GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Love 9-4-22

GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Love  9-4-22

 

Faith is just the beginning.  

 

Goodness is a good next step.

 

Knowledge is basic to the spiritual life.

 

Self-control is an oxymoron.

 

Perseverance is more than patience.

 

Godliness is respect.

 

Mutual affection is brotherly love and kindness.

 

 “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 AND KNOWLEDGE AND SELF-CONTROL AND PERSEVERANCE AND GODLINESS AND MUTUAL AFFECTION

 

“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;”

                             2 Peter 1:5-7a NIV

 

               A.  Faith

                              1.  Belief

                              2.  Trust

        B.  Goodness

                              1.  Virtue

                              2.  Action

      C.  Knowledge

                              1.  What we know

                              2.  What we need to remember

               D.  Self-control

                            1.  Control of passions

                        2.  Discipline in life

  E.  Perseverance

                      1.  Continued difficulty 

                      2.  Continued effort

         F.  Godliness

                      1.  Reverence

                     2.  Responsive to God

                              3.  “Fear of God”

             G.  Mutual affection

                        1.  Brotherly love

                         2.  Kindness

 

II.  LOVE

 

 “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.”

                             2 Peter 1:5-7 NIV

 

Strong's Concordance

agapé: love, goodwill

Original Word: ἀγάπη, ης, ἡ

Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine

Transliteration: agapé

Phonetic Spelling: (ag-ah'-pay)

Definition: love, goodwill

Usage: love, benevolence, good will, esteem; plur: love-feasts.

 

HELPS Word-studies

26 agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).

 

A young teenage boy and girl were setting in a swing on her parents front porch way up in the mountains of North Carolina. They spent a lot of time there away from everyone just them. They would talk about all kinds of things. Things about when they had grown up. What would they do: go to college which for them meant moving away from home and getting enough money to go. For him it would mean getting a job or going into the military for some good job training. Would they have a family together?

 

Every Friday evening it was the same. He really liked coming to see her but her mothers cooking was another good thing about the visit.

 

When he got ready to go he would hold her hand and tell her he would see her next Friday and hug her. But tonight he was feeling tender towards her so he hugged her and said at the bottom of the porch stairs: You know I love you so much I would fight the biggest man, swim the deepest ocean, climb the highest mountain because I love you so much. He kisses her for the first time and turned to leave. Looking back at her as he opened the gate to leave. I’ll see you next Friday if it don't rain.

 

               A.  Love which centers on preference

 

AGAPE LOVE, THE HIGHEST FORM OF LOVE, IS REFERENCED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT 137 TIMES AS A VERB AND 116 TIMES AS A NOUN.

 

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”

                             1 John 4:9-12 NIV

 

   B.  Benevolence

 

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.”

                             1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NIV

 

          C.  Goodwill

 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

                              John 3:16 NIV

 

"God’s love is not cheap or sentimental. It is priceless and incomparable. The way of love is God’s way, and His way is the only way to abundant and victorious living. It is the best way. Life apart from God's love is failure. In fact, living without love is merely existing! The prize of love can be gained when we are willing to pay the price. It may involve heartbreak, suffering, disappointment, frustration, exhaustion, and tears. The call to love is not for the halfhearted. It is a full-time, lifelong vacation. Though it is not an easy road, it is a satisfying one. Those who embark on it would never turn back for any simple pleasures of the old turned-in way of life. It is the exciting peak that must be climbed, the zenith of all Christian experience. Love is the greatest!"

                              George Sweeting – Love is the Greatest - page 122

 

III.  THE TAKEAWAY

 

“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 1:8-15 NIV

 

A.  Qualities

             B.  Actions

      C.  Remember

 

During the 17th century, Oliver Cromwell, sentenced a soldier to be shot for his crimes. The execution was to take place at the ringing of the evening curfew bell. However, the bell did not sound. The soldier’s fiancé had climbed into the belfry and clung to the great clapper of the bell to prevent it from striking. When she was summoned by Cromwell to account for her actions, she wept as she showed him her bruised and bleeding hands. Cromwell’s heart was touched and he said, "Your lover shall live because of your sacrifice. Curfew shall not ring tonight!"

 

CONCLUSION

 

Faith, goodness, knowledge, and self-control; perseverance; godliness; mutual affection, love

 

Jesus’ love is not a pampering love; it is a perfecting love. It is not a love motivated by man’s will, but by the Father’s plan.

 

Why did Jesus delay going to Bethany? Why does He ever seem to delay in answering any prayer? Why does He seem to delay His coming on the clouds of glory to receive His own unto Himself? Because His love is perfect and it perfects and it glorifies.

 

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.  What would an unbiased observer say you prefer above all things?

               2.  How are you benevolent?

               3.  Who do you need to offer goodwill?

               4.  What is your takeaway from 2 Peter 1:8-15?

               5.  What do you love above all things?

 

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.