7 Traits of A Godly Believer | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from X church. We hope this message

will light up your day. Turn with me to Second Peter, Chapter one.

Okay, before I go into this, you know, I like to

explain a bit of context. Okay, you know what it's context. It's

context. Context means what background. Okay. Context is almost like fifty percent

of the message. Without proper context. You know, your paintings, your

drawings, your writings, your message has no or they lack meaning. Okay.

Context is very, very very important when you want to explain something to

someone, when you want to teach something, when you want to send a

message, you must always explain the context. You know what I mean,

right, So let me explain to you the context, because without the context,

you will read this as just a bunch of words, as a bunch

of teachings. Okay. And so first of all, the context is who

is the author Peter, isn't it? Now? Who is Peter? Now

this is a very important I'm doing going to do a teaching style. Okay,

So who is Peter. Peter is not just an apostle. He is

almost you could say the apostle. Okay, this is the leader of the

apostles okay, and he leads the church okay from Jerusalem. And then after

that they are being chased away from Jerusalem or they had to flee Jerusalem because

of persecution as well. The church, the Christian Church, began in Jerusalem,

but it further spread up north okay, up to Greece, then to

Roam, then the other parts of Turkey, and it also went the b

to the east side and to the west as well. Okay. And what

else do we know about Peter when he was writing this? Where was he?

Was he honeymooning somewhere having his school break? No, he is actually

expecting to die. Okay. Peter is actually expecting to die, and he

is actually expecting this to be his last letter. Okay. Normally, when

you read the Bible, especially towards the second half, a lot of the

letters write are written to a specific church, whether it's to the Romans,

to the Efficians, to the Corinthians, or to a person for example Timothy.

Okay. But in this one, Peter didn't address to anyone or to

any particular location. Why Because he's the leader and he's writing to all the

churches. He's writing as the leader, as overseer to all the churches.

Okay, he's writing to all the churches. He is about to die or

expire, and his writing based his writing in this letter reflects his final wishes,

his desire, and what he sees is actually what is happening to the

church and to the believers. He is sharing to them what he sees,

what is good and what is concerning. You know what I'm saying. I'm

saying, if we have a leader in Malaysia who is going to bow to

pass away and be like no, we want you to serve another term.

We want you to still lead. And if he has one letter to say

to you, because he cares so much, you will want to listen.

Okay. And so in this letter, it's a very short letter. It's

a continuation for his first letter. You will see in this letter is a

letter of warning. Okay. He didn't say well done, well done,

well done. He did say like, you know, you know you guys

were faithful. But ninety percent of the letter was a warning. Okay,

this is known from a guy who is overseeing all the churches. It's a

warning for all the churches and all the believers to be very careful about false

teaching. Okay, and he sees this as the main threat. Okay,

The biggest threat to the church, for all of us, for you and

your believer, for every church and all the world, does not come from

the outside, but comes from the insight, the same one I'm saying.

The biggest threat will always come from the inside. Okay, and it is

that's the hardest, that's the most painful. Instead of an explosion, you

call it an implosion. Okay. So there are three main concerns that Peter

addresses get in his final letter to the All, to all the believers,

and to all the churches. Three main false teaching. There is very disturbing.

There is affecting a lot of believers, and there is also drawing a

lot of people away from the faith as well. I'm going to give it

to you so that when you read through that letter, you will understand.

Oh, that's why he says this, That's why he says this, That's

why he is so stern, that's why he used this word. Okay.

So the first problem that he was facing with all with a lot of churches

was there there were people, okay, there were believers who were having small

private groups in the churches apart from the church. You know what I'm saying.

Have you been to a company or been to a classroom? Because I'm

saying classroom because some of you are students. Here, you're going into a

classroom. You know there is the class, but yet somehow, you know,

there's a sense there is a group of people who are in their own

group, but not part of the class. Oh, it sounds familiar.

A group in the classroom but not part of the classroom. Have you've been

to a workplace? Okay, everybody is under employed by the same company in

the company building, but in your own group, but not part of the

company. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, right. A group

is we call it like a splinter cell, a cell that has gone in

a rogue. You know, you know, a team that has gone rogue

means they're deviated from the original. Okay, so sometimes you know, I

don't know what there's a chemist anything biology, there's a thing called splinter cell

as well. You know your your cell doesn't work. You know, some

form of cancer as well. So it's basically, uh, they were having

your church as were having groups. Okay, unofficial groups happening in the churches

without the pastors or the elders supervision and consent. And what they were doing

was that they were having a lot of discussion, a lot of talk and

influence. Okay, okay, And these people a lot some of these people

are very powerful, very rich. Some of them are Romans, some of

them are Greek, some of them are Jewish people. And what do I

mean by then, Because when you are in a group, in a class,

or in a society, you tend to gravitate towards certain people. Oh

you come from us, you must be very knowledgeable. I like to be

associated with you. Oh you come from Australia, from the landown under.

Okay, this is very bad. Okay, you know what I'm getting it.

I like to associate you. Oh you're from Japan, konnichiwa. Can

I go and join you as well? So certain groups has certain branding,

certain identity. Some people who say that I'm from the Greek or I follow

this particular philosopher. Were we are Romans, We're from the elite group.

Oh we're from the origin. We are the Jews from originally from Jerusalem.

We never associated our blood with other people, Okay. And so they start

to claim that we have pure teaching, we have enlightened teaching, we have

better understanding. And then some groups to say, oh, we don't follow

Peter, we follow a Poule. Oh we follow Matthew, we follow Apollos.

Oh we actually seen Jesus before, we follow Jesus. Okay, So

people were having so many groups here and start to what these associate themselves.

They start to form their own band, their own group. They don't have

to talk about in church. Are happening in society? Really? Isn't it

makes sense? Or not? Wow, we're so quiet, it's so real.

Right, this is what sin? Does you know why I sin?

It's human corruption. Humans are so easily corrupted. We are we like to

corrupt, and we are easily corrupted, isn't it We're so sinful even in

society we see that, and it's the church is not being spared as well.

The religion of Christianity is pure, but the people is weak. Get

me in right, that is why we continue needing discipleship. We are sheep

that need a shepherd as well. Give me right, That's why we still

continue to come into the church. We submit to the world. You gave

me right. The word sanctifies us. The word purifies us, not on

our own intellect, not on our own understanding. Okay. So the church

was having this huge problem, okay, And because of that, some sales,

some groups when even further away, and they start to come with some

funny teachings. And one of the funny teachings was that they were saying,

hey, how would you know that what Peter says and what Paul says or

this apostle says, are they all true? Then they start to think that,

hey, we believe that the apostle made all this up. The resurrection,

Jesus dying on the cross, was Jesus even born? Was Jesus even

Jew no him? And so they were saying, and now this is very

important. Why they say this, because when they ask these questions, most

of the apostles were still alive. Ah, if they're dead reading you can

talk about your one, they still want to verify in it. But most

of them were still alive. And even the witnesses were still alive. So

you can actually call robber rate the evidences. That's very important. You came

in right. And so Peter was the junction where he has to stand trial

and bear witness, not just to himself, but what he and the apostles

saw, Okay about Jesus as well. So they had to really affirm the

faith and the believer to everyone. Okay, so the first thing, the

first concert, the first thing that people always said, you all made this

up. And this will not be the only generation of people and the world.

They will continue to accuse the faith like that you all made this one

generation, second generation until into this world there will always be another generation of

people who will say that you all made this up. You know, the

natural cannot prove the supernatural. You know, I mean right, the natural

cannot prove the supernatural. It's something that goes beyond. Christianity is not a

natural faith. It is a supernatural faith. Your conversion, you're understanding that.

Wow, when you open your eyes, there is a reality of God.

It's not a natural thing. It's not because suddenly you graduated from Nottingham.

Okay, it doesn't work that way. One. It is the work

of God. You on your own cannot reach God. God reached down and

touched you. That's why you believe. It is the work and the grace

of God. Not because I'm smarter. You're smarter. I'm holier, you're

holier. I'm more righteous, you're more righteous. None of that we are

say purely by the grace and mercy of God. Understand that. So because

so that I cannot boast, you cannot boast, No one can boast about

it. Okay, it is purely by the work of God. Everybody else

understandings of our Okay, I took up communication skills. Okay, I'm trying

to speak slower. Okay. So the first key false teaching or being spread

out one was that the apostles made it up. So Peter and Peter,

as the lead apostle, was having to strive with this thing, and so

in his letter he would address this main message why this is not. The

second thing okay that they were dealing with was the believers. Okay, what

we call they believe there will not be a judgment. Okay, they don't

believe in judgment. They don't believe there will be a reckoning. Why because

they say, Jesus died for our sins, okay, and paid for all

my sins. And he has paid for all my sins. I am free.

If I am free, I can do anything I want. Whatever I

do will not be of any consequences, do you get me? And so

they go about doing anything even outside the church and inside the church, stealing,

you know, a cheating commun think a doubt true as well. So

they leave whatever they want. Okay. So one of the big things they

were doing was that they were they were they were having small groups, having

teachings, and they were charging people money. Wow, it was very common.

Will you look in this world right now? How do you see very

common as well? If you believe, maybe you can put ten thousand dollars

in my bank. Do we say that the church that have not sometimes corruption?

Yes, there are. That's why the Bible says that judgment begins in

the house of God. Wow? Or do you know what Judgment begins in

the house Oh God, God will clean the house. It happens God,

that's don't like it. Jesus came and you chase them out. Judgment comes

into the house of God first. So what does it mean you us believe

us when you see these two things. Don't get discouraged just because because you

see something, Hey, you should not be here, but it is there.

But the second thing is there. Don't get discouraged. The second thing

don't get influenced by it. Get me right. You can be in it,

but not off this corruption. You get me right. It's very very

important. That is why you gotta grow. That's why you're gonna know the

word. You're right, That's why you gotta be sensitive to tune in to

the Word of God, so that you know. Sometimes in the church,

we may talk to a guy who say the right thing, use the same

language. Okay, they have the same term and vocabulary. I say hallelujah,

he says hallelujah. I say praise the Lord. He would say praise

the Lord. He said, I believe in Jesus. He would say believe

in Jesus. They have the same term, same bolk cap, but they

have a different dictionary. Okay, same term, same vocal phrases, but

different meaning. Understand now, so you must understand what does he really mean?

All? That's what does Oh? No, does he really believe in

that? I don't just see the behavior. I look at what you really

do, what you really believe in? Okay, that's very very important.

Okay, so I recap again the first one. They don't believe that,

They don't believe the whole thing about Jesus. They believe that it's fiction,

it's all made up. Second thing, they don't believe in judgment. I

can do whatever I want and leave whatever I want with no reckoning. And

the third thing, oh, okay, and the third thing, okay,

is that they don't believe that Jesus is coming back. They said, Jesus,

he's not coming back. He said, hey, Apostles, you said

that Jesus is coming back very soon. I look at Jesus. He's not

here yet. No, yeah, yet, Jesus. I don't think so

long ready, I don't even think Jesus is even actually even coming back.

If Jesus is not coming back, I think I would just leave my best

life and do whatever that I want. You get me in, right.

That type of the power of thinking is very, very dangerous. Now,

these three key teachings, what is the apostle Peter is trying to address.

Now let me go into the first verse. Okay, you won't be I'm

already about halfway with you. Of course, it's quite serious. I'm going

to read from verse one all the way to verse m eleven. Okay,

Now, verse one says, yeah, Simon Peter a born servant and a

parcel of Jesus Christ. The word born servant is actually almost to a slave.

Okay, but we think of slave, we think of someone in chains,

dragging falling after a horse. No, okay, at that time,

the slaves, they were actually levels to it. They're like employees. Okay,

at that time. When you go when you are not a Roman citizen

and you work in Rome, you actually are called a bond servant, means

you actually are a slave. But you can work out for your salvation.

One. There's a term in fact, if you work so well and if

your master likes you very much, he can even adopt you as a son.

Did you know that? So a lot of slaves or bond servants,

they actually don't I don't want to live, I want to be under you

as well. So that is the term that they actually use. Okay to

those okay, to those who obtain light precious faith with us, okay,

by the righteousness of our God and savior, Jesus Christ. Now what do

you say we have obtained or is the word earned? The word is obtain

freely given to us. We did not earn it. We obtain it by

the righteousness and grace of God and he says it, Grace and peace be

multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord, as his

divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through

the knowledge of Him who caught us by glory and virtue, by which has

been given to us exceedingly and great promises that through these you may be partakers

or the Divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world.

Through last while such a long sentence, I don't know why he doesn't like

to put commas or full stops there. But let me summarize this for you.

Okay. When I study the Bible, I teach you guys, how

to read. Okay, how I share with you the tips that I learned

along the way on how to understand the scripture better. If you read one

direction and you don't understand it, read the reverse way. Okay, read

the reverse way. Go forth and go back, go forth and go back.

How your ayn, Yeah, until it's straightening, until it's so straight

until it and it gets in your mind. So if you cannot get there,

you go to the back. Because sometimes the cause and effect and the

and the way they structure the structuring grammat grammatically might be a bit different.

So it helps to read from the and towards. Okay, so if you

read through it, okay, and what he's saying is that, okay,

the angle is why is this phraseier? Partakers of the divine nature? Okay?

So the angle is why okay? That through these you may be partakers

of the divine nature? What does that mean? If I say, for

example, Bend, I come to you, Hey, Ben, I would

like to invite you to these event It's a tree day conference. Would you

like to be part Would you like to be partakers of the divine nature?

It sounds like some MLM scheming. It's like, what such big promises and

lofty promises partakers of the divine Would you like to be part of our team

of wealthy one percent in of millionaires or billionaires? Or why? Why is

not it? This is Peter promising to ask that our goal is to be

partaking of a divine cheer. I was like, oh, you can ask

me to teach me the world that about. You're asking me how to partake,

to be a part or to take hold of a divine nature of something

that belongs to God exclusively I'm saying something that belongs to God, divine nature.

Divine means what the vine means, something that is more human, divine,

something is set apart for God. Divine means something set apart from God

or only only that is only attributed to God. Saying that, oh,

you mean that we can be like God. Our calling and our purpose in

life after beingcoming a Christian is to become like God? What does that mean?

Does that mean that I will start to float? Does that mean that

when I sleep I will have a halo in my head? What does that

mean? Does it? What does it mean to become like God? You

get me in right? What does it mean? What is that goal?

You see? Like I said, you must have contacts again? What is

Peter dealing with people? Is Peter is dealing with people who don't believe that

Jesus existed. Peter is dealing with people who is living insane, people who

Peter is living with people who don't believe that Jesus is coming back. And

he's telling these people you are focusing on the wrong thing. You are focusing

on pleasing your flesh, living your best life and indulging in it. But

actually you are safe for a glorious purpose you gave me. Right, you

are living in this, and you are living in this because your eyes are

set on the wrong goal. You missed it completely. Because when Jesus saved

you, when God save you, he called you for a glorious purpose,

to become like him. I understand what I'm saying. That's why it's a

context is important. He came in. He's not saying that what you do

is wrong. He's saying that your vision for your life. You don't understand

the purpose of your life. You're living like animals when you should become like

God. But what is it to become like God? Sounds dangerous, sounds

like sounds like a tyrantino. So this is what we're going to come out,

right, What does it mean to be like God? What is this

specific attribute about God that God wants you and nine to become like Did you

want to know that? Would you like to know? What is it that?

What is that one attribute that God wants you and I to be like?

Okay, then let's read for it on further. Okay, in verse

five, we will learn from this. Okay. Now, in verse five

it says, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence. Giving

all diligience means what giving all diligious means You make every effort like you run

one hundred meter race, saying they are for this reason. Now you know

this is not what you're called to. You are called for a divine purpose

and for this reason, for this goal. Envision that you've been said,

you need to make every effort to what to add to your faith. Now

that's fine, honey, because Peter, in your first letter you said that

we did not earn this faith. It is given by God. Yeah,

it's good, it's beautiful, it's precious, it's wonderful. But Peter say,

it is not complete yet. Oh interesting? Yeah, I mean,

like I said, what is the context. All the Christians when they got

saved, they were like, yeah, we got our ticket already, we

got our certificate, we graduated. Let's live the life however we want.

Who I'm safe ready, I'm a Christian. And then when I die,

I'm going to punch my ticket to go to heaven. Ready. Yeah.

Man, they were living like that, and there are many believers who live

like that. You yeah, mean right, But Peter say, you got

some great stuff, but it is not complete. That is why you said

add to your faith. It's not because your faith doesn't work. He said,

no, your faith, it's your ways. You know. It's like

did said, Oh, now I know the way, and now you've got

to start driving. And on that journey you will add one these seven qualities

virtue and virtue, knowledge, knowledge, self control, self control, perseverance,

persevere and godlitness, godliness, brotherly kindness. And the last one the

most important when you reach towards the end goal love and love is the final

goal that God wants you and I to partake with. The divine nature of

God is not floating in the air. It is you think about it.

When Jesus died on the cross, What do you see such a see power,

see glory? If that was your parents, that's your mom, there

was your dad, brother and your sister who paid that price to set you

free, what do you see laugh? Of all the things God could have

demonstrated to the whole entire world from end, from the beginning of men until

he could a demostram, more glory, more earth quakes, wipe the earth

wants before we flood? What else? Mona can you do? More meteors,

more power, more angels descending. No. The one thing that God

wants the earth to know, for you and I to know, is his

laugh. That's a God. If you are really show your green roal or

not, I will show you my love. And would you believe that?

That's why Christianity is so unique. It's unbelievable. All other religions is about

us trying to reach God. We do good and we build the steps we

reach God. Christianity is totally different. Is what God reaching down to us

laugh and the same way He has revealed to ask his amazing love is glorious

love. He has caught you and I to live in love and to reach

that perfection of love. That is why the hardest thing in life is to

do is to what is to love? Isn't it to forgive? Isn't it

to let go? Isn't it to bear? And to be patient? Isn't

it sometimes being stepped on? Ridicule love? That's the hardest thing. Isn't

it to forgive your parents, to love your parents, to forgive those who

offended you? Sometimes you don't understand it, you still forgive you love,

isn't it that's the power? When you love, you demonstrate God there is

the divine nature. How else can God this demonstrate love? How does God

demonstrate love? Come, Come, come, come to you at night and

rub your back and say I love you. Oh? Love is demonstrated on

the cross, sacrificial love, holding nothing back and giving it all. That's

love. Now, before we reach love, there's a sequence and this is

a very powerful thing, isn't it. I'm going to go through this sequence

then our closest. Okay, So now it says there we have this faith.

Faith means that you're not Faith is the evidence of things unsein. We

don't see God. People will say that, hey, why are you believe

in God? You're so silly. God is not all around, We're all

just it's material. Faith is the evidence of things unsin you don't see.

But yet you see when I became a believer, I tell you the moment

I opened my eyes, right, I just don't God, you are everywhere,

The reality of God is everywhere. That's so so thankful. Thank you

God for this. Thank you thinking. I see you. I see so

clearly you are everywhere. You are present, and you have been gracious.

I am here. I'm not born in America with a silver spoon, name,

nah or I'm some rich, rich billionaires kid. But I see here,

I see your grace, your strength, your portion in my life.

I'm sustained by you. It's beautiful. I see God everywhere. Now with

this faith, God says that at Peter says, at your life virtue?

What is virtue? What is virtue? Virtue means moral excellence. Write that

down, okay, Virtue means moral excellence. It's good to be having faith

to believe in God. But God says that knowing me is one thing.

But I want you to be excellent in your moral choices. Means when you

become a believer, you have strong virtue. Means that every time you always

know what is the right choice, and you always not just know you make

the right choice. Wow, makes sense or not? So two things.

Virtue is knowing what is right and doing what is right. That is a

virtue you can mean right. So you need both. Moral excellence you can

have. You can graduate from US university. You are excellent in your study.

But what does that mean when you go to work? Do they pay

you just because you have an academy or you pay you because you deliver your

job? You get me right? You can get away within the first man,

but after one you cannot get away. True or not. It's what

you know and what you consistently do. So if you are a real Christian,

you exhibit virtue. You always know what is right, and you keep

doing what is right. And there are people. That's why when Peter says

that I'm addressing these people who say they're believe in God, who say they

are Jews, who say they are Greeks or Roman or some enlightened people who

say they know the Apostles, who say they know Jesus. But are they

virtuous, they know why it's right and they do what it's right, or

are they cheating people? You get me right, it's a perfect teaching his

name. You must have virtue, more all excellence and tomorrow excellence. Knowledge.

Now what is this knowledge? He said? Oh, is this knowledge?

I can memorize scripture, I can read in tru lulu, I can

everything you come out, every come to me. I can knowledge. No,

this knowledge is a specific term. Let me let me go through with

them. I'm not sure where that is that term here anyway? Ah,

Yes, the word knowledge in Greek. It's actually the weak Greek word for

called epic gnosis. Okay. It is not the knowledge that comes from reading

studying scripture, of studying books. This knowledge is what we call us what

you call it, a knowledge that is precise and accurate. Okay, that's

precise and accurate. It is a knowledge that is able to get you from

point A to point B. Get me right, I can no care very

well. I seen care many much, But do I know how to naviget

care without ways? If I give you the name of a beauty in care

right now, and I said, hey, I give you the pictures if

I send you to you, can you are able to get from here to

care without ways? You'll all be scared? Right? I think some of

you, even from care people, you don't even know how to go right.

So it's not practical knowledge. It's a knowledge that is able to deliver.

Now, a bit more clarity, okay, I want to explain this

very carefully. Now, let me give you an example. How many of

you like mats mathematics? You're weird. I love match as well. Okay,

like match as well, great, I love maths as well. Okay,

but can you honestly tell me that every time you learn MATS right,

you can say that, hey, all these formulas, I find it very

useful in life. Oh you're all laughing right now, right you're like,

yeah, that's why I I did METS because it was very useful in my

life. When I go off apply for a job, I can tell you

my algebraic question. Can you give me a job? Right now? You

don't give you a job like that, isn't it? But why do you

still then study so hard for your mads? Why do you study maths?

Sometimes you study? You don't know how you would be useful. You still

study it makes sense or not? You don't know how. Why did you?

Sometimes you don't even understand the formula. You say, this formula is

for this question, and you apply it. You use it and it gets

you to correct. It works, but you do you don't understand why this

formula was. You don't know. I don't get it, but I know

this is you just do it on it, Correnna. And so most of

your maths exam you just do it because this is what the formula teaches.

You just do it and do it and do it and you get who one

hundred masks? Do you like METS? No? I don't like it,

but I used it. It makes sense or not. Life is a lot

that. Life is a lot like that when God teaches you virtue to know

the right choice and to make the right choice. Do you understand why does

your parents sit down here to your six or old. Hey, you make

sure when you grow up you don't take drugs. Okay, I'm going to

explain to you all the medical terms right now. Why is happening to other

The guy would under the boy would understand what they're fearing. You gotta make

sure. No, they don't want to say, but they continue avoiding drugs,

avoiding gambling, avoiding all these things. They keep doing it because they

know it's right. But do they understand. No, But they keep doing

it. But when the child grows older and they see a bit more things,

people who do drugs wipe into their lives, people who get distracted,

who get wrongly influenced, They're like, oh, now I understand. That

is what we call epicnosis, knowledge that comes into full completion when you arrive.

So what does it mean. It's the knowledge you keep doing, doing,

doing, doing, doing doing thing, and you will reach Ah.

You see, those are the knowledge and there are the most rewarding in our

lives. You know. Actually, the most rewarding knowledge aren't the ones that

we have to wait then we get it one and all. That is why

we teach people are don't just because you do, because you only do when

you understand. You will struggle with that, you know, because you only

do for you only one for knowledge to give your reward in the short term.

But the best reward, the most rewarding things in life are the long

term one. You know. Yeah, I mean right, that is the

epic noosis. That is what Peter is saying. You do what is right

and when you arrive you will get the complete knowledge. Understand. That's what

I'm saying here. Now, that's what we are trying to teach when you

do parenting, when we do parenting, we teach that to our children's Nay,

I don't have time to tell you every single thing. If I got

out, be great, because I never We're just too busy. Just avoid

this and trust me on it and when you get there. Now I understand

why my dad says. So now I understand my mom said. You will

still continue having the epiphany and epignosis all the way until the rest of your

life. Yeah, now, I understand why. My mom said it when

you're forty, when you're fifty, when you're sixty, I should I listen

to them? You know you know what I mean? Right? That is

the epignosis, and once you learn it, you will never forget it.

That's a powerful you will do. You still remember your mess equation no because

you never applied it. It never mattered to you, this epic noosis.

Because you learn it, you know why, because it took you to somewhere.

It becomes personal, it becomes to experience, it becomes part of your

belief. That is why you'll never forget it. I'm so thankful. Wow.

I avoid the gambling and that is why. Wow, I know I'm

in the situation and you will never forget it. And so much what you

would teach your don't do that. Okay, everybody getting so far. So

that's a knowledge. Then the next one is self control. Once you are

able to know that you have self control. Self control means what being too

able to hold things together? Okay, holding things together is talking about a

Greek or a Roman athlete that is able to stay off from eating like all

those unhealthy food or indulging in promiscuous activity. And because they have a goal

to become the best gladiator, the best Olympian in that time. So they

know a person who is willing to commit themselves to a discipline for a cause

or for a goal. Okay, So they are not driven either. So

the thing about self control is what you see. Self control means you know

what you are called for, you know what's right. You know that by

following this it would take me there, and your knowledge serves you there.

And you notice that. Okay, And because of that, because of your

what you call it, your virtue and your knowledge, you start to have

self control, not the other way. You know, when you know what

it is right, you know how the knowledge, you will have self control,

self control without true nor ledgure. It's only temporarily discipline one and all.

You get me right, You don't have a real reason. When times

are hard, when the world is now very tempting, you will give it

up. You know why, because you will look at your discipline and say

that the price is too heavy to pay. It's a very common saying.

I always find it very valuable say something when the vision is not clear.

The price is always too heavy. Okay, someone taught me this before.

Okay, it's very important when you always when you teach someone, when you're

teaching a group of people, when you're either no or you're speaking nor trying

to advise someone, your brother, your sister, your parents. You talk

to them so much and then they're like, you know, they look at

their face and AH, don't know. Maybe I'll give you a try.

You know what's happening. The vision is not clear for them? O clear?

Can you make that vision clearer for them? No? Vision is not

all because of you, It is them also, them choosing You can give

them. I can put a nice window there, but they are responsible for

the blinds. You know, whether they choose to open it or not.

You look out there, it's beautiful, the sun is completely there. But

whether they choose to look at it, it's up to their own blind and

what will cause them to open the blind their life experiences the gem in right.

People only change for two reasons, to succeed and to survive. That

is why you see people they won't change their diet, but suddenly when they

get cancer or they get high cholesterol, they immediately change. You know why

survival success. I need to succeed. I need to survive change. You

can send rock or no wherever pastor come and teach you. Whoever trainer come

and tell you. They won't do it, man, because it doesn't touch

their sense of survival and sense of success. Yeah. Man, right,

So self control, so knowledge, okay, virtue knowledge, self control from

self control, perseverance. See when you start to having perseverance, when you

start to have self control, right, you are willing to endure. You're

willing to endure, You're willing to hang in there. It's like just hanging

there because I trust. Sometimes you're like, oh, why do I wake

up in the morning and go to jib? Why do I start to this

thing? But you still do it? You know why? Because something is

greater than your feeling, something greater is than your flesh. You have your

self control, You have the knowledge, and you have the virtue guiding you.

Okay, that's why it's so important. You said why people? Why

why some people are not able to hang in there? Why some people are

not able to just endure a bit, a bit, a bit longer?

Then you ask yourself in their lifetime, have they actually committed themselves to any

disciplines? Have they committed to except to themselves to really reaping a reward that

took something very long. If they're all their life is just instant, instant,

instant, instant, instant, and they're nothing that requires self control.

When you're asking to hold on believe a bit, they won't because they've never

been true that process. So God is very fully away of how we grow

as well. You know what I'm saying. So if there are times in

your life they're caused for you to be patient, learn to be patient.

If you are not able to be patient, you will find it very hard

to endure. You kind of keep doing the things that had been proven to

be true and faithful. The stand on. It's very very very important.

Okay. That is why the disciples until now they're able to endure hardship enough.

Some people say, oh I want to go to missions right now.

I'm not saying it's bad, okay, I'm just saying, maybe take small

steps. Gave me right, take small steps okay, Okay, you can't

allow God to say work on you, to develop you into into to become

foody and properly mature. Then then from perseverance you will understand you will get

godliness. Now, what is godliness? Godliness? What is it? What

is a person who is godly? Who is when you see a person who

is godly? What? What do you see? A person who knows a

lot of scripture? No, a person who is godly means you know that

this person is right with God. It's not he's living in the mountains and

they're not sitting under the waterfall and meditating. You know, he may be

right in the right posture, right with God. I don't know that you

know. But godliness means right with God. What does right we've got me?

In? Then? I keep asking you degaling deep, but what does

right we got mean? Then? In line, if my son is here

and it's and they said that my son is right with me, he does

right by me, what does it mean? Yes? But one more,

one very important word that we all seek for. We are approve by God.

When you are godly means everything you do God approves. That's why all

of us are looking for approval. You know. Did you know that we

look for approval from our parents, from our bosses. You know why?

Because we want to be right enough some people want and more importantly, we

want to be right with God. One when you when you die or when

you're gonna die, the one thing that you'll be asking, am I right

with God? That's God approve. A lot of people are looking at and

seeking that one and once your life, you'll live your life. It's not

about what the world offers, right. He say, Hey, maybe there's

a can't want to buy. But the godly person will say, sounds good,

But what is godly? Is it godly or not? God says that

you can do that? Will I approve it? Probably not? But I

stop you. Probably not. You want my opinion, I will say,

okay, give you an opinion. When we want God's opinion? What do

we mean by that? It means God, I acknowledge you. Trust in

the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding in

all your ways, actnowledge Him. When you want to believe by right by

God, you always acknowledge him. He said, God, I can do

a lot of things, but I acknowledge you God. What do you say

that? It's a godly man? A godly man acknowledge there is God.

A godly man knows that all he desires is the approval of God. That's

why the Bible says, sick if us the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be added onto you. You get the approval

wins you. Once you get the approval of God, everything else it doesn't

seem to matter. Somewhere beautiful, isn't it. We see when I say

these things that we kind of feel. You understand it. You know why

because in our society, in our life, in our day laf we get

there, you know, on a family level, on a society level.

But all this is connecting us with God. In all we want to be

approved by God. One. We will want to be godly one. Okay,

And once you learn to be approve by God, you leave to fear

God. Fear God means that God, you are everywhere. I want.

I acknowledge you everywhere. When I'm on my own in my room and no

one saying you are there, knowledge you. There's the fear of God in

your life. Once you when that happens, what would you produce? You

will produce brotherly kindness? How does godliness produced brotherly kindness? You see?

I told you right. The hardest thing God wants us to do is to

love His Name's loving people easy. It's hard, but you continue to love

people regardless. Was it easy for Jesus to love the people that he met,

people who will lie, bears for bear false witness Some of his own

family don't even believe him in all his disciples don't even believe him in all?

Was it easy to love them, to die for them, to suit

you? Sometimes, you know, to trust in them? Sometimes you call

them, why are you still so? You know? Why are you still

still cannot understand it? It's not easy. But once you live in the

fear of God, all your design is to be a proof You would and

you will love people the way you should be, not base own feelings,

not based on circumstances, but by the righteousness of God. I love you

even I don't feel like it, because it is what God will desire.

I will forgive even though you have hurt me, not because I feel like

it, not because I need to teach you a lesson or something, but

because it is right by God. I will still reconcile with my wife or

with my husband, even though I don't feel like it because that person hurts

me so much, because it is the right thing by God. You know

what I'm saying, and you go. You got into that level, not

just by coincidence, because you have hurt you, you have knowledge, self

contract PERSI all the way there. God, Oh I desire. I might

not feel it, but I just want to do right by you. And

I said to God, the outcome is not just based on the environment.

The outcome is based on your grace. I've seen enough grace in my life.

I know if I just do what is right by you, you will

reward me. Ye mean right. And the last one is laugh. When

you do all this, you're finally arrived at that goal where all the people

are still lying and cheating, thinking, living, thinking there will be no

consequences, living their life, you know, corrupted by the world. And

God says that when you do all these things, you finally achieve what I

call you to do. You are becoming like me. Amen. We hope

you've been blessed by this message. For more information on our church, please

visit x Church to RG. We are also active on Facebook and Instagram.

We're believing that this week is going to be a good week, a hit

for you. God bless