TITLE: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
SCRIPTURE: II PETER 1:5-10
Anyone who has ever achieved at a really high level knows that there is no substitute for practice. Sure, we've all heard stories of exceptionally gifted people who are able to master a subject or discipline on their first introduction to it. But those kinds of people are the exceptions and not the norm. For most, mastery takes hard work. The best writers and thinkers and players and workers and musicians are often referred to as those who put the most time in –
• "He was the first one in and the last one to leave"
• "Nobody worked harder than she did"
After he examined what makes successful people successful, Malcolm Gladwell suggested it takes roughly ten thousand hours to become an expert in your field.
• Ten thousand hours!
• Basically, five years of full-time work according to the American workweek
• In other words, Practice
• Doing the same thing over and over and over again
• That's how you get good
• That's how you grow
The question here is this -- does this translate to Christian discipleship and to the Christian life?
• Is it possible to get better at showing Mercy?
• To grow in Generosity?
• To become more Loving?
• To be a better Neighbor?
And, if yes, is growth in these areas related to practice? Put another way, is the Christian life like everything else in life? Is it a matter of putting in the hours or giving ourselves over and over and over again to the discipline of cultivating a virtuous life? Is it possible for us to say to someone who manifests an astonishing amount of generosity, "That's the most generous thing I've ever seen," only to hear from them, "You know, the more generous I am the more generous I become."
I believe the answer to these questions is Yes. The Apostle Peter certainly was very comfortable speaking about practice as tending toward growth in Christian discipleship. The more we give ourselves over to those things that are good and right and true and beautiful and lovely, the more they take root in us and shape us. In a strange way, we become them by doing them.
• The more we give ourselves over to the virtues of the Christian life
• The more we practice the ethics of the kingdom of God
• The more those virtues and ethics will take root in us
• The more they will shape us
• The more they make us into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who was perfect in every way
God has called us to add things to our faith, in some ways, like the TV Cooking Shows where bakers add flavors and textures to a basic recipe, to develop or enhance our lives of faith.
In this text this morning, we find the ingredients God wants us to add to our foundation of Christian faith. The recipients of the letter are described only in general terms. They are those who have received a faith as precious as ours. The faith we enjoy, is the same type of faith enjoyed by the Apostles. And look how Peter describes its source! –
• A “PRECIOUS FAITH”
• The word is rendered as “Precious” in the KJV and NIV
• The NASB renders it as a faith “of the same kind” as ours
• In a clear declaration of the deity of Jesus, Peter says our faith comes from our God and Savior - who is Jesus Christ
As Simon Peter neared the end of his physical life, false teachers were attempting to draw Christians away from the faith by promoting false doctrines. Now, because this is an age-old problem – false teaching - false teachers - false prophets - false doctrines - heresies and all – because it is a constant problem, in every age, then, God has had His spiritual consumer protection advocates. God has always had those men and women who are around for the purpose of speaking His truth – whether it be –
• A faithful mother who speaks truth to her children
• A faithful father who speaks truth to his family
• Whether it be a Prophet
• Whether it be a Priest
• Whether it be a King
• Whether it be a Judge
• Whether it be some significant person within the framework of Israel, an elder of the nation
• Whoever it might be
• Or whether it be an Apostle
• Or a New Testament Prophet
• Or a pastor, or a Teacher
• Or an Elder
• Or a Deacon
• Or whoever it might be
• There are always those whose calling seems to be to warn about the deceivers and their deception
• No one stands out more in the New Testament in such regard than does Peter
So, Peter determined to remind believers of the genuineness of their calling and the doctrine they had come to understand. Peter was a highly respected minister at the time he wrote this. He had a wealth of experience, having been personally taught by Jesus Christ and having been present at the seminal events in the early history of the Church of God. Undoubtedly, Peter’s credential-packed resume empowered him to speak authoritatively against false teachers.
• But Peter didn’t just rail against these woefully misguided teachers
• He also painted a picture of what a spiritually mature Christian should look like
• He provided a list of characteristics that describe the mature Christian
• Something we should strive to become so we can be “partakers of the divine nature”
There are Christian people who never seem to make any progress. They don’t have much Joy. Their lives don’t seem to lead to anything. If you want to grow in the Christian life, peter says there are certain things you must do. There are certain things you must pursue in the power of the Spirit and “if you possess these things in increasing measure they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ.”
You have to “make every effort” to pursue these things.
• You have to get into an active frame of mind if you want to grow
• You have to take responsibility for your own spiritual growth
• You cannot be passive in this
• It’s no use saying, “Let go and let God”
• That’s the opposite of what Peter says in this text
• There are certain things that God has called you to pursue, and Peter tells us what they are
This is really an exciting text if we take the time to really appreciate and understand it. In this text Peter invites the believer to add to their faith in Jesus Christ a blend of seven Christian virtues. Before giving this list of virtues, Peter tells the reader to apply them with all diligence. It takes every bit of diligence and effort a Christian can muster, along with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, to escape the corruption of the world caused by evil desires. As a Christian adds these virtues, the believer becomes more like Christ.
• Add to Faith - Moral Excellence/Goodness
• Add to Moral Excellence - Knowledge
• Add to Knowledge - Self Control
• Add to Self Control - Perseverance
• Add to Perseverance - Godliness
• Add to Godliness - Brotherly Kindness
• Add to Brotherly Kindness - Love
We think of the word "ADD" in mathematical terms. But the Greek word goes a slightly different direction. "Add" (NIV, KJV) or "support" (NRSV) is the Greek verb epichoregeo, "to provide (at one's own expense), supply, furnish." Robertson translates it, "adding on your part." It sounds very spiritual to say, "just let God do it" -- and there is truth in that. But here Peter is enumerating some things that we ourselves must add to what God has already done.
• God does his part -- we do ours
• These virtues we "provide at our own expense"
Of course, we are aided by the Holy Spirit, but we, too, must "make every effort." These qualities of Christian character and maturity are like seven rungs of a ladder -- except that we don't achieve them sequentially, but work on them all at the same time. However, I'll stick with the ladder analogy as we look at the virtues that we must add to the basic faith that God himself has given us.
The first virtue is "goodness" or "virtue" - We are called to be of the highest moral character. What will that take for you? If you want to be a fruitful Christian, then you need to grow in goodness. The evidence of your faith will be seen in the goodness of your life. What character flaws have you been excusing all these years? God calls you to move higher and take on his own excellence of character.
• Lying
• Cheating on income tax
• Petty theft
• Inappropriate flirting
God calls you to his own excellence of character. Yes, you and I will fall short. But if you're serious about growing into spiritual maturity, moral goodness is the first rung of the ladder. The second rung is "knowledge." If you want to be a fruitful Christian, you need to grow in Wisdom – Depth – Stability - Maturity. The way that happens is through the Word of God — Learned – Believed – Applied - Obeyed. The Bible is much more than information. David said in PSALM 119:105 - “YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT UNTO MY PATH.” You will find Direction, Wisdom, and Stability as you meditate on God’s Word. I don't think Peter is talking so much about "knowing God" here. That's part of the basis that comes with faith.
• Here he's talking about knowledge of Scripture
• Knowledge about how to live the Christian life
• We can bungle around in spiritual ignorance only so long
• Now it's time to learn spiritual lessons and begin to grow
• The knowledge of God can only be built by studying God’s Word
The third rung is "self-control" or "Temperance.” This is "restraint of one's emotions, impulses, or desires, self-control" - "the virtue of one who masters his desires and passions, especially his sensual appetites." Remember who’s writing this, Peter, the most impulsive man in the New Testament! The man who was once a blunt disciple is now a trusted Apostle in the Church of God. That’s growth! If that can happen for him, it can happen for you. What are the areas of life that require self-control and discipline today?
• Use of alcohol
• Faithfulness to one’s spouse
• Moral behavior at all times
• Choices of music and entertainment (because these influence us)
• Honesty in business and in all relationships
• And the list could go on and on
The fourth rung on the ladder to maturity is "perseverance" or "Patience," This is the capacity to hold out or bear up in the face of difficulty.
• A spiritually mature Christian doesn’t give up
• Perseverance requires courage and faith
• Perseverance is an essential step towards Christian maturity
• James Cleveland said it like this –
o I don't feel no ways tired
I've come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me that the road would be easy
I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me
The fifth rung is "godliness." " This word encompasses a lot. This word simply means being like god.
• It means imitating and taking on the character traits of God
• It means being aware of God and wanting to live according to His commands
• Becoming like God means imitating Him
• It means loving what God loves and hating what He hates
The sixth rung is "brotherly kindness." I think "brotherly kindness" gets the short end of the stick as far as our value of it. We are often taught that agape love and think it is more important than brotherly kindness. And thus we value "brotherly kindness" less. Why does Peter mention both rather than lump them together under agape love? I believe he is talking specifically about the love that Christians have for one another in the body of Christ. "if it weren't for people, ministry would be great," I sometimes joke after some less-than-ideal encounter with a church member. The reason the quip is funny at all is because it is impossible. God has placed us among people -- imperfect people who, at their best moments, strive to follow the Lord more fully. And he expects us to treat them as brothers and sisters. Not brothers and sisters at the height of sibling rivalry and spats, but brothers and sisters who would do anything for each other.
• If you are growing in brotherly kindness, you will be generous in giving and in helping
• You will also be generous in your judgment of other Christians
• You will be slow to think the worst of your brothers and sisters in Christ and quick to think the best
Where can you be more generous to other Christians?
• Are you aware of a Christian brother or sister in financial need?
• Are you aware of a brother or sister who needs a helping hand?
• Is there a brother or sister of whom you have been thinking the worst?
Last, but not least is “agape love." To tell the truth, this word just wasn't used much in Greek culture; it was pretty rare. However, it became an extremely common word in the early Christian community. Christian writers appropriated an uncommon word for love and used to convey a very special kind of love –
• Love which gives without thought of what it will get back
• It's highest expression is found in God our Father and Jesus his Son
• I JOHN 4:19 "WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US"
Agape love is a little different.
• It is not a feeling
• It's a motivation for action that we are free to choose or reject
• Agape is a sacrificial love that voluntarily suffers inconvenience – discomfort - even death for the benefit of another without expecting anything in return
• We are called to Agape Love through Christ's example
++++None of us will become perfect in all of Peter’s maturity traits in this life. But that doesn’t mean we should not aim to become perfect. One of the identifying marks of true Christians is that they are continually striving to develop these characteristics in their lives.
--In Christ you have everything you need for growth
--For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith, GOODNESS – KNOWLEDGE - SELF-CONTROL – PERSEVERANCE – GODLINESS - BROTHERLY KINDNESS – LOVE
--If you do, you will be fruitful and you will be effective
--And, more than that, you will receive a rich welcome into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
