Diligence Required
I. 2 Peter 1:1-10-Adding
diligence to the Word
A.
2-Grace
and Peace by multiplied unto you
B.
2-If grace
and peace are going to come unto you, then it must come through the knowledge
of the Word
1.
So now if you have little to no knowledge of
the Word you’ll be cut off from this grace and peace because they have nothing
to come through (Hosea 4:6)
a.
EX: The water plant can have all the water
you’d ever want you to have it, but if you don’t have the pipes there’s no way
for them to get it to you. You
don’t get that water by calling and whining and begging. You might be busy but no water is coming
until those pipes get laid and the bill gets paid.
2.
If you have little knowledge of the Word you
have a small channel through with grace and peace can come to you
a.
The grace and peace that increase in your
life is being determined by you what you know and do from the Word
3.
People give themselves too much credit about
how much they know from the Word
a.
The more you know the more and more
effectively you can do and the more and more effectively you do the more grace
and peace you’ll see in your life
b.
Once you think you know it all then you hit
your grace and peace limit
1)
Not making the effort to get knowledge is
dangerous (UNDERSTANDING)
C.
3-All that pertains to life and godliness God
gave to us through the knowledge of the Word; that’s how you have healing and
prosperity through hearing and doing the Word
1.
The littler you know and do from the word,
the less of these things you’ll see
D.
4-By this word you’re going to become more
and more like him and escape the corruption and destruction that is in the
world
E.
5-For this very reason:
1.
Grace and Peace are multiplied to you through
knowing and doing the Word
2.
All that pertains to life & godliness is
given to you through knowledge of the Word
3.
By these promises you become like God and
escape corruption
F.
5-For this very reason add your diligence to
these divine promises; Most believers haven’t added diligence to the promises
1.
They get excited about the word, read the
Word, they shout about the word in church, but they haven’t added diligence to
the promises
2.
Until you add diligence to the word it won’t manifest in your life
II. Because of the diligence required
to walk in victory most believers chose to be lazy and live in crisis-management-mode
rather than engaging diligence and walking in divine victory
A.
It’s going to require diligence in the Word to walk in victory (Heb 11:6, Proverbs 28:20, Hebrews 6:12)
1.
Diligence-To zealously seek
for something with all your heart, strength, and might. It presents a picture of one who seeks
something so passionately and determinedly that he literally exhausts all his
power in his search. It portrays
such an earnest effort, the idea of being hard-working,
attentive, busy, and persistent in one’s devotion to what he is doing.
2.
You can’t diligent seek Him without
diligently seeking His Word
3.
Diligence isn’t required to earn the reward; it’s required to unlock the reward that Jesus already
earned for you
B.
People are crystal clear on what they want,
but most aren’t interested in finding out what it takes to get it (Proverbs
13:4)
1.
Diligence is the key factor in getting from
what you want to having it
2.
Every believer in the Body of Christ could
win every time if they diligently heard and did the Word
3.
Neither laziness nor diligence can be hid;
your results tell on you
C.
Hope has been deferred and the heart of
people has become sick because they believed they could walk in victory without
being diligent in the Word of God (Proverbs13:12)
1.
There’s a reason things aren’t happening in
people’s lives-Proverbs 26:2
a.
This Bible is spiritual law that works when
the principles are put to work (Js 1:25)
1)
Believer get into deception where they think
they live in victory and not diligently do what this says
b.
Proverbs 13:13-This is a spiritual law; If
you despise and neglect the Word destruction is going to be in your life
1)
Rom 10:17, 1 John 5:4-Faith comes by hearing
the Word; its your victory
2)
3 John 2, Isaiah 55:1-3-You’ll only prosper
to the degree that your soul prospers and it prospers as you hear the word
2.
Joshua 1:8-The success came after diligently hearing
and doing the Word
a.
Psalm 1:1-Many people would like to prosper,
but won’t commit to the Word
3.
Most people don’t want to hear that it’s
going to require diligence in the Word. They live their lives hoping nothing
bad enough happens that they can’t handle by natural means and then when they
can’t handle it they go into crisis management-mode with a few moments of tears
and prayers hoping that God will do something. Rather than living in the Word and no
matter what arises they “hear and do the Word” their way out of the problem.
a.
You’re supposed to be able to run to this
word, find out what it says, and do your way out; MAKE YOUR WAY PROSPEROUS
b.
You’re in the condition you’re in right now
because of what you have or haven’t heard and done from the Word
c.
If you’re expecting to see change in your
life while you continue to give little-to-no effort in hearing and doing the
Word your hope will be deferred and you heart will be sick and you’ll be able
to believe very little with a sick heart
D.
Hebrews 6:11-12-Diligence to full assurance
1.
James 1:6-8-Full-assurance is vital
a.
You’d better get unwavering where this is
concerned if you want to receive
2.
To get fully assured is going to demand diligence
a.
The destination of full assurance can only be
reached by travelling down the path of diligence
b.
I got to get to full assurance because it’s
there that I’ll see my manifestation
c.
John 8:32-Through continuing in the Word, the
Word becomes truth to you
3.
Many believers are not seeing the Word
manifest is because of slothfulness
a.
Slothfulness is a hindrance to full assurance
4.
Faith and Patience
a.
Faith-Believing God is, Believing He can,
Believing its His will, Believing He’s offering it to you, Believing you
received
b.
Patience-Perseverance, endurance, constancy,
steadfastness
1)
There will be things that come to get you to
not believe that you have received and that’s when you must exercise patience
2)
James 1:2-4-When my faith gets tried I put
patience to work
5.
12-If you’re not willing to do what they did,
then you won’t get what they got
a.
You got to endure and stay after it to obtain
6.
Abraham operated in faith and diligence
(Romans 4:16-21)
a.
He called thing that be not as though they
were-That took diligence
b.
He expected victory when there was reason to
expect it other than God said it-That took diligence
c.
He considered not the circumstances-That took
diligence
d.
He gave glory to God-That took diligence
e.
Through diligence to those things he got
fully persuaded