Building a Forever Faith

One will lead to the other. So if you have faith that will produce a life of virtue, and if you have a moral excellent life that will lead to knowing God better when you know God better you become more self control, more self control persevere under the load. Better you do that you become more godly and that leads to genuinely care and sacrificial one leads to the other. Spiritual growth is not optional.

God intends you to grow after you born again connect with skip. I took today as he shares several important principle to help you build a mature faith that last right now want to tell you about a resource that will spur you on your own faith journey as you explore the inspiring stories of women in the Bible comes to mind when you think of right godly women probably Jesus's mother Mary, maybe Ruth, the unlikely ancestor of Christ. What about Pierce New York Times best-selling author Eric the taxes clearly God created us male and female in his image. It's leaning into who we are as women for women that is going to show God's greatness.

Discover how the lives of some of the women in history can show you the path to true greatness in your own life as a woman made in God's image you'll find in this month's inspiring resource by Eric metathesis everyone the seven women.

I think you see a different side of femininity seven women is our thank you for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to God's word and right now will also send you a special bonus resource pastor skips next message CD collection on prominent women from Scripture connectwithskip.com/offer to get online securely or call 800-922-1888 as we join Skip today's teaching. We were in second Peter chapter 1. My dad was a builder I used to watch him go to empty lots and tell me what is going to go there and I couldn't see if he could see it in the vision for that even when he would build a cement foundation and I would stand upon it. He would say no. This room will be there. This office will be there. Even standing on such a solid foundation.

I still didn't see what he saw, but I thought about him some years later when I was a Very Interesting Architectural Pl. in Italy called the leaning Tower of Pisa and I saw the thing leaving and I thought my dad. Dad never would bill that structure could never would look like that and him. I remember looking at that interesting piece of architecture and the reason by the way it is so famous is because it's height, it's only hundred and 79 feet tall. It is not because of its Romanesque architecture, though it's a it's a great piece of that is a great study and that that's not why it's famous. It is famous for one reason, because it leans, it leans now you know it's going to fall. The experts tell us that it should have fallen in 2007, but it didn't. And I'll tell you why for the study is over, but they say it's got a fall because it started leaning from almost the time it was constructed in 1173. I believe, and it falls at the rate of 1/20 of an inch every single year. It is presently 17 feet out of plumb. I've a question for you. Do you want your life to resemble some freaky tourist attractions. Leaning or something solid and helpful, and permanent those of the thoughts that are in Peter's mind as he pins second Peter it's all about growth. It's all about the audience taking what he teaches and developing from that second Peter is a little bit different than first Peter and first Peter. He was concerned about the dangers from the outside like persecution and oppression, but in second Peter is more concerned about dangers from the inside in terms of deception, false teaching, but at the very core. At the very core of this whole beginning introduction chapter.

The section is all about spiritual growth. Let's look at it together. Second Peter chapter 1 beginning in verse one Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ to those who have obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust but also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and knowledge, self-control and of self-control, perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, love for these things are yours and abound you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sin.

Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble for sullen entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Are you growing up or are you just growing old to good question to ask yourself some time to time while growing older, but are you growing up and going strong. Or you just growing old because we all know the growth is a normal part of life wherever there's birth there is growth and that's what we expect when we have children we are willing to put up with the noise and with the masses and and all that happens in babyhood because we are aiming for that child maturing into a responsible adult and we mark that growth we get excited when there's a birthday. The favorite door of my old house was our pantry door where we would mark every year. How high Nate was getting and what that date was and we read right right on the door just a death to keep a marker of that kind of progress well with the Christian life.

It begins with birth. You must be born again. Jesus said, but it continues with growth, with development with a blossoming with maturity and we want to talk about that and look at that in this section that we just read before we begin to give you for prerequisites to building a forever faith talk about that in a moment, let me begin by giving you two overarching principles about growth but you need to know to principles that are general overarching principles about Scripture both number one your spiritual growth has nothing to do with your physical age you can be an older person, but a spiritual infant Charles Spurgeon said there are children in the Church of God who are 70 years old but he also said on the other hand are wise and instructed in stable folk who are relatively young, so physical age and spiritual maturity are necessarily equal, that's the first principle second principle you can grow spiritually as much as you want to grow you can grow as much as you want to go well and that brings us to the central theme of what Peter is getting at this secret is using what God has provided. Once you have the faith that he gives you.

You obtained like precious faith. Verse one and two, then you must grow in that faith. Verse three through 11. So here's all going to do work in a look at our life. Your life the Christian life as building a structure building a forever faith and there are four prerequisites that you need to build number one.

You gotta get the right investor. You find somebody who's in a bankroll. This project, and we have God as the investor.

It all begins with God. He gives the gift of salvation, but he also has two things that are important here is power and he has promises his power and his promises. Look at verse three. Here's the power as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue ever thought what divine power can do. But see divine power can create the universe, divine power can sustain all the natural forces of our natural world divine power can heal the sick, divine power can raise the dead. Jesus at all power in heaven and earth is given the me all power. So here's the deal you can grow as much is you want because you have access to God's power. Can you imagine having a battery never goes out this summer I decided I'd start my motorcycle for the first time in months of been sitting in the garage for the winter and I went to started and it did this decision. I have forgotten to keep that trickle charger that I should've kept for the winter applied to the bike, but imagine having a power source that never runs out. God has invested his power in your spiritual growth. That's why Paul the apostle said this and you know it. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The word strength and means puts his power into me so you find the right investor, and he has to have the power and are investor does what God expects you to attempt. He also enables you to achieve by his power as a second qualification as being the right investor promises are investor has made some promises verse four, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. If you're building a project and you have an investor he can write the checks now checks are just promises.

That's all they are. You really can't do anything with the check until you go to the bank and cash a check has a person's name on it. He fills in the amount but it will do you no good until you cash the check. So the money in the bank.

That's the power, the check that is written those of the promises are God has the power and he also has the promises, but a promise is only as good as the one who makes the promise you can make a promise but if you have no power to back it up. So what so after church I could write you a personal check for $1 million. The problem will be when you go to the bank to cash to save you. Nice try this guy doesn't have near the money required for you to cash this check it would work. I can make you the promise, but I don't have the power but I do know some people who could actually write you that check and you could cash I will not give you their names but they have the power behind the promise God's promise that we can escape from our old life and we can go on a whole new direction, but you you have to cash the check. You have to actually take that promise and say I'm to apply that promise to my life. It's cashing the check always tell how mature Christian is by how that person treats God's promises always. How do they treat the promises of God.

For example, a fearful panic believer speaks volumes of one who doesn't really believe in God's promises. But, believer, confident believer speaks of somebody who believes the promise who thinks this way. If God has written the check. I can cash it. I can take that promise to the bank. There is power behind the promise to build anything of eternal value, you need the right investor and are investor has power and promises anterograde promises is as great and precious promises you know other great because there from a great God and they lead to a great life and what is the promise of these in part that you will be partakers of the divine nature.

Think about this the kind of life that you have in you right now, as born-again believers is the life of God. You are a partner without life when you are born again. That's what happens the life of God gets attached to your life so that means here's the way to live.

You can face your future with the kind of confidence that says no Matter What Comes My Way, God's power will be there, and his promises to meet all of those hardships or potential problems along the way. So you need the right investor. That's the first prerequisite. The second prerequisite to building a forever faith you follow the building code and God's outline to Peter what that is.

Look at verse five, but also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge, self-control, to self-control, perseverance, perseverance, godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness to brotherly kindness, love note this folks is your part, God's part. We've Artie talked about as a previous versus God giving you the power and the promises. This is your part. Now I know some of you are reading this critically, and that's good to read the Bible. That way, but it seems contradictory. It's almost seems paradoxical because it says God gives you everything you need. Many says now add to that. So you wonder, how can you add anything and everything in his answer, growth takes cooperation growth always takes cooperation. I must have a cooperation with God's operation, I am involved in this process you know if you or I would've written this, we might've said God is giving you everything you need to grow and be godly.

Therefore let go and let God just vegan disparages lounge in the spirit and just take it easy and watch the whole thing go up now, but he says it takes cooperation. Look at the language giving all diligence literally means make every possible effort or intensively exert yourself but don't misunderstand me were not speaking about salvation. You don't work hard to get saved.

It's a gift that verse wanted to. You have obtained a light precious faith you have received faith is a gift, but sanctification.

That's teamwork. That's teamwork you just don't sit back and watch it happen. You are involved in the process of spiritual growth is never accidental. It is always intentional. I can tell you how how Paul wrote the same thought but different words Paul the apostle in Philippians chapter 2 verse 12 says this and you'll recall that when I when I quoted.

Therefore, brethren, work out your own salvation with fear and Trembley every diverse ever puzzled by it. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, but is followed by this, for it is God who works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure same thought. God works in you he gives you the power he makes the promise, but you must work out your own salvation. He said I still don't quite get how it works or give you an example analogy composer sits down to write a musical score. In doing so he provides everything that is needed. He's on his writing. The melody because he's writing the notes he's writing the timing down the cadence of it. If it picks up or if it slows down, so he gives everything that is needed for the production. However, it still takes a musician to work that out in the play that's going to give what is written down all that is provided a voice or here's another analogy you go to the doctor. Dr. says I've examined you, doesn't look good. There is a diagnosis you require surgery performed the surgery and then afterwards on to give you some medications postop that will help in the healing so the doctor has done it all.

He was diagnosed he performs the surgery and gives a medication you don't help in that process so far. You don't help the doctor to search her doctoral work on this site you work on that site or give me a scalpel. You're not going to do that would be foolish though he provides everything that you need. You still postop have to work that out by taking the medication and by following his instructions.

That's following the building code so it requires cooperation and it requires supplementation. Please notice therefore giving all diligence, making maximum effort. Add to your faith and then seven supplements are listed. We here in New Mexico know something about supplements when we eat food is not complete until we have our supplements so you might be from the Midwest and a meal to use medium potatoes Goodenough not here, like a flyer for the meat and potatoes. We need our supplements and are either red or green supplements. You know what I'm talking about. We need Shelley with and I am just so become accustomed to it that a meal is incomplete without the supplements that go with it has to have a little while we were to think about it. In building terms are building analogy.

This is the building code. Here are seven things I want you. God says to add to the house that you are building an organist spice things up and are going to be supplements to make your house a killer house so for example I know you gotta put in a sink, don't put in the The little metal sink. I wanted from the marble farm sink or on yeah I know you need to cook your food, but you're not to put in that hotplate that you're picking out and put in a Viking stove or not. Formica 100 put that on the counter to marble and we want to sing the last so so far this what we've learned he's given the power and he makes the promises we had the perks and he'll give you everything you need to pull that off. What other supplements look at the first one virtue virtue means it moral excellence. Add that to your faith amoral excellence. What a look at excellence is something that fulfills the purpose for which it was made. When you do that you've added something special some excellence to your faith that is is add to that knowledge is a different word for knowledge than what is typically a New Testament word.

This word is after gnosis, which means I'm an expert knowledge of full knowledge, the ultimate knowledge.

A growing personal authentic knowledge when it is practical and then add to that self-control add to the knowledge, self-control. You know sometimes there's a huge gap between what we know our knowledge and what we do our actions noble bridge that gap.

Self-control add to what you know about God, and know God with self-control self-control is a word that is a Greek word that means to hold oneself together. It spoke of an athlete who would say no to eating certain kinds of food and yes to certain kinds of training because he wanted to win a race look at what's next perseverance it means to bear up under the trial or the hardship, the difficult circumstance we would say to somebody, hang in there. That's perseverance. Hang in there and then add to that godliness. Literally God likeness. It's a word that speaks of being right with God and therefore right with other people. You got the vertical and horizontal axis just right and then add to that, brotherly kindness, you know the word Philadelphia and then add to that love which is higher than brother love higher than Philadelphia.

Agape love is the love of the cross. It is sacrificial love to those of the seven chilis that you would add to the meal. The seven perks to the building that he gives you the power and promises to pull off, but I don't want to think of these are some listed promises were will pick a couple of those. But I know when I get advance notice to leave that plan around her, look at this this way one will lead to the other. So if you have faith that will produce a life of virtue, and if you have a moral excellent life that will lead to knowing God better and when you know God better and become more self-control than when you're more self-control available to persevere under the load better when you do that you become more godly and that leads to genuine care for people and sacrificial love. That's growth one leads to the other concludes message from his series box right now we want to share about an exciting opportunity to take your knowledge of God's word. Even the person or small group Bible study is a great way to learn God's word want to learn every college offers classes studies classes like the fundamentals of difficult counsel take classes on campus worldwide transfer credits to Calvary Chapel University or Veritas for an accredited degree will impact your spiritual life your life Calvary ABQ Calvary ABQ College.

There are many benefits to knowing God's word. Your soul is refreshed and God brings great delight in your heart you can help others experience this thing like changing anything when you have to keep coming around and going out to encourage others with God's word right now just call 800-9800 962, or if they think and calm/donate.com/donate. Thank you. Tune into more shares how you can build a life legacy that impacts the people around so Skip presentation of connection unification changing truth ever-changing time