Be All That You Can Be

August 5, 2012

Morning Worship

Text: 2 Peter 1:3-11

Subject: A Christian Responsibility

Title: Be All You Can Be

Do you remember the old TV Ad for the US Army that said, “Be all that you can be in the army?” It was an invitation to young men and women to find an avenue by which they could meet all the expectations that they might have for a fruitful and exciting life.

Now, let’s compare life in the army with a life lived for Christ. First of all, contrary to what people who don’t know Christ would say, the Christian life is the most exciting life one could ever live. The Christian life does not limit what you can or cannot do. It does open the doors to possibilities that you may have never imagined… The Army offers the opportunity for you to serve and protect your nation. Christianity offers you the opportunity to serve the Living God and find yourself under His protection. The Army provides a venue for you to see the world… Christianity provides you an opportunity to change the world.

Here is the only limitation with Christianity… are you ready for this? The only limitation is YOU! Paul told the church in Ephesus, that God… is able to do immeasurably more (NKJV exceedingly, abundantly) than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us…

It all comes down to what our mindset is concerning God’s power at work in us. Some will say that His power is limitless, so that gives me limitless possibilities. Other say that His power is limited because it is at work within me… a flawed being.

"Nothing is done," Lincoln Steffens once wrote. "Everything in the world remains to be done--or done over. The greatest picture is not yet painted. The greatest play isn’t written. The greatest poem is unsung." Nothing is perfect, we can add. There’s no perfect airline. There’s no perfect government. there’s no perfect law.

Faucets still drip, as one did years ago in the Steffens household. As he and his seven-year-old son tried to fix it, Steffens had to admit that his generation could not make a fit faucet. "But," said Steffens, referring to his son, "he may. There’s a job for him and his generation in the plumbing business, and in every other business. Teach your children that nothing is done, finally and right; that nothing is known, positively and completely; that the world is theirs--all of it.

Bits and Pieces, April 1990, p. 7.

That is a message for all Christians.

Be all that you can be…

Read 2 Peter 1:3-11…

I believe this is God’s Word…

I believe it is for me…

I accept it as mine…

And I appropriate it to my life today…

I. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE ALL YOU CAN BE YOU MUST HAVE POWER … Before I start in verse 3 let’s look at the introduction to the letter… 1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours: 2Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Grace and peace comes through your knowledge of God through your relationship with Jesus. It is important that you have knowledge of everything that God has done for you. That is what Peter tells us in verse 3, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Now if we break this down a little it really clarifies what God’s purpose for our lives is. First of all look at the phrase His divine power… Whose power is it? His power… What kind of power is it? Divine power… the word “divine” means godlike. And what kind of power is it? The word power is “dunamis” and I love what Strong’s concordance says about it…1. force… 2. (specially) miraculous power… 3. (usually by implication) a miracle itself… This is that power that Paul said back in Ephesians 3 that is at work within us… and Peter concurs with Paul’s assessment by saying, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness… What is His power for? Well the word “life” in this verse is the Greek word that refers to “eternal life”. God’s power enables us to have the assurance of eternity with Him. It has opened the door of salvation through the cross of Jesus and His resurrection. The word “godliness” is the Greek eusebeia and it means, devout reverence in attitude, conduct, and deed… so “life” refers to eternal life and “godliness” refers to everything we need in this life. So our roles as believers is to have a right attitude about God and our lives lived “in Him” and to conduct ourselves in a way that shows reverence to Him, and then to do deeds that show that we belong to Him. How do we get that? … through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. This word knowledge talks about having a full recognition ff who God is and what His plan for your life is and also about the power He has bestowed upon you to enable you to do His deeds. …called us by his own glory and goodness… His revelation to us of His very nature. His visible presence (glory) and His goodness seen through the lives of those who trust Him. Verse 4 coincides with verse 3, 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. First of all, He gives us promises. And these are not just your average promises – they are very great promises. The KJV says “exceedingly great promises…” And they are precious promises. The word precious means, “costly”. What did the promises of God cost him? They cost Him His Son. 2 Corinthians 1:20, For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Look at what these verses require from us… 1) We need to have knowledge of His promises to us… How can you claim a promise from God is you don’t know what they are? 2) All the promises are “Yes” in Christ. Everything that God has declared is available to those who believe ahs been accomplished in Jesus. What do you need from God? Find it in the bible then claim it as your own. 3) You can agree with what God says on your behalf. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Why would you want to do anything less? What is God’s power for? It is for you to be all that you can be…