Virtue (Part 1 of 7)

Teaching by Elder Akini Qauqau

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Teaching Transcript:

I would like to move on to the second part of it. It's not only that what pertains

to this life, but also godliness.

So this part two, it is the divine power that's been given to us to help us to attain the things of this life and not only that, and also Godliness through the knowledge of him who called us.

So when we look at this word, let's just focus on this word - Godliness.

What does godliness means to you? How would you define godliness?

Character of God. Any other things? To be God-like any other definitions?

What's in your mind when somebody said or when somebody tells you, why are all

you so godly?

Now, how do you how do you explain it in Fijian? Godliness - Valavala vakalou

Nai vakarau ni bula vakalou. Na bula taki ni vosa ni Kalou

(Living a godly lifestyle. Applying the Word of God)

All that is Godliness when we're talking about

So let's look at this - Godliness is living as a fruitful, obedient Christian.

What is the theme for this year?

The year of Fruitfulness

For this, lesson, I'm going to introduce to you 7 qualities that will enable us to be fruitful,

And that how Peter started off in Second Peter chapter 1. If you look at in Second

Peter chapter 1 verse 5, it says,

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add toy our faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, self control perseverance, to perseverance godliness.

So all of us here seated in this room, we have faith whether a big faith or small faith, because even a faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains.

And I look at you, I can see you are all people of big faith. So we all have faith, and faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.

So how do we develop faith? We develop faith by hearing.

The 7 qualities - these are the things that we need to add to our faith that will enable you not to be unfruitful. It will enable you to be fruitful, and not barren.

So godliness through the knowledge of him. Godliness is the proof of our faith.

We know that our faith comes by hearing. So when we apply the word of God and when we put the the word of God into action. The action part that is - godliness.

Because you are actually lifestyling the Word of God.

So when you lifestyle the Word of God, you become more and more like Christ.

That is why it is very important that we need to continue to emphasize from here that the application is very important. How we apply the Word of God into our lives is very important that we may not only be hearers of the wood.

Not only that we recite the word, that we meditate on the word, but we need to be doers of the word. We need to be people who are action oriented, who are purpose driven by the Word of God. So when we do that, when we embark onto that, when you decide today, I'm going to start, to focus - that whatever I read, I apply it.

You will see that fruitfulness will come, your effectiveness and your impact will increase.

We are going to go into this lesson, to see some of the pattern of being an effective Christian-being an effective believer are.

Sometimes we've been in the church, but our effectiveness and efficiency is not there.

Lets look at godliness through the knowledge of him. The divine power is for 2 purposes, and that is for things to pertain of this life and the second, on godliness.

But the emphasis is on the knowledge of Him. When you're talking about knowledge

of him, it's knowledge about God. It's knowledge of Christ. Knowing Christ better day by day,

How do we develop the knowledge of him? How do we develop knowledge of Christ?

By reading his word.

What else?

By listening to His Word. I have developed a lifestyle every day. I'll try to hear about 2 or 3 sermons. Sometimes I'll go through the teachings on Wednesday.

Why am I trying to do that?

Because I need to develop my knowledge of him. It comes by hearing and by listening and not only that, the reading the Word on a daily basis. That means that it is also for everybody in this church.

We embarked from last year to this year that our priority is on the Word. So if our priority is on the Word, that means we are developing people so that their culture and their lifestyle is when they wake up, it's just the Word. Your quiet time is very important. Your prayer life is very important. We are to be known as a church that is Bible based. When we want to go for

counseling, guidance - its all there in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit is going to help us.

Romans 10:17

So faith cometh

by hearing and hearing the Word of God.

This passage emphasizes that faith is generally, generated or comes into existence through the hearing of the Word. That means that hearing is a must for every believer. That hearing is a must for everyone.

You wake up in the morning, try to hear the Word of God when you're doing your work and throughout the day, try to hear the Word of God

Mo vakananuma tiko na vosa ni Kalou (You are to medidate on the Word of God)

Mo rogoca tiko na Vosa ni Kalou (To keep hearing the Word of God) or when you're driving, try to meditate on the Word of God, to develop an attitude that you're hearing what God is telling you. You'll see things and you'll see in those times that the Scripture just falls

o na dau rai va qo (when you meditate), ena lako mai vei iko na Vosa ni Kalou (the Word will come to you) . When you're getting into that mode.

Faith is not self-generated quality. It requires external source. That means we need of the Holy Spirit to help us.

The Bible says

not by power, it's not by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord.

That means a we have an indwelling helper that will help us. Kevaka e da sega ni dau wili vola tabu tiko vakalevu (if we do not read the bible alot) me da kerea na veivuke ni Yalo Tabu (we should ask the help of the Holy Spirit) because the Holy Spirit that is in us, is the divine power that is in us. He's been given to us to help us in all our weaknesses. Whatever weaknesses you have, ask the Holy Spirit, He's going to help you.

The thing is, you need to determine it within your heart that you need to pray, that you need to wake up in the morning or I have to read this. I need to focus on Jesus first

So godliness is the action of our faith.

So when we put faith into action, you are actually lifestyling godliness. I used to remember in high school, you know some of our friends would say 'sa kua mada na vaka holy holy tiko' . Right when we start to lifestyle godliness, people will notice. People will notice your speech, your action, the way that you present yourself. It's less of you and more of Christ. That is what we are trying to get into. So if we do not strive for godliness, if we do not determine within our heart to strive for godliness, then godlessness will overtake us.

Godlessness means that we continue to conform to the standard of this world. We do things

just what we know the world is doing.

So what we determine into our heart is about conformity to the Word of God.

So when we conform to the Word of God, the Bible says we need to conform to the Word of God in Romans 12:2

do not conform to the standard of this world

In some translation it says,

do not conform to the pattern of this world,

That that means there is a conformity issue that is involved here. Either you conform to the Word of God or you conform to the standard of this world. So the conformity is you.The choice is yours.

What are you going to conform to today? What are you going to decide?

You choose either God, or you just choose your work to do whatever you want to do.The Bible says, do not conform to the standard or the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

They all say its all in the mind.

You need to make it up in your mind and say - I need to focus it on Jesus so then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is. His good and pleasing and perfect will.

So I'd like to tie this right to verse 7 it says,

Let's start from verse 5. Second Peter chapter 1

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith.

with? What's our first one?

Virtue.

Are we talking about faith? All of us has got faith. From the day that you believe in Christ, that is a faith. That when you hear the word and you believe it and you receive Christ into your life. So for this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue.

What is virtue?

So when we talk about this word virtue, what does it mean?

I looked up the dictionary and it says a virtue is referred to the power of valor or efficacy. In the contemporary meaning of virtue signifies moral excellence or goodness.

Virtue - your moral excellence or goodness.

When we look in, second Peter chapter 5, it urges us to add virtue to our faith. So we have faith. Then we have to add the virtue on top of it. But also for these very reason giving all

diligence, add to your faith virtue.

I want to take us to this Bible verse Philippians chapter 4, verse 8. These are list of qualities

that aligns with virtue.

It says

so finally, brethren, whatever things are that are true, whatever things that are noble, whatever things that are just, whatever things that are pure, whatever things that are lovely, whatever things that are of good report, if there is any virtue or moral goodness in it, if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things.

So Philippians chapter 4 it actually list the qualities that aligns with virtue. When we are talking about virtue, it is moral excellence or goodness. God embodies absolute virtue and set standards for it. He provides us with guidelines for moral excellence through His Word. When we read the Word of God, it gives us the moral guide. The guidelines of how we need to present ourselves, how we need to to act, how to behave, our attitude, our thinking, our perception. it's all in the Bible.

So God has actually, provided the guidelines for moral excellence through His Word. As believers, we seek to attain virtues, recognizing that we were created in God's image and likeness. All of us seated here, we are created in God's image and likeness.

If we have God's image and likeness, we need to also have the virtue of God. The character of God. The moral excellence, of God.

In Genesis chapter 1, verse 26, he says,

And God said that let us make man in our image

Right from the beginning, God has already planned that we will be created in his image. So you and I are seated here - You are an image of God,

Don't allow anyone, to tell you that you look like this or look like that. We are all of the image of God. In the Bible it says

according to our likeness and let them rule over the fish of the sea and of the birds in the sky.

When we when we read the Genesis chapter 5, this is the book of generation of Adam in the day when God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. We were all created in the likeness of God, you and I.

Well, so that is very important that we need to understand.

He created them male and female, and he blessed them and named them in the day when they were created.

In Psalms chapter 8 He says,

when I consider your heavens the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have ordained, what is men that you take thought of him and the son of man, that you care for him, yet you have made him a little lower than than the angels, and you crown him with glory and majesty.

You see, you are crowned with glory and majesty because you were created in the image and the likeness of God. So every day we need to remind ourselves I am created in the image and the likeness of God. I need to learn to understand the virtues of God. The moral excellence and godliness that is in the word and apply it into our lives.

In Matthew chapter 5 verse 48, I like this verse. You know, I read this chapter many times. But it struck me again when I read it and I like this verse 48. It says,

therefore you are to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect.

It's a very bold statement

When you say so you are to be perfect, that means it's an instruction. It is a choice that we have to take on in terms of conformity. Our choice of conformity is that we need to conform

to the standard, to the guidelines, to the moral excellence of God's Word, and not to the pattern of this world. So that is why it says, therefore you ought to be perfect, because your heavenly father is perfect.

The one thing that will always enable us when we're talking about this is just one word that is the first quality which is virtue. Add virtue to your faith. When we're talking about faith, these are moral excellence. So one thing that will perfect our faith is when we ask the Holy Spirit to help us in terms of the things that God is telling us to do. That we lifestyle the Word of God,

The application in terms of the word of virtue is this. Listen very carefully. If you forget every scriptures that we've discussed, don't forget this, Hebrews chapter 12, verse 2. It says,

fixing our eyes on Jesus.

If we want to perfect our faith, we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. That's all what you have to do because he's already done everything for us. All we need to do is focus, our perception, our look, the lenses that we use every day. It needs to be Christ lenses that you see things. You do things through the lens of Christ, but not through the lenses of this world.

Because if we lose the lenses of this world, we will continue to see the bad, the ugly, the shame, you know, the things that are happening.

But when we put on the lenses of Christ, you will see the love of God. You will see the goodness of God. That is what the Bible says that our focus needs to be on these things. Think of things that are lovely, that are all good reports, all of these things, because it's going to develop the virtue, the moral excellence and goodness in our life.

Hebrews 12:2 to conclude

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith.

But when we look at Matthew chapter 5 verse 48, He says,

therefore you ought to be perfect.

That means, can we do it on our own to make ourselves perfect?

No, we cannot.

There is only one that will enable us to perfect our faith, and that is Jesus and all we need to do is focus on him, fixing our eyes on him. Focus on the Word of God, what God is telling you. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith

We cannot perfect our faith. It's not by how many times you come to Church this year or how much you're going to give, or how much outreach, or how many poor people

that you're going to help.

No, but it's only Jesus, the perfecter of our faith, the pioneer and the perfecter of our faith.

So what we need to do?

We need to fix our eyes on Jesus. Don't fix your eyes on the mountain. Don't fix your eyes on the problem. Don't fix your eyes on the lack, on the poverty.

Fix your eyes on the author and the finisher of our faith and we will continue to go from heights to heights in our walk with Him

We are going through the seven qualities. This is the first quality and that is on virtue. That means moral excellence. If there's one thing that we need to learn as a church, God wants to take us in to another level of excellence. We need to focus on Jesus. He's going to perfect everything.

Hallelujah.

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• 2 Peter 1:5 - 7

• Romans 10:17

• Romans 12:2

• Phillipians 4:8

• Psalms 8

• Matthew 5:48