How to Live in a Changing World (Pt 5 notes)
Pastor Stan Roberts
Pathway Steps:
1. FAITH
2. VIRTUE
3. KNOWLEDGE
4. TEMPERANCE (SELF CONTROL)
5. PATIENCE
6. GODLINESS
7. BROTHERLY KINDNESS
8. CHARITY (LOVE)
Colossians 2:8-10 KJV
“8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:”
Amplified – “8 See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding the teachings of Christ the Messiah.”
The first few steps take us from being SELF CENTERED to being CHRIST-LIKE in our BEHAVIOR!
Each step is a TRANSFORMING STEP.
PATIENCE – bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint; manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain; not hasty or impetuous; steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity.
MATURITY is a patient forebearing person under pressure.
FRUIT can’t be born in your life without Patience!
You can do all the RIGHT STUFF up to a POINT and STILL MISS THE CROP!
James 5:7-8 NIV
7 Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
GODLINESS – Having, showing, or expressing reverence for a diety; spiritually whole or sound, of unimpared innocense and virtue; free from sinful affectons, pure in heart, godly pious, irreproachable, guiltless, acceptable to God.
Godliness is an attitude of Christlikeness.
Psalms 32:6 “Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found;…” NASB
Psalms 32:6 “Now I say that each believer should confess his sins to God when he is aware of them, while there is time to be forgiven. Judgment will not touch him if he does.” TLB
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” KJV
WHY? SO WE CAN BE WHO WE ARE!
2 Timothy 3:2-5 KJV
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
There’s a STRENGTH in GODLINESS which takes us to NEW LEVELS of being like CHRIST.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 NLT
1 You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3 They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that.”
GOD can work GREATER QUALITIES in us beyond what we could ever have believed!!!
1 Timothy 3:14-4:11
“14 These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; 15 but if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness; He who was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the spirit, Seen of angels, Preached among the nations, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
4:1 But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron; 3 forbidding to marry, (and commanding) to abstain from meats, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by them that believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5 for it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer.
6 If thou put the brethren in mind of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the faith, and of the good doctrine which thou hast followed until now: 7 but refuse profane and old wives’ fables. And exercise thyself unto godliness: 8 for bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life which now is, and of that which is to come. 9 Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For to this end we labor and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of them that believe. 11 These things command and teach.” ASV
BROTHERLY KINDNESS – basically loving others and not being self centered.
Romans 12:10 “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one
another.”
1Thessalonians 4:9 “But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you; for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.“
1Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV
“Love is patient, love is kind, It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails”
Galatians 6:2-5 “Bear ye one another’s burdens (weight that takes you down), and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden (task or light load).” KJV
John 13:34-35
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” KJV
A BADGE of DISCIPLESHIP by which people would:
1. Be known as His FRIENDS and FOLLOWERS.
2. Be DISTINGUISHED from all others.
Leviticus 19:18 “Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.” KJV
It was NEW because it had never before been a DISTINGUISHING FACTOR by which any CLASS or BODY OF PEOPLE would be KNOWN…
CHRISTIANS were not to be known by:
1. Wealth, 2. Learning, 3. Fame, 4. Earthly honors, 5. Special ‘Style’ of dress,
But by:
1. By tender and constant LOVE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER!!!
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” KJV
1 John 3:16-17 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” KJV