Practicing godliness and walking along.
Titus 2:11-14
11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12: training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age
13: waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ
14: Who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Hallelujah! Today, during this time, I would like to share the topic of [Practicing Godliness and walk along] with God’s given word of Titus 2:11-14. Will you follow after me? [Practicing Godliness and walk along] Yes. Thank you.
Last May, when I shared God’s word under the title of [practicing God’s presence and daily life]. Today’s topic is the next step process of last sermon which is [Practicing Godliness and walk along]. This would be completing the 3 relay series of the topic which I planned since last year. The 3 relay series I titled is [Praising God- Worshiping – Godliness].
When we Praise God we can say this is the first attitude action getting to know God. Then when we ‘worship’ this is reaction to having a faith to God. Lastly, when our life becomes Godliness due to knowing God and having a faith in him is the content of our life.
Like this, [Praise – Worship – Godliness/ Piety], this decides attitude, reaction and contents of our faith.
When our heart attitudes of awing and praising God adds together with our reaction to worship God, we end with shape of Godliness in our life. This these processes are natural steps.
Christians begin to become Piety when ones heart’s attitude is praising God.
Christians begin to become Piety when one heart’s reaction is worshiping God.
For sure, Lord is asking us to show our attitude and reaction and contents during time to time in our daily lives. God wants to see it and seeks for it. Even at this moment in this service, God is focusing on our attitude and reaction and contents of ours.
My beloved friends.
Are you praising God at this time? We are worshiping him now, right? Then, today what are your levels of your Godliness having worshiping and praising God has combined together.
How would you score yourselves out of 100?
Even though we cannot numerically calculate our Godliness, we sure do have good feeling as to which level our spiritual Godliness. Our self is the best person who knows where my levels are standing. Godliness states our level of our religion and our ability.
Once, a very talented Pianist said this. “ When I don’t play piano for a day, myself notices the difference. When I don’t play for 4 days, professionals will notices, and when I don’t play for a week, all of my audience will know the difference.” Our levels of Godliness is known best by God and our selves.
The best compliments, a Christians can get is to be called ‘ Godliness Man’. Let bless ones near us.
‘ You look just as Godliness as I am’
Are we a person who looks Godliness in the eyes of God? Or care-free person? We know ourselves the best.
The best compliments I could get as a pastor would be not to called ‘Pastor that gives good sermons’ but to be called ‘Pastor who is Godliness’. Even though I’m giving sermons here, I would know better than anyone else here if I am Godliness or not at this moment. It is important to give Sermons with such Piety as much as contents of this sermon. Often times after I give sermons, I ask myself two questions.
Did you give out good Sermons today?
Are you confident that you can also live a life of how you gave out your sermon?
And I always lose self confidence at the 2nd question. It is important to give good sermons, but not as much as living as good as the sermons.
I often get shamed as a pastor seeing many pastors who give out good sermons but living an ungodly life. Think of how often we feel embarrassed to the world, seeing the churches that grows structurally with rapid increase in the church attendees, but fails to stay Godliness.
Now a days, we often hear sad news of churches failing to stay Godliness. Often, Churches not close to becoming attractive community amongst world, but a community that is criticized by the world. Instead of becoming a community that is incomparable to the world, it became a community that became worse than the worldly community in comparison.
This is not because God is lacking in the church. Not because Church is lacking worship. It is because Church is lacking Godliness and integrity internally. We know about God and have faith in him, but which is in the level where this faith does not challenge us in the world or any special heart towards world.
What makes us different from the world is that we are just little more Godliness than them. No, let me rephrase, we should be little bit more Godliness than the world. Let’s look back at ourselves. How much are you different from a person who doesn’t know God? We are living with the world all together but what type of Godliness do we have on ourselves?
The word [Godliness] , only were used few times in new testament but is the main topics through out the bible. Even as Apostle Paul summarizes life of Christians in a short words, his main focus content was becoming Godliness.
In the book of Apostle Paul, there are many contents of Center point of Gospel and Godliness. Apostle Paul explains what Gospel is then asks us to become living our life Godliness, as a proper to Gospel.
Today’s verse that we are sharing together at this moment is also the book written by Apostle Paul. Apostle Paul is writing to pastor Titus who is serving in Cretes, advising him to keep Godliness and stay away from false and ungodly things. Especially in this Titus, Apostle Paul is strongly advising and recommending. Apostle Paul states his reasons to write such letters in chapter1, verse1-2.
Titus1:1-2 : Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness
Here, Paul states that the reason why he became apostle of Jesus Christ is for the sake of faith of God’s elect and their Knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness. Then he continues. Continues to advice and challenging not to fall for falsely things, but challenge those and fight with Grace to keep the godliness
2: in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.
To continue on with today’s verse, what is Apostle Paul challenging in this verse?.
Titus 2:11-12
11: For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12: Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.
13: Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and savior Jesus Christ.
We I were to translate this word into easier sentences, it would mean
< Because God’s grace that gives salvation to all people are shown to us, and due to that grace, and that grace trains us, we get to refuse all the un godliness thoughts, worldly greed in our hearts. Then we live in the world by staying self-controlled, upright, and godliness while waiting for almighty God’s glory and presence of Jesus Christ.>
Here, the word ‘piously or godly’ in Hebrew is “eusebos”. This word is a combination of two word which is ‘EU’ + ‘SEBOS’. Here, ‘EU’ mean ‘WELL DONE’ and ‘SEBOS’ means ‘Praising and worshiping God’. Therefore, we can say godliness refers to ‘well doing in praising and worshiping God’.
This word again appears in 1 timothy 4:7.
1 Timothy 4:7: Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.
Bible is clearly telling us. Godliness needs training and practice. If there is a word that is most closely related to the word ‘godliness’ would be a word ‘practice’. The word ‘practice’ refers to an action of repeating same motion over and over with great patience. Through this practice, our bases are formed and through this practice our ability is shown. Once again, Bible surely states that < it is good to practice godliness.>
1 Timothy 4:8 For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
And this is why Practicing godliness is important.
There is one thing that we must focus our points to. There are 2 practices that we must perform in order to live godliness life.
First, we need to practice to stay in God’s grace so that we can reach godliness and keep on living it.
Second, we need to practice trashing the things that are keeping us from staying godliness.
Living godliness is practicing staying in God’s grace and trashing all the things that keeps me away from staying in God’s grace. Let’s say this out loud together.
Practice to stay in God’s Grace. Practice to trash Greed.
According to today’s verse, Titus verse 11-12 states, ‘Training us to renounce ungodliness’. Here the word ‘renounce’ refers to a meaning of ‘training’. This again is referring to a repetitive action of same action so that one can get used to it. God’s grace that was shown to us will keep on training us. Our godliness can only be built only when we are staying in God’s grace. Only that grace can make godliness. What is the grace that we received from God? It is the salvation that cost crucifying of Jesus Christ in cross with love and for free.
Titus 2:11 : For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people.
Grace was given to us for free. It was gift that didn’t cost any of our hard trying or labor, but only due to the God’s love and grace. Just this fact alone, is more than enough proof that we have all the condition that we need to become godliness.
While living in this world, when are we most piety? That is when we stay in the grace. When we experience grace in the words and prayers and in worships is when our godliness levels are building.
First practice is to keep on living a life staying in the Grace. I would like to say that staying in the God’s grace can also be called ‘Walking along with Jesus.’
Walking along with Jesus is experiencing him. Which means a life where we can say ‘I can feel his grace, his limitless grace’, while staying in God’s infinite love.
However, Grace does not stay as it first came. In order to stay inside the grace, we must find those that are keeping us away from Grace and trash them. Practicing of staying in grace should be continued to practicing to trash.
Titus 2:12 : Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.
Here the word ‘renounce’, instead of referring to the meaning of trashing away, it is more closely refers to Hebrew ‘아르-네오마이’ which means ‘refuse or deny.’
When we trash ungodliness and worldly passions, we can keep our self-controlled, upright, godliness in our lives. Here ‘self controlled’ is also controlling so that we wouldn’t go into the wrong path. Upright is treating others right and godliness is having a heart to worship and praise God.
We should begin a battle in our heart with ungodly things. We shouldn’t have our grace taken away by the worldly greed and passions. It should start from trashing and taking out the sins that are holding inside of our hearts first. We need to be freed from the person we were before and become a new person, staying in the God’s grace and trashing the greed.
However, we cannot do it alone to stay in the grace, nor trashing worldly things. This is only possible when we first practice living with my life, then naturally the godliness training will began. This is the Practice of godliness and walk along.
Pablo Cajals, a famous cellist practiced cello 6 hrs a day even on his 90’s. One day a reporter asked ‘isn’t it about a time that you take a break from practice?” and He answered back like this. “ I also want to stop practicing but as I practice, I get better everytime.
The reason why we cannot take a break from trying to live godliness is because our ability to walk along with Jesus deepens as times go by living in this grace.
My beloved friends, I once again challenge you.
Are we feeling more godliness than how we felt yesterday? What godliness can you say, you have? Just because we are all seating here together proves our godliness? Can the hymns that we praised together? That praise that we sang together tells us about godliness. Can you say your godly because you are here and we already hearing my sermon proves your godliness?
What is it in our life, that we can say our life is leading towards godliness. What are the investments you are making for this? Just because we are all here and listening to the sermon doesn’t prove any of your godliness. And this only is possible when we walk along with Jesus.
The time we invest to spend feeling and experiencing Jesus 24/7 365 days in our daily lives determines not it time quality for godliness quality.
Some may ask, ‘Pastor, how can one work with Jesus 24/7? Is that even possible? Are you living like that?’ and I would reply ‘ Yes. It is not easy. I always fail.” But I would continue and say “ But just because I failed today again doesn’t mean I’m not going to try tomorrow. I’m going to try focusing my consciousness to Jesus at least 1 min of my 24 hours to him. If I practice again and again, this 1 min can become 10 mins and to 30mins then 1hr.”
How can a person who is not able to run single lap in the running way be expected to run two full laps. However, if this person tries little by little increasing the distances to run every day, someday he/she will be possible to run in the marathon.
Practicing godliness is the same. We must keep on trying to fall into the godliness. Read bible and pray and feel Jesus christ, every day.
Let my thoughts and feeling flow towards Jesus. Instead of blaming busy daily lives and complaining you don’t have time to do it, we should always asks, ‘What attempt did I do in order to practice godliness. Don’t be satisfied at investing your time on your physical life, but even when your living your daily life at your best attentions, try to keep asking yourself where my godless are leveled at.
I once asked a deacon in our church who is recently gotten habit into Marathon. “Deacon, is Marathon that fun? Isn’t it hard?” then he replied, “Pastor, just start by consistently jog one round of your area. Then after a while, you’ll get little more brave and will want to run more.”
There was a time when I was skinny too. I don’t know if you know (Joke, imitating Psy) Then, I enjoyed weighing myself in the weighing machine. I controlled what I ate and exercised continually and saw how weights are going lower and lower and was so happy to see that. Well, as many of you saw, I started gaining weight little by little. I thought what caused this, and noticed that I had one change in my mind. That I didn’t enjoy stepping onto the weighing machine anymore. In fact, I started fearing weighing myself. I realized that from the point when I stopped weighing myself, I gained weight. So starting from last week, I started weighing myself again.
I can’t tell rather I’m losing weight, but one sure thing I felt every time I weighed myself is a strong urging voice telling me, “ Not like this anymore.”.
We often fail trying to lose weight. Losing weight is so hard. We have to decide and decide again and fail and try more, then fail. But this is still better than not even trying.
Like this, godliness needs our intends and trials and practice.
We have to keep trying to have QT and Pray and try to listen to God’s voice.
‘ Not like this, my son. Don’t continue having that thoughts. You cannot continue to fail and sin one more. You cannot continue living with what your feeling right now. Your too far distanced from God’s grace.” God may tell us so.
My beloved fellow members,
your godliness is not something that can be built overnight. A shape of godliness life I lived yesterday may exist, but maintaining that is even harder.
We have to keep on trying building our muscles. But to maintain the muscles, we have to try even harder. Our godliness is made out of Spiritual muscles. Through some trouble and pain, we change this to a victory with our godliness.
As more often as possible, we have to keep on weighing our life to a standard in God’s words. So to stay alert which stage my godliness is at. Then we can realize what is needed to fill the empty space.
My loving members.
It is not easy staying in God’s grace and trash all the worldly passions in our lives. But we must keep trying.
Bible refers our faith life to a race. Our faith is trained and practiced. This practicing of godliness is not a practice I do it alone. We have Jesus as our coach and we need to feel his presence in all the practice and in race to continue the journey.
I had one week vacation last week, so I had chance to travel California with my kids. I felt bad for my fellow member who didn’t get to take a break yet, but because it was precious time that was given to me from Church, I planned this trip.
It was bit pointless and adventurous trip. On the 2nd day of our trip, my wife and kids were already started complaining in the car about all the hard cord traveling plans I have made and how it is suffering them. Kids complained, “why are we putting ourselves into this trouble when we have comfortable home to enjoy? This place is uncomfortable. That place is boring. Are we there yet? How could you plan this without asking us first. Kids kept on complain.
I was thinking of mosses when citizens of Israel kept on complaining and blame him, how he kept on approaching toward the promised land with mission with passion. With such same passionate mission as mosses, I spent one week’s travel driving 160 miles all by myself and camping here and there in between. I had clear mission to guide my family throughout California in one week and I had clear purpose in mind which is to cost effectively travel than the one if we were to go with the traveling company.
SO one night, when my kid’s complaints were at its peak, I told them.
“ Kids, the most enjoyable thing during this trip is not to be able to enjoy new places here and there, but having to spending so much time with my family. It is not so important where our destination is. What is most important is who are we traveling with. Then my son answered, “ I really enjoy time I spend with you, but next time, I would like to spend our father and son time at home.”
My loving fellow members,
Who do think is the best companion of your life’s journey? Who would be most dependable to travel with? Wouldn’t it be best dependable to travel with Jesus who becomes my life’s guide planning my unknown life ahead with plans and directions? Realizing this is the grace.
Our journey of faith is practicing to spend more time with Jesus.
Our God was with the people, when Israel escaped Egypt and traveled in the land for 40 years. He patiently listened to all of their complaints and blaming? Even after that, why God allowed the time to take 40 years? This is clearly explained.
Deuteronomy 8:2 : And you shall remember the whole way that the lord your god has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart.
8:3: And he humbled you and let your hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but many lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
8:16: who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you to do you good in the end.
40 years in the in the wilderness for the Israel was the time of when other members were put down and everything to learn that how great it is to spend time with GOD. Acording to the Titus2:14 that we read today, it states
Titus 2:14: who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
What kind of grace are we in? we are those who has received amazing love,<who gave himself for us to >. He freed us from all the lawlessness and purified us so that we become his people of doing good works.
According to Hymn number 533
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught to be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;
I ever with thee and thou with me, Lord.
Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word;
When our consciousness are alive and breathing, if we can bring Jesus to our heart and stay in his Grace how more godliness that could be?
Let me end with the conclusion.
You are all familiar with the name Pastor,주기철 who has sacrificed his life for the faith. Following is the contents of his last sermon.
I am I going to face Jesus if
I hide away from Pain caused for him?
How am I going to respond back to Jesus
If I run away from Going into the prison for Jesus
And he later asks me, ‘you have enjoyed peace which my name gave you but what did you do with the glass of pain?
How am I going to respond back to Jesus
If I run away from the cross now and later he asks
What did you do with the cross I allowed you which is the only inheritance I gave?
My friends, we will eventually all be standing in front of Jesus.
Then, he’ll surely ask,” what did you do in the world before you came ? and we should be able to answer back, “ I lived a life with your presence and was godliness for you.” Then God will answer back to you,
“Yes, I know. Good work. Let us live together from now on.”
Remember that there will be no exceptions to who will standing and reviewed from God. It may be little discomfort to live godly life we must start practicing a life walking along Jesus and stay in his Grace. That is what the Godliness and practicing to walk along with Jesus ‘ is.
I bless all of you in the name of Jesus that we all will become familiar living this life for Jesus.
Benediction: 2Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
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