Missions Paul

All of this is not some story-book. Christianity. It isn’t fiction it is fact. Perhaps some people belittle what you believe. They did in the generation of Peter.

^“For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1 v 16-18)

Peter is stressing that they experienced Christ. The transfiguration of Jesus transformed them on the mountain.

Can you imagine what that experience did for them, especially years later as he writes this letter? When you have fallen facedown to the ground terrified in the presence of a supernatural God then you can face anything! You can face being flogged and put in prison. You can face being crucified upside down as Peter was or dying by the sword as was James (according to Church tradition) or like John being thrown into boiling oil (according to Tertullian). You can get through any fear because you have experienced the ultimate fear of being in the presence of the ultimate Power.

We need an experience of God that and His glory. Just as Jesus shone brightly we must also carry the glory of God in our lives. The world needs to see Jesus.

We need an experience of God’s voice. We need to hear His voice. The voice that gives approval of the Son and who He is. We need to stop talking meaningless and the trivial and speak the word of God given to us. The world needs a clear call from Him.

Some are contained by what others have said to them.
The words entered their very soul and destabilised their balance of life.
Today they respond according to what was cursed on them. Their yes or their no is filtered through that curse that came from an enemy and even a loved one.
Why is this so?
They chose to remember what was said. In their remembrance they replayed those words time and again in their minds until they became conditioned by this pattern.
This is not rocket science, no one needs a degree to realise how true this is. You may even be that person today.

What do you remember today? How is that helping you?
I have a Good News Bible that I won at the Keswick Bible week children’s meeting for my skill in memory Bible verses. What a claim to fame that is?!
In my early years of ministry I would run many holiday clubs for children, they all involved memory Bible verse games.
Most churches still do this kind of thing. But only for children.
In fact what happens when these children become adults and maybe even before that, is that they stop memorising what God has said in the Bible.
The result of this is that adults cannot recollect much of what the Bible and in particular what God has said.

“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.” (2 Peter 1 v 12-15)

Peter knows he is speaking to people ‘firmly established in the truth’ but this doesn’t stop him writing to ‘remind you of these things’ and ‘to refresh your memory’ and that they will ‘always be able to remember these things’.

What will you memorise today and what will you dwell on? Shape your day before it starts with the Word of God.

We live in a world that is always bringing an update to the last creation. This is a new product; new management; new technology. We also need more than anything to go back to the basics of what we know. We need to stir up and renew what we used to carry in our hearts and minds. It is this that has sustained Christianity 2,000 years after leaders like Peter led the churches. It is what sustains us still.

As we come to the end of this section where Peter lists virtues that we must make every effort to add to our lives, he then tells us why we must do that:

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1 v 10-11)

The words ‘make every effort’ is not only about working at these virtues Peter lists but the word he uses is about speed, hasten, it is a command to get growing sooner than later.

Why?

• To prove you are called as a Christian. It doesn’t make you a Christian but it validates that you are. Belief is not enough.
• You will not stumble, it isn’t a guarantee of not sinning but of not falling and making it to the finishing line. For those who have already fallen away it is because of one of these virtues.
• It will impact the reward you receive when you die, it will be a rich welcome. I’m not sure exactly but that doesn’t look like we will be getting into eternity through a back door entrance but more a red carpet occasion!

We need to be kind to ourselves and definitely give others more time to improve. Your character may not be perfect but you are better than you were a year ago.

“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 whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.” (2 Peter 1 v 8-9)

The qualities? Goodness; knowledge; self-control; perseverance; godliness; mutual affection; love. We have looked at each one over the last several days. Peter instructs for growth in these. In fact it is not slow growth but to abound in them, to increase, to focus on them. Sometimes we focus so much on gifts and abilities that we lose sight of the fruit, the character issues and the person behind the gift. You are a work in progress. The goal is to become more like Jesus.

As we focus on this growth in our lives then what we know about Jesus is effective and impactful and productive!

Where is that productivity best seen? It’s not in the church services on a Sunday but it definitely is in the home, the work and our friendships outside of church. This is where we need more practitioners of the character of Christ. We may not be perfect but it is here that we are getting better in people seeing what we know even if they don’t quite understand. How many know but the world doesn’t see it?

There are some who are in it for the take. They come to church to be entertained, to be blessed and they live their lives with no impact whatsoever in their world outside of the church. Impotent Christianity. We are not looking for powerful evangelism and miracles. The world just needs character virtues demonstrated. If that is not understood then all we have is Christians who have been cleansed but have forgotten they have been and who have no vision. The world will never see perfection in you but they will see someone attempting to get better and to look like Christ. They will see someone who sees the virtues importantly lived out to better the world we all live in.

Faith which is from God relies on God and not our own efforts. However, Peter says there are things we must do that God will not do. We are to make every effort to add. This will cost us. It is at our expense. We will have to give, lose, back down and walk away from some things. It will take effort, we will have to diligently do this, it will not just happen, God will not do it and we will not be able to rely on our human nature to do this, we choose, it is a decision we make. And here then is what we must add that God will not do.

And so we come to the end of Peter’s list of virtues: Love. Make every effort. Add love.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.” (2 Peter 1 v 5-7)

Agape love. The pinnacle and the foundation of all the virtue lists. Without it nothing would make sense. It is what sets the lists of Peter and Paul aside from other pagan lists.

This is not a feeling towards the person you are loving but it is a strong commitment that will not let go until that person understands, receives and prospers from the purpose of your love. It is the highest form, of sacrificial commitment love. The cross is how God demonstrated Agape to the world.

This day in 1978, 9 Elim UK missionaries and their 4 children went through hell on earth with agape in their hearts even for those who killed them. In the Vumba Mountains of now Zimbabwe, in one of the only schools open for miles around at that time, they continued to hold their health clinics, bible teaching and regular academic classes within Emmanuel school.

They are an inspiration who with the great cloud of witnesses cheer us on who are here today. Their agape propelled others into a life of service in missions. They died not because of God or an evil spirit, it was man who did this. They fell to the ground but their agape love didn’t end on the ground. They fell to the ground but it wasn’t because they gave up but it was because their love was agape.

Peter and Sandra McCann: 13^th January 1977: “These are not easy times and they are likely to get worse: we could leave anytime but not them. It seems so much remains to be done here, and so little time for us left – but only eternity will tell the tale of fruit born and nurtured in the hearts of our people… Don’t get the idea that we are losing hope, because that is far from true. Our hope is in God, and we have no reason to fear the devises of man.”

Wendy White: April 1978: “In some places the real Christians are being strengthened in the face of persecution (as are very few real disciples of Christ Jesus have also been strengthened here in the school), but very few ‘stand’ when asked to denounce the Name of Jesus at the point of a gun. (Would we?)… ‘Though you slay me, I WILL TRUST you , Lord’ – I said it aloud (though there were no one there to hear me) and a few hours later, when I was determined to praise through and was offering the sacrifice of praise – suddenly Jesus was there with me, and my heart was warmed and lightened and full of praise.”

Philip and Suzanne Evans: 1976: “The situation here is, of course, disturbing, but once all the public arrangements and safeguards have been made, all we can do is to redeem the time for the Lord. In some ways it’s more necessary than ever that there should be a Christian witness in this country.”

Mary Fisher; the night before the attack sang her favourite song, “For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”

Lynn, Roy and Joyce: 1978: “They are praying very hard for peace, meanwhile I think we must be faithful and one never knows when the fire will ignite and we too will be in revival.”

Catherine Picken: Jan 1976: “We want the whole area to hear the gospel message. It has been a joy to see God moving.”

Amazing attitudes! Were they extraordinary people? No they were ordinary people with an extraordinary agape love for others.

Blood is thicker than water, yeah? It means relationships within the family are more important than all the other relationships that we have outside of it. The 6^th trait we need to add is this

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection …” (2 Peter 1 v 5-7)

The word Peter uses is philadelphia and it was used for the love amongst the family, hence, brotherly love in some translations and ‘mutual affection’ in NIV. Peter is saying make every effort to add to your life devotion, tender family love towards others in the Church. That is what we find in every Church, right?

We live today in a society where the family is threatened from all sides. The home is threatened. But the Church is here to restore the family. To not only repair it and stand for it but to become a family for the fatherless and the widow. The sincerity of the Church’s love is seen in its creation of family. “We are family here.” “Come and join the family of God.”

We can all think of examples where we are devoted to that Church member with mutual affection. We can also think of those people who we struggle with. They are the people who hurt you, spoken against you and who do not even like you never mind reciprocate any love you might have for them. How do we show brotherly love to these people? We make every effort and we add. It takes energy and it will cost us.

But this is the battle the Church has to win. We must reveal philadelphia to a world who was robbed of that experience. “It doesn’t matter who you are; or how damaged you are; it doesn’t matter how hurtful or proud you have become; we leave all that to the head of the family, to the Father; our role is to philadephia you; that’s what you get here; welcome.”

So what does this mean? What is it and how do you know you have it? The godly list that I had when I was a child, for example not playing outside on a Sunday certainly doesn’t apply for me today when I pop into the shop to buy something on the Lord’s Day.

^“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;” (2 Peter 1 v 5-6)

The word is eusebeia and it is easiest to understand it as an awesome respect towards God and people. But how do we know we are godly?

Remember this? “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.” (Isaiah 28:16)

A tested stone. In every way possible He was tried, tempted, tested and He came out totally obedient.

But here’s the question: when you know you’ve done well, you’ve become a veteran as a follower of Christ, you’ve stood the test of time and the trials of life and you are now being recognised for having done so, you are being praised: can you pass this praise test? Proverbs 27 “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise” v21.

What happens to you horizontally impacts vertically and vice versa.

The kind of testing that makes a person a Godly person is not the testing but the successes.

How does a person handle praise?

Do they deflect it to God out of false humility?

Do they crave for more?

Do they try and please to get praise?

Is it a drug?

Does it create their fantasist identity?

Do preachers think they’re giving a presidential speech?

Do worship leaders think they’re pop idols?

If there’s no praise do workers think they are undervalued and so do not work?

Within praise there lies such temptation.Praise is a crucible, it is a furnace.

Let’s not fail at the final hurdle. Let’s not pass the tests to simply fail at the grand podiums that our successes have built.

Add eusebeia to your faith. Make every effort. Walk well. Be careful the horizontal doesn’t impact the vertical.

Yesterday I came off the phone having listened to a man who has completely turned his personal life around through self-control. He has self-mastered himself. No longer is he being pushed around by every attacking thought and temptation rather he has disciplined his body. But coupled with this self-control is the perseverance/endurance to stay the course. This perseverance is not just to put up with things but it is actively and daily resisting one way of life for a better way. It is this trait of endurance that makes it into Peter’s list.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance.” (2 Peter 1 v 5-6)

Mark 13: 13 “Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” The Message “Stay with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.”

Sunday 22^nd January 2017 I stood with a married couple with 2 small children for a photograph. This was their farewell from the church as they were being sent as church planters to an area where there was absolutely no Christian witness. It was for me a most poignant moment for I knew the struggle that they would face. I was in the region of the world where the Church is continually persecuted. Christians carried injuries to their bodies because they were Christ followers. I was told of how their houses got burnt down, their children set upon and their entire family despised as worthless. I asked the question, “What happens when it all gets too much?” The answer that came shocked me. “We stay.”

You may enter your day struggling to get through it. You face internal pressures from external circumstances that are causing you to wonder if you will ever be free. Physical problems, loneliness, financial instability, loss of work and broken relationships are making you feel like you are swimming against the tide. Let the persecuted Christians help you today. They have found something that is priceless. If we do what they do then we will be saved in our circumstance. They have discovered perseverance/endurance and have added it to their self-control.

If you have little knowledge of how you are perceived then there is little to have to control. If you cannot see the blind spots that others see so clearly then there is nothing to rein in, nothing to try to master and bring discipline into your own life. Ignorance isn’t bliss it often leads to unrestraint.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control …” (2 Peter 1 v 5-6)

Today are you likely to be quick to angrily jump to conclusions about someone? Or are you more likely to bury your head in the sand afraid of the consequences if you say or do something? Both need you to discipline yourself. Both need self-control.

Living in a hedonistic world it is important you make every effort to add self-control because though we are not called to be a hermit and though we find pleasure in many things within this world we must master each and every one. For pleasure can often turn to pain when these things become vices to us.

Authentic faith is self-controlled living. It takes effort to add. It costs us.

What needs mastering today?

This is not about qualifications and degrees and being clever.

“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge …” (2 Peter 1 v 5)

Whereas I do believe growing in knowledge is achieved by walking in the ways of the Bible and I also believe growing to know God is vitally important through prayer. However there is a knowledge that must be added if we are ever going to walk within the divine nature. It is knowledge about ourselves.

Some people are really clever but have no awareness. They are spiritually blind to the fact that they need to ‘make every effort to add’ knowledge of how they are experienced by others. They do not see their character flaws and that goodness is dying in their life. This is why knowledge is crucial. They go through a crisis and never ask what can I learn from this? They are criticised maybe unfairly but never ask if there is a small nugget of truth in this criticism that can be learnt from? They lack knowledge. They have friends but they don’t ask their friends to speak truth to them and so they lack knowing how to grow in their faith.

We must get this knowledge and add it to our goodness.