WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.959 David Kevin. 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:04.400 Thank you, Kelsey. 00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:05.280 Good morning, everybody. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:06.480 Good to see you all. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:08.160 We're in August now, right? 00:00:08.640 --> 00:00:10.480 So is summer officially over? 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:12.960 Okay. 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:15.519 Almost over. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:18.559 But the kids are going back to school now, right? 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:20.480 Tomorrow? 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:25.760 When I was a kid, with the end of summer, there was a like a minor depression that hit. 00:00:25.920 --> 00:00:26.879 You know what I'm talking about? 00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:30.239 Like, oh going back to school. 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:33.039 Let's go ahead and open up in prayer. 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.039 Lord, I thank you for this wonderful day. 00:00:35.119 --> 00:00:37.439 I thank you for your faithfulness, Lord. 00:00:38.240 --> 00:00:40.399 Lord, we just thank you for sending your son. 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:43.520 Father, we thank you for sending your son, Jesus. 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:45.840 And we thank you for what that means for us, Lord. 00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:47.359 We thank you for your grace and mercy. 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:48.479 We thank your salvation. 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:52.159 And we thank you, Lord, for your church family, Father. 00:00:52.640 --> 00:00:55.039 And I just ask for your help today, Holy Spirit. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:00:57.840 I ask that our eyes and ears will be open to you. 00:00:58.079 --> 00:01:04.799 I ask, God, that you'll come and heal the areas that need to be healed, Lord, that you'll strengthen the areas that need to be strengthened, Father. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:08.319 We thank you, Lord, that you're a God who disciplines those He loves. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:12.400 And so I ask that you'd help us, Lord, to receive that, to recognize it, Lord. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:15.680 And I ask for strength and encouragement in all of our lives, Lord. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:26.319 And I speak just your love and unity, just a breath of life over this church body, over our families, over our homes, over our jobs, over our health, our wealth, every aspect of who we are, Lord. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:27.920 We just speak the life of Christ. 00:01:28.079 --> 00:01:28.959 In the name of Jesus. 00:01:29.040 --> 00:01:30.400 Everyone said amen. 00:01:30.799 --> 00:01:33.840 We're going to continue what we started last week. 00:01:34.079 --> 00:01:36.959 We were talking from 2 Peter chapter 1. 00:01:37.120 --> 00:01:39.519 And a lot of last week, I didn't intend for this. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:41.200 It was actually foundational in nature. 00:01:41.359 --> 00:01:45.120 I was actually hoping to get more through the virtues listed in this. 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.079 But I got caught up in the foundation of it. 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:52.879 So we're going to continue what 2 Peter's talking about in this first chapter. 00:01:53.040 --> 00:02:02.079 And if you need a foundation and you weren't here last week, I would just encourage you to go back and listen to it because this helps set a platform, a foundation to build this upon. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:07.359 But we're talking about spiritual growth and we're talking about how to activate spiritual growth. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:14.639 If we feel like we're lacking spiritual growth, if we feel like we're in a season where, like, you know, it's like, I don't know if I'm doing this right. 00:02:14.800 --> 00:02:16.240 I don't necessarily feel anything. 00:02:16.400 --> 00:02:17.840 I don't see God moving. 00:02:17.919 --> 00:02:20.800 You know, I just feel like I've I've become stale. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.280 We've, I'm sure we've all had experiences like this. 00:02:23.439 --> 00:02:26.240 Maybe you're here today, and maybe you personally feel like this. 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.400 I just feel stale in my Christian walk. 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:30.960 I don't feel like this is going anywhere. 00:02:31.199 --> 00:02:38.080 And the question becomes is when we're dealing with God in this area, there's a lot of things out of our control. 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:39.120 Amen. 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:40.479 And that's frustrating. 00:02:40.639 --> 00:02:42.800 Like I'm a guy, I love to be in control. 00:02:43.360 --> 00:02:47.039 And when we have things out of our control, like I can't make certain things happen. 00:02:47.120 --> 00:02:48.400 I can't just cause breakthrough. 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:49.680 I can't just cause a healing. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:51.280 I just can't cause a promotion. 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:56.159 I just can't cause, you know, and control people and make people do things that I think that they need to do. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:02:59.039 And there's certain things outside of our control, and we get frustrated. 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:09.759 But what's encouraging about what 2 Peter does is he says, hey, there is some things within your control that you can actually do that will kick start spiritual activation, spiritual growth. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:10.400 Amen? 00:03:10.960 --> 00:03:12.800 Don't be too excited, everybody. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.280 I know y'all are like summer's over. 00:03:15.599 --> 00:03:16.719 Here we go. 00:03:17.840 --> 00:03:21.280 So let me go ahead and just reread the first few verses. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:25.439 It says, This is a letter from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ. 00:03:25.599 --> 00:03:28.400 I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:33.599 This is the faith that was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:39.680 And he says, May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:41.280 This is very important here. 00:03:41.599 --> 00:03:45.680 From last week we established this that God has provisioned things for us. 00:03:45.759 --> 00:03:50.000 He's given us faith, he's given us what we need to be godly, and he's given us promises. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:51.199 These have been given. 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:53.360 We can be confident in that, okay? 00:03:53.520 --> 00:04:00.240 But then he also says, as you grow in your knowledge of God, God's going to continue to give you more grace. 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:01.520 Everyone say more. 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.400 This is crucial here, okay? 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:08.240 When we start out, there's already some grace given, all right? 00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:13.840 When you receive salvation, you receive the Spirit of God, that's a grace of God, that's a mercy of God. 00:04:14.000 --> 00:04:23.199 You've got a little bit of fuel in the tank, but what God is saying here through his apostle, he says, I need you to respond and use up the fuel you have, and it's going to cause growth. 00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:31.680 But when that fuel runs dry, if you respond to me, okay, if you're going to put some effort into this, okay, he's not saying save yourself. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:36.319 All right, so the pressure's off there, but he is saying I need you to respond to some promises. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.360 As you do this, I'm going to supply more grace. 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:43.120 And when I supply more grace to your life, it's God's help. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:44.720 This is crucial, okay? 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:47.360 Because I'm like a help, I'm a self-help person. 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:48.720 I want to do it myself. 00:04:48.800 --> 00:04:50.560 But there's many times I simply need help. 00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:52.480 God's saying, I'm going to help you. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:56.160 In your weakness, I will be strong. 00:04:56.480 --> 00:05:01.759 And when I help you, it's going to create peace in your life, stability in your life. 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:02.800 Y'all following me? 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:04.079 Okay. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:08.879 Then he says in verse 3, by his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:15.120 We have received all this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 00:05:15.279 --> 00:05:18.879 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us a great and precious promise. 00:05:19.040 --> 00:05:26.879 Um these are the righteous, these are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desire. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:32.720 The end of this setup before the virtues is that we're trying to escape the world's corruption. 00:05:32.879 --> 00:05:35.040 In the last days, there will be a lot of deception. 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.319 The spirit of the Antichrist is a spirit of deception. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:38.560 Okay? 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:45.279 It's not like everyone just says, hey, I just, you know, I want to go to hell. 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:46.639 Okay? 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:51.920 It's not like we wake up and say, hey, I just want to do some sin today. 00:05:52.240 --> 00:05:56.480 A lot of times what happens is this good intentions can turn into deception. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:04.000 And what he's saying is that it's our human desire that's going to cause us to the world's corruption to be corrupted by the world. 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:05.040 I want you to catch this. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.160 Peter doesn't mention demons there, which I find interesting. 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:09.920 He says our human desire. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:14.160 So we're going to go into this virtues list, and I want us to focus on this. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:18.319 How can it can I play a part in activating spiritual growth? 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:18.959 Okay? 00:06:19.199 --> 00:06:23.519 I feel like this is like a little bit of a pep talk type message, like, hey, you can do it. 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:26.639 You can overcome any mountain in your life. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:27.360 Amen. 00:06:27.680 --> 00:06:32.000 So let's go to the this is 2 Peter verses 1 through 5. 00:06:32.079 --> 00:06:33.839 Uh sorry, chapter 1, 5 through 7. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:37.120 It says, in view of all this, he's just said everything. 00:06:37.360 --> 00:06:39.759 God has provided these things for you. 00:06:40.000 --> 00:06:43.439 And also God is going to supply you more as you grow and respond to this. 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.800 You're trying to we're trying to escape corruption through human desire. 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:52.879 He says, in view of all that, okay, because this is very important because people can misinterpret this and misapply it. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:54.720 All right, and they can get offended by it. 00:06:54.879 --> 00:06:55.519 They don't like it. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:59.600 Um he says, in view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:00.879 Everyone say effort. 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:07.759 I um I've I got really into the camp of grace, and I want you to hear my heart on this. 00:07:08.000 --> 00:07:09.920 It's called it's called greasy grace. 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:12.399 And the idea is that it doesn't, you don't have to put effort into it. 00:07:12.480 --> 00:07:14.720 If you're putting effort, you're just struggling with religion. 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:17.839 If you put effort, you don't understand the love of God, you know. 00:07:18.319 --> 00:07:22.160 And I used to, you know, speak that, teach that, and preach that really hard. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:25.120 The problem was there was not any spiritual growth and change in my life. 00:07:25.199 --> 00:07:27.120 I still had sin and I still had destruction. 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:33.360 So the revelation of greasy grace is not going to save you, it's just going to make you feel temporarily better as you get dirtier and dirtier. 00:07:36.399 --> 00:07:41.040 Peter says, put all effort into responding to God's promises. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:42.560 He didn't say save yourself. 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:44.399 He says, God has saved you. 00:07:44.560 --> 00:07:44.879 Okay? 00:07:45.519 --> 00:07:47.040 Peter's a very impulsive guy. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:50.000 Remember, Peter is very carnal in nature when he's called by Jesus. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:50.720 He's a sinner. 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.560 He confesses it to Jesus at his calling. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:53.759 I am a sinful man. 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:54.959 He's impulsive. 00:07:55.120 --> 00:07:56.399 We see this highs and lows. 00:07:56.639 --> 00:07:59.439 Peter, when people come to take Jesus, he's cutting off people's ears. 00:07:59.519 --> 00:08:02.240 When people try to say you're a follower of Jesus, he denies Jesus. 00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:03.920 Peter is all over the place. 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:04.560 Yeah. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:05.040 Yeah. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:07.680 I feel like sometimes I see myself like Peter. 00:08:07.759 --> 00:08:09.680 I'm like hot one day, cold the next day. 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:11.120 I'm like, Lord, ah, help me. 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:12.079 Lord, it's amazing. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:13.360 It's it's all over the place. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:17.040 Peter has grown up since then when he's writing this letter. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:18.160 Okay. 00:08:19.360 --> 00:08:23.040 So, in view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:26.720 Let me go ahead and say something that I've that I'm learning and realizing myself. 00:08:26.879 --> 00:08:30.480 It's not been easy to hear for myself, but it's been very life-giving. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:33.759 A lot of times, if we feel spiritually dormant, it's our fault. 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:38.159 God is not lacking, God is not a promise breaker. 00:08:38.240 --> 00:08:40.000 God has not called you, set you up to fail. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:43.919 God's not said, hey, I'm really got plans for your life, but go figure it out. 00:08:45.279 --> 00:08:49.360 It's we're do we're we're lay we're not doing something on our part. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:55.200 And a lot of times what really keeps us stuck and stale is that we refuse to admit it. 00:08:55.440 --> 00:08:56.639 This is what I found. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:09:01.759 I just can't, I started coming before the Lord, and I just found areas where I just didn't want to admit it. 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:02.639 That was simple. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:06.480 I started admitting this before the Lord, and I'm seeing life and growth. 00:09:08.480 --> 00:09:13.279 God is very spirit, God is spirit, and his ways are higher than ours. 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:18.080 But I've a I've thought about God and I've thought certain things were just ethereal. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:20.159 Like, you know, I'm never fully gonna be able to grasp it. 00:09:20.240 --> 00:09:21.120 You know what I'm talking about? 00:09:21.360 --> 00:09:27.039 I know God's good, but I just can't grasp it or fully under like, you know, I can't fully just figure it out. 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:29.039 Peter's doing something amazing here. 00:09:29.120 --> 00:09:35.120 He's saying, I'm gonna give you something tangible that will cause that supernatural element in your life. 00:09:35.200 --> 00:09:35.519 Okay? 00:09:36.720 --> 00:09:38.559 This is what is very encouraging about this. 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:39.679 This is something tangible. 00:09:39.840 --> 00:09:45.440 A lot of times we're looking for the big God thing, and he's pointing to the small thing that's gonna bring breakthrough. 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:45.840 Amen. 00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:47.440 So let's go through this. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.120 It says supplement, which supplement means it means add to. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:57.440 And before I go more into this, let me just tell you supplement is very interesting. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:02.720 It's we start out with faith, and I want you to think about this because I've done this, okay? 00:10:02.799 --> 00:10:05.200 I I messed this up early on. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:07.600 Faith is our belief and trust in the Lord, right? 00:10:07.679 --> 00:10:13.279 We're saved, we have faith, and when you get saved, that unlocks like a whole new world. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:20.960 All of a sudden I just sinned again, and there's temptation all around. 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:21.440 Okay. 00:10:22.000 --> 00:10:22.879 Sorry. 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:28.320 I I get this faith and I get excited about God, and this is what I do. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:32.080 Because of my faith, it propels me into something. 00:10:32.320 --> 00:10:33.120 Y'all following? 00:10:33.679 --> 00:10:40.000 And I in in my mind, I'm like, okay, because of my belief in Jesus, I want to go do ministry. 00:10:40.399 --> 00:10:41.519 Y'all catch this? 00:10:41.840 --> 00:10:48.480 Because of my belief in Jesus, I believe God's gonna bring me business success, and I'm gonna be very wealthy. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:54.799 Because of my faith in Jesus, I believe that God's going to save my whole family and God's gonna heal this. 00:10:55.039 --> 00:10:58.879 Because of my belief, my faith in Jesus, I'm contending for healing. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:01.120 All those are noble things, okay? 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:03.279 When down out of the right heart. 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:05.519 But I want you to catch this. 00:11:05.759 --> 00:11:13.279 Peter's saying, because of your faith in Jesus, I want this to be your next focus, is moral excellence. 00:11:16.480 --> 00:11:24.399 I have there's things that he's gonna have that are just gonna progress in this virtue list, and what I find myself doing is I skip steps. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:37.919 Now I'm not saying that Peter says you have to just do faith first, and then you know, there's an idea that all these things are gonna be working in our life at the same time, but there is a benefit to looking at this in order. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:40.559 Why do you say that, David? 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:45.120 Well, because how am I gonna have self-control to do what's right if I don't know what's right? 00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:45.840 That's it. 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:46.399 That's it. 00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:54.080 How am I actually gonna love if I don't first have faith and the power of God working mean you to produce the love of Christ? 00:11:54.240 --> 00:11:55.120 Y'all following this? 00:11:55.279 --> 00:11:57.200 So there is a benefit to looking at this. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:12:01.039 He's saying supplement because of your faith, you're gonna add to this thing. 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.360 That's gonna set a course for the next thing. 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:14.240 And what can happen is when we get into certain things, like if I'm working on self-control in my life, I can apply self-control to my health, to my wealth, to disciplines, to exercise. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.240 I can have all these things that I discipline myself. 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.559 You can be disciplined and not even know the Lord. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:20.639 There's lots of people, that's a huge thing in life. 00:12:20.720 --> 00:12:28.399 We have all these self-held talk things on like YouTube, like, hey, you could do it, you just gotta tough it up, get up at four in the morning every day, push past the pain, you know, don't blah, blah, blah. 00:12:28.480 --> 00:12:29.360 You know what I'm talking about? 00:12:29.519 --> 00:12:32.399 We can have discipline and not know anything about God. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:42.000 See, self-control, what Paul what Peter's talking about here is a product of the Holy Spirit because the discipline is going to produce something that God wants to produce in our life. 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:42.399 Amen? 00:12:44.159 --> 00:12:57.919 So he says, supplement your faith with the generous provision of moral excellence and moral excellence with knowledge and knowledge with self-control, self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 00:12:59.039 --> 00:13:00.799 All right, let's hit this up. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:03.519 Faith is the first one. 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:08.000 A lot of times what we tend to do is we try to diagnose what's wrong with me. 00:13:08.159 --> 00:13:12.639 If you feel like, you know, I'm just feel like I'm at a place, I just feel dry in the Lord. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:15.360 Um, if you're like me, you'll try to self-diagnose. 00:13:15.600 --> 00:13:16.240 Amen. 00:13:16.720 --> 00:13:22.080 And what can happen is, and this is what I found in myself, is that I misdiagnose myself. 00:13:22.240 --> 00:13:30.559 And when you misdiagnose yourself, you start trying to put things operationally, you start trying to put effort into things that's not going to produce the change or the fruit that you want. 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:31.919 Yeah, yeah. 00:13:32.399 --> 00:13:34.000 You want an example? 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:46.960 I years ago, I I don't have, I still, I mean, I this is still an issue, but it used to be a bigger issue, is that I was very um relational with God in my perspective of the Lord. 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:50.799 And I had this idea, I just wanted to be organic, me, Holy Spirit. 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:53.039 And I didn't have a value for his word. 00:13:53.360 --> 00:13:54.399 I appreciated the Bible. 00:13:54.480 --> 00:14:01.919 Every once in a while I read the Bible, and I would do like those little seasonal plans where you just like read the whole Bible really quick, but you don't really fully get any of it. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:06.000 But then you don't have a thing where you're you're you're consistently taking in the Word of God. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:12.720 This was a struggle in my life, and I would look at this like this list and I'd say, you know what, I really struggle with knowledge. 00:14:13.919 --> 00:14:15.759 I really struggle with knowledge. 00:14:16.080 --> 00:14:24.240 And the Holy Spirit worked in my it worked in my life, and he said, David, your problem is not your ability to get knowledge because you love knowledge, you learn stuff all the time. 00:14:24.960 --> 00:14:27.440 Your problem is is your faith. 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:28.399 I'm like, why? 00:14:28.559 --> 00:14:31.120 Because you don't believe my ways are reliable. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:36.480 You don't think it's the best for your life, so you're not caring enough to go figure it out. 00:14:37.279 --> 00:14:38.320 Y'all catch that? 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:46.559 We can misdiagnose and we can try to discipline ourselves into something when God wants to go deeper to the heart of the matter that will bring true life. 00:14:46.879 --> 00:14:47.440 Amen. 00:14:47.679 --> 00:14:49.600 So faith is a trust in God. 00:14:51.519 --> 00:14:53.120 Faith starts with trust. 00:14:54.639 --> 00:15:03.360 Faith is this idea that God, you are the way, you're the way to the Father, you are you are the way, the truth, and the life. 00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:05.840 And Lord, your way is the best way. 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.000 It's a simple trust. 00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:12.799 Your way is the best for me that my life could ever possibly be. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:14.320 It's a belief in that. 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:15.279 Okay? 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:19.440 And because of that belief, that's meant to produce a commitment. 00:15:20.159 --> 00:15:21.039 I said this last week. 00:15:21.200 --> 00:15:24.399 Faith is a commitment, but you have to get the belief part first. 00:15:24.559 --> 00:15:27.360 You have to get the trust of I believe that you're reliable. 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:33.360 I believe that you are who you say you are, I believe that your word is true, your promises are true, I believe that you're able. 00:15:33.519 --> 00:15:35.759 Faith is the foundation of all this stuff. 00:15:35.919 --> 00:15:40.559 We can strive and strive and strive and lack faith, and it's all for nothing. 00:15:41.039 --> 00:15:41.840 Wow, wow. 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:45.759 This is what's encouraging. 00:15:46.080 --> 00:15:50.480 It says in Romans 4 20, it says Abraham never never wavered in believing God's promise. 00:15:50.559 --> 00:15:53.600 In fact, his faith grew stronger. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:56.720 Abraham's faith grew stronger. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.039 Our faith is meant to grow. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:05.600 I've really beat myself up sometimes because I see these people with great faith, and I'm like, I'm never gonna be able to do that. 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.279 You know what I'm talking about? 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:09.519 You might be looking at me right now thinking that. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:15.440 I was supposed to get a laugh. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:20.399 That was a very I was supposed to be funny, y'all, but not that prideful. 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.679 No, Pastor Pete, I love you. 00:16:27.200 --> 00:16:29.200 He never wavered in believing God's promise. 00:16:29.279 --> 00:16:34.320 In fact, his faith, it says it grew stronger, and in this, and in this, he brought glory to God. 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:35.120 Check this out. 00:16:35.279 --> 00:16:40.159 It says he was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:40.879 Good, good. 00:16:41.200 --> 00:16:42.080 Shall catch this? 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:42.399 Yes. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:48.080 He was fully convinced, and he grew in his life that God is able. 00:16:48.320 --> 00:16:59.759 You know, sometimes I'll try to be like, God, I know you're gonna do this, and I know it's gonna be on this day, and I know it's gonna be on this way, and then when it's not that day or that way, I'm like, oh man, my faith, I don't know. 00:16:59.919 --> 00:17:07.359 It's this is this this is the thing, is that he believes and convinced that God is able. 00:17:08.400 --> 00:17:08.960 Catch that? 00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:09.839 Did y'all hear that? 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:13.519 And that grew over time. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:23.119 This thing of God giving you more and more grace is that he's not expecting you to just all of a sudden be certain I have no doubts whatsoever. 00:17:24.240 --> 00:17:35.680 He's expecting the doubts, he's expecting the questions, he's expecting the areas of weakness where you know where times are gonna be like, Lord, I don't know if you're actually true, and I don't know if you're actually good. 00:17:37.039 --> 00:17:41.039 In Mark chapter 9, a man comes and he his little boy has demons. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:45.039 And he comes and he says, Lord Jesus, I want you to take cast these demons out. 00:17:45.119 --> 00:17:46.480 And Jesus asks a simple question. 00:17:46.559 --> 00:17:48.079 He says, Do you believe? 00:17:48.240 --> 00:17:52.240 And he says, Yes, I believe, but then he says, Help me with my unbelief. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:17:59.839 This is a prayer that I really used to not pray, but I've started praying and it's really helping me. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:01.440 Lord, help me with my unbelief. 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:06.880 I have gone through such wonderful things with the Lord highs and lows. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:20.640 I've seen God be faithful, I've seen God do the supernatural, and still a storm can come my way today, and I'll still have that momentary, oh my gosh, the world's you know falling, and I'll go right into fear, I'll go right into the very same thing, all the trials I've overcome. 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:25.680 I'm right back there at square one, and I say, Lord, help me with my unbelief. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:27.759 Good, David. 00:18:28.079 --> 00:18:29.279 That should be encouraging. 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:32.799 God's not expecting you to figure faith out alone. 00:18:34.319 --> 00:18:38.160 He's expecting you to come to him so that he can grow your faith. 00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:41.039 And it gets to this point, Lord, I know you're able. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:47.519 And sometimes maybe God don't won't do, maybe he won't do what you think he's able to do and believe he's able to do, but that's okay. 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:48.400 I know you're able. 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:53.839 Abraham had many promises that he didn't see the full fulfillment of those in his lifetime. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:18:57.680 But he was still, he was steady in the Lord. 00:18:57.920 --> 00:18:58.400 Amen. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:02.720 So faith produces this commitment because we trust it. 00:19:03.119 --> 00:19:04.079 Y'all catch that? 00:19:05.039 --> 00:19:16.160 So if as we go through these, if if we're finding a lack of desire for things and emphasis on things, a lot of times we can go back to is my belief struggling? 00:19:16.319 --> 00:19:18.960 Do I actually think that God is the way, the truth, and the life? 00:19:19.119 --> 00:19:21.440 Do I think that his ways are the best ways? 00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:22.079 Amen? 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:22.400 Yeah. 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:23.519 Alright. 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:26.240 So next, this goes into moral excellence. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:27.680 Now I want you to catch this. 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:34.160 This is a trust that God is reliable, and therefore, from that trust, that faith, it's meant to produce what? 00:19:34.480 --> 00:19:35.359 Moral excellence. 00:19:35.519 --> 00:19:36.799 What is moral excellence? 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:39.599 It's the desire for his way. 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:46.799 If I trust that his way is best, the next organic thing should be I should desire it. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:48.960 Y'all catch that. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:50.160 Moral excellence. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:54.559 I've always thought this that moral excellence is the ability to actually be morally excellent. 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:57.039 No, it's the desire for it. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:19:58.960 Y'all catch that? 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:04.640 I think sometimes when we as Christians, we're like, well, I believe in God, I gotta start just doing the work. 00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:07.039 Well, we haven't even got to knowledge yet. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:08.960 We don't know what's right. 00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:09.839 Right? 00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:16.240 The very my faith and rely my faith and reliance in the Lord and wanting his way should produce a desire. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:18.720 I want to be righteous like him. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:27.279 And a lot of times what is happening in our life when we're spiritually dormant is that we lack desire, but we're not bringing that inadequacy to the Lord to fix. 00:20:29.359 --> 00:20:30.559 I lack desire. 00:20:31.759 --> 00:20:33.039 I don't care about holiness. 00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.799 I don't care about righteousness. 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:35.680 I don't care. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:37.119 It's not a big deal to me. 00:20:37.359 --> 00:20:41.279 Your problem is not self-control, your problem is not knowledge, your problem is not endurance. 00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:43.519 What your problem is, is a desire. 00:20:45.759 --> 00:20:47.119 I don't desire your ways. 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:51.519 Jesus says, Blessed are you when you hunger and thirst for righteousness, for you will be satisfied. 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.440 Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? 00:20:53.680 --> 00:20:56.720 Do we really do we wake up saying, I really want to be righteous? 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:01.519 This is another thing I brought before the Lord. 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:03.519 Lord, I got a problem. 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.960 Not only am I dealing with unbelief, I lack desire for your ways. 00:21:07.279 --> 00:21:12.480 I have my certain areas that I care about, that's important to me, but holiness is not just a little bit. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:15.599 Holiness is a completion, it's complete purity with no mixture. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.079 Amen. 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:24.640 In in for uh in 1 Peter 1 16, it says, You must be holy because I am holy. 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:25.920 That's God talking. 00:21:26.240 --> 00:21:27.680 Holy, perfection. 00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:34.480 And then to make matters worse, in Matthew 5 48, Jesus says, But you are to be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect. 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:43.039 I I I struggle with comparing myself to others, and what I usually do is I say, Well, if I feel like I'm doing better than the people around me, I must be holy. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:46.640 Yeah, talking about you, Bill. 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.079 I'm just kidding. 00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:49.599 He says, Uh oh. 00:21:52.079 --> 00:21:59.359 But the Lord has been saying, Listen, I I want you to quit looking to your left and right and quit allowing other people and everything that you perceive to be your standard. 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:00.720 I want to Be your standard. 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:06.160 And when I come before him, it exposes my inadequacies and it's brought humility in my life. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:06.480 Okay. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:13.759 Where I realize we're dealing with a perfect holy God and that he desires for us to go for that and desire it. 00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:14.640 Okay? 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:15.839 Fully trusting him. 00:22:16.079 --> 00:22:25.200 Again, that whole faith part is I trust you, I believe you're reliable, and also I know that you're able and I'm fully dependent upon you to make these other things happen. 00:22:25.279 --> 00:22:25.519 Okay? 00:22:28.480 --> 00:22:32.559 So then this moral excellence, I want you to hear this. 00:22:33.359 --> 00:22:35.279 Moral excellence is meant to lead us. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:39.200 This desire to do good, not the ability yet, it's the desire. 00:22:39.359 --> 00:22:42.799 We've got to go to the Lord and say, do I have a desire or not? 00:22:42.960 --> 00:22:46.079 If you don't, this is your place to go to the Lord about. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.920 Lord, I lack desire. 00:22:48.079 --> 00:22:49.839 Philippians, let me read this verse real quick. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.559 Philippians 2, 12, 13 says, Dear friends, you will always you always followed my instructions when I was with you. 00:22:54.720 --> 00:22:56.640 And now that I am away is even more important. 00:22:56.799 --> 00:22:58.960 Work hard to show the results of your salvation. 00:22:59.119 --> 00:23:00.240 Now, did y'all hear that? 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:00.640 Yeah. 00:23:00.960 --> 00:23:03.599 Work hard to show the results of your salvation. 00:23:04.640 --> 00:23:11.039 Obeying God with deep reverence and fear, for God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. 00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:14.559 This is one of the most encouraging verses for me in my life. 00:23:15.200 --> 00:23:17.359 I thank the Lord every day for this verse. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:19.920 Lord, you're changing my desires. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.079 This is huge. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:30.799 People don't go to the heart of the problem, they go right to the actions, they go right to the abilities, and they never question whether I actually want to do this or not. 00:23:31.119 --> 00:23:33.759 God can change our desires. 00:23:34.720 --> 00:23:36.480 Can't really love my wife like I should. 00:23:36.640 --> 00:23:38.720 God can change your desires. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:42.480 I don't think that I could ever just be someone that's generous and give. 00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:44.799 God can change your desires. 00:23:45.279 --> 00:23:51.359 A lot of times our issues is not a problem with just sin and our ability just to be tougher and have more faith. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:53.759