Being Useful & Fruitful for the Lord

Opening Prayer and Congregational Singing

Well, good morning to each of you and good morning to all of those who might be watching on video also. We don't really have many announcements to give but we have much to thank the Lord for as we look forward to a new year.

And so let's just open with a word of prayer this morning. Our Heavenly Father and our God we come before you this morning and we do thank you for life because you are the giver of life. We like we thank you Lord for all the blessings that you have showered upon us.

Even though we go through a tough time It's usually a time of learning that you have allowed us to go through. We pray Heavenly Father that you would be with each individual. That's here and those that are watching on video that you might give them a special blessing This week.

We pray that we might be constant witnesses for you and We would thank you. We pray that you would be with Pastor John as he brings your word this morning. Pray that you'd give him liberty Lord in the things that you've laid on his heart and we would thank you for it we pray for though the music that we sing that we might praise and honor you and All that we say and all that we do and all that we sing and we'll thank you and pray in Jesus name.

Amen. If you would stand with me us and we will sing glorious is thy name. Oh Lord as we praise our Lord Glorious is thy matchless name. Yes is yes is nation sing thy just and in us praise us is of sin and shame.

Thou does come to die a ransom. Guilty sinners to reclaim Uses and take the and may Jesus Christ be praised even as we come into this new year. Jesus Christ be praised. Repair. May Jesus becomes as. When from the heart we say May Jesus Christ be praised.

The powers of darkness fear. When this we chant they hear may Jesus A nation's of mankind in this your concord. May Jesus Christ be praised. May all the earth around Bring joyous with the sound. May Jesus be this while life is my Canticle.

Jesus Christ be praised. Be this the eternal song ages long. May Jesus Jesus for sinners. Jesus love my soul and may fail Makes me maybe seated.

Scripture Reading from 2 Peter 1:1-14

Our scripture this morning is. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 14. 2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 1 through 14. Simon Peter a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

May peace think. I'm sorry may grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. Through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.

By which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises. So that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature. Having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire for this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self-control and self-control with steadfastness and steadfastness with godliness.

And godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore brothers be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election.

For if you practice these qualities, you will never fail. I'm sorry never fall. For in this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities though You know them and are established in the truth that you have. I Think it right as long as I am in this body to stir you up by way of reminder.

Since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

More Congregational Praise

Let's continue to appraise our Lord by singing. And so if you would stand with me once again as we sing praise him praise.

Him hey.

Jesus our blessed Redeemer.

Sing.

Wonderful Highest archangels in glory give to his holy name a shepherd. Jesus will guard his children in his Arms, he carries them all day long. Praise him praise him. Tell of his excellent greatness.

Praise him praise him ever in joyful song. Praise him praise him. Jesus our blessed Redeemer for our sins he suffered and bled and I hope of eternal salvation. Hail him Jesus. The crucified Kindness praises Jesus who bore our sorrows.

Love.

Unbounded wonderful deep and strong. Praise him praise him. Tell of his excellent greatness Praise him praise him. Ever in joyful song. Praise him praise him. He portals loud with hosannas ring.

Jesus.

Savior reigneth forever and ever. Crown him prophet and priest and King. Christ is coming over the world. Victorious power and Glory unto the Lord below.

Praise him praise Him praise him ever in joyful song in Christ alone.

My hope is found. He is my light my strength my song this cornerstone this solid ground. Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love? What depths of peace? When fears are still when striving sees.

My.

Comforter My all in all in the love of Christ I stand in Christ alone. Who took on flesh? Fullness of God in helpless babe this gift of love and righteousness Scorned by the ones he came to say. Tell on that cross.

As Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied from every sin On him was laid here in the death of Christ. I live There in the ground his body lay light of the world by darkness slain then bursting forth in glorious day.

Up from the grave he rose Again and as he stands in victory. Curses law I am here precious blood. No guilt in life No fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me from life's first cry to final. Thank you, and you may be seated as pastor comes.

Being Useful and Fruitful Requires Diligence

Well, good morning and Happy New Year. How about if you take your Bibles and let's go to 2nd Peter? I invite you to take your Bibles and go to 2nd Peter with me and We're going to be looking at a number of verses here in 2nd Peter chapter 1 so it's the first Sunday of corporate worship of 2021.

Amen, I.

Wish I.

I.

Wish I could tell you that this next year is going to be you know so much better that the moment that the clock struck 1201 That everything was going to change in this country. Amen. I bet you wish that too.

But I'm sad to tell you it's not. In fact, the Lord doesn't say anything you can go through scripture. He doesn't say anything except when he's talking about the year of Jubilee. About this whole thing of you know, everything starts new.

Every day is new.

Amen.

Jesus said don't worry about tomorrow. Worry about today because there's enough evil today for us to deal with. Amen. So I'm not going to talk about New Year's resolutions and setting goals that we all have done.

I'm just thankful I didn't put on any more weight than I did during the Christmas. Did anybody have as many cookies and fudge and everything that we had. We had stacks of cookies.

I.

What three kinds of fudge? I didn't know there was such a thing as three kinds of fudge. But we had three kinds of fudge we had brownies we had pumpkin pie we had some kind of coconut cake and. It's all staring at you going.

I'll be some other one so this morning, we're not going to be looking at versus dealing with the New Year and setting New Year's resolutions, but I do want to look at you this morning at the question of how can we be more?

Useful and fruitful for the Lord in 2021. If you take a look at verse 8 Tim read it 2nd Peter chapter 1 verse 8. For if these things are yours and abound You will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So if you look carefully the word barren there could also mean useless. Barren Nor unfruitful in The knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ in your translation there in verse 8 might say the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ because that's actually there in many of the Greek Manuscripts nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now what? Qualities what things is he talking about in verse 8 when he says for if these things are yours? Well, he's talking about These qualities these things that he mentions in verse 5 6 7 diligence To add to your faith and here they are virtue to virtue knowledge.

Self-control perseverance godliness brotherly kindness and love. Now those are Christlike qualities they they. They were represented and they were lived out by the Lord Jesus Christ during his time on earth.

They marked the path of growing in Christ likeness adding and growing and you're going to hear me say a lot if you look at Verse 8 again if these things you might put in your mind a better translation of the Greek.

There is qualities or characteristics. Okay. So when you hear me say the word quality look at verse 8 and get in your mind's eye. You might even make a note in your Bible if you have the word things there that the word qualities is a little better translation of the Greek.

So.

Adding and growing in these things in these qualities Line the pilgrims path. They are signposts of our Walk here on earth to more and more Christlike. And frankly as we look ahead at 2021 I can't think of a more wonderful goal than to be more like Jesus Christ.

I just can't. I need it. There's not a Christian. I know that doesn't need it. Now think carefully about this. On one hand if these things if these qualities are yours and Are increasing look at the verse if these things are yours and abound or increasing You will neither be barren or.

Useless.

Nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ but then look at verse 9 the contrast for he who lacks these things these qualities is Short-sighted even to blindness and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his old sins.

So the sermon title this morning is being fruitful Useful and fruitful for the Lord in 2021 and we're going to look at these seven qualities in verses five six and seven because God promises that believers who are increasing in these seven things in these seven qualities will be neither barren nor Unfruitful in their knowledge in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen. So let's pray Father we need your help today. This is a day of self-examination, it's it's not the last day of the year the last night of the year. It's the first day of corporate worship in 2021 and God it's my prayer as a as a pastor as a father as a husband as a believer that perhaps These seven qualities God as we think Very soberly about them might in some way help put us on a path father.

This year despite what my cape what might come down the road? Father as we think about various things that are going on in our country that we would be more and more like Christ. But most of all that we would be useful for you.

Useful God and fruitful for we pray in Jesus name. Amen. Now, I think it goes without saying That there's there wouldn't be shouldn't be a Christian a true believer anywhere that would not want to grow.

And at least some level be pleasing and more pleasing to the Lord. Now, this is one of my favorite books of the Bible. I mean, it's kind of hard, you know, you go to a Bible study and they say well, let's get to know you.

What's your favorite dessert and then what's your favorite verse in the Bible? Sometimes I'll say what's your favorite book in the Bible, right? You've been to a small group Bible study, you know. They typically ask questions like that.

What's your favorite vacation? Well my favorite but they're not because I like all of the Bible but my two that I lean to our second Timothy and Second Peter and the reason is because both of these epistles were written by men that the Lord had shown were about to die.

Look at verse 13. Yes, I think it's right as I long as I am in this tent. That's how he looked at his life here on earth. That's how we should. This is just a tent, right? It's a temporary structure. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.

Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my what? deceased. The Lord has shown him that he is Shortly going to no longer be in this earthly tent. He's going to be clothed in his heavenly tent.

And second Timothy you have the same thing God had shown the Apostle Paul that he would be died. He would die shortly. So what was on their minds at the very end of their life. God had shown him you're about to be martyred.

Peter Crucified upside down the Apostle Paul beheaded. Just outside the gates of Rome. What's on your mind. God has said you have a day or two to live. Now write to the churches and of all the things that they could choose to write about.

They write this epistle 2nd Peter and also 2nd Timothy. Now one thing you want to understand if you look carefully is he's writing to Churches and therefore believers in those churches look at verse 1.

Simon Peter a bondservant that word there is doulos slave a slave and Apostle of Jesus Christ. To those who's he writing to to those who have obtained like precious faith with us. By the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.

So the assumption is he's writing to believers. But if you look carefully at verse 8 again He says if these things are yours and abound. You will be neither barren nor unfruitful and the word true should be there in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For he who lacks these things is short-sighted. Even to blindness and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. So there is such a thing. We need to establish right at the beginning Of this message there is such a thing as having a true saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

That someone has become born again. And there is such a thing as having a knowledge a knowledge of Jesus Christ. People can know about Jesus Christ and they can gain knowledge about Jesus Christ. But that knowledge is not necessarily True knowledge meaning they're not truly saved.

They have not truly trusted in Jesus Christ for their Lord for their for their salvation. I remember when I went to my freshman year of college and that was a long time ago. And at that time, I don't know if it's still true because I know they changed the requirements my first year in college.

As a freshman I had to take two semesters of humanities and in human in that class. It was actually taught by a man who was a Christian. But in that class It wasn't a Christian college. It was a secular college.

In that class, he he went through the history of various religions. So we learned about Islam. We learned about Hindu. We learned about art Eastern art and Western art. So throughout that year Everybody in the class Christian or not saved or not had more knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Understand but that doesn't mean they were saved. They did not have true knowledge. They had knowledge of Islam Hinduism Buddhism. We had to read one of the books of Buddhism. I mean, I remember the course vividly because of the teacher.

So the point is that there is such a thing as having a true knowledge of Jesus Christ where someone is truly saved and having Knowledge just knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ now when it comes to growing as a Christian.

The seven qualities or things that Peter talks about in verses 5 through 7 they are virtue knowledge self-control perseverance godliness brotherly kindness and love. These are in a sense.

Fuel cells They are.

Spiritual power sources. They are means of God's grace in a believer's life. They're conduits of God's power in a believer's life to produce usefulness and fruitfulness. They are they are the roots of a fruitful Christian life.

And the point is we can actually say that the more that these seven qualities are part of a Christian's life. The deeper those roots run in our lives The stronger and more fruitful our Testimony will be and this is one of the reasons why Paul says in Colossians chapter 2 verse 7 having been firmly Rooted and now being built up and established in him so we're rooted in Christ and these these Christlike qualities are like roots that run deeper and deeper and produce more and more fruit.

Saving faith in Jesus Christ is Like a root ball in a tree and from that root ball from that as Initial establishment of the root ball at the bottom of a tree right the roots of the tree grow out. Now it's interesting anybody that has ever had a vegetable garden knows that when you plant say lettuce Radishes you can you can get food to eat.

Sometimes as early as a month after you put them in the ground, right? So you I mean we it took us a long time this year to get tomatoes. But finally we got them and boy, did we get them but it took a long time.

But radishes and lettuce you can pop them in the ground and you can have you can be eating it in a month sometimes. Fruit trees are totally different. You plant a fruit tree. You got a water it you got a Fertilize it you got a you know, it has to have.

Sun you have to protect it in the winter. It might take three or four years before you're getting fruit from that fruit tree. God's creation Uses carbon dioxide sunlight the nutrient. I never understood how important Fertilizer is to getting sweet citrus.

You really need to fertilize citrus trees properly in order to get that sweet. Our mandarin oranges this year are delicious. We put down some fertilizer in a proper time, right?

So.

God uses spring summer fall winter. He uses Sun. He uses rain. He uses all of these things to produce fruit. Now Peter as he's directed and guided by the Holy Spirit zeros in on these seven qualities that are part of this package this this group of things that God can use to produce a useful and a fruitful Christians.

Now, how can Believers be certain that they have a true Knowledge of Jesus Christ that they're truly born again and saved and on their way to heaven. How can each of us here today as we look ahead to 2021 be assured of being useful to God not useless.

But living a life that is fruitful in the garden of God's kingdom and not unfruitful. Number one two simple points with this message. For one by understanding that being useful and fruitful in the Christian life requires Diligence.

Now we need to understand this growing in Christ and Being useful and fruitful not barren requires diligence. Look at verse 5 for this very reason. Now what is he saying there for this very reason for the reason that you're truly born again.

Look at verse 2 for the reason that you're that that he's praying that your knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ is being Multiplied. Verse 3 the reason that his divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness.

By which we have been given Exceedingly great and precious promises. For this very reason because you're born again. Notice that he says giving all diligence see a tree. Begins his life as a seed planted in the earth or a sapling.

And then it begins to grow and become useful and fruitful as nature diligently supplies carbon dioxide sunlight water. And a christian grows and becomes useful and produces fruit by diligently adding these qualities by faith To their root system.

Now there's a couple of things in verse 5 that are interesting. Number one. He says for this very reason right? So this goes back to the first four verses. Just what I explained for the very reason that you're born again.

For the very reason that you have obtained like precious faith with Peter and the other apostles and the other disciples by the righteousness of our god and savior jesus christ. Now it's time to do your part for this very reason.

Because you have been truly born again and truly in your heart. Love god. This is what you're to do. What are you to do?

Give.

All.

Diligence. See that. Now there's something else in verse 5 The word giving. You might underline that in your mind depending on your translation. Giving all diligence.

Add.

To your faith. So those three words giving and diligence and add. In the original greek There are what's called a triplet. So god the holy spirit directs peter to write this letter. Right all scripture is given by inspiration of god and it's profitable for teaching doctrine reproof and all of those things all scripture.

So those three words belong together. They strengthen one another. The word giving there Is talking about bringing in or supplying? And and the word giving actually Suggests effort on the part of the person doing the giving.

The word diligence Uh has to do with having zeal or eagerness. I mean when people are learning to play an instrument I don't know how katie feels or johanna feels don't want to single them out. But anybody that's ever played the instrument sometimes you don't want to practice.

Sometimes you're not excited about practicing but guess what you have to if you want to improve. The idea here is to have zeal. Oh boy. I can't wait to practice my instrument. I can't wait. I mean monday tomorrow.

I start back to school. I start teaching again, and I was talking to janet yesterday or day before and I said I start spending an hour a day correcting papers sometimes, too. That's not zeal. But you know what I do.

I'm going to pull them papers out and i'm going to grade them and sometimes I do it with prayer. Please help me god have joy in this. Especially giving out the f's. Okay, here's here's something to think about.

This is a command. Giving all diligence. The word add is an imperative.

Okay.

So just like we are not to lie. Just like we are not to steal those are commands. Just like we are to love god with all of our heart soul mind strength body. Just like we're to love our neighbor as ourself.

We are to add it's an imperative in the greek, okay, so this is not optional. And what's interesting about these three words? Let me give it to you as best as I can. Think about going to a bank. Now you have money in the bank.

The money is yours, right? You've entrusted it to the bank. It's your money. Now you want to do something with that money. You want to withdraw that money and you want to use it. But the bank says well i'm sorry you don't have the proper paperwork Uh in place to withdraw this money.

This happened to us. Uh, saturday my oldest daughter. I'm not gonna cry. She's taking her first trip away from home In two weeks not that she's counting. It's not 14 days now. It's 13 days three hours and 15 minutes.

Yeah, 15 minutes. And you know, she's going to be gone on her own with a group of seniors for Six days three hours and 17 minutes. Yeah, something like that. So we had to go to the bank on saturday. And we had to take her savings account and she had to have a checking account so she could have a debit card.

And they wanted her id they wanted my id because we're on joint accounts. The money's hers, but she can't access it with a debit card without the proper paperwork. You got that? All right. So the idea here is You can't access these things you can't.

Uh.

Get add them to your account without giving this diligence see that. It's there but you have to be diligent about it. We need the money. So we went in he gave us the documentation. We signed the documentation.

We checked, you know. Was the spelling right. Was the social security number right. Was the address right? We give the diligence to that the bank does their part and god does his part in. In salvation simply by faith.

Now, listen to me. We now have to do. Our part understand we're saved. Our names are written in the lamb's book of life. We have a seal of the holy spirit, but now we have to turn around and do something.

That's why james says faith without works Is dead. So peter is reminding believers. Just like the bank god won't do our part. We can't do what god does and god will not do what we can do. Which is why diligence here on our part is so important.

These seven qualities are increased and they grow by faith. But at the same time they require diligence on the part of a believer. So we're saved by faith. We're sanctified positionally by faith and then spiritual growth, which is.

You might have heard this term progressive sanctification. So spiritual growth progressive sanctification meaning more and more like christ happens as believers. Diligently recognize the importance of these qualities and then live them out by faith.

Listen. There is no such thing as microwave spirituality. I'm, sorry to say that we don't have for sale at the back of the church. Cans of christlikeness that you can take home today. Pour into the pot on the stove turn up the heat and be christlike.

It just doesn't happen that way.

Okay.

You can look. Listen, don't take my word for it. Go to the bible. Look at abraham. Look at joseph. Look at moses. Look at how many times did peter put his foot in his mouth? Ultimately for god's glory.

We don't totally understand it. Instant christlikeness is not in his plan. There's no short courses. There's no cole's book. I remember when I first found out that we didn't have to read the whole book in college.

Do anybody remember that you got to read? 375 pages. Of the most boring stuff you ever read in your life. You didn't hear about cole's notes. What's cole's notes? Oh, it's a little thin little book. You can get that it'll tell you all about it.

That doesn't happen in the christian life. There's no short courses. God gives us a free gift of salvation. Nobody knows what cole's notes is. Can somebody shake their head and say thank you dave? Don't they have them anymore?

It's what? It's a different name now. Anyway, i'm going to tell you when I was in college not bible college. Liberal arts. I was excited to get those things because we had some.

Stuff to read. All right.

I didn't want to list them so god. God does not give christ-like character. Um. Instantly you're saved the thief on the cross today. You will be with me in paradise, right? But from there from salvation we have to grow in christ-likeness.

And god doesn't make believers obey them obey him. We make choices. Philippians 2 12. So then my beloved. Just as you have always obeyed not in my presence only but now much more in my absence. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

For it is god who is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Understand as we do these things. Diligently as we seek to add to ourselves these seven qualities god is at work. God is at work in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

And then paul reiterates in philippians 3 13. He says brethren. I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it. And I stand before you church. I stand. I have not laid hold of this. You're not going to see any reality tv shows on my home with the cameras you.

You know what a reality tv show is. They got the cameras set up in the house. You see everything they do. Yeah, you don't want to see that don't turn on that show. But one thing he says but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.

I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of god in christ. Jesus. So in the same way. That someone has to go to a bank in order to access that money. That is theirs rightfully theirs by giving the driver's license the birth certificate.

Maybe a social security card in order to make the withdrawal by diligence and faith in christ walking by faith. Believers are charged to add and supply certain things and qualities to the starting point of salvation.

So that's number one.

Now.

Be and continue to be diligent in the christian life now. Second. Being useful and fruitful in the christian life requires diligence in putting on godly character. Now peter in verses five six and seven lists seven basic qualities of christ-like character That produces and results in usefulness and fruitfulness for our lord.

And the first one is virtue. Your bible might have moral excellence. Virtue, what are we talking about. The positive moral aspects of someone's character? And the particular greek word that peter uses here that's translated virtue Has to do With with with vigor of the soul.

Listen to me. Vigor of the soul in the choices that we make. I'm going to say that again.

Vigor.

Attentiveness in our inner man in the choices we make. What am I talking about? See virtue here comes down. To such things as the choices people make in terms of how they spend their time. In terms of the tv that they watch.

In terms of the kind of movies that they watch. In terms of the kind of people that they associate with or don't associate with. The content of the books. I'll never forget as a young christian visiting a home.

And uh. It was one of the it was a couple in our church. This is many many years ago. Many many years ago. I'll never forget going in. And I was like a brand new christian and like okay. Movies. I don't know what to do.

Everybody was at that time was saying, you know, throw your tv out the window. So I did. You know, I I was like a brand new they said read through your bible every year. I did it memorize these verses.

I did that was the kind of christian. I was the first couple of years. I was a christian. I mean, what do you want to tell me to crawl on all fours around the block three times? Okay, i'll do it but I remember going to this home.

And.

Walking down and and on the shelf. The wife of this man had every romance novel I'm talking about, you know those horrible books. Every one that you could ever imagine. I won't even name the authors and I went.

I've read one of those. I know what they're full of. All kinds of stuff that you don't want as a christian. So these are the things we're talking about. Verse four. He has granted 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.

See it is good to keep in mind That a believer has by faith become a partaker of the divine nature. Our bodies are temples of the holy spirit and virtue comes with those choices We make about the movies.

We're going to watch the books we're going to read how we spend our time the people that we hang around with and so on. The call here look carefully at the language the call here is to be diligent to do this.

Understand diligent to grow in moral vigor and virtue. Secondly to this virtue add knowledge. Knowledge here is is Is insight understanding and enlightenment and guess what? It's not how to play an instrument better.

It's not how to do algebra better. It's not how to work on your car. The knowledge here is only referring to one thing our knowledge of god Jesus christ and his word. That's what we're to increase in.

We are to be diligent about being people of god's word. Look back at first peter. And he says in chapter 2 of first peter just a couple of pages back. He says therefore laying aside all malice all deceit hypocrisy envy and evil speaking as new born babes Desire the pure milk of the word That you may grow thereby if indeed you have tasted That the lord is gracious.