Series: Eight Habits Of Highly Effective Christians Sermon: Habit Number Six: Striving To Be Godly Scripture: II Peter 1:1-10 We have been studying this passage for a few weeks now and hopefully we are not only learning what spiritual habits we need to be building into our lives. I trust that we are building. That we are applying these truths to our lives. Thus far we have learned that the Highly Effective Christian.... 1) Pratices Spiritual Diligence 2) Cultivates A Passion For Virtue 3) Consentrates On Increasing Biblical Knowledge 4) Developes "Temperance" 5) Maintains Spiritual Endurance And we find in verse 6 that we are to add to "patience", "godliness." What is "godliness?" The term refers to responding to God properly with reverence and devotion. It is having a right understanding and response to Who God Is and What God Has Done. It is a desire to have our character transformed to be like the character of God. I believe the point of this, especially in light of the progression of spiritual growth that Peter gives us as we add to our faith , is simply this. The Christian life is much more that just obeying commands. It is obeying God! We will not grow much as a believer until we understand that we are not engaged in an effort to keep a set of rules, but we are involved in the relationship of relationships. We are developing a relationship with the Living God ! Let's add to our faith... "godliness", a genuine desire to please God. I believe we have a wonderful illustration of the developement of this quality in the Old Testament. Please turn with me to Isaiah 6:1-8. Note first that in verses 1-3 that... I. ISAIAH SAW THE LORD Isaiah's vision of the Lord is significant. First he saw the Lord as... 1. One Who Is Sovereign (v.1) Uzziah had been King of Judah for 52 years. His reign had been one of peace and prosperity. Sadly however, he rebelled against God, and in judgment he died a leper (II Chronicles 26). In that backdrop, with the earthly throne empty, Isaiah saw a heavenly throne and a heavenly scene exalting the King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Isaiah also saw the Lord as... 2. One Who Is Served (v.2) Above the throne of God, angelic beings identified as Seriphims render service to their master. And third, Isaiah saw the Lord as.. 3. One Who Is Sinless (v.3-4) The main ministry of the Seriphims seems to be to give continual testimony concerning the character of the Lord. Notice their testimony. They do not cry out... "Love, Love, Love...". Nor is their testimony... "True, True True..." It could have been, "Eternal, Eternal Eternal.." No the angelic testimony was, "Holy, Holy, Holy..." Why Holy? Because that is the centerpiece of God's attributes. He is Holy !!!! Isaiah, got a look at the Lord in His Holy glory. Then he tells how... II. ISAIAH SAW HIMSELF First he had an upward look. Now he takes an inward look. Only when we see the Lord as He truly is are we ready to see ourselves accurately. Note that Isaiah tells us of... 1. His Conviction (v.5) 2. His Cleansing (6-7) The altar here symbolizes for us Christ's work at the cross. Placing the coal on the lips signifies the applicaton of the cross to our lives. Then... III. ISAIAH SAW THE NEED His upward and inward look led to an ourward look. God had a mission. God had a message He wanted proclaimed. God needed a messenger and not that Isaiah said... (v.8) "Here am I send me." Like Isaiah we need to get a proper view of God. When we do our worship, our walk, and our work for the kingdom will never be the same. The key to Godliness is realizing Who God Is and What He has done. I heard about a man who had gotten into a bar room fight. As a result of the fight, a man died. This man was charged with beginning the fight and the judge was very angry that it could not be proved that he actually was responsible for murder. The judge however wanted to make sure the man paid for his crime. The judge sentenced that the man have branded into his forehead the initials of the man who had died. The initials G. M. The shamed man became a hermit. He would occassionally be seen slipping into to town to get needed supplies. Serveral years had past and an evangelist who was in town preaching a revival saw the man, asked about him, went to see him and won him to the Lord. He became a new man. He attended church and soaked up the Word of God. He began to walk with God. It was not unusual for the man to slip in and mow someones grass if they were in the hospital or to leave a prepared meal at someones door who was having some difficulties. He loved doing helpful things for others and he wanted no credit. Folks however began to realize who it was doing these good deeds. Time went on and most folds had forgotten about the trouble the man had been in years before. One day two little boys were playing when they saw the man working across the street. One of the little boys noticed the brand... G.M. He asked his friend, "Do you have any idea what that means?" He friend said, "Yea. My daddy told me that it means... God's Man!" Friend that is what godliness is all about. It's about being God's man, God's lady, God's teenager, God's boy or girl. Could you wear that brand?