Sermons
Sermons from Bay Vista Baptist ChurchThe Prophetic Word
Before Peter starts in on the false teachers, he gives the believers encouragement, to strengthen their faith. Our faith in Christ s is a faith that is based on the witness of God the Father, recorded in the written Word, and continues through the work of the Holy Spirit.
A Confirmed Calling
Peter encourages the church to continue to assure themselves of their position in Christ. By testing and confirming our faith, know that we can rely on it when we need it.
A Growing Faith
Since God has given us everything we need for life and godliness, and also given us His exceeding great and precious promises - we need to use them! Peter uses an immediate command in this passage to remind them that their faith, and a host of other qualities, should be continually increasing, so they do not become ineffective for the kingdom of God.
The Promises of God
Peter continues emphasizing the knowledge of God as the key for power and success in the Christian life. We cannot tap into this power, which we already have, if we do not know about it!
An Equal Faith
As Peter begins his second letter to the first-century church under fire, he focuses on the equal faith that all believers have, and the powerful knowledge of the Lord that this faith enables. These words are still true today, and should cause us to celebrate our equality of faith and the possibility of a deeper knowledge of God.
Pray for One Another
The key to many of the other “one another"s we’ve seen is prayer. When we offer vigilant and specific intercessory prayer for fellow believers, we not only help them with their needs, we grow closer to them and to God.
Grow with One Another
Christians are not designed to go it alone; rather we are to be grown in community with other believers. Within this community, every believer is called to teach and admonish the other believers, and Paul identifies music as one area where this should be regularly done.
Encourage One Another
The writer of Hebrews noted that some Christians were falling away from the faith, and told believers to encourage one another to prevent this. This advice still applies to us today, in the form of a serious warning.
Be at Peace with One Another
The early Christians were known as such by their love for one another; in fact, Jesus even said that this would be a hallmark of His disciples. However, we are often known more for what we are against, including - at times - each other. Paul encourages us, through his letter to the church in Rome, to live at peace with one another, and to accept them the way Christ has accepted us.
Forgive One Another
As Paul was writing to the Colossian church, he reminded them of whose they were. Then, he illustrated that bearing with and forgiving one another should be our only response, in view of all that we have been forgiven ourselves.