Sermon:  Necessity of Spiritual Arithmetic

Summary:  Our faith is not a one time deal, we need to apply all diligence in our
faith and "add" to it in growth.  Why?  Because God has provided what we need
to grow in life and godliness, and so that we can through these things inherit the
promises, participating in God's divine nature, and escape the corruption of the
world.

Know:  Faith will die out like a camp fire it new fuel is not periodically added to it. 
Therefore, we need to diligently grow in our faith by growing in godly character
and virtue

Feel:  The desire to grow more intimate with God through ongoing personal
transformation

Do:  Identify roadblocks in your life that prevent you from growing in godliness,
and pray about it, so that you can remove them from your life, or prevent them
from being obstacles.

Text:  2 Peter 1:3-5a

Scripture Reading:  2 Peter 3:18


Intro:
1.  What is/was your favorite subject in school?  Least favorite?
	a.  My least favorite was arithmetic/math - Always struggled with math
	b.  Got lectures of how important math is in everyday life
	c.  Have to know how to do math
	d.  If not, will lose out on a lot of things
2.  New Sermon Series - Spiritual Arithmetic - Very important
	a.  2 Peter 1:3-11 - Talks about supplying, or adding things to faith
		1)  Faith is not a one time thing 
		2)  Faith is not a static thing, it must grow in godliness
	b.  Background of letter
		1)  Dealing with false teachers
		2) A Characteristic of false teachers
			- Greedy, self-willed, revile spiritual things
			- Scoff at the second coming - Saying Christ never came
			- Sensuality, libertine lifestyle
		3)  Peter concerned that Christians will be tempted by them
		4)  Do we have that today? - Message still relevant
3.  Therefore we need to be diligent to "add" to our faith.  Why?

I.  (v.3) Because God has given us everything we need for life & godliness
	A.  Everything we need for life
		1.  Then why do I still drive a clunker?  Can't pay my bills? etc.
		2.  (Matt 6:25-34) - Life is more than food, body more than clothing
			a.  Don't worry about it -God takes care of the birds
			b.  Seek first his "kingdom" his "rule" in your life
			c.  Won't get rich, but God will care for you
		3.  If life not about food, what is life about?
			a.  Life is not merely existing
			b.  (John 17:3) - Eternal life is "knowing" God
		4.  "Life" through the true knowledge of him (v.5)
			a.  We can know God through Christ
			b.  We can know God through his word
	B.  Everything we need for godliness
		1.  What is godliness?  Being god-like in our character
			a.  God is good, holy, righteous, merciful, loving
			b.  Being godly means being all of these things
		2.  God has provided us what we need to be godly
			a.  (Rom 8:6-9) - Cannot please God in the flesh
				1)  But if a Christian, you are in the Spirit
				2) Rom 8:13 - By Spirit, put to death deeds of flesh
			b.  (Eph 3:16) - Strengthened with power through Spirit
			c.  (Gal 5:19-23) - Deeds of flesh, fruit of Spirit
		3.  Acts 2:38 - Receive Spirit at baptism
		4.  Divine power has given us what we need for life and godliness
			a.  Word to know Him (even word become flesh)
			b.  Spirit to strengthen us so we can grow
			c.  Life and Godliness, I need more!
	C.  ILL:  Watched movie about family going west in a wagon
		1.  Periodically come across a truck, or piano, organ, etc.
		2.  Why would people leave things like this behind?
			a.  It is too much
			b.  Too much will burden you down, slow you down
			c.  Can keep you from completing the trip
		3.  Same thing on a camping trip
			a.  Bring perfume, whole wardrobe, stereo, CD's, 
			b.  Will bog you down, can't make the trip with it
		4.  God doesn't want us to get bogged down
			a.  Not about accumilating the most things
			b.  Not about eating, drinking, and being merry
			c.  He who dies with the most toys (what is next word?) - dies
			d.  None of that matters - It's about life and godliness
	D.  All we need is "life and godliness"
		1.  God gives us our needs
		2.  Lots of material things may bog us down in our journey
		3.  We need to add to our faith, not "things" but growth in life and 
		     godliness

II.  (v.4a) Because through these things we can inherit the promises 
	A.  God has promised us an inheritance
		1.  Anyone every inherit anyting before?
		2.  If you want to pass something on, better make a will
			a.  If not, can have a hassle
	B.  Not so with God, he has gauranteed it
		1.  Why would God need to make a promise?
			a.  Jesus said, let you yes be yes
			b.  Jesus said do not make oaths
			c.  Reason:  Be a person of your word
				- Shouldn't need to make an oath
				- If you say it, you will do it
			d.  So why did God make a promise?
		2.  (Heb 6:13-19) - God "swore" by himself.  Why?
			a.  Was it because God could not be trusted?  No
				- v.18 - Impossible for God to lie - Not in his nature
				- v.17 - God's purpose is unchangeable
			b.  So why the oath?
				- v.18 - To give us strong encouragement
				- v.19 - To give us an anchor
	C.  ILL:  An anchor, what a marvelous picture
		1.  Went camping - Wind blew and blew - That is like our world
			a.  Always blowing, shifting, changing
			b.  People change minds, not keep promises
			c.  What can you depend on?
			d.  Tents that are not anchored down will blow away
		2.  Our anchor is God's promises, will always stand true
		3.  Made out a will, Christ died, our inheritance guaranteed
			a.  Already started receiving the inheritance
				- Life, forgiveness, Kingdom
				- Holy Spirit (down payment, pledge -Eph 1:14)
			b.  Will receive the rest in Heaven
				- v.4b - Will become partakers of the divine nature
				- Not sure exactly what he means by this
				- 1 John 3:1-3 - When he appears, we will be like him
	D.  You can depend on his promises
		1.  Don't worry, just be diligent to add to your faith
		2.  You will grow in life and godliness
		3.  Will inherit the promises
		4.  Third...

III.  (v.5) You can escape corruption that comes through lust
	A.  World is a corrupt place
	B.  Let's look closer at this corruption
		1.  Source of corruption - "lust"  Grk:  Epithumia = Desire
			a.  No moral connotation built into this word
				- Is also used of God's desire for us
				- Can be good desire, bad desire, neutral desire
			b.  "Lust" is too limited a translation, "desire" is better
				- Lust insinuates something sexual
				- Desire can be any kind of desire
		2.  There are all kinds of desire that causes corruption
			a.  Desire for power, control, fame, knowledge, wisdom?
			b.  (Gen 3:6) - Tree was "desirable" to make one wise
				- She tried to be "like God" without God
				- Wanted knowledge, wisdom, power, control
			c.  (Prov 3:5-7) - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do
not lean on your own understanding...Do not be wise in own eyes, fear the Lord
& turn away from evil
		3  (Rom 8:21) - The whole world is in slavery to corruption
			a.  Corruption came from selfish desire
			b.  Desire for power, control, fame, knowledge, wisdom
			c.  Desire for pleasure, self-gratification, amusement
			d.  Desire for all of these without God = corruption
	C.  ILL:  Corruption is a strong word
		1.  Synonymns for corrupt:  low, conemptible, debased, lewd, 
		      impure, infected, putrid, rotten, tainted, unsound
		2.  Anytonymns:  Cleanness, purity, wholesomeness, virtue, 
		     chastity, uprightness, innocence, integrity, soundness, morality
		3.  If you have something rotten and putrid, what do you do with it?
			a.  Take it out to the garbage
			b.  Goes to the city dump
		4.  The city dump in scripture is “Ge-henna” - Valley of Hinnom
			a.  The putrid, rotten trash goes there
			b.  They burn the trash there - the corrupt things
			c.  This is an analogy of Hell
	D.  But you can escape that corruption that leads to Hell
		1.  That is why we need to be dililgent to “add” this list to our faith
		2.  Will talk more about these items in the weeks ahead

Concl:  Do you want to escape corruption?
1.  Starts with Life & Godliness, through which we inherit promises
	a.  Where does new life and godliness begin?
		- Jesus came that we might have abundant life Jn 10
		- He makes us alive together with Christ - Eph 2:5
	b.  When and how does he do that?
		- Through our faith demonstrated in baptism
		- Rom 6:6 - Old self crucified, sin (corruption) done away 
	c.  He has given us everything we need for life and godliness
		- Inherit promises, escape corruption
		- Gave us his life, and will cleanse us from our sins
	d.  Wash away your sins today, be baptized
2.  Have already done that
	a.  Remember that faith was not a one time event
	b.  We need life and godliness
	c.  You have escaped the corruption of the world that leads to Hell
		- Don’t live of the world any longer
		- No cussing, sexual sin, abusive speech, grudges, anger, lying, 
		   stealing, greed, 
		- Instead, add to your faith what is on this list - Spiritual Arithemtic
3.  Do you still struggle with Spiritual Arithmetic?  Time to respond and commit