Smell What the Rocks Been Cooking Week 4

Smell What the Rock is Cooking -wk 4

Intro:

Last week we talked about the reality of what God has done for us in Christ and how we need to begin to see ourselves as the Father sees us.

This a part of the Renewing of our Minds, the changing of our thinking patterns that the Apostle Paul teaches in Romans 12

We discussed how Peter (a nickname for Simeon, which means Rock) using the same language as the Pagan and Stotic teachers of his day takes a polemic punch at their false teaching which taught that Men through wisdom, knowledge and nature could escape the immoral trappings of this World and eventually , at some future point, with the right amount of effort, Partake in the Divine Nature.

We have ALREADY BEEN MADE partakers in the Divine Nature and been given Great and Precious Promises which Have provided for us EVERYTHING WE NEED to live lives that Reflect and Honor God.

This Week Simeon Peter the Slave and Apostle of Jesus gives us a Call To Action.

This is week 4 of Can you Smell What the Rock’s been cooking

Welcome to The ReMan Initiative

Opening Thought

He guys, welcome to today’s show. thank you for talking a few minutes of your day to spend them with me.

In the circles of Men that I do life with the teaching of Stoic Philosophers is still pretty popular today.

Guys Like Ryan Holiday are making a killing by providing and promoting this sort of teaching to men who are starving for something better, moral and good, trying to fill a hole that God made sure Only HE fit.

When I was a kid, I found that the round peg WOULD fit in the Square Hole, but the Corners were still left empty and this is what I see men doing with Stoicism all the time, Round Pegs -Square Hole, Empty Corners

I love the heart these guys approach this with and how they are making efforts to brings morality and wisdom into their worlds. I just hate the fact that most men can’t or refuse to see that human effort alone in this sort of pursuit ultimately fails to produce true life.

Main Point

Peter shows us, that partaking in the Divine Nature isn’t the end goal it is the Starting Point . A launching place that isn’t accomplished by Learning and Human Effort, it is by Grace Alone and the Summoning of our souls by God to Christ and him Crucified.

The Work of Men becoming partakers in the Divine Nature ..the nature which Jesus lived in and demonstrated... is something that Only Yahweh, God Most High can do.... and for those who are In Christ Jesus... has Already Done!

This Work is fantastic and beyond anything we deserve, a work of tremendous love and unmerited favor that baffles the universe to this day.

What a reality this is!

All of this BESTOWED, gifted to us by a Father who loves us and has pursued us through the Cross of his unique one of a kind Son Jesus.

Seque

Peter wraps ups these thoughts around the Divine Power and Promises we have been given with a call to action...

Let’s read this Call to Action - I’m reading from the New English Translation or NET bible

2 Peter 1:5–9 (NET)

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; 6 to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; 7 to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love.8 For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.9 But concerning the one who lacks such things—he is blind. That is to say, he is nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins.

I think Peter assumes that his readers knew these promises he is appealing to here as the VERY REASON for this Call to Action. Letters from the other Apostles share these same promises, so it’s a good assumption that these promises were a topic of regular discussion.

It might be shameful to say but in the Church at Large today, these promises aren’t really discussed that often so I think it’s important that we quickly review them.

Because Peter is expecting the truth and the promises that he has drawn our attention ...to shake us.

He is expecting them to wake us up and motivate us like to trumpet call of Reveille causes Soldiers to jump from their beds onto their feet, standing at attention.

So what are these promises he has in mind?

From Grant Osbourne’s commentary on 1-2 Peter we find concise list.

The promise of Christ, of a Savior (Acts 13:23),

The Promise of the gift of Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4; 2:39; Gal 3:14; Eph 1:13),

The Promise of salvation (Acts 26:6; 2 Cor 6:18–7:1; Eph 3:6),

The covenant promises given to Abraham and his Seed (Side Note- Jesus is that Seed that Inherited ALL the Promises made to Abraham, (Gal 3:16–18; 4:23, 28; Eph 2:12; Heb 8:6), Which leads to the next promise

The Promise of inheritance..our sharing in all the Christ has (Rom 4:13–16; Gal 3:29; Heb 6:12),

The Promise of eternal life (2 Tim 1:1; Heb 4:1; 9:15; 11:33, 39; 1 John 2:25),

and last but not least the Par..oou..sia, The Promise of Christ’s Return (3:4; Heb 10:36–37).

As you read through the letters in our New Testament, you will see time and again the Apostles shutting down the teachers like the Stoics who were denying these promises and the reality of the Par-oou-see-a The Return of Christ

In Peter’s view...All theses promises culminate in this last great promise…Jesus is coming Back Soon!

Continuing with Grant’s thoughts he says

This unbelievably valuable and powerful promise is nothing less than our share in the “new heavens and new earth.” We have been “promised a world filled with God’s righteousness” (3:13).

Yet these promises also have present ramifications.

Here’s where you really need you to Smell what the Rock’s cooking!

It’s these PRESENT RAMIFICATIONS that we need to be deeply mindful of. Repeat

Grant goes on to say

Throughout the New Testament, beginning with the Olivet discourse (The Sermon on the Mt) Matt 24:36–25:30

The future eschatological promises regarding the Parousia have always produced present warning, that on that day of glory every believer will also give account of his or her life and be held responsible for the ethical responsibility to live rightly before God (Rom 13:11–14; 1 Cor 15:58; 2 Cor 5:9–10; Phil 4:5–6; 1 Thess 5:6, 8, 10–11; 2 Thess 2:13–15; Heb 10:35–39; Jas 5:7; 1 Pet 4:7).

The point is that Christ will come back like a thief (3:10; Matt 24:43–44; cf. 1 Thess 5:2; Rev 3:3; 16:15), and when he returns he will hold his servants accountable for the quality of their Christian walk.

1 Grant R. Osborne, “2 Peter,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, ed. Philip W. Comfort, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), 289–290.

I live in what use to be called the Bible Belt and yet I can’t remember the last time I heard any teaching on or about the eminent return of Jesus.

It is like this topic has lost favor in the Church at large, which seems so odd and out of order to me.

But Peter he has this very much in view and says

For this VERY REASON...Why, because Jesus is coming back and we will be required to give an account of how we lived our days after we accepted Jesus as Lord.

For this reason, Peter says

Make Every EFFORT

I want you get the full force of this Apostolic Command - What reads in English, Make every Effort -means zealously pursue something, to completely devote oneself a work that is serious and requires the utmost urgency.

God’s expectations for us are that we will expend every ounce of energy we have with an intense work effort focused on learning to walk in Christ-likeness.

The Father’s expectations are that we recognize we have been given EVERYTHING WE NEED to live the Life we are called to,

everything that is except a pre-programmed response to do that.

We still have free will and a choice to make and this is what we will stand to give an account for.... our choices.

Don’t allow yourself to live like your daily choices no longer matter and that the Father will excuse laziness and ignorance in how you responded to your new life in Christ.

Half-Hearted, Fence Straddling Discipleship is not what you want to present at the Throne of God.

I’ve got decades of that in my past.

I am SO grateful that I was given the opportunity in this life to truly pursue Christ with all my heart before I die, so that half-hearted crap isn’t what I’ll be bringing to my King.

This Reckoning Day is as Sure as God is Faithful and the Apostles saw this as a fearful event. To stand there with only half-measures to show was something to be avoided at all costs.

Next Week, we will take a look at a list of practical pursuits..that Peter gives us to focus our intentions and effort on and how we can make these pursuits a daily part of our lives.

CTA

Take some time this week to pray over the lesson Peter is teaching us here and ask Holy Spirit to give you insight and understanding.

Ask yourself “What’s my effort looking like these days in regard to my pursuit of my relationship with Jesus?” and “Will my effort so far stand before Christ in that Day?”

I’ll include a link to the Podcast Website in the Show Notes and if you go to the Website, you will find a complete transcript including all the scripture references that you can use this week for reading, reflection and journalling in your daily quite time with God.

Until then, Men be Intentional, GET ON MISSION and I Pray

Blessing

24 ‘May the Lord bless you

and protect you.

25 May the Lord smile on you

and be gracious to you.

26 May the Lord show you his favor

and give you his peace.’