Recipe For Life & Godliness (Part 2)
2 Peter Series: Make Every Effort
A Sermon By Jim Hammond from 2 Peter 1:3-11
Where Peter Learned this Formula
When you feel like events are taking place in your
life that you wish were not taking place, remember these lessons Peter
wrote to help us avoid failure in the hour that darkness reigns. These
are not cold abstract lessons about faith to be learned with your head,
these lessons come out of the very real, never to be forgotten experiences
from Peter’s life. The power of 2 Peter isn’t just the words, but the
circumstances of darkness necessitating these words, and the fact that it
was Peter putting these words to the pen. Peter learned from failure once
before, and he gave us the formula necessary to avoid the failure he
himself experienced. It was a formula he learned through a very painful
process, but it was a formula he practiced in his life. It was something
he knew worked to keep one from compromising one’s faith. It was the
formula for life and Godliness.
The night that Jesus was arrested was a dark night
that Peter would never forget. Peter would never forget Jesus’ prediction
of his denial. Fortunately, that prediction also included a prediction of
repentance and learning so that when Peter turned back, he could
strengthen others and help them avoid the possibility of a faith that
would fail.
Luke 22:31-32 31“Simon, Simon,
Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. 32But
I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you
have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
Christ’s Example: Perseverance in the Hour of Darkness
Peter had learned a very difficult lesson to learn.
Peter learned that Jesus was in charge even when darkness reigned for a
time. Peter had just cut off the ear of Malchus (John 18:10, compared
with Luke 22:50), but Jesus had put a stop to the violence and healed the
ear. In the freeze frame pause of the moment when all action stopped to
hear words from heaven, Jesus said,
Luke 22:53
53Every day I was with you in the temple
courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when
darkness reigns.”
There are times that God allows darkness to reign.
Little did Peter know just how darkness would reign even in his own life
that night. But even when darkness reigns, it is but for an “hour.” When
the “hour” of darkness passes, God shows himself supreme. Peter learned
that in the hour of darkness, the pattern and shape of God’s plan is in
the dark, one’s eyes don’t see, and he or she can’t figure out what God is
up to, or why such events are allowed to go unchallenged. The temptation
in the hour of darkness is to force things to go your way, or even worse,
to wish you were on the team that appears to be winning. We must always
choose to stand with Christ, even when in the hour of darkness we are
choosing to be abused, or choosing to be rejected, or choosing to be
misunderstood, or choosing what is not fun, or easy, or light. There will
be many dark hours. Jesus said, in this world you will have tribulation,
but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. In the hour of darkness,
when it is the hour of the enemy, in what appears to be lost battles,
choose to remain on the side that will win, because the ultimate battle
has already been fought, and the outcome has already been determined.
When darkness reigns, don’t forget that dawn is coming.
Focus: Spiritual
growth requires faith and effort. God gives us everything we need, but we
must follow his directions.
Too often we read a passage
like 2 Peter 1:3-8 and we analyze it. We take it down to its parts and
study the definitions and the relationships between concepts. Today, I
want to show you that this formula for life and Godliness came out of a
life lived, not just concepts written. These are the very practical and
difficult lessons Peter had to learn personally the hard way. He is
attempting to help us learn the same without such heartache. Peter penned
these words after discovering what works. We will look today at how Peter
turned back and did indeed strengthen his brothers with what he learned.
Last
week we closed with the following application from the characteristics
that are to make every effort to add to our faith.
·
GOOD CHARACTER: WHAT ARE THE “Tiny seeds” of
character you are sowing? Are you sowing any weed seeds? Are you sowing
seeds of good character?
·
SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING: How do you rate your daily
routine for adding to your spiritual understanding of God’s ways, and
God’s will?
·
ALERT DISCIPLINE: Ask God to help you make a
commitment to look for something to do (each day) that is right to do,
that you don’t want to do, and do it anyway out of love for Christ.
We continue today, where we left off.
4. Passionate Patience
(Perseverance, endurance
through difficulty)
make every effort to add…to self-control,
perseverance;
Make Every Effort to stand under it! That’s what the word in the Greek
literally means.
›ðïìÝíù —to stay
behind, survive, to await, to bide the
onset, to abide, to be patient under, abide patiently,
submit to, to wait for, to stand one’s ground, stand
firm, to endure patiently, to submit, to persist
in doing (what’s right).
TAKE A STAND
Don’t look for an escape.
Don’t look to move. Don’t look to change what you cannot change. Look to
honor God with your attitude when you can’t change it. When you can’t fix
it. When it won’t go away.
You are praying and praying and nothing seems to be
happening, that doesn’t mean stop praying. Here’s what you do… Are you
ready?... [Walk around with the music stand, back and forth after a moment
say, “sometimes you just need to take a stand!”] Seriously, this isn’t
easy. Here’s One Story of …
Passionate Patience in Prayer for a Drug-Addicted Son
In
Pray! magazine,
Jennifer Kennedy Dean tells this story:
Several years ago, Mary (not her real name) came to me for prayer. She was
desperate and afraid. Her son had been arrested for selling drugs. She
told me the story of his years of drug abuse; the anguished attempts to
overcome his addiction; the glimpses of hope that turned out to be false.
Through his story she weaved in her own; she had prayed every way she knew
how, and God had never answered.
I
sensed that Mary had come to me because she was looking for someone who
could "get results"—someone who knew how to pray with such skill that God
would behave the way she wanted him to. Mary had a long list of things she
wanted me to pray for.
I
began by asking her, "What is it that you really desire for your son? As
she went back to her list and began to read off her requests, I
interrupted her. "No. Those are the things that you have determined will
accomplish what you want for your son."
Years ago, God taught me that I can't know the desire of my heart unless I
know the heart of my desire. So I helped Mary peel back the layers until
she discovered the center of her desire: that her son would know Jesus
Christ and find peace in his life. "Then that's what we'll ask for," I
told her.
Things didn't go well, if you define things by circumstances. Mary's son
continued to be bitter and suffered excruciating withdrawal. In her panic,
Mary would say, "God isn't answering. Why isn't he doing anything?" I
reminded her of what we were praying for. "Don't assume he isn't
answering," I said. "Look for the path his yes is taking."
Fast forward: Mary's son was given a prison sentence. I wish I had room to
tell you all the details that had to fall into place in order for God's
plan to emerge, but the condensed version is this: He was led to Christ by
a fellow inmate, who got him involved in a prison Bible study. Gradually,
he became a different man. When he was paroled, he had to continue in a
daily drug rehabilitation program. He finished the program, continued in
his Christian walk, and has been sober and working for just over two
years.
During all of it, what appeared to be backward was really forward. What
appeared to be down was really up. What appeared to be dark was really
light.
Too
often we miss what God is doing in a situation because we pray "little
prayers" that focus on a narrow, specific outcome.[1]
Peter’s Example of Perseverance In Acts 3 & 4
Acts 3 & 4 compared with the 8 qualities of 2 Peter 1:5-6
1. Peter’s Faith (2 Peter 1:5)
One day Peter and John were going up to the
temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. [2] Now a man
crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful,
where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
[3] When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
[4] Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at
us!" [5] So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something
from them.
Imagine the scene. The crippled man came regularly
to the temple. He has been crippled from birth. Imagine what his legs
look like, then imagine trying to answer the questions of your 5 year old
child as you walk by him to worship at the temple, “Daddy, why did that
man’s legs look so funny?” Remember, he has never walked before. There
is no muscle whatsoever.
2. To Faith Peter Adds an act of Goodness (2 Peter 1:5)
[6] Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not
have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
walk." [7] Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly
the man's feet and ankles became strong. [8] He jumped to his feet and
began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and
jumping, and praising God. [9] When all the people saw him walking and
praising God, [10] they recognized him as the same man who used to sit
begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with
wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
I wonder what it felt like to instantly have strength
in the legs that never had strength before. God’s creative power
regenerated the atrophied legs enough to empower them to walk, and leap!
This guy is making a scene. Wouldn’t you? I wonder what sensations he
felt in his formerly useless legs.
3. Peter Adds Knowledge to the Crowd’s Understanding (2 Peter
1:5)
Please notice how we are following precisely the
pattern outlined in 2 Peter. Now we are going to see how peter adds
spiritual understanding to the event the crowd has just witnessed.
[11] While the beggar held on to Peter and
John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place
called Solomon's Colonnade. [12] When Peter saw this, he said to them:
"Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if
by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? [13] The God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his
servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him
before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. [14] You disowned the
Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. [15]
You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are
witnesses of this. [16] By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you
see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes
through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all
see.
[17] "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in
ignorance, as did your leaders. [18] But this is how God fulfilled what he
had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would
suffer. [19] Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped
out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, [20] and that he may
send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. [21] He must
remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he
promised long ago through his holy prophets. [22] For Moses said, 'The
Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own
people; you must listen to everything he tells you. [23] Anyone who does
not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'
[24] "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on,
as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. [25] And you are heirs
of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to
Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'
[26] When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you
by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
4. When TESTED, Peter demonstrates Christ’s alert Disciplines (his
self control)
[4:1] The priests and the captain of the
temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were
speaking to the people. [2] They were greatly disturbed because the
apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the
resurrection of the dead. [3] They seized Peter and John, and because it
was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. [4] But many who
heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five
thousand.
[5] The next day the rulers, elders and
teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. [6] Annas the high priest was there,
and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high
priest's family. [7] They had Peter and John brought before them and began
to question them: "By what power or what name did you do this?"
[8] Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them: "Rulers and elders of the people! [9] If we are being called
to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked
how he was healed, [10] then know this, you and all the people of Israel:
It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom
God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. [11] He
is
" 'the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the capstone.'
[12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there
is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Even the opposition realized these
were Disciples, schooled in the Disciplines of Jesus (2 Peter 1:6)
[13] When they saw the courage of Peter and
John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were
astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. [14] But
since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them,
there was nothing they could say. [15] So they ordered them to withdraw
from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. [16] "What are we going to
do with these men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they
have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. [17] But to stop
this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these
men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
5. Peter Is Determined to Persevere, He Takes a Stand! (2
Peter 1:6)
[18] Then they called them in again and
commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. [19] But
Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's
sight to obey you rather than God. [20] For we cannot help speaking about
what we have seen and heard."
6. “Reverent Wonder” is the result (2 Peter 1:6) “Reverent Wonder”
by the way is a good translation for the word “godliness” in 2 Peter 1:6.
We will spend more time on this another Sunday.
[21] After further threats they let them go.
They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were
praising God for what had happened. [22] For the man who was miraculously
healed was over forty years old.
The Apostles choose to Take Time for “Reverent Wonder” (2 Peter 1:6)
[23] On their release, Peter and John went
back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and
elders had said to them. [24] When they heard this, they raised their
voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made
the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. [25] You
spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father
David:
" 'Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
[26] The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the Lord
and against his Anointed One.'
[27] Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire
against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. [28] They did what
your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. [29] Now, Lord,
consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with
great boldness. [30] Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous
signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
[31] After they prayed, the place where they
were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
spoke the word of God boldly.
7. Expressions of Brotherly Love (2 Peter 1:7)
[32] All the believers were one in heart and
mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they
shared everything they had.
Expressions of
8. Expressions of Generous Love (2 Peter 1:7)
[33] With great power the apostles continued to
testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon
them all. [34] There were no needy persons among them. For from time to
time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the
sales [35] and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to
anyone as he had need.
[36] Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the
apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement), [37] sold a
field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles' feet.
The power of Peter’s words are magnified by the power
of Peter’s life.
Lord, give us the courage to take a stand for you.
Help us as we make every effort to add to our faith perseverance.
[1]
Jennifer Kennedy Dean, "Optical Illusions,"
Pray! (Issue 31,
2002), pp.14-15
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