Not So Secret Sauce PT 1
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Last Week, we talked about how “Believers are not supposed to separate themselves from the world, like isolationists. Nor are we supposed to “judge” and “condemn” sinners… We are supposed to “Grow up” among them… to infuse the world with the light we have been given…”
But…
How do we do that?
That is the question people have wrestled with for generations?
It’s the eternal search… the longing of our hearts… How do we live Holy lives? How do we live for God? For His Kingdom?
How do we infuse the world with the light of the gospel?
The truth is… We seem to like to think that there is some sort of “secret sauce” to Christian Life…
Look at “the Rich Young Ruler”…
He came to Jesus and asked:
Mark 10:17 (NIV)
17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
In other words, “What’s the secret? What’s the formula?”
It’s almost as though we think there is a special formula… a plan of action… that has been hidden away from us!
Why? Why do we tend to think that way?
It’s because of our nature…
We are prideful, arrogant, selfish… it is in our nature to hide things from others, especially if they benefit us…
And, if we do it, then surely God does too!
Think about fast food… There are few meals more iconic than “two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles , onions, on a sesame seed bun!”
You know the jingle! It’s the Big Mac!
What made it special? The Secret Sauce!
McDonald’s “Special Sauce” was a closely guarded secret… kind of like the Colonel’s secret recipe…
We tend to think that Christian Discipleship, Christian service, the Christian walk… is the same way — elusive and mysterious…
Like there’s some secret that only the Pastor and a select group of “super perfect” Christians know…
You know what I’m talking about…
We hear verses like 1 Pet 1:16
16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
And we think “I can’t be Holy! I know what I’ve done… Who I am! It’s impossible to be perfect!”
Our own doctrine of “Entire Sanctification” makes people feel this way!
We hear these ideas… We read these verses… and we are left feeling hopeless…
On my own, I can never be perfect… I’ve proven that over and over again…
Are you with me???
Let me tell you: “We are NOT on our own!”
God has not forsaken us… Nor has He given us an impossible task!
This idea of perfection prior to acceptance… couldn’t be further from the truth!
God has given us everything we need!
God has given us His Word (hold up Bible)
God has given us every instruction we need to live a life that is CONNECTED to HIM… AND… EMPOWERED by Him!
Look at 2 Peter…
In this letter, Peter is writing to the early church… He is attempting to help them grow in their faith… to become all that God wants them to be.
Look at 2 Peter 1:3-4
3 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.
4 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.
Peter tells his readers: “Do not spend your time feeling like you have somehow missed some kind of secret that others have received… Like you’ve been ‘left-out’… Do not be tricked into believing that you are not equipped to live the Godly Life.”
You see… That’s what the enemy wants you to believe! (expound)
We have EVERYTHING we need for life and goodness.
3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
“Life and godliness” refer to “Holiness”…
“His divine power has given us everything needed...”
Everything we need to live a Holy Life comes from God!
Holman puts it like this: “The same one who calls us, that is, who invites us by grace to be a part of his kingdom, also enables us to change or to grow spiritually.” — Holman
Peter’s point is this: Holiness is purely the result of Faith.
And… You have ALL the ingredients for Faith!
Why is Peter concerned that they understand this?
During the time of Peter’s writing, there was a sect of people called “Gnostics.” Ever heard of them? What do you know about them?
Gnostics emphasized a “secret knowledge” of the things of God that superceded orthodox teachings, traditions, and authority…
They believed that unless you had the exclusive knowledge that they had… then you were misinformed!
Sound familiar?
Gnostics are alive and active even today!
They say that …
— Christians have “messed up” the Bible… that it doesn’t hold the “full truth”…
— that there are books missing…
— that the written Word… the Bible as we have it… the 66 books contained within… do not contain all that we need, and are not the inerrant Word of God…
Their teachings are dangerous… They mislead and divide… They take away from the Gospel’s primary point that Christ’s death and resurrection are all that was needed for us to be right with God!
Let me tell you: Nothing else is needed! This Book contains everything we need! It tells us all we need to follow God’s plan for us!
My wife and I are two completely different types in the kitchen.
She didn’t learn how to cook as a teenager, so she needs recipes to guide her… to give her the exact ingredients… and she follows them very closely…
Because of that, when she goes to the pantry and the ingredients aren’t there… she sees that she cannot make anything.
It’s different for me… When I go to the pantry, and it seems like there is nothing to fix, like there are no ingredients to make anything good… I get a little excited!
I like to dive in… to experiment… to see what I might be able to create out of the nothing that we have… AND… you c an ask my daughter… I’ve made some pretty good meals that way!
In fact, some of the best meals I have ever made have been by using what I had… rather than what I wish I had!
That’s Peter’s Point!
We don’t need a new “special ingredient”… We have all that we need!
The best life we can have with God is found in the things we already have!
Peter tells us… through Faith in Jesus, we have been given ALL of the tools and ingredients we need!
We have ALL we need… to Love God… to serve others… to overcome sin… to grow spiritually… and to live a Faith-filled life!
In other words, We have been given all we need to BE HOLY!!!
Many Christians walk around frustrated… They think that they need more than God’s promises of love and grace…
HEAR ME… You have everything you need!
“His grace is enough!”
The source of strength we need to be Holy has been given to us!
Look at v. 3
3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Everything we need “for life and godliness” has been given to us by “His own Glory and Goodness.”
That refers to God’s Holy Spirit in us!
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.
That word “advocate” or “counselor” in some translations, is the word “paraclete”. It means “the one called alongside to help.”
“Paraclete — the one called alongside to help.”
I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude B. Effective and Productive Lives (vv. 3–11)
In some places the word was an ancient warrior’s term. Greek soldiers always went into battle in pairs, so that when the enemy attacked, they could draw together back to back, covering each other’s blind side. The soldier’s battle partner was called the paraclete, or the helper.
Look at the “Armor of God”…
13 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.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Have you ever paid attention to what’s missing?!
There is no “pauldron”… there is nothing to provide protection for the back!
Why?!?
Because God is our “paraclete”. He has our back!
God does not send us into the world alone!
Christ promised the Holy Spirit, to guide us… We can trust that promise, because the promise is assured by the CHARACTER of the ONE who promised!
And guess what!!!! V. 3 gives us the character of the promiser:
2 Peter 1:3 (NRSV)
3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
Look at verse 4:
4 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.
We are given the power — through the Holy Spirit — to PARTICIPATE in the Divine Nature — in the very Glory and Goodness of God… and to escape the corruption of the world!
SO…
Quit relying on your own power and trust in God’s divine power to transform you!
We can live a Holy Life through Complete and Total Faith in God!
Once again… It’s about Complete and Total Trust In… and Dependence On… God!
Look at 2 Peter 1:5-8
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
8 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.
What do you notice about the way Peter continues in this passage?
What does it sound like?
A Recipe!!!
— “Add to your bowl melted butter, two eggs, flour, sugar, …”
Peter’s words read as though we are reading a recipe for baling a cake or making chocolate chip cookies…
Look at his words…
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
“For this reason…” For what reason?!
(just like “therefore”, this means to look at what he just said)
2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
4 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.
Christ has given us EVERYTHING we need to live Holy Lives…
Therefore… “add to your lives these things”…
Peter tells us that there are a number of things that we are invited to add to our Faith in order to live a life of Holiness!
Notice something here: Peter NEVER said “add these and then stop… you’re done.”
— There are no quantities given…
In fact… Verse 8 says: 2 Peter 1:8
2 Peter 1:8 (NIV)
8 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.
We must add these and continue to add these qualities to our Way of Life!
Our transformation back into the image of God will NEVER be complete until the day we are standing in the presence of God again in the Garden!
So… What is the first ingredient in this “Not So Secret Sauce”?
Verse 5, “Add to your faith, goodness”
2 Peter 1:5 (NIV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
“Goodness” comes from the Greek word “arete”.
“Arete” is an active word. It means more than just being someone who avoids doing wrong…
“Arete” describes someone with virtue… with moral excellence.
This is someone who does gracious things and acts of good will unapologetically. (not desiring praise or recognition, or being afraid of the outcome)
Peter calls us to add to our faith real and intentional acts of pure goodness that bless others… without benefitting us!
This is the first ingredient…
It is the first thing people should see if we call ourselves Christians…
Sadly though… Many “Christians” never make the effort to do good in this world…
Whether it be due to fear… of rejection or condemnation… or simply because they have never been told that this is a characteristic of Holiness…
Look at verse 5, 2 Pet 1:5
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
Goodness is the very first characteristic Peter lists in his “recipe”…
Why? Why is it first?
Because… Goodness is fundamental to what it means to be created by God.
Let me tell you: You were created to do Good.
Look at Eph 2:8-10
Ephesians 2:8–10 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Good works are not how we earn salvation.
That comes ONLY by putting our FAITH in Jesus’s work on the Cross…
What Paul is talking about here is our RESPONSE to SALVATION!
You see… Our RESPONSE to Christ’s Work on the Cross MATTERS!
Jesus paid the price for our sin on the Cross… He won our freedom from sin through His Resurrection… because (now listen) WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP!
Some translations say that we are His “Handiwork”…
God made us… He designed us… He has a plan for us…
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
That plan is for us to do GOOD in this world!
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
When all we had was natural light in this world, productivity — what we could get done — was limited to daylight hours… That’s why we have “daylight savings time”…
(pull out a light bulb)
Light bulbs changed that. They allowed us to begin being active at night…
According to historians, two dozen people were instrumental in creating the incandescent light bulb… Edison is credited for it because he was the one who created the first fully functional lighting system… complete with a generator, wiring, and a carbon filament bulb…
The light bulb was the handiwork of Thomas Edison… and there have been countless benefits that came from it…
Just like the light bulb… God created you with endless opportunities to bless the world around you.
Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
God has good works that He planned for YOU long ago!
All we have to do is BE AVAILABLE to be used…
But Pastor, “How do I find these opportunities for good? How do I know what God wants me to do?” (I’m glad you asked!)
Theologian Frederick Buecher — “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” — Frederick Buecher
How has God “wired” you?
What are you passionate about?
What are you good at?
What do you have to offer the world?
When you can answer those questions… then all you need to do is look for ways that the design of God within you can be used!!!
Let me tell you: “It may not look like what you expect!”
Your “calling”… Your “work”… will ALWAYS stretch your faith!
Trevor Miller tells this story:
“I met a man from our church once who was a very talented builder and a successful contractor. He decided one day to go on a mission trip to rebuild after a massive tornado had ripped through downtown Birmingham, AL…
He got hooked on building and constructing for a greater purpose!
He felt himself come alive by adding goodness to his Faith.
He now has a non-profit that helps build homes for the homeless in our city.”
God wants you to discover how to add to your faith the practical goodness that He has placed in you!
So… How do you discover that? How do you discover what God designed for you to do?
Start with Prayer.
— Ask God to speak to your heart… not your mind!
Ask yourself:
“What do people say I’m good at?”
“What is something I feel most alive doing?”
“What is a need within my family… my community… or the world?”
“What is something that God cares deeply about?”
Then consider where your answers intersect…
This is where fulfilling God’s purpose for you starts!
Be open to being changed!
(I never expected to be a pastor)
Look at James 2:26
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
We can live a Holy life! We can experience the fullness of His Presence on a daily basis… We can KNOW how it feels to hear His voice… to SEE His blessings on our work… to FEEL the Joy of the Kingdom… daily!
But we can’t do it by just “reading the recipe”!
22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
We have to start cooking!
A good chef doesn’t waste time in the kitchen.
They know there is a lot to get done to get the food from the stove to the table… The same is true in our lives!
If we allow God’s call on us… the work He has planned for each of us… to just sit on the stove… or worse, if we just sit and read the recipe, and never start cooking… the work will go to waste!
Let’s not waste time… Let’s get busy doing good in this life!
Trevor Miller tells of a time in his life when he had gone stagnant… He confesses that he “got bored with the things of God”… as a result, he “didn’t see much use in following Jesus.”
Some of us may know this feeling… I know I do… I’ve been there…
You see… We can find ourselves there… in that place… when we are not serving within God’s plan for our lives!
Things get stagnant… we start wondering “what’s the point?”
We lose excitement… We grow indifferent… We begin just going through the motions…
I want you to hear what his mentor told him:
“[You] know all the right things there are to know about the Christian Faith. The problem is, it is stuck in your head. It hasn’t made it from your head to your heart… and then on to your hands!” (paraphrased)
Sometimes we need someone who loves us to point us in the right direction!
Jesus set the example… that’s the reason He came into the world!
We need to offer our WHOLE LIVES… COMPLETELY… to God!
We need to PRAY for Him to use us!
Then we need to willingly follow Jesus’s example…
Jesus lived His life with incredible intention… He fed the hungry… He healed the sick… He preached the good news of the coming Kingdom…
38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.
Jesus came to do the will of His Father and to accomplish the GOOD He was sent to do.
Are we willing to do the same?
Are we willing to accomplish the GOOD the Father calls us to do?
It starts right here… Right Now!
Will we give ourselves completely to Him? Will we let go of those areas we are holding on to?
Will we let God begin to use us in those places we have avoided? Those places we are uncomfortable with?
Will we begin pray “God use me… Not how I want to be used, but… How you want to use me...”?
We cannot begin to do the “good works” God planned for us until we do....
(prayer)