GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Knowledge 7-31-22

GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Knowledge  7-31-22

Faith is just the beginning.  

Goodness is a good next step.

Knowledge is basic to the spiritual life.

Paula and her golf tee bulb markers.  Canker sore medicine cannot replace glue.

A young university graduate crossed a large river on a barge. An elderly, worn, gentleman was driving the barge. The university student asked the old man three questions: 

1) “Do you know anything about physics?” “Nope”, replied the old man.  “Then 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” 

2) “Do you know anything about philosophy?”“Nope”, replied the old man. “Then another 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” 

3) “Do you know anything about social sciences?” “Nope”, replied the old man. “Then another 1/3 of your life has been wasted!” 

Suddenly, the barge hit a large object, took on water rapidly, and overturned. Both men were thrown into the water. The old man cried out to the young student, “Do you know anything about swimming?” The young man replied “No.” “Then your whole life is wasted!” replied the old man.

We may have a tremendous amount of knowledge, but without a knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are nothing.

‬ “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I.  FAITH AND GOODNESS

A.  Faith

1.  Believe

2.  Trust

B.  Add goodness

1.  Virtue

2.  Moral energy

"Deeds without knowledge are blind, and knowledge without love is sterile."

Pope Benedict XVI: Caritas in veritate, Week 3

II.  KNOWLEDGE

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;”

‭‭ 2 Peter‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

‭‭ Philippians‬ ‭4:8-9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A.  Information as a foundation 

““Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭7:24-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

B.  Knowledge as a daily guide

"The possession of facts is knowledge, the use of them is wisdom."

Anonymous

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

‭‭ 2 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

C.  Memory as a necessity

In the prison camps which were opened up following the terrible years of the Vietnam war, a story came out about how men endured six, seven, eight years of prison under the most terrible of conditions: rotten food, isolation, vermin, and, perhaps most devastating of all, no light. Almost total darkness, eking out a bare existence day after day, in the darkness. Some of them in one small cell began to reach down into the recesses of their memories and to reconstruct, as best they could, the words of the Bible. They recited and quoted to one another, they corrected one another’s recall, and day by day, slowly but surely, they reconstructed and committed to one another a sizable amount of the Scriptures – no text to read from, no tapes to play, just the memories each one had stored up from his Sunday School days, These soldiers found that because they had spent some time walking in the light while they still had the light, that when the light failed and faded, when their lives were plunged into misery and darkness, now there was a resource on which they could draw.

It can be that way for you; should the light fade for you, and it will, it surely will, if you have chosen discipline, if you have chosen to persist, if you have chosen to walk in the light while you have the light, then the darkness may come, but it will never overtake you, While you have the light, trust in the light, that you may become children of light.

From a sermon by Joseph Smith, Fading Light, 5/14/2010

“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.”

‭‭ 2 Peter‬ ‭1:12-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

‬

III.  HOW TO ADD KNOWLEDGE

Billy Graham said, "Millions of people today are searching for a reliable voice of authority. The Word of God is the only real authority we have. His Word sheds light on human nature, world problems and human suffering. But beyond that, it clearly reveals the way to God. The message of the Bible is the message of Jesus Christ who said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life' (John 14:6). It is the story of salvation; the story of your redemption and mine through Christ; the story of life, of peace, of eternity. Our faith is not dependent upon human knowledge and scientific advance, but upon the unmistakable message of the Word of God."

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭6:13-17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬

A.  Reading/listening

1.  Bible

2.  You Version

3.  Bible on tape/disc

B.  Personal study

1.  Study tools

a.  Study Bible

b.  Commentary

c.  Dictionary

d.  Encyclopedia

e.  Scholarly tools

2.  Types of studies

a.  Character

b.  Word

c.  Topic

C.  Memorization

1.  Writing out verses

2.  Flash cards

3.  Mnemonic devises

a.  Acronyms

b.  Music

c.  Image

d.  Model (graphs, charts, etc.)

D.  Educational opportunities/classroom

1.  Church 

2.  Bible College

3.  Online

4.  Self-guided

E.  Watching others/discipleship

1.  Formal

2.  Informal

CONCLUSION

Faith and goodness, knowledge, how to add knowledge

CHALLENGE

What will you do with what you have just heard?  How will you respond to the Holy Spirit working within you?  The Challenge is intended to give us an opportunity to contemplate what God is calling us to do in our lives.  Consider these questions and write down your answers.  

1.  Are you ready to add knowledge to your faith?

2.  On a scale of 1-10, what number describes your level of spiritual knowledge?

3.  What do you know about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Bible?

4.  Do you regularly study the Bible?

5.  Which area of knowledge building will you add to your life?  

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.