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Lessons From II Peter

2 Peter 1:8 (12/4/14)

December 4, 2014 • Benham Brothers

Jesus purchased these things (vs 5-7), gave them to us, and now expects them to increase (just like the talents). If you're not moving forward you're moving backwards. How do we know if we're being fruitful? Are we increasing in those attributes listed in verses 5-7? So long as you're becoming "more" diligent, self controlled, etc then we're being fruitful. There is no bar - We can just start right where we are - we don't have to become like Mother Theresa. God moves by degrees - He reveals Himself by degrees, He grows us by degrees, and He convicts us by degrees. Our temptations must decrease - are we still tempted to the same degree and with the same things as last year? Our convictions & revelations must increase - are you convicted about anything more than you were this time last year? Has God shown Himself more to you than He has before? Our interests must morph into God's interests - are we more interested in the things God is interested in? When these things happen we will increase in fruitfulness.

2 Peter 2:19 (12/1/16)

December 1, 2016 • Benham Brothers

• When God gives you something we have to hold it with an open hand. • We are slaves to whatever we hold onto - it begins to control us. • The more you focus on the thing in your hand it magnifies and intensifies: • It magnifies and becomes bigger to you than it should be. • Your desire for it will intensify. • Like a magnifying glass burns paper when focusing the sunlight on it during a hot summer day. • When you’re willing to let go of the thing in your hand you are no free! • You will only do this when you focus on the Person who put the thing there in the first place. • God won’t give you what’s in His hand until you first let go of what’s in yours.

2 Peter 2:20-21 (12/7/14)

December 7, 2014 • Benham Brothers

These verses are so good for young people to pay close attention to, especially those in Christian families. I graduated from a Christian school with rules that kept most of us out of trouble. Several kids had a thirst for the things of the world, even though for a while they were protected from them. Fast forward to today - from my graduating class: Those who gave themselves to the world are close to God-haters - very cold and callouse toward the things of God. Those who dabbled in the world but repented and came back to their roots are strong believers. PART 1 - "For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ....." My friends escaped the defilements of the world because they were being brought up in the knowledge of Jesus. Epignosis (knowledge) - experience. They have tasted and experienced but have then refused (Hebrews 6). PART 2 - "http://.....they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first." If they experienced Christ and then chose the things of the world over Jesus, they become worse than they were at first. Verse 19 - "http://...for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved." They didn't control their appetites. PART 3 - Verse 21 - Peter says it would have been better for them to have remained ignorant than to have flatly rejected God. God deals more harshly with those who know better. Matthew Henry explains this as the difference between the "saving" knowledge of Christ and the "influential" knowledge of Him. He says, "A religious education has restrained many whom the grace of God has not renewed: if we receive the light of the truth, and have a notional knowledge of Christ in our heads, it may be of some present service to us; but we must receive the love of the truth, and hide God's word in our heart, or it will not sanctify and save us."

2 Peter 3:11-12 (12./3/15)

December 3, 2015 • Benham Brothers

• Peter had explained that the world is going to burn up when Christ returns. • So what type of people ought we to be? • 1) Holy - to be set apart. • We need to stand out from the rest, like a chocolate chip in a batch of cookie dough. • 2) Godly - to be reverent toward Him. • Reverence toward God sets the stage for radical obedience even when it doesn’t make sense. • 3) Wait Expectantly - to keep watch, looking and listening for God in all things. • Always being ready, like the bench player on a basketball team.

2 Peter 3:15 (11/26/17)

November 26, 2017 • Benham Brothers

*** This is part 2 of a message given on 1 Peter 3:1-9 on 11/26/17 *** * Foundation - Peter and Paul - two guys who were very similar in personality and temperament. * They weren’t close relationally, but they were one in the Spirit. * Peter never held a grudge against Paul even though Paul publicly rebuked him. * Why? * 1) Humility - he allowed accountability and was willing to be rebuked (like Jesus did). * 2) Perspective - he knew the gospel was at stake and God was using both men to preach it. * If Peter allowed himself to think contemptuous thoughts toward Paul he never could have complimented him. * Contempt is the key destroyer of relationships. It works like this: * 1) Conflict - an agitation or offense that sparks a negative feeling. * 2) Critique - we analyze and evaluate them through a negative grid. * 3) Criticize - this is negativity expressed. * * Complaint is about behavior / Criticism is about a person - it attacks character. * 4) Contempt - the feeling of “I’m better than you.” * * It’s a result of comparison, and takes place in the mind - it leads to and also reveals PRIDE. * Peter could have said, “Paul never knew Jesus like I did….didn’t see Him transfigured, etc.” * What do we do? We do what Peter shows us: * Take thoughts CAPTIVE! * We either lock negative thoughts up and be free, or we lock ourselves up as our thoughts run free. * Captive thoughts are still alive until they starve to death (only if we don’t feed them). * A thought becomes our captive when we * 1) Recognize what’s happening. * 2) Renounce the lie. * 3) Replace with the truth.