How to Finish Well

• View transcript

  How To Finish Well

  Download transcript

  Good morning and greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ from the elders and Saints at the Grove Bible down in Brandon, Florida. Grateful to have the privilege of being with you here today and lifting high the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of his holy and noteworthy and glorious word. When you think about yourself, I hope there are parts of yourself that are even to yourself, hard to understand. I'll be honest when I think about this particular fact of my life. I don't understand it very much. I don't understand why I enjoy running so much as strange. If you were to look at my frame, you would wonder the same. You'd be like, I don't understand that. It is a great mystery to me. How many of you absolutely hate running? Speak the truth in church. That is a vast majority of this congregation. I understand why you would do that, and I don't understand why I would have such an interest in running. But it but it is true. But it's also true that while I call it running, I know for sure that you wouldn't call it that. Uh, most of you, if you had a gracious construct, would call it jogging. You would suggest that what I'm doing is jogging. But others of you, if you were more honest with what was happening, it would look an awful lot like stumbling and stammering and struggling very, very much. But I'm glad to call it running. And I've also had the privilege of competing in a few races in my day. Uh, 10-K'S, quite a number of them, and even a few half marathons. On my bucket list is to finish a marathon. Bill Johncock actually tried to help me carry me through a marathon, and, uh, he failed or I failed and didn't get that done, but I've finished a few half marathons, 13.1 miles. Keep the point. One. Okay. I mean, thank you very much for your thoughtfulness and encouragement. Uh, it's been a while since I've done that, but as I picture myself finishing these somewhat sizable races, I can picture myself really struggling to the end, just fighting with every ounce of energy that I have, uh, forcing every moment and motion of my body forward. I can imagine how I looked as I just basically collapsed over the endpoint of those races. I'm sure it looked like a horrible mess and a horrible struggle. But finish I did. And while I don't think that I've really ever successfully finished a race in a way that one might imagine with great strength and a surge of vitality...for the race of our Christian walks, may God give us strength and vitality and a surge to the end. My friends, the Lord Jesus Christ, the scriptures and the power of the spirit would have us not only begin well in Christ, but finish well in Christ. The Bible instructs us about how to finish well.

  Years ago and listening to a sermon from Chuck Swindoll. He taught me this. It's relatively easy to start. Well, maybe you can think back to when you were converted, when you were born again. The large scale changes, a completely new set of friends, a new identity, a new purpose. For me, when I was born again, by the grace of God, I went from darkness to light. I went from hopelessness to joy. I went from foolishness to, well, working on wisdom. But God changed everything. And the start of that was so dynamic it was relatively easy. But he also commented how it's relatively easy to continue the Christian life. You're establishing your family by the grace of God in Christ. You're learning theology. You're understanding what it means to be faithful and fruitful in him. It's easy somewhat to start the Christian life. It's easy somewhat to continue the Christian life. But it's very apparently friends...it's very, very hard to finish. Well. And oh, to finish well. Oh, to finish well. To finish with a surge of passionate motion towards Christ. Friends, make sure that you don't have any category of coasting in the Christian life. No category of cruise control. No allowance for indulgence through a plateau of resting on yesterday's laurels, but rather a passionate interest in finishing well for the glory of Jesus Christ. Finishing well for God's testimony in your life...not to be sullied or dragged through the mud. Finishing well for those that you love, your spouse and your children. Finishing well for the generations that follow you. Finishing well for God's honor and God's purposes. Oh, that we would all with great earnestness, great desire, and great attentiveness to God's Word...finish well.

  If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, please turn to Second Peter, chapter one. In Second Peter chapter one, there's a beautiful image in verse 11 that inspires this concept of finishing. Well, then paired with this image is a set of instructions about how you and I can finish well. Too many stories of breakdown at the end, too much tragedy in the final meters of the Christian race. But God would have you finish well. And if you turn in your Bibles to Second Peter chapter one, looking at verse 11, we'll see this image, and then we'll build our sermon around this key concept, this beautiful, beautiful picture of finishing well. Can you see in the Word of God open before you 2 Peter 1:11.  For in this way. What way? We'll get to that. "In this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you."

  Let me paint this picture. And I'll give you the outline of our sermon. We'll read the text and we'll get it. Here's the picture. May the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ be...what does it say?...abundantly supplied to you. The images of a runner coasting beautifully in the final moments of his life, culminating a life of faithfulness with a surge of spirit filled obedience so that even in the final moments there is a finishing, well, strength, surge, upshifting in the final hours of our spiritual journey. Pressing on to Christ so that the entrance. It's not obscure, it's not filled with doubt. It's not hard to find. It's not blocked with thorns and thickets of the world's troubles, but rather an open and beautiful entrance cruising to the end. With your Bibles open to Second Peter, chapter one, uh, we'll read it in just a moment. Let me give you the outline. We have three points. The third point will take most of our time, for sure, but I wanted to capture this entire series of arguments. The Bible, I hope you understand, is built around arguments. The Holy Spirit is arguing for salvation in Christ, glory to God and in this case, how to finish well. So we're going to pick up the first two steps of the argument in summary form. And I'll give you some homework because most sermons good sermons give you homework. So we'll hit those first two ideas in summary form. And then we'll settle into the third portion of this passage 11 through 15, and talk about how to finish well and the ingredients. There's kind of a twist ending here that's quite interesting to me.

  But the first part of this is being saved by grace. We'll read that in verses one through four. The second part, this is the outline that we're going to be functioning under, saved by grace, sanctified number two, sanctified through diligent effort. And then number three, how to finish well, verses 11 through 15...saved by grace, sanctified through diligent effort. And I'm telling you that in advance. So as we read it, you'll see some of these markers. We'll talk about it briefly, and then we'll get to this third portion toward the end. So if your Bibles are open. 2 Peter 1:1-15 reads as follows. This is God's holy word.

  "Simon Peter, a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of God our Savior, 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." Verse five. "Now for this very reason, also, supplying all diligence in your faith. Supply moral excellence and to your moral excellence, knowledge and to knowledge, self-control and in your self-control, perseverance and in your perseverance, godliness and in your godliness, brotherly kindness and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind and shortsighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you. For as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble. For in this way, the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you. Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I'm in this earthly dwelling to stir you up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly dwelling is imminent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me, and I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be able to call these things to mind."

  So three points, third point taking most of our time. First point that finishing well includes saved by God's grace. To finish well, you got to start well. To finish well, you have to actually begin the Christian race. And the only way that you can begin the Christian race is to receive it from the grace of God. 2 Peter 1:1-4 makes this point about salvation being from God alone. In fact, Psalm 3:8 says, salvation belongs to our God. God himself is the possessor of salvation and the distributor of salvation. And so we recognize that if we are to have salvation, it's because we have, verse one, received it from him. The homework that I'll give you in verses one through four as we talk about salvation by grace alone is to identify the eight gifts of salvation in these four verses alone. I mean, verses three and four has this extraordinary list of blessings given to you in salvation. And you can go well beyond this list, uh, to think of other scriptures that list 20 to 25 to 30 blessings of salvation to every sinner that would receive. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life. God the father, the son, and the spirit wrote a plan to send Jesus Christ to the earth to die a horrible death, to save sinners like you and like me. Radical truth. A remarkable truth. But the reality, sadly, is this...too many people refuse to receive because they stiffened their neck and closed their arms. God will not force into your closed arms the reception of salvation he calls to us to receive. So I want to ask you, what is your attitude towards salvation? Is it this?...prove it to me. Or is it this?...you wronged me God. Is it this?...I'm not playing your game. We heard this testimony. I think it was Sean that alluded to that his arms were closed to salvation. But is that honorable? God is offering you eternal life. Would you simply be willing to open your hands to receive it? He's calling to you. Will you receive the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ? The hands that are open to receive this free gift. And by the way, this isn't preacher talk. I want to say this before I tell you about the hands that receive it. I'm not sure. Of course, I'm not sure where you're coming from spiritually. Some of you have been in Christ for many, many years and your examples to us are finishing well, surging to the end, seeking God. But I'm also sure in a room this size, with this many people, that there are people that are coming this morning that don't know nothing about, no churchy stuff. You know, I have a Bible to bring. You didn't know you're supposed to bring a Bible. And it's pretty heavy, pretty quick. I want to say to everyone, we're glad that you're here. Thank you. You're welcome here. This is a place for you. And why don't we come to receive gifts from God? How do we receive salvation from God? How do you even receive this sermon? If even you're new to all this, how do you do that? Two hands receive his gifts...the hands of repentance and faith. Turn from the sin that has separated you from your God through rebellion, selfish indulgence, pride, and foolishness. Repent and believe. Biblical belief is a trust. It is reliance. It is a looking to him, not to self, placing no confidence in the flesh, but placing all of our confidence in Jesus Christ. Would you be willing to receive salvation through repentance and belief? Well, those of you who are in Christ, I've given you the homework. Find those eight gifts in these few verses the eight gifts of salvation. They're remarkable, and they're for us to enjoy and to apply. If you're going to finish well, you need to be saved by the grace of God. Number one.

  Number two, verses five through ten. You need to be sanctified by diligent effort. Now, sanctified is a fancy Bible word. Okay, sanctified. I think some of you know what it means. Of course you do. Sanctified means growing in Christ. Sanctified is the path that tremendous thrill and adventure of following Christ. What a great adventure it is. I mean, it leaves us speechless as we consider his kindness to give us salvation and then to have us walk in his ways...what a thrill. And so the argument here in verse five, I hope you, I hope your Bibles are open and you can see this. Peter says, because of all that he's done for you in salvation...now, verse five, for this exact reason work your tail off. I mean, get it. I mean, make every effort. I mean, this term for diligence is an extraordinarily beautiful and powerful and compelling concept for our lives. Peter's argument, the Holy Spirit's argument is just this. Salvation is something you make no effort. You just simply receive the free gift. But now that he's done for you what he's done for you in Christ, by all means. What does it say? Make how many efforts? Thank you, Vicky. Make all efforts. Making every effort, all diligence, applying all diligence. Wow. As we reflect on saved by Grace verses one through four, maybe as we look at that list, we cultivate a greater gratitude for what he's done. God forgive me for being so thankless for all that you've done for me in salvation. And now for the second point, about being sanctified or growing in Christ through our effort and diligence. As you're taking notes either in your mind or in the notes sheet in front of you. What area of your life needs greater diligence, greater attention, greater effort? Because it talks about supplying all diligence, supplying a great effort, making every effort. God loves us so much he doesn't want to leave any aspect of our life, unredeemed or unsanctified. He doesn't want for any portion of our life to not be advancing in him.

  So that's why in verses five, six, and seven, he lists eight areas of spiritual growth. Just like there are eight gifts of salvation, verses one through four. There are eight areas of spiritual growth in these few verses. Take this as your homework. Jot it down. Make it a study for this week. How is God pressing into your life a greater diligence, a greater zeal, a greater effort, a greater acknowledgement of all that he's done in a greater, more wonderful outflow of the effort that he's given us? Look at verse eight. For these qualities or these virtues are yours. And ah, what does it say?...if they're yours and are increasing. So Peter just doesn't expect us to have a significant achievement in all eight of these categories. He expects us to have a significant achievement in all eight of these categories, and to have all or most of these categories increasing to the end. What a calling. Enough of American Christianity that just chills and coasts. It's an absolute blight on Western evangelicalism that many people think that salvation is the end of a process, not the beginning of it. Salvation is the beginning of this privileged life of communion with Christ and commission with Christ. It's the beginning. It's the start. And now it's ours to race well, run hard. All diligence, every effort. None of us have applied all diligence in every category. None of us have. All of us have room to grow. When you come into God's presence to hear God's Word, I'm sure you're mature enough to recognize that he wants to do business with your soul. So maybe this is the business that he wants to do with your soul, and you identify an area where you have been passive, self-indulgent, self-interested, lazy, slothful. All of us can think of several, if we're mildly thoughtful for mere seconds. May the Lord give us insight so that we can, in Christ, identify clearly where we can make every effort and glorify his name. Look at verse ten. This idea of diligence appears again therefore, brethren. At the close of this part about sanctification. He's saying, therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you for as long as you practice these things. Ongoing practice. Yes, we're talking about practice, Y'all...practice. For as long as you practice these things, you will. What does it say? Verse ten. You will never. What? You'll never stumble. This is finishing well. This is finishing with strength. This is surging to the end. Not stumbling, not stammering, not struggling, but strength in your stride so that you can grow and finish well. I'll say this, I think of the ways that I've fallen short in so many ways. I would imagine again, in a group this size, that a great number of you have been hurt by people that have professed Christ and cursed him with their actions. They hurt you. They betrayed you. They were false. They talked a big game about being Christian. And then they lived according to their father, the devil. I'm sorry for that. I regret that horribly that that is the experience of too many in the room. Maybe that's your primary reason for unbelief. While I apologize for that horrible missed feeling on behalf of that hypocrite, Christ is not that way and will never treat you that way. Look to Christ. Trust in Christ. And I will suggest by personal knowledge, I know of dozens of people in this room that are absolutely the real deal. Imperfect for sure, but sincere for sure. Saved by God's grace for sure, and sanctified according to his power and glory. And maybe that will be a brighter light for you to follow if you're willing to give God this extra shot. But we recognize that too many people are stumbling, flailing, and falling. There are ways for you to never stumble.

  So we've considered how the Christian life begins. It starts with saving grace, verses one through four. It continues with sanctification and growth, with every effort and diligent awareness and mindfulness of his purposes.

  And now, number three, how to finish well, verses 11 through 15. We're just going to focus on the details of verses 11 through 15 as we consider how to finish well. And as we dive into this third part and kind of acknowledge what to me is kind of a twist in the argument. Um, uh, let's turn to chapter three, 2 Peter, chapter three. It's quite interesting. I'll give you the twist in just a moment. This isn't the twist. Um, you'll see in second Peter chapter three three times in the close of the letter that Peter is driving home one extraordinary theme. It's a very important theme. He emphasizes this theme in the first book as well, 1 Peter, but we're in 1 Peter 3. Look at verse 11. Peter is extraordinarily concerned about...holiness. Very, very interested in our spiritual blamelessness. 2 Peter 3:11, 14 and 17 gives us this punctuated end to his letter. 2 Peter 3:11 says, since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, he just talked about how literally all the things that we know in a material level are going to be, atomically dissolved, like broken down on an atomic level. So all these things, physical things, are going to be destroyed in this way. Look at this phrase. This is so powerful. What sort of people ought you to be? That's a great question. Since this world is a meaningless, not set, this world is disappointing in brokenness and breakdown and difficulty and it's all going to be destroyed. What kind of people should we as Christ followers be? What kind of people? He answers it...holy and godly. Man, that's awesome. He's like, look, it's all going to be burnt to a crisp and pulverized. So what should we be? People that have our minds and hearts set on holiness and godliness. Verse 14, is the next step in our argument. Therefore, beloved, since you look at these things, he's talking about the warnings to the godless. Since you look for these things and then the promise of God in salvation and be diligent to be found in him, by him in peace...spotless and blameless. Spotless and blameless. Just a repetition of the theme of holiness and godliness...set apart for God. No stain. Oh, just Christian for a moment. What is the nature of the blood that has saved us from our sins?...1 Peter 1, the lamb was known as a spotless and unblemished lamb. You have been purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ, who never sinned in attitude, action, or aspiration. He never sinned. He was a spotless and blemishless and blameless lamb. You have been washed in that blood. Now, friends, wear it. Walk in his righteousness. Depend on him for all the stuff that is so hard...so hard. I had a conversation recently with a new friend, and I was trying to convey the essence of Jesus Christ and salvation, and I just made this point to him. I said all the things that we need for life. This is a well-adjusted, thoughtful, smart man. So all the things that we need for life, um, none of them are intrinsic.  None of them are found on the inside. All of them come from the

  outside. I need love. I'm not made of that. I need truth. I doesn'tcome from me. I don't I didn't generate the truth. I need grace, I need forbearance, I need patience, I need goodness. None of that is found inside. It comes from God on the outside. And we need to depend upon him. We receive the sacrifice of his grace, spotless, unblemished and blameless. And now we're to be that, too. 2 Peter 3:11, 3:14 now verse 17. Again, this is a punctuated conclusion to his letter. You therefore, beloved, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard, so that you are not carried away by the error of sinful, wicked, unprincipled men, and fall from your own steadfastness or stability. Peter's warning...don't be deceived or tricked by wickedness and sinfulness, so that you then become unstable flying in the wind. Flittering about like a castaway piece of paper in the afternoon air. Established. Strong. Steadfast. Stable. Hey, listen to me. When we're in our right mind, we really want this for ourselves. But more importantly, maybe this is persuasive to you. How much you want this for your children and how much you want this for the generation yet unborn. Let me say it this way. If you want your kids to be established in Christ, you need to be granite. Let me say it in a negative way. Never anticipate your kids standing strong in Jesus Christ, loving him, and serving him if you cut your commitments to Christ in half, if you cut your commitment to the church in half, why would you ever think that your kids would love the church and glorify God by committing to the church? If you cut your commitment to the Word of God in half, why would you ever expect your kids to treasure God's Word? Be the granite for them in stability, strength, godliness, and holiness so that they themselves can grow underneath the shade of your example. This call to holiness punctuates the second letter of Peter.

  And now we return to verses 11 through 15 to talk about this twist. As I was making my way through this study, originally of this passage years ago, and and I thought to myself, God, the foundation of our lives is salvation by God's grace and all the gifts that come with that, Verses one through four. I then understand beautifully how we're called to then, for that very reason. Also, make every effort be all the more diligent to grow in what he's given us verses five through ten, and to be diligent and to see these qualities as ours and increasing. And then when he got to verse 11 and painted this picture of an abundant entrance, and then he told us how to get it, I was really surprised.

  Let me summarize what we'll say now by giving you the third point. You finishing well includes an appreciation and healthy relationship to pastoring, preaching in the local church. That's really shocking. I didn't anticipate that hear from Peter. That's exactly what he says, that if you want to be established, never stumbling and finishing well, you will have a healthy relationship with biblical preaching, biblical ministry among the saints, and biblical pastoring from spiritual leaders. And that's our remaining outline. And I want to show you that here from the text that if you want to finish well, you must have an appreciation and appetite for biblical preaching, biblical ministry among the people of the local church and biblical pastoral care and love.

  So we have this image of an abundant entrance again, the open field, the open square cheering people. Celebration. Cruising to the end. I want to just make one comment before we get to that three point outline. Sub points. Do you see again in verse 11 how the last phrase, it says that this entrance will be abundantly. What is the verb?...supplied to you. I read the word supply in verse five. You need to see this. This is fascinating. So what does it say in verse five? The same verb is given in verse five. What does it say? For this very reason, also supplying all diligence. Huh? Let me summarize this part of the argument. As you, by the power of the spirit and according to biblical integrity, supply all diligence to the establishment and growth of your faith. God is prepared to supply for you an abundant entrance into heaven. You supply. He supplies. It's beautiful. What Peter is doing here is questioning this eternal outcome of your faith. Jesus Christ Himself purchases you in salvation and protects you through the end. So Peter isn't saying that if you don't supply enough, then you'll somehow lose your salvation. That's not what is in question here. What's in question here is the quality of your entrance, the abundance of the entrance. Not whether you'll enter or not. That's Christ's business. It's how you will enter and how you will enter is your business. Oh, let us be about that business. I mean, think of the different categories that God would have us supply in. So just think about life. So if we're thinking about our diligent pursuit of Christ, what are the different categories of life that you would want to offer to God for faithfulness? Just think about the categories of life. What comes to mind, especially on Mother's Day? Things like what? Family, right? So how many of you want to take the category of family and be diligent to present that to God by pursuing him. What are some other categories that come to mind for you? Categories of life. Not family, but work. Some of you are gainfully employed. Some of you have the privilege of working for the Lord because you're retired from gainful employment. Others of you have as your job looking for a job because you really need a job. Whatever the case is, use your work as an opportunity to pursue him diligently. Family. Work. What else? Relationships. Discipleship. Taking personal spiritual responsibility for others. Your finances. What portion of your finances are being deliberately dedicated to God? What is another category or two? Aging. Whatever age God has given you, use it for the glory of God. If you're young, enjoy your vitality. Young bucks. Go get em. I mean, go get after it. And if you're less young than you want to be or used to be, then by all means, steward that for the glory of God. Maybe he's given you a little bit of wisdom or a little bit of temperance or a little bit of help. Through the years, some of all of us have paid for that education. Honestly, give it to the next generation through disciple making. What about your time as a category of life to apply diligence to? What percentage of your time is devoted and committed to Jesus Christ? Are you shouldering weekly Kingdom responsibility? Are you serving the church in a deliberate and committed fashion? Are you honoring him? These are the ways that we are diligent in our walk with God. And as we're diligent to supply to God our effort, then he's diligent to supply to us what again, verse 11?...an abundant entrance. So as we get into these three points, biblical preaching, biblical church relationships, and biblical pastoring, a critical element of enduring faithfully is appreciating biblical ministry. Peter is highlighting here the reality that finishing well involves the challenges brought about by uncomfortable preaching, uncomfortable ministry among the members, and uncomfortable pastoral leadership.

  Let's look at these concepts again, focusing in on verses 11 through 15. Verse 12 says, therefore I will always be ready. To what? To remind you of these things, even though you already know them. That's interesting. Some people would call this nagging, but Peter is saying, I know that you know them, but I'm going to be diligent. To do what? To remind you. How do those reminders feel when you know that you know something and the person knows that you know that, and they remind you anyways? How does that feel? Does that feel good? Or maybe irritating, right? By the way, micromanagement may be in the eye of the beholder after all, so just jot that pro tip down for later. But as we receive reminders that we don't think that we need. And Peter is saying, I know you don't need this because you know it, but I'm here to remind you anyways, what he's doing is engaging in a biblical preaching ministry. When you survey the New Testament about the nature of biblical ministry preaching, this is you're going to get words like reminder. That's tough. Other words like warn, urge, exhort, rebuke, reprove, correct, train, declare. Paul tells Titus, let no one disregard you. That's pretty strong. He talks about pleading with tears and solemn testimony. Very, very strong words, preaching from the pulpit. That's tough. This is awkward. No true preacher enjoys obeying God's clear commandments for him to do those items in the pulpit, no one does. And does it feel good to y'all? It doesn't feel good. It's awkward, but it's right and necessary. If we're going to finish well, we need to submit ourselves to appreciate a biblical preaching ministry. I mean, what part of the words that I just told you? Warning. Correction. Reprove. Correction. What part of those words feel good? None. But to borrow the English of one of my favorite people on the planet. 'By golly, they work good'. Do they feel good? No. Do biblical loving ministries like this preaching ministries...do they work good? Yes. If you're willing to appreciate what's being offered to you. See Peter's saying, if you're going to if you have an ambition to finish well, you have to place yourself underneath the preaching ministry of faithful preachers who will take the Word of God, teach it unapologetically, and do so in a way that is unpopular and challenging to hear. Yes, it doesn't feel good, but by golly, they work good. And that's the work of the Holy Spirit through the power and authority of the Word of God, not the preacher. So we have biblical preaching. Sometimes it's unpleasant, but it's beneficial when lovingly applied.

  Biblical preaching, and then biblical ministry among the people. So this is a second aspect of what Peter's teaching here. He says not only is the preacher

  going to press in, but the people are going to press in, and he uses the verb stirring up. In fact, this is one of his favorite metaphors. It's really interesting. Verse 12, always to remind you, verse 13, to stir you up by way of reminder, chapter three and verse one, stirring up the sincere mind by way of reminder. He's using this idea of stirring up. The word here means to agitate All clothes washers mechanize the work of agitating the clothes. So there's an agitator. That moves the clothes. And it's the moving of the clothes that catalyzes the cleaning of the garment. Don't we all need that ourselves? Join me in Hebrews 10:24-25. This is scripture that many of you are familiar with, but you need to understand, um, the argument of the book of Hebrews as it relates to what Peter is talking about here, because it's not just that the preacher stirs up, he's supposed to do that, but the people are designed to stir one another up, stimulating one another to love and good deeds. So just a couple of books back to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter ten, verses 24 and 25. Because when we talk about stirring up, we're talking about the nature of biblical ministry among the people, not just the preacher, but the people. Hebrews 10:24-25 talk about how we are called to stir each other up. Hopefully you can see it in the NASB translation. Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near. And, my beloved friends, as if the day was drawing near 2000 years ago when this was penned, then by all means, it's drawing near today. The day is drawing near. You can hear the hoof beats if you're paying attention. And in light of the encroaching of the final hours of all of history, by all means we should obey what this says. Verse 24. Consider. Think. Plan. Work in your mind to consider. How to stimulate is maybe the softest rendering of this word stir up. It is maybe the kindest rendering of this agitational term. I hope and pray that you have good, loving people in your life that stir you up. They may agitate a little bit, but they're doing it out of love. They irritate because they care. They're trying to provoke you, push you out of love. To serve God. Love God. Honor God. Walk in holiness. Consider how to stir one another up to love and good deeds, encouraging one another as a habit of spiritual grace and goodness. You see, this stirring up is a function of the body of Christ. And if you're going to finish well, you're going to need to appreciate biblical preaching, appreciate biblical ministry among the people. So let me just in the notes that you're taking in your mind or in the sheet in front of you, who are you stirring up to love and good deeds? What are the names of the people that you're praying for and loving and teaching? And Lord, give me wisdom. Give me winsomeness, give me honor so that I can stir them up in the most effective way to honor you and to serve you. What are the names? So yes, that's biblical. Preaching sometimes is unpleasant but beneficial when lovingly applied. Biblical church and stirring one another up, sometimes unpleasant but beneficial when lovingly applied.

  And number three, back in second Peter one in verse 15, he's talking about every effort in verse 12. This diligence of every effort is biblical pastoral ministry. I hear Peter saying not only my preaching, not only in the ministry of the body that is stirring up and reminding. It's difficult. There's a lot here that is abrasive a little bit. The third aspect is his biblical pastoral ministry. Will you just briefly turn to First Peter chapter five, just one page over, because in first Peter chapter five, there's an image that he uses here that's important for you to capture related to pastoral ministry. So if the preaching can be tough, let's appreciate it. If the ministry can be tough. Let's engage in it. And now the pastoral ministry and every effort associated with that. 1 peter five, the first phrase in verse two...Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight. Pause there. An essential function of biblical pastoral ministry is to exercise oversight. Let me just take a moment to develop this concept so that you can understand what pastors are called to do, in part. Because in the ancient Near East it was a city state. Feudalism. Every city or town would have walls built around it, or else you would just be absolutely run over. So, uh, walls would be around even small cities, and the walls were there to keep the bad guys out, and then obviously to keep what's good or the citizens safe on the inside. Well, this is a metaphor because all of us have walls that we built up. All of us have areas where we try to protect and through isolation or privacy, we try to protect and we try to shield and we try to hide. When pastors are called to give oversight, it's like you giving a passport to that pastor to walk the ramparts, the city walls, the top of them, and to peer down into your life, to look out for protection and to look in for provocation, accountability and love. This is an essential command to the pastors to provide oversight, but it's a relationship that you work out with your pastors. Does that make sense? They can't provide oversight if you're like...if you bar them from Um, having passport. Build scaffolding so that they can climb the wall and look over where other people are. Vision is obscured from them. Build love and trust with spiritual caregivers so that they can exercise oversight and you give them access. Humility. Openness. Honesty. Relationship building so that you can give them access so that they can make every effort to have oversight in your life. Oversight is not a function of ruling so much as it is a function of observing, knowing, caring, warning, humility, relationship. So that the parts of your life they're scarier, darker. You'd like to remain hidden. If you're honest with yourself, you recognize that they need to be known and shepherded and cared for by you, giving passport to a pastor who will give oversight. You see, this is every effort is what Peter's talking about is the dynamic of a pastoral ministry caring, probing, pressing in love and graciously and honorably.

  But as I pray for the friends that we have here in Hickory, North Carolina, I pray that wherever you go for the end of your days, you will have sanctified meddlesome pastors. That are bold enough and brave enough to offer themselves to say, I'm willing to go there under the rock with you if you will let me in. I pray for you that you will have leaders that will never stop, about asking about your heart, that you will have leaders that will never stop pressing you towards biblical living in every aspect of your life. Leaders that refuse to leave you in a compromised state. Leaders that will call you out and challenge

  the sinful actions, attitudes, and reactions that are tolerated too often in the churchy world. Leaders that aggressively seek to protect the sheep, leaders that, despite the awkwardness, exercise oversight because of love and because of Peter's desire to make every effort so that everyone would finish well.

  If you're going to finish well, you got to start well through salvation. You have to ignite that faith with diligent effort, pursuing in the power of the spirit all that God has for you. And then you need an appreciation for biblical ministry that includes preaching, disciple making among yourselves and pastoral oversight that seeks to provide a path forward where there's no failing, no falling, and no stumbling, but an abundant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

  Pray with me. Lord, we would ask that you would help us because we fall short in many ways. Thank you for these remarkable statements. Stages of argumentation here in Second Peter. May we have the privilege of returning to this passage and reconsidering it, its depth related to salvation, related to sanctification, our growth in you, and related to really the dynamics of a biblical church. I thank you for Hickory Bible Church that exemplifies these ministry aspects disciple making, biblical preaching, biblical pastoral oversight. I thank you for the elders, for Pastor Adam, grace and blessing and goodness. Help this wonderful congregation finish well. We praise you and thank you. In Jesus name, Amen.