Growing in Knowledge: Building a Transformative Faith
Summary
### Summary
Greetings, family! It's always a joy to worship together, especially with our Redemption Kids and Youth. As we transition, let's pray over our offerings, thanking God for His blessings and asking Him to multiply our gifts for His work.
Tonight, we begin our study of 2 Peter, shifting from the theme of "Stand Firm" in 1 Peter to "Grow in Knowledge." While 1 Peter focused on standing firm amidst external persecution, 2 Peter addresses internal threats like false teachers and apostasy. Peter warns that false teachers will arise, denying the lordship of Jesus, living sensuously, and ridiculing the second coming of Christ. These false teachings aim to naturalize the supernatural work of God.
Peter's letter emphasizes the importance of growing in true knowledge, which is more than intellectual perception. It involves a combination of intellectual understanding, revelation from the Holy Spirit, and undeniable personal experiences with God. This holistic growth ensures that our faith is not just head knowledge but a transformative journey.
Peter outlines the building blocks of spiritual maturity: starting with faith, adding virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These attributes are essential for a robust Christian life. Without them, we risk falling back into old sinful patterns.
The church must balance seasons of revival and discipleship. Perpetual revival without discipleship leads to shallow faith, while perpetual learning without the Spirit's flow leads to dryness. We need both to grow deeply in God.
Peter's message is clear: knowing God changes our lives. It's not enough to know ourselves; we must know God to transform our lives. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we align our lives with His expectations, moving away from excuses for sinful behavior.
In conclusion, Peter's letter challenges us to grow in our faith, ensuring that our lives reflect the transformative power of knowing God. Let's commit to this journey of growth, allowing God to build us up in faith, virtue, knowledge, and love.
### Key Takeaways
1. The Importance of Holistic Growth: True spiritual growth involves more than just intellectual understanding. It requires a combination of intellectual perception, revelation from the Holy Spirit, and personal experiences with God. This holistic approach ensures that our faith is not just head knowledge but a transformative journey that impacts our lives and those around us. [47:28]
2. Identifying False Teachers: Peter warns against false teachers who deny the lordship of Jesus, live sensuously, and ridicule the second coming of Christ. These false teachings aim to naturalize the supernatural work of God. As believers, we must be vigilant and grounded in true knowledge to discern and counteract these false doctrines. [41:38]
3. Building Blocks of Spiritual Maturity: Peter outlines the essential attributes for a robust Christian life: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These building blocks are crucial for spiritual maturity and ensure that our faith is not stagnant but continually growing. [01:03:44]
4. Balancing Revival and Discipleship: The church must balance seasons of revival and discipleship. Perpetual revival without discipleship leads to shallow faith, while perpetual learning without the Spirit's flow leads to dryness. Both are necessary for deep spiritual growth and a vibrant Christian life. [01:13:12]
5. Knowing God Transforms Lives: Knowing ourselves may help us understand our behaviors, but it is knowing God that truly transforms our lives. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we align our lives with His expectations, moving away from excuses for sinful behavior and embracing a life that reflects His glory and virtue. [01:02:09]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[33:42] - Prayer Over Offerings
[35:17] - Introduction to 2 Peter
[36:16] - Prayer for Bible Study
[37:13] - Shift from 1 Peter to 2 Peter
[38:09] - Persecution in 1 Peter
[39:37] - Strengthening Through Persecution
[40:14] - Internal Threats in 2 Peter
[41:38] - Identifying False Teachers
[44:10] - Gnostic Heresy
[47:28] - Holistic Spiritual Growth
[49:10] - Revelation from the Holy Spirit
[51:48] - Undeniable Experience with God
[54:13] - Humanistic Philosophy in the Church
[55:25] - Reading 2 Peter 1:1-4
[57:58] - Purpose of Peter's Letter
[59:26] - Knowledge of God vs. Knowledge of Self
[01:03:44] - Building Blocks of Spiritual Maturity
[01:13:12] - Balancing Revival and Discipleship
[01:21:18] - Emotional and Spiritual Maturity
[01:25:14] - Assurance of Salvation
[01:29:09] - Living a Life Well for God
[01:30:36] - Closing Prayer
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Peter 1:1-11
2. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
3. James 1:22-25
#### Observation Questions
1. What are the three characteristics of false teachers that Peter warns about in 2 Peter? ([41:38])
2. According to 2 Peter 1:5-7, what are the building blocks of spiritual maturity that Peter outlines?
3. How does Peter describe the relationship between intellectual perception, revelation from the Holy Spirit, and personal experiences with God? ([47:28])
4. What does Peter say about the importance of balancing revival and discipleship in the church? ([01:13:12])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does Peter emphasize the need to grow in the knowledge of God rather than just knowing oneself? How does this knowledge transform our lives? ([01:02:09])
2. How can the presence of false teachers within the church be a threat to believers, and what steps can be taken to identify and counteract their influence? ([41:38])
3. What does it mean to have an "undeniable experience with God," and how does this contribute to our spiritual growth? ([50:27])
4. How does Peter's teaching on the building blocks of spiritual maturity challenge us to evaluate our own spiritual growth? ([01:03:44])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own spiritual journey. Which of the building blocks of spiritual maturity (faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love) do you feel you need to develop more? What steps can you take to grow in this area? ([01:03:44])
2. Have you ever encountered false teachings or teachers in your faith journey? How did you discern their falsehood, and what actions did you take to stay grounded in true knowledge? ([41:38])
3. Peter talks about the importance of balancing revival and discipleship. In your own church experience, have you noticed a tendency towards one over the other? How can you contribute to maintaining this balance? ([01:13:12])
4. Think about a time when you had a profound experience with God. How did this experience impact your faith and your daily life? How can you seek more of these experiences? ([50:27])
5. Peter emphasizes that knowing God changes our lives. Identify one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to change. What practical steps can you take this week to align more closely with His expectations? ([01:02:09])
6. How do you currently approach reading and studying the Bible? What changes can you make to ensure you are not just gaining intellectual knowledge but also receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit and having personal experiences with God? ([47:28])
7. In what ways can you support your church community in growing both in knowledge and in the experience of God's presence? How can you encourage others to pursue a holistic approach to spiritual growth? ([01:13:12])
Devotional
Day 1: Holistic Spiritual Growth
True spiritual growth involves more than just intellectual understanding. It requires a combination of intellectual perception, revelation from the Holy Spirit, and personal experiences with God. This holistic approach ensures that our faith is not just head knowledge but a transformative journey that impacts our lives and those around us. Intellectual understanding alone can lead to a dry and lifeless faith, but when combined with the Holy Spirit's revelation and personal encounters with God, it becomes a living and active force in our lives.
This kind of growth is essential for a robust Christian life. It helps us to discern truth from falsehood, to stand firm in our faith, and to live out the transformative power of the Gospel. As we grow in this holistic manner, we become more like Christ, reflecting His love, wisdom, and power in our daily lives. [47:28]
2 Peter 1:5-8 (ESV): "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement 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. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Reflection: Think about a recent personal experience where you felt the Holy Spirit's guidance. How did it differ from merely understanding a biblical concept intellectually? How can you seek more of these holistic growth experiences in your daily walk with God?
Day 2: Identifying False Teachers
Peter warns against false teachers who deny the lordship of Jesus, live sensuously, and ridicule the second coming of Christ. These false teachings aim to naturalize the supernatural work of God. As believers, we must be vigilant and grounded in true knowledge to discern and counteract these false doctrines. False teachers often appear convincing and may even use scripture to support their claims, but their teachings ultimately lead people away from the truth of the Gospel.
Being grounded in true knowledge involves a deep understanding of Scripture, a close relationship with God, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. This combination helps us to recognize false teachings and to stand firm in our faith. It also equips us to help others who may be led astray by these false doctrines. [41:38]
2 Peter 2:1-2 (ESV): "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you encountered a teaching that seemed off or contrary to the Gospel. How did you discern its falsehood? What steps can you take to ensure you are grounded in true knowledge to recognize and counteract false teachings?
Day 3: Building Blocks of Spiritual Maturity
Peter outlines the essential attributes for a robust Christian life: faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. These building blocks are crucial for spiritual maturity and ensure that our faith is not stagnant but continually growing. Each attribute builds upon the previous one, creating a strong foundation for a vibrant and effective Christian life.
Faith is the starting point, but it must be supplemented with virtue, which leads to knowledge. Knowledge then requires self-control, which is sustained by perseverance. Perseverance fosters godliness, which manifests in brotherly kindness and culminates in love. This progression ensures that our spiritual growth is well-rounded and deeply rooted in the character of Christ. [01:03:44]
2 Peter 1:5-7 (ESV): "For this very reason, make every effort to supplement 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."
Reflection: Which of these building blocks do you find most challenging to develop in your life? What practical steps can you take this week to grow in that specific area?
Day 4: Balancing Revival and Discipleship
The church must balance seasons of revival and discipleship. Perpetual revival without discipleship leads to shallow faith, while perpetual learning without the Spirit's flow leads to dryness. Both are necessary for deep spiritual growth and a vibrant Christian life. Revival brings a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit, igniting passion and zeal for God. However, without discipleship, this zeal can fade, and believers may lack the depth needed to sustain their faith.
Discipleship, on the other hand, involves intentional learning and growth in the knowledge of God. It provides the structure and foundation needed to mature in faith. When combined with the Spirit's flow, it leads to a balanced and thriving Christian life. The church must foster environments where both revival and discipleship are prioritized, ensuring that believers are both passionate and grounded in their faith. [01:13:12]
Ephesians 4:11-13 (ESV): "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ."
Reflection: Reflect on your current spiritual journey. Are you experiencing more revival or discipleship? How can you seek a better balance of both in your life and within your church community?
Day 5: Knowing God Transforms Lives
Knowing ourselves may help us understand our behaviors, but it is knowing God that truly transforms our lives. As we grow in the knowledge of God, we align our lives with His expectations, moving away from excuses for sinful behavior and embracing a life that reflects His glory and virtue. Self-awareness is important, but it is only through knowing God that we experience true transformation.
This transformation involves a deep and personal relationship with God, where His character and will become the guiding force in our lives. As we grow in our knowledge of Him, we begin to reflect His love, wisdom, and holiness in our daily actions and decisions. This alignment with God's character leads to a life that is not only pleasing to Him but also impactful to those around us. [01:02:09]
Colossians 1:9-10 (ESV): "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find yourself making excuses for sinful behavior? How can growing in the knowledge of God help you to overcome these excuses and align your life with His expectations?
Quotes
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "Growing in knowledge in our faith is more than just your intellect. It's more than just gaining knowledge in your brain. It's more than just gaining stuff, knowing more. So this is actually what growing in knowledge is in the Christian faith. It's actually a combination of three things. It looks like this. It is intellectual perception because we're called to gain and grow in knowledge and wisdom. We're called to study to show ourselves approved. That's all scriptural." [47:28] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "How many of you have had just a deep experience with God? You've had a moment in time where you needed God. God wrapped his arm around you. You had a moment in time where you fell to your knees and cried out, and then you knew God was there, right? The Holy Spirit came as a comforter in a situation. You were healed. You needed healing, and you cried out and prayed for healing, and God healed you, right?" [50:49] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So, a lot of people study and, and try to maybe figure out Christianity on their own power, and that's the first mistake, right? We've got to take it to God. We've got to allow God access. So, although Peter was challenging the early church with this letter, there's tons of application in the modern church that we can apply today." [52:58] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So, as we grow in the knowledge of God, we grow in our faith. There's self-control, perseverance, godliness, and then brotherly kindness. How do you treat and talk to other people? If you're not treating and talking to other people with kindness, you're not very far along in your faith yet. You still got some building to do, right? And we've, so we've got to understand that these are, these are areas that, that exemplify our spiritual walk." [01:18:34] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So, knowing God is what changes our life and ultimately who we are. So, knowing yourself doesn't change your life. Knowing God changes your life and who you are. So, it's knowing God. It's growing in the knowledge of God that shifts our perspective enough to change our life. Because as we know God, we know God's expectations for us." [01:02:09] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "So, Peter lists three specifics throughout this letter that will identify false teachers. And these are the particular false teachers that he's dealing with which were affecting the early church that he was writing to in Asia Minor. But the three characteristics of these false teachers that Peter deals with looks like this. Number one, they deny the lordship of Jesus Christ. So, these teachers were coming in and denying the lordship of Jesus Christ." [41:38] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "So, Peter begins to lay out these attributes. So, Peter being an apostle of the Lord, and maybe you don't know like the traits of an apostle, but one of the traits of the office of the apostle is that they are a builder. Like apostles are builders. Like that's the essence of who they are. They build stuff. And we see Paul referring to himself in the epistles as the master builder at times, right? That he builds stuff." [01:03:44] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "So, Peter's mainly dealing with people and what was known at the time as the Gnostic heresy. So, he's dealing with the Gnostic heresy. And that's Gnostic, G-N-O-S-T-I-C. Gnostic heresy. And they had a lot of influence in Asia Minor at the time. And that influence was creeping in to the early church. So, they were beginning to influence early Christians and early believers." [44:10] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "So, Peter's building blocks in verse 5 are an indicator of a person who started with faith. And, uh, we know the scripture says, uh, we need to take it to the Lord. The scripture said about Abraham in the beginning, right, was, uh, Abraham's faith was accounted as righteousness, right? Uh, how many of you know your faith in the beginning is accounted as righteousness, but you've also got to grow in righteousness, right?" [01:25:14] (16 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "So, Peter confronts this belief system talking about spiritual growth and true knowledge in the Lord is what Peter is getting to in this letter. So, unlike the Gnostics platform, this is something that was happening in the first century church in Christianity. Growing in knowledge is more than intellectual perception, right?" [47:28] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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