Title: God Wants More (2 Timothy 3:5)
Contents
which day of the week
“Brother, you must become a soldier of God.”
Then the young man answered, "Pastor, I am already a soldier of God."
"Yes? But why can't I see well?"
And the young man's answer was a masterpiece. "Because I'm a special forces secret agent!" he said.
I hope you don't live a life of faith like a secret agent in the special forces. God wants "more than that." Amen
Today's sermon is titled "God Wants More Than That".
You may remember that a company called a drink name "When 2% is insufficient", put this phrase in an advertisement copy to promote it, and used famous people as CF models to advertise a video. I think this is a great advertising copy and marketing strategy made by listening carefully to the physical desires and emotional and psychological states of human beings. No matter what beverage you drink, your thirst will not be quenched 100%. It is the human body, soul, and mind that always feels that 2% is lacking. It is advertised as a drink that solves this problem.
Those who believe in Jesus can only do things that even those who do not know God can do enough, and if they are satisfied with them, they will not be able to erase the feeling that they are lacking. If 2% is not enough, you still need to drink something more to feel better. What is that 2% lacking? That is the authority and power of the children of God.
In today's text, the words "form of godliness" and "power of godliness" appear. The Greek word for shape is used only twice in the New Testament in Timothy and in Romans. In Romans, it is translated as scale. It may mean that the word is not that important. On the other hand, the word power is used 115 times in the New Testament, mostly to express the power of Christ or the power of God. This frequent use also means that there is nothing more important in Christians and in the church.
Unfortunately, however, it is a fact that the modern church and its members are experiencing a phenomenon in which only the shape is important and the ability is insignificant.
A form of godliness is called a Christian and is considered to be a Christian, baptized and professed. It can be said that the outward appearance of the divine yang in this way is the shape of godliness. It is a pretense of faith. On the other hand, the power of godliness means that Jesus Christ lives in him, and the power of Jesus Christ is manifested. Where there is the appearance of health, there must be the power of godliness. Only then can you become a Christian that is not lacking and become a saint.
I wish I had the power of godliness. I wish I had the power of godliness in my life and in my ministry. I hope that all the castles in our Hankwang Church will overflow with the power of godliness. Every subject of my prayers these days, every priority, hangs here. What would you do with a shape? What God wants is the power of godliness.
There are too many people who deny the power of godliness, even though the form of godliness may be plausible. The power of godliness should follow the form of godliness. The form of godliness is very different from the power of godliness. Even if you have a form of godliness, there may be cases where you lack power at all. Religion that speaks and does not act is vain religion. Self-deceitful godliness is vain godliness. It has only shape and no power. It is forcibly maintaining its shape, but it does not have the power of godliness that it should have.
Even if we who believe have a good form of godliness, perhaps we will not be criticized by the world that cannot recognize it, but we may even be praised and recognized as decent people. But God knows. And you know it well. I know that 2% is always insufficient to live a life of faith with only the appearance of godliness. That is why I am very thirsty, thirsty, and anxious even though I am working hard in my life of faith. There is no peace, no joy.
That's why we Jesus believers shouldn't be satisfied just by hearing the world say, "That person is a good person." This is because there is an unresolved thirst in his heart and inner man that he lacks something.
The part that we often miss, the part that we overlook and neglect in our life of faith and church life, is the form of godliness, “the part that goes beyond it,” that is, to become the power of godliness. I hope that the point of your life of faith should be aligned with the power of godliness.
You should not become a person with only outward appearances, but a person with abilities. You should not be a normal person, but a person with a full stomach.
The church shouldn't be seen as just a decent group, just a decent group of people who believe in Jesus. This can lead to very dangerous situations. Then the world will be wounded by disease and pain, and eventually lead to hell.
In fact, there can be any number of people in the world outside the church who are just decent enough in our eyes. There are plenty of groups and groups in this world that are just decent. The problem, however, is not that the world is saved and people are saved by just a decent enough person or group.
What's missing from a person or group that's just decent enough? There is no “power of the gospel of Jesus Christ”. It lacks the triumph of Jesus Christ on the cross and the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. The other Comforter Jesus promised, There is no power of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 19, the seven sons of priest Sceva, who tried to oppose the devil with only the appearance of godliness without the power of godliness, were K.O.
Believers in Jesus need more than compassion, kindness, and character. You should not stay in the image of just a decent person, just a person who let go.
A person who has the power of prayer. I hope to hear that you are a person with spiritual authority and spiritual power.
All believers must be respected and praised, but at the same time, we must not forget that we must be more than that. Because even if you are respected and praised, if you say that you feel thirsty for lack of soul, you are deceiving yourself even though it looks good to others.
“More than that,” it is a gift and power from the Holy Spirit. When there is that power, there are conversions, healings, restored marriages, restored families, resolved addiction problems, and the history of liberation of demon-possessed people.
The threefold salvation of spirit, soul, and body will take place.
How is the power of godliness acquired?
"Practice to attain godliness. Physical exercise is of little benefit, but godliness is beneficial for all things, having promise in this life and in the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). Also, 2 Timothy 2 says that Christians are like soldiers. The only way to become a good soldier is to endure hardships and practice and train a lot. So, isn't it said that a drop of sweat in training is equivalent to a drop of blood in wartime? The secret to becoming a godly and holy saint and the secret to overcoming the devil, overcoming sin, and winning are not without practice.
The power of godliness is to practice prayerfully. Prayer has the power to lead to godliness. God promises to give to those who ask, and to those who seek, to find, and to those who knock, the door will be opened. Numerous people of God have solved the problems of their lives through prayer. Thousands of people are living their lives testifying to the power of prayer. There is power in prayer. You can get it if you pray. Pray and you will find it. If you pray, you can open any door in the world. There is God's power in prayer.
The training of godliness is through the Word. There is power in the word. The Word of God is alive and has momentum. It has the power to split the marrow of a person's heart.
Living according to the Word is sometimes difficult and difficult, but if you live by the Word, all life's problems will eventually be solved. The great power of God is in His Word. If you want to experience the power of God, stick to the Word. I hope that you will always be near, read, listen, memorize, meditate, and study the Word of God. I believe that the power of God who created the heavens and the earth will be with you when you realize the word of God and are moved by it, and when you live a life that puts it into practice.
The training of godliness is through singing.
When we talk about the power of godliness, we cannot leave out hymns. There is power in singing. It is impossible to talk about the power of godliness without mentioning hymns. I hope that you will be able to long for the hot and gracious praise. God is a God who dwells in praise.
In this age we live in, we need to be careful. We must be on the lookout for faith that has the form of godliness but has lost the power of godliness. We must not lead a life of faith that has the external appearance but is hollow on the inside. Now, I pray in the name of the Lord that you can become saints with the power of godliness rather than those who have only plausible appearances.
Let's go deeper into prayer. Let's go a little deeper. You enter a deeper hymn. Let us not only have the form of godliness but experience the power of godliness. So let's experience God's power in His presence. So let's not be members of the church who have only the appearance of godliness, but let's be blessed Christians who possess the power of godliness.