Sermon Tone Analysis

*A Precious Faith – Part 2*

/2nd Peter 1:1-2/

 

 

July 15, 2007

Sun Oak Baptist Church

 

 

*Introduction*

 

          A.

Please take your Bibles and turn with me to Matt.

13:3 – we’ll be getting to 2nd Peter in just a moment.

I also encourage you to take out the sermon notes in the bulletin and take advantage of that tool that we provide.

Welcome visitors.

B.

As we saw last week the center-piece of the table that Peter sets to serve his 2nd letter is the preciousness of the Christian faith.

The Christian faith is something precious – something to cherish and value.

And while the center-piece is this preciousness, we might say the tablecloth that holds it all together is the theme of “certainty.”

One of the central points of 2nd Peter is that in order to guard ourselves against the stumbling that can be caused by false teachers we must be certain of our foundations – the Christian faith is precious and in order to guard ourselves against the threat of false teachers we must know exactly where we stand and in whom we believe.

C.

Chapter 13 in Matthew’s Gospel is incredibly powerful.

It contains one of Jesus’ most powerful and provocative parables:  “The Parable of the Sower.”

*Read 13:3-9.*

Then in verse 18 Jesus explains this Parable.

*Read 13:18-23.*

“The Parable of the Sower” is a warning against false conversion – a warning against not being a true believer – it’s an admonition to be certain of our foundation.

It describes four (4) different types of people that hear and receive the Gospel, but only one (1) of the four (4) is truly saved – only one (1) has a foundation that stands firm against the trials thrown against it.

And then, after explaining this parable, right in the middle of using some other Parables to also warn against false conversion, Jesus tells two (2) parables that describe the value that Jesus places on the Gospel – the value of the Christian faith:  *read 13:44-46.*

The Christian faith is incredibly valuable – it’s precious.

Now turn over to 2nd Peter 1:1.

Jesus characterizes true saving faith as something so valuable, so precious, that a person wanting it must be willing to sell everything they have in order to get it.

And Peter reiterates this very same truth in his introduction to this 2nd letter.

Like panning for gold the Christian faith requires diligence and is something that must be prized and treasured.

If we are not certain about this truth, if we are not certain that Christianity is a precious faith, then there’s no reason to go any further in this letter – this truth is foundational to Peter’s message in this letter.

*Read 1:1-2 and 10.*

 

                   *Pray.*

D.

As I said last week verses 1-2 are saturated with theology – they are rich with doctrine related to defining the nature of the Christian faith and it’s through this theology and the phrase “precious faith” that Peter lays the foundation for most of what he has to say in this letter.

And what we are doing is unwrapping the riches of these first two (2) verses by answering some questions about the precious value of the Christian faith.

*I.

First of all:  /how/ many precious faiths are there?*

As we saw last week the answer to this question is just one (1) – one faith.

*Read 1:1.*

It’s not “faiths” plural – it’s “faith” singular.

Jesus said in John 14:6:  “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

 

 

*II.

Secondly, /what/ is this precious faith?*

What is this precious faith?

How do we define it?

Look at Peter’s answer.

*Read 1:1-3.*

A.

We saw last week that Jesus Christ is at the very center of Peter’s answer to the question of “what.”

He refers to Jesus Christ five (5) times just in these first three (3) verses and a total of fifteen (15) times in this first chapter.

What is the Christian faith:  it’s Jesus Christ born of a virgin; crucified on the cross of Calvary; buried; risen again on the third day and sitting this very day at the right hand of the Father.

B.

Take Jesus Christ out of this letter; take Him out of the NT and there is no Good News – no Gospel.

Acts 4:12 says it this way:  “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus Christ is the bulls-eye center of God’s redemptive plan for man.

*III.

And now third:  /how/ does someone get this precious faith?*

Jesus Christ is THE way, THE truth, and THE life – no one comes to the Father but by Him…and this 3rd question is where left off last week:  how do we get this faith?

Peter’s answer is in two (2) parts – it’s concise and cuts to the chase with the precision of a laser:  *read 1:1b.*

A.

The first part of Peter’s answer to the question of “how” is found in the word “obtained.”

This word originally meant “to get something through the casting of a lot,” but came to mean “having something given to you.”

So the answer to “how” is that the Christian faith is simply given – it’s a gift – it’s just “obtained.”

At some point in a Christian’s life a priceless gift was given to them – they did nothing to deserve it, earn it, or get the gift – they just “obtained” it.

B.

But Peter adds a second part to this truth:  the “obtaining;” this “giving” wasn’t done in a vacuum.

Look at 1:1b again:  *read 1:1b.*

The precious faith of the Christian is obtained how:  by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

We could literally spend the rest of the morning just on this phrase:  it’s thrilling.

In this one phrase Peter sums up the doctrines of election, justification, atonement, redemption – or basically everything taught in the Bible about the transaction that occurs when someone is saved.

There is nothing a sinner does to get this precious faith – it’s given to them by the righteousness of our God and our Savior Jesus Christ.

We can’t do anything to earn it and the truth of this statement has always tripped people up.

1.       Flip back to 1st Peter 1:2 for a moment.

In both of his letters Peter emphasizes the doctrine of election – many are called few are chosen.

*Read 1:2; 5:13; 2nd Peter 1:10.*

In “The Parable of the Sower” the seeds of the Gospel are sown on four (4) different types of soils but only one (1) of the soils receives the seed it in such a way that it develops deep roots, grows, and produces fruit.

The Christian faith is given to us by God’s grace and the righteousness of Jesus Christ – which in my mind makes this faith all the more precious!!

 

                   2.       Turn with me to Eph. 2:8.

Let me try to put some shoe leather to this truth that there is nothing someone can do to earn this precious faith by contrasting how the Bible says people get the precious faith Peter is talking about with how people get other “faiths” in the world today.

a.

It’s almost like the religion editor at the Bee is reading my mail.

Here’s the headline of Saturday’s article on the Jehovah Witnesses:  *show and read.*

How does a Jehovah Witness get a right relationship with their “god?”

One Door at a time – it’s doing.

How does someone get to heaven or have a right relationship with the god of Islam; or the gods (little “g’s” of Hinduism; or of Roman Catholicism and so on?

Adherents to any of these faiths earn a right relationship with their god by doing – by “doing” things – they are faiths that aren’t given – they are earned.

Forgiveness, righteousness, and right standing in every single faith except the faith of Peter and the other apostles is earned by fasting; by getting baptized; by going door-to-door; by not drinking coffee; by going to Mecca; by going on a two (2) year mission; by climbing a mountain in Tibet and kissing the Dali Lama’s hand – and on and on.

Not a single one of these faiths are obtained – they are earned.

b.

And this stands in diametrical contrast to how Peter was saved, to how the rest of the apostles were saved, and to how any lost sinner gets in right relationship with the God of the Bible.

*Read Eph.

2:8-9.*

3.       Question:  do these verses say anything about anything we can do to get saved?

Peter’s letter is about foundations – it’s about certainty.

If someone isn’t certain about this truth regarding how we are saved then they are in church for the wrong reason.

We don’t get to heaven because we go to church – we get to heaven because God saved us and everything we do as a Christian, including going to church, flows out of our love for Him.

C.

Go back to 2nd Peter 1:1.

Before we go any further let me make sure that all of us are certain about one (1) thing because I know how sometimes peoples’ minds’ work:  2nd Peter is warning against false teachers.

And the religions I just referred to our false religions – they are founded upon the teachings of false prophets and false teachers.