2 Peter 1- A gift received + A gift disregarded

2 Peter 1:1-11

A gift received + A gift disregarded

A gift received (v2-8)

(1) Everything God expects of you, He will empower you to do.

God empowers our life through the Holy Spirit. God always provides a way for us to come to union with Him.

corruption exists in our world; God wants to purify us and helps us escape it

(2) God wants you to know Him.

To Know Him is to have eternal life

John 17:3 “3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.”

1 John 2:24–27 “24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he himself made to us: eternal life. 26 I have written these things to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you. 27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don’t need anyone to teach you. Instead, his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie; just as it has taught you, remain in him.”

1 John 5:20 (CSB) 20And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

illus: know is embodied and experience, first hand, of a truth you intellectually understood.

(3) What began in a moment, grows into ongoing movement.

When we repent, pledge allegiance to Jesus, and ask to be filled with HS - that moment it began

Acts 2…repent, confess, believe (give loyalty to King Jesus)

Luke 11:9–13 CSB

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

A eternal life is not a one and done moment. It’s ongoing. Increasing measure.

vs5-9 are like the growth chart for child. stacking gains upon gains

2 Peter 1:5–7 “5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, 6 knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, 7 godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”

How do I know I have received the Spirit and saving work has begun? Are your progressing or just repeating stages?

The Holy Spirit is a gift to facilitate and accelerate our ongoing growth.

Ephesians 4:20–5:5 CSB

20 But that is not how you came to know Christ, 21 assuming you heard about him and were taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, 23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth. 25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity. 28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ. 1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

Ephesians 5:15–21 CSB

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time, because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

A gift disregarded

2 Peter 1:8–11 CSB

8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.

Warning: If we stop moving toward God, we will eventually regress back into way of the world.

Pull of the world is strong…yet God in you in stronger

cross reference to Mt 5:13, Mt 7:21-22

“forgotten the cleansing” = forgotten, neglected, fraud, infidelity, disregarded

*we all can disregard a gift sent to us from God.

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Talk it Over (being honest & open with friends, a spouse, or your Group)

The message was about God’s Gift that helps us grow. What is one idea from Sunday’s message that impacted you?

Read 2 Peter 1. What does this passage reveal about Jesus and the life of faith?

What does 2 Peter 1:2-8 teach us about God's expectations and our ability to meet them?

What steps can you take to ensure that you are supplementing your faith with goodness and other virtues as mentioned in 2 Peter 1:5-7?

Can you identify a time when you might have disregarded God's gift to you? How can you change this in the future?

Read Ephesians 4:20-5:21. What are some key truths found in this text?

What practical actions can you take this week to fill your life with the Spirit and not with worldly influences?

Read Matthew 5:13 & Matthew 7:21-22. In light of the sermon on Sunday, what are some things you are noticing within these texts?