But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profits little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. 1 Timothy 4:7-8.
As believers with a new life or creatures in Christ Jesus who are awaiting the second coming of Christ or the expiration of our time here on earth when the earthly tabernacle is dissolve (2 Corinthians 5:1), we are in the time or period of spiritual re-education through the transformation and purging work God is doing in us both to will and do according to his good pleasure, that we should be conformed to the image of Christ – until Christ full character is progressively formed and seen in us to reproduce his life and nature by the power of the in-corruptible seed through which we are begotten into the lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This is the divine nature – the life of God which Adam and Eve lost in the Garden at the fall which resulted in spiritual death but was abolished alongside the other deaths (physical and second death) by Christ substituted and atonement death (for we shall not all die, but we shall all be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52) who has brought immortality and life (divine nature) to light (to our understanding or illumination) through the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:10. This life is the life of true satisfaction in Christ in the acknowledgement of the truth which is after godliness (Titus 1; 1), the satisfaction Adam and Eve could not found in God or shown before God, that we should live, reason and act just as God demands of us in his word (and Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.1 Samuel 3:19), which by the way, was the primary purpose of Adam’s existence and creation to be made after the image and likeness of God. It is called a godly life or godliness or God-ward life against all ungodliness, godlessness and self oriented life and lifestyles which was introduced by Satan from the Garden of Eden.
Adam was endowed with godliness or godly life at creation through the breath of God into his nostrils which made him a living soul, so that what was made and given under his dominion to rule over should not corrupt or destroy the purpose of his creation and presence in the Garden. It was indeed a probation time for Adam to exercise himself continually in godliness simply because the continuation or  the termination of his spiritual life depends on it; but he fell to Satan’s fables and profanity against the word  and works of God, and they both died spiritually. Note: though, Adam was a man of the earth –made out of the dust, yet, he was once spiritually quickened to have fellowship with God and was once dead to the world of sensuality, carnality and fantasies (as we should now be dead to sin in Christ Jesus) of an endless possibilities to be creative just like God as Satan presented before them: instead, they lost godliness or God-ward life as they chose to live in pleasure and fantasy of self-will (God knows that you shall not die), freedom of self independent from God  (you shall be as God, knowing good and evil), and fleshly wisdom (they saw it as a tree to make one wise) in discontentment beyond what was permitted of them by the word of God which resulted in spiritual death just as God promised they would die if they should eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – whoever lives in pleasure is dead, while he yet lives. 1Timothy 5:6.
Adam and Eve fell into the temptation of the lusts of the flesh, and the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life to plunge the entire human race into the ditch of mess of physical death and second death which is the lake of fire. As their eyes were opened to the physical world of sense, pride and fantasy of life, they were sent out of the Garden – out of the presence of God into the world they love. Now in Christ Jesus, though we live in the world, we are not of the world, and should not think, speak, behave and dress to appear in any form or way to live like them (Isaiah 3:16-26) because of the presence of Christ which lives in us through the new spiritual life given unto us at the regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost. Titus 3:3-5.
The power that declared Jesus to be the Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness (Romans 1: 4) is the same divine power which has given unto us all things that pertains to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who has called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these we might be partakers of divine nature (godly or God-ward life or godliness – the life lost by Adam’s transgression), having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lusts. The worldly glory, beauties and divers lusts are all around us, but their appeals should not entice us to embrace its conformity, practices and lifestyles against godly lifestyle and standard, if we are not to become delusional wide gate and broad way worshippers of God to be sent away from the his presence at judgment (Matthew 7:13-14) just as Adam was sent out of the Garden lest he should eat of the fruit of life reserved for the obedient children who are not fashioning themselves according to their former lusts in their ignorance, but according as he has called them is holy, they are holy and godly in all manner of conversation in a godless, corrupt, crooked and perverse nation. 1 Peter 1:14-17.
Our glorying in Christ is false and our religion and profession of faith in him is defiled and not of any godly sincerity ( for our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. 2 Corinthians 1:12) if our conversation is in conformity and not in crucifixion to the world and the world likewise is crucified to us. Galatians 6:14. The mentality, sayings and doings of the world – worldly correctness (conformity in acceptance to worldly -social lifestyle and standard) should not be found among those who are called to be renewed continually in the spirit of their minds (Ephesians 4:23): none should claim to be godly and worldly at the same time, than to pursue after all godliness (1 Timothy 2;2): it is either you are exercising yourself to grow and improve in godliness through the process of dying daily to the flesh and the world in spiritual brokenness; or you are blind and cannot see afar off because you are lacking in those things given you to make the allowance and possibility of an open-eternal and everlasting door for you into the everlasting kingdom of our God and Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-9.
As the corruption of the flesh within us is weakening through the help of the indwelling Spirit of God in our daily labor and exercises to apply the fruit of the spirit in our walk, the appellation power of the world around us is also dwindling through spiritual brokenness: thus, the beauty of the inward man is increasingly radiating to reproduce Christ in us for all to behold in his daily renewal from within us, whereby God is glorified for our subjection to the gospel of Christ which is the doctrine according to godliness. What was the ground of appeals won by Satan in the Garden against God to Adam and Eve? Was it not on the grounds of  his appeal to the flesh that they shall be like God and make them equally wise like him – fleshly wisdom? Woe unto them that are wise in their won sight, pudent in their own eyes! Though, the fleshly desire and wisdom appeals to the sensual, fantasy and the pleasure of the world, God has saved us out of the world, calling and empowering us by grace to redirect our desire unto him and to shun all ungodliness and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. Titus 2:11-12.
Once, we all live without God in the world, but now that we have God in our world, godliness is a life to practice by obedience in the application of the word of God which has the power to transform us as we yield or give ourselves to its life giving transforming precepts in order to reign in life through Jesus Christ. The true grace of God is dethroned (1 Peter 5:12) wherever righteousness and increasing godliness is not visibly present to reign through righteousness. Romans 5:21. Godliness and godly life are two different things. Some believers have the form of godliness, but they don’t live in a godly life: thus they are denying, concealing, restraining and suppressing the power within them to live a godly life: you are commanded to turn away from such false brethren. 2 Timothy3: 1 -7.                                 
If the ungodly men and women of the world are doing everything within their carnal power and knowledge to be in good shape and form, what are you doing as a child of God with the knowledge of his word to keep yourself in a good spiritual form and shape in all godliness and holy conversation: have you despised knowledge according to the doctrine of godliness? The people of the world control what they eat and invest on diffrent sport equipments: they enroll and pay monthly or annual fee in a fitness or gym hall to keep the outward man strong and alive, though they are spiritually empty and dead within. They lift weight, climb mountains, control their sleep with strict time table schedule to keep to their daily routine of physical education with other activities uninterrupted to keep healthy, fit and mentally alert which the bible says it profit is little for the physical, temporal earthly results and benefits it brings about with no promise or cerntainty of eternal life after the body of sin and death is returned back to the dust as it was: but by our conscious and dutiful exercising daily in godliness, there is a double reward, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
(A) that though we must use the world, we should not abuse or misuse it: that our physical or bodily exercise should not in any way be an occasion to other’s fall or lusts after us by the opposite sex through the way we dress to keep fit, lest that which is lawful to us should become our stumbling block of sin or should cause others to sin through us by lusting after us. 1 Corinthians 7:31: (b) that the women of Zion – the daughters of God who profess godliness in Christ Jesus should likewise adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array (1 Timothy 2:9-10): for after this manner in the old time the holy also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands. 1 Peter 3: 3-5: (c) that the life, teaching and demands of Christ on us is all about godliness – to live in all holy conversation and godliness  (2 Peter 3:11) if the Lord is truly our portion in the land of the living as we awaits his seceond coming and appearance, we should be content with whatsoever we have, content with whatsoever or whomsoever we are, not seeking to add to, neither removing from whom God has made us to be or becoming – not measuring or comparing ourselves with others, but to be content and thankful: (d) that godliness with contentment is a great gain which is designed to keep us away from the wages of unrighteousness (unholy and unlawful offerings and tithes if we are men and servant s of God), and if we are children of God, to keep us away from the destruction of men of perverse minds, who through covetousness of financial and material gain to turn away from the truth to adulterate the pure word of God to led souls astray by flattering words and fair speeches. 2 Peter 2:1-3: (e) that all ungodliness in the church, if not repented of by godly sorrow, with all the ungodly life and ungodly speeches in the world of ungodly men shall all be met with the same destruction by the fearful judgment of the living God who knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: (f) that the life of godliness has a unique and noble characteristic features of lifestyles and conformation to separate the good from the bad, the original from the fake, and the tares from the wheat by their persecutions and names calling, not only from the men of the world, but also from the ungodly and worldly believers against their own brethren (hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name’s sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. Isaiah 66:5), yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 2 Timothy 3:12-13.
Profane is anything not relating to that which is sacred or religious – corrupt communication which should not be heard from the mouth of a child of God, neither foolish talking or jesting which is not convenient – those are ungodly conversation. 2 Timothy 2:16. Today in some churches, you heard about comedy or hilarious ministry where such ministers are invited to the altar or are given a platform to make church people to laugh while the comedian minister lambast and ridicule them with his out of place foolish talk and coarse joking (but fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. Ephesians 5: 3-7) in their madness – I said of laughter, it is mad, and of pleasure, what does it accomplish. Ecclesiastes 2:2.
What a foolishness of poor judgment of a blind guide leading the blind: where is the godly edifying which is in faith in the comedian minister of Satan in the church? 1Timothy 1:4. Rather, a child of God should have the tongue of the learned (Isaiah 50;4), but not the tongue of a comedian, with the ability to edify, being filled with all goodness and knowledge, able to admonish one another with words that are seasoned with salt and filled with grace. Colossians 4:6. Romans 15:14. The church auditorium, altar or platform is the house of God, the pillar and ground of truth which should not be turned into a theater hall for comedians to make people laugh with their humorous, funny, droll, entertaining and amusing unedifying carnal and empty words of worldly people: this is worldliness and ungodliness in the church – believers should exercises themselves in all godliness.
The text before us this morning reveals distinctive truths about bodily or physical exercise and godliness. God is not interested in his children looking out of shape for whatever reason, but that they should be in good form and shape for his glory because he will satisfy their mouths with good things, so that their youths also can be renewed like the eagles. He will be their strength in the time of old age and their natural force shall not diminish and their eye sight shall not get dim. Has he not done it for Moses in the past, even at the age of an hundred and twenty years? Deuteronomy 34:7. I bet you, he will do it for us in Christ Jesus, so that as our days, so shall our strength be. God is not against our good and healthy physical presentation, but he is against any conscious or unconscious strange sexual provocative appearance, dress and dressing of any negative influence or impression in the assembly of his saints: hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel – exercise yourself on godly mode of dress and dressing. Zephaniah 1:7-8.  Note: if Achan, after the conquest of Jericho was not spared from stealing the goodly Babylonian dress to wear in the camp, none should feel secure with the strange worldly – apparel they are wearing in the house of God or outside the church, though they claim to belong to God. Joshua 7:21.
Have you truly being delivered from this present evil world according to the scripture? Galatians 1:4. Have you come out of the world as the Lord requires of you to bear his reproach? Hebrews 13:13. Conformity to, and friendship with the world in the love of the things that are in the world is the act of betrayal and enemy to the cross that saves you: it is also the act of crucifying Christ repeatedly in your life – all you think about is this life here on earth on how to make a show of the flesh. Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord! Flee out of Babylon and be not partaker with her in her sins and iniquities of worldliness and godlessness! If you are of God, live as a saint, not as the world or worldly people – you are called to be saints. 1 Corinthians 1:2. Why should you put or keep an old wine in a new bottle? Why should you sew a new cloth with the old one? The life in the church is not the same in the world: and the life and lifestyle of a truly saved believer is not the same of an unsaved man of the world and of the flesh. Romans 8:9. You can’t be in the church to live, act, dress, speak and do things like the people of the world who do not know God. Adam and Eve abused the privileges of their habitation in the Garden of Eden by going beyond what they are warned against not to do: they died spiritually in sins and trespasses and were sent out into the world of sensuality, fantasy and pleasure they preferred and loved above God. This is the world we are called not to love with the things thereof (1 John 2:15-17), having being quickened back to God, we that were once dead in sins and trespasses (Ephesians 2:1-2), now crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20) in order to crucify the affection of the flesh with its lusts (Galatians 5:24): if the flesh is not overcome through mortification (1 Peter 4:1-2) we cannot overcome the increasing corruption that is in the world through lust.
Worldliness is the original sin – the first sin. It was the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and the same sin is prevailing in the lives of many in the church today. The battle ground to overcome this sin is to subdue the flesh which profits nothing: its lusts and carnal desires must be subjected and overcome through prayer with every thoughts, ideas and suggestions which are contrary be brought into subjection to the obedience to Christ word in daily exercises in godliness. Think about this, if you are in anyway spotted (James 1:27), conformed (Romans 12:2) and in friendship with the world (James 4:4) in any of its sensuality, fantasy and pleasure, you are defiling your relationship with God by the corruption that is in the world through lust. Do you understand that the scripture says that nothing that defiles, impure or unclean shall enter or inherit eternal glory? Revelation 21:27. This is the reason why you should not abuse the use of the world and the things therein because you are not of the world, lest you be found to love it above the maker to be judged and condemned for your pretentious and hypocrite love you said to have for God.  God made the heaven and earth, but the bible declares that not all the things that are in the world are of him – the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. Some so called believers see nothing wrong in listening to secular music, going to cinema houses or theater places to have fun and time with worldly actors and actresses in the lifestyles of unequally yoked with unbelievers. This is the way and counsel of the ungodly: but blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. What a pity for lovers of pleasure more than God! Psalms 1:6. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Some churches are worst than the strip club where striptease performances are given in front of an audience, but no serious believer would dare mingle to attend any church assembly of Jezebel’s appearance ( 2 Kings 9:30. Jeremiah 4:30) and of the Moabites women where braziers, underwear and the top of the chest or breasts are shown or reveals while it is partially covered from top, and no one dare correct or instruct them to dress modestly and properly in a scenario where the pastor is after quantity and not quality for public acceptance, popularity and men’s approval, instead of laboring after a godly sort to present everyone perfect in Christ Jesus (would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preaches another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 2 Corinthians 11:1-4): for all seek their own, and not the things which are of Christ. Philippians 2:21. Why should they teach or show them the scripture to dress after a godly manner as women who profess godliness with good works, if the truth is not in them, but they themselves are servants of corruption? Should we not flee from the assemblies of lustful and seductive mistresses and misters of ungodliness and worldly lusts of the so- called new generation and prosperity churches, and to follow after righteousness, faith, charity and peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart? 2 Timothy 2:22.
We should not be forsaking the assembly of ourselves together as the manner of some (Hebrews 12:25), yes, but there are some brethren and assemblies which our Lord called the synagogues of Satan you will be better off not to mingle with them, but to worship at home if there is no better church around, than to be there and be leavened by their leaven. Revelation 2:9. The bible not only instructs you to separate from unbelievers, but it also warns you to weigh your brethren (the so called believers) on the scale and balance of the word of God to choose the company to follow after in serving God , even of them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. How do you know them? They preach holiness, righteousness, sanctification and the love of God and of the brethren in truth and indeed. They preach separation from the world in all its compromises and appearances of evil, while they live in those things for all to see. Generally speaking, the presence of the Moabites churches around us is because of the covetousness and discontent spirit of the preachers over the congregation in their ungodly aspiration and desire for self enrichment and greatness. Just like Balaam, the false prophet, the love and ungodly desire for gain, fame and profits has brought them to that pernicious way and behavior to watered down the pure and undiluted, incorruptible and unchanging word of God  in order to steal away the heart of the simple- the itching ear believers. 2 Timothy 4:3.
The error of the prosperity preachers today is the same error of Balaam the son Bosor, for they think that religion practice is profitably marketable, and they consent not to wholesome word, even the word of our Lord Jesus Christ, and according to the doctrine of godliness (if any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. 1 Timothy 6:3-9) but God commanded that he should be killed by for the vengeance of the blood and souls that were lost to seduction, idolatry and sexual immorality through his false, misleading and corrupt doctrine (Joshua 13:22): so likewise shall all these false prophets, teachers and prosperity pastor be doomed for eternity for corrupting the word of God to encourage transgression and open rebellion against God by their false and misleading doctrines. Acts 20:26-27.
Prosperity preachers are compromised, corrupt and they are curse children of God (2 Peter 2:14), even so likewise are their prosperity followers or believers: if the head is sick, the whole body is sick. Why should anyone through personal interest (covetousness) be making merchandise of the precious souls which Christ has redeemed by his precious incorruptible blood by their feigned words and fair speeches, if they are not indeed cursed and doom or eternity ? 2 Peter 2:3. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18. They teach for hire and would not prophesy the word of God or give you any prophecy without paying consultation fee for the gift they received freely and are commanded to give and minister freely as good ministers of the manifold grace of God (Matthew 10:8): but truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin. Hear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house of Jacob, and princes of the house of Israel, that abhor judgment, and pervert all equity. They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, is not the Lord among us? None evil can come upon us. Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. Micah 3:8-12.
Let your conversation be without covetousness, and be content with such things as you have: for he has promised, never to leave you, nor forsake you: so that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Godly and true prophet of God doesn’t ask for payment before service, neither after service, but as men are moved by God, they minister to the need of the prophets, either before or after they are ministered to, even without any ministration administered unto them. The spirit of discontentment and worldliness, which was manifested through greediness and covetousness, destroyed the relationship between Adam and Eve with God in the Garden. Present satisfaction in Christ the shepherd is with the promise of present peace with God and security in his love – keep yourself in the love of God: being freed from covetousness, the carefulness, the fretfulness, the anxiety and the iniquity of pursuing after the flesh in the cares of this world with the possibility to choke the word of eternal life like the seed planted among the thorns, instead of pursuing after the things of the spirit, things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Why should any think of loosing heaven in exchange of the cares of this world by making provisions for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof? Romans 13:14.
Why did certain so called men of God seek after strange power by offering strange sacrifices to Satan in exchange for crowd? The answer is simple: it is their covetousness in pursuit for fame, glory and money. Have you heard about blood on the altar or the blood under the altar? They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity! Have you ever heard about virgin or gay demonic sex sacrifices the so called pastors, bishops and prophets are asked to make to Satan in exchange for fame, fading worldly glory and uncertain riches? They build up Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity! Shall anyone hide the truth from their neighbours and the God of truth be pleased to spare such? Shall any be spared from destruction by their ignorance of the scriptures or by the deceitfulness of false brethren? These are the temptations (the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation. 2 Peter 2:9) we must overcome as a believer: such things as worldliness, false brethren, false doctrine, false prophets, false apostles, false teachers, false pastors, false evangelists and false church and false doctrines. Every word of is pure; be content with whatever the word says: he is a shield to those who seek refuge in it: add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar to perish in hell. Proverbs 30:5.