Monday, February 20, 2012

Plug Into His Power

Making Your Election Sure By Getting Plugged In!

This Is How To Get To Heaven In Style, Strong, Prepared!  God would not make you guess about something this important.  
The Assumption being made here is, you want everything about how to live a life that is pleasing to Him.
2 Peter 1:3-11 tells us about this point.  

1.   His Diving Power Is The Starting Point Of Everything  vs. 3

This is the juice that makes everything happen.  It’s how the Scripture counsels us to live.  It tells us that we must live by His power.  The Scripture says it this way in Zechariah 4:6 It's not by might not power but by my Spirit says the Lord.  Not in my own strength but His.  How do we know about plugging into this power that we are talking about this morning.

2.   We Know Because Of His Precious Promises vs. 4

They are not lightly made promises, they are treasured, precious, valuable, power creating, instructional promises. Promises that God has given us to empower us with the knowledge of how to get to heaven in style, strong, alive, prepared, in victory.     We are not told that we will just barely make it in and have to hope that everything will be okay.  This is what it tells us God is going to do through those promises.

3.   It Teaches Us How To Participate In The Divine Nature vs. 4

 From the Scriptures we learn how to plug into His power to become holy.  1 Peter 1:16 says, Be holy as I am holy.  Matthew 5:48 says, Be perfect just like your Father in heaven is perfect.  You can’t do that unless God helps you through the power of the Holy Spirit.  To do that takes hard work across a lifetime of living. 

4.  We Have To Make Every Effort To Add vs. 5-8

It doesn’t happen automatically but it tells us what to do in order to become Holy.  We have to make EVERY effort to make sure that there is addition going on in our lives toward these goals.
It gives some great suggestions:  To faith add goodness to goodness add knowledge To knowledge add self control to self control add perseverance to perseverance add godliness to godliness add brotherly kindness to brother kindness add love.  And we can't ever stop working on adding because it says that we need them in increasing measure to stay strong, triumphant, victorious, prepared, alive, vigorous.  By doing this here's what happens.
5.  We Make Our Elections Sure vs. 10

It says something really cool, if we follow these directions we won’t fall.  This is the perspective this text takes, we don’t want to become imprisoned again by falling into a trap.  1 Peter 5:8 says, be alert and of sober mind.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  We can't allow ourselves to fall into his trap and become ensnared again.  Galatians 5:1 says, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery.  That is what the adding process is helping us avoid so that we can can reach our goal.  And here's the ultimate goal and the really coll part.

6.  We Will Be Welcomed Into Heaven With Great Fanfare vs. 11
He’s going to get the party started when you arrive.  We are going to be welcomed into heaven with great fanfare.  It's going to be a great celebration.  

Weekly Verse:  2 Peter 1:5-8

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