Summer of Discipleship: Piety
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Before we go to God’s Word together, I’d like praise God for the faithfulness of Brad, Matt, and Erik.
We are very blessed as a congregation to have these dear brothers lead us well while I was away.
Also want to thank our sound and video team and all those who served that allowed our family to be a part of a wedding up north.
We give God glory for our safe travels and enjoyable trip and glad to be back with you all this morning.
Now, let us jump back into our summer of discipleship!
3 weeks ago Matt spoke of Biblical Manhood, then Brad shared about Finances, and Erik lead us through evangelism.
Today we are going to tackle another topic that is extremely important to our life as a follower of Christ.
But first, let me remind us what we are seeking to explore together and why we are doing it.
Our goal in the Summer of Discipleship is to take different aspects of discipleship,
Areas that help us become more like Jesus,
and dig deeper into their meaning and application.
Today’s topic is Piety.
Some of you may be well acquainted with this word, others may be thinking this is some weird hybrid of a pie and a brownie.
I assure you Piety is not a newly discovered desert, but a very old concept of Christian obedience.
Which might not sound nearly as fun, but my goal is to show you why a pursuit of piety is a worthy and joyful endeavor.
Let’s jump in with a definition so that we are all on the same page.
Piety, in the general sense, means being faithful to something to which one is bound by pledge or duty.
For the Christian piety means being holy, devout, reverent and faithful to God.
In its most basic form, Christian Piety is living out the commands of God, for the glory of God, and the joy of our Salvation. (Repeat)
So our time this morning is going to be spent looking at Christian Piety, what it is, and what it is not.
Here’s our roadmap:
First, we will make sure we grasp that Christian Piety flows from Salvation, not to Salvation.
We will completely miss the joy if we feel we have to meet a certain standard to achieve something that has already been gifted to us.
Second, we will explore our definition and understand the biblical reasoning behind not just our obedience, but the joy behind our obedience.
Lastly, we will be warned about 2 dangers that we must watch out for as we are pursuing greater piety.
Now that we have our plan before us, let us jump in and discover why our Pursuit of Piety is such an important part of discipleship.
We will begin by opening up God’s Word to 1st Peter.
Chapter 1 verse 15 and 16.
We will have the verses on the screen but I also encourage you to write them down for further study this week.
but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
At first glance we see that because Jesus is Holy, we should also be Holy.
This is certainly correct, but there is an important aspect that Peter points out that is vital to our understanding of Piety.
It is because Jesus called us, brought us to Himself, pursued us, that we have this ability to be Holy.
It was not our pursuit of Christ that won us Salvation, it was Christ’s pursuit of us that won us Salvation.
Thus we do not pursuit salvation, we receive salvation. What we pursue is piety.
Where our pursuits, done in the human flesh, fail.....Jesus fully accomplished our Salvation and called us to Himself.
Instead of us saying I accepted Jesus as if it is our doing that brings forth Salvation, we should better say we received Jesus.
Jesus doesn’t just offer Himself, Jesus gives Himself to you and you receive Him.
This is why Peter adds these words.
It is not just Jesus is Holy, it is Jesus, who called you, is Holy, thus be Holy.
We are called to Christ, brought close to Him, rescued by Him, redeemed by Him, ransom by Him, restored by Him,
Set apart to Him, to be different, to be other than those who are not Christians.
But it is very easy for those who have not been discipled to misunderstand the call of Holiness.
We must not forget that we are to pursue holiness, godliness, Christ-like-ness, not to earn our salvation but because we are saved.
Peter here says that because we are holy, by Christ, since we have been called to Him, we should be holy in our conduct.
This is a direct command.
While this is a command, it is not a command to do something in order to get something.
It is a command that because you have received this gift of immeasurable worth and value, this is what you should now do with this gift.
The gift is the Gospel, and the result of the Gospel will include our obedience.
Thus, Piety flows from the Gospel, not to earn the Gospel.
Here is where I have the opportunity to share my favorite Jonathan Edwards Quote, a Puritan from the 1700s.
The only thing we bring to our Salvation is the sin that made it necessary.
Thus we do not earn our Salvation because we have reached a level of piety, we have received Salvation thus we respond with Piety.
We have our blinders removed and in our joy of sight we run to the goal.
Artesian Well Illustration: When we were preparing our land to be built one we did not have a water source so we called a guy to dig us a well.
- When he came out he started drilling down and installing the pipes and at one point water started gushing out.
- He put a cap on it and called me over and said that he is finished and that we have an Artesian well.
- I’m like that’s cool, but that also sounds fancy, does that mean it is going to cost me more? I just needed a standard well.
- He laughed and said no, it means that the water underground has enough pressure to push the water out on its own.
- It just needed the dirt or the sediment removed so that the water could spring forth.
- So now, all I have to do is remove the cap or turn the faucet and water comes out without me having to do anything!
This is similar to how our life works as believers.
We have the dirt or sediment of sin that prevents us from doing what is pleasing to the Lord.
Even our good deeds, are done for selfish or alterer motives, if done apart from Christ.
When Jesus’s atonement is applied to our lives and sin is removed, then we become free to pursue the purpose of our salvation.
What flows up from us, like the well illustration, is the joy of our creation.
The comfort, delight, and wonder we experience springs forth in a desire to follow Jesus and follow His commandments.
Just listen to the Words of Psalm 119:10-16
Thus our Piety is an overflow of the Gospel work that is done
With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
This is not a task, this is not a job, this is not punishment, this is joy flowing from our Salvation.
Piety confirms our Salvation it does not grant us salvation.
It is because we have received grace.
It is because we have had our eyes open to the riches and the glories of our Creator that we now long to serve Him.
Now that we have firmly established that our Salvation is not earned but received as a gift.
That our obedience and piety is an overflow of our Salvation.
Let us look closer at our definition and see the concept played out.
Point 2: Christian Piety is living out the commands of God, for the glory of God, and the joy of our Salvation.
So let us break down point 2 into each of these sub points, 1st living out the commandments of God,
Then for the glory of God, and end with the joy of our Salvation.
If we are going to be obedient to God’s call on our life then we have three choices before us.
First, do we, as individuals, decide what God’s call is for our life?
Second option, do we let a majority decide, or society decide, how we follow God’s call for our life?
Last option, do we look to God as the standard and see how He has revealed His plan and desire for following Him?
It should not be a difficult decision, though you would be surprised at how many people follow the first two instead of the last.
To be live righteously in according to God’s design and plan means we must look to His revelation to determine this.
And there is no shortage of direction on how we are to live our lives in God’s revelation the Bible.
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Paul, after spending the first 11 chapters in his letter to the Romans declaring all of the wonders and glories of the Gospel.
Paul moves to tell us what we are to do with this incredible gift.
Because of the mercies of God, in giving us Jesus, His son to be the propitiation for our sin.
We present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
We set ourselves apart for God.
This is how we not only live for God but also give gory to God.
Paul continues by giving us general concepts to help us on this journey.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
But, if we are looking for more than just general principals we have very specific commands as well.
Not only do we have the moral law of the Old Testament that is still in effect today....think 10 commandments.
But we also see where in the New Testament, we see these moral laws given to us in clearer details.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
We display Christian piety by loving other believers well.
This is what is truly remarkable to the world is how people who have different backgrounds, come from different races, have different economic statuses, and different cultures,
Yet still, are treated as if they were one and the same.
It gives us a great witness because we can declare we are one and the same with Christ.
We are all united together as a Spiritual family.
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Piety continues as we seek God above ourselves.
We stop worrying about ourselves and trust that God has us.
Because we are no longer stressing about this life, because our focus is on the life to come.
We are able to pursue Christ and pursue His purpose and plan.
Even if this includes our death we know that because of Jesus, the victory over death has been won.
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
By Religion, James means the external evidence of inward piety. That is, worship as expressed in action.
In this case James gives us two examples; Caring for orphans and widows.
Pure religion expresses itself in obeying God’s commands and keeping yourself from unstained from the world.
I’d love to break down this further, but my point here today isn’t to share all of the nuances to this, but to make sure we get the big point.
We should also note here, that piety, or “religion” that is not in accordance with God’s Word and God’s Standard will be rejected by God.
Here is what can be incredibly heartbreaking and should spur us on in our evangelism that Erik spoke of last week.
Our Muslim friends and neighbors who practice Islam and pray 5 times a day to Allah are not heard because they reject Jesus as the eternal Messiah.
Monks who dedicate their life in silence or in starvation or in one article I read, a man who has raised His hand for 45 years in order to honor God.
It may shock us to think that God would not be pleased with this sort of sacrifice, but we are told the sacrifice that the Father was pleased with, was the sacrifice that His Son, Jesus, freely gave for us.
A rejection of Jesus is a rejection of the one true God.
Buddhists and Hindu’s who seek to be one with their surroundings and dedicate their life to seeking nirvana, may find peace in this life, but they will not find peace with God.
Thus, our concern must be with following the One true God as He has revealed Himself and revealed His purposes along with how we get to join in on the story God is authoring.
Sub point two is for the glory of God.
In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Here we see the purpose of our piety is not to bring glory to ourselves but to bring glory to God.
When we live out the purpose of our life it is no longer to create a platform for ourself but is to portray but the platform that God already has.
Get this,
When we receive new life, new focus, new direction, new hope, new purpose, new reason,
Our goal is to no longer make much of ourselves but to make much of Jesus.
God’s glory is important not because we are Created to display Him, marvel at His wonder, and promote His glory.
This may sound strange but our very existence is because of Him.
Everything we have is because of Him.
The Breath in our lungs, the beat in our chest, the reason we got out of bed this morning is because of our God.
Thus, we thank Him, honor Him, and promote Him, by doing what we do for His glory alone. Soli Deo Gloria!
The third Sub point is to remember that this is for God’s glory yes, but it is also for our joy.
The worst thing we can do is enjoy the things that God has created and worship the created instead of the Creator.
God made this world for our joy and serving Him is our joy.
When we find our purpose in life we experience the joy of our creation.
When we live out that purpose it should bring us joy.
Now, yes, there are many heartaches and pain in this world due to sin and rebellion.
We should not expect bliss and happiness at every corner.
But we should expect, anticipate, and pursue our joy in God through the means that God has given us to enjoy Him.
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
So many times we look at the second part of this verse and completely forget the first part and I would say the most important part.
When we delight ourselves in God, when we find our joy in God, when we experience His joy then we have the desires of our heart.
We long for meaning, we desire wholeness, we seek after fulfillment.
We are reminded that this doesn’t come in jobs, video games, people, at least in and of themselves, but it comes through God, as we glorify Him
Enjoy His creation, and enjoy the story that He is crafting in and through our lives.
The Westminster Confession Question 1 asks this:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, AND to enjoy him for ever.
Not just temporary, not just for a few years, but for eternity.
Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!
This is a joy, this is a happiness, this is a true blessing!
So we must not think of serving God as something we have to do.
If you think this way you miss the entire point, we serve God because this is what we get to do. (Pause)
So point number 2 is understanding this:
Christian Piety is living out the commands of God, for the glory of God, and the joy of our Salvation.
Now as we move on to point number 3 we must also be aware of 2 dangers of Piety.
1st is Self-Righteousness
2nd is False Security
Let’s begin with Self-Righteousness.
“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
We must check ourselves to make sure we are not pursuing piety for Self-Righteous reasons.
Our goal is not so that we can be seen, so that people will look to us, and thus think highly of ourselves.
Our goal is that people see the radical transformation of Jesus in ourselves.
That He is glorified not ourselves.
I remember watching a video online where this guy bought a bunch of water bottles and went around to homeless people to give them away.
This may seem like a great and wonderful thing to do, and it is absolutely.
But, it was the motive behind it that was awful.
He shared that the more likes and shares he got, the more he would do, and the more people he would help.
His helping was not based on caring for those who have fallen on hard times, his helping was based on building his social media account.
He decided he would use those who were struggling to further catapult his own fame.
Thus taking something that would have been a good thing and turning it into a bad thing.
“And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
Jesus warns of those, like the Pharisees, who do things for their own self-righteous reasons.
Their reward is whatever earthly praise they receive, because they will not be receiving any praise from God.
Their reward is temporary instead of eternal.
Let us not forget that we should store up treasures in heaven, not here on earth.
What is done in secret will be rewarded openly in eternity.
Thus we must not live for the moment but live for the forever.
While most of us here would recognize the self-righteousness of the social media influencer, we must not fall for other aspects that may be less obvious.
If we are going to church in order to feel better about ourselves, our situation, or going to church in hopes that God would grant something we want.
We are being self-righteous for selfish reasons.
There are many things that we can do for God, but in reality, we are doing them for ourselves instead.
This was my biggest struggle in my late teens and early 20’s.
I was not raised in the church and when I came to the conclusion that God was real, I decided that I was going to change my outlook and direction.
I started writing a book, I started a band, I started a ministry, I was all in.
However, the issue I had was that my focus was not for God.
My goal was to see my name in lights, my talents celebrated, my fame grown.
If I used God to get there, well that is a win for God and still a win for myself.
Now, I wasn’t so brazen to say that out loud, but it was exactly what I was doing in my heart and in my actions.
I was acting just like the hypocrites that Jesus was calling out.
It is only because of amazing grace that God opened my eyes and revealed my sin so that I could repent from this wickedness that I pursued.
What is scary is that nobody else saw through this.
Nobody called me out on it.
I never let anyone get close enough to me in order to discover the true me.
But God, rich in mercy, because of His great love for me, made me alive in Christ, while I was yet a sinner, Christ died for me.
Even if you won’t let anyone close enough to find out the real you, ask God to search your heart, to reveal your ambitions.
To see if what you are doing truly is for God, or if it is truly for yourself.
This is the first warning that we must explore within each of ourselves as we explore our pursuit of Piety.
The second danger is False Security.
Just because you take part in religious activities does not mean that your activities are accepted by God.
I touched on this earlier when I mentioned all of the religious activities of other religions.
But, this also includes Christian activities that are done with the wrong motives that deceive yourself and others.
This is a by product of self-righteousness is that of self-deception.
You think you are saved, you think that you have Christ, but what you are doing is not pleasing to God, but pleasing to your flesh.
You have guilt, you have a burden, and instead of looking to Christ to fill this void you look to religious pursuits to fill the void.
If you just do enough, serve enough, give enough, sing loud enough, attend enough, then you’ll be just fine.
Yet, we already discovered today that we do not earn salvation, we receive salvation.
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
In God’s eyes, our greatest deeds are like polluted garments, like filthy rags.
One person helped put it in a context that I resonated deeply with since I have 8 kids.
Our most righteous deeds are like poopy diapers when we do them apart from God.
When we do activities for the sake of doing the activity, in hopes that they will grant us some merit with God.
Then we have given ourselves a false security that will be worthless when we go to cash it in upon our judgement.
While Christian Piety is what we as a Christian not only should pursue, but get to pursue,
We must check ourselves to make sure we are doing so in a response to God’s saving grace, not to earn saving grace.
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My hope in our Summer of Discipleship series is that we will take these different topics and let them inspire us and challenge us.
The goal is for us to become more confident in Christ and thus more equipped for the Christian life.
When we receive Christ, it is a profound joy and incredible gift.
Yet, this gift is just the beginning.
Now, we an opportunity to live out what we have been rescued for.
We have an opportunity to glorify God where before we had none.
We have an opportunity to store up treasures in heaven instead of store up storage units.
We have an opportunity to make an impact that will have an eternal effect instead of temporary reaction.
The Christian life is an incredible journey.
A wonderful pursuit
and a timeless reward.
And it is all because a gracious Father put forth a plan from eternity past through eternity future.
That included His Son Jesus clothing Himself in humanity and coming to earth to accomplish the plan.
And the Holy Spirit applying that plan to the children of God.
When the Spirit opens our eyes and heart to recognize that we who were enemies of God are now children of God,
It changes everything.
Absolutely everything.
If that is your story.....as it is mine....then you are invited into the joy of Christian Piety.
Amen?
Let us pray.