PROCLAMATION FOR GODLINESS (2)

Pastor Steve Eicher

Essentials for a Godly Life • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

2 Peter 1:3–11

1 Peter 4:17

Godliness

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I) INTRO: SLIDE

A) BOOK of Peter

1) TO WHOM WRITTEN: Christians everywhere,—2 Peter 1:1.

2 Peter 1:1 NLT

1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

2) PURPOSE: To warn believers of the dangerous and seductive work of false teachers; and to encourage them to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," (2 Peter 3:18).

2 Peter 3:18 NLT

18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

3) MAIN THEME: A warning against corrupt teachers and scoffers. In order to counteract the influence of false doctrine, great emphasis is laid upon the Word of God and the certainty of the fulfillment of the divine promises. Thompson Chain Reference Bible.

II) TEXT: SLIDE

A) 2 Peter 1:3-4 (NLT2)

2 Peter 1:3–4 NLT

3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

B) 2 Peter 1:8-10 (NLT2) SLIDE

2 Peter 1:8–10 NLT

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away.

(a) 2 Peter 1:10 (HCSB) 10 Therefore, brothers, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble.

(b) 2 Peter 1:10 (ESV) 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

(c) 2 Peter 1:10 (MSG) 10 So, friends, confirm God's invitation to you, his choice of you. Don't put it off; do it now. Do this, and you'll have your life on a firm footing

(d) SLIDE

(i) We all Stumble

(a) When I worked for Dutch Made

1st. Accused of being so clumsy, I could stumble over an imaginary line. Often when I was around that person, I would act that out.

(e) James 3:2 (ESV) 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.

(i) Things that cause us to stumble

(a) List of

1st. Our Greed,

2nd. Our pride,

3rd. Our anger,

4th. Our lusting

5th. Our gossiping,

6th. Our bitterness

7th. Our Hypocrisy

8th. Our Idle & Cruel Words

a. Psalm 37:23-24 (NLT2) 23 The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 24 Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.

b. Proverbs 24:16 (ESV) 16 for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

C) SLIDE 2 Peter 3:10-11 (NLT2) 10 But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. 11 Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,

D) SLIDE 1 Peter 4:17 (NLT2) 17 For the time has come for judgment, and it must begin with God’s household. And if judgment begins with us, what terrible fate awaits those who have never obeyed God’s Good News?

E) SLIDE HOW HOLY and Godly do I have to be?

1) The last half of Hebrews 12:14 (NLT2) work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.

(a) God gives us a requirement “Be ye holy as I am Holy.”

(b) What does the LORD look like?

(i) Would we know HIM if we met HIM?

F) SLIDE How Holy and Godly are we?

1) SLIDE

G) SLIDE If we were to put up on the screen your status of holiness, where would you put your status? Red equals holiness.

1) 0%

2) 10%

3) 20%

4) 30%

5) 40%

(a) Beth Moore on Parenting: Which Matters More…Your Child’s Success or Godliness?

H) Holy means to be set apart for God. One who is sanctified

(a) —In a true godly life, such as that of Daniel, in a true Christian life, such as that of Paul, there is personal holiness, the holiness of character, with the ethical qualities of righteous action.

(i) The quality of holiness and the moral worth arise from free moral action in obedience to the divine will.

(b) In such a godly or Christian life there is an inner life answering to the outer; an inner life of holy aspirations and aims, which indeed are the inspiration and true worth of the outer life.

I) Defining Godliness

1) Defining GODLINESS

(a) Respect for God that affects the way a person lives. The term “godliness” appears most frequently in the writings of Paul, specifically the Pastoral Epistles. Paul encouraged Timothy to pursue “godliness” in an active manner (1 Tim. 6:11).

(b) By so doing, he challenged him to develop a true respect for God and then, in turn, to live his life based on that respect. He emphasized the value of godliness by contrasting it to physical training (1 Tim. 4:8).

(c) Whereas physical training has benefit for this life, Paul noted that godliness would benefit the believer in this life and in the life to come.

(i) This characteristic was also recognized as being of “great gain” in the life of a Christian (1 Tim. 6:6).

(ii) Peter likewise encouraged his readers to add to their lives “godliness” as a way of living (2 Pet. 1:6–7).

(d) In addition, Paul used the term to refer to God’s actions through Jesus that provided the basis for the Christian’s godliness. According to 1 Tim. 3:16, this “mystery of godliness is great” (HCSB).

(e) Paul also referred to some who had a “form of godliness” but denied its power. ) 1 Timothy 6:5 (NLT2) 5 These people always cause trouble. Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on the truth. To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. These were ones who appeared to be people of piety, but their understanding and worship of God had little, if any, effect upon their lives (1 Tim. 6:5 Thomas Strong

(f) Godliness encompasses behaviors, words, and attitudes that reflect what God would do on earth if He were to come down as a person—as He did during the incarnation of Jesus Christ.

(i) A godly life manifests the purity and purpose of God from the inside out. It’s literally a matter of Christ living His life through us consistently by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Godliness may seem too lofty a goal to attempt. And it is—if you attempt it in your own power. But Peter was pointing you toward a power that will enable you to live a godly life. What kind of power can do that? Jeremiah, David . Everything You Need (p. 4). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

III) PROCLAMATION FOR GODLINESS

A) God has given us everything we need for living a godly life

1) Jeremiah, Dr. David. Everything You Need (p. 10). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

(a) PERSONAL

(b) POWER

B) PERSONAL SLIDE

1) We personally need to know him

(a) 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT2) 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

(i) Where does life comes from?

(a) It does not come from man himself; life is not in and of man himself. Man dies. He is a dying creature, always in the process of dying, always moving onward toward the grave. Man is as good as dead. And in the process of dying, he experiences all kinds of trials and sufferings such as sickness, disease, accident, emptiness, loneliness, corruption, evil, shortcomings, failures, lies, thefts, killings, wars, and death after death of friends and loved ones.

(ii) Christ has called us to glory and virtue. This is the very life to which He has called us: a life of glory and moral excellence both here on this earth and in heaven. We are to live pure and righteous lives, glorious lives; and when we do, He promises to give us a place in the glory and perfection of heaven. Note that this may read in the Greek: "Christ has called us by His glory and virtue." That is, it is His glory and virtue (moral excellence) that attracts man and pulls man to seek life and godliness in Him.

(b) 1 John 5:20 (NLT2) 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

(a) John 17:3 (NLT2) 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

(b) Philippians 3:8 (NLT2) 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ

(c) 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT2) 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

(d) 1 John 2:23 (NLT2) 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

(i) How do we live free of sin?

(a) By receiving the spiritual understanding that is given by Christ. Note: the understanding being spoken about is the spiritual understanding that is given by Christ and by Christ alone. Understanding other areas of life will not deliver us from sin. Deliverance from sin is not found in understanding...

1st. Emotion

2nd. Behavior

3rd. Psychology

4th. medicine

5th. Sociology

6th. Education

7th. Philosophy

8th. Religion

a. All of these are important and have their place in society, but there is only one understanding that can deliver us from sin: the spiritual understanding that Jesus Christ gives.

i. The human mind has to be enlightened to understand who Christ is.

ii. Our minds have to be quickened to receive Christ as our Savior from sin, quickened by Christ Himself.

(b) Jesus Christ gives us spiritual understanding so that we can know three things.

1st. Jesus Christ gives us the knowledge of God, to know that God is true: that God does exist; that God is behind all things; that God is the Maker and Creator of all things—both heaven and earth and all that is therein.

2nd. Jesus Christ gives us the knowledge that we are in God and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that we have been born of God; that God has placed us in Him and in His Son; that we live, move, and have our being in God and in Christ; that we are secure forever and ever in God and His dear Son because we are in the very divine nature of God Himself.

3rd. Jesus Christ gives us the knowledge that we know the true God who lives eternally: that we are in Him; that we have eternal life; that we will never die, but will live with God forever and ever.

2) Question was asked: "Why are so many young people falling away from the faith?"

(a) Answer: Not every child who starts out in church stays in church; in fact, many young people are falling away from the faith and walking away from the church as they grow older. A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group, a leading research organization whose focus is on the relationship of faith and culture, found that less than 1 percent of the young adult population in the United States has a biblical worldview. Even more startling, the data shows that less than one half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 has a biblical worldview.

(i) The Barna Group defined a biblical worldview as belief in the following:

(a) absolute moral truth exists

(b) the Bible is completely inerrant

(d) a person cannot earn his way into the kingdom of God though good works

(e) Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth

(f) God is the supreme Creator of the heavens and the earth and reigns over the whole universe today

(a) John 17:3 (NLT2) 3 And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

(c) 2 Peter 1:2 (NLT2) 2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.

(d) 2 Peter 2:20 (NLT2) 20 And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.

(e) 2 Peter 3:18 (NLT2) 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

B) POWER SLIDE

1) 2 Peter 1:3 (NLT2) 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.

(a) At times it is tempting to ask the question: ‘Is God strong enough to save and keep me, both now and for evermore?’ The answer according to Peter is a resounding ‘Yes!’ for God displays dunamis, dynamic power, to save and protect those who are his both now in time and on into eternity. Clive Anderson

2) GOD’s power is limitless

3) Exodus

(a) Power of God was demonstrated

(i) Plagues

(ii) Red Sea

4) We learn from the astronomers that the Milky Way, the disc-shaped galaxy to which our sun belongs, is a family of more than 100 billion stars. And these scientists say there may be as many as 100 billion other galaxies in the universe. And they believe that the billions of these galaxies’ billion stars may have hundreds of millions of planets like our earth. God’s creation from a one-sentence command! ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 7,700 ILLUSTRATIONS: SIGNS OF THE TIMES

5) 2204 Comparison From Hollowed Sun

(a) The sun is so large that, if it were hollow, it could contain more than one million worlds the size of our earth. There are stars in space so large that they could easily hold 500 million suns the size of ours. There are about 100 billion stars in the average galaxy. And there are at least 100 million galaxies in the known universe.

6) 2205 How Big Is 100 Billion?

(a) But how many are 100 billion? If we were to count 250 a minute—day and night—it would take us about 1,000 years to count to 100 billion. Multiply this by a few trillion, the probable number of galaxies, and perhaps we have a better understanding of Christ’s words: “All power is given unto me.”

7) It is now known that the sun, with the entire solar system, revolves around the center of its own galaxy at the tremendous speed of 481,000 mph—such a gigantic orbit, it would require over 200 million years to complete it. At 64,000 mph, the sun is carrying all the planets, including the Earth, through space (within our galaxy) towards the star cluster on the edge of our galaxy known as Hercules.

(a) Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is moving around the center of a supercluster of 2,500 neighboring galaxies at 1,350,000 mph. The Earth’s motion, relative to the universe has been measured at 360,000 miles per hour. Thus, as a matter of fact, the sun’s circuit is from one end of the heavens to the other, just as Scripture has stated.

(b) God has created a dynamic universe which is in constant rotating motion. One purpose of the circular motion of all objects in space is to provide stability. If planets and moons did not have orbital motion, gravity would pull them inward, toward the sun, causing them to crash. If the Milky Way were stationary, the stars would move toward the center and the whole system would collapse upon itself. Rotation maintains stability throughout the universe. HARMONY OF SCIENCE AND SCRIPTURE

C) PROMISES SLIDE

1) 2 peter 1:4b And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

(a) God’s promises are exceedingly great because they’re incalculable.

(b) No one can fully count the number of promises God placed in the Bible, although Dr. Everek R. Storms of Ontario decided to try. “All my life,” he said, “I have seen various figures quoted as to the number of promises in the Bible. The one most generally given is 30,000. Since this is a round number, I have always been a little suspicious about it. Furthermore, since there are only 31,101 verses in the Bible, it would mean that there would be practically one promise in every verse.”

(c) That inspired Dr. Storms to conduct his own study. According to Storms’s calculations, there are a grand total of 8,810 promises in the Bible. About 85 percent of them are made by God to human beings. Only one book of the Bible contains no promise at all: Titus. Isaiah contains more than one thousand promises.

(d) What section of Scripture most impressed Storms? “The most outstanding chapter as far as promises are concerned is Psalm 37,” he wrote. “Practically every verse is a most wonderful promise.”5 But with all due respect to Dr. Storms, it gets better. Many verses in the Bible may not be written in the form of a promise—and yet they are promises. Jeremiah, Dr. David. Everything You Need (p. 10). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.

(e) When a person is born into the world, he has the birthright to the promises of God, the right...

(i) to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, the promised seed of God.

(ii) to inherit the promised land of heaven.

(a) But how many sell their birthright? How many sell their blessing for the satisfaction of their body and flesh, for their desires and lusts, for the pleasures and possessions of this world? This is one of the great dangers that the believer must guard against. Preacher's Outline and Sermon Bible - Commentary - Hebrew, James.

II) CONCLUSION

1) SLIDE

2 Peter 1:8 (NLT2)

2 Peter 1:8 NLT

8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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