into contention harmful desires which plunge men into verse 17 instruct those who are rich in one verse he says focal want to get rich on the verse he says tell the folks who already are rich if I would ask a short man's line from embarrassed nobody. How many folk if you want to be rich if you told the truth and shame the devil majority of the razor hand which probably go up because most people probably don't believe that are rich all good before taking down all God is not against me which is no rich not only in the verse 17 says which God richly all things to enjoy rich, rich the rich and not expect you to enjoy being rich. So God is not against you on the retching once you not only to enjoy it, but to enjoy richly because we need to determine who's rich people which usually define it because men rich against the standard of somebody who makes someone present without balance and numbers mixed drink three of rich hundred is not one person makes three enough make sex. Sex is richly moving to get in the world is not a moving target in the Bible so we don't find out who the rich folk are here today because the money issues godliness money materialism gets in the way of the person who can get in the way when you love who's rich. Is this verse eight have been covering with these we shall be content God is contentment brings great games with me and have food for our stomachs hello back covering shelter when yes we should be shelling peas call Dr. Tony Evans reminding us that godliness requires an attitude of gratitude on our part and if you like to further explore today's teaching and be sure to contact us 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. These resources are yours as I thank you gift when you contribute toward the work of the urban alternative, but the special offer ends tomorrow so make all the arrangements right away by calling our 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 or visit us online today@20of.org well as you've heard the urban alternative is celebrating 40 years of ministry this year. In a recent conversation. Dr. Evans recalled how God open doors leading to a path that would ultimately better prepare him for the work that lay ahead. Well, I was so excited about learning the Scripture setting the Scripture that I decided to go to seminary and I plan to go to Grace theological seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana. We went up there found a place to live. I had been accepted, so that was when we were going to go until a professor named Doug McIntosh asked me one day. Had I ever considered Dallas theological seminary, and I hadn't I thought it was good be too difficult to get into their even though I studied from many of the professors of DTS and some of my courses in college so he said if I pay your application fee. Would you at least apply and little bit up. I didn't expect to receive anything because it was late in my year of graduation.

So would been too late to be accepted, but when he paid and I applied they provisionally accepted me and minute consultation with my wife. It was decided that it would be better for me healthwise as well as communitywide because Winona Lake is a little small community is posted Dallas a big city urban city where I could interact more with the reality of issues of the day because I was acquainted with so many of the professors they approved my study in the reading of the books we decided to go to Dallas so in 1972. We got in our green nova drove from Atlanta to Dallas theological seminary to continue our biblical training. Dr. Tony have in reflecting on 40 years of God's faithfulness to the ministry of the urban alternative.

Some activities in life are of fleeting significance, while other pursuits can return benefits they go on and on tomorrow.

Dr. Evans will explain why practicing godliness falls into the latter perpetual rewards category. I hope you join us, the alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you