UNCHECKED by Dr. Shah, Clearview Church, Henderson, NC

Introduction: In 2009, Apple came out with a slogan “There’s an app for that.” In fact, it was even trademarked by them. In time, it became a big joke. Fifteen years later, no one can deny it that we have an app for everything these days. Apps are designed to help us stay on track with everything from our daily tasks, our workout schedules, our daily calories, and so much more. Over the next 7 weeks, we will be learning how to stay “ON TRACK” in our lives, especially our spiritual lives. These messages will be coming from 2 Peter. Typically, preaching falls under two extremes: Very biblical/theological but with very little real-life application or very applicable with very little biblical/theological basis. Our goal is to have real-life application that is based on biblical/theological truth. 2 Peter was written by Peter to help believers stay on track, and it can help us as well. With that as our approach, the first message in this series is titled “UNCHECKED.” Big Question: Are you living an Unchecked Life? If there was an app that could track your life, your priorities, your goals, your direction, your health, your spiritual life, what will it show?

2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.”

Context: Why did I choose 2 Peter to get us “On Track?” 2 Peter is one of those neglected books of the New Testament. A big reason for that was that some people had claimed that Peter did not write this book, and that someone else had forged it in Peter’s name. Not only did many of the church fathers defend the authorship of the epistle by Peter, but, in recent years, more and more scholars have become convinced that it was indeed written by Peter. In fact, he it as he saw his death approaching – 2 Peter 1      13 “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, 14 knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.” What prompted him to write this letter? He was seeing believers getting off track. Listen to these 3 verses, one from each of the three chapters:

• 2 Peter 1:10 “Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble.” The Greek word “ptaisete” is from “ptaio” – “stumble,” “make a blunder/mistake,” or “be ruined.”
• 2 Peter 2:15 “They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” The Greek word “epplanethesan” is from “planao” – “lead astray” or “wander away.” 
• 2 Peter 3:17 “You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked.” There are 2 Greek words here: the first is “ekpesete” from “ekpipto” – “fall off” or “lose one’s way”; the second is “sunapachthentes” from “sunapago” – “be carried off along with” or “led astray.”

Are you stumbling in your life, being led astray, wandering, or losing your way? Big Question again: Are you living an Unchecked Life? The answer lies in what are your priorities, where are you headed, and who is calling the shots in your life. If you say, “I don’t know” and “I don’t care,” keep in mind that your unchecked life is not only impacting you, but it is also impacting the people around you, and being evaluated by God himself. 

Typically, at this point, the real-life application preaching will give you 3 steps or 4 ways or 5 actions to get on track. We’re not going to do that. We’re going to stick with what the Scriptures have to say in 2 Peter and ask some very important questions (not rhetorical) about your unchecked life that you need to answer.

1. Peter points to Unguarded Desire as the cause of Unchecked Living.

God created us with the ability to desire, to want, to crave, to aspire, to long for. Nothing is wrong with that. He made us in his image. Unfortunately, because of the corruption of the world due to sin, our desires are now tainted, distorted, and prone to evil. The word for “unguarded desire” or “lust” is “epithumia,” found 4 times in this little book:

• 2 Peter 1:4 “…that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
• 2 Peter 2:10 “and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed.”
• 2 Peter 2:18 “For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh.”
• 2 Peter 3:3 “knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts.”

Question: Can you see the power of your desires?

For e.g. If you don’t believe in the power of your desires, try to control your weight by not eating all the sweets over Christmas. Your mind will start justifying to you why it is okay. You will bargain. You will rationalize. You will feel sorry for yourself. You will play dumb. James also warns us in James 1      14 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”

2. Peter identifies false teachers as the promoters of these desires.

2 Peter 2       1 “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words…”

Question: Who are you listening to in your life?

There were false teachers in the early church who were telling people that Jesus is not coming back, and this life is all there is to it. Just enjoy yourself. Do whatever makes you happy. When this life is over, God will do away with this evil world, and you’ll get to live in a perfect holy world forever. Go ahead and sow your wild oats! It’s all good!

There are also people in your life or people you are listening to who are actively counselling you. They may be family, friends, or people on social media or famous personalities. Where are they leading you? Students, who are you listening to? Example of the man in dad’s church who misled some youth, and they never returned. Ironically, he cleaned up his life and was very supportive of my dad towards the end of his life!

3. Peter reminds the believers of their New Nature in Christ.

2 Peter 1       3 “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, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature.”

God does not just save us and then leave us to live our lives, especially the Christian life. He gives us his divine nature and his life so we can have the power to overcome sin, as Peter says in 2 Peter 2:19, you and I are “slaves of corruption.” This is not a novel concept. It is all over:

• John 17      22 “And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one…”
• Romans 8:11 “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
• 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

Question: Are you living by your New Nature in Christ?

We cannot change on our own. Yes, the world will say “I quit smoking” or “I’m in better shape” or “I work less,” and “I did it all without your God.” If you could truly study their lives, they are not telling the whole truth. Without God in us, we cannot live the life he intended for us to live. In this series, we will go in depth on our New Nature in Christ. This series is not about just being a Christian harder. It’s a whole new way of living.

4. Peter warns them of the judgment to come.

• 2 Peter 3        3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
• 2 Peter 3       10 “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness.”

Question: Are you living in view of the judgment to come?

The false teachers were teaching believers to live a consequence free life. There is no second coming of Jesus. There is no judgment to come. 

For e.g. How often people try to live as if there are no repercussions. Live as you want. Do as you want. Eat what you want. Then, they are shocked when the bill comes in. This applies to more things: spending, control, sexual promiscuity, anger, forgiveness, etc.

Unchecked living is the consequence of unguarded desire. Unguarded desire is the repercussion of worldly corruption. The power to change comes when we reject the wrong voices and choose our new nature in Christ. It sets us free to be godly and live in view of the judgment to come.

This series is for me.

Big Question: Are you living an Unchecked Life? Are you saved?