WEBVTT 00:00:00.719 --> 00:00:05.919 You're listening to a message preached at Front Range Baptist Church by Pastor Dean Miller. 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:11.759 It is our prayer that this message will be a help and an encouragement to you in your spiritual walk. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:13.679 Now, here's Pastor Miller. 00:00:14.080 --> 00:00:16.399 Open your Bibles this morning to 1 Peter chapter 1. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:22.879 We're gonna I I we already knew that we had time today, that we were gonna take extra time, so I prepared accordingly. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:26.480 So you just give me a few minutes and pay close attention to the scripture here. 00:00:26.960 --> 00:00:30.160 1 Peter chapter 1, we're gonna get through chapter 2 today. 00:00:30.399 --> 00:00:32.079 We're gonna get into chapter 2. 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:36.240 So we're gonna read verses 22 through verses 3 of chapter 2. 00:00:36.320 --> 00:00:38.000 So look in your Bible with me, please. 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:50.560 Seeing ye have purified your souls, now you follow along carefully and listen to the word of God, let it speak to your heart, seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren. 00:00:51.119 --> 00:00:55.840 See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:01.840 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.680 For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man is the flower of grass. 00:01:05.920 --> 00:01:08.879 The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away. 00:01:09.040 --> 00:01:15.519 But the word of the Lord endureth forever, and this is the word which by the gospel was preached unto you. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:27.439 Wherefore, laying aside all malice and guile and hypocrisy and envies and evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:31.840 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:43.599 Lord, I pray that right now you would help us as we look in your word to have a rock solid faith, but a faith that is growing, firmly founded and rooted down and yet growing. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:50.319 And I pray that you'll speak to every one of us today about what it means to be a growing Christian in Jesus' name. 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:51.040 Amen. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:54.959 I want to speak this morning on growing up in Jesus. 00:01:55.280 --> 00:02:01.680 The big idea of the message this morning is since you've been born again, you should be growing up. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:08.159 Do you know that oftentimes as a pastor, one of the things that you deal mostly with is immaturity in believers. 00:02:08.240 --> 00:02:17.840 You're burping people and you're having to take certain toys away and stop little squabbles, and you think, man, there's probably less drama in the nursery than sometimes in the church. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.879 And immaturity doesn't always reflect age. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:22.960 You can be old and immature. 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:27.280 You can be saved for a long time and still be an immature Christian. 00:02:27.360 --> 00:02:32.560 And the question that Peter's going to ask these Christians is: Are you growing up in Jesus Christ? 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:34.479 Are you a growing Christian? 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:38.560 Have you come from new birth into mature faith? 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:47.039 Because we've been born again by the enduring word of God, then we should be continually growing into the people that God has saved us to become. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:50.479 I've reminded you this before, but I am a growing Christian. 00:02:50.879 --> 00:02:52.000 You're a growing Christian. 00:02:52.080 --> 00:02:56.319 We ought to always be growing in our walk with the Lord. 00:02:56.719 --> 00:03:08.639 Several years ago, I was on a hike up Grey Rock, and I went all the way up Grey Rock, and I took a really cool picture of a tree that had been windswept and fallen down, but yet growing out of a rock. 00:03:08.800 --> 00:03:11.840 And so I gave that to Miss Stephanie to put under the pictures today. 00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:12.879 I wanted you to see it. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:16.479 But like my girls, my daughters, that I didn't take a very good picture. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:17.360 It was too dark. 00:03:17.439 --> 00:03:19.039 So she just put her own picture up there. 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.080 And so I want to show you a picture I have no relationship to. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:29.039 It's a picture of a tree growing out of a rock, but it wasn't the picture of my tree growing out of the rock that I took. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:34.639 But apparently I don't know how to work an iPhone because I'm a boomer or whatever they call us these days. 00:03:35.599 --> 00:03:37.120 But anyway, you get the point. 00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:38.000 Look at this tree. 00:03:38.159 --> 00:03:42.319 This tree is fastened to a solid rock and yet it's growing. 00:03:42.479 --> 00:03:46.400 This is to be a picture of your life as a believer. 00:03:46.960 --> 00:03:52.960 Firmly fixed on the rock of Jesus Christ and yet growing with life. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:59.439 Flourishing, fruitful, always abounding in the work of the Lord. 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:04.159 And so Peter's going to give us some marks here of spiritual growth. 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:05.599 And I want to give them to you very quickly. 00:04:05.680 --> 00:04:12.080 Number one, Peter's going to talk about if you're, he said, I want you to see you're suffering Christians, you're persecuted Christians. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:13.680 This is the group that he's writing to. 00:04:14.159 --> 00:04:20.480 You've been windswept, you've been pushed around by this world, and you're having a crisis of faith. 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:25.519 And Peter has spent the entire time in chapter one telling us we've been born again. 00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:27.040 We've been elected by God. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:28.879 We've been sanctified by the Spirit. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:31.759 We have reservation in heaven, incorruptible, undefiled. 00:04:31.839 --> 00:04:34.240 We're kept by the power of God through faith. 00:04:34.480 --> 00:04:41.279 He has gone over and over and over again to remind these people you have been saved, you've been saved, you've been saved, you've been saved, you've been saved. 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:47.519 And so now you need to have the security of that in this wind-blown world, but you need to be growing in that. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:51.920 And the first way, he said, I want you to look at your life and see if you're growing. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:53.120 Seeing then. 00:04:53.920 --> 00:05:01.279 Seeing then that you have have you purified your minds to obeying the truth through the Spirit. 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:05.759 See, look to it, examine this whether you love the brethren. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:06.639 Here's what he's going to say. 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:12.560 Number one, we are growing by loving, growing in our love for God's people. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:16.720 You have purified your souls in obeying the truth. 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:23.360 The first evidence of spiritual growth is not merely what we know, but how we love. 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:26.959 This is the evidence of Christianity. 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:33.600 Listen to me, being saved, an evidence of being saved, is not that you can win in Bible trivia. 00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:39.839 An evidence of salvation is not that you know all the answers in Sunday school class. 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:42.560 Knowledge puffs up, but listen to me. 00:05:43.199 --> 00:05:47.199 God always puts truth and love together. 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:50.319 If you know the truth, you're going to love. 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:53.759 So here's the evidence. 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:59.120 Peter is connecting obedience to the truth with the love of God's people. 00:05:59.920 --> 00:06:04.000 You don't tell me that you obey the truth if you do not love God's people. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:06.240 And I want to tell you, I hear people say this all the time. 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:08.000 I can worship God in the lake. 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:08.800 And is that true? 00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:09.279 Yes. 00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:10.959 I can worship God on a hike. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:11.600 Is that true? 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:11.920 Yes. 00:06:12.079 --> 00:06:14.800 I can worship God while I'm driving my motorcycle down the road. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.079 Yes, you can. 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:17.759 Most people don't. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.160 People oftentimes say, well, I can worship God in the lake. 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.040 Well, yeah, you can, but you don't, but you should. 00:06:23.360 --> 00:06:27.680 And here's the problem: we get a lot of believers that say, you know, I don't need to go to the church. 00:06:27.920 --> 00:06:29.120 I can worship God anywhere. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.279 And what you've done is you've conflated two things. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:34.079 You've conflated the church with worship. 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:38.000 Coming to the church is act as an act of worship for sure. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:40.319 But this is not why we come here to worship. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:41.839 We bring our worship with us. 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.519 We are worshipers on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and Friday. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.839 And how we worship God, we bring that together. 00:06:48.000 --> 00:07:01.680 And when we demonstrate our worship to God in the way we love one another, you cannot divorce the church from growing in Christianity because if you know Christ and you love Christ, you're going to love what Christ loves. 00:07:01.759 --> 00:07:02.879 And Jesus loves the church. 00:07:03.040 --> 00:07:04.399 Jesus gave himself for the church. 00:07:04.560 --> 00:07:09.600 And Jesus said, if you want to show your love for me, you do it among one another. 00:07:10.639 --> 00:07:16.480 And that's why it's vitally important for a growing Christian to be in a place loving God's people. 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:17.600 And what does this love look like? 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:20.399 First of all, this love is sincere love. 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.360 He says, unfeigned love of the brethren. 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.240 So oftentimes, our love in church is we just greet each other with a smile. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:29.839 We shake hands. 00:07:30.000 --> 00:07:33.120 We say all the right things, but we're harboring bitterness. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:34.639 We're harboring resentment. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:36.240 We have jealousy in our heart. 00:07:36.319 --> 00:07:38.720 We have an indifference in our heart, and we're not sincere. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.600 He says, unfeigned love of the brethren. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:44.160 Unfeigned is genuine. 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:45.519 It's not fake. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:46.959 It's not manufactured. 00:07:47.040 --> 00:07:48.160 It is sincere. 00:07:48.319 --> 00:07:53.839 The word sincere in our English language comes from a Latin word, which means without wax. 00:07:54.720 --> 00:08:00.240 And it came from a practice that was done in biblical days when men would make pottery. 00:08:00.399 --> 00:08:11.680 They would take the pots to market, and sometimes in the killing process, the kilning process, the heating process, the setting process, the clay would have would develop small cracks. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:13.759 And let me ask you something about a cracked pot. 00:08:13.920 --> 00:08:17.759 A cracked pot doesn't hold, doesn't hold water. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:28.160 So what they would do when they would get to the market is they would use wax and they would put wax on the inside of that thing on the fine cracks so that in a demonstration in the market it would hold water. 00:08:28.319 --> 00:08:35.679 But when you got home and you put water in it and you put that thing out in the sun, the wax would melt and water would leak because cracked pots don't hold water. 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:40.240 And so what that wax, what that pot was, was it was not sincere. 00:08:40.320 --> 00:08:41.919 It was not without wax. 00:08:42.720 --> 00:08:47.039 And God said, I don't want you to come in the church and try to just cover up your cracks. 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:52.240 If you have the love of God in you, be sincere. 00:08:52.720 --> 00:08:54.399 Don't put on a pretense. 00:08:54.480 --> 00:08:55.440 Don't cover it up. 00:08:55.600 --> 00:08:58.399 Don't pretend to be something that you're not. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:02.399 Christian love is much more than just being polite at church. 00:09:02.639 --> 00:09:04.399 It's sincere love. 00:09:04.639 --> 00:09:05.440 It's real love. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:07.279 He talks about two types of loves here. 00:09:07.440 --> 00:09:09.679 He says, he says, love of the brethren. 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:12.639 He uses the Greek word philadelphia, brotherly love. 00:09:12.720 --> 00:09:13.840 It's family love. 00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:18.480 It's love that I have for you because we're part of the same family, because we have the same birth. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:24.720 But then he says, love of the brethren, see that you love one another, agape each other. 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:27.840 So it's brotherly love with God's love. 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:33.600 So I'm not just loving you as a brother from another mother, I'm loving you with the love of God. 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:34.960 Agape love. 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:35.759 And what does that mean? 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:42.320 Number two, not only is that we to love sincerely, but we are to love spiritually with a pure heart. 00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:44.480 With a pure heart. 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:47.840 This can only be developed by the Spirit of God in the believer. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:53.200 Purity comes from the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. 00:09:53.279 --> 00:09:56.960 It's a pure heart, which means that it's free from corrupt desires. 00:09:57.200 --> 00:09:58.639 It's free from sin. 00:09:58.879 --> 00:10:00.559 It's free from guilt. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.639 In other words, most of our human love is saying, I'll love you because of what you can do for me. 00:10:06.879 --> 00:10:13.120 This love says, I'm going to love you to be a blessing to you, regardless of what you do to me. 00:10:13.679 --> 00:10:19.360 It was God who demonstrated this kind of love, who died for us while we were yet sinning. 00:10:19.600 --> 00:10:21.840 While we were enemies of God, he was dying for us. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.039 God did not say, I'm going to die for you if you will live for me. 00:10:25.360 --> 00:10:28.639 No, he gave himself for us unconditionally. 00:10:29.200 --> 00:10:31.120 So this is agape love. 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.559 It's a pure love, it's a spiritual love. 00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:39.200 It is love without selfish motives or hidden agendas. 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:42.000 And then he talks about a stretched love. 00:10:42.240 --> 00:10:44.080 Love one another with a pure heart. 00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:45.679 What's that last word? 00:10:46.480 --> 00:10:47.600 Fervently. 00:10:47.919 --> 00:10:49.360 Let's all say fervently together. 00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:50.960 Love one another with a pure heart. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:10:53.440 Love one another with a pure heart. 00:10:54.080 --> 00:10:56.720 Fervently means to boil up. 00:10:57.200 --> 00:10:59.120 It means to, it's a heat. 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:00.960 It is a fervency. 00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:08.399 And actually, what this word really is best described at, how many of you have tried the new coffee at the coffee shop over here on Sundays? 00:11:08.639 --> 00:11:09.840 Anybody tried the new coffee? 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:10.879 Okay, it's delicious. 00:11:10.960 --> 00:11:20.720 And if you ever go get a new coffee and you ask them to make you a latte, they take that cold milk and they put it under a steam wand and they introduce a lot of really hot steam into that milk. 00:11:20.879 --> 00:11:22.799 And let me tell you something about what milk does. 00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:27.360 Milk, when milk gets hot, milk does not roll like water rolls. 00:11:27.519 --> 00:11:31.679 Ladies, when you when you get milk too hot and it begins to boil, what does it do? 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.000 It runs over the pan, right? 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:35.039 It makes a mess. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:36.320 That's what it does. 00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:37.600 It runs over. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:37.919 Why? 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:40.720 Because the enzymes in milk stretch. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:46.639 So in true coffee fashion, what they actually say is, I'm stretching the milk. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:50.480 I'm making the milk enlarge itself to its fullest capacity. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:52.240 This is fervent love. 00:11:52.480 --> 00:11:54.399 Fervent love stretches you. 00:11:55.039 --> 00:11:57.039 Fervent love gets you out of the pot. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:59.279 Fervent love gets you beyond yourself. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:02.000 Fervent love takes you beyond the strengths of humanity. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:15.759 See, it's a wife who can endure an ungodly relationship, maybe with a husband who doesn't return the love like he should, but she loves anyway because she has the Spirit of God in her and she has a fervency in that love that stretches her beyond. 00:12:15.919 --> 00:12:20.399 So she can forgive or he can forgive in that church when there's a conflict in membership. 00:12:20.559 --> 00:12:30.480 It stretches you to bear burdens, to be serving when it's inconvenient, to really give yourself fully to something beyond your own ability. 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:35.759 It's being faithful in a relationship when the relationship becomes difficult. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:39.919 And this is what Jesus said. 00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:44.480 By this shall all men know that you're my disciples. 00:12:44.960 --> 00:12:46.879 When you have all the answers. 00:12:48.799 --> 00:12:51.120 Here's how men are gonna know you're my disciples. 00:12:51.279 --> 00:12:52.720 Because you carry a Bible. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:53.679 No, no, no. 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:55.519 How are men gonna know you're my disciples? 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:59.039 That you have love one for another. 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:03.279 It's the greatest proof and evidence of love. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:05.919 See, here's let me just tell you something. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:12.879 The evidence that the truth of God is getting into your heart is when the love of God is flowing out of your hands. 00:13:16.399 --> 00:13:25.440 The greatest evidence of the truth of God is getting into your heart is the love of God is coming out in your hands, in what you're giving to other people. 00:13:25.600 --> 00:13:34.159 Peter's gonna turn this around in chapter 2, verse 1, and he's gonna talk about malice and guile and hypocrisy and envy and evil speaking that are enemies of Christian love. 00:13:34.399 --> 00:13:38.799 But first he had to deal with what Christian love really is. 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:42.799 It is sincere, it is spiritual, and it stretches you. 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:44.240 So let me ask you a question today. 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:45.279 How is your love? 00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:46.960 Are you growing in your love? 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.000 Number two. 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:56.639 We grow up in Him by growing, by living by God's word. 00:13:58.559 --> 00:14:01.279 Verse number 23 said, being born again. 00:14:01.919 --> 00:14:06.559 Not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever. 00:14:06.639 --> 00:14:08.320 Now, why can Christians live differently? 00:14:08.559 --> 00:14:11.440 Because God has given Christians a new life. 00:14:12.480 --> 00:14:18.000 We have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life. 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:35.759 When a baby is conceived, there is seed provided by the father, an egg provided by the mother, and when the egg and the and the seed meet, there is a fertilization and there is a conception. 00:14:35.919 --> 00:14:37.919 And by the way, that's when life begins. 00:14:38.639 --> 00:14:39.279 Amen. 00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:42.240 Life begins at conception. 00:14:42.399 --> 00:14:48.960 Now listen, in the same process, if you're born again, the seed is the word of God. 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:52.960 Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 00:14:53.120 --> 00:15:04.960 When the seed of the word of God is introduced into your life, and it's met with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, the seed and the conviction, there's conception. 00:15:05.759 --> 00:15:10.240 And in the womb of faith, a new life is developed. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:19.279 The moment the word of God came into your heart and was met with the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, in the womb of faith, there was new life. 00:15:19.440 --> 00:15:20.960 A new creature was made. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:27.360 And that new life gives you a new quality of life. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:30.639 It's a new life that comes to the truth of God's word. 00:15:31.039 --> 00:15:33.600 And so Peter's going to contrast two different lives. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:38.399 Number one, human life is corruptible, it comes from corruptible seed. 00:15:38.480 --> 00:15:41.519 Everything produced naturally eventually dies. 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:46.240 This is why Peter said, All flesh is grass, all the glory of man is the flower of grass. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:48.960 Now listen, the grass will grow and the flower will bloom. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:55.039 I mean, listen, there was a really heated, contested presidential race sometime back in the early 1900s. 00:15:55.120 --> 00:15:58.000 Maybe it was, I don't remember what the what the maybe it was 1906. 00:15:58.159 --> 00:16:06.000 So maybe there was a really contested presidential race, and the whole nation was talking about the candidates of president and vice president. 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:06.799 Let me ask you a question. 00:16:06.960 --> 00:16:08.960 Who was vice president in 1906? 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:15.919 That grass grew and that flower bloomed, but it faded away, and you don't know it, and I don't either. 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:22.720 There were some amazing athletes in the 1980s, but who won the Super Bowl in 82? 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:24.000 I don't know, and you don't know. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:25.120 Maybe you know. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:30.879 I don't know who your great-grandmother's mother was. 00:16:31.360 --> 00:16:34.559 Do you know how your great-grandfather met your great-grandmother? 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:36.480 Do you remember what her maiden name is? 00:16:36.639 --> 00:16:38.639 Do you know their story of how they fell in love? 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.000 Do you know where they met? 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:40.879 When they met? 00:16:41.039 --> 00:16:44.320 Now listen, that's just a couple generations back, and you don't know why. 00:16:44.480 --> 00:16:50.000 Because grass grows and flowers bloom, but they wither and they fade. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:54.639 In a couple of generations, my great-grandchildren won't know my name. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.399 They won't know where I met their great-grandmother. 00:16:58.480 --> 00:17:00.000 They won't know the story of our life. 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:02.000 They won't know about Front Range Baptist Church. 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:03.840 They won't know where I'm buried. 00:17:05.359 --> 00:17:09.680 My grass is growing, my flower is blooming, but listen, it's going to fade. 00:17:10.079 --> 00:17:12.880 Human seed is corruptible. 00:17:13.759 --> 00:17:15.599 Generations come and go. 00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:18.240 Possessions disappear. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:19.599 Beauty fades. 00:17:21.039 --> 00:17:22.880 So human seed is corruptible. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:26.400 But listen, spiritual seed is incorruptible. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:28.880 Spiritual life comes from incorruptible seed. 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:31.039 The word of the Lord endureth forever. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:32.400 You know what Peter's quoting here? 00:17:32.559 --> 00:17:34.400 He's quoting Isaiah 40. 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:39.440 Centuries before Peter preached this, Isaiah had already preached it. 00:17:39.680 --> 00:17:42.880 And 2,000 years after Peter preached it, I'm preaching it. 00:17:43.039 --> 00:17:43.599 You know why? 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:46.400 Because the word of the Lord endures forever. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.480 It's not corruptible. 00:17:48.720 --> 00:17:50.240 It has endured for centuries. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:55.519 There are those who've come along to try to corrupt it, they've tried to discard it, they've tried to make it illegal. 00:17:55.599 --> 00:17:58.079 They've tried to do everything they can to shut the word of God down. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:17:58.880 But let me tell you something. 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:06.000 Governments rise and fall, cultures change, philosophies come and go, people have attacked the Bible, and yet, here it stands. 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.720 Unmoved, unfazed. 00:18:08.960 --> 00:18:12.240 Voltaire wanted to make every Bible illegal. 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:14.160 He wanted to burn every Bible in the kingdom. 00:18:14.240 --> 00:18:16.079 Can I tell you what happened after Voltaire died? 00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.960 There was a biblical publishing company that bought his house and produced Bibles in that house. 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:22.000 Why? 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.319 Because the word of the Lord endureth forever. 00:18:24.480 --> 00:18:31.839 You cannot build a rock solid life in a constantly changing world unless you build it on an unchanging word. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:39.440 In a changing world, you need an unchanging word, and you need to build your life on the word of God. 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:41.039 It is not corruptible. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:43.599 Listen, how is this word passed down? 00:18:43.759 --> 00:18:45.839 It's preached through the gospel. 00:18:46.640 --> 00:18:54.079 When we declare the gospel, that is the seed that meets with the conviction of the Holy Spirit in a womb of faith and makes new life. 00:18:54.319 --> 00:18:57.440 So, have you been born again? 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.640 So this is Peter's progression. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.640 Look, are you growing in Christ? 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:04.799 Show me your love that you have one for another. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:06.000 How are you loving? 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:07.359 Is it sincere? 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:08.880 Is it pure? 00:19:09.920 --> 00:19:11.680 Is it stretching you? 00:19:11.920 --> 00:19:13.440 Is it God's kind of love? 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.799 Is it Calvary love? 00:19:14.960 --> 00:19:16.000 Is it sacrificial love? 00:19:16.079 --> 00:19:18.640 Is it dying to yourself love for the benefit of others? 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:21.200 Is that kind of how are you growing in your love? 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:23.200 Do you have this life? 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.799 If you have this life in you, then you have the capacity for that in you. 00:19:27.039 --> 00:19:28.319 This is Peter's process. 00:19:28.480 --> 00:19:34.559 Number three, he says, you grow by longing for God's word. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.640 In chapter 2, verse 1, wherefore changes everything? 00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:39.920 Wherefore? 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:41.839 Wherefore connects everything? 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.680 Because you've been born again, because God's word lives and abides forever. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.559 Because the gospel came to you through that word. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:52.160 There should now be a new appetite within you. 00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.960 So Peter's going to show us a couple things that are necessary for spiritual growth. 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:01.119 First of all, you have to cut off the dead stuff. 00:20:01.839 --> 00:20:02.480 Wherefore? 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:03.440 Laying aside. 00:20:03.519 --> 00:20:05.759 That has the idea of taking off dirty clothes. 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:08.000 Has the idea of pruning the dead limbs. 00:20:08.160 --> 00:20:13.119 So listen, if you are born again and you're not growing, then cut the dead stuff out. 00:20:14.640 --> 00:20:16.480 Cut the dead stuff out. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.839 He's going to show us what is dead. 00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:20.960 What is he talking about? 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:23.599 He's talking about five things malice. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:24.799 What is that? 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:27.039 Wanting harm to come to others. 00:20:27.119 --> 00:20:28.799 Boy, they're going to get theirs. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:31.599 They're going to catch it one day. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:32.720 And I hope they do. 00:20:32.799 --> 00:20:35.039 I want to be around to see them get it. 00:20:35.279 --> 00:20:37.440 They're going to get what comes to them. 00:20:38.319 --> 00:20:39.599 Then there's guile. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.480 That is deception and manipulation. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:48.480 That is speaking things that are not true in order to manipulate a situation to get what you want. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:49.440 That's guile. 00:20:50.480 --> 00:20:52.720 Then there is hypocrisies. 00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:56.000 That's when you pretend to be something that you're not. 00:20:57.519 --> 00:20:59.359 And then there are envies. 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:02.160 That is resenting another person's blessing. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:04.079 Why do they always get stuff like that? 00:21:04.319 --> 00:21:05.359 How do they get to have that? 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:06.720 Why do they get those blessings? 00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:07.680 Why do they have that house? 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:08.640 Why do I have to struggle? 00:21:08.720 --> 00:21:11.279 Why do they see that car they drove up in? 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:13.599 They're always running around here flaunting their wealth. 00:21:14.400 --> 00:21:15.440 That's envy. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:19.039 Evil speakings. 00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:27.519 This is when you say things that are meant to injure someone else, like gossip, slander, tearing people down. 00:21:28.880 --> 00:21:32.960 You know, we're so glib sometimes with how we say things about other people. 00:21:33.200 --> 00:21:35.440 We attack somebody, we tear them down. 00:21:35.599 --> 00:21:38.640 In our conversation as a husband and wife, we attack. 00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:43.680 The other day, something happened in our church, and I had to go to somebody and I say, Listen, tell me about this problem. 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:48.079 And he this person told me about the problem. 00:21:48.240 --> 00:21:49.839 And I said, wait, wait, wait, come on, time. 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:50.960 Is that the problem? 00:21:51.200 --> 00:21:51.839 Yes. 00:21:52.319 --> 00:21:54.720 Then why were all these people attacked? 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.200 Well, they weren't listening to me. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:02.240 Oh, okay. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:04.720 Okay. 00:22:06.160 --> 00:22:10.799 So we attacked the people to get to the problem. 00:22:11.440 --> 00:22:14.559 And what we did was we made the people the problem. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:19.200 Do you understand that you don't wrestle with flesh and blood? 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:21.279 Your problem is not other people. 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:23.599 Your problem is what's going on. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:31.680 And you can, together with your spouse, with your family, with a fellow church member, you can attack a problem without attacking people. 00:22:36.319 --> 00:22:42.160 There's two dangers, I really believe, in a church that hinder godly growth in a church. 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:44.000 You know what they are? 00:22:44.480 --> 00:22:47.359 Flattery and gossip. 00:22:48.640 --> 00:22:55.279 Flattery is what you say to people to their face that you would never say behind their back. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:04.160 And number two, gossip is something that you say behind people's back that you would never say to their face. 00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:26.400 And when you have people, and this is what Peter's warning, when you have people who are God's people who are saying things to these people here, but would never tell anybody that, and then they're telling people this but would never tell them that, this destroys growth in you, in them, and in us. 00:23:27.440 --> 00:23:29.920 So he said, look, cut all that off. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:32.880 Get rid of the dead stuff. 00:23:33.200 --> 00:23:42.720 You cannot love one another with a pure heart fervently when you're having envies and speaking evil and hypocrisies and manipulation and all of these kind of things. 00:23:42.799 --> 00:23:46.160 Listen, do you know that all five of those things in that list are relational? 00:23:48.240 --> 00:23:53.200 All five of those words are relational words, how we relate to each other. 00:23:53.440 --> 00:23:54.160 You know why? 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:58.240 Because you are not a growing Christian because you know him more and more and more. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:03.039 You're a growing Christian because you know him and you love them more and more and more and more. 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:09.680 You cannot fervently love somebody while harboring malice toward them. 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:12.960 You cannot sincerely love somebody while practicing deceit. 00:24:13.119 --> 00:24:17.440 You cannot purely love without while living hypocritically. 00:24:17.599 --> 00:24:20.240 You cannot celebrate someone while envying them. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:24.319 You cannot love someone while continually tearing them down with your words. 00:24:26.000 --> 00:24:31.920 Some things have to go if you are gonna grow. 00:24:33.839 --> 00:24:38.319 Some things have to go if you're gonna grow. 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:46.559 You cannot keep being a battle axe to other people and be growing in grace. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:49.359 At some point, the love of Christ has to come. 00:24:49.839 --> 00:24:51.440 Listen, so what did Peter say? 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:52.960 Peter said, Look, look, look, look. 00:24:53.039 --> 00:24:57.839 If you're gonna grow in this, I'm not gonna tell you what to add until I first tell you what to remove. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:06.319 I'm gonna tell you that you should be looking at the evidence of your Christian growth, and the evidence is how you love. 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:09.519 I'm gonna tell you about the source of your Christian growth, and that's the word of God. 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.680 And I'm gonna ask you to look at both of those. 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:13.680