Happy reflections on Vacation Bible School
I love Vacation Bible School. There is just something about the constant activity and energy about 80 children can bring to a church that is really exciting for me. Even though it is exhausting, I love being able to serve in VBS. This year I was particularly blessed by VBS because I got to fulfill a life-long dream of mine… I finally got to be a superhero. Thus begins the amazing saga of Preacherman!
Every year I help in the skit portion of the VBS assembly time. Every year presents us with different challenges and different rewards. This year, I really went out on a limb and decided to ditch the original script provided in the VBS materials and come up with my own. I took some of the character names in the original script and made them all bad guys and added a single good guy, Preacherman. This required starting from scratch and writing things that I thought would make a real theological point while at the same time bring some humor to the room.
I have to admit that I was more than usually nervous about this, realizing that if the kids hated the skit I had nobody to blame but myself. I also ran the risk of looking like a complete egomaniac by creating a superhero that was basically me with a cape. What if they hated it…would they be hating me?
Writing scripts like this also proved to be more work than I originally thought. Sometimes the scripts for the day wouldn’t be done until the night before. Were it not for the great improvisational skills of David Hill, Kellie Hill, Matt Schwarze and Priscilla Schwarze, these skits could very well have gone horribly wrong. I praise God for their hard work this year and the great delight it was acting with them. They were my heroes in this process.
Instead of being booed off the stage, I was blessed to see the children react to the character I had created in a really positive way. Kids who don’t normally go to church here would come up to me and say, “Hello…PREACHERMAN!!” Emails and one very special phone call also affirmed to me that the kids were being instructed and entertained. This made all the work well worth it.
The second VBS was over, though, I was no longer Preacherman and had to go back to being regular old “Dom”. I had to descend from my imaginary world and re-enter the real one. Even so, I am blessed to have been able to serve the Lord side by side with all of you. Thank you for letting me be me (weird) and thank you even more, Immanuel Bible Church, for being who you are, and serving God by being heroes in the eyes of children. May the Lord so bless our work and our lives that many would be brought to Him and that our joy would be made full in Him.

1 Cor 16:24
Pastor Dom

“The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brain of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read.”
- Charles Spurgeon.

As anybody who has ever been in my office can easily tell, I love books. Much of my week is spent reading. Whether it is in preparation for this week’s sermon, for personal growth in understanding theology, or for a richer devotional time, books are never far from me.
Even so, during the summer months I sometimes struggle to read. Why? Well, part of it is the delightful distraction that nice weather presents. It is hard to stay inside when the weather is warmer. Another reason may very well be it is just easier to watch a movie or television than it is to read a book. To read a book takes much more time and mental energy. On the other hand, I have never heard anyone say, “That movie was better than the book!”
I suspect that most people don’t read as much as they should. Let me encourage you to read a book this Summer that not only challenges your mind, but encourages you in the faith. Here is a list of recommendations. All of the books listed have had a tremendous impact on my heart for Christ. My prayer is that in reading one (or more) of these you will be challenged and blessed by what the author has to say. I have tried to choose books from different categories, hoping that whatever kind of book you like to read is here. My list is:

1. The Bible (obviously)- I have read many books and all of them have changed my mind in one way or another. The Bible is the only book that has changed my heart. We should read the Bible every day. Please, dear friend in Christ, if you are not being faithful in reading the Word of God please make a commitment today to read it daily.

Christian Fiction
2. The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. I have read this book twice and will no doubt read it again. The main character takes a journey from belief to Heaven. On this journey he confronts the same dangers and makes many of the same mistakes that we all do. You will be encouraged to overcome many of your own struggles as you walk with him.

Christian Living
3. Desiring God by John Piper. God is only pleased with us when we are miserable, right? Well, not according to the Bible. This book shows us that God is most glorified in us when we praise, serve, love and obey Him willingly and joyfully. Reading this book has impacted my thoughts more than any other book except for the Bible. The first couple chapters are pretty deep, but take your time. This book could change your life.

4. Knowing God by J. I. Packer. Christians talk so much about a “personal relationship with God.” This book helps to explain what that personal relationship is and how we can continue to grow in it. After reading this book, you will no longer be satisfied with the shallow, culturally conditioned picture of God that too many Christians think is the God of the Bible.

5. The Vanishing Conscience by John MacArthur. God wants us to feel good about ourselves…right? In this book, John MacArthur reminds us what the Bible says about the dangers of ignoring your conscience. A conscience is like a smoke detector, it is annoying when it goes off, but could be deadly if it doesn’t.

Christian Biography
6. Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden. “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God” was just one of many sermons Jonathan Edwards preached. In this book you will get to know the most influential theologian to ever live on American soil (even though technically it wasn’t “America” yet). Jonathan Edwards has been so influential on me that we named our son after him.

7. The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray. Charles Spurgeon was the greatest Christian “celebrity” pastor of his day, preaching to thousands every week well before mega churches were around. This book will give you a window into the heart of the most famous preacher of all time and his commitment to truth and passion for souls.

Christian Theology
8. The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer. Written with everybody in mind, this book explains for us what God is like without excessive theological terminology. This book is also a fantastic example of how doctrine impacts our thoughts and lives every day.

If none of these books sound good to you, let me know…maybe I could recommend something else. There is probably a Christian book on your shelves that you have been planning to read. Maybe now is the time to read it. I am confident, though, that your heart would be richly blessed if you spend some time with these authors. My prayer for you is that the Lord would draw you closer to Him in the pages of great books.

1 Corinthians 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Pastor Dom

Are you sure that it’s really Christianity that you are reacting to?

If dogs are really man’s best friend, then I have the best friend in the world. I am the proud owner of a beautiful mini beagle named “Philadelphia Beagle (Philly for short)”. Philly is a low-maintenance pet with very few bad habits. In fact, I would go so far as to say that she is the best dog ever, except for one minor problem…she is dumb. I know that may not sound nice, but it is the objective evaluation by someone who truly loves her.
One of the most hilarious things I have seen in Philly is her complete inability to discern the difference between a door bell in real life and a door bell on television. The whole family is often set up in the living room, complete with pets, enjoying an evening of quiet togetherness when suddenly someone on TV rings a door bell and Philly goes wild. She howls and runs to the window to see who is at the door. What’s worse is that she absolutely refuses to admit that there may be nobody there. She heard the bell, after all, and she knows what that means. Jen and I are then called upon to defuse a loud and annoying situation that is in reality a figment of Philly’s imagination.
I can’t help but wonder if many people do the same thing when it comes to Christianity. It seems to me that many make up their mind what Christianity is and then respond to that without truly doing the work it takes to understand what Christians are really like. Instead of finding out what a true Christian is in the pages of the Bible, they respond to how Christians are portrayed on television. Then, like Philly, it becomes almost impossible to convince them that they are reacting to a Christianity that is, in fact, a fabrication given to them by a biased media.
There have been times when I have had to sit patiently and listen to people berate a Christianity of their own imagination. Sometimes they say things like, “Christians think they’re so perfect!” or “Christianity is just a scheme to get people’s money”. I can’t help but wonder what research people have done that led them to such firm conclusions. Frankly, it makes me sad that Christianity is so rarely portrayed positively in a country that espouses a belief in tolerance and diversity.
When I find myself in opposition to the faulty assumptions of this culture, I try to respond by asking the questions that bring true Christianity to light. One example would be, “Where in the Bible does it say that Christians would be perfect? Why would you expect that?” Another could be, “How wealthy do you think most pastors are? Is it possible that Christianity exists for a higher purpose than money?”
I fully admit that sometimes Christianity gets a bad name because of the bad examples of those whose lives don’t match what they say they believe. However, I think that it is way more common for people to hate a Christianity of their own imagination, much like Philly reacts to the TV door bell. Real Christianity is often lost in the noise. So let me ask you…which one are you reacting to?
I Cor 16:24
Pastor Dom

The Problem with Christian Celebrities

On November 18, 1978, more than 900 members of a cult committed mass suicide by drinking poisoned Kool-Aid. Why on Earth would anybody do this? It was because their allegiance to a man had long since eclipsed their allegiance to the Bible. These people were followers of a man named Jones in a place called “Jonestown”. Their senseless and self-induced demise was the result of putting a man in the place of God.
Could this ever happen to us? Could we ever become so enthralled by a human teacher that we end up following him instead of the Bible? I think that we will never get to the point of drinking poisoned Kool-Aid, but that doesn’t mean that the danger is any less real or that the danger is any less common. Recently, I was at a famous pastor’s church for a pastor’s conference. I was so tremendously blessed by the teaching and by the beautiful Southern California weather. I loved being there and look forward to returning. However, I made the mistake of voicing a slight disappointment about one of the sessions to some of the other pastors I was hanging out with…and you should have seen the looks I got. Who are you to disagree with him? He is….HIM! I quickly realized that my gentle-hearted and loving disagreements were automatically assumed to be sinful. I couldn’t help but wonder how they would have responded if the famous pastor was criticizing me for the same thing.
The Bible is clear that though different people are called to different positions nobody is better than anybody else in the body of Christ. I Corinthians 3 records for us a disagreement in Corinth centered on the commitment that some of the people had for certain Bible teachers. “I am of Paul” was the catch-phrase of one of the groups and “I am of Apollos” (1 Cor 3:4) was the catch-phrase of the other. How does Paul respond? Does he thank his faithful supporters and plug his new book? No, he says, “So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth (v. 7).” Paul’s point is that it is wrong to define ourselves in terms of what one famous teacher teaches over another. A modern parallel would be things like “I am a John MacArthur guy” or “I am a John Piper guy.” For our purposes I picked my two favorite famous preachers to illustrate that the choice between Paul and Apollos was similar…a choice between two faithful and godly men. Paul’s point here is that our allegiance should primarily be to the Lord and only secondarily to men or women we may respect as Bible teachers.
Friends, don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Remember that in the ultimate scheme of things man doesn’t matter, only God. Coming home from the conference I was reading a book about one of my spiritual heroes, Charles Spurgeon. The author made a probing comment that still rings in my ears. He said, “For the revival of the kind of Spurgeon ‘cult’ which existed in some circles in former days I have no pleas to make. The cult was basically unhealthy; it doubtless led some to accept beliefs because Spurgeon taught them rather than because they saw them clearly in the Scripture, and in so far as it did this it was detrimental to the cause which was closest to Spurgeon’s heart (Iain Murray, The Forgotten Spurgeon page 17).” The author’s point is something isn’t true just because I teach it or Spurgeon or John MacArthur or John Piper or anyone else teaches it. It is only true if it is true. We must be careful not to open ourselves up to being led astray.

1 Corinthians 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Pastor Dom Aquilino

A famous man once said, “No one ever graduates from Bible Study until he meets its Author face to face.” A commitment to and a love for the Bible began for me as a senior in High School. I would love to say that I turned to the Bible because I was seeking truth. I would love to say that I turned to the Bible because I felt a powerful need in my soul. I would love to say that, but that would be a lie. I turned to the Bible for two reasons: first of all, I wanted ideas for Heavy Metal rock songs. I knew that many musicians like me (at the time) would go to the darker passages (like Revelation) in order to glean dark images for their songs. However, I didn’t know where the dark places were to be found in the Bible. Therefore, I just started at the beginning. I figured I would find ideas soon enough.
Another reason why I turned to the Bible as an unbelieving High School student was because I was going through an artsy phase and wanted to expose myself to the greatest literature the world had ever produced. I had always heard in school that the Bible was a well-written artistically beautiful book, even though all my teachers seemed to deny any authority to the Bible. So, after reading Moby Dick and a book of poetry from Oscar Wilde I thought I would give the Bible a shot. To the praise of God’s greatness I have never stopped reading the Bible.
It doesn’t really matter, though, why I first came to the Bible. What really matters is why I still read it and why my prayer for you all is that you will continue to have a Bible-centered Christianity. So I thought that this month I would encourage you to renew your commitment to reading, studying, applying and loving the word of God by reminding you of the example of Ezra as found in Ezra 7:10.
Ezra 7:10 says, “For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.” What a phenomenal text! Notice the specific points that we can draw from this one verse:
1. Ezra started with his heart
In Hebrew, this literally says that Ezra “established” or “made firm” his heart. What does this tell us? It reminds us that keeping BIBLE as our middle name is something that we must decide ahead of time and something that we must commit to even when times and temptation pull us in a different direction. We also learn that the primary issue in our commitment to the Bible is a heart issue. Ezra realized that if he was going to be faithful in the future he would need a faithful heart. Please join me in praying for IBC that we would continue to have a faithful and resolute heart in our love of the Bible. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
2. Ezra committed himself to constant seeking
Ezra also committed himself to seek out what the Bible had to say. How easy is it to feel like we have everything figured out? Pride is so subtle that often we find ourselves thinking as though we are experts. In reality, we know very little. However, this should encourage us to learn more, not to give up. IBC must be a place where people are constantly encouraged to go forward in their study of the Bible until they meet its author. I remember when I first finished reading the Bible from cover to cover I thought, “Well, what will I read now?” The answer is to read it again. Almost every time I pick up the Bible I see something new in it. Keep seeking, beloved!
3. Ezra studied to practically live out what he learned
We also see in this text that Ezra was not interested in simply building a biblical knowledge. Neither should we. We study to DO! In Hebrew this phrase simply reads that Ezra committed himself to the Bible “to do.” James 1:22 says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Don’t just read….Do.
4. Ezra studied to pass on what he had learned
Yet another aspect of Ezra’s commitment to the Bible is his passion to teach it. Even though some are particularly gifted in the area of teaching we all need to bring the message to people in order that unbelievers would come to know Jesus and that believers would continue to grow in the knowledge of the Bible. Teaching is absolutely central to a church that has “Bible” for its middle name. That was Ezra’s passion. May the Lord continue to bless us with that perspective.
5. Ezra studied with a passion for God’s people (“to Israel”)
Even though these two words occur last in the English translations they are actually written right after “to teach” in the Hebrew. What do we learn from this? Ezra didn’t just study to teach a nameless group. He studied to teach a specific group with a specific name- Israel. What does this mean to me? Every week I pour my life into the study of God’s word….for you! And I love it! I don’t just study because of interest or fear of not knowing what to say. I study because the Lord has blessed me with a stewardship of being the primary instructor IBC has for His word. As I study and an encouraging promise comes, I think, “so-and-so will be so blessed to hear this.” I then pray for you. Why? Because my love for God and my love for you are intertwined. What does this mean for us as a church? I would suggest that as you continue to devote yourself to God’s word that you would join me in continuing to pray for Chelsea, for Washtenaw County, for Michigan, for the United States and for the world.
6. Ezra studied with a passion for the souls of his hearers
Notice finally what Ezra desired to communicate to the people. He wanted to teach them the “statutes and judgments”. Statutes tell us what God commands and judgments tell us the consequences for ignoring those commands. Ezra studied in order to teach in order that his people would know how to live in order to escape the punishment and chastening of Almighty God. Even though the book of Hebrews wouldn’t be written for a long time, it is as though Ezra had Hebrews 10:31 in mind, which says, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” So then, what does this mean to us? It means that we must recognize that our commitment to doctrine does not show a lack of concern for humanity, but shows the presence of our concern for humanity. We are not committed to truth because we are too lazy to get out there and do something. We are committed to truth because if we are not souls go to eternity unprepared for the punishment they will receive. If we don’t passionately seek to understand and communicate the God of the Bible, we run the risk of leaving people ignorant of what He expects. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Friends, please continue to give your lives to the pursuit of this God. He is real and His word can be trusted. Set your heart to Read it, to do it, to teach it for His glory and your joy. As another famous man once said, “It is not enough to own a Bible; we must read it. It is not enough to read it; we must let it speak to us. It is not enough to let it speak to us; we must believe it. It is not enough to believe it; we must live it.”

1 Corinthians 16:24
Dom

Transparency is the key to deeper friendships

“Never let them see you sweat”. I remember this slogan from commercials when I was a kid. The commercials were for deodorant and the idea was that we must appear confident at all times. Many of my fellow pastors seem to have taken this statement to heart as they try to interact with their people. There is a great temptation in ministry to act as though we have everything together and that we are always in control. The truth is, however, that we don’t. There are many situations in which we feel inadequate, ill-equipped, or just plain scared.
God has blessed me with a place of ministry in which it would be impossible for me to hide my fears. I preach in a church that, from time to time, has bats. I hate bats. I HATE bats. Bats freak me out and scare the daylights out of me. Now, be advised, I am not saying that bats annoy me or even that they are gross. I am saying that the very sound of a bat in the walls is so frightening to me that I have to crank up the volume of the stereo in my office so that I can’t hear them. When I see them in the church, I do what any self-respecting chiroptophobic person would do…I wait outside until a real man shows up to take care of the problem.
Along with my fear of bats, there is one food item (if you could call it that) that I truly detest. I call it the “Demon condiment,” but most people refer to it as mayonnaise. My passionate dislike for mayonnaise is so strong that for many years I would not even try sour cream because it looked like mayo to me. When I even suspect that mayo is in my food, I am physically unable to eat it. It completely grosses me out. In fact, I don’t even let the people who work at Subway cut my sandwich with a knife that has come into contact with mayo. Yes, it is a mental sickness of mine…
So why not keep all of this a secret? Why is it that I so freely admit that I am terrified of winged rodents and repulsed by mayonnaise? Because I want people to know that I am human; I am imperfect and full of the same idiosyncrasies that they have. This helps people to know that they can approach me with their fears and not be looked down upon. This also helps people to know that I understand what it is like to be repulsed by something that most people seem to like. It also gives people the opportunity to know what it is they can give me a hard time about. I freely admit these things and join in the fun of laughing at myself.
I was truly blessed this year at the Awana grand prix. For those of you who don’t know, the Awana grand prix is a car race in which Awana kids and their parents make cars out of wood and we race them. This year, one parent made a car for me. It is a white car entitled, the BLT. It features pictures of bats and jars of mayonnaise…a bat, lettuce and tomato sandwich. Knowing that people feel comfortable enough to laugh with me at my odd sensibilities really makes me feel good inside, and helps me to feel like I am really part of people’s lives.
Thanks, Todd! Just wait ‘till next year…….

Sometimes what we get out of the Bible depends on what we bring to it.

                The Bible is an easy book to read, right?  I used to think that.  I used to think that anyone who disagrees with what I was taught was somehow intellectually inferior or had willfully refused to submit to the “clear” teaching of Scripture.  This perspective was due mainly to the fact that I only listened to the preachers that my pastors recommended and then only read the authors that I knew would agree with my particular doctrinal affiliation.

              As I grew in the Lord, however, and made it my life’s pursuit to understand and explain the Bible, I became more and more aware of the many difficulties explaining the word of God presents us with.  This realization was also made clear to me in Seminary.  My professors at Capital Bible Seminary always challenged us as students to prove what we were saying instead of simply declaring what Calvin, Luther, MacArthur or Billy Graham had said.  The result of being forced to biblically prove things is that we begin to deal with what scripture actually says and have to support our views in the face of others who disagree.

                The greatest obstacle to a clear understanding of the Word of God is the subtle prejudices we inadvertently bring to the Bible.  Sometimes we make up our minds what God should do or should allow and then conveniently explain away any passage that seems to say something different.  This is not necessarily evil as much as it appears to be necessarily human.  We seem to be wired this way.  We need to feel resolved and to fit everything into a neat theological package.  The problem comes when the texts of scripture are not as neatly packaged.

                One of my heroes in the faith and one of the greatest expository preachers of all time was a man named D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.  I was recently reading the second volume of Lloyd-Jones’ sermons on Romans when I came across a statement that filled my heart with joy.  Lloyd-Jones captures in this passage the danger of coming to the Bible with preconceived ideas as to what the Bible should say.  He says,

“…Is it not a terrible danger that some of us, sometimes, tend to read the Scriptures, not so much to be enlightened and to be taught, as to confirm our own theories, our own ideas, and our own prejudices?  Now I want to make that a universal statement.  We are all guilty of it.  For instance, it is the danger of the Calvinist, who looks for one thing only and ignores difficulties.  It is equally the danger of the Arminian, who looks only for what he wants, and does not notice the other stresses and emphases.  Each one sees only the part he wants to see, and ignores the rest.  We are all guilty… In the name of God, I say, let us be careful that we do not go to the scripture with such a prejudice and forget the rest!  Let us come to it with an open mind and an open heart and learn of it, whatever it may have to say:  let us look at it in every detail, and beware of prejudice.”  

                In ministry, I have found that often when people respond unfavorably to a position I take, it is due to a lack of understanding.  They assume that the only possible view is what makes sense to them about election, divorce, eternal security or anything else that is controversial.  Unfortunately, some have spoken to me like I am a monster because I take a different view than the one they may have always heard.  Few things are more discouraging to my heart.

               When coming to the Word of God, we must regularly ask ourselves, “Am I being fair with the text?” “Have I truly searched out what the Bible says and interacted with the passages that seem to contradict my opinions?”  As a result, many of us will be frustrated as we try to understand the Bible.  We will see that many of the things that we think instinctively are not necessarily true.  However, this frustration should spur us on to do the things that lead to greater clarity and sincerity in Him, and that can only be a good thing.

              May the Lord continue to give us eyes to see and a heart that is able to receive the things of God.

1 Cor 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.  

Pastor Dom

Even in laughter the heart may be in pain, And the end of joy may be grief. (Proverbs 14:13)

“I get no respect at all!”  This is the famous catch phrase from Rodney Dangerfield, one of the most successful comedians in American History.  Rodney’s act was all about how miserable his life was.  It centered on the fact that he never felt appreciated or loved.  I just took this to be part of the act, and would never have guessed that he really felt this way.  I thought that he was simply playing a character for the crowds and laughing at himself as much as we were laughing at him.  I was wrong.  Rodney Dangerfield apparently struggled his entire life with a self-loathing depression that his wife and best friends knew to be only too real.

This pattern of self-loathing began with his tormented childhood.  He grew up without a father and with a mother who neglected him.  She would put a sandwich on the back porch and tell him to stay outside all day…at the age of 5.  This neglect led Rodney as a child to roam the neighborhood where he fell victim to the abominable acts of sexual predators.  The result of such a horrible childhood was a man who was systematically unable to feel anything but pain.

How could one of the funniest people in the world be secretly so tormented?  The answer to this is found in that sometimes in order to keep our pain a secret, we begin to act like the life of the party.  If we can keep people laughing, then we find an escape from having to feel the depths of our souls.  We feel as though everyone around us loves us.  We feel respected and cherished.

I could not help but relate to Rodney Dangerfield.  The pain of my own childhood has in many ways been the catalyst for my own comedic ways.  I remember talking to an uncle when I was a kid about how worthless and alone I would sometimes feel.  He told me, “Are you kidding?  You’re the funny guy!  People will always want you around!”  As a result, I made it my ambition to be the “funny guy” in every aspect of my life.  Like Rodney, I then spent the rest of my life seeking the love I was missing in the laughter of others.

I would love to finish this article by saying that I no longer have any pain and that my humor (and the humorous side of my personality) is always who I really am, but my wife and closest friends know that many times my humor is like make-up used to cover up the tears of a clown.  Behind the perpetual smile often beats a heart of perpetual pain.  I praise God, though, that I no longer feel the full effect of this pain.  I no longer face this pain without hope.  His love for me and His death for me have begun a change in me that will one day result in the eradication of all pain.

Until that day comes, let’s seek to encourage the hearts of our brothers and sisters, even when they seem to be so happy, because “Even in laughter the heart may be in pain (Proverbs 14:13)”

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Corinthians 16:24)

Pastor Dom

Is Godliness really the most important thing to you?

We have all heard the expression “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. What does this mean? What are we getting at when we say that cleanliness is “next” to godliness? It seems to me that we are saying that the only thing more important in life than being physically clean is being spiritually clean. Wouldn’t you agree with this? After all, most of us shower every day (at least once) and would never think of being seen in public without a certain level of hygiene. Being clean is very important.

Therefore, if cleanliness is next to godliness, what is godliness next to? The answer: nothing. Godliness is next to nothing in terms of its importance for our lives. I wonder if this is really how we live our lives. How many of us spend consistent time every day to make sure that our bodies are clean and yet give relatively little thought to whether or not we are pursuing godliness? Could it be that in the Christian Church things like cleanliness are actually more important than godliness?

I. What is Godliness?

Godliness is defined by the Easton Bible Dictionary as “the whole of practical piety”. It goes on to say that “It supposes knowledge, veneration, affection, dependence, submission, gratitude, and obedience.” When we use the word “godliness,” we are referring to the quality of life that is God-centered and reverent, consistent and obedient. It is fueled by faith and governed by the word of God. It describes our quest to have our whole lives be conformed to the image of God (Rom 8:29).

II. What does the Bible say about Godliness?

Godliness….

A. Requires Discipline

1 Timothy 4:7-8 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

Anyone desiring to run a marathon must train. You don’t just wake up one day and decide to run a marathon. It is the same with our lives in the spiritual realm. A consistent and godly life requires discipline. Often I think we wait to just be “zapped” with a godly character. During our earthly lives, though, the pursuit of godliness is by nature a struggle. If your life is to be one that exemplifies God’s character, it will require a strong commitment to discipline.

(See also 1 Timothy 6:11 2 Peter 1:6 and Titus 2:12)

B. Involves a doctrinal commitment

Titus 1:1 Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness…We see in Titus 1:1 that there is a knowledge that is according to godliness. Most of the time we think that knowledge is simply academic and obedience is simply practical. These verses teach us that there is a link between what we think and what we do. We must pursue sound doctrine as a act of devotional reverence. The seeking of truth is a vital aspect of our walk with Christ.

(See also 1 Timothy 3:16 and 1 Timothy 6:3)

C. Is shown in how we dress (especially women)

1 Timothy 2:10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.

Modesty is very important to godliness. This is because godliness itself is that quality which points others to God and away from ourselves. Dressing immodestly does just the opposite. It draws everyone’s attention to us and away from God.

The reason why I write that this is especially for women is that women are the ones being addressed by the verse. Men can be just immodest as women, but since women are more physically beautiful than men this poses a particularly difficult struggle (generally speaking) for women.

D. Can be faked

2 Timothy 3:5 holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. (See also 1 Tim 6:5-6)

Not all that glimmers is gold. Also, not everybody in church is godly. We must be very careful to distinguish between external piety and internal piety. As James says, “faith without works is dead”, but remember works without faith is hypocrisy and legalism.

E. Should be pursued by praying for our government

1 Timothy 2:2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

I recently saw on the news that a Pastor was making headlines by publicly praying that President Obama would be killed. Such “prayer” is a disgrace, no matter what side of the political fence you find yourself on. Rather, we should pray that God would work on the president’s heart in order that our freedom to pursue godliness would be preserved.

F. Should be pursued in light of eternity

1 Timothy 4:8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. (See also 2 Peter 3:11)

Our practice of godliness is training for eternity. When we finally shed the effects of the fall by God’s grace, we will be much less inhibited in our worship of God. Until then, we are called on to strive as much as we can and long for that day.

G. Is completely provided for in Christ

2 Peter 1:3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Our lack of godliness is not God’s fault…it is ours. He has given us what we need. It is up to us, then to make use of the means of grace in order to grow in godliness.

H. Is essential to a confident and happy life

2 Corinthians 1:12 For our proud confidence is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God, we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward you.

Our conscience is the key to our joy. Have you ever tried to put on a happy face when you knew inside that you were far from God. A lifestyle of godliness is a joyful lifestyle because it is a life free of guilt. The question, then, becomes, “How is your conscience?” Unfortunately, our conscience tends to dull with neglect. There are few things more dangerous than a seared conscience, but a clear conscience is a fountain of joy.

I. Is sometimes expressed in sorrow

2 Corinthians 7:11 For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.

How would you know it if your house caught fire in the middle of the night? Hopefully, you have smoke detectors. When smoke detectors go off they are loud and annoying, but the consequence of removing them can be deadly. It is the same thing with godliness. When we disobey God our conscience makes us miserable…and that is a good thing. Our conscience not only exists to lead us into joy, but also to lead us out of the misery of sin. Sometimes a little godly sorrow is just what we need for the preservation of godly joy.

J. Guarantees some level of persecution

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Godliness will cost you in this world. As stated above, it will cost you in discipline and in terms of your emotions. It will also cost you in terms of human relationships. Those who hate your God will hate you for acting like Him. Those who see God as an enemy to happiness will see you as a barrier between them and the life they desperately desire. The more your life shows God to the world, the more their rejection of God will manifest in a rejection of you.

III. How do we grow in Godliness?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for godliness. There are only 3 ingredients: 1. Obedience, 2. Time and 3. Obedience over time. To grow in godliness we need to be consistent in all the little things that prepare us for the big things. We need to read the Bible, pray, repent when we fail and be patient with ourselves as we learn from our mistakes.

May God continue to bless you all as you continue to grow in godliness.

Cleanliness is next to godliness. So what is godliness next to? It is next to nothing. Nothing is more important than godliness. Even though true godliness is rare and difficult, it is worth all the effort because it provides for us the basis of great joy and peace. Would you be able to honestly say that your devotional life is more constant than your daily shower? Are you more committed to godliness or cleanliness?

1 Corinthians 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.