Make Every Effort to Others
Make Every Effort to Others
2 Peter 1:12-15
In the early morning on December 21st, the great Post-Civil War evangelist, Dwight Lyman Moody, was inching towards eternity. Around 6 am, Moody uttered, “Earth recedes; Heaven opens for me.” Assuming he was dreaming, they attempted to wake him, but Moody said,
No, this is no dream, Will. It is beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.
After a few minutes, the whole family gathered around this giant of the faith and he gave them his last marching orders.
I have always been an ambitious man; ambitious to leave no wealth or possessions, but to leave lots of work for you to do. Will, you carry on Mount Hermon. Paul will take up the Seminary, when he is older. Fitt will look after the Institute, and Ambert will help you in the business details. This is my triumph; this is my coronation day! I have been looking forward to it for years.
Moody died and received his rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. His son Will, recorded, “To the world, Friday, December 22nd, was the shortest day of all the year, but for Dwight L. Moody its dawn ushered in that day that knows no night.”
DL Moody has always inspired me for his tenacious desire to preach Jesus Christ and to save the lost. As he said on his deathbed, “I have always been an ambitious man; ambitious to leave no wealth or possession, but to leave lots of work for you to do.” Moody’s life reminds me a lot of the Apostle Peter’s life. Both men were uneducated, common men. Both men had a large presence and were leaders of their day. Both men preached the gospel to thousands. Both men gave themselves to feed the sheep of the Lord Jesus Christ. Moody’s last words are recorded as he charged his family to continue in the work of the gospel. Peter’s last words are recorded as he charged the church to continue in the work of the gospel.
The entire letter of 2 Peter is a charge to the church to carry on the believing in and laboring for the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our text today gives a window into the aim of Peter’s heart as he wrote these final words. My aim for this message will be for you to take a hard look at your life and see if your aim would be similar to Peter’s. We will do this by asking three questions of ourselves.
What will others remember from you?
Peter opens the book with a charge to make every effort to grow in the faith by adding more Christ-like qualities to their life. The charge is rooted not in their own power, but in the grace given by God. He writes,2 Peter 1:3–11,
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
As Peter is about to receive his own rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus, he wants to remind the church to focus on eternity. These verses primarily focus on an individual’s personal faith with God. You need to know God personally. You need to make every effort to add to your faith so you stay fruitful and faithful to the Lord.
These next four verses focus on making every effort to add to other’s faith so that they stay fruitful and faithful to the Lord. Peter’s main concern was not himself, but the church after he was gone. Moody’s main concern was not himself, but his family after he was gone. Who are you concerned with after you are gone? Peter writes, 2 Peter 1:2-13,
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it is right as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder,
Peter wanted the church to receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, he made it his aim to remind the church of who they were called to be. They were called to be like Jesus Christ.
His aim was not merely their morality, but their relationship with Jesus Christ. For if they possessed these qualities, they would not fall or be unfruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ, but receive a rich welcome into eternity. I want you to notice a few things about Peter’s words. First, Peter was fine with repeating himself. Notice the words in this section: remind, reminder, recall. The Romans had a saying, “Repetitio est mater studiorum.” Repetition is the mother of learning. It is accredited to Roman Philosopher Horace, but it was written into the code of creation. If we are going to learn anything, we need to hear it over and over again. Throughout the Old Testament, we are reminded how Israel is a forgetful people. We are a forgetful people. We need to be reminded of things. Danny Akin, President of SEBTS, has said “People will not remember what you teach, but will remember what you emphasize.” I have seen this proven true in my ministry. We need to repeat things. A lot.
If I were to ask you what your parents taught you, you would probably quote to me a saying they would repeat over and over again. I asked someone this past week what was one phase your parents always repeated, “An educated woman doesn’t raise her voice.” Every time voices would be raised in the house, “An educated woman doesn’t raise her voice.” So guess what happens now when they hear a woman raise their voice, what statement is plastered in the mind, “An educated woman doesn’t raise her voice.” Why? Because it was said over and over again. Parents need to remind their children of things over and over again. Teachers need to remind their students, coaches need to remind their athletes, and pastors need to remind their congregations over and over again.
First, Peter loves repetition. Second, Peter is telling them what they already know. Notice the text, “Therefore I intend to always remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth you have.” The church already knew what Peter was going to tell them and Peter didn’t care. He was going to tell them anyway. Why? Because of its importance. It was so important that if they lost those qualities, they may lose a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why do parents always remind their teenage drivers to drive safely? Because if they don’t, they could die. Why do pastors always remind their churches to hold fast to Jesus Christ? Because if they don’t, they could walk away from Jesus. There are certain things that are so important that they bear repeating.
Peter’s main concern was that the church would believe and remain in Jesus Christ. He wanted the church to believe the gospel. He wanted them to know that Jesus Christ died for their sins and he was raised on the third day and he ascended to heaven and he was coming back. He said, “I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder.” This reminds me of Hebrews 10:24-25 and the role we have as church members to one another, Hebrews 10:24–25,
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
One way we stir one another up to love God and others is to remind them the Day is drawing near. We remind people the end is coming so remain steadfast. The Lord is coming.
As we continue to read 2 Peter, we will see Peter’s concern that the church remember the Lord is coming. God will judge sinners and those who do not believe and God will deliver those who love Jesus and are growing in him. He is reminding the church of the truth they already know because there are false teachers who are saying the opposite. The false teachers are saying, “Where is the promise of his coming?” There is not going to be any judgment so live like you want to live now. Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Live your best life now. You only live once.
Peter is stirring the church up to remember there is a judgment coming so keep your eyes on Jesus and live for eternity. Remember who you are. You are a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people of his own possession who was called out of darkness to proclaim his glory. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people. Once you had not received mercy, but now you have received God’s mercy. Therefore, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for glory awaits the believer in Christ.
We know Peter’s aim, what is yours? What will others remember from your life? What are the things you emphasize? Ask people in your life. Are you known to talk much about Jesus Christ and the things of God? Or are you known for focusing on temporal things? Are you intentionally trying to remind your children of specific things? What are you saying to those you are discipling? Or are you discipling anyone? Key word is intentionally. What is locked up in our heart will come out in our conversations and our prayers.
We often do not realize how often we say or emphasize certain things. The people in our lives know. If you have a vibrant, personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it will impact what you remind people of in your life. What you meditate on and pray about, will come out in your speech. I would encourage you to spend time with Jesus for he will change your heart and your priorities and what you will talk about you. I also would encourage you to be intentional on what you want others to know from your life.
Are you ready for your death?
Peter was preparing to die. Jesus Christ made it clear to Peter the manner in which he would and the timing of his death. We do not know if Jesus communicated audibly to Peter while he was in prison this time or based on circumstances, he knew his end was near. Either way, Peter knew his time was near. 2 Peter 1:14
since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.
Life is vapor. In one sense, we will all put off our bodies soon, but in reality some of us are closer than others. Although we never know when our day is coming, we do know that it is coming. Are you ready for it? If you were to die today, do you have confidence that you would receive a rich entrance into the kingdom of the Lord Jesus? Or are you not sure?
If you are not sure, let be clear: everyone will die and stand before God in judgment. Hebrews 9:27
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,
We cannot avoid it. We all die because we are all sinners. Death is our consequence for our sin. All die because all have sinned. And when we die, we will be judged. Now, as Christians we do not fear judgment because we know Jesus Christ has already taken our judgment for us on the cross. Jesus never sinned yet he died in the place of sinners. He offered his body once for sins so that all who turn to him in faith could be forgiven. His resurrection is the proof that we will be resurrected to eternal life. Let me finish the verse quoted above, as there was a comma and not period, Hebrews 9:27–28
And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
Jesus has already dealt with sin. He offered his body once and for all to bear the sins of all who would turn to him in faith. And He will appear a second time, not deal with sin, but to save. He will save those who are eagerly waiting for him. He will save those who are holding to the promises of God and are adding to their faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love.
Friend, are you scared of Jesus' return or are you eagerly waiting? If you are scared, you most likely are not ready to die. Let me remind you that God is a forgiving God. He is full of compassion and mercy. No matter what wrong you have done, if you turn to Christ, you will be forgiven. Do not delay. Turn to Christ today.
Beloved, we are ready to die. We know Christ and we know that we will receive a rich welcome into his eternal kingdom. If we are ready, let us make sure the people in our lives are ready as well. Let us remind them of his coming and encourage them to press on to the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Where do you need more effort?
Again, Peter begins with a call to individuals to make their calling and election sure, but here is focusing on his effort for others. He makes a promise to the church, 2 Peter 1:15,
And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.
Peter wants to capitalize on his last days by making every effort so that after he is gone, the church will be able to remember these things. The ‘these things’ are related to the whole letter not merely the first chapter. In one sense, ‘these things’ embody all of the faith once and for all delivered to saints. It is the body of faith handed down by the apostles. And in another sense, Peter has a specific aim. He does not want them to fall away and forget the second coming of Christ, but grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ with righteousness and godliness. Some of the ‘these things’ are universal to Chrsitians in any time and culture while others are unique to the Christians in Peter’s day.
He says he will make every effort so that after he is gone they remain. What are ways we make every effort to pass on the faith? Let me offer a few:
By Our Words - Peter took great care to write down his charge to the church. He wanted to communicate specific words to specific people. As Moody lay dying, he gave specific charges to each one of his children. And we see this pattern throughout the Scriptures, Paul writes final words to Timothy, John writes final words to Gaius, and Jesus gives final words to Peter. We can make every effort to pass on the faith with our words, verbally and written down.
By Our Example - It is not to merely say the right things, we need to live the right way. Hebrews 13:7,
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
This is referring to the leaders in the church, but the same could be said in the home to mothers and fathers or employers to employees. Paul said to the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” People will follow your character. If you are kind, people in your life will be more kind. If you are generous, people will be more generous. If you are angry, people in your life will be angry. We become what we behold and others behold good in us, they will become good. What do others see in us?
By Our Actions - It is similar to the one above, but I want to extend it beyond character. We want to have godly character and pass that godly character on to others, but we also want to model godly activity. We want to serve other people and we want to pass on those activities to others. If you are serving others, reading the word, or showing hospitality, those things will be passed on to others. If you are always looking at your phone or computer, if you never have people in your home or if you choose sports on Sunday over the Lord’s day gathering, those will also be followed as well.
Peter makes a promise to the church. “I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.” Peter is going to give himself to the church so they will flourish after his departure.
Where do you need to make more of an effort? Are you making every effort to pass on the faith? Parents, are you making every effort to pass on the faith to your children? Older men, are you making every effort to pass on the faith to younger men in this congregation? Older women, are you making every effort to pass on the faith to younger women in this congregation? Young people, are you making every effort to listen to the faith that is being passed on to you? Deacons, are you making every effort to serve the church so the Word of God would increase? Elders, are you making every effort to teach and pray so the congregation would grow in Christlikeness?
We all have room to grow. We all can work on our effort. And we all need to grow and be all the more diligent to make the calling and election of others sure. Heaven and hell are real. We want people to reach heaven and avoid hell. But the question is how bad? Are you making every effort to see that happen?
2 Peter 1:12-15 is a window into the heart of a pastor. He loves his sheep and wants to make sure they are safe in Christ. He wanted to make sure they would not be seduced and carried away by false teachers. He wanted them to remain rooted and established in Christ. Peter had very specific aims based on the cultural moment when he wrote this last letter in that Roman prison. Peter’s aim has caused me to think of my own aim and the aim of our elders. What are ‘these things’ we want our people to remember?
One of the great blessings of a plurality of elders is that each elder is going to have unique and specific passions they want to pass on. Pastor Grant makes every effort for our church to love the poor and the lost. He sets an example of sacrificial love and concern for the body and wants to lead us in loving the left-outs and forgottens. Pastor Daniel makes every effort for our church to have clean hands and a pure heart. He wants us to love God’s Word and be sound in doctrine. Pastor Whit makes every effort that we would know there is only one God and no other. He wants us to know how to defend our faith and study the Scriptures on our own. Pastor Simeon makes every effort that we are doing everything in decency and order. He wants us to have systems in place to care for the young and the old. Pastor Roberto makes every effort that we would love God in patience and truth. He wants to model a humble trust in the Lord in all things. Pastor Victor makes every effort to herald the sovereignty of God in salvation. He wants us to know deeply of the grace of God. It is such a gift to labor with these men who have a deep love for the church and deep passion for the Great Commission.
We want to make every effort for all of you to be built up in Christ and mature in the things of God. We, as elders, want to make every effort for our church to be a holy church. We want our people to walk as Christ walked. We want to love the things of God and love one another. We want to make every effort for our church to reflect Christ to one another and to the world. We want to be a church that is reaching the lost for Christ. We want to make every effort to be a green dot church, meaning we want to be a church that gives more than it gets. We want to send out elders and missionaries to serve the world. We want to resource and train future pastors. We want to come alongside and strengthen churches in our area, state, nation and around the world. We want to make every effort to strengthen the church of the Lord Jesus Christ so that Christ would be honored, the church would be strengthen and the lost would be saved.
Our church has been put in a unique season. We have opportunities to strengthen the church far and wide. The Elders and I have been given opportunities to develop relationships with pastors all over the world. We are regularly engaging other pastors in helping them think through how to be a healthy church. How to be churches that preach the gospel faithfully, that have a culture of discipleship and evangelism, that are robustly complementarian celebrating God’s design in gender and authority. We share time and time again of what God is doing in our midst. We are making every effort that our church cares for the nations. We want to care for one another so we all will make it glory. And we care for one another so that we can help influence the world for Christ.
I want our church to be like the church of Thessalonica. They were a church known for holiness and love. Paul writes of the church, 1 Thessalonians 1:6–10,
And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (Emphasis added)
The faith of the church went forth and became an example to the world. How? They turned from idols to the living God. They eagerly waited for Jesus from heaven who was raised from the dead, who alone delivers from the wrath to come. When we put aside idols and make every effort to live for Jesus Christ personally and corporately, we can be an example to the world.
My prayer is that we would make every effort to be a Christ-like community for one another and the world. Your love for one another, your love for truth, and your striving for unity here will influence the nations. Josue Lara is building a core team in Monterrey, Mexico and the new church, Piedra Angular will be impacted by his time here at Park Baptist Church. I saw both Mark Watts and Thomas Broom this week and Stony Fork Community Church and Grace Chapel Baptist Church will be impacted by those brothers' time in our church. Glenrock Baptist Church will be different because of Alan Patrick’s time here at Park. Pioneer Church exists because of the labor of this congregation.
Next month, we will have 50-75 pastors here at Park Baptist Church to learn and think deeply about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We will have the ability to influence countless congregations to pursue holiness and righteousness through the knowledge of Jesus Christ. One of the pastors who came last year, told our elders at the SBC how their congregation is moving to a more biblical model of church government because of their time at Park last July. God is using our church to help strengthen the larger church for the glory of Jesus Christ.
God, in his kindness, has allowed our church to be a green-dot church. We are net exporters of grace to others. Praise God. It is an undeserved grace from the Lord. But here me, our influence outside these walls begins inside them. Our relationships with one another, the empty-tomb affection we have for one another, the love for doctrine and wielding that doctrine with grace, is one of the reasons our congregation is able to be influencing churches in our area, our nation, and to the ends of the earth. It is humbling. And it is exciting. And we, as elders, want to make every effort to be a Christ-like church in Rock Hill and influence the nations to do the same. I could share more of how God is using our church to influence the Spanish-speaking world and helping to model how one can be a church with two languages or how we are helping churches develop residency for pastors and missionaries and women. God is doing so very much through our local body.
And we deserve none of the glory, but we must continue to make every effort to be used by the Lord for his glory. I do appreciate the great William Carey’s words as he encouraged the church in his day to take the gospel to nations, “Attempt Great Things for God, Expect Great Things From God.” I pray we will do both. Who knows what the Lord will do in our midst? I do not, but I want to make every effort so that after my departure many who are far from God would be reconciled by grace to Christ, once weak churches would become strong in faith, once empty pulpits would be filled with godly men holding out the word of life, and the people of Park Baptist Church would receive a rich entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Peter is thinking about his coming death and wants the church to continue in Jesus and the promise of his coming after he died. He wanted them to believe that even though he would soon close his eyes in death, he would receive a rich entrance into the eternal kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord. I do not know how much time the Lord will give me, but it is helpful for my heart to meditate on the brevity of life. It is helpful to read stories of great saints and how they trusted the Lord til the end.
DL Moody was surrounded by his family in those waning hours before his death charging them to continue the good work that God had begun. But he did not want to be sad in his passing, for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of one of his saints. Shortly before his death, Moody preached to a gathering,
Some day you will read in the papers that D. L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. I shall have gone up higher, that is all–out of this old clay tenement into a house that is immortal; a body death cannot touch, that sin cannot taint, a body fashioned like unto His glorious body. I was born in the flesh in 1837. I was born of the Spirit in 1856. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit will live forever.
Beloved, we are born of the Spirit and we will live forever. Let us make every effort that we and others will live in that reality. Don’t believe the false teachers, Jesus is coming. He is not coming to deal with sins, but provide a rich entrance to those who eagerly await his return. So make every effort to fix your eyes to the hills from where our help comes from. Beloved, keep your eyes on Jesus, firmly established in the truth you know, the truth that will save, the truth that will keep you. Jesus is the truth. Beloved, hold fast to him for we are almost home.