Thursday, November 2, 2017

Thriving All the Way to Glory

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This is the fifth sermon in a series of messages on the book of 2 Peter. This sermon discusses verses 8-11 of the first chapter in which the Apostle Peter stresses that the lives of the readers should be thriving and growing if they take advantage of the privileges God has provided to them.

Written Excerpts:

2 Peter 1:8-11 (NKJV) For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.


Introduction:
How would you describe your life? 
Are you barely getting through each day, feeling like you’ve been stretched to the limits? Do you feel like each day is a chore? Or, do you feel like your life is full of excitement and blessings? Is your life a series of mornings filled with anticipation for what the day will bring?
As you think of these questions, you might decide rather quickly that it really is a combination of both extremes and everything in between.
How about if I ask you to only apply the questions to your life of faith and your relationship with Christ? I suppose that most of us, if we would answer honestly, would also admit that we have great days and then we have other days that are not so great spiritually.
In the Scripture lesson we plan to explore today I think we will find that God’s desires for us to thrive and flourish in our journey of faith. I don’t think it’s really God’s plan for us spiritually to barely drag ourselves through each day and feel depressed and defeated the majority of the time. I think the Word of God presents a picture of hope and victory and joy for the child of God that is living obediently by His grace.
The two passages that were read earlier were chosen because they each present the message of flourishing and thriving. 
The first one (2 Cor. 9) speaks of abounding and flourishing in our financial support of God’s work. The second passage (Eph. 3) is talking about abounding in the love and knowledge God.
Key phrase in Eph. “He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think…”
Jesus stated in John 10:10 that He has come so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
As we continue our study in the book of 2 Peter, we find the same theme emphasized in the passage we want to consider today.
As we examine the passage before us today, we want to talk about the abundant life that God has for us now and the abundant entrance into eternal life.
I.  Abundant life now. (8-10)
v. 8 “If these things be in you and abound”
“These things” – the list of qualities described in vv. 5-7.
“be in you” – a present participle meaning "in your possession" (denotes continuous action)
“abound” – another present participle that means, "increasing." (continuous action) Commentator named, Lenski says, "They don’t develop in a day! "
“make you” – a verb in present tense also denoting continuous action.
 “Not barren or unfruitful” – not idle or dead (i.e. productive) and not unfruitful (i.e. without evidence of life)
The word for “barren” is the same word James used in 2:20, “faith without works is dead.” Becoming barren and unfruitful resembles the parable of the sower and the seed that fell among thorns which choked out the wheat and caused it to die.
We might be able to restate this verse it could sound like this, If these qualities are currently, actively in your possession and continually increasing in measure, they will continually result in you being alive, productive and fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus.
This level of knowledge is a direct rebuke to those false teachers who claimed to have superior knowledge, but were not teaching the truth. 
v. 9 “he who lacks these things”
“these things” – same list referred to in v. 8, and also referred to in v. 10.
How important is it for us to pursue the qualities in verses 5-7 to continually grow in spiritual maturity? Well, if we lack them…
 “Blind and cannot see afar off” – i.e. blind and near-sighted.
One view is: (Tyndale) Some say it means, Blind to heavenly realities and only able to see earthly realities.
Or, “cannot see…” One writer says it means to "willfully blink/shut the eyes." (Tyndale)
The blindness is spiritual because the result is spiritual amnesia.
“have forgotten…” – (Lenski) lit. “received forgetfulness” i.e. allowed someone to give him amnesia.
In other words, gave in to the convincing arguments of others to the extent that he has forgotten his deliverance from sin. “It doesn’t matter how you live…”
To say that a person has forgotten he has been cleansed from his sins probably means that he has returned to his former sinful behavior. But this is not the condition God desires or is pleased with. Look back again to v. 8 – God wants us to be productive and fruitful in our daily spiritual walk by showing our obedience to His Word. He wants us to thrive in our Christian walk of faith. He wants us to be victorious over sin.
v. 10 
“diligent” – repeated emphasis on intentional effort; a sense of urgency; not lazy, but with laser focus.
It is amazing the kinds of things that people diligently study and memorize, but they claim it isn’t possible to memorize scripture or study the Bible. I’ve known people that can give the stats for an unbelievable number of athletes or sports teams, but they can’t memorize the Ten Commandments, John 3:16 or other passages of Scripture. For other people, it’s not sports that has their mind full of stats, figures and information. It is some other subject that has captured their interest and avid attention.
Be “diligent” to do what?
“Make calling and election sure” – lit. “keep making sure for yourself your calling and election.” That is, confirm it and secure it.
God does the calling and the electing, but in His infinite foreknowledge, He elects those who willfully choose to respond/ obey. It is not a decree made in eternity past that is irresistible, but a calling and choosing of those who willfully respond by choosing to repent, believe, and obey. 
“If you do these things” – lit. “keep on practicing.” It is referring back again to the list of virtues and graces listed in vv. 5-7.
“never fall” – “stumble;” The structure and tense of verb stresses a possible permanent fall. 
Again, here is verse 10, the emphasis is on diligence and intentional effort to keep living an abundant life that God desires for each one of us.
II.  Abundant life forever. (11)
Peter continues to explain that abundant life now is not the only thing God plans for us. He wants us to have an abundant life in the next life as well.
“Abundant entrance into everlasting kingdom” (KJV, entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly)
The entrance is not speaking about the doorway or gate, but the act of entering. i.e. when you make the entrance it will not be just barely dragging across the “finish line,” but it will be an abundant entrance because of the grace God has provided.
“ministered” – supplied (NKJV). It is the same word that was used in verse 5, “add” to your faith. We told you before that the background of the word comes from those rich benefactors who would pay all the expenses to supply the needs of Greek drama teams.
Peter seems to be indicating that God’s grace will provide everything needed for us to abundantly/richly enter the kingdom, rather than just barely dragging in.
Conclusion:
I have been trying to describe for you from the words of Peter that God has made every provision necessary for us to live an abundant life in this world and to experience an abundant entrance into the eternal life in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. But, even though He has made all the provisions, He leaves the choice to us whether we will exert the intentional effort and due diligence to confirm our calling by responding with obedience and learning.
All of the qualities we’ve already talked about in verses 5-7 are necessary for the mature development of our spiritual life of faith. God will provide the grace, but we must provide the person and the willful choice to pursue His knowledge.

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