Being Effective & Productive

1. E Being Effective & Productive F F E U C P D O T I V E R T I 2 Peter 1:1-11 V E

2. Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ… • The word used for servant is the word “doulos” which means “bond slave”. • It’s so amazing to see that Peter is saying, I am a serving Apostle. I am a servant first and an Apostle later.

3. Divine Power Divine Power – The words used in Greek are “ Theos Dynamos”from where we get the word dynamite. Everything - is derived from the root word “Pas” which means that it covers every part and hence it covers the whole. His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” 2 Peter 1: 3 “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” KJV “For as you know him better, he will give you, through his great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: he even shares his own glory and his own goodness with us!” TLB

4. Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth 1:16-17 We see Christ in Ruth, we see the power of Christ working in Ruth • Your people will be my people; he made us His people • Where you stay, I will stay; he stayed among us • Where you die, I will die; He died in our place • But He rose again so that His power would be available to us

5. Christ is greater than Ruth • He rose again to live in us • Ruth had a revelation of the Messiah • In Moab there was a Spiritual Realization • In Bethlehem it was a Physical Reality • The Spiritual Realization is so important for us to experience the Physical Reality

6. Promises in Christ “Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter 1: 4 What are these promises? “For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” Romans 15:8-9

7. Promises in Christ • All these are to do with the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ • All were pointing to the Lord Jesus Christ In the OT we see that the promises were “Leading to the Messiah” In the NT the promises are about “Living with the Messiah” The amazing thing is that it says, we become partakers with the divine nature • Partakers : The word used here is ‘Koinonia” – Fellowship • Human/ Fleshly nature – The word used is “Sarcos” • Divine – The word used is “Theos”

8. Let’s look at the final set of verses… “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1: 5-8

9. FAITH SELF CONTROL KNOWLEDGE GOODNESS (Moral Excellence) LOVE PERSEVER-ANCE MUTUAL AFFECTION GODLINESS (Agape Love, Unconditional love) (Brotherly love, Philia love) (Devotion) (Wait Patiently)

10. If we have this Agape Love then we get all the 7 free.

11. God’s Contribution + Man’s Contribution = Effectiveness + Productivity It says, “Make every effort”, Do we have to strive? Doesn’t God do everything for us? For this very reason… other translations say “And beside this…”