The Seven Habits of a Godly Life – Dr. Charles Stanley

[Music] intimate relationship of God is um he talked to Emily he listens to you you listen to him you obey him he got you as an awesome sense of intimacy in a life that trust God [Music] four decades ago we started in touch ministries to lead people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ throughout the years we've seen God's greatness his love and his blessings in such awesome ways that we just want everyone to know him so let's open God's Word and seek Him together next on InTouch the seven Habits of a godly life [Music] well the title of this message is the seven habits of a godly life you should get every one of them down ask yourself the question are you a godly person so first of all I want to define a couple of things and first of all I will define what a habit is and a habit is a recurring often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition that's what I have it is something we do over and over and over again the second definition is simply this what is a godly life so what's godly it's a life no longer seeking satisfaction through a sinful lifestyle but is now surrendered to God and His will for your life in other words we would call that a sanctified life not perfect doesn't mean you never sin but it means that your life is fully surrendered to him so I want to give you seven habits that every single believer ought to make as a part of their life and the first one is this the habit first habit is a life of prayer and you recall one of my favorite passages very simple in the mark that first chapter when the disciples they never quite get a hold of this but the scripture says in Chapter 1 of Mark verse 35 in the early morning while it was still dark Jesus got up left the house and went away to a secluded place and was praying there Simon and his companions search for him they found the men said to him everybody's looking for you and so that's sort of typical about the way people operate sometimes Jesus is doing the most important thing in life and they don't quite get that and then again for example in the fourth chapter of Luke and the 42nd verse when they came Jesus left and went to a secluded place and the crowds were searching for him and came to him and tried to keep him from going away from them and he said to them I must preach the gospel and so forth now when we talk about a life of prayer we're not talking about once in a while we're talking about that everyday you sense the need the desire and the joy and the awesome power that comes through pray talking to the father that is it ought to be a habit something that is recurring in your life not just when you get in trouble when you get need but because you love God because you're grateful for who he is and what he's doing in your life and for example I'm the 11th chapter of Luke the disciples came to Jesus and said now would you would you teach us to pray like him John the Baptist teaches his disciples to pray and so they saw something absolutely different about Jesus praying it wasn't some ritual that people who usually would go through in those days but they could sense that he was talking personally to the Heavenly Father so when I look at these verses and think about it the truth is you can't live a godly life unless you have a prayer life you're not you can't you live in a world we all live in a world of temptation and trials and heartaches and burdens and sin and everywhere you turn there it is you cannot live a godly life I didn't say a life with that innocent but I got little life and we defined what that meant you can't live a godly life unless you have a good prayer because the prayer life keeps you connected to Almighty God sensitive to his will and his purpose and his plan for your life you don't pray you will never got their life and if you'll think about it it's the most important activity of your life you've got to have a life of prayer secondly the second habit is trust or faith whichever word suits you best and I love that one hundred and third song and the 19th or US and the Bible says the Lord has established his throne in the heavens and his sovereignty rules over all so if you'll think about what that verse says if God Almighty has established his throne in the heavens and watch this his sovereignty that is his all-knowing supernatural divine power rules over everything then what does that do that gives me an awesome foundation to believe him knowing that he's in charge it doesn't make a difference what happens how it happens through whom it happens for whatever reason I know that God is in control and I can trust him but whatever he allows in life and I think that's why that verse is so important is because if you don't if you don't trust him if you don't trust him you're not gonna pray and you have to ask yourself the question well where is where is trust in your own spiritual life trust in the Lord with all your heart lead not to your own understanding and all you always acknowledge him and he'll direct your path and I quote that verse to you very often because it is a basic verse and when you're not trusting what happens it builds intimacy with him and intimacy means that I have a relationship with him I don't have to introduce myself to him an intimate relationship with a person means that that you are close not only to their heart but their thinking the way they think the way they feel an intimate relationship for every husband and wife ought to have all the days of their life intimate relationship with God is you and he talked together he listens to you you listen to him you obey him he guides you that's an awesome sense of intimacy in a life that trusts God and if you want to know whether you're a trusting person or not ask yourself this question what am I worried about if you can't look around see I'm not worried about anything that's because you're trusting in whatever you're worried about is God's long awesome finger saying you're not trusting me at this area of your life a godly life is a life of trust third third habit in this awesome life is the habit of meditation in the Word of God now I don't know how you describe how important this is but the scriptures are there and I want us to look at it for just a moment and the psalmist said in this 63rd chapter in the sixth verse listen when I remember you on my bed I meditate on you in the night watches for you've been my help in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy my soul clings to you your right hand upholds me now what does it mean to meditate it means that I read it it means that I think about it I search my heart in the light of what God is saying I ask him whatever questions I have on my mind I surrender whatever he brings to my mind and meditating upon him here's what meditation does meditation is like looking into a mirror but it is also looking beyond the mirror that is I see what God sees and then I see beyond that and I see him your focus is on him and when you begin to focus on God here's what happens worries drift away concerns drift away your mine is no longer contaminated with all kinds of things that do not do you any good at all meditation is an absolutely essential part of living a godly life and where there's no meditation you're not gonna live a godly life you can't you think about when you get up in the morning how much of the world crowds itself into your thinking you have to get dressed of course need breakfast and you gotta get in your car and drive down the expressway or somewhere and finally get to work in as soon as you do it's chatta chatta chatta chatta chatta all the day the keyboards flying all the day in your mind it's all then you've got to get back in your car you get back on the highway and and dodge the traffic again all the way home and when you get there you undress inside relaxing then there's dinner I can fill up your day and not even know you because that's what we do and so where is God where's where's God's private time with you what leads to a godly life is the time of being alone with him longing for him meditating upon him thinking about him and then there's a fourth habit a very important one and the one you hear me say all the time obey God and I want to go back to Deuteronomy 27 all the way back in the Old Testament because he makes it so crystal clear in this twenty seventh chapter and the tenth verse God speaking through Moses to his people here's what he said he said you shall therefore obey the Lord your God and do His commandments and his statutes which I command you today and then down that's when chapter 28 verse 1 now it shall be listen this if you diligently you know what that means consistently diligently obey the Lord your God being careful to do all his commandments which I command you today the Lord your God will set you this has sent you high above all the nations of the earth he was talking about Israel but put yourself in that position when you and I obey God we listen well think about this we're walking on a higher level think of and how the world lives they live with all kinds of evil thoughts and busy busy busy no time for God you have chosen to follow Jesus and the follow him means you live on a higher level it doesn't mean that you're looking down on other people it just means that you have chosen to live by a standard that's higher than the world standard it doesn't mean that we're better than somebody else but Italy means our lifestyle is better than the lifestyle of the world so I ask yourself the question now do I have a habit of really praying and trusting and meditating upon the Word of God and would I be considered an obedient child of God and how many times have you said it and you said as well as I can the wise way to live is to obey God then leave all the consequences and circumstances to God now I will do that only if I'm have a life of prayer only if I'm trusting only if I'm meditating upon him that's the only way I'm gonna do it so these are simple habits that make your life what God wants it to be and listen think about this there's nothing that can keep you from obeying and walking in these seven habits nothing except the choice you make you see you have to you have to cheat you have to choose some things you have to choose to go with them oh my god have this or have God walk this way I have God's Way and so I the reason I said seven habits because they remember we said of happiness are occurring off an unconscious pattern of behavior that's acquired through frequent repetition something that you not do continuously now each thing I've mentioned so far you can do the reason you do not do this because you don't think it's important now watch that the reason we don't do things of ABB's sacred godly awesome life-changing lifting habits is because we've decided to choose the world's way and no matter who you are how gifted you are or how much money you have how wise you think you are how much education you have you cannot live a godly life the best life without practicing these seven habits now what is the fifth one this earth habit is dependence upon the Holy Spirit and somebody says well what does that mean it means that I surrender my life listen to the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit and I remember what Jesus said to his disciples he said sit down wait in Jerusalem until you be endued that is until the Holy Spirit comes into your life and when he does then you'll be ready to do of what I have called you to do so I've given you some some scriptures here some of them are familiar to you maybe some or not but in Ephesians chapter 5 you men what the scripture says in this particular passage and let's look at verse 18 the scripture says do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation of waste but the filled with the spirit now if I took a quart sized jar and set it up here and I had it half full of water you would say well it's only half full it would only be full when it's up to the top brimming complete when he says be that that a Greek verb says be ye being filled which means it's a continuous thing in the morning when you two get up amidst your prayer before you if when you're meditating before you even get out of the bed you should say Lord I just want you to fill me with your spirit today now here's what that means jesus said to his disciples then Luke before you do what I told you to do wait in the city of Jerusalem until you be endued until the Holy Spirit has come upon you to enter well you for the simple reason you are not equipped to do what I've called you to do apart from the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit who will empower you he will empower you teach you how give you guidance and direction to do what I've called you to do now most people don't have any idea who the Holy Spirit is you are as a follower of Jesus as a believer of Christ you've trusted the MPO salvation you are now already in dealt by the third person of the Trinity who is the Holy Spirit when you and I choose to disobey God we choose the sin against the Holy Spirit who is within us and whom God sent into our life to enable us to become to be to do to accomplish whatever he has in life so you're never alone you're indwelt by God the Holy Spirit who was there to enable you help you encourage you strengthen you heal you you name it he's there because we need a God in our life and he knew we would then of course there is the sixth son and that's giving to God unto others and in the sixth chapter of Luke which is a very rhythm in your chapter you remember what he says give and it should be given to you good measure he says listen they will pour into your lap a good measure pressed down shaken together running over for by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return I'm not thinking about giving to God my favorite example of that is I was thinking about this last night my first Sunday school teacher was this naturally I was probably three or four years old somewhere that balanced because I started school at five which was too early never caught up and then but I went to Sunday school every Sunday and I remember all the chairs with different colors green red yellow blue so forth and then the Sunday school teacher was this I don't know how told she was but she looks like she's about 10 feet old to me got sitting down she had black hair sweet wonderful lady and they came around to take the offering and I remember my mother will always give me a few pennies to drop in oh yes she would never let me go without having something to give so before I could count my mother taught me to give to God so when I got my first job which was a paper route I made four dollars a week well I was grateful to God I thought I can't get God change I gave him a dollar which was 25% I never thought about that I just don't know what did God yet then after that I had to pay friend I made 16 dollars a week and so I gave God more than title net and then all of my life I've never adjust sound never for the simple reason I learned very early in life you cannot outgive God and watch this secondly you can't even predict what you're going to need and if you can't predict what you're gonna need how you gonna manage all of it so we give to God and trust him to do exactly what he promised to do and so I give you this simple example that many of you heard before because it's one that's so impressed my life so you have to ask you something question is that young will be one of the habits in your life and the vowel says that God loves a cheerful Giver so if he loves the cheerful Giver what about those who what about those who are stingy who don't give God y'all tell you you know I'll tell you why God's not pleased forgives just what it says I can do without him I'll handle it I can manage I don't need God to manage my money think about how foolish that is your money could burn up overnight the situation can be that you'd lose it all overnight yet but listen to skip it you will never be in the situation where you don't have anything because you have God living within you and everything you need God has promised to provide an awesome habit in our life then I will give you the seventh a habit and that is very important one and that is the habit of forgiving of the people and the scripture one of them very clear scriptures in Ephesians chapter 4 and we've all read it many times before but it's the truth and we read it again and again and again and the scripture says listen be angry and yet do not sin do not let the Sun go down on your anger do not give the devil an opportunity very very important passage and then he says don't greet in verse 30 don't grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed that the day of redemption then he says in verse 31 let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving each other just as God in Christ has also forgiven you it's not always easy no it's difficult sometimes to be forgiving to people who have done certain things to you and I think one of the worst situations is when you've been betrayed when you have trusted really trusted somebody done your best to help them in lots of ways and then they betray you they they do what would be the last thing you'd think that they were doing your life and yet we have to be forgiving now here are seven habits listen carefully I could have done this in a lot of different ways but I wanted you to see every verse and they get all seven habits now so that every single person in here fully understands the seven habits about which you live a gun in life a life that will be blessed over and over and over again in many many different ways but it's a it's a choice you make and I would suggest that you make a choice right now we got to pray in a second and in this pray I'm gonna pray that you'll be wise enough and say to God Lord I want these seven habits in my life and I will begin today working them into my life it's a working process into your life will you would you live up to all of them every day no but here's what you do you ask God to forgive you show me why tripped up on that one Lord and I just reaffirmed my desire to be forgiving to others or whatever it might be Oh Lord I was too busy this morning I got up and ran off forgive me for not stopping to meditate upon your word to surrender my life to you yields myself to you made a mistake god I don't want to do that again you don't think God would correct you yes he will he will correct you he'll give you enough trouble one morning after you get up and ignore him that she won't forget it listen you know what it's because He loves us thinking about there's a whole Bible full of truth but I believe those seven habits absolutely will transform your life and lead you to be able to accomplish in life more than your heart can ever desire now if you here this morning and you're not a Christian you're not saved you never trust the Jesus as your Savior I understand this is probably beyond you but let me say this you'll never understand I'll be able to enjoy life at its best until you surrender your life to Christ because you can't ever lose surrendering to Jesus never you say what I have to do you ask the Lord to forgive you of your sin not because you deserve it but because Jesus went to the cross died on the cross shed his blood for you paid your sin debt in full the Bible says and therefore when you ask God to forgive you because of what he has done for you he paid your debt God forgives you and makes you a child of God then you begin the practice of these seven habits what an awesome life you have before you and I trust that you'll do it following love iane praise you and thank you for the word of God from Genesis 1:1 to the last verse of the revelation and this morning we're praying that you'll give us wisdom to recognize there were these seven habits everything else will fall in place then we will open the door to the best of your blessings and I pray for somebody here today who is unsaved you've never trusted you as their Savior that they would be willing to ask you to forgive them of their sins believe that Jesus went to the cross and paid our sin debt in full and by trusting his death at Calvary the shedding of his blood that confession and repentance brings forth salvation and following salvation we would develop these seven awesome life transforming habits in our life and lord I pray that for all of us today and that somebody seated here who's not saved would be willing to ask you to forgive them and they cleanse their heart and surrender their life to you right now [Music] and we thank you for it in Jesus name Amen if you've been blessed by today's program please visit us at intouch.org e in touch leading people worldwide into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and strengthening the local church this program is sponsored by in touch ministries and is made possible by the grace of God and your faithful prayers and gifts

Channel: In Touch Ministries

Views: 1,056,563

Keywords: Charles F. Stanley, Charles Stanley, In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley, In Touch Ministries, Preaching, Bible teaching, Dr. Stanley, Intouch ministries, intouch

Id: IyNtFn3TyO4

Length: 27min 1sec (1621 seconds)

Published: Sun Jan 07 2018