ST TIMOTHY'S CHURCH - SERMON NOTES + GROUP NOTES
DATE
07/12/14
SUBJECT (also at StTims.org.uk)
What is a godly Christian, prepared to meet with God?
TEXTS
2 Peter 3
To cut the story short, this passage reminds us that when the Lord will return, and we will have to give an account
to him of our lives, and how we have used our lives…
Important to be ready for that day whenever it comes. I gather that ladies who are coming towards the end of their
pregnancy tend to have an overnight bag packed and ready, so that when they go into labour, and have to go to
the maternity ward, that they can simply grab the bag and rushed to the hospital at a moments notice. They are
ready and waiting for the big day!
For us waiting for the Lord return is a little bit more difficult to keep in mind! In fact Peter was writing to a church
where people had begun to doubt that he was ever going to return, and were slipping back into the old ways.
Peter writes this letter partly to insist that even if the Lord has delayed in returning, it is simply because he is
being patient. And that they should keep alert and ready anyway!
Here we are, 2000 years later and the Lord still has not come back! We don’t know when he will, but one thing we
do know is that we will each have our own personal second coming of Christ in a relatively short time when we
die and leave this earth.. For some of us this may be a very long way off, but for others of us it may be just round
the corner. We have only to think of Paul and Julia Connelly, to think of how suddenly the reality of our going to
meet with God can be.
So even though sometimes we bury our heads in the sand, the reality is that one day sooner or later we are going
to have to give an account of our lives to God…
The question is are we ready!?
How should we be ready? What should our lives be like? In chapter 3 verse 11 Peter asks that very question:
since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and
godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed his coming.
That sounds great, that we should live godly lives, but what does a godly life look like, what does it mean to be
godly?
Talk amongst yourselves. And then shout out ideas to me.
Is that the whole story? Is that the truth? Is that what living a godly life means?
Let’s use a little illustration…
The story of the three drivers.
They all drive Ford Mondeo estate cars.
Driver one. Jo. A bit of a jack-the Lad! Doesn’t bother about tax and insurance for his car, nor even an MOT! He’s
been banned from driving, because of a drink drive conviction, but nevertheless he is not bothered, he gets out of
drives anyway. He doesn’t bother keeping to speed limits or any of the other rules of the road, and certainly like a
bit of a drink before going out. He really enjoys having a race with other drivers, and will often use Sheffield roads
as a race track, risking the lives of other road users
Driver two. Alex. Law-abiding, knows the “Highway Code” well – some of it off by heart, and keeps her car in
perfect condition. Loves the car, and often thinks about what to do with the car over the weekend. Go for a spin to
the countryside, take a trip to the coast. Run a few errands for auntie Mabel, or just take a late night cruise,
listening to her favourite radio station. Polishes the car out on the road every Sunday morning, and just loves the
freedom the car gives. To go anywhere they want any time they want with whom they want. But always keeping
to the highway code, and gets very upset and angry about those who do not abide by the law.
Driver three. Chris. Works for the family business. “JC and family, herbal remedies”. Their father has come up
with some amazing herbal remedy that cues auto immune problems like arthritis, skin diseases, hayfever et
cetera. Kind of like a miracle cure, but people believe it’s too good to be true. So the family try to get the word out.
Jo, is one of the members of that family, and his car is used to take out the medicines to various surgeries,
pharmacies, and individuals as well as supermarkets. Loves the Ford Mondeo, because it’s got to big boot, and
you can bang loads of medicines in, and it can go very fast, it’s got a great satnav, and it’s an amazingly good
vehicle for getting the stuff out, the word out.
Gets up in the morning and thinks about how to make the best of the delivery plan he has been given. Thinks
about the best order to do the deliveries, how to have conversations with people to encourage them. Thinks a lot
about the family business, how to do his deliveries in such a way as to build that business, to get the word out,
etc. Joe might choose any number of ways to get to the various destinations, but does not allow himself to be
distracted by popping in to this town on the way or that tunnel away or spending too long at the motorway service
station. The focus is trying to make the most of the day to get the most stuff out.
The story of the three drivers is the story of three kinds of lives.
The first one, Jo, is like a worldly person who thinks only of themselves, and doesn’t really give a toss about
anybody else. He is a law unto himself.
The second one, Alex, is quite religious, and likes to think of herself as a Christian. She is very much influenced
by Christian values that she knows quite well, and wouldn’t dream of deliberately hurting anybody. Likes to think
of herself as a moral person, certainly better than many who live immoral lives. Indeed she hopes that because
she is quite a moral person, and goes to church at least sometimes, that God will bless her plans to build a
successful career, have a reasonably comfortable lifestyle, and give her fulfilling relationships.
The third one, Chris, is what I believe to be a godly Christian. Godly, in the sense of seeking to live like Jesus,
and put God first in his life. The key text to understand this kind of life is two Corinthians 515. Christ died for all
that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sakes died and was raised.
The difference between a “religious person” and a “godly” Christian is that a religious person may live their life
within Christian moral boundaries but the central focus of their life might be their career, or their family, or some
other passion. Whereas a godly Christian so appreciates how much God has done for him, how Jesus has died
for him and given him a new life, that they now live their life for Jesus. - Perhaps in the same way that a bride
might be living for her new husband, or vice versa, or a mother with a new baby. To live for someone means that
they are the central focus of your life, everything revolves around them. They are the priority, and they think about
that person much of the time, thinking how they can please the other person, make them happy. To live your life
to someone is an expression of loving them with all your heart soul mind and strength. That is the way we are
called to love God. That is the way he loves us.
Loving God like this is the normal Christian life, one which is possible by the power of God’s Spirit living in us,
changing our hearts, and filling us with a deep love for God - far beyond the power of sinful man. But the reality is
that even though we understand this for a while, when we become Christians, or experienced renewal, we find
ourselves drifting back to the old ways, to becoming religious, where there we live our lives within Christian moral
boundaries, we have begun to live for ourselves again. God understands this, and this is a struggle that we will
experience everyday until we finally see him face-to-face, and changed to become like him once and for all!
At the end of the letter, Peter warns us not to fall into this trap, but to keep growing in grace & knowledge of God.
Therefore dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away
by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord
and saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen
Such an endeavour, such an ambition, is the hallmark of a godly person.
Questions to consider
1. What you think of the analogy of the car drivers to 3 kinds of spiritual life?
2. What do you think of the description of a godly Christian as explained above?
We tend to slip backwards and forwards along the line between being a godly and being merely religious...
3. Where on that line would you put yourself at present? Why might you say this?
4. What are the benefits which might come from living a godly life?
5. Why do we tend to fall back into being “religious” rather than godly?
6. How do we avoid slipping back into being religious, rather than godly?
7. What might help us to live a truly godly life, as described in 2 Corinthians 5.15?
8. How might Holy Communion help us?
9. Why is this important, anyway?
10. What have you learned from today’s study, and what are you going to do about it this coming week?