Sermon Central
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The Greatest Pursuit
Contributed by Greg Bryan on Nov 16, 2004 (message contributor)
Summary: At college, you face many choices. You have to choose a major…you have to choose who you are going to hang out with as friends. You will have to make choices related to time management. You will have financial choices to make…how much money are you go
I remember my first week at college at KSU.
At college, you face many choices. You have to choose a major…you have to choose who you are going to hang out with as friends. You will have to make choices related to time management. You will have financial choices to make…how much money are you going to spend?
So many choices but I want suggest to you that the most important choices you will make are your spiritual choices. My experience at Miami is that the hardest thing for believers is not choosing between the good and bad, but the good and best.
I want to challenge you to make what I believe is the most important and ‘best’ choice…the choice to above everything else, to put your relationship with Christ first and to pursue godliness.
Godliness defined = devotion to God which results in a life that is pleasing to Him.
If you have a NT, please turn to 1 Tim. 4:7-8
Paul, after spending years investing in Timothy’s spiritual growth and co-laboring with him in ministry, writes and reminds Timothy of the importance of training oneself to be godly.
Read 1 Tim. 4:7-8
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales (false teaching); rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value (“for a little”), but godliness has value for all things (“eternity”), holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”
Paul says “train yourself “
The word train could also be translated: exercise or discipline…the kind that athletes do to prepare for competitive games. Paul is thinking of Greek Athletes, for us it’s professional athletes or Olympic athletes.
This is where we get the word gymnasium (greek= gymnaze) – the perfect training environment – Like Miami’s Rec Center
What Does it Take to Pursue Godliness?
1. FIRST, IT TAKES A COMMITMENT
A commitment to your own personal spiritual growth.
There are three types of Christians on this campus.
1. Confused Christian – students that think they are believers but are not (Mt. 7:21-23)
2. Casual Christian – true believers who have lost their first love (1 Cor. 3:1-3; Rev. 2:4)
3. Contagious Christian –Christ-centered believer who is committed to Christ and is seeking to live a life pleasing to Him. (Phil. 3:7-10)
A commitment to live a Christ-centered life!
Daws developed an illus. of what this looks like: The Wheel
--pictures of the Christian life (our priorities)
Christ the center
Prayer – talking to God, worship, praise, listening to God
Word – God has given us His Word to tell us who He is, what He is like, how much He loves us, how we can know Him, and to show us how to live.
A commitment to live your life based on God’s Word!
Q – Is the Bible good for your life or is it absolutely necessary? How does your life answer that question?
ILL- New Computer Gadget- couldn’t get it to work because I ignored the instruction manual…how often do we neglect God’s Word?
We need to get a grasp on God’s hand…The Hand ILL
Hear it! 10% Read it! 30-50% Study it! 70-90%
Memorize it! 100% Meditate on it! (fm minds to hearts) 110%
2. SECONDLY, IT TAKES A COACH.
God has given us the playbook (The Word) and He has given us the HOLY SPIRIT as a Coach for us (Jn.16:13; 2Tim.3:16)
But God also uses PEOPLE (2 Tim. 2:2)
Timothy had Paul (1 Tim. 1:2)
We all need a Paul in our lives. (1 Thes. 2:8) (B.S. Leader)
One of the roles of our Bible study leaders is to be a
coach to encourage you spiritually.
We need a Barnabus as well (someone to encourage us
along the way) (Acts 11:23)
We all can find and help a Timothy too (someone to invest in)
3. THIRDLY, IT TAKES A COMMUNITY
A community of people pursuing Christ together! (NAVS)
There is no such thing as a LONE-star Christian (Heb10:24)
Be careful not to OD on fellowship! Christian Sub-Culture.
Beware of the “holy huddle” stay in the dorms! Reach lost!
Would you pray about whether or not God would have you commit yourself to this community of believers? (Navs)
The greatest pursuit is godliness…what does it take? It takes a COMMITMENT to your own personal spiritual growth, a COACH to help you deepen your passion for Christ, and a COMMUNITY to pursue Christ with. What is going to be your greatest pursuit?
