Growing From Faith In Christ | Pr Matthew Chang

You're listening to a message to go from as church. We hope this message

will light up your day today. I'm gonna be going through Second Peter chapter

one. How many of you have studied a Second Peter before? Okay,

I'm going to a good start. Yeah. So before I go through it,

I'm gonna give you, guys, context, Okay, turn to your

neighbors, say. Context is very important. Okay. Context is so important

that sometimes it can cause people to misconstrue a message. Don't even talk about

a verse, okay or Enthi chapter. Context is so important. And Second

Peter it's a letter that you must understand the context to understand what the verses

is talking about. Why Peter is writing about addressing this subject, and why

is he writing in this manner? Okay? So what do we know about

Second Peter? Who is it written by Peter itself? Okay? Now,

this letter is unique because it is most of the time when you look into

the New Testament, a lot of times the authors then, when they're right,

is normally addressed to a location, so Corinthians, emphasis or a group

of people Romans. Sometimes they do have the names of the author, Mark

Luke, Matthew, John but in this case, Peter himself addressed it as

Peter. Now, who is Peter. It's a very important context. We

know Peter as the disciple, but Peter, at that moment, who was

he? That's an important question, isn't it. We know Peter's a disciple,

but at that moment, who was he? He was the overseer of

the entire church. He was the head of the head of the head of

the head. Okay, so he was overseeing all the churches from Jerusalem,

all the way to Rome, to Grace, to East Asia, all the

way to west parts of Africa as well. He was overseeing. He was

the main guy, and Jerusalem at that time was also sending out missionaries,

support letters, confirmations, affirmations throughout all the different churches. Now again I

say, who is Peter. He is an elder, he's an overseer,

he's a disciple. But another thing we must know is that Peter at that

moment, he knows that he's dying, or he's going to die, he's

going to get persecuted, he's going to get executed, and he's true,

and he makes mention of it that he identifies himself as like a tent you

know tent, it's temporary. How many of you like to live in tents?

You'd probably like to live in tents for your camping now, Okay,

but if I ask you after a long day of you're tired, you want

to go back to a tenth? You're not like right, But most of

you you will spend your heart and money to buy to buy properties in it.

You will spend so much that you were in you will you will commit

the next thirty years of your life to pay off the loan. We don't.

You don't commit the thirty years of your life to buy a tenth with

no permanent address, with no land title. But the opposite is true,

isn't it. Our body is what it's a tenth temporary. There is no

guarantee at the end of this life you will leave. Your body is going

to perish to the ground. You'd like to buy a house at the end

of the year to to give it back to the government. Okay, But

he's going to die, and he knows he's going to be executed, So

there's another context. Okay, he's a leader, he's an elder, but

he is going to die, and when he will know a person with such

condition or setting, you will know that what he writes is of utmost importance.

He's writing not just to one church, He's writing to all the churches.

Okay. So sometimes you read the Book of Romans, Book of Corinthians,

he's writing to one particular by his No, this is Peter writing to

all the churches. And he's writing not just to address one issue, but

he's writing to beat them farewell, writing to tell, to warn the churches,

the believers what he sees, what he addresses as big, dangerous there

is coming to the church and to the believers as well. Okay. And

so there is one important context, Okay, Peter in his last moments writing

to address and to warn another context. You must know what is happening in

the churches at that time. Okay. So we have the author, the

sender. So now you must have the context of the land, the area

of the churches. Okay, church is growing, okay, growing. Of

course, there's a law of resistance. Resistance from the Romans, resistance from

the Greeks. Why because both Rome and Greek are very powerful nations, very

smart nations, intellectual philosophical people with great mathematics, great philosophies, great history

is great army okay, and they are very intimidating. But they are also

very religious. You must understand Rome and great. It's not just a country.

They are almost a theocracy, meaning that their government and their lifestyle are

totally connected and married with their religion. Inn stand what I'm saying. So

if you go, for example, if you want to apply for a permit

to run a business in the market, here we go to our MPSJ and

to MPKJ, MPBJ, whatever you call it. Okay, you go to

the town hall, you get you go apply for a license that time.

You go to their town hall. But their town hall is not that building.

Their town hall is basically the temple, the worship temper. The worship

temper filled with so many gods and religions and practices. They have prostitutes,

they have slavery, they have all sorts of gambling, all sorts of things

that are happening there. It is intertwined with their daily lives. Okay.

So it's something that it's a bit hard for us to understand and comprehend.

By imagine it next time. You know, every time you want to apply

for your renew your driving license, you come to church. It's quite unique,

you know. It's it's a very different life, and so it's very

hard for them to escape from the influences of other religion. Okay, So

that's the leg that's why if you rate the Book of Corinthians in the world

Brood always talks about fleeing from sexual immorality. Being in the world and not

of the world. What's what they deal with every day of their lives.

Okay, But not only that. Okay, they have Romans and the Greeks,

but they're the Jews as well. So the Jews are not as united

as you think are They are Jews who are coming from Jerusalem. They are

Jews from the diaspora wo, meaning that the Jews who left and then they

intermarried all the way to the north, okay, in Turkey, in modern

day Turkey, all the way to Greek all the way to Rome, and

in some into the eyes of these Jews. They call that betrayal. That

is one they don't like people who mingle with their blood. But a third

kind, a third lower class of Jew, you know, who are those

Jews? Jews who became Christians. They consider them the worst of the worst

traitors. So for them they are worse than Romans and Greeks. And so

if you're a Christian and you are a Jew, you are probably the lowest

class in any of the country. You are not liked by the Romans,

you are not liked by the Greeks, and you're likely going to be get

betrayed by your own Jewish people. It's hard. Okay, you know the

sign, you know that fish sign that we used to have. You know,

the sign of the Christ the fisherman, isn't it? Let you know?

Okay, not to break your bubble, but that's not about fish.

Okay. You see the Christians work at the time that was so persecuted.

They don't know who to trust. They were being persecuted and hunted. Do

you know who to trust? And so if I go to the market and

I see Nathaniel and I say, nahing that, Hey, I look at

you, I'm not sure whether you have to trust you. You look like

a Jew, you look like my brother. I thought you could help me.

My family is starving. Maybe I can get you to stand up,

but I'm not ready to shake your hand. I'm scared if I tell you

that my Christian, You're going to report me to Unice, and you know

I'm going to be dragged into the dungeon. Really, so, how do

I verify that we believe in the same faith? You know? How we

do? I will literally on the ground, I would draw the first part

of the fish that and dot here, and if he is a Christian,

he would continue my drawing by drawing the triangle. And when he finishes it,

when I look to him, it's literally is a symbol saying that we

believe in the same faith. You can go and check it out. When

I look at that, and I look at him and say, okay,

then I can trust you. Thank you so much, Nathaniel. Now you

know the origin right now, isn't it? Because they can't even trust anyone.

They can't trust their own brothers, their own people, and they can't

trust the Jews, the trust the Greeks. So they are corned. Okay,

by the way, that's just a side thing I want to add to

you guys. But we must understand another thing is that a lot of thing

was happening in the church. Okay, they were outcasts in the society,

but yes, something was happening in the church. You know that the greatest

threat to the church in our modern days. Now you're seeing it, and

in the days you will see the greatest threat is not going to come from

the outside. It's going to come from the inside. Outside we can control,

not their heart. We believe no. When when you see when there's

an outside threat, people are united, people stand in solid solidarity, You

get in right. A whole nation can come into solidarity, you know.

But when there's no outside threat, internal things happened, and so what is

happening inside that church? You can read it through in first second Pitter,

even in the Book of Jude as well, it's very clear what is happening.

Okay, there were a lot of false teachers. False teachers are one.

But in the church they started to tars to form groups. Okay,

small groups. There are groups are there are not official groups? Okay,

unofficial groups. Let me give you an example. How many of you are

working right now? How many of you know that sometimes you go into an

office, you see that there is a group and a clique. They're in

the same building, same company, same department. But yet when you go

into that group, somehow you feel like this group does not belonging to this

company. They somehow have their own agenda, have their own talk, someone

leading and in power. That's exactly what's happening in Second Peter. And not

just one group, multiple groups. Some groups mostly made up of no Roman

teachers cause they are very powerful, rich and wealthy with many slaves, so

they like to identify there another group. There will be a group with Greeks,

great philosophers, Spartans, you know, whatever you want to call it,

very intellectual. There will be a form of group, another group,

Jewish people, certain group, another group, Christian groups and this Christian groups

there there are some of them there will identify themselves saying I follow Paul An.

I don't want to say I follow Apollos. Some always I follow Peter,

and I don't say I follow Mark. Different ones holding different clicks.

So the time when you walk into the church, you feel like there are

small groups happening and they are all teaching different things. And the false teachers

were actually attending the same surveys. But after the service, there is where

they take off their rope and start to influence and reach out because they're smart,

see influence influential people. They don't just come out and boldly and share

no no, no, and they know when the time to reach out,

and they start to have these false teachings. And three main false teachings were

coming out. Okay, three main false teachings, and you can read it

through entire the second Peter later on, you can go through so three main

teachers. I will tell you guys what what was going through. Number one,

A lot of them are startning to adopt whether the resurrection was even real.

Yeahmen, see when sometimes when you hear someone preach on the pulpit so

long, someone with so much authority, you start to doubt them because they're

just humans. And it happens to the apostles as well. The apostles they

themselves have witnessed not just the resurrection, but also the transfiguration, which will

be covered later in the chapter, but I'm not going to go into that.

Peter talks about the transfiguration. There were eye witnesses, but yet people

were starting to say that, hey, is it possible that Paul, Peter

mar and all this disciple made this all up. So every generation of believers

will always have to go through that. You and now we have to go

through that. Your children will have to go through that. And if you're

not equipped to teach them to guard them. They will start to believe that

it's hocus pocus, believe it or not. I have children, I have

cousins, and I tell you they also start to doubt. So you must

be on God to know what you really believe in and able to stand on

it. You're not the world will sway them. You get what I'm saying

here. And you must understand that these are happening when the apostles are still

alive. First hand witnesses are still alive, and they are already doubting them.

Now apostles are gone, gone and dead for centuries, how much more

are we standing? You must understand his name. So these dangers are not

going to go away. They are fierce. They know that the most important

battlefield is the mind. If they can so doubt even inside the church,

after Pater, after Peter preachers, then they will start, Hey, I

think a Peter. Maybe he's exaggerating a bit, you know, maybe he's

not really talking about resurrection. You know, you get me in right when

you start to thin now the blood, when you start to pull a bit

of water, a bit of water, you give me a bit of water.

Give me a bit of water, give abu. Rabina doesn't taste like

rabina anymore. You give me right. The gospel doesn't taste like gospel anymore.

It's very dangerous. So that's the first thing. Okay, a lot

of people are not believing that the resurrection ever happened. They don't even believe

that Jesus is the son of God anymore. That is what happens when people

water it down. The second thing they are the second false teaching that is

happening at that time is that they believe that there are no consequences. They

believe that they take Paul's teaching. You know, must at that time,

Paul existed with Peter at the time, Paul was writing letters, and when

he sent the letters to the Romans, these letters are copied and distributed to

other churches as well. And when the letters arrived at the church, they

really, you know that, with anxiety, with great anticipation. Wow,

Paul, you're talking about freedom, freedom from law. We're no longer under

the law, we're under grace. And they celebrate, yes, And you

know what they did with it. They took it as a ticket being punched

as I got my certificate, and they started to live their life as if

they'd never been safe before, started having sexual immoralities, started to deceive and

cheat people money and everything else. But they say that it's okay. God

has forgiven us, so we don't have to pay for it at all.

Why bother living such a godly life, isn't it? Do you see a

form of this in this world as well? We see every day. You

don't have to look go to YouTube, you know. Sometimes you just look

around our church. We know already. You know I'm not talking about people.

This happens in every church one. No, this generation seventies, eighties,

nineties, always been happening people, one form of another. You know

why it happens because we are living in a sinful flesh. You got me

in right, We need are still living as well. Believe us. You

are still living in a sinful flesh. You now, God is still doing

his working on Yes, we are saying, but there's this work of scientification

that is still at work. And the Christians, but community are not careful.

They mess it up. Okay, they mess it up. So that

was a second thing. They think that they are living in freedom, They

think that they are Christians. They think that some of them might be teaching

because they are Romans or Greeks or Jewish teachers. They feel like we are

the better teacher. We know God. They they were literally telling people we

know God, they know how we know God? Oh no, no,

you don't know God. We know God. Ah, everybody seems like they

know God. Then Peter puts down the hammer and tell you, let me

give you the qualification who actually knows good? And today I'm going to go

through that. Do you want to know whether you know God? It's not

what you say, it's not what label you're put in a that we're going

through a test to see whether you have the true mark of a Christian,

not just you think that you have a ticket. And the third one,

okay, so the first one is that they think that the apostles made it

all up. The second thing that they think that they can live without consequences.

And the third thing they believe or start to believe that Jesus is not

coming back. They were saying that, hey, I thought you said that

the Lord is coming. The Lord is coming? Where is the Lord?

Where is the Lord? And when they don't see the Lord is coming,

and they see the Romans, the Greeks and the other nations so powerful and

so mighty, having so much influence. The slaves are still slaves. The

servants are still servants, The poor are still poor. The oppressed, the

oppressive are still oppressive. They're saying, where is Jesus? And he starts

to attack, not their mind, they attack their hope begem in right.

Their hope gets attacked, and they's like, where so Jesus? And they

said, Jesus is probably not coming back, or maybe he returned, lady,

and you missed it, ah, and understand why I'm saying that.

So they start to affect their salvation. Maybe we didn't do enough, maybe

we weren't good enough. Maybe the rapture already happened. Already we are start

here people, You and I, we missed a rapture. So they really

believe that, They really believe that. So those were the three things that

was actually happening around the church. Okay, So now do you have better

contexts? Okay, what the who Peter was, at, what stage he

was, and who is he writing too? Now now you are equipped and

understanding the context of this letter, let's do a bit of worth studying.

Okay, Okay, let's turn to a Second Peter Chapter one says here Simon

Peter, a bond servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are

obtained like precious faith with us by the righteousness of our God and savior,

Jesus Christ. Okay, let's stop there for a moment, so the world

being used here to those who have obtained Okay, reminder, you and I

are safe because not because we earned it. None of us earned it.

I'm not smarter. You're not smarter. You didn't wake up. You just

have an epiphony like, oh, I feel like there's a God. You

didn't work that way. Oh Suddenly I think I'm a holier and more righteous

person. That is why I believe in God. No. God has been

working in your life when you were born until now, every path, everything

that you did and that did and didn't do. God has been in sovereign

control to lead you where you are, where you're seated, where you are,

to prepare the environment where you will be able to respond to him when

he called out to you. You're not smarter, You're not holier. Neither

do I. None of us earn it. We are safe only because of

the mercy of God. Mercy of God. People, mercy and grace of

God. You're praying for your loved ones. You can't save them. It

is by the mercy of God. Praying for God make all things come together.

Things that are painful, thanks things they are ugly, things I can't

see. Lord, you can. I can't pull it. Lord, and

under your mercy and let them see you, let them respond to a su

desired You're what I'm saying. What I'm saying here. There's always been the

case of gospel. Look at the disciples that Jesus drawn. Are there great

people? No wretched? Quite hopeless a lot of times, It's true,

quite hopeless, especially the leader Peter, quite hopeless many many times. But

yet we are all saved by the mercy of God. I'm saved by the

mercy of God. You're saved by the mercy of God. That is why

it is obtained. And this is a precious faith, okay, given to

us because it was earned and obtained by Jesus Christ and his righteousness. And

in verse two it says, grace and peace be multiplied to you in the

now in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as it is

as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and

godliness gain. God has given to us not just life, but the resources

to how to live our life. Okay, not just the life, but

how to live this life through the knowledge of Him who call us by glory

and virtue, by which have given to us exceedingly great and precious promises.

Okay, Why suddenly he talks about promises? And why am I taking out

my wallet? What is this? Who wants money? Then the rest are

lies? Okay, sorry, my words are very strong apologized. Okay,

ah, when you say this is money? What's money? What makes this

valuable? If I bring this to Australia and I say they asked me to

pay fifty USSI dollar, If I give fifty ring gate, will they accept

it? Why? Because Australia is three times or nowadays three year three times

more valuable than it. But it's just it's still paper with fifty there got

a different picture. Why But if in Malaysia if I give you fifty OSSI,

will you accept it? You will? Exciting? Yeah? See you

all now will wait right now? Isn't it Why it's money? It's just

paper? But you all, you and I are know, it's not about

the paper, but it's what it represents. But what does it actually represent?

Fifty fifty bags of rice? We all know there's different purchasing power.

Isn't it tell you money? Is basically this casher is basically a form of

promise. Last time, okay, when people traded, they traded in battle.

Isn't it I give you cow, you give me rise? I give

you would you give me veggie? Okay? But after a while, when

things started to get scaled up, it started to get very what they call

it inconvenient to trade in that matter, there must be a common denominator.

Okay, I read before that money was started by who, not by China.

Okay, China created the paper, okay. But the concept of money

that was implemented why, was by the Mongolians. And when Genghis Khan and

when his empire spread so wide and they need to get the resources. The

government didn't have time to give you cows and chickens for their food, you

know, no time, And so what did they do. They started launching

promissory notes. You know what's promissory notes? You heard before? The notes

to the they will say that you give me all your ships and your food

for the military, and I will give you this stack of paper and chopped

and sealed with the with the Emperor, or it is the Emperor, your

Emperor's sealed. What does it make sense? What it means that you can

take this letter and use it to trade because it's guaranteed by the Emperor.

What it represents. Basically, it's a promise. What does this Maringue Malaysia

promise? It promises that bang Nagara will what we're guaranteeing, will honor it.

You put any other picture without Bank Nagara, They're not going to honor

it. So basically the government is printing out promises they will honor it.

They will honor honor, so they will take the promises, not your promises.

I don't care without your promises. But when I look into your wallet,

you carry the promises of bang Nagara. I like that promise. You

also carry the bank promise of bank Nagara. Oh but Philip, you have

the promise of Australian government. I like the Australian government. I think they

make better promises. Malitian government promises are say follering it now, are already

say life falling it? But now following it sixty cents, you know.

So the difference in value is dependent upon the person making the promise. They

trust the Australian government more than they trust their Molasian government. So it's a

strong strength. So when you think about it, the whole entire world and

financial system works on what promises promises. This is what the world operates.

Our spiritual works and operates on what not on the world's promises, on God's

promises. God's promises are yes and amen. It will never lose its value.

Whatever money you have in the world, you cannot convert to God's promises.

Never. It's unique, one of a kind. God promises to raise

you up from the dead. What what government can do that? No government

the world can do that. People. That is why when Peter says it

one by which has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises. It's not

just the words who gives it makes sense or not. It is God who

gives it. It's not just that, Oh, God will be with you,

No, God says it is the government that makes all the difference.

That's why you can have all the money in certain countries in Brazil, Argentina,

it's like one million. I feel very rich, but one million means

nothing to God. The e gammen right, that is how God sees it

worthless currency. And so when we go before God the same thing as well.

What promises have you leave by when you go in you? When you

go about in your daily lives? Are you working, deciding, choosing and

living as if you are rich in God's promises or rich in the world's promises?

You got? I mean right, it's a difference. When you walk

out in the world, may step out into the door, you are having

a lot of catch in your pocket. You feel very confident in money.

Now if you forget to bring a wallet at you're scared. You know somehere

nowadays we are scared? Are you? If you left your phone at home?

If you left your phone, you won't even go out there. I

don't want to go I cannot go out. I need to find my phone

first. You're scared. You let all you lost all your confidence. So

as believe us to navigate in this world spiritual? What kind of promises doing

it? I only hear that. I only hear one further talking here,

you're still holding onto your cash? Is it whose promises? Then? Goodness.

Okay, all right, okay, at least at least you catch catch

that. Okay, understand now makes sense or not? God's promises are yes

and amen. It holds its value no matter what. Okay, now let's

move on. How much time do I have that? Okay, let's do

this, Hey that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature of

wow, strong strong phrase, partakers of the divine nature. Now to understand

this meaning, you must understand again what is the partakers of the divine nature?

Okay? You see if I come to say, Jolene, I come

to you and I say, hey, would you like to join my very

special private group of entrepreneur words where you get to be partakers of the Divine

nature? Be the top one achiever. You know, sounds like something like

MLM in contrabright, You're like, yeah, I've gotten that before. Someone

like yeah, I've seen that before. And then the headline the picture is

one guy in a holiday in the you know, you're what in the world?

Why is Peter telling people to promising people and believers partakers of the divine

nature? Oh? This is great and lofty promises? You know? Is

he trying to desperate to sell something to ask. Now, this is very

important, okay, because I say this is where the context makes sense.

There are many in the churches. There are many groups of believers. People

say. One group say that they know the Lord. They know the Lord,

they know the scripture, and they know the scripture, they know the

truth, they know the way of life. Okay, and they are all

corrupted. So many of them are all corrupted because of what they do.

And Peter says that the reason they are corrupted, if you read through the

verse, they having escaped the corruption there is in the world through last.

They are corrupted because they are still stuck and enslave to their last. They

are still lasting after the world. But he's saying that the opposite of lasting

after the world is to strive to partake of the divine nature of God.

You and I are safe, not to last, but we are safe to

reach a certain goal, a goal that God has personally called you and I

to reach. Okay, you, it's like God, it isn't there.

You have all been saved. Okay. Safe. It's like entering into university

admitted already free or charge bought for you paid down for. You enter it.

But the moment you enter in the city, you get a certificate.

No, there four three or four or five years. You have to continue,

isn't it? He's like, come, come now, this is the

environment. Now your goal at the end is to become a partaker of the

divine nature? What is the what divine nature? Is he? A halo

on my hair? Is there? After the course, I will start floating

like David Blaine like that. You know what is this divine nature? I'm

going to inherit? Okay? God is basically after this course, you're going

to be like God. Whoa, I'm teaching something dodgy already? No,

be partakers of the divine ature? How can you how us what it is?

He say? You're gonna be like God? God is calling you and

I to be like him. Now, what is this likeness that he wants

us to be like? What is this quality about God that he wanted us

to be like? You got me in right? I want to say,

I want all my children to be like me, to have this nature to

they have this attribute about me? But what is it so that they will

not last after the world? They will not like be these people who say

they follow me, but they don't follow me. Okay, Now I'll show

you what is the divine ature. Okay, it is in the scripture,

always in the scripture. If I start telling you that, I'm starting to

always depend on the scripture, scripture interpret scripture. Okay. You want to

study scripture, property, scripture, interpret scripture. Okay, not by man

nor by anything. Scripture interpret scripture. That's how powerful scripture is. Nastana

always use scripture into prese scripture. So what does the scripture says in verse

five? Verse five, he says, but also for this very reason,

giving all diligious, Giving all diligious means what it means you make every effort.

Okay, because you've been entered in this unit university, because she'd been

saved, You've been bought by the blood of Jesus. You must make every

effort. It's not the time to relax. You must make every effort to

what to start adding? The word is adding eddy means what ed? It

means something. It's not enough, you don't add. If it's enough,

you don't add salt. If you're vegie, it's already salty, You're you're

weird like if you do that, but it s salty ready at more.

No, my daughter does that sometimes. Yeah, they're okay, you add

because something is lacking or it's not complete yet, it is not fully mature

yet. So he say't add to faith virtue. So he's say that you

have faith, which is precious, but it is not complete yet. It

is the first and most important prorequisite, but not complete yet. You add

to your faith virtue. I will explain a virtue, knowledge, knowledge,

self control, self control, perseverance, perseverance, godland. These are all

in sequencer perseverance, godliness, godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness.

The final thing is the divine nature of God? Why is that laugh?

So what is the divine nature of God that God wants you and I

to partake in? Love? You think about it? God save you to

become like him? How do we become like him? When you love?

When you see? Always said? We always said, hey, God,

if you're real, show yourself, show your glory. What is God going

to do? God created the universe redin. That has already been done readin.

You know they're thinking the greatest he can do create a universe. You

know that's been done already. You know you created the sun, universe in

seven days. It's already been done, you all. If anything less than

that is already, you know, it's God. It's always been done.

Ready, got it done that already. He's retired from that already, you

know. But God demonstrated himself in the most complete and perfect manifestation through what

Jesus and what did. Jesus came down to demonstrate about God more than just

wiping the earth with another flood, again, creating another set of animals,

again, just normally healing people. If Jesus was just about healing people,

he could extend me his ministry. Jesus came down to demonstrate God's love.

Love, not just talking about love, not just coming to the bag and

I'll give you a nice rob. It's love demonstrated, love demonstrated so that

you were and I will be reminded that's the divine nature that I've been caught

to. I've been loved, and now I must love seriously people. That

is the direct opposite or what lasting after the world is. You know what

I'm saying, This is what Peter was saying. You look at these people.

They are whatever they are teaching, whatever they're lasting, they are going

on this path. But they are going on this path because they have missed

the vision and the calling that God has caught for them to be like him.

But they want to be like the world. You know what I'm saying.

You know what is in your heart? Do you want to be like

him? Or do you want to be like the world? Because be like

me? What is it to be like me? Love? Okay? How

much time do you have? Okay? I'm trying to be very conscious of

that. Everybody, Okay, doing so far? You all learn something here

today? What's God called you to do? Suan not suan not? Okay,

don't think, don't say that. What your learn is about money?

Okay? Let I die very strong word again, sorry, sensor. Then

okay, all right, okay for my let me as I close, let

me I'm not closing it about I'll go through these seven points okay very quickly.

Now. It says it add to your faith in sequence. The first

thing that we add is one virtue. Why is virtue? Do you think

of a virtuous person? Means someone who is very upright? Okay? The

word virtue means moral excellence? What is moral excellence? Moral excellence is twofold

always knowing what is the right thing to do and always doing it. There

is never a gray, maybe maybe not, it's always very clear what it's

the right thing, and you do it, just do it. A virtuous

person is that they're always knowing the right thing, isn't it? Do you?

When you when you want to do the right thing, you go to

a virtuous persons in it? The virtuous person always knowing what is the right

and doing it. There's a virtuous woman, virtuous man, always very clear,

there is no gray, very clear. So the mark of a Christian

when you are saved, it's not that you are living free and all in

living in your freedom and just indulging with whatever you have. The first mark

of a Christian is that you it's very clear to your what is right and

wrong. Wow does it make sense now? First mark in your life is

that it's always very clear to me what is right and wrong and your nature

and your tendencies. I just want to do the right. That is virtue.

So if you say you know God, do you see that in your

life? He's telling you to the Romans, to the Greeks, to the

Jews, to all these people who say they know God, are you virtuous?

Do you do what it's right, or you just preach about it?

Are you virtuous? And some people and the people who who who think they

are Christians, you know how they are not They tend to gray things up.

Maybe not. Maybe there's an exception to where maybe it's a bit difficult.

You can I mean right, why because doing knowing the writing and doing

the writing doesn't mean it's easy. It's simple, but it's not easy,

you know what I mean? Right? Because there will always be inconveniences.

There are things that you have to give up. Virtuous doesn't mean that you

don't doesn't have to cost you anything. It will cost you. The simpler

it is, the more costly it is. Crana. When the police stop

you, are you virtuous? Is it like? Do you sometimes feel like,

oh, it's a bit complicated? Always say there, it's a bit

complicated. It's a bit of an entanglement. You know, it's not an

entanglement or complication. It's clear. Yeah, But the world and the deception

law will complicate things because they are never virtuous. They never want they may

know, but they never want to do it. Ah see you got this

way. You know it's one thing, but are you willing to do it.

If you're not able to do it, you will start to pervert the

knowing, you start to make exceptions. So the virtue is the first one

mark of a Christian virtue, and to virtue knowledge It's kind of interesting,

isn't it. Knowledge comes after virtue means that God instead, what it means

is that you don't need to be a Bible scholar, a Bible professor to

know what is the right thing. It's imprinted in you and I. It's

never complicated. It's always very clear. This the will. It is the

courage to do what is right, isn't it? It is never complicated?

Okay? But then it says, after you know what's right and wrong comes

knowledge? Why? Why is that the case? Why knowledge comes to the

dead. I thought we should know why first before we do. No,

we do first, then we know why, because that's how the world operates

is a name. We know why? First we can see we have a

business plan. I can see courts and in fact, I can calculate the

arrow. Then I do like a business makes sense, sounds like risk management.

Good. No, it's wrong. Instead, God say that you already

know why it's right and wrong. You do you walk follow after me,

then you will have knowledge. How does that work? Let me explain to

you how many of you like mats this? You guys are okay, crazy

people. Okay, my daughter will say that she because you don't like mats

By, But how many of you you don't like maths? You still score

very well in mats Oh, now it's the time to boss. Okay,

now it's the time. Do you do boss? Yeah? I don't want

to me. I got it? I got ten? Okay? Asking when

you do match? Right? How many of you understand what's the formula for

in life? When you study Matris? Like, okay, I look at

this algabrad, this iscrip. I'm going to be able to apply it when

I'm thirty years old. No, but you memorized it. You go through

so many work books and you do it. I don't know how many work

books, but you do and do why? Because you know that the formula

will get you to score throughout. I don't know how it works. I

don't like this question. I think the questions is serious. Well, but

if I apply this formula and I follow these steps, I will get score.

And you got used to score, isn't it? You got ninety plus

you got you got to you even got to you Uni because of that?

But did you know what is it for? No? You did it anyway.

But yet at the end it got you the reward, isn't it?

This knowledge? In Greek, it's not called the knowledge that comes from daytime.

This is called the Greek work. It's called epignosis. It's called the

knowledge that is able to get you from point A to point b. Who

not just any knowledge, the knowledge that is able to get you from point

A to point B. How many of you know KL? You know KA?

If I take away your phone and your ways? How many of you,

if I give you a building and the name, you are confident to

drive there and arrive there? Why not? I thought you're no KL?

How many of you borne from KL? Here? Shame on you? I

thought you're no care you live there, grew there, born from there?

You say, no KL, But yet you don't know how to navigate.

There is a type of knowledge that you know, and a type of knowledge

that can get you from point air to point B. You see how I'm

saying the type of knowledge that you can wield you know? And it's talking

about the type of knowledge that you just do Okay, it gets three point

point A to point B. It's a type of knowledge that when I was

six years old, you keept telling me, don't do drugs, don't go

gamble, okay, don't smoke, and do all the things. I don't

get it. Every one my friend is doing it by just follow that.

I just do do do do? I follow, follow, follow When I'm

thirty plus year old, when I'm forty years old, when I look around,

now I get it. You finally get it now I know why.

You see you reap the benefit, the long term benefit just by doing.

You didn't have a full comprehension, but the full comprehension requires you to be

patient and do it all the way. Then you started to I see now,

why am I dad telling me that? Why am my mom telling me

that? And you continue to having this epiphany when you grow older enough until

your forty fifty, sixty, seventy eighty, you grow Yeah, my dad

was right. You know why because you understood it. Not because you understood

why at the beginning, because you didn't have the experience, You had never

been through, perseverance, hardship, you know all of these things that require

you to have a proper knowledge. But you still needed that law, isn't

it You still don't needed that principle. You cannot let go, but you

just have to stick with it and then go go go, go, go

go go. I get it now. That is why you must have to

before your knowledge. You must have virtue knows why it's wrong, you might

not fully understand. You will continue to walk by faith, by faith,

by faith, by faith, by obedience, by knowing that it's a God,

that God is in control. When I do it, wow, when

I realize that now I see it. Now, I realize it. And

that knowledge helps you to work even further, you know, because what happens

when you're here you start to trust the process. Ah, you begin to

trust the process. You realize a lot of things fail me, but the

process never fails me. You start to have a different relationship with what with

pain we've heard, with suffering. You for a different way when you were

walking, I don't want suffering. I don't want to get my heart broken,

you know. But you the person and the man and woman you become,

you no longer despise the hurts. And when you see people going through

the same thing, they say, no, you shouldn't have a bad relationship

with your pain and suffering. You should learn to see what God is trying

to teach because you have a different relationship with you right now, makes sense

or not make sense? Not so God is trying to teach us to have

a different relationship with our experiences in life. You know, to see the

beauty. The work of God is complete to mode us in and through the

same way that we will want this for our children. Amen, okayybody,

okay, So of us so quiet, so quiet? Okay, okay,

so not then from not from virtue to knowledge, then you have start to

have self control. We see the see that's why when you start to trust

the process, you start to have self controls. And it self control means

you are able to hold. So self control means what I see the world

and I see God so exciting, so tempting. But I will still resisted

because if you don't have a vision, there's no reason for you to resist.

You know, you came in right. If there is no relationship with

what over the years, if you have been to experience, you will not

resist. You see, sometimes while we start to change our diet, you

know why, because we started to realize we have a life threatening effect.

You know, I maybe you found diabetes heart, now you have a stroke,

you have a high cholesterol. Your survival and your sense of success is

being threatened in people can change you, but doesn't mean that you cannot change.

You and I only change for two reasons, to survive and to succeed,

all of us, to survive and to succeed. When these two,

these two things in our life affect that we change, Okay, we never

change for another person. One. I will never change for my wife.

I won't change for our parents. Even sometimes you will leave your house,

leave the house of parent because you will never change for another person. But

you will change to survive and to succeed. Okay. So when you have

when you are having what they call it a purpose, that is, you

know you look at the world is beautiful, but yet you see the calling

of God. Okay, it says here, um, let me see.

Oh okay, when you see not When you're starting to trust the experience that

you have, you start to exercise self control and to self control perseverance.

When you start self control means daily you know you do. They restrain you

restrain and what happens that you would start to tell I am able to do

it. And when you are able to do it and you meet suffering,

you have a different attitude and relationship with pain and suffering. You start to

say that it's okay, I'm gonna make it through. Fail a business,

someone lost in your life. You agree, if I'm gonna make it through,

I'm gonna make it through. You see, you are only able to

persevere when you have exercise self control over and over. And you're only able

to exercise self control over and when you have experience and relationship with your past

experience. You get me when you are able to exercise all this because you

have followed and be virtuos in what you do is a sequencing, not if

I suddenly I don't know why I ask you, hey go and your pain

and suffering you amount. That's why we don't simply send missionaries out of no

way into the into into the dart and into the deep. You know,

because they don't have the experience to to to hold them together. You get,

I mean right, there's same way. You don't send your children like

that, but that pain, that virtue. That's why in every family you

must teach your children virtue. You must teach them patience, You must teach

them self control, get me in right. Then when they break their hearts,

when they get offend, when they fail something in life, they're able

to stand up again. You don't see what I'm saying. Yeah, it

makes sense or not. That's how you That's where you are used to in

life, where you are, it's that process. Okay, Then from there,

what do we have? Then? From there, from perseverance, you

have godliness? What is godliness? Godliness means what it means that you want

to be right with God? Godliness means that God, whatever there I do,

I just want to be right with you. What is a person?

Who? Who is a person there is right with God? What does it

mean to be right with God? What does it mean? What? You

realize that that all of us pray from something from God? Something we also

cray from our parents, from our loved ones. What is that? Approval?

To be right with God means? God approves me? You smile,

God looks at you. That's my son, that's my daughter. Approof all

I desire. I don't care about the world. I don't care about the

suffering and pain. Oh my God, I desire am I a proof?

This what sustains you? Want to know, that's what keeps you enduring.

You know, that's what kept Jesus enduring on the cross. You know you

gave me in right for the cross, and that was before him he endured.

It not my will, but you always be done. It is amazing,

is it? Not my will? By yours? See? The path

that God leads us is ultimately dying to ourselves, isn't it you see rolling

down and more and more person. That is God. God is God.

I just want to be right by you. When I desire to be right

by you. What happens you go out and when you when you are in

the public, when in your private life, when no one is looking at

you, even you have all the freedom, but yet your heart still say,

God, I still want to be right by you because I fear you.

You're a God fearing man. That's why the Bible says he is a

God fearing man. What means what he wants to be approved by God more

than anything else, complete dying to sell? Are we like that when we

make our choices? When you say that you want to pray about something,

do you really desire not just to pray whether it's a good choice. Do

you want to pray that it's God's choice for you? God, I want

a choice that you approve. You got me in right. Such a difficult

prayer to make. But if you say, God, how can I get

there? Read second Peter again, Read second Peter again. Amen, from

godliness to brotherly kindness? Then why? Then? All these things then you

lead to a love you see her? Why is the hardest thing to do

in this world. It's not just to endure it all, it's actually to

what to love people, to leve people who reject you, will ridicule you,

who treat you badly. Even for Jesus, it's not Do you think

it's easy for him to love us, to bear our sins even when we

deny him, We scoff at him, we reject him again and again and

again. You see her out of early. All these things are leads us

to love people and all, But to leve people. You can't do it

on your own strength. People, I try it, Okay, the moment

you go out into your car and you're drive into the road and someone cuts

your car, or the brother they love gold already and you post something on

Facebook and somebody said it, maybe you post us something not right. All

the brother they love gone already, It's true enough, all the love gone,

and do your how to forgive. But all these things God say that

you don't love out of your own strength, out of your own righteousness.

When you fear me, when you desire to do only what I say and

what I approve, then you will be able to love them according to my

righteousness. I forgive not because I feel like it. I forgive not because

you deserve it. I forgive not because I see of hope in the future

in you. I forgive because because God said, so, yeh me right.

Imagine what the world will be when the whole acknowledge is God, when

your whole, entire family acknowledge is God. And you're forgive not because He's

right and wrong because you feel like it. You forgive because it is the

right thing to do. It is the godly thing to do, and only

I will only do it because God is here. God is here right now.

I have to do it. And the more you do it, and

the more you do it, you start to see people responding. God manifesting

through you, God manifesting through the church. So yeah, you see what

I'm saying. Then when once you love people and people come to respond,

then you have the aga love love demonstrated. Then you will realize that this

path is completely different from the world. When you have fully love, forgiven

sacrificial love, then you know God. You are the one that knows God,

not the Greek, nor the Jew, nor the jew Wish, nor

the people who follow different apostles. When you love, you know God.

Amen. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information on

our church, please visit X Church the RG. We are also active on

Facebook and Instagram. We're believing that this week is going to be a good

week ahead for you. God bless