In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of making sure one's calling and election in Christ is secure. He encourages the audience, particularly young people, to wake up and engage their hearts in the faith they have obtained. The preacher then proceeds to give a detailed explanation of 2 Peter 1:1-11, highlighting the precious faith that believers have obtained through the righteousness of God and Jesus Christ. He urges the audience to diligently study and memorize these verses, emphasizing the power and promises that come through knowing God and living a godly life.

Hello, this is Brother Denny. Welcome to Charity Ministries. Our desire is that your life would be blessed and changed by this message. This message is not copyrighted and is not to be bought or sold. You are welcome to make copies for your friends and neighbors. If you would like additional messages, please go to our website for a complete listing at www.charityministries.org. If you would like a catalog of other sermons, please call 1-800-227-7902 or write to Charity Ministries, 400 West Main Street, Suite 1, AFPA, 17522. These messages are offered to all without charge by the freewill offerings of God's people. A special thank you to all who support this ministry. Good morning. Greetings in Jesus' name. This fine Monday morning, first day of Bible school. I'm very grateful to be here. I do consider it a great privilege to have the opportunity to share God's heart with you young people. I look back over my Christian life. It's now 34 years since God had mercy upon me. That means I'm getting old. But then I think about all of you. And I think of the treasures that are being deposited in your hearts at the ages that you are. And my heart thrills for you. Thrills for you. You should go way beyond with the things which God is entrusting you with, dear young people. We have a little handout for you. Maybe you could raise your hand if you haven't gotten that yet, so we get a little idea of where we're at on that. Just a few hands up there. I'll explain what this handout is for. It's to help you study this portion of Scripture. 2 Peter, chapter 1, verse 1 through 11. It's laid out the way that it is on purpose so that you can mark that piece of paper, circle, underline, circle a word, give a definition to the word, write notes, put three points beside this verse. I trust that you'll fill that paper up with your writings through the week. Just an encouragement to you to dig deep into this portion of Scripture. Frankly, I don't know how Brother John is going to teach a whole book of the Bible in five days. He's a better man than I am. But I'm pretty excited about having 11 verses. I think that I can handle that and that we can cover it in good detail here through these next five days. Does everyone have one of those pieces of paper now? Just simply the Scriptures put in the middle of the page so you can write. There's a few in the front here. Brother David, two Brother Davids. Just put your hand up, keep it up so that they can see that. We'll just work on some of this introduction while you're getting these. Well, I'm kind of extra grateful to be here this morning. Last year, I didn't teach in Bible school. I think it was the first year that I ever did not teach. But I just felt like it was time for me to sit on the bench and listen and learn. God has been purifying my life the last year and a half in some very specific ways. And I just felt it was time to sit on the bench last year. And so I went to Bible school just like you did last year and just sat and took notes and examined my heart as all the different messages were given. And I can say that it's been a very good year. God has humiliated me a few times as He has helped me to see some of my needs. But I'm very grateful for that. And I'm grateful to be able to stand up here before you this morning with a clear heart and a desire to glorify God in all that I say. So having said that, let's have a prayer and we'll get into our first session here. Father, we do love you this morning. We thank you that you are holy. We do understand that, Father, in a measure, who you are. And we thank you that you've let us see a little of who you are. Oh, Father, we do also thank you that you are our Father. Not only are you holy and our hearts stand in awe of you, you are also my Father. And, oh God, we just want to commit this session to you, Lord. We acknowledge that there's nothing we can do, there's nothing we can say, except you give us your grace, God. There's nothing we can hear, except you give us your grace, God, would you? Give your Spirit, Father. Let your Spirit rest upon everyone in this room, Lord. You know that young man, that young lady that's restless, that's struggling a bit, that's not sure what to do with all that they're hearing. Oh, God, would you just settle down upon each and every one of our hearts, Lord. Give us ears to hear. We pray in Jesus' holy name. Amen. All right, the title of our session this week is The Pursuit of Godliness, and we've already given you the Scriptures that we'll be focusing on. The title of the message this morning, the first one, while it is an introduction, we also want to give a title to this first message and call it The Faith of the Apostles. The Faith of the Apostles. I'm taking that title out of a portion, a phrase there in the first verse. Having obtained like precious faith with us, Peter said. Like precious faith with us, said Peter. That's where I get my title this morning. This series on The Pursuit of Godliness is foundational. The Pursuit of Godliness is not an option in the Bible. It is an imperative. Now, an option is something that you can choose or not choose, but an imperative is a command, and we will see the import of that command as we move down through this portion of Scripture, but I want to engage your hearts and arrest your attention, the beginning here, young people, that pursuing godliness, personal godliness in my heart and in my everyday life, is not an option in the Christian life. It is an imperative. You cannot go forward if your heart does not say, Amen, Lord, I want to go on in my Christian life. You cannot go forward, and may I be so bold as to say it, you won't make heaven, young people. You won't make heaven if your heart does not say, I'm not satisfied where I am. I want to go forward in my Christian life, and I do believe that I'm speaking to a group of young people as a whole. That's what you want, and that's why you're here. Amen. God bless you. Your very life and future depends on how you respond to these teachings this week, not just mine, all of them. You must get a grip on this pursuit of a godly life, of a holy life, of something that is practical and real in your everyday experience. Peter calls it, adding to your faith. In 1 Peter, he said, Be holy, as we've already been told. Paul said it this way in the book of Hebrews. Let us go on unto perfection. And Paul said it this way to the Corinthians. Perfecting holiness in the fear of God, or bringing holiness to maturity in the fear of God in our own lives. Paul also says, Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man or woman shall see the Lord. And may I say it this way? In this life, or in the one to come, you want to see who God is? You must have a heart that desires. You want to see God someday in heaven? You must have a heart that pursues the Lord in very practical ways. Or you won't make heaven, I promise you. Contrary to popular opinion in American Christianity, you will not make heaven if you do not pursue God and a holy life while you're here. It won't happen. Alright, we're going to read the Scriptures at this point. Oh, one other assignment. I want you to memorize these verses, young people, this week. For tomorrow, you take the first two verses. And you'll be tested. So, I'm not sure how I'm going to test you. I might just say, Brother, stand to your feet and quote those two verses. Sister, quote those verses for today. I'm not sure how I'm going to do it yet, but I'm engaging your minds. I want you to memorize these verses. I had the blessed privilege, one time when I was in Bible school, I studied the book of Romans in summer school. Six weeks we went through the book of Romans. Do you know what the assignment was for us? We had to read the book of Romans every day. That's forty times through the book of Romans. I'm telling you, I learned the book of Romans. While we were studying it verse by verse by verse, we were reading the whole every day for six weeks. I learned the book of Romans. And I want you to learn this portion of Scripture. So, engage your minds. You've got quick, alert minds. Use it to hide these words in your heart. All right. I'm going to read the whole text here, but first I want to read verse ten to you. Again, just to draw your alert hearts and minds into this subject. Verse ten says, Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. That sounds pretty good, doesn't it? Anybody interested in victory in their Christian life? If ye shall do these things, ye shall never fall. Glory! Let's do it. Let's do it. Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ to them that have obtained like precious faith with us. How? Through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness. How? Through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature. My, that's exciting, isn't it? Having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, or because of this, giving all diligence. Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure. For if ye do these things ye shall never fall. For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I want to start with a question here. Is your calling and election sure? I mean, no question mark over your life. As I thought about that little phrase there, and I thought about all you young people, I thought, you know, it's either this way. It's either positive, negative, or a question mark over your life. Positive, I'm saved, I know I'm saved, my life is sure, my heart is set, I know where I'm going, I know what my vision is, I know where I want to be, and I know how to live. That's the positive. A calling and election which is sure. No question. Then I thought, you know, there's probably some in a group this size. You know, if you died right now, you're lost. So we put the negative up there for you. You know, if you died right now, you're lost. People would weep. They would weep. If you died right now, then I thought, you know, there are those in this room today, their calling and election is not sure. It's just kind of a question mark. If you died right now, and they said, well, was she ready? Was he ready? I don't know. I don't know. It's time to wake up, young people. It's time to engage your hearts. We're going to give an exposition of these verses. That is a detailed explanation, verse by verse. Starting in verse 1, we see this glorious proclamation that Peter makes, writing unto those who have obtained like precious faith with us. I mean, think about that. As you sit here today, you have, if you're born again, have obtained the same like precious faith of the Apostle Peter, of the Apostle Paul, of James, of Stephen, and Philip, and Barnabas, and on and on the list could go. Like precious faith. The faith that the Apostles preached, brothers and sisters. The faith that the Apostles practiced, you and me, have obtained like precious faith. What a joyful thought. The faith that Jude was earnestly contending for, and encouraged us to earnestly contend for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. You have obtained that like precious faith. And, if you haven't, my encouragement to you is, enter in this week to that like precious faith of the Apostles. It's a glorious faith. It's a life-changing faith. It'll turn you upside down and inside out. It'll redirect your life. It'll change the motivations of your heart. It'll completely turn you around 180 degrees. It's like precious faith of the Apostles. Unless you think that it's different for you than for them, just walk through the Gospels and look at how those fellas behaved themselves at times. They needed the same transforming power of the Spirit of God through the blood of Christ that you and I need. And they got it. Hast thou this faith? Yes, the faith of the Apostles is still alive today, passing down through the ages like a fiery torch, from one heart to the next, to the next, down to me, and down to you. Hallelujah! Oh, you are a privileged bunch of young people! Oh, do you realize how many millions and millions of people have never heard one time? Do you only realize how many hundreds of thousands of young people in this land would desire to sit and hear the very things that you're hearing? That faith has come down through the centuries like a fiery torch, and has been planted in your heart. Hallelujah! Hallelujah! What are we going to do with it? Peter is writing to believers, it's very clear from this first verse. And I want you to please note the focus of this faith. It is a person. The faith, this like precious faith, the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints, that faith, the focus of that faith is a person, and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ, our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen? Our God and Savior Jesus Christ. It's not a creed. It's not a doctrine. Though creeds are good, and doctrines we want, but this like precious faith, the focus of the heart, is on our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Paul, one of the apostles, met the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, and his life was never the same. I met the Lord Jesus Christ in the front seat of my car 34 years ago, and my life has never been the same. Have you met the Lord Jesus Christ? Or have you given a mental assent to some doctrines about Jesus? Or made an agreement in your heart that now you're going to do this Christian thing? The focus of our faith, it is on a person, and He is our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Young people, salvation is a person. Salvation, the reality of salvation, is a person coming into my being and transforming me. Hast thou this precious faith? 2 Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 5, Paul says these words, and these are good words, these are healthy words, these are solid words to our hearts. He says, Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith. Prove your own selves. And I just want to encourage you in the beginning of this week, it's okay for you, if you're kind of floundering around and flip-flopping back and forth and there's not much interest in the things of God, I would challenge you, examine yourself and say, Do I have this faith? And Paul goes on in chapter 13 there of 2 Corinthians by saying, Do you not know? Do you know experientially that Christ is in you? And I know I'm giving you meat right off the top here, right at the beginning, but that's okay. Do you know experientially that Christ is living in you? That our God and Savior Jesus Christ is living in you by His Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit. Do you know experientially that Christ is living in you? Examine yourself and prove ye your own selves, Paul says. You say, Brother Dinnie, you're trying to shake us all up and make us fear and doubt and all that. No. No, I'm not trying to do that. That's not my heart. My heart is, if you're flip-flopping around and you've got some profession of something that you look back to and a prayer you prayed or whatever, but life is really just kind of like this for you and it's in and out and your mind is on worldly things and all that, I would just say to you, open up your heart to the Spirit of God and ask the Spirit of God. Bear witness in me whether I am or whether I'm not. Not only is the focus of our faith on the Person of Christ still in verse 1, but also the focus of our faith is on the work of Christ. Praise God! Something that was done 2,000 years ago, that's the focus of our faith. Salvation is through the righteousness of God. Look what he says. We have obtained like precious faith through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. So not only do we focus on the Person of Christ, He is our salvation, but the focus of our faith is on the work of Christ, that which He did 2,000 years ago. Now that's encouraging. Especially with young people who have grown up in a Christian home, there is a tendency for you to think, oh, I must do this and this and this and I must do and I must do. No! It's not that way. That's not how you enter in. It's not just a decision to start reading your Bible. It's not just a decision to start getting sober and serious when you come to church. No! It's not that at all. Salvation is entering in to the reality of Jesus Christ in your life based on something that Christ did 2,000 years ago. It's not a work for you. It is finished. Remember? Remember what He said as He hung there on the cross? It is finished. And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. Young people, it is finished. Salvation is through the righteousness of God our Savior, Jesus Christ. The perfect life that He lived. His perfect walk with His Father. And His perfect sacrifice, the ultimate display of the right ways of God. Is there a greater, more righteous act than the Creator laying down His life and becoming our Savior? I mean, that is righteousness. And young people, salvation is through the righteousness of Jesus Christ. When we choose to put our faith in Him, God changes our life. Oh, I remember so clearly when I was born again, I mean, I know it's different for all of us, but for me, I had nothing to hang on to. I had nothing to stand on. I had nothing. There was nothing good about me at all. I was simply a mess. And I looked unto Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. And my whole life was changed as I came to God in repentance. He shed His own blood for our sins, young people. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. Think of it! He who knew no sin, He lived a perfect life. He walked a perfect walk with His Father. He who knew no sin was made sin for us. Why? Oh, so we can go to heaven. No. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. There it is! That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. The work is done. It is finished. There is no work that we can do. It's not what these hands have done. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Young people, hast thou this faith? Look and live! Isaiah says, Look ye, all ye ends of the earth, look unto Me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, Isaiah says. It's like the serpent on the pole. Remember? Remember the serpent on the pole? All those Israelites, because of their wickedness, their murmurings, their complainings, their rebellings against God, God sends fiery serpents. I mean tens of thousands of fiery serpents all into the camp of the Israelites. And those serpents begin to bite the people one by one by one. They are bitten with fiery serpents, which is poisonous serpents. And I don't know which kind of a poisonous serpent it was, but I know that when you get bit by poisonous serpents, you die. And I mean, they were in a hard place. They're laying in their tents and their bodies are swelling up and who knows, maybe they're spitting blood like sometimes they do depending on which kind of snake you're bitten by over in Africa. You begin spitting up blood as your very lungs break up into pieces and start coming out as you cough. And there they are, laying there in their beds, in their tents, and everybody's frantically afraid and everybody is upset and there's turmoil everywhere. And Moses goes to God and says, please have mercy on the people. And God says to Moses, I want you to make a serpent out of brass and hang it on a pole and stick it up into the midst of the camp. And tell the people, everyone who looks upon that serpent on the pole will be healed. Well, that's the way it is, young people. Same thing. I'm undone. I'm bitten by the serpent. My life is falling apart. I am guilty and I don't know what to do about it. And I would say to you, you come with a repentant heart and look at the serpent on the pole. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up. And look to Jesus, His death on the cross, His sacrifice, His righteous act, and you'll be healed. It's just that simple, young people. But the question is whether you believe that, whether you act upon that, or whether you just keep on going your own way. You know, because some, I'm sure that some just died there in the camp. Maybe they lay there and they thought, I'm too far gone. Maybe some of them thought, look at a serpent on a pole? Come on. You're telling me, the mess that I'm in, I'm spitting blood, I'm dying, my body is all swollen. You're telling me all I have to do is look at a... That's crazy. And they just rolled over and died. But there were some in those tents when they heard the news, they got up out of their bed, maybe they crawled down through the lanes to find their way to the place where the serpent was hanging on the pole. But those who did, as soon as they looked, and you don't doubt it, they were looking in faith. Their heart was engaged. There was faith within their hearts saying, Moses said that God said that this is what we need to do, and this is what I'm going to do. And they made their way out there with that expecting faith in their heart and looked at that serpent on the pole and they were healed just like that. Hallelujah. Young people, it's that simple when you get to the end of yourself and you say, there's nothing that I can do. Salvation is Jesus Christ. You come in great need, you come in repentance, but you come in faith and you will be healed. I promise you. Let's move on to verse 2. Who can tell me what's my schedule here? 1130. Let's go on to verse 2. Not only does life begin in a person, the person of Christ, but life, eternal life, abundant life, a multiplying life is in and through that same person. Did you see that? That abundant life, that eternal life, that multiplying life is in and through the same person. Grace and peace be multiplied, not added, not given, multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Young people, this is the faith of the apostles and it has come to you and I. How we thank God for it. Now, this word knowledge, it means a full and personal knowing of God. Through a personal and full knowing of God. Grace and peace is multiplied to you through a personal knowing of God. How much grace do you want? How much peace do you need? It comes through a personal knowing of Jesus Christ. Jesus said these words in John 17, This is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. This is eternal life, young people. So not only does life begin in the person, the person of Christ, and faith in that person, but life continues to flow the same way. As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him. Paul says in Colossians, Grace, God's favor, God's smile, God's power is multiplied unto you through the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. And peace, that is perfect well-being and freedom in every area of your life is multiplied to you through the knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Again, like the serpent on the pole, just keep coming and looking. I know what I'm going to say is speculation, but I've been just speculating a bit. You know, back in Numbers there, where the children of Israel were bitten by those serpents, I wonder if any of them got bit again after they had been healed. I mean, there's a good possibility of it if there were serpents everywhere. And if you know what serpents are like, they just kind of, you know, underneath the bush, or hiding in the tomato plant, or underneath some mat in your tent and you reach down for something and just like that, you know, or in a bunch of sticks like with Paul when he was bitten by that serpent there. That's kind of the nature of a serpent. But just think about it. You were bitten. You were dying. You were spitting blood. The news came to you. You got out of your tent. You went down to that place. You looked at that serpent on the pole. You were instantly healed. You went on your way rejoicing, excited about it. But now, wait a minute. Let's say you go back to your tent and you reach down in to get something out of a box and a serpent bites you again. Are you going to despair like you did the other time? Hmm? Not a worry. Not a worry. I've already been to the serpent on the pole once. Not a problem. Follow me. I know right where the pole is. And young people, that's exactly the way it is. Maybe you've lost your way a little bit. Maybe things aren't just quite right. That's alright. The blood is on the mercy seat today. Hallelujah. Just like salvation in its initiality comes through the person of Jesus Christ and the glorious work that He did on the cross, so also this grace continues to flow in our lives through that same person. Because there's blood on the mercy seat, young people. You don't have to stay in the condition that you are in. What peace, what confidence to walk through this world, yes, a wicked world, an unholy world, a hostile world, but to walk through this world having been born again by that incorruptible seed that we heard about this morning. You walk through this world, and yes, there are things out there that are hostile to us. There are things out there that can draw us. There are things out there that sometimes defile our feet as we walk through the world. But, blessed be God, there's blood on the mercy seat this morning. What a confident way to walk through life. Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, every day. Let's go on to verse 3. We see also that divine power flows to us or is given to us from that same person. Divine power. This like precious faith, young people, activates a storehouse of provisions for you and I. This like precious faith activates a storehouse of provisions for you and I. Young people, the power of the Holy Spirit is yours. Hast thou this faith? Then the power of the Holy Spirit is yours. According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and God. Divine power flows to us, is given to us through the same person. Turn in your Bibles with me to Acts and we'll just read. I want to show you that it's provision for you. In Acts chapter 2, we're coming down toward the end of Peter's sermon and he's explaining to these thousands of Jews and proselytes, he's explaining to them what has happened. What it is that is making these 120 disciples to speak in all the languages of all the people that are there listening. He's explaining to them, this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. And he finishes by saying it this way, verse 38 of chapter 2, Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Have you been called? This like precious faith which has come down through the centuries and now dwells within your very breast has a storehouse of provision, young people. A storehouse. God has promised to pour out His Spirit on our sons and our daughters and that's you. God has promised to pour out His Spirit upon our sons and our daughters and that is you. And he goes on to say, And they shall prophesy. They shall speak forth the mighty works of God in the power of the Spirit of God. Young people, that's you. Great provision is made. It flows from that same person, our God and Savior Jesus Christ. Imagine with me 600 young people on fire, full of power, prophesying everywhere they go. Hallelujah! It says, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. An active and vibrant relationship with Christ activates a storehouse of provisions for you and for me. Young people, all you need to live a holy and a sanctified life has been provided. It's been provided for you. That's good news! Good news! Good news! You can live a holy life! Good news! Good news! You don't have to be like the sea tossed this way and that way anymore. Good news! You can go on unto perfection, young people. All the provisions have been made because divine power flows to us through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith in the person and promises of Jesus Christ. Do you see that? Do you see the vital connection there between faith and true godliness? You see, young people, we're not presenting religion to you this week. We're not here to tell you, do this and don't do that, although you will hear some very practical things. But young people, it's not about doing this or not doing that. It is about a clear, vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ. And the do's and the don'ts are just simply tests to help you to see whether you're walking with God or whether you're flip-flopping around. Because true godliness is produced by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is produced! You don't have to crank it up. You don't have to pump it up, young people. It flows! When heaven is open over your life, it flows! Those provisions have already been made. I mean, come on, young people. The money's in the bank. Who's going to line up outside the door with a checkbook and fill it out and cash it in? The money's already in the bank. What are you waiting for? The one produces the other. However, you must want true godliness or you will not have it. You do have your part in this whole matter of sanctification. Your heart must say, I want that. Your heart must say, I am not satisfied where I am at. Your heart must say, I want to go on in my Christian life. Your heart must say that. Your will must be engaged and say, I will pursue a godly life. I will. Alright, we're going to stop there. Halfway done. Let's pray. Oh, Father, we love You, Lord. What a joy. Lord, just to look into Your Scriptures and see these things, just again to behold Your dear Son, our Savior. Father, our hearts are stirred within us just to behold Him again and to see all that has been done for us. Father, we thank You for the faith of the Apostles. God, we thank You that has come down to us in these days that we're living in. Oh, let us be good stewards of this faith which has been deposited in us. Oh, Lord, I commit these young people into Your care. Lord, carry them where they cannot go. Yes, Lord, some of them who don't even know why they're here. Maybe they just came because they had to. Oh, God, I pray. Maybe they even wrote things that weren't true on their little questionnaire. God, I pray, get a hold of every heart, Lord, and take us on. We trust You to do that. We trust each young people into the care of Your Holy Spirit. I pray in Christ's name, Amen.