Well here it is, Sunday once again!! All God's children said---Amen! We will find ourselves in our churches, in our homes, or wherever we are today, God is with us and God is still speaking to us. Let us not just use Sunday to worship and praise God. Let us not just use Sunday to be trained up and equipped to serve God. Let us not just use Sunday to hear from God, to learn from God, or to be with God--Let us use everyday to do all things and more as we grow in our relationship with God. As always, may God richly bless you today!! H Trent!
“Everything For Our Life”
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-11
Introduction:
This is sometimes a crazy world we live in. There are things that happen to us in life that cause us grief, sorrows, and confusion. I myself have found myself wondering if I can go on as I am sure many of you have. I have found myself full of worry and fear, concerned about what to do about this or that, I have been angered, tempted, all the same things that you have experienced. In some of these moments we may find ourselves wondering where to turn, how to hold on? Well, today, Jesus through His word is going to let us know that we need to not go through life with these concerns and doubts, but that through Him, we absolutely have everything we need for our life, we sometimes forget all that He has given us and it’s good for us to be reminded. If you have your Bible with you, please open to 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3-11 and follow as I read:
1. The Multiplication of the Power of God(v3-4).
Our text says that we have everything we need for life and for godliness. Just what do we have and what are the promises Peter speaks of? Let’s look first at what we have. Genesis 9:1-3 Tells us about our need of food for our bodies. Jesus Himself stated in Matt 6: 31-33 That God knows that we need food, and clothing and shelter, and I believe that all around us we have that which we need for physical life. You might be thinking, as I have often done, what about healthcare, and money, and all the things in our lives that we have learned to depend on? Well there in lies the truth. We have learned to depend on certain things. Do we really need to depend on these things? You know that in the days of old, healthcare and all the modern technologies around us did not exist, we made choices that have lead us to where we are today. We need to unlearn what we have learned. We need to re-learn to depend on God and I think that is what Peter was trying to say. I think that what Peter was addressing in our text was not life as in our things and our desires, but life as in Christ, our spiritual life. I believe that life here refers to all the abundance of eternal life which Christ gives the believer (Jn 10:10) and then godliness is the Christ-like character which such life should produce. If we were to examine Romans 6 we would learn that by virtue of who Christ is, and by means of a faith union with Him, here and now the Christian enjoys the possibility of a life free from sin and its defilement and constantly growing more like Jesus. Peter knew this to be true and so he writes to the people of that day and us that through our knowledge of Jesus, we have all we need. What about the “promises” Peter mentions? What are they? Well, they consist totally of the glorious doctrinal facts presented in the Word of God. Do you know what they are? Have you read God’s Word lately? There you will find His promises to you. Peter speaks of all this being “in abundance to you through the knowledge of God.” This knowledge is a knowledge of God’s Word. Shallow knowledge makes superficial Christians.
2. The Additions by the Child of God (v5-9).
Now Peter is going to list qualities that the believer is to expand and develop.
Goodness-- In the KJV the word is virtue and this quality has been described as excellence with energy.
Knowledge-- This is a reference to moral discernment and this discernment comes from a study of the Bible.
Self-Control-- controlling our tempers and our anger, controlling our desires and our persons.
Perseverance--better described as patience or godly and gracious endurance.
Godliness-- A genuine reverence toward God that governs one’s attitude toward every aspect of life. In other words, the right worship and devotion to God.
Brotherly Kindness-- Warmhearted affection towards all
Love-- A love for saints, sinners, the Scriptures, the Savior. The kind of outgoing, selfless attitude that leads one to sacrifice for the good of others.
Since we have these resources at our disposal, we are exhorted to utilize them in spiritual growth which will give practical expression to the relationship described as “knowing” Jesus. Faith must be seen at work in a life of moral excellence, and this must be backed by a steadily increasing knowledge of God. The Christian response to sharing the life of God and being a citizen of heaven should be to aim at producing and being the finest and most attractive character for God. We are to grow these qualities in our life so that what? So that others would see Jesus and come to Him. This should be our primary goal. Not only to live our own fulfilled life, but to show others that they can have the same fulfilled life through Christ. But as Peter says in verse 8 we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus, that means studying the Bible. Verse 9 says that if we don’t do these things, we have forgotten what Christ has done for us. Peter may mean that such a person is being blind to the glorious possibilities of spiritual development that are theirs in Christ, and shortsighted because they cannot see back far enough to remember the wonder of divine forgiveness and cleansing. I wonder if any of us are in this category?
3. The Examination of the Calling of God (v10-11).
In these verses Peter urges his fellow Christians to pursue such a character and a way of behavior that will not only bring them full assurance of their status here and now, but also enable them safely and certainly to reach the Christian’s glorious destination. We are to possess that necessary confidence concerning both our salvation from God, and our service for God. No child of God is effective if they have doubts concerning either of these. By cultivating all the qualities that Peter listed for us, we can be assured that God has called and chosen us. (Matt 7:20) When God elects and calls, it is to obedience and holiness (1 Pet 1:2, Eph 1:3-6), and these fruits confirm their divine source. The genuineness of our profession will be demonstrated as we express these virtues.
Conclusion:
The saying that life is hard is no lie. That is for those that live apart from Jesus. For those of us in Christ, do many of us forget what we have be saved from and saved to? I think many of us have. Jesus said that he came to give us life more abundantly. Our choices are what make life difficult. Sickness, disease, and age can make life difficult. But in Christ we have the ability to live in joy and peace no matter how difficult we think life can be. Those of us who live in the ways we discussed give evidence of our faith and will never cease to persevere. Are you living in Christ today? If you answer no, or if you are not sure, then I urge you to come to His throne of grace today. He is waiting for you, are you willing to receive and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior? I pray that you would.
Pastor Harold Trent.
“Everything For Our Life”
Scripture: 2 Peter 1:3-11
Introduction:
This is sometimes a crazy world we live in. There are things that happen to us in life that cause us grief, sorrows, and confusion. I myself have found myself wondering if I can go on as I am sure many of you have. I have found myself full of worry and fear, concerned about what to do about this or that, I have been angered, tempted, all the same things that you have experienced. In some of these moments we may find ourselves wondering where to turn, how to hold on? Well, today, Jesus through His word is going to let us know that we need to not go through life with these concerns and doubts, but that through Him, we absolutely have everything we need for our life, we sometimes forget all that He has given us and it’s good for us to be reminded. If you have your Bible with you, please open to 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 3-11 and follow as I read:
1. The Multiplication of the Power of God(v3-4).
Our text says that we have everything we need for life and for godliness. Just what do we have and what are the promises Peter speaks of? Let’s look first at what we have. Genesis 9:1-3 Tells us about our need of food for our bodies. Jesus Himself stated in Matt 6: 31-33 That God knows that we need food, and clothing and shelter, and I believe that all around us we have that which we need for physical life. You might be thinking, as I have often done, what about healthcare, and money, and all the things in our lives that we have learned to depend on? Well there in lies the truth. We have learned to depend on certain things. Do we really need to depend on these things? You know that in the days of old, healthcare and all the modern technologies around us did not exist, we made choices that have lead us to where we are today. We need to unlearn what we have learned. We need to re-learn to depend on God and I think that is what Peter was trying to say. I think that what Peter was addressing in our text was not life as in our things and our desires, but life as in Christ, our spiritual life. I believe that life here refers to all the abundance of eternal life which Christ gives the believer (Jn 10:10) and then godliness is the Christ-like character which such life should produce. If we were to examine Romans 6 we would learn that by virtue of who Christ is, and by means of a faith union with Him, here and now the Christian enjoys the possibility of a life free from sin and its defilement and constantly growing more like Jesus. Peter knew this to be true and so he writes to the people of that day and us that through our knowledge of Jesus, we have all we need. What about the “promises” Peter mentions? What are they? Well, they consist totally of the glorious doctrinal facts presented in the Word of God. Do you know what they are? Have you read God’s Word lately? There you will find His promises to you. Peter speaks of all this being “in abundance to you through the knowledge of God.” This knowledge is a knowledge of God’s Word. Shallow knowledge makes superficial Christians.
2. The Additions by the Child of God (v5-9).
Now Peter is going to list qualities that the believer is to expand and develop.
Goodness-- In the KJV the word is virtue and this quality has been described as excellence with energy.
Knowledge-- This is a reference to moral discernment and this discernment comes from a study of the Bible.
Self-Control-- controlling our tempers and our anger, controlling our desires and our persons.
Perseverance--better described as patience or godly and gracious endurance.
Godliness-- A genuine reverence toward God that governs one’s attitude toward every aspect of life. In other words, the right worship and devotion to God.
Brotherly Kindness-- Warmhearted affection towards all
Love-- A love for saints, sinners, the Scriptures, the Savior. The kind of outgoing, selfless attitude that leads one to sacrifice for the good of others.
Since we have these resources at our disposal, we are exhorted to utilize them in spiritual growth which will give practical expression to the relationship described as “knowing” Jesus. Faith must be seen at work in a life of moral excellence, and this must be backed by a steadily increasing knowledge of God. The Christian response to sharing the life of God and being a citizen of heaven should be to aim at producing and being the finest and most attractive character for God. We are to grow these qualities in our life so that what? So that others would see Jesus and come to Him. This should be our primary goal. Not only to live our own fulfilled life, but to show others that they can have the same fulfilled life through Christ. But as Peter says in verse 8 we are to increase in the knowledge of Jesus, that means studying the Bible. Verse 9 says that if we don’t do these things, we have forgotten what Christ has done for us. Peter may mean that such a person is being blind to the glorious possibilities of spiritual development that are theirs in Christ, and shortsighted because they cannot see back far enough to remember the wonder of divine forgiveness and cleansing. I wonder if any of us are in this category?
3. The Examination of the Calling of God (v10-11).
In these verses Peter urges his fellow Christians to pursue such a character and a way of behavior that will not only bring them full assurance of their status here and now, but also enable them safely and certainly to reach the Christian’s glorious destination. We are to possess that necessary confidence concerning both our salvation from God, and our service for God. No child of God is effective if they have doubts concerning either of these. By cultivating all the qualities that Peter listed for us, we can be assured that God has called and chosen us. (Matt 7:20) When God elects and calls, it is to obedience and holiness (1 Pet 1:2, Eph 1:3-6), and these fruits confirm their divine source. The genuineness of our profession will be demonstrated as we express these virtues.
Conclusion:
The saying that life is hard is no lie. That is for those that live apart from Jesus. For those of us in Christ, do many of us forget what we have be saved from and saved to? I think many of us have. Jesus said that he came to give us life more abundantly. Our choices are what make life difficult. Sickness, disease, and age can make life difficult. But in Christ we have the ability to live in joy and peace no matter how difficult we think life can be. Those of us who live in the ways we discussed give evidence of our faith and will never cease to persevere. Are you living in Christ today? If you answer no, or if you are not sure, then I urge you to come to His throne of grace today. He is waiting for you, are you willing to receive and accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior? I pray that you would.
Pastor Harold Trent.
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