In with the New

Prayer

Stuck in the Old

There’s a lot of people getting really sick right now - they’re getting smacked with Covid or the flu or something, and it’s knocking them out.

Not necessarily (and thankfully) to the point of needing to be hospitalized -but feeling terrible - achy, fever, nausea - death warmed over

Those times when you’re so sick - technically you’re still alive, but it feels more like death

What we experience physically is also true of us spiritually. We can be so sick, so unwell in our souls, that technically we’re alive, but it’s more akin to death.

This “death” plays out in many ways in our lives

Death is that regular sense of unease, that inner anxiety, that worry that is the undercurrent of our lives because we live in false belief that we need to control the circumstances of our lives, or we so desire the approval of others - or fear their disapproval, things have to work out the way we want them to.

Death is the tense silence of a married couple that has never learned the gift of grace, but instead holds grudges and bitterness.

Death is quick dismissal of others because we are inflicted with pride that thinks we’re better than they are, they are not worth our time and effort.

List goes on - you can experience death in a hardened heart, full of rebellion and stubbornness. Death is seeing others only as they might benefit you - so you use them sexually, take advantage of their friendship.

Tragedy of sin, of this death-like sickness is that we do it to ourselves. We create our own misery.

Every marriage starts with great hope, solemn commitment of love - fails because over time, little by little, we live in ways of sin (won’t forgive, withhold love and respect, won’t submit to each other)

Live immersed in stress, anxiety, bitterness - because we’ve embraced wrong beliefs, put our faith elsewhere (I have to be in control, have to look good in front of others)

I came across the story of Jennifer, a young woman in Canada (she got connected to a church that dared to stay open during Covid - severe lockdowns there), is convinced that she would be literally dead right now because of life choices she was making due to her spiritual death.

As she shared in her testimony, “Before Christ, I was a very angry person, and filled with fear, doubt, and self-pity.”

When we talk about being a sick soul, being in spiritual death - that’s a perfect description…anger…fear…doubt…self-pity.

She goes on, describing how that pain drove her to drinking and using drugs at the age of 14: “I was constantly seeking avenues of filling the hole in me that only Jesus could fill...It began with marijuana and ended with smoking crack cocaine, and intravenous drug use. I was a slave to darkness.”

A slave to darkness - sometimes we’re mired in sin and death so long, we don’t even know what wellness feels like - or if it’s even possible.

Last week I asked you to consider one thing in you that you’d like to see put to death. Gone. What sin, what trait, if you could, you would take right off, get rid of immediately.

When I think about those traits in my own life, it’s hard to imagine being without them. I’ve lived with them so long. They very much feel part of who I am.

But this is the whole promise of the Gospel - that they are no longer part of who we are. The Gospel is what God promises to us when he says, “See, I am making all things new.” God, through Jesus, is moving us from death to life. And if we let him (and that’s the key), he will make us new.

Whole point of this sermon series, Made New, is to join with Jesus in his new making work in us. To trust that Jesus can - and will - move us from those ways of death (anger, lack of grace, pride) into a godly life.

Last week we talked about joining with Jesus in dying to sin, taking it off, getting rid of it.

This morning our main point is that we are to join with Jesus in rising to new life. Putting on the virtues that make us like Jesus: faith, self-control, humility, gentleness, love.

In with the New

2 Peter 1:3-11...

vs. 3-4 - I really want you to hear this: His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life. Everything we need. It’s all right here.

We spend a good part of yesterday putting together a number of things at church - table for entry way, movable TV stand, installing camera security system. How frustrating it would have been to open the box, start putting everything together…and then realize you were missing a needed part. Table with leg won’t work well, stand that doesn’t have screws to hold it together will fall apart soon.

But because of God’s divine power in us, we have everything we need to be made new. It’s all there, ready to go.

This divine power is - just like we sang before - the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. It is resurrection life of Jesus.

When we unite with him, join with him in his death and resurrection, we’re joining with him in dying to sin and rising into that godly life. We’re not just bystanders - that was so nice what Jesus did for us. No, we’re active participants, we join with Jesus in his death and resurrection so that we can become new, out with the old and in with the new.

And Peter is reminding us that everything we need to be made new (divine power of Jesus in us) it’s all right there for us.

Then Peter tells us that his divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our “knowledge of him (Jesus) who called us by his own glory and goodness”.

New making power comes to us through knowing Jesus - experiencing a lived relationship with Jesus, in the way you would know anyone, not knowing about, but firsthand knowing.

I was talking to my brother and his wife the other day (Alf & Susan), they were telling me about one of their former foreign exchange students, Janick, from Germany, had just come to visit them in Texas.

This time, Janick came with his girlfriend. They had a wonderful time together. At one point towards the end of the trip, they were doing some shopping, and Janick and his girlfriend wanted to buy something to remember their time there.

Finally found some souvenir that said on it, “deep in the heart of Texas”, this is it, it’s perfect.

Really had nothing to do with Texas. It had everything to do with people there. Janick’s girlfriend made the comment that she finally understood why Janick talked so much about Texas, why his heart was there. Because she had finally experienced it herself. I’ve never felt so loved before. I’ve never had people show a genuine interest in me, who I am.

Up until that point in time, Janick’s girlfriend had only known about Alf and Susan and their family, through what Janick had told her. But now she had come to know them herself - she had a knowledge of them. And it made all the difference.

This is why at the heart of living into new life in Jesus is knowing Jesus, knowing his heart. You’re deep in the heart of Jesus.

Here’s thing. You and I will never pursue this new life in Jesus until we desire it above everything else. Until we desire him.

It will never come out of obligation, sense of I should do this (I should go to church, be good). It’s certainly not going to come out of guilt. No, it’s because you know Jesus, you know his tender mercies, you know the height and depth and width of his love. You know what genuine interest he has for you.

That knowing is what spurs us to, as Peter writes, become partakers of the divine nature. We want to share in God’s life and love and goodness. I want to be a part of that.

Rather than those sinful desires that corrupted world and us - that spiritual sickness that leads to death. As C.S. Lewis says, our fundamental problem isn’t that we desire too much, it’s that we desire too little. We settle for sinful, self-centered desires rather than desire life itself - in Jesus. Eternal glory - in Jesus.

Peter goes on - he says, because of all this - For this reason, because we God’s granted to us all the new, all things that pertain to life and goodness, Peter says, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge

He goes on from there, adding to list of things we want to fill our lives with: knowledge, self-control, perseverance (steadfastness), mutual affection (what one commentator described as a fervent practical caring for others), and then, finally, love.

Some would make the point that there’s a prescribed order, you add things to your life in this exact order - begin with faith, add virtue, or goodness to your faith. Then knowledge and so on.

But I think everyone’s journey is different. I think the main point here is simply to keep pursuing all these things more and more. Keep adding them to your life. Join in! Grab a hold of the life that is really life - Jesus’ resurrection life.

Here again, I know I keep repeating this point, but it’s so fundamental. We have to be intentional, proactive in pursuing this. The command is to us, make every effort.

Not some effort. Not most effort. Every effort. That’s how vital this is.

God’s divine power is right there in us, Jesus resurrection life, through the Holy Spirit - everything we need. But we have to join in. We have to pursue it.

Peter so wants us to get this point of being willing to make every effort that he issues a warning here - if you don’t keep pursuing and growing in these, you’ll be ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. You won’t know Jesus. Instead, you’ll be like a dead branch, no life, withered, unfruitful.

He says, If you lack these qualities, you’re essentially blind, you’re so nearsighted you can’t see properly

Just had this conversation the other day with some folks here at the church - people were sharing that they didn’t realize how bad their vision had gotten - until they went to DMV or tried a friend’s glasses, didn’t realize how nearsighted they had become

That’s Peter’s point here - you won’t be able to see it clearly, and you won’t even realize it, how bad it’s gotten. You won’t even remember what it was like, sense of being cleansed, freed from your sins. Because you’ll be right back in those old ways, those sick ways, ways of death.

But it goes other direction - if we make every effort to pursue newness of life, as Peter says - 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.

Feels little bit like a double negative there - but the point is, if we possess these qualities in increasing measure you will be effective and fruitful in your knowing of Jesus. And remember, knowing Jesus is what equips you to experience his divine power - which gives us everything we need for a godly life.

That’s my hope for you. That you would desire to know Jesus. More and more, you would be deep in the heart of Jesus. Experience that power, that life-giving power. That new-making power.

But, as I keep saying, it requires that we join in with Jesus - not just dying to sin, but rising to new life. God’s power is right here for us, but we have to make every effort to keep pursuing these godly traits, to become like Jesus.

Spiritual Disciplines - Don’t want to challenge you to do without giving you how you might do it.

Make every effort to join Jesus in new making in your life

Last week, what is one thing you want out of your life, to die within you

This week, what is new thing. What character trait do you hunger for, that God would cultivate in you? Be specific. Name it.

Love toward a particular person. Trust Jesus in all things, being able to give it over to God, live under his sovereign care. Humility (my need to be right, let it go). Knowledge of Jesus, know and delight in his love. Self-control in a particular area in your life.

Moment of silence and consideration..

This week, make this a daily prayer. Follow the example that James gives us: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Hear what that verse is saying - when we ask God for godly traits, he will honor that prayer. God is doing a new work in you - that’s why he saved you through Jesus. He’s not in the fault-finding business (he’ll just screw it up, again). He wants to make us new. Pray with that confidence, that this is heart of God.

So, every day, pray for wisdom. Or Pray to know Jesus. Pray for self-control. Pray for perseverance. Pray for patience. Whatever it is you sense God wanting to nurture in you.

And then, make every effort. Act in intentional ways to cultivate that trait within you.

If you have difficulty with self-control (intend to do something, but keep failing at it), ask someone to hold you accountable (I just did that this week, asked a friend, hold me to this)

If you’re struggling with patience…put yourself intentionally in positions where you have to wait. Go to longest line in grocery store. You think I’m kidding here. I’m not. Make every effort.

If you want to know Jesus - incorporate times of silence and solitude in your life. Be with him. No other agenda other than to be with him

Affection, love - act in love or affection toward others

Inspiration

How Peter ends this part of this teaching: “For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

When Peter says here, you will never stumble, he’s not saying you’ll be perfect and will never sin. The stumbling is a reference to falling away from faith. You’ll never forsake Jesus. You’ll persevere, be victorious.

And you’ll be type of person warmly welcomed into the kingdom of Jesus. That’s really an amazing thought.

Have you ever knocked at door of someone, not sure how they would receive you? It’s uneasy.

It’s so different when you knock at the door of folks you know and love - door busts open, smiles are big and immediate, there’s a delight - you’re here! Arms take you in.

That’s the welcome Peter is describing here. That’s how Jesus will receive you into his kingdom - with big open arms, with utter joy - so glad you’re here. You belong here.

This is what Jesus died for. And what he rose to new life for - to save us. To give us power to become a person who has been made new - type of person who belongs in the kingdom of God.