October 28, 2012

I. GET IT!

Receive the love of God and let Him love you to life.

II. GROW IT!

Let His love grow and develop in you. I you aren't committed to your own growth you won't be committed to loving anyone else to life.


III. GIVE IT!

Commit to helping others grow in their faith. Be as committed to the spiritual growth of others as you are your own - like Peter did, commit to “loving them to life”.

 

“Simon Peter, a SERVANT and apostle of Jesus Christ……”

Peter had accepted God’s love and had grown in his faith and now was writing and serving God’s people to help them grow!

In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet  underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."

The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned."

"Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset. "But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been."

They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together.
 

What a picture of the body of Christ!

 

LET GOD LOVE YOU TO LIFE

 

LET THAT LIFE GROW WITHIN YOU

COMMIT TO LOVING YOUR BROTHER AND SISTERS TO LIFE

STUDY TOGETHER – Small Group?

 

SHARE TOGETHER – Sunday School, Small Group, Accountability Partner?

SING TOGETHER - WORSHIP

SERVE TOGETHER – Get A Ministry

 

Does anybody know who has won the most NCAA national championships in men’s basketball? It was John Wooden - the coach of the UCLA Bruins. He won all those championships because he focused on. He created TEAMS. If you watch many basketball matchups, you’ll see that many teams have a “go-to” guy who is the anchor of the team. But individual accomplishments and records held little value to Wooden. Every year he put together the best group of players he could find. And the 5 men who best complemented each other and worked together were the ones he started. His motto was, “The most important player when we win – is the rest of the team. ”Wooden encouraged his players to acknowledge the assists of their teammates. If one player received a pass that allowed him to score, Wooden wanted him to give the other man a wink or point to him as they moved down to the opposite end of the court. A new player once asked Wooden “What if the other player isn’t looking when I point to him? ”Wooden just smiled, “Oh don’t worry. He’ll be looking.”

 

 

That’s the kind of teamwork that Christ wanted to build into His church! He wants people who will love each other to life!

October 27, 2012

GROW IT! Vv. 5-7

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.”

 

Then you must commit to growing in the graces and virtues that God invested in your through Christ and secure your assurance in your faith. If you are not fully committed to growing your own faith, God will not be able to use you to help others.

 

You can only help others to the extent you are growing spiritually. For that reason, and others, you must support the work of God's Spirit in developing the spiritual virtues He put in you when you came to faith. Add to that faith - moral courage, and to the moral courage, a knowledge of God's mind, heart and holiness; and to that knowledge get a grip on your passions, and add to that an optimistic steadfastness in addition to attitudes and actions that please God and then add a commitment to love people to life.

 

An important part of loving others to life is to nurture and develop the live and love of God in myself. When my brothers and sisters need me I must be ready to offer the love they need!

 

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Hoosiers" and one of the great scenes in that movie is the Indiana State High School semi-final game where seldom-used sub, Ollie, has to come into the game because of an injury to a team mate. In the final seconds he gets fouled and has a chance to make both free throws and win the game. Here's the scene:

http://cli.ps/m6Xvh

Even though he rarely got to play, Ollie had made sure that he was ready to help his team when it really counted. He was committed to his team and so he grew into the moment.

 

The next several verses of this text makes it clear why I must grow my faith:

 

“For 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.  But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. 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.”  II Peter 1:8-11

 

I want to make sure I grow my faith so I can be ready to help “Love you to life”.

 

October 26, 2012

^"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love."  II Peter 1:3-7

 

In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or die as a group."

The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around the person and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned."

"Everybody had strong moments," miner Harry B. Mayhugh told reporters after being released from Somerset Hospital in Somerset. "But any certain time maybe one guy got down, and then the rest pulled together. And then that guy would get back up, and maybe someone else would feel a little weaker, but it was a team effort. That’s the only way it could have been."

They faced incredibly hostile conditions together—and they all came out alive together.

 

What a picture of the body of Christ!

When Peter instructs the believers to "add to faith.....brotherly affection and to brotherly affection, love" he has somethng just like this in mind.

 

I have paraphrased this admonition like this, "Love them to life!"

 

How does that happen?

 

Let me share three important truths I see:

 

Get It! - Vv. 3-4

 

Get it? Get what?

 

Get "EVERYTHING"! That is what Peter says we get when we enter into a faith relationship with Jesus Christ - "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

You or I do not have it in us to love God. It is our nature to love ourselves. So, if we are to love God and "love each other to life" we must get it (love) from God!

Do you have it?

Have you allowed Him to love you to life?

You get "it" when you get Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cross references:

1. 2 Peter 1:3 : 1Pe 1:5
2. 2 Peter 1:3 : S ver 2
3. 2 Peter 1:3 : S Ro 8:28
4. 2 Peter 1:4 : 2Co 7:1
5. 2 Peter 1:4 : Eph 4:24; Heb 12:10; 1Jn 3:2
6. 2 Peter 1:4 : Jas 1:27; 2Pe 2:18-20
7. 2 Peter 1:5 : S ver 2; Col 2:3
8. 2 Peter 1:6 : S Ac 24:25
9. 2 Peter 1:6 : S Heb 10:36
10. 2 Peter 1:6 : ver 3
11. 2 Peter 1:7 : S Ro 12:10; 1Th 3:12

October 25, 2012

^"His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;  and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection....."

 

I believe that healthy local churches are the hope for our world. No other organization has more potential to positively transform people who can then be used by God to change marriages and families that God can then use to change schools and neighborhoods and businesses.

 

The example of this would be the Church in the Book of Acts. First, they "turned Jerusalem upside down" and then they changed the world despite the fierce opposition of the  powerful Roman Empire.

 

If we ever needed healthy local churches it is now!

 

What do I mean by a healthy church? In short, I mean a church that is guided by "mutual affection". There is nothing more powerful than a community of Christ-followers who commit to each other, "I'm going to love you to life!"

 

Love you to life? What does that mean?

 

What it means to me is I care as much about your spiritual welfare and growth as I do my own. Not only will I - "make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love" - but I will make every effort to encourage that growth in you!

 

Wouldn't a place that loved like that be powerful?

 

Wouldn't you love to belong to a place that loves like that?

 

Would you begin to love like that? Will you love someone to life?

Cross references:

1. 2 Peter 1:1 : Ro 1:1
2. 2 Peter 1:1 : 1Pe 1:1
3. 2 Peter 1:1 : Ro 3:21-26
4. 2 Peter 1:1 : Tit 2:13
5. 2 Peter 1:2 : S Ro 1:7
6. 2 Peter 1:2 : ver 3, 8; 2Pe 2:20; 3:18; S Php 3:8
7. 2 Peter 1:3 : 1Pe 1:5
8. 2 Peter 1:3 : S ver 2
9. 2 Peter 1:3 : S Ro 8:28
10. 2 Peter 1:4 : 2Co 7:1
11. 2 Peter 1:4 : Eph 4:24; Heb 12:10; 1Jn 3:2
12. 2 Peter 1:4 : Jas 1:27; 2Pe 2:18-20
13. 2 Peter 1:5 : S ver 2; Col 2:3
14. 2 Peter 1:6 : S Ac 24:25
15. 2 Peter 1:6 : S Heb 10:36
16. 2 Peter 1:6 : ver 3
17. 2 Peter 1:7 : S Ro 12:10; 1Th 3:12

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

October 24, 2012

"..........and to godliness, mutual affection......" II Peter 1:7

 

"Mutual affection" or "brotherly love" is the soil in which seeds of fellowship and discipleship sprout and grow. It should not be a surprise that this great virtue should be included in this description of spiritual maturity.

 

This love is a frequent theme of the New Testament writers in their admonitions for spiritual maturity. I have listed several of them in this post.

 

"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." John 13:34-35

 

Not only is loving one another a command. Not only is it a sign that we are a Christian. It is also a sign that we are saved.

 

"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." I John 3:14-16

 

The love Jesus is talking about here is an act of the will. It represents not so much an involuntary response to conditions, as it does a deliberate choice, a calculated set of the mind. Love is not an emotion. It’s a policy.

 

Aristotle said, "a man cannot expect to be loved unless he is deserving of love." But the kind of love that Jesus teaches us to have says: "I love you -- with no strings attached." It is a love that is the result of being devoted to one another.

 

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."  Rom 12:10  (NIV)

 

This kind of love should be nurtured so that it will grow.

 

"May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you." 1Thes 3:12  (NIV)

 

Paul’s admonition to the church is that brotherly love is a given. It is a part of Christian living. It is a lesson that God himself teaches us.

 

"But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another." 1Thes 4:9

 

Paul’s description of love in I Corinthians is not just for marriages. It is the Bible description for real love.

 

When we truly love others, No laws will need to govern our behavior or conduct, for love goes above and beyond any law.

 

"The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Gal 5:14-15 (NIV)"

 

 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" 1 Pet 1:22

 

"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." John 15:12-14

 

"These things I command you, that ye love one another." John 15:17

 

"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." I Jn 3:10-12

 

You've got to love it!

October 23, 2012

"and to godliness, mutual affection........" II Peter 1:7
 

Peter has effectively and meticulously laid out the process of spiritual growth - "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, MUTUAL AFFECTION;"

 

Each of us must take responsibility for our own spiritual growth. After all, God has given us everything we need to live godly lives. He has given us great and precious promises. He has given us the Word and He has sent His Spirit. Everything He can do He has done!

 

It is up to us to "make every effort to add". Literally that means to give our full effort and attention to supporting the work God wants to do in us.

 

God has given us one other thing to help us - each other!

 

That is the essence of this virtue of "mutual affection". We each care for the other enough to give encouragement, accountability, and prayer support to nurture spiritual growth for the other. In the process of doing that, affection grows and faith grows and fellowship strengthens!

 

One of the reasons I harbor such a passion for local churches is because it is within the unity and fellowship of a local church we can literally love one another to life! It is within the safety of a grace-giving community we can call out the best in each other patiently, yet persistently. We can challenge each other when necessary but at the same time we cheer one another.

 

I have been blessed to devote my life to the church because the church has blessed my life beyond measure! I can't imagine where I would be or who I would be without all the mutual affection I have received from pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth pastors, college professors, and brothers and sisters in Christ! I love because of the love I have received. I offer the fruits of that love to help others add to their faith as I have been helped.

 

That is how God designed it! It is how God desires it!

 

Do you have a fellowship where you can find mutual love? Do you have a group of believers who are as committed to your spiritual maturity as they are their own?

 

That is mutual affection!

 

 

 

 

 

October 22, 2012

I get daily email articles from Outreach and they are always good. This one is especially good and timely for us. Thom Rainer is a former pastor who now does surveys and research to help strengthen local churches. I pray you will find it a bit challenging but mostly encouraging! You will notice I added several comments in the margins.

What Non-Christians Really Think about Christians

By

Thom Rainer

 

These surprising insights about what non-Christians think of Christians can profoundly impact your outreach.

 

One of my greatest joys in research is talking to and listening to those who clearly identify themselves as non-Christians. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not celebrating their absence of faith in Christ. My joy comes from listening to those who don’t believe as I do, so I might be better equipped to witness to them.

 

Over the past several years, my research teams and I have interviewed thousands of unchurched non-Christians. Among the more interesting insights I gleaned were those where the interviewees shared with me their perspectives of Christians.

 

In this article, I group the seven most common types of comments in order of frequency. I then follow that representative statement with a direct quote from a non-Christian.

 

Read these comments and see if you learn some of the lessons I learned.

 

1.       Christians are against more things than they are for.

 

“It just seems to me Christians are mad at the world and mad at each other. They are so negative, they seem unhappy. I have no desire to be like them and stay upset all the time.”   (OUCH!)

2.       I would like to develop a friendship with a Christian.

 

“I’m really interested in what they believe and how they carry out their beliefs. I wish I could find a Christian who would be willing to spend some time with me.”  (OUCH AGAIN!)

 

3.       I would like to learn about the Bible from a Christian.

 

“The Bible really fascinates me, but I don’t want to go to a stuffy and legalistic church to learn about it. I would be nice if a Christian invited me to study the Bible in his home or at a place like Starbucks.”

 

4.       I don’t see much difference in the way Christians live compared to others.

 

“I really can’t tell what a Christian believes because he doesn’t seem much different than other people I know. The only exception would be Mormons. They really seem to take their beliefs seriously.”  (GOD HELP US!)

 

5.       I wish I could learn to be a better husband/wife/dad/mom, etc., from a Christian.

 

“My wife is threatening to divorce me, and I think she means it this time. My neighbor is a Christian, and he seems to have it together. I am swallowing my pride and asking him to help me.”  (SEE THE POWER OF GETTING IT RIGHT?)

6.       Some Christians try to act like they have no problems.

 

“Harriett works in my department. She is one of those Christians who seems to have a mask on. I would respect her more if she didn’t put on such an act. I know better.

7.       I wish a Christian would take me to his or her church.

“I really would like to visit a church, but I’m not particularly comfortable going by myself. What is weird is that I am 32 years old, and I’ve never had a Christian invite me to church in my entire life.”

 

Do you see the pattern? Non-Christians want to interact with Christians. They want to see Christians’ actions match their beliefs. They want Christians to be real.

 

In one study we conducted, we found only 5 percent of non-Christians are antagonistic toward Christians. It’s time to stop believing the lies we have been told. Jesus said it clearly: “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest” (Luke10:2, HCSB).