Sermons

Endgame (4/4): The Way To End Well

1 July 2019
Michael Raditya

THE WAY TO END WELL
2 Peter 3:14-18
Series: End Game – Becoming Future Ready

Being future ready believers means we are able to face the Lord with confidence when He returns, joyful that He has come to vindicate us. How can we remain in the faith to the very end?

Discussion Guide

1) Be determined to live right before God (14-15a)

In verse 14, believers are exhorted to “make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace” with God. Making effort here refers to a ‘determined’ effort and not a ‘casual’ effort. Reflect on the choices, decisions and actions in your life. How does being determined to live right before God in your own personal life look like? Being determined to live right does not mean that salvation is based on our own effort to be good in order to be saved. It means we are intentional to respond to God’s grace to us by being above reproach in our conduct. What is one area that the Spirit may be prompting you to consider your ethics? What are the challenges you face? Who can you approach for advice? How can you rely on the Spirit’s empowerment to resolve your dilemmas? What are other steps you can take to be more intentional to live right before God? How can the Life Group play a role?

2) Be on guard against false teaching (15b-17)

False teachings are rarely a blatant lie, it is often a mixture of truth and lie. What are some false teachings you have encountered? How can you tell what is true and false? What do you think are some ways that believers can guard themselves against false teachings? We develop our ability to discern truth and false by cultivating a biblical worldview through the understanding of Scripture. Reading the Bible thoroughly from cover to cover is one way to know God’s Word more. Have you read the Bible from cover to cover before? If not, would you consider to start doing it? Why? Read 2 Timothy 4:3, the Bible warned believers about being a selective hearer of God’s Word. Are there some biblical truths that you find yourself particularly receptive and open to? Are there also some biblical truths that you find yourself ignoring or paying less attention to? How can the Life Group work together to avoid becoming selective hearers and instead, embrace the totality of God’s truth? Another way to cultivate a biblical worldview is to not just read but also study the Bible. Grow season 3 is here. Is there a class you can attend to go deeper into the Word?

3) Be committed to keep growing in the Lord (18)

The risk of being a stagnant believer is the tendency to fall. Backsliding doesn’t happen overnight but takes time and often happens without our realisation. What do you think are some signs of someone drifting away from God? What may be some contributing factors? Take some time to reflect on your spiritual life, describe your hunger for spiritual growth from a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being very hungry). Explain why. We can look at growth in 2 areas – our being (worldview and character) as well as our doing (ministry or service). What are some steps you can take to be more intentional to grow in these 2 areas? Our relationship with God is vital to our being and doing. How can we prioritise our relationship with God in the midst of many other things that are calling for our attention? How can the Life Group play a role?

Reflection questions

1) Be determined to live right before God (14-15a)

Reflect on the choices, decisions and actions in your life. How does being determined to live right before God in your own personal life look like?

2) Be on guard against false teaching (15b-17)

How can you tell what is true and false? What do you think are some ways that believers can guard themselves against false teachings?

3) Be committed to keep growing in the Lord (18)

We can look at growth in 2 areas – our being (worldview and character) as well as our doing (ministry or service). What are some steps you can take to be more intentional to grow in these 2 areas? Our relationship with God is vital to our being and doing. How can we prioritise our relationship with God in the midst of many other things that are calling for our attention?