Sunday Sermon
What produces the highest type of faith?
Date: February 11, 2007
Speaker: Ptr. Gerry Gregoire
Scriptural Reference: 2 Peter 1:2-4
Listen to Audio Sermon

Scripture : 2 Peter 1:2-4 “grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of god and of jesus our lord, as his divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by glory and virtue by which have been given to us great and precious promises that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Do we really comprehend what god has said to us through peter ? Knowledge of god is mentioned twice in those 3 verses of scripture.

End product - we have been given all things that pertain to life and godliness !!! How ? Through the knowledge of god...

How many of us have claimed:
1. To be filled with the spirit.
2. Testified that we have been filled with the spirit.
3. Prayed in the spirit.
4 talked in the spirit.
5. Walked in the spirit.
6. Believed the holy spirit is the power of god.

Yet, we have to ask ourselves, do i really understand what transpired in me at that time ? What did i really become ? In essence what did i really receive when i received the holy spirit ?

Peter tells us that when we really understand god we should know that we have in us everything that pertains to life and godliness and promises that make us partakers of the devine nature.

Fact is you can have something very valuable and not know it. And you can’t enjoy what you have, because you don’t understand how valuable it is.

(story about farmer) a farmer worked his small farm for his whole life. For decades he tiled the rocky soil, living poor and finally died in discontent. At his death his son inherited the farm. One day, while plowing, the son found a gold streaked nugget. He had it appraised and was told that it was pure gold. The young man soon discovered that the farm was full of gold. Instantly he became a wealthy man. Yet that wealth was lost on his father, even though it was on his land his whole life.

Do you understand what peter is telling us ? There is gold on your property !!! Everything that pertains to life and godliness and a divine nature.

Some believers seek the holy spirit only when they are in trouble. How many things have we done or said in our own strength ? We don’t need the holy spirit just to come and sweep away our big problems, we need him in every area of our life.

Is it possible that we will have a similar situation some day that phillip had(john 14:9) when he said to jesus show us the father and jesus’ reply was” how long have i been with you, if you have seen me you have seen the father.”(paraphrased) we could say, father show us the holy spirit and his reply would be how long has he been in you and you don’t recognize what he can do in your life.

Too many churches are powerless because they have not the full presence of god. This comes only by you really knowing your god and really believing his word. Really knowing him means you know rather well how the holy spirit can and will work in you. You understand fully that only a surrendered life can get things done.

Lets get to that place we need to be as a church !!! We cannot let anyone of us become stragglers. If you have said yes to jesus, you qualify to let the holy spirit work through you. Not just in word but in action.

Remember what paul said in 1 thessalonians 1:5-7 “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the holy spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. And you became followers of us and of the lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the holy spirit, so that you became examples to all in macedonia and achaia who believe.”

We need to become examples to everyone of a church that is confident about our faith. Regardless of what is happening in our lives. We are not going to fold to satan and the ways of the world. Backsliders choose the easy way out. We are not that now and we never want to be.

There is much turmoil in this world !! People are really confused. We to stand on our faith and know that god will fulfill his word in your life and in the life of this church.

We don’t need pity or a pep talk. The word of god must come forth, giving power to withstand every onslaught of trials.

In revelation 13:7,8 we find that satan giving power to something called the beast, “it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the book of life of the lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Thank god for the book of life.

At this time what is most tragic of all, satan seems to have brought down the church in defeat. It appears as though he has cast a spirit of death over god’s house, so much, that multitudes cry, “i can’t find a church where the spirit is at work. Everywhere i look, there is no fire, no conviction. Its dead.”Not many pressing in to get more of his presence. Instead its god is going to make you rich, he going to take all your troubles away, there will be no more struggles. Brothers and sisters “we are at war !”

John’s gospel tells us that the enemy comes forth to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give us life and that in this world you will have tribulation. And we are not to fear because jesus overcame the world. And because he lives in us we are over comers.

Church.... Think about it.. The holy ghost isn’t shut up in glory, but here, abiding in us. And he is waiting to anxiously to take control of every situation in

Our lives, including our afflictions. So, if we continue in fear and unbelief and ignorance, despairing, questioning, going deeper into anxiety— than we haven’t received him as out comforter, helper, guide, rescuer and strength.

You may say but pastor the holy spirit was sent to empower us to be christ witnesses, and yes that is true but what comprises our witness? Is it merely telling people about jesus? Is it simply quoting the bible ?is it just praying for people ? These are all a part of our witness to be sure— but they don’t comprise all of it. No, the witness to the world is the christian who has cast his every burden on the lord through the holy spirit.
A downcast believer simply isn’t a testimony !!

The holy spirit is not fully received until he is fully in charge

Church !!!!! We need to know this, everyone of us has to know this. There cannot be any exceptions. If we are to move forward and be effective. You need to comprehend this. This is what will bring our faith to the level it needs to be to get the job done.

1. It is necessary to know the integrity of the word; to know that this word is actually what it declares itself to be — a revelation from god to us

2. It is necessary for us to know to know the actual reality of our redemption in christ ----- not as a doctrine, not as a philosophy but an actual redemption out of the authority of satan, and that we have been, by the new birth, translated into the kingdom of the son of his love, in other words, into the family of god. Satan’s dominion has ended! Jesus is the lord and the head of the new body.
Satan is a defeated foe over whom we reign through the name of jesus. Satan no longer has dominion over our bodies, over our minds, over our finances, over the circumstances of our life.

3. It ie necessary for us to know the reality of the new creation; to know the legal side if it, that in the mind of justice we were created in christ jesus when he was recreated after he had been made sin as our substitute. The moment we accepted jesus christ as our savior and confessed him as our lord, god recreated us, made the legal thing a reality, and that today we have today in our spirits the very nature and life of god. Its not an experience, not a religion, its not joining a church. But it is an actual birth of our spirits. We are the very sons and daughters of god almighty !!

What is the effect of this knowledge ?

God is your very father.
You are his very child.
You have much freedom in his fellowship as jesus.
The father loves you even as he loved jesus.

4. We can know the reality of our righteousness.
Look at 2 corinthians 5:21 “for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of god in him.”
This means that our standing before the throne is a standing sponsored by god himself and by his son.

Listen the prayer problem is settled. We are no longer going into his presence tongue-tied because of condemnation or fear-filled because of ignorance. We know we are in christ !! We know we are what he made us, fellow laborers with christ !! Its time to jump for joy

5. It is necessary for us to know the reality of the indwelling. Listen.... God himself, after he recreated us, made us his own, is actually making our bodies his home.

1 corinthians 6:19,20 - “or do you not know that your body is the temple of the holy spirit. Who is in you, whom you have from god, and you are not your own ? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify god in your body and in your spirit, which are god’s.”
Friends, catch that thought. Inside you, you are not your own, you now belong to god.

6. It is necessary for us to know the reality of our fellowship with the father. This is the very heart reason for redemption. 1 corinthians 1:9 — “god is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his son, jesus christ our lord.”(fellowship means sharing, equally bearing the burden, sharing in the victories because of a common interest)

1 john 1:3,4 and 7 tells us that we may have fellowship with one another. “ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you may also have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the father and with his son jesus christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may br full.....7 but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of jesus christ cleanses us from all sin.”

Relationship without fellowship is an insipid, tasteless thing. Its like marriage without love or fellowship.

Fellowship is the mother of faith.
The parent of joy.
The source of victory.

We have the power of attorney to use the name o jesus.
Its not a problem of faith; but a problem of knowing your legal rights in christ, and taking your place as a son and daughter anf following through.

The question is what are you going to do with the knowledge you have just been given by god ?
Remember knowledge brings responsibility; and if you don’t assume that responsibility, it brings judgement.

Your purpose in life is to fellowship with god. The job you are doing is an assignment. God sent jesus to restore a broken fellowship.

So having the holy spirit in you is more that tongues, its so much more you have a devine nature and posses all that is necessary to live successfully.

Altar call and prayer as the spirit leads. Operation of spiritual gifs as god leads.