Foundations of Faith: Grow in Grace and Truth 4

Welcome to Delight in Grace. The Teaching Ministry of Rich Powell. pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. This is part three of the message, which was first preached on October 29, 2023. It's the final message in a series from 2 Peter titled Live as People Who Remember.

To hear this message and other messages in the series, you can visit www.delightingrace.com. Simply built upon what you feel and what you need, I need to find in Scripture something to meet my needs. That's felt needs Bible knowledge. It's random. oftentimes out of context.

That's a kind of Bible knowledge that is a pick-me-up. You're simply coping. You're using the Word of God to cope. It's Using the Word of God like a salve. I have this cut on my arm, and I need to apply the Word of God to help heal the wound.

It's feelings-based. Felton needs Bible knowledge is more about you. your comfort than it is about God's purpose for you, and that is your character becoming Christ-like. The truth of the matter is the scriptures themselves identify and meet our needs best and most accurately. The scriptures do.

So Felton needs Bible knowledge versus Sound Doctrine and Theology.

Sound doctrine and theology.

Sound doctrine and theology from Scripture teaches us what is true. In other words, it's turning the light on. What is God like? Who is he? What is his sure and good purpose?

And how do I fit into that? How has he called me to fit into that?

Sound doctrine and theology is about knowing the person. and his purpose. and his promises. Knowing those, having your mind and your affections informed by those. And when you Understand God.

When you know God, you better understand yourself. Psalm 36, In your light we see light.

So If if felt needs Bible knowledge is s for the cut on the arm, sound doctrine in theology is turning the light on so you don't run into that. post that was sticking out that cut your arm. We need sound doctrine and theology. It is a foundation upon which you build your life. It was Jesus who said, He who hears my word.

And what? keeps them. It's not about just Knowledge. It's not about just knowledge. It is a solid foundational knowledge that translates into a transformed life that reflects Jesus.

That is the purpose of sound doctrine and theology. That is why we say here at Grace. The Word of God sets the agenda. That's why we are committed to the systematic exposition of scriptures, because we know that the Bible identifies and meets our needs better than anything else.

So he says here in the last verse, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the best way, because we're called to be on our guard lest we are carried away, the best way to be on your guard and take care that you are not carried away is to what? to grow in grace. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Now, lest you think that's pure platitude and good Christianes. What does that look like? How do we do that? I'm going to challenge you this morning. You all know how to ride a bike.

Notice I didn't say you all know how to sit on a bike. If you're going to ride a bike, that bike needs to be what? Moving. It's pretty hard to just sit on a bike when it's not moving.

Okay. Drift. You're either growing Or you're drifting. There's no stagnation. If you've become stagnant, you're drifting.

Let me say that again, if you've become stagnant, you're drifting. This grow is a Present. Active imperative What does that mean? It means Keep doing it, don't stop. Grow.

In the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour.

So, a question I want you to ask yourself with four sub-points. Am I all in with the grace that God has lavished on me? Am I all in with God's graces?

So you say, Rich, what on earth do you mean by that? I'm glad you asked. I'm going to tell you. Do you know the grace that God has lavished on you? If you don't know the grace of God, you're going to live graceless lives.

This is why we need to know the Word of God. beyond felt needs Bible knowledge. We need to know God's self-disclosure. What is it that he has lavished on us? First of all, his word.

Am I all in? With God's word. God's word, listen, this is a grace of God. His self-disclosure. This is God turning his light on into our darkness.

Do I get that? Am I all in? Or am I just simply, oh. How do I feel today? I see.

Scott's love letter to you. God is making himself known to you. The infinite sovereign of the universe. Am I all in? In letting his word dwell in me richly.

Am I letting his word dwell in me richly, so that it is transforming? my affections and my attitudes. That is how you apply the Word of God. Take what you hear this morning. Take the Word of God and let the Scriptures, God's light, God's self-disclosure inform and transform my affections and my attitudes.

And when my affections and my attitudes are transformed, then what else is going to be transformed? My actions. Three A's, I did that for you.

Okay. If your affections and your attitudes are transformed. your actions will be transformed. That is a known Sociological truth. And it is a biblical truth.

So, I need to read and know God's Word and Let his word dwell in me richly, so that I can think God's thoughts. And love what God loves. And hate what God hates. Am I all in? So I'm asking you this morning to ask yourself that question.

How do I need to be All in. The Word of God. Grow in grace and knowledge. Secondly, the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God.

Sorry, we got a little behind on there. I guess I didn't have enough. Highlights the Spirit of God. I think this will be the same thing on this one. The Spirit of God.

We are commanded to be filled with the Spirit. Right? Again, a present, active, imperative, keep on being filled with the Spirit. And Paul tells us in Galatians to walk in the Spirit, to keep in step with the Spirit.

So, is the Spirit of God? Teaching me? Is the Spirit of God illuminating His word to me? Christian, listen to me. As a regenerate, indwelt person with the Holy Spirit, you have a capacity to understand the Word of God in a way that an unregenerate person does not have.

Amen. Because you are indwelt with the Spirit of God and one of his key roles is to illuminate the Scriptures to you.

So when you approach the Word of God, approach prayerfully and ask the Spirit to open the Scriptures to you. Is he teaching you? Spirit of God, also, are you sensitive to His? promptings to engage in his mission. his promptings and his empowering.

to engage in his mission. That's why you have the Spirit of God. That's a whole doctrinal series of its own right there. But are you all in? Are you Keeping on being filled with the Spirit.

Are you walking in step with the Spirit? Are you all in? Or are you just sitting back? Ah, the Holy Spirit, I don't know. That's kind of an enigmatic.

I'm just not sure. You know, just get over that. Dig in. No God. Let the Spirit illuminate his word to you.

listen to his promptings to engage in his mission. I learned so much from my wife about that. It's happening to her all the time. And Susan, bless her heart, that woman walks in the Spirit. And I could see many of you out here today do the same.

But we should all be doing that because the Holy Spirit will prompt us. To walk as Jesus walked and engage the way Jesus engaged. Am I all in? Ask yourself. Am I all in?

The Spirit of God.

is a grace of God. God has given himself to us. Thirdly, The Son of God. Is a grace of God. God has given us His Son, that is His grace.

And I'm called to abide in him. He invites me to abide in him. What does that mean? What does that look like to find myself at home in his presence? You've been listening to Delight in Grace, the teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem.

To hear this message and others, check out www dot delightingrace dot com to discover how to live by grace Tune in with us on weekdays at ten AM. Mm-hmm.