Build on the Faith You've Been Given - 8/13/17 - Steve Miller
Jesus commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations, starting at home. The reason we have Christian Outreach School is because God has called us to help parents disciple our children into the calling that they have from Jesus. He's the One who said, "Follow Me."
Eric Johnson: Do we follow Jesus like we follow someone on Twitter or Instagram? To follow Him is to go where He goes and do what He does with Him.
Someone gave me a packet of giant pumpkin seeds, but I didn't do anything with them, so I have no giant pumpkins.
2 Peter 1:1-2
Through the grace and righteousness of Jesus, you have been given a faith of equal standing with that of Peter's and the other apostles!
If that's true, then why is the experience of most of us different than that of the apostles?
2 Peter 1:3-4
If someone gave you a new, high-powered Macbook laptop computer and made sure that your electric bill was all paid up and you had unlimited high-speed internet wi-fi, what would you do with it? That's what God is asking us about this faith He's given us. What are we going to build on it?
2 Peter 1:5-7 - 5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
A look at the meaning of the key Greek words used here, with the help of Helps Word Studies:
supplement = epixorēgéō lavishly supply, as it is suitable (apt) to outfit all that is needed to accomplish a grand objective.
Make every effort to lavishly supply with these things in order to accomplish God's grand objective for your life.
virtue = arétēmoral goodness; moral excellence; righteousness. This is the same word as used of God at the end of verse 3.
Supplement your faith with virtue. As you are walking with Jesus, you will do the same things He does, not through your strength, but through His. It's the natural fruit of faith.
Galatians 5:22-25
knowledge = gnṓsis functional ("working") knowledge gleaned from first-hand (personal) experience, connecting theory to application; "application-knowledge," gained in (by) a direct relationship.
Supplement virtue with knowledge. This knowledge is knowing how your relationship with Him works out in your daily life and ministry.
Acts 4:13
self-control = egkráteia (from en, "in the sphere of" and krátos, "dominion, mastery") dominion within – proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself. For the believer, self-control can only be accomplished by the power of the Lord.
Supplement your knowledge with self-control. Knowledge shows you what to do, but self-control enables you to put it into practice.
John 15:5
steadfastness = perseverance, patient waiting for hypomonḗ (from hypó, "under" and ménō, "remain, endure") – properly, remaining under, endurance; steadfastness, especially as God enables the believer to "remain (endure) under" the challenges He allots in life.
Supplement your self-control with perseverance. What will you do when the going gets tough, or when everything seems to be going great?
James 1:12
godliness = eusébeia (from eú "well" and sébomai, "venerate, pay homage") – properly, someone's inner response to the things of God which shows itself in godly piety (reverence). eusébeia ("godly heart-response") naturally expresses itself in reverence for God
Supplement your steadfastness with godliness. We must learn to take Him seriously and treat Him with the honor and worship He is due.
brotherly affection = philadelphía (from phílos, "loving friend" and adelphós, "a brother") – properly, affection for the brethren (fellow-believers).
Supplement your godliness with brotherly affection. If we've got the right way to reverence and relate to the Lord our Heavenly Father, then we also need to grow in fellowship with all other believers, our brothers and sisters in God's family. What does our Father God think when we reject our brothers and sisters over disagreements, offenses, or differences?
Psalm 133:1-3
love = agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer". In the NT, (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers)
John 15:12-13
Finally, supplement your brotherly affection with love. We are to not only fellowship with other believers, but to sacrifice for them.
What are the results of all this building or supplementing to the faith, the relationship with Him He's given to us through Jesus Christ?
2 Peter 1:8-11
What a tragedy and what a waste for us believers to end life being ineffective and unfruitful in our relationship with Jesus! All of us, young and old, need to actively participate in Jesus' personalized discipleship program for us, following Him through life step by step, day by day. He has rich rewards waiting at the end of this path for those of us who walk with Him.
2 Peter 1:12-15
Have you heard any of these things before? That's okay. We drill God's truths into you so that they will become concrete reality in your life, and that you will pass them on to the next generation.
