WEBVTT 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:12.480 This podcast is brought to you by Grand Parkway Baptist Church, helping people to know, enjoy, and glorify God. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:17.920 For more information about Grand Parkway, visit Grandparkway.org. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:23.440 Maybe if you can have a seat, if you got a Bible, I invite you to take and open it up to 2 Peter, 2 Peter chapter 1. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:29.839 If you're our guest today, uh, we are when the seasons change, we go from summer to like more into a fall schedule. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.200 We tried to kind of speak a uh a shaping word for that time. 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:35.359 So we've taken the past two weeks. 00:00:35.439 --> 00:00:38.240 This is the third and final week, uh, where we talk about that. 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:40.799 A couple weeks ago, we talked about the gospel and mental health. 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:45.200 And last week, on short notice, Wade Burgess talked about the ultimate marathon. 00:00:45.280 --> 00:00:48.000 And today I want to talk to you about making the most of the moment. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:49.359 Making the most of the moment. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:54.000 Now, let me just confess, that sounds so cutesy, you kind of want to throw up in your mouth, but just stay with me, okay? 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:55.200 Here's what I mean. 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:56.640 Let's just say that today. 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:59.359 Now, by the way, we've been we we're going through the book of Acts. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:02.240 We typically are preaching expositorily through a book of the Bible. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.879 And we took a break uh at the end of June. 00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:07.519 Next week, we'll pick back up in Acts chapter eight. 00:01:07.599 --> 00:01:08.319 You can start reading. 00:01:08.480 --> 00:01:10.319 We left off, they had their first martyr. 00:01:10.400 --> 00:01:13.680 I got him Stephen, and in chapter eight, they'll have their first missionary. 00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:17.359 Typically, one fuels the other, but we'll talk about that next week. 00:01:17.439 --> 00:01:20.319 Uh, when I talk about making the most of the moment, here's what I mean. 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:25.439 Let's say today that you're sitting here and you're kind of like coming out of the summer, you're like, hey, I gotta kind of get back to it. 00:01:25.519 --> 00:01:27.519 I kind of got laxed in some disciplines. 00:01:27.599 --> 00:01:30.560 Uh, six months from now, I'd like to be a different person. 00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:39.200 I want to understand more, I want to be more patient, I want to be a better husband, a better father, more joyful, more spiritually mature, more forgiving. 00:01:39.359 --> 00:01:42.000 Whatever your more is, uh, here's the question. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:48.959 It's great to think that it's all well and good, but what are you gonna do and what process are you going to submit to in order to get there? 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.799 You see, we make the most of our moments long before the moment arrives. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:54.159 Allow me to explain. 00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:57.040 Uh, there's a story in the Bible of the story of David and Goliath. 00:01:57.200 --> 00:01:59.439 If you've ever heard of that story, say amen. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:01.040 The story of David and Goliath. 00:02:01.200 --> 00:02:03.840 David, best we can tell, was about 12 or 13 years old. 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.439 He goes out to the battle line, sees this nine foot, six-inch tall guy out there, bad-mouthing God of Israel. 00:02:09.599 --> 00:02:11.520 And he's like, Is anybody go out and fight this guy? 00:02:11.680 --> 00:02:12.800 I'll go out and fight him. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:15.439 And his brothers were like, dude, you who do you think you are? 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:16.080 You're a little kid. 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:17.039 Here, put on my armor. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:18.000 David puts it off. 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:19.759 And David's like, No, I'll go out and fight him. 00:02:19.919 --> 00:02:21.919 And they basically said, You're just showing off. 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:23.919 You're trying to show us up by showing off. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:25.599 And David said, No, no, no, no, no, no. 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:28.400 See, this is what I mean by making the most of the moment. 00:02:28.560 --> 00:02:31.199 And you make the most of the moment before the moment arrives. 00:02:31.360 --> 00:02:35.759 Otherwise, you're asking God to give you this experience you've never had. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:37.439 David said, Let me tell you something. 00:02:37.520 --> 00:02:42.800 When I was with my father's sheep, a lion and a bear came against the sheep, and I killed them with my own bare hands. 00:02:42.879 --> 00:02:44.960 And this guy's gonna be just like one of them. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:48.560 In other words, David understood a principle we need to understand. 00:02:48.719 --> 00:02:52.960 God will never exalt you more in public than that which he already has in private. 00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.800 And you make the most of the moment long before the moment gets there because you've prepared yourself for that moment. 00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:00.719 And so, how do you how do we do that? 00:03:00.879 --> 00:03:08.319 How do we as people spiritually we kind of get ourselves ready for the moments to come that we cannot control, but we will have to experience? 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:11.520 Well, the Bible speaks to this in 2 Peter chapter 1. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:12.960 I'll start reading in verse 1. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:14.800 I'll read the first 15 verses. 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:29.439 He says this, Simon, excuse me, Simeon, uh, excuse me, Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:03:29.520 --> 00:03:35.120 Uh, may grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:59.680 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us uh to His own glory and excellent, who called us to His own uh glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us these precious and very great promises, so that through them we may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 00:03:59.919 --> 00:04:16.800 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement or add to your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:27.920 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from becoming ineffective and unfruitful or unproductive, some translations say, in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:04:28.079 --> 00:04:35.519 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:43.920 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities, you will never fall. 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:50.800 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:04:51.040 --> 00:04:54.560 Therefore, I intend always to remind you of these qualities. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:04.079 Verse 12, he kind of turns the corner and he says, Therefore, in other words, because these things are true, I am never going to get tired of reminding you of these qualities. 00:05:04.240 --> 00:05:19.680 Though you know them and you're established in the truth that you have, I think it is right, as long as I am in the body to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:26.079 And I will make every effort so that after my departure, you may be able at any time to recall these things. 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:35.040 Peter says, Listen, I know I'm getting close to the end, but I all the way between now and then, I'm gonna stir you up by way of reminder every chance I get. 00:05:35.199 --> 00:05:37.600 Now, what has this got to do with making the most of the moment? 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:41.120 I think there's four things in the text that help us make the most of the moment. 00:05:41.199 --> 00:05:45.839 So we're not walking away from conversations going, Golly, I wish I would have said that. 00:05:46.079 --> 00:05:51.759 We ever have a conversation with somebody, and two minutes after it's over, all these things you could have and would have said come to your mind. 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:55.279 And you want to call the person back and go, hey, I've got some ideas now. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:58.319 No, you want to be people that make the most of the moment. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:05:59.120 How do we do that? 00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:00.240 Four things from the text. 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:02.800 Number one, you increase your understanding of God. 00:06:03.040 --> 00:06:04.879 You increase your understanding of God. 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:08.800 Now, I I think I know it's easy to hear that and go, oh, great, that's what your preachers say. 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:09.759 That makes no sense. 00:06:09.920 --> 00:06:10.959 Why is that important? 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:15.680 Because nobody has a greater capacity to change you and me than God. 00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:19.279 He didn't make, keep this in mind, he didn't make bad people good. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:22.560 He has so much power, he made dead people alive. 00:06:22.639 --> 00:06:27.839 And I want you to notice basically the consequential nature of two things from the early part of the text. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.000 Uh, the first one is the righteousness of God, and the second one is the knowledge of God. 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:33.199 We'll just take them in order. 00:06:33.360 --> 00:06:36.319 But what the consequential nature of two things from the text. 00:06:36.480 --> 00:06:38.240 Number one, the righteousness of God. 00:06:38.399 --> 00:06:40.000 Look again at verse one and two. 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:49.839 He says, Simeon Peter or Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours, hard stop. 00:06:50.480 --> 00:06:51.920 Now, this is Peter. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:06:57.839 This is Peter, the guy that cut off a uh a dude's ear with a sword when they came to get Jesus in the garden. 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:04.639 This is Peter who Jesus says upon you and people like you, and people who confess and understand, I will build my church. 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:12.160 And this guy says this, he says, Hey, you have a faith that is on equal stand of equal standing with ours. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:15.680 Anybody in this room ever put you in the same spiritual category as Peter? 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:16.480 Raise your hand. 00:07:16.879 --> 00:07:19.199 We'd like to scoff at you this morning. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:20.240 Yes. 00:07:20.399 --> 00:07:23.920 But Peter himself says, now, how is this possible? 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:24.560 Here's why. 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:25.600 Look at the next word. 00:07:25.759 --> 00:07:28.399 By you've obtained a faith of equal standing with ours. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:29.279 How'd you do that? 00:07:29.439 --> 00:07:33.439 By the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:35.199 The righteousness of God. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:41.519 Your faith is on par with that of Peter because you've got it the same way he did by believing in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:44.480 You could never be righteous enough on your own. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:46.879 Now, this is humanity's problem. 00:07:47.199 --> 00:07:48.959 This is the thing that vexes people. 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:51.600 Now, I'm not saying you can never be righteous. 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:57.759 Now, I'm not saying matter of fact, I will say you can be generous, you can be nice, you can do good things. 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:00.240 You're capable of all that on your own. 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:06.720 But there's no way for you and I to become righteous in the eyes of God based on our own effort. 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:13.680 We do not have a means of becoming righteous with God apart from a relationship with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 00:08:14.160 --> 00:08:15.680 This is all through the Bible. 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:24.160 Never more clearly in a verse, 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21, that says, For our sake, he, God, made him to be sinned who knew no sin. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:25.680 That's a reference to Jesus. 00:08:25.920 --> 00:08:26.319 Why? 00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.040 So that in him, circle those two words in your imagination. 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:31.920 In him. 00:08:32.639 --> 00:08:36.320 There's things that only available in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:40.720 In him, we might become the righteousness of God. 00:08:41.440 --> 00:08:43.279 You say, Well, what if I don't believe that? 00:08:43.440 --> 00:08:44.639 Uh it's very simple. 00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:46.159 This is your heaven. 00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:47.600 I talk to people all the time. 00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:49.039 They say, Hey, I respect you. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:50.799 I think you're a straight up dude. 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.159 I mean, really, and I don't like preachers, but I really like you. 00:08:54.320 --> 00:08:55.200 I enjoy you. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:08:56.639 I like getting coffee with you. 00:08:56.799 --> 00:08:57.919 I like getting lunch with you. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.120 Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:08:59.360 --> 00:09:00.559 But I simply do not believe. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:01.200 What does that mean? 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:02.960 I say, Oh, it's it's real simple. 00:09:03.120 --> 00:09:04.159 This is your heaven. 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:06.559 Earth, here, is is your heaven. 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:11.840 You're gonna have to listen to friends of men from North Richmond on playback the rest of your life. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:16.240 It's just this is this, in other words, this is as good as it gets. 00:09:17.120 --> 00:09:21.600 And he said, and and my friend said, and for you, for uh as a Christian, this is my hell. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:23.120 This is as bad as it gets. 00:09:24.080 --> 00:09:25.440 It's a big difference in those two. 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:29.600 See, uh, this is the fundamental core problem of everyone in this room. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:34.000 It's not that you can't do good stuff, it's not that you can't be a nice person on occasion. 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:35.120 You can do all of that. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.039 Your problem is that you can never achieve righteousness on your own. 00:09:39.279 --> 00:09:44.240 This is why the Bible talks about and prioritizes a relationship, not just religion. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:49.440 Matter of fact, I would say the Bible never prioritizes religion, it always prioritizes relationship. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:52.559 So the first consequential thing in the text is the righteousness of God. 00:09:52.639 --> 00:09:54.639 The second one in verse two is the knowledge of God. 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:55.759 Look at what he says, verse two. 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:02.320 He says, May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:10.879 His divine power, verse three, has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.240 We'll just stop right there. 00:10:12.399 --> 00:10:20.399 Now, when I say the knowledge of God, uh you experience four things uh through the knowledge of God, and you you experience them proportionally. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:21.679 Now, that's a big word. 00:10:21.840 --> 00:10:22.879 You say, What do you mean? 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:27.360 Uh proportionally, or like in in relation to uh think of it like an arm loan. 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:28.720 Anybody know what an arm loan is? 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:29.840 Say amen. 00:10:30.399 --> 00:10:31.120 A few of you. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:32.799 Hopefully, none of you never had that. 00:10:32.960 --> 00:10:36.720 An arm loan, basically, it's what's called an adjustable rate mortgage. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:39.440 Like, men are competitive, we'll compete about anything. 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:44.480 How long it took us to put our barbecue grill together, like we drove uh the like Friday. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:45.679 I've had a crazy few days. 00:10:45.840 --> 00:10:52.159 We got up at four o'clock Friday morning, we drove uh to Birmingham, uh, got there in 10 hours and 15 minutes. 00:10:52.240 --> 00:10:56.480 Uh now there's four other students in our church that go to Stanford University besides my daughter. 00:10:56.639 --> 00:11:00.240 And I was texting one of the guys, and he goes, dude, it took us over 12 hours. 00:11:00.320 --> 00:11:01.759 And I was like, When? 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:03.840 Uh I'm like, where did you guys go? 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:06.399 Did you guys go down to New Orleans and loop around? 00:11:06.559 --> 00:11:08.399 Yeah, I need to get you on the fast track. 00:11:08.559 --> 00:11:12.960 Uh so we went there Friday, Saturday morning at 10 o'clock, had to move in. 00:11:13.039 --> 00:11:16.799 I caught a plane yesterday, too, flew back, got home last night about 5 30. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:18.639 Crazy, crazy couple of days. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:20.080 But men are competitive by now. 00:11:20.240 --> 00:11:23.200 We're always kind of, we don't overtly say it, we just kind of quietly. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:35.519 I used to have a neighbor that lived across the street from me, and uh, he was clowning on me when we first moved in because I had a conventional 30-year mortgage, fixed rate mortgage, and he goes, dude, I got this great rate on this adjustable rate mortgage. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:40.720 Adjustable rate mortgage is prime plus a certain, you know, a point or two. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:42.720 I think his was prime plus 2%. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:47.279 And at the time, it was prime was like 0.5, it was nothing. 00:11:47.600 --> 00:11:52.720 And then within about 18 months, we experienced what's caused a housing crisis. 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:54.399 This was the year 2008. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:55.600 Anybody remember that? 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:00.399 And so we're out in the cul-de-sac, our kids are playing stick ball and dodgeball, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:02.480 And he's looking down, and I said, What's going on, man? 00:12:02.639 --> 00:12:04.879 He goes, Dude, we are going broke. 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:06.399 This adjustable rate mortgage. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:10.480 I said, Oh, the thing you bragged about and rubbed in my face for the past 18 months? 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:16.080 You see, what happens is when the prime rate goes up, your mortgage goes up. 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:19.679 You owe more and more and more because they are in proportion to one another. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:27.919 Now, what the Bible says right here is that uh your experience with four things is proportional to your understanding or your experience with the knowledge of God. 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.759 See, it's not enough to simply believe in God or believe that God exists. 00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:34.960 Look at me, because you were created to know Him. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:36.559 Let me say that again. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:40.960 It's not enough to say you believe in God or you believe that a God exists or a higher power. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.120 You were not created just to believe in God. 00:12:43.279 --> 00:12:47.440 You were created to know God and to grow in your knowledge of God. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:12:51.440 Because there's four things that you experience uh that are proportional to your knowledge of God. 00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:53.759 They're listed out there in the text, starting in verse 2. 00:12:53.919 --> 00:12:57.120 He says, May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:58.960 In other words, may it get bigger. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:02.879 May you understand grace more, may you experience more peace. 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:05.279 Yoga is not gonna bring you more peace. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:09.919 Pilates is not gonna bring you more peace, ladies. 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:15.039 A glass of Merlot at the end of the day, as good as that is, is not gonna bring you more peace. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:24.559 Grace and peace, then he goes down in verse 3, he says, His divine power is granted to us all these things that pertain to life and godliness through our knowledge of him. 00:13:24.879 --> 00:13:32.320 So, according to the Bible, here's the four things that we we experience in growing measure as we as we deepen our knowledge of God. 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:35.120 Grace, peace, life. 00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:39.440 Now, when the Bible says life, you if you've been here 10 minutes, we love to beat this drum. 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:41.039 I'll never get tired of saying this. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:42.639 It's the Greek word Zoe. 00:13:43.039 --> 00:13:46.799 The other word for life in the Bible is bios, which is biological existence. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:48.320 Zoe refers to this. 00:13:48.399 --> 00:14:11.360 Here's the definition: it refers to the absolute fullness of life, both essential and ethical, the kind of life that only God can provide, life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new experiences, among them a more perfect body and to last forever. 00:14:11.600 --> 00:14:14.960 When he says in the early part, it refers to absolute fullness of life. 00:14:15.120 --> 00:14:17.519 You should think of Jesus saying in John 10, 10. 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:20.639 He explains why he leaves heaven and come to earth with these words. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.639 He said, I am come so that you may have life and have it to the fullest. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:26.080 Now, you're smart people. 00:14:26.320 --> 00:14:31.279 Why would Jesus talk to people who are already alive about this thing called life? 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:35.039 It makes no sense. 00:14:35.600 --> 00:14:46.799 Unless you understand that he's not talking about just existing, just breathing, just going to school, just paying your bills, just passing algebra, just having a boyfriend, just having a girlfriend, just getting into the right sorority. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:47.840 That's bias. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:49.039 That's not Zoe. 00:14:49.600 --> 00:14:52.000 He's talking about life on another level. 00:14:52.960 --> 00:15:02.080 It says, See, here's the thing about Christianity: it is not just forgiveness for the natural life you live, it is a whole nother plane of existence. 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:07.679 That the Bible is it's so drastic, the Bible uses a totally different word to describe it. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:08.720 Zoe. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:20.000 And so when he says, hey, you when you when you understand, when you increase in your knowledge of God, that you this grace and this peace, but also your experience of life gets bigger. 00:15:20.399 --> 00:15:22.000 The last one is godliness. 00:15:22.080 --> 00:15:23.360 That's what he says in verse 3. 00:15:23.519 --> 00:15:25.200 You become more like him. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:33.120 If you read the Bible very long, one of the things you'll see is that God places the high priority on knowing and understanding God. 00:15:33.360 --> 00:15:49.440 Back in the Old Testament, Jeremiah chapter 9, he says it this way in verse 23 Thus says the Lord, let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:15:53.919 How big of a narcissist do you have to be to say that? 00:15:55.600 --> 00:16:00.720 Unless, and of course, your God who's infinitely perfect. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:10.879 Let him who boasts, boasts in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:15.279 For in these things I delight, declares the Lord. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:18.000 Before you go to bed tonight, I want you to ask yourself this question. 00:16:18.159 --> 00:16:19.440 I want you to ask anybody else. 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.120 It's too awkward and too personal, but I want you to ask yourself this question. 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:25.039 What do you really boast about? 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:28.240 Do you boast about the life you get to live? 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:33.759 Can you not wait to work into the conversation, your last experience that you had that nobody else had? 00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:36.639 So you feel kind of up here and they're kind of down here? 00:16:36.960 --> 00:16:41.039 Or do you boast about, oh man, I just I just know the Lord? 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:55.279 And the more I grow in my knowledge and my understanding of Him, man, I'm a more graceful person, I'm more forgiving, I'm more peaceful, my life is fuller, and I'm becoming more and more like Christ, as crazy as that sounds. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:17:01.840 The first thing you do to make the most of the moment is real simple, and right from the text, you increase your understanding of God. 00:17:01.919 --> 00:17:06.000 Again, not just your belief in, but your understanding of. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:10.240 Here's the second thing from the text: you put yourself in spiritually formative environments. 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:23.920 Verse 4 says, by which we have great he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, have an escape from the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire. 00:17:24.079 --> 00:17:27.279 Now, what do you mean put yourself in informative environments? 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.400 You put yourselves in environments that are dominated by the word. 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.720 Now, you may be thinking, okay, uh, exactly what is a spiritually formative environment? 00:17:34.880 --> 00:17:35.680 It's a great question. 00:17:35.839 --> 00:17:39.119 Let me define it and then I'll describe some for you, okay? 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:42.240 Uh this is what I mean by a spiritually formative environment. 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:48.799 It is any environment that increases your understanding of and experience with the truth of the gospel. 00:17:49.119 --> 00:17:50.240 Let me say it again. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:57.920 It is any environment that increases your understanding of and experience with the truth of the gospel. 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:03.759 And one thing that happens is it increases your capacity to partake, which that will make more sense in in just a minute. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:06.160 And I talk about a spiritually formative environment. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:07.920 Uh, let me give you an example of what I mean. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:11.440 This room right here is a spiritually formative environment. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:21.759 Uh, every time you walk into this room, somebody, myself, Leo, Wade, Blake, somebody on our staff is gonna open up the Bible and they're gonna say what the Bible says. 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:25.920 We're not gonna hate, we're not gonna be harsh, but we're also not gonna be apologetic. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:26.400 Okay? 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.119 We are not life coaches, okay? 00:18:29.279 --> 00:18:34.319 We're not here to improve your life, pep up your marriage, and give you a better self-esteem. 00:18:34.480 --> 00:18:42.640 We simply believe that if you grow deeper in your faith, you'll bring more to all the relationships in your life and all the environments you occupy. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:44.240 Let me say that again. 00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:54.240 If you simply grow deeper in your faith, you will bring more to all the relationships in your life and all of the environments that you occupy. 00:18:54.400 --> 00:18:59.920 Therefore, we tend to focus on God and the gospel instead of chasing every little cultural trend that comes along. 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.839 So when I talk about spiritual formative environments, this is one right here, okay? 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:08.480 Uh, another one happens right across the parking lot in the adult building next hour at 10:30. 00:19:08.640 --> 00:19:09.920 They're called Bible studies. 00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:11.359 Some people still call it Sunday school. 00:19:11.440 --> 00:19:12.240 We're like, don't say that. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:13.599 That's a 1950s word. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:14.559 Uh, what do you want to do? 00:19:14.720 --> 00:19:16.240 Bring back training union? 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:18.640 Does anybody remember training union? 00:19:18.880 --> 00:19:19.440 Oh, yeah. 00:19:19.519 --> 00:19:21.200 Uh, and so that happens over there. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:25.039 They're smaller environments where other people teach classes on different topics, okay? 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:32.960 Happens in that building right across the street, happens for our children right next door, both hours, happens for our students the next hour at 10:30 out at the warehouse. 00:19:33.119 --> 00:19:36.319 Last week they had 172 people out there packed in that room. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:36.799 Why? 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:38.720 It's a spiritually formative environment. 00:19:38.799 --> 00:19:40.400 Here's another spiritually formative environment. 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.440 They're called D groups, discipleship groups here at Grand Parkway. 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:46.559 It's groups of three to five men and women. 00:19:46.640 --> 00:19:48.240 It's all men and all women. 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:49.519 We don't mix them together. 00:19:49.680 --> 00:19:52.079 Uh, and we go through a book of the Bible, okay? 00:19:52.240 --> 00:19:57.200 Now, some people will go to the training and go, yeah, yeah, we're going through the book of the Bible, and they'll lead their group through a book. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:13.680 Here's why we don't, we we we don't, we're not really jazzed about you leading people through a book because the Bible says these precious and very great promises that God's given, so they are the means by which we have we've escaped the corruption that is in the world and we become a partaker of the divine nature. 00:20:13.839 --> 00:20:21.200 If you're leading a D group and you're leading your people through a book you read four years ago, you're lazy and you're using D group to meet friends. 00:20:21.519 --> 00:20:23.359 That is not what they exist for. 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:33.119 They exist so like I'm in a D group with two guys and we meet, and we didn't know each other that well when we first got in the D group, and frankly, they were like, I'm in a D group with the pastor. 00:20:33.359 --> 00:20:35.759 And I'm like, Yeah, you guys are really bad sinners. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:38.079 Your pick your wife signed you up for this. 00:20:39.119 --> 00:20:49.200 And now we we print out like we last semester we went through the book of James and I printed out in a little binder so they could write, and they come with questions, and we get together, and I'm like, hey, what stirred your head and what sets your heart off? 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:51.759 Like, what does this right here mean? 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:53.200 And I'm like, oh, that's great. 00:20:53.359 --> 00:20:58.079 Like one of them said, hey, it seems like God's kind of getting at rich people, like it doesn't, like he's mad at them. 00:20:58.160 --> 00:20:59.599 I said, no, no, no, not at all. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:05.920 But he says, hey, weep and howl you're rich because they've got so much and they're doing nothing with it, and people all around them are suffering. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:12.319 So the Bible's not against having money, the Bible's against being indifferent, and it's like, oh, oh, okay. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:14.000 All right, great question. 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:14.799 Any other question? 00:21:14.960 --> 00:21:15.920 Well, I got yeah. 00:21:16.079 --> 00:21:19.759 And they they ride out and circle and put a question mark, and it's great. 00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:20.559 Why? 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:28.880 Because these two men and myself, we have all changed for the better because we sit in this spiritually formative environment called a D group. 00:21:29.039 --> 00:21:32.880 Let me tell you about one other spiritually formative environment that actually starts next week. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:34.880 We'll call them midweek classes here. 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:40.319 Uh uh, there first of all, there's like a ladies' Bible study, ladies' Bible study, or first of all, Christian beliefs. 00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.039 We'll take that one. 00:21:41.119 --> 00:21:42.559 Uh, this is the women's study. 00:21:42.640 --> 00:21:43.599 It's on Tuesday morning. 00:21:43.680 --> 00:21:44.480 It's women only. 00:21:44.559 --> 00:21:46.000 The rest of them meet on Wednesday night. 00:21:46.079 --> 00:21:50.880 But the ladies' Bible study, Tuesday morning, uh it meets from 9 30 to 11 30. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:59.039 There's child care available, and that's a list of all the different teachers Sally Collier, Christy Golson, Cynthia Jeter, Shelly Johnson, Marcy McClendon, our women's pastor. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:21:59.759 They will all take. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.200 Turns teaching, okay? 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:10.400 And so, ladies, what will happen is you will be taught, you will be provoked, you'll be stirred up to be reminded and remember what it is that Christians believe. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:16.960 Uh, this will make you a better mother, a better wife, a better friend, and a more consequential human being, okay? 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:19.440 That starts this Tuesday, all right, at 9 30. 00:22:19.519 --> 00:22:21.039 Now, by the way, today is the last day. 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:23.920 There's free child care, but today's the last day to register. 00:22:24.079 --> 00:22:30.720 Now, a friend of mine in town, he's a pastor, he asked me, he said, Hey, do you guys provide free child care for your Bible studies for ladies during the week? 00:22:30.799 --> 00:22:32.000 And I said, Yeah. 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:34.000 He said, How much does that cost? 00:22:34.079 --> 00:22:35.599 And I said, I couldn't tell you. 00:22:35.839 --> 00:22:37.279 And he goes, You don't keep up with that? 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:41.920 I said, No, what I keep up with is are women being exposed to the truth and to each other. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:44.799 Does socialization and transformation happen? 00:22:44.960 --> 00:22:45.200 Yes. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:46.559 That's all I care about. 00:22:46.880 --> 00:22:48.400 The rest of it will sort itself out. 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.519 Another class, this is on a Wednesday night class that happens. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:53.839 This is called Bridges to Connecting with Muslims. 00:22:53.920 --> 00:22:59.599 Uh, it's taught by Lindy White, who he and his wife are missionaries that have worked with the Muslim people. 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:05.519 Now, by the way, uh, we live, I don't know if you know this, but we live in one of the most culturally diverse counties in the nation. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.759 And so Muslims are not the enemy. 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:09.119 Muslims are not bad people. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:13.680 Someone asked me, they said, You seem to be really comfortable around people of all yes, I'm myself in every environment. 00:23:13.759 --> 00:23:15.200 Here's what Muslims want, okay? 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:17.440 They want their kids to have a better life than they did. 00:23:17.599 --> 00:23:21.759 They want to have money to pay their bills, they want to take a vacation and have fun every once in a while. 00:23:22.000 --> 00:23:23.599 Remind you of anybody. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:25.119 That's you. 00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:26.319 That's you. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:31.839 And so if you're like, hey, I want to get better at kind of speaking cross-culturally, this is a class for you. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:38.799 But here's the caveat: this thing is capped at 20 people uh because we don't want more than that in there, and it is filling up. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:41.680 So if you want into this class, you need to rest your suit, okay? 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:44.319 That's another uh spiritually formative environment. 00:23:44.400 --> 00:23:46.640 Uh, one of our core classes is Christian formation. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:49.440 This is taught by Leo Almeida, our teaching pastor. 00:23:49.599 --> 00:23:58.960 Uh uh, this is a class where basically you will look at different disciplines that form you and help you to become who the Bible says you are and who deep down inside you want to be. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:00.480 This happens on Wednesday night. 00:24:00.640 --> 00:24:05.279 Another class, this is emotions, basically learning the art of dealing with feelings. 00:24:05.440 --> 00:24:08.400 This is not we're gonna get together and just all just blitz. 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:09.519 No, no, no, no, no. 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:10.720 We're gonna understand. 00:24:10.799 --> 00:24:15.200 I I if I could say this, if I could just beat this drum, let me just say this. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:21.519 If you most people, you won't you know what you feel, you don't know why you feel that. 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:25.920 This class helps you understand why you feel that. 00:24:26.079 --> 00:24:27.839 And it will turn down the volume. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:32.640 I said to somebody this past week in counseling, are you aware of how shrill you are? 00:24:32.960 --> 00:24:34.880 Well, I don't know what you're talking about. 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.400 That right there. 00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:38.400 That is not enjoyable. 00:24:38.480 --> 00:24:40.240 People will move away from you. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:41.519 Well, yeah, that happens. 00:24:41.599 --> 00:24:46.079 I mean, people, I mean, I have I have really intense, and I said, short-lived friendships. 00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:46.400 Yes. 00:24:46.559 --> 00:24:49.039 I said, because it is like unbearable. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:50.559 Are you saying I'm unbearable? 00:24:50.799 --> 00:24:51.039 No. 00:24:51.279 --> 00:24:54.480 The the energy with which you talk is just, whoo. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:56.880 This person knows what they feel. 00:24:57.039 --> 00:24:59.039 Look at me, they don't know why. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:05.440 When you understand why you feel what you feel, your life gets a lot simpler and a lot clearer. 00:25:05.519 --> 00:25:07.519 So, emotion, that's another class on Wednesday night. 00:25:07.680 --> 00:25:08.319 True worship. 00:25:08.400 --> 00:25:12.960 This is a class get get giving worth to God with with our entire life. 00:25:13.039 --> 00:25:14.319 It's not about singing songs. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:17.039 This class is taught by Clyde, our worship pastor. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:19.599