
Sunday, June 4, 2023 AM
RETURN TO HOLINESS: Sin of Ungodliness
Mike Teel, Pastor
FOCAL PASSAGE:
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the 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 wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. 15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. —Titus 2:11-16
RECOGNIZE THE
OF JESUS IN OUR DAILY LIVES
13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” —James 4:13-15
1. FAILURE TO
GOD
–The sad fact is that many of us who are believers tend to live our daily lives with little or no thought of God.
–We may read our Bibles and pray for a few minutes at the beginning of each day, but then go out into the day’s activities and basically live as though God doesn’t exist.
–We seldom think of our dependence on God or our responsibility to Him.
–James did not condemn these people for making plans or even planning to set up a business and make a profit.
–What he condemns is their planning that does not acknowledge their dependence on God.
2. FAILURE TO BE
TO GOD
–Unfortunately, we also seldom think of our accountability to God and our responsibility to live according to His moral will as revealed to us in Scripture.
–It’s not that we are living obviously sinful lives; it’s just that we seldom think about the will of God and have become content to avoid obvious sins.
–Paul wanted his hearers to be full of the knowledge of God’s will.
–Not that every moment of every day would be spent thinking about Jesus, but that He would preeminent in your life and everything you endeavored to do would have been bathed in prayer and you have a definite answer from God to continue on.
3. FAILURE TO
THE WILL OF GOD
–Many of you would ask “How can I know the will of God?”
–You will never know or understand the Will of God unless you spend time in God’s Word and in prayer and allow the Spirit of God to direct your paths.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:26-28
–Sometimes God says, “YES”, sometimes He says, “NO” and sometimes He says, “WAIT” and sometimes He says, “I HAVEN’T CHANGED MY MIND, KEEP GOING UNTIL I SAY CHANGE.”
LIVE TO BE
TO GOD
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. —Colossians 3:22-24
–Paul indicates all of life is to be lived out in the presence of God with an eye to pleasing Him.
–His admonition to “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (verse 23 above) provides us with a principle by which we are to seek to live godly lives in the context of our vocation or professions.
I Corinthians 10:31 again reminds us of the goal we should strive for:
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. —I Corinthians 10:31
–So, what does it mean that everything we do is to be done for the glory of God?
1.
GOD IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES
–It means that I eat and drive and shop and engage in my social relationships with a twofold goal:
A) I desire all that I do be pleasing to God.
B) I desire that my activities will honor God before other people.
2. DEVELOP A TRUE INTIMATE
WITH CHRIST
–Another sign of ungodliness is the way we fail to seek to have that intimate personal relationship with Christ.
–This week’s study in Philippians 3:10
10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, —Philippians 3:10
–Most of us put meager effort into having a true intimate relationship with Christ.
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. —I Corinthians 6:19-20
–You see if you have truly been Born Again, if you have experienced a true salvation experience and understand Jesus died for your sins, then I don’t think you would really behave this way.
–It is so unfortunate that we are so uncommitted to the things of God.
WHY WE
SIN IN OUR LIVES
41 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. —Matthew 26:41
–I think it is easy for us to now understand why we are willing to tolerate certain sins in our lives.
–If you are not constantly being exposed to God and His Word, it becomes an easy thing for sin to creep in and establish a strong hold.
1. HOW CAN WE BEGIN TO
OUR LIVES?
–First, spend time in God’s Word and in Prayer.
–Ask God to reveal the tolerated sins in our lives.
–Take steps to eradicate those tolerated sins. Don’t be surprised if you are not in store for quite a battle.
4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. —II Corinthians 10:4-6
–Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and stop depending upon the ability of the flesh or our carnal nature.
2. LEARN TO
SIN FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS
–Again, we become desensitized if we are not walking Godly lives.
–Jesus’ illustration at the temple Mark 11:15-17
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” —Mark 11:15-17
–Be careful not to become religious but Spiritual!
LIVE IT OUT
–Where would you say on a spectrum of godliness to ungodliness is your life?
–What things have you become tolerant of in your life?
–What steps will you take to move closer to a godly life this morning?