Overcome Worry with the Promises of God

- so have you heard the good news?...the hidden treasure has been found…

- of course I’m talking about the treasure chest filled with gold and gems which was hidden by millionaire Forrest Fenn in the Ricky Mountains

- Fenn is an art dealer, and over 10 years ago he hid a treasure chest which measured 10” by 10” and then announced that is was hidden “in the Ricky Mountains, somewhere between Santa Fe and the Canadian border at an elevation above 5,000 feet. It’s not in a mine, a graveyard, or near a structure.”

- he also published a poem with embedded clues and a map

- Fenn had also said this – that if he died before it was found…and he’ll be turning 90 in August, that there were no more clues…his exact words were…”If I die tomorrow, the knowledge of that location goes in the coffin with me…”

- his purpose by the way, was to motivate people to explore nature and embrace discoveries…

- it’s estimated that as many as 350,000 people have looked for that treasure over the last 10 years…some quit their jobs and regrettably a few even died in the pursuit…

- well, this week, an unidentified man from the eastern part of our country sent Fenn a photograph proving he had found the chest – Fenn said - "It was under a canopy of stars in the lush, forested vegetation of the Rocky Mountains and had not moved from the spot where I hid it more than 10 years ago,"…"I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot."

- estimates place the value well over a million dollars…quite a treasure for sure…

- can you imagine if that was you?...do you think it might change your life in some way?...

- and I’m sure you know where this is going…for followers of Jesus Christ…we could talk about the treasure that we have received in all sorts of ways…

- but for our purposes this morning, let’s think about the treasure we have in the promises of God’s Word…

- with that in mind, please open your Bible to the book of 2 Peter…

- this summer we’re talking about Overcoming Fear and Worry…

- we started in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 6 and thought about how we don’t have to worry because God faithfully provides for even the birds and the lilies and He surely loves us more than them…

- then last week we studied the magnificent miracle of the giving of manna to the children of Israel…a provision that pointed directly to the bread of life, the Lord Jesus Christ and the ultimate satisfaction we can find in Him…

- this morning we’d like to consider how we can Overcome Worry with the Promises of God…

- I was so struck by the relevance of these verses to some of the largest potential worries people like you and I could have right now…whether we’re thinking about some aspect of the pandemic or about the protests and the racial tension we’re facing [again] as a country…

- it shows the timelessness of Scripture – and I am really looking forward to digging into all of this with us today…

- read 2 Peter 1:3-11

- so we’re talking this morning about how we can and should Overcome Worry with the Promises of God…and with the time we have remaining, let’s work our way through this passage and find 3 perspectives through which to view what God has promised to you.

I. Rejoice in the Nature of God’s Promises

- Forrest Fenn hid the location of his treasure and only gave veiled clues…

- that’s where the similarity between the illustration and the promises of God breaks down…

- theologians have often spoken about the perspicuity of Scripture – that word means, clarity…God’s Word, in the power of the Holy Spirit, is understandable to people like you and me…

- so thank the Lord, this is anything but hidden treasure…Peter describes it clearly…

A. Supernatural

- v. 3a – seeing His divine power

- if the last three months have taught us anything, it’s our creaturely weakness…

- we need truth and power outside of ourselves…

- the promises that we are discussing this morning are just that…they are supernatural…

B. Exhaustive

- v. 3b – has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness

- this is one of the reasons we talk about the sufficiency of God…

- whether we’re thinking about the sufficiency of God’s Son, or the sufficiency of God’s grace, and the sufficiency of God’s Word…

- 2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

- I’ve benefitted greatly from the writing inistry of John MacArthur over the years…it’s amazing how many books he’s written…one of my favorite books written by MacArthur is this one…Our Sufficiency in Christ

- please just pause and consider how significant this statement is…

- during the pandemic – what is one of the stats reported nightly on the news…how many people have…died…locally, and in our state, nation, world…

- two of the cultural emphases in our country right now – black lives matter and blue lives matter…what’s the word in the center that both of them share?...life…

- it’s fascinating to consider how much emphasis in being placed right now on the sanctity on life…

- and the corresponding concern – from many perspectives is – what’s right…[life and godliness…]

- what’s right when it comes to the way people of different ethnicities treat each other…I hope you care about that deeply because it would be very easy to make the case that God does…

- what’s right when it comes to following the law…I hope you care about that too…and it’s very easy in this day and age to begin worrying about all of that…

- what do we have as a source of direction and how comprehensive is it?...God has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness…

C. Reliable

- 2 Peter 1:3c - …through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

- you want the source of your promises to be reliable…to be characterized by true knowledge…

- that’s been one of the challenges in navigating the pandemic…who’s telling us the truth?...

- for example, normally this time of year I would have just spent a week teaching at the WOL Bible Institute in NY…

- some of you have heard me talk about that marvelous ministry started by evangelists Jack Wrytzen and Harry Bollback…

- Wrytzen was an evangelist in NYC and held incredibly large rallies in places like Madison Square Garden…

- so the Lord allowed them to buy property up in the Adirondacks on the shore of beautiful Schroon Lake…

- they started camps for youth and teens and ultimately young adults and even families…

- and the idea was to get young people away from New York City and give them a marvelous experience in the mountains and have an opportunity to proclaim the gospel…

- it worked so well that they founded a one-year Bible Institute where students could receive intensive Bible training – so they brought in guest lecturers from around the country to give one-week courses on various books of the Bible

- then those students would serve as counselors for their various camps…

- that’s been my role – I was always the last teacher who provided a class on biblical counseling which was a transition between the Bible content and the work they were going to do with campers that summer…

- God has blessed so much that they have duplicated that model around the world…

- now, you might say – well, how is camp going this summer?...how do you think a camp in upstate NY, or anywhere in NY, is going this summer…totally shut down…and even though they tried to work with the health department…offering all sorts of safety protocols…reminding them of the same thing you’re hearing from Mitch Daniels – this age group has practically zero possibility of suffering serious consequences even if they did catch or spread the virus…and most of what they do is outside in hundreds of acres of wilderness…not the confines of a place like NYC…

- by now, we all know the argument, right – that would be selfish because someone might catch the virus and carry it home to an elderly relative, and on and on…

- that was the promise that was made to justify shutting down their entire camping program in the state of NY this summer…

- until what?...all of the protests…then all of a sudden it wasn’t that bad anymore…

- and I’m not trying to take a particular side in any of this – I mentioned last week that this is a time to ask the Lord for balance – and Christians can care about several things simultaneously…

- but the lesson here is – if the promises you’re trusting are not reliable…that just makes the potential for worry that much greater…

D. Valuable

- 2 Peter 1:4a - For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises…

- Peter describes all the salvation promises in Christ as precious (timios) and magnificent (megistos), meaning “valuable” and “greatest,” respectively. These words include all the divine promises for God’s own children contained in the Old and New Testaments (cf. 2 Cor. 7:1), such as: spiritual life (Rom. 8:9–13), resurrection life (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:21–23), the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33; Eph. 1:13), abundant grace (John 10:10; Rom. 5:15, 20; Eph. 1:7), joy (Ps. 132:16; Gal. 5:22), strength (Ps. 18:32; Isa. 40:31), guidance (John 16:13), help (Isa. 41:10, 13–14), instruction (Ps. 32:8; John 14:26), wisdom (Prov. 2:6–8; Eph. 1:17–18; James 1:5; 3:17), heaven (John 14:1–3; 2 Peter 3:13), eternal rewards (1 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12) (John MacArthur, 2 Peter, p. 30).

- one of the take-aways from this study is – do you consider promises like this to be precious…

- because if we have all of that – what do we have to worry about?...

- and that’s one of the challenges we have right now – where are we going to place our ultimate hope?...

- where are we going to find our ultimate sustenance and satisfaction?...

- and if the answer is – the promise of a society where there is no life-threatening disease…that’s what’s most precious to me...

- or – the promise of a culture where there is harmony and equity among people of all races…convincing people of my path to get us there is what’s most precious to me…

- or the promise of a world where people keep the law and show proper and honor to our proper authorities…finding a solution to that is what’s most precious to me…

- and if everyone would just read this book, or this blog, or listen to this perspective…

- and I’m not suggesting that we all can’t learn important lessons right now…I hope we do…

- but if promises attached to man-made solutions to anything is what you consider to be most precious…you know who you might end up like?...

- do you remember this scene from Lord of the Rings…where Gollum, or Smeagol was obsessed with retrieving the ring of power…and he even called it…”my precious”…

- and his final act was to bite it off Frodo’s hand – and then look at it with adoration…and dare we say…worship, as he was falling into the fires of Mount Doom…

- the lesson is – don’t attach the description of precious to the wrong set of promises…

E. Transformative

- 2 Peter 1:4b - 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.

- friends, the more we rejoice in the nature of the promises God has given us, the less reason we will have to worry…

II. Work to Accomplish the Effect of God’s Promises – 1:5-9

- one of the great aspects of this discussion is – you can dig in and do something in response to believe…

- the first few words of verse 5 form a key transition…

- 2 Peter 1:5a - Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply…

- so, promises aren’t just something you receive…they are something you act on…what we’re talking about here requires “applying all diligence…”

- the word supply is especially picturesque…

- [That Greek verb] comes from the noun choregōs, which literally means the leader of a chorus. Perhaps the greatest gift that Greece, and especially Athens, gave to the world was the great works of men like Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, which are still among its most cherished possessions. All these plays needed large choruses and were, therefore, very expensive to produce.

- In the great days of Athens there were public spirited citizens who voluntarily took on the duty, at their own expense, of collecting, maintaining, training and equipping such choruses…The men who undertook these duties out of their own pocket and out of love for their city were called chorēgoi.…

- The word has a certain lavishness in it. It never means to equip in any cheeseparing and miserly way; it means lavishly to pour out everything that is necessary for a noble performance. Epichorēgein went out into a larger world and it grew to mean not only to equip a chorus but to be responsible for any kind of equipment. It can mean to equip an army with all the necessary provisions; it can mean to equip the soul with all the necessary virtues for life. (William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter, rev. ed. [Philadelphia: Westminster, 1976], 298–99)^.

- that is what we are to do with the promises of God…”applying all diligence, and in our faith…supplying”…the very kind of Christ-centered character qualities he goes on to list…

A. Moral excellence – 1:5b

- because of all that God has promised, you have hope that you can grow…

- it’s interesting that that is the way this book ends…

- 2 Peter 3:18 - but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

- what impact does that have on worry, by the way?...often our worries are about how someone else needs to change, or something else needs to change…

- promise saturated sanctification expends and channels energy that might otherwise be wasted on sinful worry…

B. Knowledge – 1:5c

- what can I learn through this period that is so prone to worries?...

- I’ve been intrigued by one of my friends who is an attorney at a law firm in Washington, DC…

- he’s a committed follower of Christ and has written a series of blog posts about ways the law might be unfairly weighted in certain situations…

- it’s not anti-law enforcement…its an analysis of the very law he has used to defend clients or at some point in his career, prosecute criminals…

- what I like about his position is – instead of running to our corners and lobbing our well-worn talking points – let’s listen, and learn, and consider things about us and or culture that may need to change…

- knowledge, especially when rooted in sound theology and the promises of God, is one of the antidotes to worry

C. Self-control – 1:6a

- much of what we’re discussing in our culture right now would go away if men and women learned to practice the spirit’s fruit of self-control…

- Well, should that start in someone else – or should that start with us?...

D. Perseverance – 1:6b

- Have you had your “I’m so over this pandemic moment” yet?...[develop finally being able to find bottles of hand sanitizer, buying several so we could have on our desks and in our cars—then hearing warnings that if you left hand sanitizer in your car in the summer, it could spontaneously combust and set your car on fire – like, when is this going to be over]…

- In the power of the Holy Spirit, you have to supply perseverance to the promises of God

E. Godliness – 1:6c

- the opportunities we have to grow in practical godliness now are practically endless…we can either worry or we can be excited about all the growth opportunities…

- do you see what comes next?...

F. Brotherly kindness – 1:7a

G. Love – 1:7b

- its been interesting for me the last week, since many of us work at the NCC, to watch men and women and boys and girls of a variety of ethnicities swimming together, working out together, loving each other…

- and we of course have to be very careful because of the pandemic…and we have a long, long way to go in developing more effective approaches to urban ministry…but is possible to apply all diligence to the promises God has given us and choose to express brotherly kindness and love to people who may look, and think, and act far differently than we do…

- I rarely say anything nice about IU [we all limits to our brotherly love]…but Alicia Vegter’s brother Tom Allen is doing a great job as the head football coach there…

- he teaches his teams about the LEO principle – Love Each Other…very simple, and very powerful, and very biblical…

- think about how brotherly kindness and love based on the foundation of a life rejoicing in the precious promises of God can guide us through the challenges we’re facing…

- Christians being loving during a pandemic…meaning…

1. Continuing to follow these social distancing practices out of love for those who if they contracted the disease could be severely ill or even pass away…

2. Loving our health care workers and government leaders by expressing thankfulness and giving them space to adjust what they think/say as their understanding of this virus evolves…

- what about Christians being loving during a tragedy like the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis?...there’s opportunities everywhere…

1. to show love to persons of various ethnicities…

- we want justice for everyone…and I agree with what Andy Stanley recently said when he suggested that God doesn’t just call us to try to avoid racism, or being prejudiced, or judging others on the basis of their ethnicity…but to join with those who are being treated unjustly and work toward positive change…

- and some act like that’s a new thought…that’s why our church has been doing community counseling for overt 40 years…

- counseling is about injustice…[people aren’t coming to report that things are going fine]…so what do we do, for the hundreds and hundreds who have gone through some level of training here…we build loving involvement…it doesn’t matter than we weren’t the one treated unjustly…if someone else was…brotherly kindness and love seeks to enter that experience…and considering it a privilege that we can…

- and then carefully gathering data…meaning we sit and listen…some at Faith have literally spent thousands of hours listening to the injustices of others…

- and then as my friend Bob Kellemen says – we crawl in the casket with them…we want to enter into that experience deeply and authentically…

- that’s also what comfort is – co-fortitude…

- and we lock arms with them and seek to make the injustice right if at all possible…

- and that’s not just including ethnic tension here in the US…we have the privilege of doing that around the world…[I was scheduled to be in 5 different countries this year]…

- and just to be clear…and Newton Pena can attest to this because he’s heard us say it so often…

- we’re not going as the boss…and the person/church seeking to control…

- because many of the countries where we travel…the injustices the people have faced are hard to even comprehend…

- so we go there to listen, and learn…and then position ourselves as servants…

- now, here’s something about all of this that is very important….our love has to be tethered to the gospel…and that includes the proper way to respond to what’s occurring in our country…

- now, that’s a big sentence…but let me tease it out a bit…

- it has to include a commitment to biblical anthropology…a biblical view of man…

- that’s one of my concerns with what I see some if not many Christians saying about all of this…

- without a doubt, I believe that Black Lives Matter…but you do not want to be aligned with any aspect of that movement that bears that name that has grown out of a flawed anthropology…

- if you’ve been with us through our study of Romans…hopefully you’re completely convinced about the doctrine of the depravity of man…

- remember the development in the first 3 chapters…the immoral are lost…and the moral are lost…and the religious are lost as well…

- so it is not loving to advance any social agenda on any social topic that does not have as its starting point the depravity of man…if you get your anthropology wrong, everything that flows off that flawed presupposition will be at best unbalanced…

- what’s the corollary…affirming that man’s greatest need…and man’s greatest hope…is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ…

- as you discuss social challenges – look for opportunities to affirm the gospel…otherwise you’re polishing the brass on a sinking ship…

- now, with that in mind, I certainly hope that each of us would say that brotherly kindness and love is motivating me to learn as much as I can about the injustices that others in our country have faced and continue to face…

- and then when there’s opportunities to do something about it – to seize them whether it’s your problem or not…

- I mentioned a moment ago about what an attorney friend of mine is doing…

- here’s another one – I hope it bothers you that persons of color are being disproportionately affected by the pandemic…I don’t know what to do with that…but wouldn’t brotherly kindness and love motivate us to want to know…and to join in promoting solutions if there are any to be found…

- here’s another area of brotherly love – showing appreciation and respect for the many law enforcement officers and first responders in our town and their families who are also being treated very unfairly and unjustly right now…

- and by the way – the more you understand the fundamental depravity of man…the more you understand the need for law enforcement…

- and I respect our local departments and many, many others who are evaluating their policies and making any changes that are deemed necessary…

- but some of what some Christians have been saying lacks the balance and love and theological precision this discussion so desperately needs…

- and do you see what verse 8 promises about acting on God’s promises?...

H. Fruitfulness

- 2 Peter 1:8 - 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.

- without a doubt, this has been the strangest period of time in my entire pastoral ministry…there are days I still can’t believe any of this…

- but one of the joys has been to watch men and women from our church family be incredibly fruitful in their professions and their ministries…because instead of being consumed by worry…they’ve been acting out the natural ramifications of the promises of God…

- [if time – develop medical professionals, teachers/students, moms, people of color, law enforcement officers, small business owners…]

- worry consumes resources – trust produces fruitfulness…

III. Take Heart in the Result of God’s Promises.

- verse 10 gives us a second use of the word diligent [first was v. 5], this time in the verb form…

- 2 Peter 1:10 - Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent…

- but what we see here is, it’s worth it…because we can have…

A. Assurance

- 2 Peter 1:10 - Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you…

- 2 Peter 1:11 - for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.

- not only does worry consume resources…it also produces lack of assurance in one’s own salvation…

- on the other hand…as you see “promise-based fruitful character” developing – you’re more convinced of the genuineness of your salvation…

- that’s why I would encourage you – whatever area of our culture you’re most concerned about right now – to tether your thoughts and words and actions to the gospel…

- one of the people I have found especially helpful the last couple of weeks is Darrell Harrison …

- I’m serving as Darrell’s supervisor as he completes his certification for the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors…

- he used to live in Atlanta, and I’ve found him to be so insightful that about the time we were opening the NCC, I took an extra day while traveling to our BCC board meeting and leadership retreat in Atlanta, to meet with Darrell and discuss the issue of race relations and urban ministry…

- I appreciate his focus during these days on the centrality of the gospel…

- [develop his recent FB post] …

- the point is – the way we handle these current topics and concerns can either enhance the assurance of our salvation for ourselves and others…or detract from it…

- [develop the gospel for those who have not yet made their calling and election sure] …

B. Stability

- 2 Peter 1:10 - …for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Standing on the Promises

Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I now can see
Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;
Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,
Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,
Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,
Standing on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises I shall not fall,
List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call.
Resting in my Savior as my All in all,
Standing on the promises of God.