Pastor Bill Simpson continues our New Years Sermon Series with week 2: Intense Effort
Jesus offers divine resources to us through His very great and precious promises, but you have to grab on to them and go with them.
If you’re goin to experience true transformation of character and have the personal capacity to wholly follow Christ, you have to understand intense effort. Peter was exhorting us to go full throttle in our pursuit of the godly life and work harder to be more like Christ.
TRUTH: We cannot expect to grow and thrive in the “divine life” without intense effort.
2 Peter 1:5: Everything we need for a successful life and for godly character has been provided. Peter was reminding Christians of our sacred obligation to maximize the resources God has given us.
“add”- the word means “to supply in copious measure, to proved beyond the need, to supply more than generously’
It is not enough to understand the mode of intense effort; we must translate it into a pattern of intense effort. If 2 Peter 1:3-11 presents the need for diligence, then Colossians 3:23-24 give us the pattern of intense effort.
- Intense Effort is a Lifestyle: “Whatever you do . . .”
- Intense Effort is Strenuous: “Work at it will all your heart . . .”
- Intense Effort is Sacrificial: “As working for the Lord . . .”
- Intense Effort is Rewarding: “You will receive the reward . . .”
When Jesus was asked by a lawyer to identify the most important commandment, He answered: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37-38). The best way to love God is to love others and that is done with intense effort.