Temple Baptist Church - 11-23-2025
2 Peter 1:1-4; Matthew 6:31-33
Introduction:
A. This coming Thursday, we will celebrate the goodness of God on Thanksgiving Day. I call the period from Thanksgiving through Christmas and the New Year the most wonderful time of the year. A month and a half of worship in a very special way.
Part 2
B. Last week, I used two texts on the subject: 2 Peter 1:1-4; Matthew 6:31-33. I want to review these two texts again this morning, as they demonstrate the goodness of God in both spiritual gifts and physical ones. In both texts, the physical blessings of life precede the spiritual gifts of godliness. But in both texts, we find that in life, the spiritual gifts precede the physical ones. Until we get saved and live for Christ, we will miss out on many of the blessings that God has for us in this life.
1. In 2 Peter, Peter looks back as he mentions physical gifts before spiritual ones. “Hath given” is past tense as Peter reviews the goodness of God in hindsight. “ALL things that pertain unto life” speaks of the goodness of God in His marvelous grace through salvation, sanctification, and service.
2. GOD HAS SUPPLIED! Notice verse 3: “according as his divine power” tells us where our blessings come from. The world giveth and taketh away, but the Lord giveth and giveth and giveth! Peter looks back to the past. This is found in the words “hath given.” Therefore, he sees the blessings of life came after the blessings of godliness.
2 Peter 1:1-4 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: (2) Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, (3) According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: (4) Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
3. In the Sermon on the Mount, our Lord gives three perspectives.
a) The perspective of the worried saint. Verse 31: “Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?”
b) The perspective of the world. Verse 32: “(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:).
c) The perspective of the Lord. Verse 33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
4. Our Lord Jesus Christ also places the importance of spiritual gifts as being sought first, as they lay the groundwork for the blessings of God upon His children in general. He mentions the physical blessings that men so often seek and live for, along with the worries that come with them. He then concludes by emphasizing the importance of seeking spiritual blessings and allowing God to meet physical needs. GOD WILL SUPPLY!
Matthew 6:28-34 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: (29) And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. (30) Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? (31) Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (32) (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. (33) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
C. Last week, we saw the spiritual gifts that God has given to us that we might be saved from sin and set apart in this present evil world for service.
1. This morning, I want to examine just a few of the physical blessings that come from being saved and living for God. The problem that exists is that men want the physical blessings of God without the godliness.
2. Our Lord spoke of the world view in Matthew 6:28-32. The worldly seek all physical blessings without being saved or being saved and not living a godly life. They go over their heads in debt and eventually, at worst, go bankrupt, or at best, they burn out their lives trying to be successful in this world without God.
3. The Lord said that if we seek the godly things, the kingdom of God and His righteousness, then He would add all these things to go along with it. Now, we can seek the worldly without the godly, or we can live a saved life of consecration to God and allow God to give us what we need and much of what we desire.
D. Now, let us look at the results of godliness. God HAS given to us all things that pertain unto life here on earth—the goodness of God in the land of the living. A song says,
“There's a roof up above me, I've a good place to sleep. There's food on my table, and shoes on my feet. You gave me your love, Lord, and a fine family. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings on me.”
E. A little personal testimony. I stand amazed this morning when I think of where God brought Barbara and me from to where we are today. We would never have dreamed we would be where we are. God has been so good to us!
1. I thank God this morning that Barbara and I have a beautiful home in which to live.
a. By beautiful, I do not mean a high-dollar home that is just a house. I am thankful that we have a home where there are peace, companionship, love, and spiritual unity.
b. It is a loving home, it is a safe home, it is a place of refuge from the storms of this life, it is our ultimate vacation spot.
c. It is a comfortable home. It is warm in the winter, cool in the summer, dry when it rains, and it is ours!
d. It is a spiritual home. It is a home where the Bible is read and prayer is made. Both of us are saved and serving.
e. In the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord did not mention a place to live as a necessity of life.
1) Our Lord said, “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)
2) “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.” (John 13:16)
3) Paul said, “And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (1 Timothy 6:8)
2. I thank God for the food on our table.
a. We have an abundance of food in our cabinets, freezers, fridge, and goodies to nibble on in between meals. In a world of hunger, we are full and need nothing.
b. Thursday, there will be turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, cornbread, and desserts. I said that to say this, not only food on our table, but PLENTY to eat.
c. Never forget to ask for the blessing of God before you eat as every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights! In a world of starving people, God has given us more than we can eat or desire to eat!
d. In this world of starvation, we fight obesity!
3. I thank God that we have shoes on our feet.
a. In the Garden of Eden, the Lord made the clothing for Adam and Eve. Fig leaves did not cover but the skin coats did! In the First Mention of clothing, what man made was not what God gave.
b. In our home, we can pick and choose from many different colors and designs as our closets are full, our dresser is full, and our chest of drawers is full. God has been so good to us in the raiment department.
c. We have many pairs of shoes for both dress and casual.
4. I thank God for our families.
a. Kids and grandkids. We are a close-knit family. Today, we do not have all our grandkids with us, but we are thankful for those who are close and will see Thursday!
b. Our Kentucky family. We are a close-knit family. We were raised in a close-knit home where family mattered, and love abounded and still abounds.
c. Our Church family. We are a close-knit family. As far as I am concerned, Temple Baptist is the greatest church on earth. I believe that every pastor should think that his church is the greatest.
Conclusion: I want to end this sermon with three verses of Scripture that point us to the true meaning of Thanksgiving Day.
Psalms 100:4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalms 103:1-2 A Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (2) Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
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