Growing Knowledge
Notes
Transcript
Handout
A Closer walk with thee. . .
A Closer walk with thee. . .
God has given us some great tools to have a reconciled, eternal life that is full and abundant in Him and for Him. We want to be transformed from the inside out and we will continue our series on a closer walk and our transformation process today.
(Risen Savior Picture inserted here)
The greatest gift that God has given us is a risen Savior! For us to know the power of the resurrection we need to have knowledge, belief, faith in Him that leads to confession, repentance and an obedient surrender to Him for forgiveness of sins and entrance into the kingdom.
(transition) - God wants us to grow, to be conformed into the image of the Son, the risen Savior and has given us tools for us to do that.
Peter commands us to grow in knowledge (2Pt3:18)
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
So, as a reminder of other things we have looked at in our series a closer walk with our risen Savior
(A closer walk with thee picture inserted here)
By being a true disciple of Christ
By understanding the blessings and responsibilities of being a disciple of Christ
Because we are disciples who understand the blessings and responsibilities we grow closer through the assembly together (right now virtually)
A closer walk through principled, practiced prayer that is effective because we are a true disciple of Jesus which comes with the blessings of prayer (being able to pray to Him and know He hears) and responsibilities (we are commanded to pray)
A closer walk with thee through God’s Word, knowing and applying it, not just on Sunday and Wednesday but to make it a part of our daily life.
And yes, a closer walk through our singing, our rejoicing, that is singing to God and it is also to one another.
(Transition) - so now we get to the verse mentioned a moment ago about the command to grow in grace and knowledge, how do we do it, how can we know we are doing it? Peter in our passage we are looking at today (one of my favorites and many of you may know that) defines what it means to grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior! So, having said that only a two point sermon, as long as you don’t count what we just did as a point.
What does growing in knowledge entail?
Why should we be growing in knowledge?
What does growing in knowledge entail?
What does growing in knowledge entail?
To walk means you have to do something, you have made a decision to go somewhere, to do something and you put that into action. So, a closer walk with thee through knowledge comes from doing something, it is growing in true knowledge of Jesus Christ
(transition) may we consider what the teacher once said.
We are simple and need instruction to bring wisdom from understanding of knowledge (Pro1:2-5)
2 To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, 3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, 5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
So true knowledge brings wisdom, now may we look at what does it entail.
Growing in knowledge entails developing eight graces as defined in (2Pt1:5-7; Heb11:1; 2Pt1:8; 2Pt1:2-3)
5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,
6 and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
Briefly let me define these 8 graces:
(Growing in grace picture inserted here)
Faith = conviction with strong assurance
Or as it says in Heb11:1 “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, or it is the confident expectation of good to come.
Virtue = moral excellence, goodness
Knowledge = is correct insight into something learned
Self-control = in other words self-discipline
i think that one is pretty “self” explanatory
Perseverance = Bearing up under trials
being able to withstand, overcome, trials, tribulations that we face as a disciple of Christ
Godliness = growing in God like character
Growing because of your devotion, your love for the risen Savior who took on your sins so you can have have eternal life in him, with Him and through Him! This is our transformation process, changing from the inside out.
Brotherly kindness = Love toward one another
Jesus said by your love they will know you are my disciples (paraphrase of Jn13:35)
Love = this is active goodwill toward one another
This is actively desiring and helping for the best for others and in others.
So, you have the eight graces that we are to develop, but not just develop, look at 2Pt1:8
8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
increasing, or in some versions says abounding, then you will be useful and fruitful, well, reworded that is.
(Resurrected Savior picture inserted here)
Useful because of true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, the risen Savior, who rose on the 3rd day as the scripture says, He gave victory over death and opened the door for you to have victory over sin because of His sacrifice. Maybe this is just a reminder of the victory you have in Jesus, victory over the sting of death, victory over the wages of sin!
When we are increasing, abounding in these graces then we can truly say we are growing in knowledge of Jesus Christ fulfilling the command Peter gave 2Pt3:18 where we started today.
More than intellectual knowledge of Jesus Christ
This is personal knowledge, faith, belief, conviction that brings about conversion
From conversion then starts the transformation process to conform us into the likeness of the Son (to be Christ like)
More than intellectual as evident in (2Pt1:2-3)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
grace and peace multiplied in Knowledge of God and His greatest gift to us, Jesus our Lord!
This knowledge is defined as “to become thoroughly acquainted with, to know thoroughly, to know accurately, to know well.” According to Thayer bible dictionary
(transition) - such knowledge only comes when we develop these graces, to demonstrate these graces, God given, Christ like graces in our lives
Developing graces in conjunction to one another.
back in 2pt1:5, let me put it back up here for a moment and point out a word we should know about developing these graces.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
Add to, give to, to supply (v.5)
(Greek word - add to- supply picture inserted here)
The Greek word: epichoregeo means
to found and support a chorus, to lead a choir, to keep in tune.
To supply or provide one
So what we have implied is that each of these 8 graces are in harmony with one another and work with one another to produce the intended effect. Abundant Christ like graces that are developed and displayed.
Add to, give to, to supply to each grace (previous grace)
So one commentator says “this preposition “to” or “in” that proceeds each grace is to temper and make perfect the grace that comes before it.
(illustrated) - to knowledge (add) to self-control; self-control enables one to apply properly the knowledge one already has obtained.
Self-control (add) to perseverance, self-control in turn needs the quality of perseverance to be consistent in our closer walk with thee as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Each grace needs to be developed in conjunction with one another.
Each grace provided, each grace is needed, each grace needs to be developed. This is not a smorgasbord for us to pick and chose this is God’s gift through the Son and true knowledge of the Son for us to be able to be transformed because of the risen Savior.
Diligence, it takes diligence to develop these graces (2Pt1:5, 10)
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
Diligence here means with earnestness, with zeal, and yes even sometimes with haste.
To grow in knowledge of Jesus Christ takes, requires effort, you want a closer walk with thee, then walk by developing these graces.
(Transition) So, wow, growing in knowledge of our risen Savior through developing these God given graces, but maybe yet you still have questions, why should we grow in knowledge if we are already saved, what is the difference?
Why should we be growing in knowledge?
Why should we be growing in knowledge?
Why, it is OK to ask the why questions, it helps us to gain, knowledge, understanding and wisdom. So, may we look at our passage with the why being put in front of us now.
Why? Because if not developed, growing in it, well it can make us myopic or to have amnesia (2Pt1:9)
9 For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.
Don’t be blind or short-sighted
Don’t be forgetful and forget who you were, what Christ did for you and why He did and how it did it and, yes how you received it.
Why? Because grace and peace are multiplied (2Pt1:2; Mt5:45; Eph1:3; Php4:6-7)
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
grace a common greeting, asking for God’s unmerited favor, but more so, for a better interpretation of grace, power to perform.
Peace, another great blessing from God.
Why again? That these two gifts will be multiplied in you and to you.
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Hey the words of Christ says that things happen to the righteous and the unrighteous, but when we develop these graces the aim is multiplied blessings of grace and peace.
In fact, look at what Paul says.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Every spiritual blessing, it does not say physical blessing, it says spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
You can see more about this peace, peace of God in looking at Php4:6-7 when you are getting ready to pray next time.
Why? All things needed are provided (2Pt1:3-4)
3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 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.
All things meaning, spiritual and physical provided through knowledge, true knowledge of the Son, who called us (stop; expand on the gospel calling here)
Why? So we will never stumble (2Pt1:10; 1Jn1:8-10)
10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;
Look at that verse again there is some application that is required here
Be diligent
Practice these things
The results will be you will not stumble!
Hey we all fall short, but God is quick to forgive when we ask according to 1Jn1:8-10 and we all need to ask
Why? For our entrance into everlasting kingdom (2Pt1:11; 2Tim4:18; 2Tim4:6-8)
I think most who are tuned in today, in fact maybe I can make an assumption that all who are tuned in want to get to heaven, look at the end of our passage before us today as we take and apply, develop these graces
11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.
In this way, what way? in adding to each of these graces what God offers to us so we can share in the divine nature of the Father through the sacrifice of the Son and the way is abundantly supplied to you through the Son (expand on this!)
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Oh man, man, man, look at what Paul told Timothy, let me read that again, it is worth it. take this, believe this, insert your name in this, for this is applicable to you when you grow in true knowledge and application.
This is more than fire insurance, this is more than keeping you from drowning in sin, or getting out of the muck and mire, this is victory, this is abundance! An abundant eternal life.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
So keep the faith, knowing what is in store for you.
(Encouragement slide - grow in grace slide inserted here; yes the same slide again)
Have you been moved, motivated, encouraged to be diligent in growing knowledge, knowledge of our risen Savior?
Go, give all diligence to make you calling, your election sure and having a closer walk with thee through developing these graces in your life.
Don’t forget where you came from, don’t forget your purification, don’t stop at salvation, that is to be the starting point not the stopping point!
Ask God, am I developing these graces in my life?
Ask God to help you to develop these graces so you can have a closer walk with thee.
(Encouragement slide 2 - just a closer walk with thee-1)
Encouragement, prayer (exit slide)