The wood carver said, “It really isn’t as hard as it looks. What I do is get a huge piece of wood, and I carve out everything that does not look like a bear!”
This is what God is trying to do with our lives. He wants to cut everything that does not look like Christ out of our lives.
Peter shows that to be the SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUAL that God wants us to become, we have to ADD THINGS to our faith. We accept the Lord by faith, but just because we accepted the Lord, does not make us spiritual. (Christ-like)
We have already seen that he told us to ADD to our faith VIRTUE! Virtue is our core value from within. Whatever is in a Christian’s heart is going to motivate him to ACTION. Now let us look at some things that Peter tells us to ADD to our faith if we want to become the SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUAL God wants us to be.
To THE QUALITY OF VIRTUE we need to add-
II. THE QUALITY OF KNOWLEDGE
Peter recognized that if we are going to be the SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUALS we are supposed to be, we must have spiritual understanding
Look at 2 Peter 1:5b, we read, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue KNOWLEDGE.”
Today, the knowledge that mankind has acquired is astounding.
Illus: Many of us enjoy going to the airport. No matter how many times we go, we are amazed at how those big airplanes that weigh so much can fly.
Illus: In the early 1930's, a farmer and his wife went to a fair. He was fascinated by the open cockpit airplanes and asked a pilot how much a ride would cost for him and his wife.
• "$10 for 30 minutes," replied the pilot.
• "That's too much," said the farmer.
• The pilot thought for a second and then said, "I'll make you a deal. If you and your wife ride for 30 minutes without uttering a sound, the ride will be free. But if you make a sound, you'll have to pay $10. “
The farmer and his wife agreed and went for a wild ride in the open cockpit airplane.
The pilot got in, the farmer got in and his wife got in behind him.
The pilot took off, and he was determined to get that ten dollars. He turned that airplane all kinds of ways. He did:
- Belly rolls
- Nose dives
- Inclines
At one time he actually flew upside down, but the farmer never opened his mouth.
• After they landed, the pilot said to the farmer, "I want to congratulate you for not making a sound. You are a brave man."
• "Maybe so," said the farmer, "But I gotta tell ya, I almost screamed one time.” The Pilot said, “When was that?” The farmer replied, “When you did that first belly roll and my wife fell out, I almost screamed! But then I thought about that ten dollars I would have to pay if I OPENED MY MOUTH!
The amount of knowledge that man has been able to acquire in the area of aviation is amazing.
Illus: The 747 is simply amazing in size.
• The 747, depending on the configuration, can seat between 450-630 passengers
• This airplane’s fuselage size provides a cabin 20 ft. 1 1/2 in. wide and 185 ft. long
• The 747-200B is powered by four 50,000-lb. thrust Pratt & Whitney turbofans giving the airplane a maximum speed of 602 mph at 30,000 feet
• It has a cruising ceiling of 45,000 feet, and a range of 5,980 miles
Only God could give man the knowledge to make the 747 fly.
Daniel, in the Old Testament, tells us such an age would come into existence. Daniel 12:4, speaking of the end days, says; “Many will run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased.”
As we look around us, we see that knowledge has increased and men are running to and fro.
But while knowledge has increased for some, it has not for others. That is, when it comes to knowledge it seems like God overlooked some, even in our age.
We recognize we live in an advanced society where knowledge certainly has increased.
Illus: We are told that a student, needing some education, can go to the pharmacy and ask for some knowledge pills. One student walked in and asked what kind of knowledge pills were available.
• The pharmacist said "Here's a pill for English literature." The student took the pill and swallowed it and has new knowledge about English literature!
• "What else do you have?" asks the student.
• "Well, I have pills for art, history, biology, and world history," replies the pharmacist.
• The student asks for these, and swallows them and has new knowledge about those subjects.
• Then the student asks, "Do you have a pill for math?"
• The pharmacist says "Wait just a moment", and goes back into the storeroom and brings back a whopper of a pill and plunks it on the counter.
• "I have to take that huge pill for math?" inquires the student.
• The pharmacist replied "Well, you know ... math always was a little hard to swallow."
We live in an age where knowledge certainly has INCREASED! WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN TO YOU AND ME?
Well for one thing, it means that we are now living in a very fast-paced world, to say the least. With all the new technology, we are going to have to do one of two things; either keep up the pace or be left behind.
Paul said that if we are going to be the SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUALS God wants us to become, we need to ADD TO OUR FAITH …KNOWLEDGE.
What kind of knowledge should we add to our faith?
I. HEAD KNOWLEDGE
Listen, if we are going to become like Christ, we must have knowledge of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE IS LIKE. If we do not know WHO HE IS, or WHAT HE IS LIKE, HOW CAN WE BECOME LIKE HIM? We can not!
Knowledge of who He is, comes from two places:
A. WE HAVE TO KNOW HIM IN A RELATIONSHIP
We have to have a good relationship with Him if we are going to gain knowledge of who He is. We all know that in order to develop a good relationship, we have to invest time and energy into it - right?
In order to have a good relationship with the Lord, we are going to have to spend ADEQUATE time in PRAYER.
We build relationships by spending time with someone.
• This is why some folk’s best friends are the people they work with each day. They spend time with these people and they have gotten to know them
• This is why some folk’s best friends are their neighbors, because they spend time with them each week
• This is why some folk’s best friends are the people at church, because they spend time with them each week
And listen, this is how we get to KNOW THE LORD, we spend time in prayer with Him!
To gain KNOWLEGE OF WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE IS LIKE, WE HAVE TO KNOW HIM IN A RELATIONSHIP. Also-
B. WE HAVE TO KNOW HIM THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD
Some folks want to give the impression that they are super spiritual and that they have at least three visions or revelations a day! But listen, God will never reveal anything to anyone that is not already in the Word of God. God speaks to us through His written, preserved Word.
If you are going to add KNOWLEDGE to your faith, you are going to have to make time --
• To attend a Sunday School that teaches the Word of God
• To attend a church that preaches the Word of God
• To daily study the Word of God for yourself
And if we are not willing to do this, we are not going to be able to add KNOWLEDGE to our faith.
It is amazing what people have learned about God in Sunday School.
Illus: Did you hear about the Sunday School teacher that was teaching that God created everything, including human beings. Little Johnny seemed especially intent when they told him how Eve was created out of one of Adam's ribs.
Later in the week, his mother noticed him lying down as though he were ill, and said, “Johnny what is the matter?” Little Johnny responded, "I have pain in my side. I think I'm going to have a wife."
We learn all kinds of things about God and His creation when we spend time in the Word of God.
We live in a world today that has INCREASED IN KNOWLEDGE, but God wants us to also INCREASE IN SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.
Each of us has 24 hours in a day, just like the rest of the world. How we budget that time is ultimately up to us. I need to remind you that our life on this little green planet is very short. Be sure to share as much of that time as possible with the ones you love.
Illus: It reminds me of the story of a young man that loved his family very much, and he wanted to make sure that he provided for all their needs. He worked very long, hard hours at his job. He even sold his vacation time back to the company. Any time they needed him, this guy was there.
Well, one night he got home around seven o’clock and sat in his recliner, about to drift off into a well deserved nap, when he felt a tiny tug on his hand. It was his six year old daughter saying; “Daddy......... Daddy........” He sat up and said “What is it honey?” She asked him; “Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?” Thinking this a strange question to come from a six year old, he asked her why she needed to know that. She said, like most six year olds, “Just because....”
Wanting to get back to his nap, the father said; “I make about twenty dollars an hour.” The little girl seemed content with his answer and went away. He then reclined back and attempted to pursue his nap. Minutes later, he felt another little tug on his arm. He opened his eyes and there stood his little girl again. By this time he was getting frustrated, and said a little more harshly; “What is it sweetheart?”
She said; “Daddy......can I borrow nine dollars?”
Knowing that she had been saving for a new doll, and wanting to make her happy, he gave her the nine dollars. She smiled and ran back into her room.
Once more he reclined his chair and closed his eyes, only to feel that familiar tug on his arm once again. Angry that he couldn’t seem to get any rest, he opened his eyes to see the little girl standing there holding a bunch of crumpled up bills in one hand, and a lot of change in the other. She put the money in his lap and spoke words that burned into his heart; she said; “Daddy, will you sell me a whole hour of your time?”
This young father learned a very important lesson in this age of technology. He learned that:
• People are going places
• People are making more money they ever made in their lives
But what this little girl wanted was not the best clothes, the fanciest house, or the most expensive toys. What she wanted and so desperately needed, was her father.
God the Father must feel like that at times. Christians are going “to and fro” on the face of the earth, and many do not have time for God the Father.
You see, God is reaching out to us in many different ways, but Satan tries to blind us to His efforts. 2 Cor. 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
Satan constantly bombards us with ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, in order to keep us from investing time for PRAYER AND THE STUDY OF GOD’S WORD that will cause us to increase in the knowledge of WHO HE IS and WHAT HE IS LIKE.
We need HEAD KNOWLEDGE, but also we need -
II. HEART KNOWLEDGE
They say the distance between heaven and hell is 18 inches, this is the distance between the average man’s mind and heart.
Just because a person knows the Lord intellectually, does not mean he knows the Lord in his heart.
• People have graduated from Bible Colleges and Seminaries and know ALL ABOUT GOD, but do not KNOW GOD
• Preachers have preached sermons about God, but they really do not know Him at all
• Some can quote scripture after scripture, but they do not know the God of the scriptures
• Some can talk the church language, but they do not know the God of the church
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM? The problem is that Satan has attacked God’s people’s hearts, because he does not want them to have HEART KNOWLEDGE.
He does not want them to have HEAD KNOWLEDGE, because that is where it starts, but he certainly does not want any of us to have HEART KNOWLEDGE.
We all know different kinds of Christians. We can meet another Christian, and in a matter of minutes we can decide they are a Christian:
• That pretends to know God, but who really does not know Him
• They are a Christian that does not have a desire to know God because their life is filled with others things
• That KNOWS THE LORD
Satan attacks our heart every day to keep us from knowing Him. Some here have been to the doctor because you had a heart attack. We are told today by the medical journals that heart attacks are the number one killer among us. It causes:
• More deaths than cancer
• More deaths than aids
• More deaths than accidents
Heart attacks are the number one killer in this country.
But listen, everyone is not PHYSICALLY having a heart attack, but I can assure you that some Christians are having spiritual heart attacks. This is why Solomon said, in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
How does he attack our hearts?
A. THE FIRST ATTACK IS SPIRITUAL “HARDENING OF THE ARTERIES”
HOW DOES HE DO THIS? He tries his very best to harden our heart:
• Toward prayer
• Toward the Word of God
• Toward attending church
• Toward witnessing for the Lord
He knows if he can harden our hearts toward these things, we are going to become weak and feeble Christians.
B. THE SECOND ATTACK IS THE SPIRITUAL “HEART MURMUR”
WHAT IS THE SPIRITUAL HEART MURMUR? That is when a person’s heart beats fast when it shouldn’t.
Satan wants the heart of every child of God’s to beat for the things of the world. He wants to fill our life with the things of this world, so we will not have time to pray and read the word and come to KNOW WHO HE IS and WHAT HE IS LIKE!
Every one of us has been cautioned from God’s Word concerning the possibility of having our hearts attacked each day.
Illus: Legend says: One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out.
He called one of His best angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.
When he returned, he told God it was bad. On Earth, 95% are bad and 5% are good. Well, He thought for a moment and said, “Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another point of view.”
So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time. When the angel returned, he went to God and told Him the Earth was in decline, 95% were bad and 5% were good.
God said this was not good. So He decided to E-mail the 5% that were good. He wanted to encourage them, give them a little something to help them keep going.
Do you know what that E-mail said? No? You didn't get one either, huh?
Conclusion:
We looked at:
I. HEAD KNOWLEDGE
II. HEART KNOWLEDGE
