Making Sure Of Your Election

I was coming home from San Antonio Tuesday night and called my brother to see if he would like to meet me for coffee. He said no, he was on his way to the capital. He asked “when else in my lifetime will I get to see someone either accept or concede the Presidency of the United States?” So I met him and we joined thousands on Congress and 11th St. as we waited in the rain for the results to come in.

About 2:15 as the South Austin Gospel Choir (32 tie died hippies) was singing the crowd went wild as the giant screen flashed the news Florida had gone to Bush and he was the 43rd President of the United States. The crowd got ready for the speeches. Gore was to concede and Bush accept. A young lady came and sang “America the Beautiful” and busses started arriving from the Governor’s Mansion. Then word came that Gore had renigged. Then Daily made his speech. And we stood around wondering what was happening.

As we waited I thought about how it felt to be told the election was yours, only to be told it might not be. And I thought of the words of Peter in 2 Pet 1:3-11

(2 Pet 1:3-11 NIV) 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. {4} Through 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. {5} For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; {6} and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; {7} and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. {8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. {9} But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. {10} Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, {11} and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

WHERE WE SHOULD BE (3 – 7)

A. We Have Everything We Need For Life and Godliness

1. We know Jesus

(Heb 8:11 KJV) And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

Foundation of our faith is a knowledge of who He is and what He has done to save us

2. We have been called by his own glory and goodness

3. We have great and precious promises

we may participate in the divine nature

we escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires

(2 Pet 2:20-22 NIV) If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. {21} It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. {22} Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

B. We Need to Build on What We Have

Like a pyramid

Faith

Goodness

Knowledge

self-control

perseverance

godliness

brotherly kindness

love.

2. Need to have these in abundance

II. WHERE WE COULD BE (v. 8 – 9)

A. Near Sighted and Blind

myopic – with an astigmatism, near sighted

blind - enveloped in smoke (figuratively - to inflate with self-conceit:--high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud.) “blowing smoke”

B. Ineffective and Unfruitful

inactive, lazy, useless

barren, fruitless

(Mat 7:17-20 NIV) Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. {18} A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. {19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. {20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

III. WHAT WE CAN DO (v. 10 – 11)

Make An Effort – there is something you can do about it

B. Make Sure – go back to the basics and be sure they are in place