New Years 2013 // Grow In Grace & Knowledge For The Glory Of God

December 30, 2012 Speaker: Phil Baker Series: Stand Alone

Topic: Topical Sermon Passage: 2 Peter 3:17–18

A New Year’s Resolution - 2013                                                                                                     “Grow in Grace and Knowledge for the Glory of God”                                                                              2 Peter 3:17-18

This is the time of year where people make New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions are goals that people set for the coming year. What kind of resolutions do people make?

Top 10 Most Popular Resolutions

-Drink less alcohol

-Eat healthy food

-Get a better education

-Get a better job

-Get fit

-Lose weight

-Manage debt

-Quit smoking

-Save money

-Volunteer to help others

How many people participate in making a resolution or resolutions? Statistically speaking it appears that a little over half the US population participates in the yearly practice. Out of 7000 people surveyed:

42.9% - will make no resolutions

21.5% - will make 1 resolution

11.3% - will make 2 resolutions

7.2% - will make 3 resolutions

17.1% - will make 4 resolutions

In most instances resolutions are more geared towards undoing the bad habits that people developed during the prior year or years instead of towards some new adventure or hobby. 8 out of the 10 resolutions I mentioned are exactly so.

-I packed on too many pounds last year and this year I have to work it off!

-I ate too much junk food last year and this year I’m going all organic!

-I started drinking too much booze last year and this year I’ve got to cut back!

-I got myself in debt last year and this year I’ll have to pay it off!

-I started smoking in 1986 and this is the year that I’m going to quit!

With that being said resolutions can become nothing more than a way for us to manage our sinful patterns and tendencies. Sin management can be very dangerous. Why, because it usually leads to two very unprofitable things, despair or self-righteousness. When we fail to manage our sins well or appropriately we tend to despair. We often become hopeless and depressed. And when we manage our sins well we tend to get puffed up with pride and self-righteousness.

Self-righteousness leads then leads to comparison. We look at people and their actions and we say, “I’m so much better than them. I would never do what they do.” We become like the Pharisee who beat his breast and said, “God, I’m so glad I’m not like that tax collector over there!” Rather than imparting a steady flow of love and grace to our loved ones and neighbors we impart a steady flow of criticism and correction. Let me tell my friends there isn’t anything worse than being around a self-righteous judgmental holy corrector. I’d rather be slathered in catnip and throne into a lion’s cage then to be around one of them. I’ve known a few!

Now does this mean we that should just forget about our bad habits and sinful patterns? Should we just disregard them? No not at all. These things are important. God takes these things very seriously and so should we. What do we do then? May I suggest to you that we need to shift our focus away from ourselves and away from our efforts onto Jesus who cares more about us than we do and who has real power to change us. If we’re going to make a resolution for the coming year our goal should be to know Jesus more and that’s it. Driscoll posted this comment on Facebook on Friday. He wrote,

“You can't meet Jesus and not change. If you haven't changed, you haven't met the real Jesus.”

Let me ask you this, do you really want to be different in 2013? Do you want to shake some of those habits? Do you want to shed your encumbrances? Do you want to be taken to new heights in your faith and life? If so, be resolved to know Jesus more. Do a little experiment. Go back and read the last paragraphs of each of the epistles and show me where the apostles commended their readers to focus on their sin issues and to make resolutions. You would think that if it was so important for us to pledge our time and energy to killing off our sinful habits that the apostles would have ended their letters with exhortations to do so. But you won’t find those things there or anywhere else in Scripture. The emphasis however is always on Christ or on Christ-centered activities like prayer and so on.

Take for instance the end of the epistle to the Colossians. Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote in Colossians 4:2-6.

2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Or what about the epistle to the Ephesians? Listen to how the Apostle Paul wraps up this letter in Ephesians 5:10-18.

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.

14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.

Or what about the epistle of James? In the second to last paragraph the Apostle James actually commanded his readers to not make promises, oaths, and resolutions! He wrote in James 5:12:

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

What I’d like to do this morning is take a look at the last two lines of the Apostle Peter’s final letter to his gentile readers. This passage will help to solidify Christ as our focus. If we apply what we’re about to learn we will experience true change and then reap a grand harvest of gospel fruit.

In his first letter Peter feeds Christ's sheep by instructing them how to deal with persecution from outside the church; in this second letter he teaches them how to deal with false teachers and evildoers who have come into the church. In our passage three very important things will come out.

Peter’s final warning about false teachers.Peter’s exhortation for where to focus.Peter’s doxology.

Let’s read, pray, and apply it together

2 Peter 3:17-18

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

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1. Peter’s final warning about false teachers.

17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability.

Who were these lawless people that Peter mentioned? What errors were they promoting? The lawless people were men who came into the church and acted like Christian pastors, teachers, and evangelists but were nothing more than false teachers. These men rejected fundamental Christian’s doctrines like:

-The sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ.

-The Virgin Birth.

-Bodily resurrection.

-The Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

MacArthur generalized their heresy, he wrote,

“The false teacher’s basic error is that they will not submit their lives to the rule of Christ.”

When these men came into the church they tried to unseat the believers by arguing against their fundamental doctrines. They tried to convince them that Jesus was not who he claimed. They tried to convince them that Jesus was not who the apostles claimed.

-Jesus is neither sovereign or the Lord so you don’t have to submit to Him and you cannot rely on Him.

-Jesus did not come from a virgin which means that He has a sin nature and cannot be God.

-Jesus did not experience a bodily resurrection therefore salvation is not in Him.

-Jesus is not coming back so don’t wait for Him.

That was what they believed and taught.

“Since Jesus is not who He claimed to be, you better rely on yourself, on your religion, and on your efforts. You better earn your way. You better do right.”

These men offered the Christians the same old dirty religion they’d been rescued from. The religion of self-focus, self-reliance, and self-effort. That is the religion of this world and of our nation. Don’t resolutions fit into this category to some degree? Aren’t they primarily based on self-effort? Absolutely! Resolutions are derived from the felonious precepts of this world. Resolutions are a means by which people seek to make an atonement for their wrong-doings. “This year I’m going to re-write last year’s wrongs and then I’ll become a better more productive and lovable person.” This is a form of false religion. And false religion is the broad-road to destruction.

Peter warned them (paraphrased),

“Christians, you are aware of these false teachers and their ideas, do not lose your stability by being carried away by their heresies.”

Peter then exhorts them to focus elsewhere.

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2. Peter’s exhortation for where to focus.

18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Peter says, “Turn your attention away from the wolves and yourselves, onto Jesus. Make Jesus your focus. Grow in the grace and knowledge of Him.” This is where we should put our focus and energy. We should resolve ourselves to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior in 2013. How does one grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord?

Spurgeon,

“The answer is simple. He who gave you Grace must give you more of it! Where you first received your Grace, there you must receive the increase of that Divine Grace. He who made the cattle and who created man, was the same who afterwards said, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” So He who has given you Grace must speak with the fiat of His Omnipotence in your heart and say to that Grace, “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the soul till its native emptiness shall be filled, and the natural wilderness shall rejoice and blossom like a rose.”

But at the same time we would have you use the means; and those means are much prayer, a more diligent search of the sacred Scriptures, a more constant fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ, greater activity in His cause, an earnest attendance upon the means of Grace, a devout reception of all revealed Truths of God, and so forth. If you do these things you shall never be stunted or dwarfed, for He who has given you life will thus enable you to fulfill the word which He spoke to you by His Apostle, “Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

According to Spurgeon, how do we grow in grace? He wrote, “Seek the Giver of grace because only He can increase it.”

According to Spurgeon, how do we grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We must utilize the tools that He has given so that we can grow in the knowledge of Him. Spurgeon listed 6 things:

Much prayer.Diligently search the Scriptures. Consistent fellowship with Jesus. Greater activity in the cause of the gospel.Earnestly attend the means of grace.Devotion to receiving and applying the revealed Truths of God.

Let’s look at the last thing illustrated in the text.

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3. Peter’s doxology.

A doxology is a liturgical expression of praise to God. Peter closes this letter with a brief but poignant doxology. Look at verse 18.

18 To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

In a way Peter stated that Jesus is not only worthy of our focus but of our praise and of all the glory now and forever more. Let me ask you this,if we are focused on ourselves, on our efforts, and on managing our sins, how can we at the same time praise and glorify the Lord?

If we fail to manage our sins well and are overcome by despair, how can we at the same time praise and glorify the Lord?

If we are successful at managing our sins and then become prideful, self-righteous, and judgmental, how can we at the same time praise and glorify the Lord? The answer to all three is, we cannot. But isn’t the goal of a Christian’s life to glorify the Lord? What did the Apostle Paul write in 1 Corinthians 10:31?

“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Here is the bottom line. If you are going to make a resolution for 2013, make it about knowing Christ more. Make it about growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Make it about Him and His glory. I promise you this, if you are willing to lose yourself in 2013, it will be your best year yet. You will experience Christ in ways that you’ve only read and dreamed about. Now this isn’t easy. Not in this self-focused culture. But I do believe that it is possible if we are diligent in keeping our eyes and hearts fixed on Jesus. I want to close with a little more Spurgeon.

“Above all, let us long to know Christ in His Person. This year endeavor to make a better acquaintance with the Crucified One! Study His hands and His feet. Abide hard by the Cross, and let the sponge, the vinegar and the nails, be subjects of your devout attention. This year seek to penetrate into His very heart, and to search those deep far-reaching caverns of His unknown love, that love which can never find a rival, and can never know a parallel. If you can add to this, a knowledge of His sufferings, you will do well.”

-Let us commit ourselves at this very moment to knowing Jesus more.

-Let us cry out to Him for more of His marvelous grace and commit ourselves to growing in the knowledge of who He is.

-Let us be of one accord with the Apostle Paul who wrote, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

-Let us forsake our feeble efforts to change ourselves and rely solely on His person and work.

-And let us praise and glorify Him.

I say let’s make these things our resolution for 2013!

Amen

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