Bible Text: 2 Peter 1 | Preacher: Rev. Dr. Lou Saldiveri | Series: Sunday Morning Worship

Pastor Lou’s Notes

Intro: It might be helpful recap the context in which Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes this letter. First, he was writing to Christ followers who were scattered throughout Asia Minor. Second, Christ followers were starting to be persecuted at the hands of Nero in Rome. Third, Peter wanted his readers to continue to be alert and sober minded to stand firm in the faith against the schemes of the devil and false teachers.

For a Christ follower, spiritually speaking, it is impossible to remain neutral in terms of spiritual growth and maturity. There are only two possibilities: to press forward in our journey of spiritual growth and maturity or the regress backwards. There is no such thing as being in neutral, spiritually speaking. If you and I refuse to keep pressing on in our spiritual journey with Christ, we quickly find out that the world is full of traps and dangers that could render a Christ follower ineffective for the kingdom of God. Traps can be like the sand traps on a golf course or a hidden hole on the path on which you are walking.

So, Peter starts this letter encouraging the Christ followers to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ even in the pressures of persecution. This passage gives us some great insights about how Christ followers can confirm their call and election from God. The particular emphasis of the letter is the encouragement for a Christ follower to continue to grow deeper in an intimate knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We Have a Precious Faith v. 1-3
We are saved by grace through faith alone Eph. 2:8-9
Through repentance and faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, the great transaction took place
The Cross The Sinner
Our journey started with starting a intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ by faith alone.
We are to Continue to Grow in Our Intimate Knowledge of Christ v. 3-11
The moment you and I are saved through grace by faith alone, God gives us everything we need to live a godly life
This is given to us by God’s power
This is given through His own glory and goodness
It is God who called us
It is God who wants us to fall deeper in love with Jesus Christ
We can live godly lives through an ever-deepening knowledge of Jesus and with the empowerment of the Holy Spirit under the authority of God’s Word
Always Remember from Where We Came v. 5-11
Jesus has given us very great and precious promises
By faith and through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can then participate in the divine nature of Jesus Christ
The result is transformational spiritual growth from the inside out e.g. real change and growth, not superficial

Closing: The key questions for today: Are you and I growing in our personal knowlegde of God?; Are we giving God permission to help and empower us to grow spiritually for His honor and glory? Will we cooperate with the Holy Spirit under the authority of the Word and continue our journey? Are you and I enjoying God’s rich blessings in the process?

Personal and Group Bible Studies
Meditation, Digestion, Application to Our Lives
Let God bring healing emotionally and spiritually
Blessing Others with Christ Likeness that Brings Glory to God and Christ
The Decision Starts With Us and then We Are Empowered By the Holy Spirit