This morning we’re beginning a new study looking at the letter of 2 Peter.  Please turn with me there - 2 Peter - starting at chapter one verse one.  As you’re turning let me share some of where we’re going with this study.

Take a look a this picture.  On the left is Alcides Moreno - age 37 - married - father of three.  Next to him is his son Michael.  On the right is Alcides’ brother Edgar.  Last December 7th - Alcides and Edgar - were working as window washers - 47 stories up on an apartment tower in New York - this building - 47 stories above the ground - when their platform broke free and fell to the ground.  Edgar was killed instantly.  Alcides survived.

Statistically - the death rate from a 3 story fall is about 50%.  People who fall more than 10 stories almost never survive.  47 stories is beyond belief - unexplainable.

When Alcides arrived at the hospital both legs - his right arm and wrist were broken in several places.  He had severe injuries to his chest - his abdomen - and his spinal column.  His brain was bleeding.  Just about everything was bleeding.

Doctors pumped 24 units of blood into his body - over twice his entire blood volume.  They gave him plasma and platelets and a drug to stimulate clotting and stop hemorrhaging.

They sedated him - put him on a ventilator.  They inserted a catheter into his brain to reduce swelling.  They cut open his abdomen to relieve pressure on his organs.  Doctors  performed nine orthopedic operations to piece together his body.

Alcides was a mess.  That he was alive was amazing.  On Christmas day he spoke to his family for the first time.  Doctors believe he’ll walk again.  They’re optimistic for a substantial recovery.

His wife - Rosario said, “I told him, ‘You're not going back to work there.’”  She also said this, “Thank God for the miracle we had.”  The hospital’s chief of surgery said this, “If you are a believer in miracles, this would be one.”  (1)  Gee, do you think?

There’s a line from Forest Gump:  “Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man.  Landing is the first.”  It’s the landing that kills - right?    Ever feel like you’re in free fall waiting to hit bottom?  Praying for a miracle on the way down?

As believers in Jesus Christ we have a certain hope of eternity with God - where we get to dwell with God forever - living with those that have gone on before.  No more tears or crying or pain or mourning - no more death.  We’re going to get new bodies.  Can I hear an amen?  The crud of this world will pass away forever.  We believe that one day Jesus will return and we will be with Him.  I’m really looking forward to that.  Are you?

Intellectually we know that even if we hit bottom God has that covered.  But, it’s the gravity of our daily lives that makes us feel like we’re in free fall.  That has us clawing for miracles.  Ways to live life today.

That’s where Peter is coming from.  In this letter of 2 Peter - Peter is going to share a lot about heaven and the hope we have in Jesus.  He’s going to give us some pretty exciting things to think about in the “What Comes Next” category.  But, Peter also shares about living life right here in the present - knowing what we hope for - how we can live life today.

2 Peter 1 - verse 1 to 4.  Let’s read these verses out loud together and then we’ll come back and make some observations.  Verse 1:  Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:  Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.   For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

Four Observations.

First:  Notice What Jesus did for Peter  Say that with me.  “What Jesus did for Peter.”

In verse 1 Peter introduces himself as “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ.”  Each word in that description is important.

Simon was the name Peter’s parents had given him.  Jesus - when He called Simon as His disciple - Jesus changed his name to Peter.  Simon refers to Peter before he was a disciple of Jesus.  Peter represents who he’s become.

Jesus taking hold of a rough - unstable - brash - fisherman and turning him into a revered exemplary leader of the Church.  A fisher of fish becoming a fisher of men.  The one who declared “Lord even if everyone else fails you I won’t - even if I have to die.”  Then stumbled by denying Jesus - not once but three times.  Simon who becomes Peter who when he was martyred refused to deny his faith in Jesus - insisted on being crucified upside down out of respect for Jesus.

Peter is writing this letter - 2 Peter - probably around 65 or 66 A.D. - writing from a Roman jail cell not too many days removed from his crucifixion.  In his letter of 1 Peter - written years earlier - Peter starts off only with the name Peter.  But, here - facing eternity - perhaps looking back on his life - the transformation that’s taken place - he uses the name Simon Peter.

Peter describes himself as a “bond-servant.”  The Greek word is “doulos” - one who’s will is swallowed up in another’s.  With Peter that’s by choice.

We may have trouble with that.  In our independent - all about me - American society - it’s a little hard to think about voluntarily giving up our will to the will of another.

In Philippians 2 - when Paul writes that Jesus “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” - he uses the same word as Peter - “doulos.”  (Philippians 2:7)

In the Roman world slaves were the possessions of their masters - looked on with the same regard as a shovel or hammer - a tool to be used.  Jesus should have been worshipped - adored by people - angels - animals - served by all of creation.  Yet, Jesus voluntarily set all that aside to serve.

Having become a man - Jesus didn’t come as a king - a ruler or a rich person - someone insulated from the worst parts of our human condition.  He became the son of a common family - in a conquered nation - born in the humility of a stable.  In humility He voluntarily came and embraced us as brothers and sisters - without any advantage over us - facing life as we face life.  Choosing to lay aside His life to save those who took His.

In the Old Testament Moses is called the servant of the Lord.  David is called God’s servant.  Elijah is the Lord’s servant.  To serve - to be the Lord’s bond-servant - is something to be desired.  Not so that we can boast in our spiritual achievement.  But because in humility we realize the great privilege that’s been given to us - to follow the example of Jesus - to serve our Savior - in His name to serve others - to be used by Him to His honor and glory.

Peter also describes Himself as an apostle - one who has been sent out to share the good news of Jesus - the resurrected Messiah - the One who changed his life.  Jesus trains Peter and commissions Peter to a ministry that alters the course of history.

Last - Peter writes that all this is because of Jesus Christ. 

Spend time with Jesus Christ - experience a deepening personal intimate relationship with Him - learn to submit our will to His - and like Peter - our lives are going to change - how we face life - who we are and how God will use us.

Second observation.  Notice Who Peter Writes To.  Say that with me, “Who Peter writes to.”  Verse 1 - Peter writes to, “Those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours.”  

If you’ve come to this church expecting to find a congregation of people who have it all together then you’re probably going to be pretty disappointed.  We are the Simon Peters of the world.  Turn to the person next to you and share that with them, “We’re like Simon Peter.”

We’re a mixed bag of nuts struggling with real life issues.  We’re in process.  Some of us are more in process than others. 

Traveling around this world one thing I’ve noticed - as I’ve had contact with the church in a number of different countries - one certain reality is that any real congregation of believers is going to be pretty much like this one - at least in terms of nuttiness.  There’s a noticeable family resemblance among Christians - those who are clinging to Jesus.

Look at what Peter writes - together we’ve received this faith “by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Scripture identifies the core of our problem - sin.  God creates man without sin.  Man tempted by Satan freely chooses to disobey God - enters into sin - guilt - death.  The fatal disease of sin infects each one of us.  We go on - each day - struggling against the self-destructive behavior of sin.  Each of us living under the wrath of God - unable to save ourselves.

And yet Jesus - who is God - notice that Peter doesn’t mince words about that fact - “our God and Savior, Jesus Christ” - Jesus - who is the holy - sinless - the very righteous God - takes on the flesh and the nature of humanity - God incarnate.  Remember Christmas?  Seems so long ago.  Jesus voluntarily allows Himself to be crucified - in our place taking on Himself the penalty for our sin.  His death satisfying the righteous demand of God - so that when we place our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior we are made righteous in the sight of God.

Paul writes in Philippians 3:9:  “[that I] may be found in Him - Jesus - not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law - all the endless things I might do to be made right before God - but that - His righteousness - which comes from God on the basis of faith.”

We’re not just the Simon Peters of the world - but the Mary Magdalenes - the Thomases - the Nicodemuses - the Luthers and Calvins and put your own name there - those imperfect - flawed - people who have received this faith as it has been passed down through the centuries by others - and who today cling to the same Savior - who is the One who has saved us and is transforming our lives.  These are the people that Peter writes to - us.  People trying to avoid free fall.

Third Observation:  What Jesus has done for us.  Say that with me, “What Jesus has done for us.”

Look with me again at verse 2:  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord - now - here’s how that grace and peace which we so desperately need in our lives - here’s how that gets multiplied in our lives - going on - verse 3:  seeing that His divine power has granted to - read this out loud with me and instead of “us” put your name there - seeing that His divine power has granted to (name) everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 

The very power to live life comes from God.  Power is the Greek word “dunamis” - which is where we get our word - what?  Dynamite.  Unlimited - inherent - Divine power.

(slide) Power.  Don’t touch the wires or you’ll get fined $200.

Over the last few days the storms that have blown through here have left almost 2 million people without power.  Friday - as I was working on this sermon - just about the time I was working on this section dealing with power - Pat and the crew over here at the church were dealing with the power going off and coming on and going off and coming on - power fluctuations and surges and alarms going off - a real frustrating nerve unhinging mess.

God’s power never fluctuates - never fails - always reliable.  It is His innate ability to enable us to live life as He has designed life to be lived.

Peter writes that God’s divine power has granted to us - literally bestowed on us - like a king bestowing some great and wonderful unexpected gift upon his subject - God - because He is able - without fear of His failing us - through Jesus - God bestows on us all the things that we need to live life.

That is an incredible awesome promise for each one of us that we - individually need to hang on to.  When we’re hanging on for dear life - or dangling at the end of our rope - we’ve got to claim that promise.  God - as we come to know Jesus personally as our Savior - through our relationship with Jesus Christ - God supplies to us everything we need to live life within His grace and peace. 

Look how Peter defines this bestowment.  Peter says that God has given us everything we need to go on spiritually - granted to us everything pertaining to godliness.  That’s a tremendous promise because too often we feel spiritually inadequate.

Chuck Swindol - in his book, “Three Steps Forward, Two Steps Back,” describes “The Four Spiritual Flaws” - what the Christian spirituality is not.

Flaw #1:  Because you are a Christian - all your problems are solved.

Flaw #2:  All the problems you will ever have are addressed in the Bible.

Let’s face it there are principles in the Bible that apply to all situations in life.  But how many times have we wished we could look up a verse - 3rd Reubenites 12:2 - and God would say, “Steve turn back from thy sin for thou eatest too much pizza.”  Specific Godly guidance - a Red Phone to God - and we know what God’s will is.  There are many times when God desires for us to keep searching for His answer.

Flaw #3:  If you’re having problems, you’re unspiritual.  We’re ungodly because we’re wrestling with a problem.

Flaw #4:  Being exposed to sound Bible teaching automatically solves problems.

These are flaws in our spiritual thinking.  Somehow we get sold this idea that as Christians godliness means being spiritually perfect - and there’s something wrong with us if we’re not.  It seems like most of the time when someone talks about godliness they’re talking about someone that none of us could ever become.  Impossible standards of spiritually perfection and having it all together.

The definition of godliness lies with God and not with myself or any other person.  Godliness is the process of spiritual transformation - making Peters out of Simons.  Its not perfection - but process.  “I’m not there - but my desire is to get there.”  Allowing the Holy Spirit to work deep down in our lives - where attitudes are formed and decisions are made.

Bottom line:  Peter says that God - when we come to know Jesus as our Savior - God gives to us everything we need for life and to pursue godliness.

When we claim that promise - actually choose to live believing what God has done for us - we experience His grace because - by His Divine unending power - He supplies to us what we do not deserve nor could ever earn.  We experience His peace because - by His Divine power - we know that He never leaves us alone and that He is the one at work within us to empower and transform us into those who will live lives testifying of His glory and excellence.

Fourth Observation:  How we are to live.  Say that with me, “How we are to live.”

Nicolo Paganini is considered by many as the greatest violinist of all time.  On one occasion Paganini was standing before a packed house, playing through a difficult peace of music - a full orchestra surrounded him.  Suddenly one string on his violin snapped and hung down from his violin.  Beads of perspiration popped out on his forehead.  He frowned but continued to play, improvising beautifully.

To the conductor’s surprise, a second string broke.  And shortly afterwards - a third string broke.  Now there were 3 limp strings dangling from Paganini’s violin as the master performer completed the difficult composition on the one remaining string.

The audience jumped to its feet with shouts and screams - “Bravo!  Bravo!”  As the audience died down, the violinist asked the people to sit down.  Even though they knew there was no way they could expect and encore, they quietly sank back into their seats.

Paganini held the violin high for everyone to see.  He nodded at the conductor to begin the encore and then he turned back to the crowd - with a twinkle in his eye - he smiled and shouted, “Paganini....and one string!”

After that he placed the single-stringed Stradivarius beneath his chin and played the final piece on one string - as the audience - and the conductor - shook their heads in silent amazement.  “Paganini... and one string!”  (2)

Most of us will never have the opportunity to stand before an adoring crowd and play an encore on one string.  But life is like that.  Muncherian and one string.  Put your name there.  Frank and one string.  Beatrice and one string.  Only we lack the ability of Paganini.  The symphony of life is moving onward.  How can life be played on one string?  What if the string breaks?  How are we to live?

Verse 4 - Peter writes, “For by these - because of who God is an all that God has given to us - for by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that - here’s why God has done all this - so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

To “partake” is the Greek word koinonos”  Sound familiar?  It comes from the same root word we get - what from?  fellowship.  In fact, the same word we get “communion” from.  What we shared together earlier in the service.  Partake - fellowship - communion.

There’s a difference between having a relationship and having fellowship. 

All of us have things in common with others.  We share human life.   When we repent and accept Jesus as our Savior we come to have a relationship with Him.  We become a part of the family of God - the Church.  But, fellowship is not just because we have mutual interests or family relationships or because we come here for Sunday services or the potlucks or to share spiritual experiences.

Fellowship is much deeper.  Fellowship means experiencing life in Christ.  Relationship puts us into the family of God.  But, fellowship permits the life of that family to shine through us.

Put another way - thinking about our life together as the Church.  We’re like wanderers in the wilderness - out there in the corruptness of the world - who’ve come and sat down next to one another around the same fire.  We belong to each other - a unique community of people who’ve all come to share the same - common - source of life.  The common life - the fellowship - the communion that we share in Jesus Christ - the fellowship of those who know Jesus personally - who have given their lives to Him as their Savior and Lord.

Are we tracking together?  Partaking of with the Divine nature is so much greater than knowing God.

Relationship means that all God has is potentially ours.  But fellowship means we’re actually drawing upon that source.  Relationship is our possessing God.  Fellowship is God possessing us.  This fellowship with other believers and our fellowship with God through Jesus Christ - is deeper - more joyful - more satisfying than any type of relationship or experience which this world can offer us.

David, in Psalm 42 writes,  “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for Thee, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?” (Psalm 42;1,2)

When we learn to daily - in the stuff of life - learn to thirst after God - to find our satisfaction only in Him - to seek His presence and participation in the daily stuff of our lives - we begin to partake of His nature - to be possessed by Him.

That the world around us is corrupt is an understatement.  The word “corruption” literally means “decay.”  The things the world is lusting after - passionate about - thirsting for - are slowly causing decay - corruption - destruction - death.

When we allow ourselves to be partaken of by God - to become his bond-servants - when we choose to live within all that He promises to us - supplying to us with His Divine power - we escape the corruption of this world.  Even if everything around us is in free fall - we begin to learn to live as those who have hope - who know and experience God’s grace and peace.

_________________________
1. CNN.com  01.03.08
2. Charles R. Swindol, Strengthening Your Grip

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.