“Motivations for Spiritual Growth”
2 Peter 1:3-4
INTRODUCTION What is the Meaning of 2 Peter 1.3-4
2 Peter 1. The theme of this series is: “How to ensure a grand entrance into the kingdom” from v. 11. And that’s by growing in those qualities. Last time we saw how we have grace from the Lord to grow through knowledge of God. More knowledge of God, more grace.
Talk today about the motivating power of this …: POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life. Go get it!
READ vv.1-11
If you’ve trusted Christ and He’s called you to Himself and you participate in God’s very nature this morning; you have life changing knowledge of God in Christ, He’s given you everything you need to live a godly life. You don’t need anything else; He’s given you everything necessary! There’s not a higher life that you must attain in order to live godly; there’s not more that you must rip out of God’s hand, as if he’s holding out on you. No everything!
Let’s go on a treasure hunt!
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ASK: What do we need for a treasure hunt? (map and tools; promise to find it) -all given!
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ASK: What are some excuses for not going on the hunt?
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We just supply some diligence, sweat, tears, etc.
ASK: Now, if you were going to motivate someone else to go on this treasure hunt with you, what would you say? God does so here by telling us we’ve already been given everything we need!
POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life.
Now, go get it, vv.5-7. Apply all diligence! You have everything you need to get that treasure! Now, go get it!
God is not holding out on you! He wants you to have Christ-likeness!
He’s given you everything you need to find the treasure; just apply some diligence!
v.2 multiplied
v.5 supply, add
v.8 increasing
This is His will for you!
Is vv. 5-7 really a treasure? Yes! …
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useful and fruitful (v8)
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Assurance of salvation, or deeper assurance (v10)
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Abundantly supplied entrance into God’s kingdom! (v11)
I want that! In the end of my life, what really matters? These things!
“But God’s holding out on me, He doesn’t give me this or that to please Him!” No!
POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life and to be useful, assured of salvation, and an abundant entrance!
That’s the point of vv.3-4. READ AGAIN with explanations.
POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life.
That all starts with conversion to Christ, v3.
Conversion
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ATTRACTION
Conversion to Christ happened through attraction to Him, end of verse 3.
who called us, how, through what? Through His own glory and excellence!
He is glorious and excellent! Pondering His infinite character, His powerful work on the cross to deliver sinners from sin, His resurrection that gives life, and His wonderful gifts…He’s attractive to me to say the least!
ILL: When I was lost, I remember being in my parents house over the holidays and seeing a picture of my sister with her friend. And I would stare at that picture, why? I was attracted to ‘the good life.’ It’s like I was saying in my heart…
Psalm 119:1–2 1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.
TRANS: He was drawing me, teaching me, and He effectively called me to Himself; I trusted Him. And then He called me to Himself.
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HIS CALL
End of verse 3=conversion. When you come to know Christ, you’re called.
ILL: called. If called on phone, you started a relationship. It’s real.
ASK kids: Did you ever talk to your grandma or grandpa on the phone? Real relationship.
God doesn’t call us on the phone, He calls/brings us to Himself. He draws us, teaches us about Christ. When He calls us, we receive Christ and we now have a real relationship with Him.
POINT: Everything you need to live a godly life starts with conversion to Christ.
Attracted to Him and called by Him to Himself for salvation. You trust in Him!
Once converted to Christ, once you’ve trusted in Him, you have everything you need to live a godly life.
Just like once we embrace the one who called us to go on the treasure hunt, we’ve received everything we need to find the treasure, so also once converted to Christ and He’s called us, we have everything we need to live a godly, purposeful, fruitful life.
TRANS: Now, once converted, what do we have?
If … POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life. Go get it!
What are those things? 3 things that start with “p.” Promises from God, partakers in His nature, escape from perversion. These 3 are 3 things we have that help us to live godly lives…
1. Promises
v.4, “for by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises.”
When I am guilty:
Isaiah 1:18 18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.
When I struggle financially
Habakkuk 3:17–19 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls, 18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.
ASK: What are some promises that you cling to?
Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
When I need strength
Psalm 46:1–2 1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea;
When my Christian friend dies
Revelation 21:4 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
When I’m anxious
1 Peter 5:6–7 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
Afraid of being separated from God
Romans 8:38–39 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ILL: Someone said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God.”
Romans 4:20–21 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, [Abraham] did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
His promises are sure and they help me to live a godly life; cleansing, comfort,
POINT: Everything you need to live a godly life. His promises help us to live a godly life.
TRANS: Those promises include us being partakers of His nature…
2. Partakers
2 Peter 1:4 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
Divine=God. Partake in God’s nature
Partake is participating in. Participating in God’s nature.
Simply means that when you’re converted to Christ, you begin to participate in who God is.
ASK?: what have you participated in?
ILL: Participate in sports, I participate in , but to participate in divine nature!
We play soccer at night some. Participate in soccer to enjoy it fully, to play a part in it.
We participate in God’s very nature…E.g.,
John 1:12 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
Romans 8:9 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you….
1 John 5:1 1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…
1 Peter 1:23 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
TRANS: Also related to the partaking in divine nature. Because we have partaken in God’s nature, we have also escaped from perversion.
3. Escape from perversion
2 Peter 1:4 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
We can resist sin by His grace that now works in our lives.
Just like Christ died and rose again on your behalf, so also
Romans 6:11 11 … consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” Power of sin is broken!
If we get a good view of all of what He’s done for us, that motivates, that empowers us to live the godly life.
If we understand the treasure hunt, it’s all here for you, let’s go, let’s do it!
But out in the world, with all its evil desires, there is perversion, destruction due to evil. This world is decaying. Choice: live for something that is decaying that you can get now; or live for something that’s eternal and you get in the future.
ASK: Would you live for something that’s decaying? If I gave you a choice, here…
1. Decaying, fleeting pleasures of the world, its recognition, its fame, its fleeting purposes that will all be burned up one day, which you can have today. … or
2. eternal riches that will never be burned up that will go on forever and ever! But you have to wait on the promise of God!
Which to choose?
ILL: There was a marshmallow experiment were there were hidden cameras in the room and a table and a chair. On the table was a plate. On the plate was a marshmallow. And an adult and a child to come into the room and the child sits down at the chair with this marshmallow staring at him in the face! And the adult says, “stay in the chair and wait until I come back and you can have a second marshmallow. Or you can eat this marshmallow now and you won’t get another one.
ASK: Which would you do?
A test in delaying gratification.
And the different children all react differently. They are staring at the marshmallow they are smelling the marshmallow; they are handling the marshmallow. Some are taking little tiny pieces off and eating them…others are very fidgety. Struggling not to eat, almost eating it, and then not.
Point: thankfully, our relationship to the Lord is not exactly like that. It’s not that if we delay indulging in the world today, in heaven will get more of this world. Thankfully we have an eternal, godly reward that will never decay that will never be perverted and that will never be taken away from us! Jesus Christ in glory, the One who died and rose again for us! And we have waiting for us in glory, an everlasting inheritance that will never be taken away.
CONCLUSION What is the Meaning of 2 Peter 1.3-4
No excuses! POINT: You have everything you need to live a godly life. Go get it! Motivate you for these coming verses. And so what we’ll do is take each of these qualities one by one. Let’s endeavor in our minds to take this very seriously.