Sunday, July 31, 2022
Saturday, July 30, 2022
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.
Wednesday, July 27, 2022
The Challenge for 7-24-22
"The Challenge” has become a common part of my sermons over the past couple of years. “The Challenge” is intended to help us think about the message of the week and then deciding to act. Connecting “The Challenge” with journaling has become my attempt at fostering this internal dialogue (hearing then thinking then deciding then acting). The purpose of “The Challenge” is that we all might act upon what we have heard by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Our challenges will fall heavily into the category of journaling. When we write, we have to think then formulate words, then put it to paper. This process helps us integrate our whole self. We will also focus upon action.
Here is The Challenge for 7-24-22.
1. Do you have active faith?
2. How much effort do you
put toward your faith?
3. Can virtue be found in
your life?
4. Is your faith effective?
5. Is your faith
productive?
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Saturday, July 23, 2022
GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Goodness 7-24-22
GROWING IN CHRIST: MOVING ON FROM THE BEGINNING (2 Peter 1:1-15) Goodness 7-24-22
Faith is just the beginning.
“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. MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ADD
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;”
2 Peter 1:5a NIV
A. But for this very cause
And beside this, giving all diligence; rather, but for this very cause also. Αὐτὸ τοῦτο is frequently used in this sense in classical Greek, but in the New Testament only here. It refers back to the last verse. God's precious gifts and promises should stimulate us to earnest effort. The verb rendered "giving" means literally "bringing in by the side;" it is one of those graphic and picturesque expressions which are characteristic of St. Peter's style. God worketh within us both to will and to do; this (both St. Paul and St. Peter teach us) is a reason, not for remissness, but for increased exertion. God's grace is sufficient for us; without that we can do nothing; but by the side (so to speak) of that grace, along with it, we must bring into play all earnestness, we must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.
Pulpit Commentary
B. Bring in beside
"Faith enables us to understand what God does. Faith enables us to see what others cannot see. As a result, faith enables us to do what others cannot do."
Warren Wiersbe
The Greek for “giving” (literally bringing in by the side of) is an unusual word, not found elsewhere in the New Testament, and seems chosen to express the thought that men, though rejoicing in God’s gifts, were yet to bring in collaterally, as it were, their own activity (comp. Php 2:13).
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
C. Make haste
We all know what ‘diligence’ means, but it is worth while to point out that the original meaning of the word is not so much diligence as haste. It is employed, for instance, to describe the eager swiftness with which the Virgin went to Elizabeth after the angel’s salutation and annunciation. It is the word employed to describe the murderous hurry with which Herodias came rushing in to the king to demand John the Baptist’s head. It is the word with which the Apostle, left solitary in his prison, besought his sole trusty companion Timothy to ‘make haste so as to come to him before winter.’ Thus, the first notion in the word is haste, which crowds every moment with continuous effort, and lets no hindrances entangle the feet of the runner.
MacLaren’s Expositions
Giving all diligence - Greek, "Bringing in all zeal or effort." The meaning is, that we ought to make this a distinct and definite object, and to apply ourselves to it as a thing to be accomplished.
Barne’s Notes
D. Join in the chorus
Add to; or, minister unto; or it may be a metaphor taken from the ancient way of dancing, in which they joined hands one with another, thereby helping and holding up one another.
Matthew Poole’s Commentary
II. GOODNESS
A. An element of the life of faith
add to your faith virtue The Greek word (epichorêgein) is a compound form of that which had been used in 1 Peter 4:11 (see note there as to its meaning and history) and furnishes an addition to the list of words common to the two Epistles. In the LXX. it occurs but once (Sir 25:22), and it may be noted that this is the only passage (unless Galatians 3:5 be another instance) where it is used of man’s activity and not of God’s. Thus taken, the more accurate rendering would be with and by your faith supply virtue, with virtue knowledge, and so on. The Greek cannot possibly bear the meaning of “adding to,” though the fact is of course implied. What is meant is that each element of the Christian life is to be as an instrument by which that which follows it is wrought out.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Add to your faith virtue; literally, supply in your faith. He does not say, "supply faith;" he assumes the existence of faith. "He that cometh unto God must believe." The Greek word (ἐπιχορήγησατε) means properly to "contribute to the expenses of a chorus;" it is used three times by St. Paul, and, in its simple form, by St. Peter in his First Epistle (1 Peter 4:11). In usage it came to mean simply to "supply or provide," the thought of the chorus being dropped. So we cannot be sure that the idea of faith as leading the mystic dance in the chorus of Christian graces was present to St. Peter's mind, especially as the word occurs again in verse 11, where no such allusion is possible. The fruits of faith are in the faith which produces them, as a tree is in its seed; they must be developed out of faith, as faith expands and energizes; in the exercise of each grace a fresh grace must issue forth.
Pulpit Commentary
"Paul will not call these virtues works. He reserves that term for deeds done in obedience to the Law or acts prompted by the flesh. These virtues are fruit, the results put forth by the indwelling energy of the Spirit."
Anonymous
B. Virtue
The word "virtue" is taken from the Latin word virtus and actually means "strength" or "manliness." So you see that the real strength of this life is found by successfully winning the inner war of faith. It is because of weakness that we are ruled by passions and controlled by sin.
But God has called us out of this. He has called us to virtue through the victory of Christ on the cross and empty tomb. "For we are not called to ease," Luther wrote in his lecture on Romans chapter seven, "but to struggle against our passions. But only to those who manfully struggle and fight against their faults, invoking the grace of God, does God not impute sin." "Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord." Amen.
Michael Walther
"Virtue" is that which is recognised by all men as excellent; the excellence of man as man. Heathen moralists had drawn a noble picture of what man ought to be; the gospel gave the command to realise a yet nobler ideal, and also gave the power by which it could be realised. . . .
Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers
"The virtue of man ought to be measured, not by his extraordinary exertions, but by his everyday conduct."
Anonymous
Englishman's Concordance
ἀρετήν (aretēn) — 1 Occurrence
2 Peter 1:5 N-AFS
GRK: ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήν ἐν δὲ
NAS: supply moral excellence, and in [your] moral excellence,
KJV: your faith virtue; and to
INT: of you the virtue in moreover
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 703: ἀρετή
ἀρετή, ἀρετῆς, ἡ (see ἄρα at the beginning), a word of very wide signification in Greek writings; any excellence of a person (in body or mind) or of a thing, an eminent endowment, property or quality. Used of the human mind and in an ethical sense, it denotes:
1. a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness (Wis. 4:1 Wis. 5:13; often in 4 Macc. and in Greek writings): 2 Peter 1:5 (others take it here specifically, viz. moral vigor; cf. next entry).
2. any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity; hence (plural αἱ ἀρεταί, Wis. 8:7; often in 4 Macc. and in the Greek philosophers) τίς ἀρετή, Philippians 4:8. Used of God, it denotes a. his power: 2 Peter 1:3.
b. in the plural his excellences, perfections, 'which shine forth in our gratuitous calling and in the whole work of our salvation' (John Gerhard): 1 Peter 2:9. (In the Sept. for הוד splendor, glory, Habakkuk 3:3, of God; Zechariah 6:13, of the Messiah; in plural for תְּהִלּות praises, of God, Isaiah 43:21; Isaiah 42:12; Isaiah 63:7.)
“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.”
Philippians 4:8 NIV
C. Active faith
See on 2 Peter 1:3, and 1 Peter 2:9. Not in the sense of moral excellence, but of the energy which Christians are to exhibit, as God exerts his energy upon them. As God calls us by his own virtue (2 Peter 1:3), so Christians are to exhibit virtue or energy in the exercise of their faith, translating it into vigorous action.
Vincent’s Word Studies
III. EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE FAITH
“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.”
2 Peter 1:8 NIV
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”
James 2:14-26 NIV
A. Faith trusts
B. Faith does
C. Faith
CONCLUSION
The supreme test of goodness is not in the greater but in the smaller incidents of our character and practice; not what we are when standing in the searchlight of public scrutiny, but when we reach the firelight flicker of our homes; not what we are when some clarion-call rings through the air, summoning us to fight for life and liberty, but our attitude when we are called to sentry-duty in the gray morning, when the watch-fire is burning low. It is impossible to be our best at the supreme moment if character is corroded and eaten into by daily inconsistency, unfaithfulness, and besetting sin.
F. B. Meyer in Our Daily Walk
Make every effort to add, goodness, effective and productive faith
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. Do you have active faith?
2. How much effort do you put toward your faith?
3. Can virtue be found in your life?
4. Is your faith effective?
5. Is your faith productive?
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.