January 4, 1998 Rev. Tom Dooley
www.preachingtheword.com
Eight Habits Of Highly Effective Christians
2 Peter 1:1-10
Habit Number Two: The Habit of Cultivating Virtue
Someone has compared the Book of 2 Peter to a Spiritual
pep talk. In a way that is a good comparison. Peter is
writing to believers who are facing some very difficult
circumstances. He wants to encourage them to get up,
stand up and move out for the cause of Jesus Christ.
We need to be encouraged in the same manner.
As we studied this morning, Peter sets for the challenge in
verse 5. He calls us to... "ADD TO YOUR FAITH.." That
call is a call to be a Highly Effective Servant of our Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Basically every Christian falls into one of three categories.
Some are...
1) Babes In Christ
There are to ways to be a babe in Christ. One way is to
have been recently born into the family of God. That is the
way it is supposed be.
Others are babes in Christ because they are stunted in
their developement and growth as a believer.
Some Christians are....
2) Backsliders From Christ
A backslider, we don’t like that word, but a backslider is
one who is saved, but they are not living close to the Lord.
You don’t stand still in your relationship to the Lord. You
are going forward or backward.
I read this week that when Billy Sunday ( he was a professional
baseball player who became an evangelist) was converted, a saintly
man told him ... he said, "Billy, if you never want to backslide, you do
three things every day. You read the Bible and let God speak to you
through His Word fifteen minutes every day. You talk to Him in
prayer fifteen minutes every day. And you spend fifteen minutes
every day telling somebody about Jesus Christ." He said, "Billy, you’ll
never have backslider written after your name."
Billy Sunday said, "You know, I’ve been sliding into a lot of bases. I’ve
been sliding into a lot of bases a long time. I don’t plan to slide out
of any."
And some beleivers are...
3) Builders For Christ
They are diligently going about the business of adding to
their faith.
I want to encourage you to be a builder.
Here in our text Peter tells us how we are to be adding to
our faith and what we are to add to our faith. Here we find
what I am calling... EIGHT HABITS OF HIGHLY
EFFECTIVE CHRISTIANS.
This morning we focused on the first of these habits. We
learned that if we are going to become Highly Effective
Servants of Jesus then we must develope the habit of...
PRACTICING SPIRITUAL DILIGENCE.
Tonight we are going to learn that to become a Highly
effective Christian, we must make it a habit to cultivate a
passion for virtue in our lives.
Look with me again at verse 5. Peter says that we are to
add to our faith....
Again, the foundation is faith, faith in Jesus that results in
our salvation. Then with diligence we begin this process of
adding to our faith. And we are to add to our faith... Virtue.
Now if we are going to do that, we must clearly understand
what Peter is talking about when he speaks of virtue.
In defining virtue let me emphasize two things.
First...
1. VIRTUE IS AN ATTITUDE WE NEED TO HAVE
The attitude we approach things with certainly makes a
difference in what we achieve doesn’t it?
In reference to attitude, someone made this observation. "If a man
has limburger cheese on his upper lip, he thinks the whole world
smells." (1001 Humorous Illustrations, p.38)
Virtue is an attitude we need to have.
The term "virtue" as used in this verse refers to the
courageous pursuit of moral excellence. The outward
expression of "virtue" begins with an inner attitude or
mindset that says, I want to do what is right.
So Peter basically is saying we need to add to our faith a
desire, or the attitude... to do what is right.
Let me show you a biblical illustration of this attitude.
Turn with me to Luke 19:1-10.
Here we have the story of Zacchaeus. Let’s walk thru this
story together.
First in verses 1-3 we have...
1) The Description of Zacchaeus
He... lived in Jericho, made his living as a chief publican,
he was rich and short of stature.
Then note... ( v.3 )
2) The Desire of Zacchaeus
He wanted to see Jesus.. who he was. He apparently had
heard about this man named Jesus, and he wanted to size
Him up for himself.
He had a problem... the crowd got in the way. But he didn’t
give up.
Look at verse 4 and see...
3) The Determination of Zacchaeus
He exerted himself just to see Jesus.
And then notice what it lead to. It lead to...
4) The Decision of Zacchaeus
Look at verses 5-10. Now don’t miss this. Old Zack was
no more. He was a new man after he met Jesus.
Verse 8 is really important. It tells us of the new attitude
Zacchaeus had. He had a desire to make restitution for
what he had stolen. That is virtue... he had the desire to
do the right thing.
And when he gave testimony of his intentions to Jesus,
notice how Jesus responded in verse 9. Jesus confirmed
the salvation of Zacchaeus.
Listen... Virtue is an attitude we must have if we are going
to be Highly Effective Servants of Jesus.
But then secondly let me emphasize that...
2. VIRTUE IS AN ACTION THAT WE MUST TAKE
Inwardly, virtue is an attitude that we need. Outwardly,
virtue is an action that we must take.
Remember that "virtue" is the pursuit of moral excellance.
Inwardly, we desire to what is right. Outwardly, we
demonstrate what is right. It is being holy in an unholy
world.
A little girl was spending some time with her grandma, and while she
was sitting on her lap she said, " Grandma, I love you so much.
You’re so pretty!" The thin and wrinkled grandma laughed and said,
"Honey, that’s sweet of you to say, but I’m not pretty." The little girl
responded, "Oh yes you are. You’re pretty on the inside."
God wants you and me to be pretty on the inside. So
pretty that it shows up on the outside.
Listen you and I can not grow spiritually if we play around
with sin. Sin always stops spiritual progress.
I heard about a lamb. This lamb and its mother passed the
pig pen every day on their way to the pasture. The lamb
looked loningly at the pigs wallowing in the mire, and he
asked his mother if he could go and play in the mud. His
mother scolded him and reminded him that, "sheep don’t
wallow."
Oh but he wanted to play in the mud. It looked like so
much fun. On hot days the mud looked so cool.
One day, as he and his mother were making their way to
the pasture, he let his mother get ahead of him. He took
off for the pig pen. he jumped over the fence and started
playing in the mud. The cool mud felt on that hot day felt
good around his ankles, so he went in a little deeper. He
got in up to his belly and was cooling down.
Wool and mud, however, don’t mix well. It began to cake
on his wool and eventually he realized he was stuck. He
couldn’t move, he couldn’t get out. What he thought would
bring him pleasure became his prison.
After crying for help, the farmer rescued him. His mother
reminded him, "Sheep don’t wallow!"
That’s good counsel for christian sheep too. We must not
play with sin.
It may look appealing, but remember where it leads. It
traps, it addicts, it ensalves, it destroys.
Oh let’s have a passion for virtue.
