1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,860 Human beings are made of the same clay and fight essentially the same battles. 2 00:00:07,860 --> 00:00:14,280 It's true of Christians, too. 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:22,200 We often think of ourselves as alone in our struggles. 4 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,440 And we imagine that if others knew what we struggled with, they would not like us anymore. 5 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:40,160 And we fail to realize that all of us have essentially the same struggles we all do. 6 00:00:40,160 --> 00:00:49,560 One of the common struggles that we encounter as Christians is that of being consistent 7 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,440 in our growth in Christ. 8 00:00:52,440 --> 00:01:00,600 Many of us would tonight desire to grow in our walk with God. 9 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:05,880 The fact is that all of us struggle with being consistent in that desire. 10 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:11,100 There are times when it's strong and there are times when it wanes. 11 00:01:11,100 --> 00:01:15,000 And the result is we have an uneven growth. 12 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,880 Growth in Christ does not come easily. 13 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:20,680 It does not come naturally. 14 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:27,720 That's why Peter, as he writes this epistle, stresses diligence. 15 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:35,720 Notice in chapter 1 and verse 5, for this very reason also applying all diligence. 16 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:43,880 He says, if you want to grow, then you must apply diligence to it. 17 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:51,920 And verse 10, therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent. 18 00:01:51,920 --> 00:01:59,440 And again in chapter 3, verse 14, he says, beloved, since you look for these things that 19 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:05,480 he's just talked about, be diligent. 20 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:11,120 All of us struggle with consistency and what we need to work on is diligence. 21 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,920 He puts it this way, chapter 3, verse 17, be on guard. 22 00:02:16,920 --> 00:02:25,600 Or in chapter 1 and verse 19, he says it differently, the same idea, pay attention. 23 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:30,540 The point is that if we're going to grow in Christ, we need to apply the same kind 24 00:02:30,540 --> 00:02:36,520 of diligence to it that we do to some other areas of our lives. 25 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,720 Our work, for example. 26 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,840 We have to be diligent about getting up on Monday morning. 27 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:47,480 I don't know too many people that are really excited about it, but we have to be diligent 28 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:53,860 that when the alarm clock goes off, we roll out of bed and we get ourselves moving and 29 00:02:53,860 --> 00:02:57,700 we get through our morning routine and we finally get to the office, we begin to wake 30 00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:00,080 up and we get our work accomplished. 31 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:05,240 We have to be diligent about our vocation. 32 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,840 If you happen to be in sales, you have to be diligent. 33 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:13,360 You don't feel like going out and making calls every day of the week, which may be 34 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:19,160 your assignment, but you have to be diligent in that. 35 00:03:19,160 --> 00:03:24,160 If you want to get into college, you have to be diligent in your schoolwork. 36 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:28,080 Of course there are other things that at times seem more appealing. 37 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:35,380 It seems like they'd be more fun to do than to sit and to study, but if you're serious 38 00:03:35,380 --> 00:03:40,440 about going to college, you have to be diligent and apply yourself and study. 39 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,920 You see, we have to apply diligence in many areas of life. 40 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,640 It's true in our marriages. 41 00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:47,960 All of us want a happy marriage. 42 00:03:47,960 --> 00:03:53,800 I've never seen a bride and groom get up here and give their vows to each other and under 43 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,760 their breath say, well, I really don't care. 44 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,040 No, they all care. 45 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:06,240 At that moment, there is deep desire in their hearts to love and to cherish till death they 46 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:09,360 do part. 47 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:10,360 You know what? 48 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:11,360 It takes diligence after that. 49 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,760 You have to work at a marriage. 50 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:16,480 The same thing is true in the Christian life. 51 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:20,520 We have to be diligent if we're going to be serious about it. 52 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:28,140 A major problem, a major enemy to consistency in our growth is forgetfulness. 53 00:04:28,140 --> 00:04:32,680 We easily forget things, and so Peter reminds us here of some things. 54 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:40,760 In verse 12, he says, I shall always be ready to remind you of these things. 55 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:48,360 I will continuously ever presently be ready to remind you of things that will help you 56 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:49,360 to grow, he says. 57 00:04:49,360 --> 00:04:56,880 In verse 13, I consider it right to stir you up by way of reminder. 58 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:04,640 He says, I want to shake you out of your drowsiness to stir you up and to remind you because you 59 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:05,920 easily forget. 60 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:11,720 In chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, again he says, I'm stirring you up. 61 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:18,960 I'm stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder that you should remember. 62 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:19,960 Easily we forget. 63 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:28,800 Then again in verse 8 of chapter 3, do not let this one fact escape your notice. 64 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:33,160 Implication, sometimes we do let things escape our notice. 65 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:34,880 We forget. 66 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:42,720 The key to consistent growth is found in part at least in having a good memory. 67 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:50,480 And so Peter tells us some things in the last part of chapter 1 that we need to remember 68 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,320 so that we might consistently grow. 69 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:54,960 Some good reminders for us. 70 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:58,440 First of all, he says, remember the things you know. 71 00:05:58,440 --> 00:06:00,520 That's what verse 12 is saying. 72 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:06,100 He says, I'm writing these things to you and I'm ready to repeat them. 73 00:06:06,100 --> 00:06:10,640 You and I have a need to remember the things that we've already heard before. 74 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:18,080 One of the jobs of a pastor or a teacher is to keep saying things again and again and 75 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:23,920 again because as has been said, repetition is the mother of learning. 76 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:31,120 All of us need to hear things over and over again, hopefully in new ways, applied perhaps 77 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:38,800 differently or illustrated in a new and interesting way, but we need to hear the same things. 78 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:42,960 Our minds have an amazing ability to recall. 79 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:54,760 Think Magazine says that our brains can store enough data to fill several million books. 80 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,800 I have trouble writing a thank you note. 81 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:05,360 But we should be able to fill several million books. 82 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:16,480 Did you know that the conductor Arturo Toscanini memorized every note for every musical instrument 83 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:22,960 in 250 symphonies and 100 operas? 84 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,640 Can you imagine that? 85 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,680 Every note for every musical instrument. 86 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,960 What a tremendous capacity. 87 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:37,960 He didn't just always have those, I'm sure, in immediate recall, but he had memorized 88 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:38,960 those. 89 00:07:38,960 --> 00:07:42,080 You see, we have to work at memorizing. 90 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:46,400 We have to keep bringing things back to our minds and that's why Peter says remember 91 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:49,440 the things you know. 92 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:54,040 One of the things that seems pretty clear across the country is a need to go back to 93 00:07:54,040 --> 00:08:00,240 some of the basics that we've assumed that people know and repeat them. 94 00:08:00,240 --> 00:08:05,360 That's true among God's people as well as people in the world. 95 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:06,840 We can't assume. 96 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:08,480 We have to repeat. 97 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:14,080 Then Peter says that we need to remember the limitations that we face, the limitation that 98 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:15,720 we face. 99 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:23,100 In verses 13 through 15, he suggests that that limitation is our time on earth. 100 00:08:23,100 --> 00:08:27,040 That is, life is not unlimited. 101 00:08:27,040 --> 00:08:32,840 There is an end to it and he describes his own death in two pictures. 102 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:39,800 He says, I'm going to lay aside my tent, my earthly dwelling, the tabernacle that I 103 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:40,800 live in. 104 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,520 The tabernacle is a common picture in the Bible of the body. 105 00:08:44,520 --> 00:08:48,000 It's a tent for the covering of the soul. 106 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:53,480 And he says, I'm going to lay that aside soon. 107 00:08:53,480 --> 00:09:03,680 He uses the word Exodus here of his soon departure in verse 15, the word Exodus in the Greek. 108 00:09:03,680 --> 00:09:10,800 Both of these pictures go back to ancient Israel and to the time when Israel worshiped 109 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,800 God at the tabernacle surrounding the Exodus. 110 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:21,440 I don't think it's a mistake or that it's happen chance that Peter picks those particular 111 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:27,280 thoughts here as he thinks about the limitations of life. 112 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,880 By the way, what happened to Israel back there in the wilderness? 113 00:09:31,880 --> 00:09:36,120 Well, the people forgot. 114 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:43,420 They had seen God do amazing things, the plagues in Egypt, the deliverance from the Red Sea, 115 00:09:43,420 --> 00:09:48,600 and yet they got to Kadesh Barnea and they failed to believe God. 116 00:09:48,600 --> 00:09:49,600 Why? 117 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:51,920 Because they forgot. 118 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:58,560 And so it's in the context of reminding us that Peter draws upon these kernel thoughts 119 00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:01,360 from the Old Testament. 120 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:04,440 And he reminds us that we have a limitation in life. 121 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:05,760 Life is not forever. 122 00:10:05,760 --> 00:10:10,280 Therefore, we need to be diligent about growing. 123 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:11,840 We need to be diligent about it. 124 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:18,220 Now, as we come to verses 16 through 19, we see another reminder. 125 00:10:18,220 --> 00:10:25,360 He says if we want to be diligent in our growing, we should remember the future that we await. 126 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:28,320 Let's pick it up in verse 15 to get the flow. 127 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:33,880 I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you may be able to call these 128 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:41,000 things to mind, for we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the 129 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:44,520 power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 130 00:10:44,520 --> 00:10:47,640 But we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 131 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:53,600 For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, such an utterance as this 132 00:10:53,600 --> 00:11:03,940 was made to Him by the majestic glory, quote, this is my Son, my beloved. 133 00:11:03,940 --> 00:11:07,880 With Him I am well pleased, close quote. 134 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:13,800 And we ourselves heard this utterance made from heaven when we were with Him on the holy 135 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:14,800 mountain. 136 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:18,560 So you know what Peter has in mind there, don't you? 137 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:26,040 And so we have this prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention 138 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:32,480 as to a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star arises 139 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,840 in your hearts. 140 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:41,800 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 141 00:11:41,800 --> 00:11:46,000 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will. 142 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:50,800 But men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 143 00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:57,440 In contrast, he goes on to say, to the false teachers which were plaguing them. 144 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,920 And we'll get into that chapter next month. 145 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:06,640 But he tells us if we're diligent about our growing, we will remember the future that 146 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:08,720 we await, a glorious future. 147 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:12,800 What is the content of that future hope we have? 148 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:19,240 It is what he calls here the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 149 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,880 What is the meaning of that? 150 00:12:20,880 --> 00:12:29,060 Well, as is true with several parts of our text tonight, there are a variety of understandings. 151 00:12:29,060 --> 00:12:35,320 Some believe that he is simply remembering the earthly life and ministry of Jesus, the 152 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:41,680 power and glory of Jesus that was revealed in his earthly ministry. 153 00:12:41,680 --> 00:12:47,200 But I rather think, as do many other commentators, that Peter has something future in mind, not 154 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,000 the past. 155 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:54,040 For very often in the New Testament, when the coming of Christ is mentioned and the 156 00:12:54,040 --> 00:13:00,680 power of Christ is mentioned, it's referring to his yet future return. 157 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:05,960 And I believe that that is exactly what Peter has in mind here. 158 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:10,080 He says, I want to remind you of these things so that you will keep on remembering them 159 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:16,440 after I have gone, because we've not believed fables. 160 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:25,400 We have made known to you the power and the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 161 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:30,400 Without question, it seems to me the emphasis here is upon the future coming of Christ. 162 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:39,600 For that promise of his coming has lit the flame on the candle of hope. 163 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:50,960 And we want to be alert, to be growing, to be engaged in our Lord's work when he comes. 164 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,320 How do we know that Jesus is coming? 165 00:13:54,320 --> 00:14:02,440 How do we know that there is a power and glory of Christ that is yet to be revealed in the 166 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:03,560 world? 167 00:14:03,560 --> 00:14:06,360 What is our certainty about this hope? 168 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:10,640 Well Peter says, this hope is not based upon myths. 169 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:16,680 However cleverly disguised or devised they may be. 170 00:14:16,680 --> 00:14:23,440 Our hope does not rest upon tales that someone is passing around. 171 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:28,780 When he says this, Peter may have in mind the false teaching that was so prominent as 172 00:14:28,780 --> 00:14:29,780 he wrote this book. 173 00:14:29,780 --> 00:14:34,080 It was called Gnosticism. 174 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:44,740 These people had as a part of their theology, myths, just legends, tales that had no basis 175 00:14:44,740 --> 00:14:50,340 to them at all, but which were interwoven into their theology that used the Christian 176 00:14:50,340 --> 00:14:51,340 language. 177 00:14:51,340 --> 00:14:55,080 When I think of the Gnostics, I think of Mormons. 178 00:14:55,080 --> 00:15:01,640 People who are not Christians, very fine people in many cases, moral people but not Christians. 179 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:06,320 They do not believe in a Christian God, yet they talk about Jesus and they use some of 180 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:08,160 the same terms that we use. 181 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:13,680 They say they believe in the Bible, but what they really believe in is the Book of Mormon, 182 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:19,400 which is a book of myths and legends and tales. 183 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:23,360 And that is what their faith is based upon. 184 00:15:23,360 --> 00:15:33,640 Peter says you have not learned what you have learned from myths, but he says rather from 185 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:34,640 revelation. 186 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:41,500 Now, he also may have in mind when he uses this term myths, the pagan fables that were 187 00:15:41,500 --> 00:15:48,140 so common in that day, a part of the pagan religions of Rome and Greece. 188 00:15:48,140 --> 00:15:54,960 Fables about how the world came to be and other miraculous so-called events. 189 00:15:54,960 --> 00:16:01,240 And their whole pagan religion also was based upon these fables that had been passed down 190 00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:04,720 by storytellers from generation to generation. 191 00:16:04,720 --> 00:16:10,680 Now again, Peter says that is not what your faith rests on. 192 00:16:10,680 --> 00:16:17,620 Your faith rests upon revelation from God and that is what he goes on to talk about. 193 00:16:17,620 --> 00:16:24,800 And he mentions a very personal revelation from God that he had along with James and 194 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:25,800 John. 195 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:33,440 It was a revelation at the Transfiguration where there was a preview of the future coming 196 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:38,520 of Christ when Christ's power and glory will be revealed. 197 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:42,340 There was a preview of that coming kingdom. 198 00:16:42,340 --> 00:16:51,240 Some people have called what happened on the Mount of Transfiguration the kingdom in miniature. 199 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:56,360 Now what is meant by that is that on that occasion you recall there was the glorified 200 00:16:56,360 --> 00:16:58,800 Christ. 201 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:06,360 His power as the Son of God manifested, His glory made visible for His skin and His clothing 202 00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:12,040 shone like the brightness of the sun. 203 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:18,840 But in addition, there was on the mountain Moses. 204 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:20,640 Moses was there. 205 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:21,800 Peter saw him. 206 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,040 Peter heard Moses and Jesus conversing. 207 00:17:25,040 --> 00:17:29,320 They were discussing Jesus' coming death by the way. 208 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:36,800 Moses may represent those who will have died but who will be resurrected to share in the 209 00:17:36,800 --> 00:17:39,780 coming kingdom. 210 00:17:39,780 --> 00:17:42,220 That may be us. 211 00:17:42,220 --> 00:17:43,220 It may be all of us. 212 00:17:43,220 --> 00:17:45,880 It may be some of us. 213 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:51,520 But those who have died as believers will be resurrected to share in that kingdom whether 214 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:56,760 a part of this age or the previous age or the tribulation to come. 215 00:17:56,760 --> 00:18:02,800 All of the godly will be resurrected before the kingdom to share in that time. 216 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,040 And so when we think of that Transfiguration experience as the kingdom in miniature, we 217 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:08,920 have Jesus there. 218 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:16,240 We have Moses there representing the resurrected dead who are there to share in the kingdom. 219 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,200 And then we have Elijah on this side. 220 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:20,720 Elijah who never died. 221 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:28,960 Elijah who was translated, who was taken up into heaven without passing through death. 222 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:34,800 Elijah represents another group that can be pointed to in the coming kingdom and that 223 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:37,400 is the raptured church. 224 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:43,440 And particularly those of us who will be alive on that day when Christ returns and who will 225 00:18:43,440 --> 00:18:49,760 not pass through death but who will be caught up in glory to be with our Lord and then be 226 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:54,040 a part of His kingdom reign. 227 00:18:54,040 --> 00:18:57,720 And so you have Jesus, the glorious King of the kingdom. 228 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:01,560 You have those resurrected from the dead represented by Moses. 229 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:07,320 You have those who will be glorified who will never have died but just changed in a moment. 230 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,280 In the twinkling of an eye represented by Elijah. 231 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:16,240 But then you've got three other people on the mount, Peter, James, and John. 232 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:22,320 And they may represent in this kingdom in miniature those who will live through the 233 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:28,880 tribulation, who will be believers, and who will then enter into the kingdom in their 234 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,920 natural bodies. 235 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:36,080 Obviously Peter, James, and John were in their natural bodies there in that mountain. 236 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:41,440 And they may represent those who will be alive in the tribulation period, come to faith during 237 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:42,440 that time. 238 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:43,440 They will not be martyred. 239 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:48,440 And when Christ comes again to establish the kingdom, they will be there ready to enter 240 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,680 into that kingdom. 241 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:55,280 And they will be very important because it is those righteous people in their natural 242 00:19:55,280 --> 00:20:00,120 bodies who will enter into the kingdom who will repopulate the earth during that thousand 243 00:20:00,120 --> 00:20:07,400 year reign of Christ until the earth's population will be undoubtedly much greater than it is 244 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:13,640 today because death will practically be non-existent during the kingdom. 245 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:22,800 And the patriarchal ages of Noah and Methuselah will be repeated as people will live extended 246 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:26,600 lives in that period of time. 247 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:33,380 By the way, it seems to me that that is a good argument against the idea of a post-tribulation 248 00:20:33,380 --> 00:20:38,400 rapture of the church, that the rapture takes place after the tribulation. 249 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,880 Because if that's the case, then there's no one left in a natural body to enter into 250 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:46,600 the kingdom to populate the earth when Christ comes back to reign. 251 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:52,000 In other words, if when Jesus comes again and calls believers to Himself and we all 252 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:57,360 have supernatural glorified bodies, if that is just prior to His return to the earth to 253 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:04,080 establish His kingdom, then there's nobody left on the earth in natural bodies to enter 254 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:12,360 into the kingdom and to repopulate the earth as must happen as nations are reformulated 255 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:20,360 and will exist and bring their offerings to Jerusalem during the tribulation time. 256 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:33,240 Well anyway, Peter was certain about the second coming of Jesus Christ because of that transfiguration 257 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:34,240 experience. 258 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:36,120 It had quite an impact on him. 259 00:21:36,120 --> 00:21:40,960 He heard the voice of God, the majestic glory spoke on that day. 260 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:46,520 This is my son, my beloved, in whom I am well pleased. 261 00:21:46,520 --> 00:21:54,160 He does not include the words that came after that, hear him, but he recalls the voice of 262 00:21:54,160 --> 00:21:57,000 God that was heard on that day. 263 00:21:57,000 --> 00:22:04,000 What he saw and what he heard was a confirmation of the future that awaits the child of God. 264 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:11,280 Folks, we have a wonderful future, a wonderful blessed hope it is called. 265 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:18,760 And as you and I remember that, we need to give diligence to growing in Christ. 266 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,800 And that's how he concludes this whole book. 267 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:23,480 When we get into chapter 3, we'll see it. 268 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:28,540 He says, now since you have this hope, since you're expecting these things, be diligent 269 00:22:28,540 --> 00:22:34,200 that when He comes that you're found of Him in peace and pure and spotless and so on. 270 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:38,640 And grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 271 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:41,440 Enter the future that you'll wait. 272 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:49,080 And don't be satisfied for a moment just to kind of glide along in life easily. 273 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:58,320 Don't just drift with the tide, but be diligent and give yourself to this matter of growing 274 00:22:58,320 --> 00:22:59,320 in your faith. 275 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:05,800 And then he closes the book with, rather this chapter, with something else. 276 00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:10,840 So before I get there, I need to talk about verse 19. 277 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:14,600 Verse 19 has been the source of a lot of writing. 278 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:15,600 What does he mean? 279 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:22,360 So we have the prophetic word made more sure. 280 00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:27,980 The verse can be read to understand it this way. 281 00:23:27,980 --> 00:23:36,760 Even more certain than this experience on the Mount is the prophetic word. 282 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:46,240 And we would certainly agree with that in the sense that our experience with God always 283 00:23:46,240 --> 00:23:54,280 comes after and is subservient to the prophetic word of God. 284 00:23:54,280 --> 00:24:00,960 However, Peter's experience is a little different than your experience in mind with God. 285 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:08,680 His was a divine revelation on a mountain where God spoke and revealed His Son in His 286 00:24:08,680 --> 00:24:10,560 glory. 287 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:14,760 And so I think rather that perhaps Peter is saying this. 288 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:20,280 Instead of saying, if you don't believe me, believe the Scriptures, which is a fine statement, 289 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,960 I think what Peter really is saying here is this. 290 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:30,760 His transfiguration experience that we had on the Mount was a confirmation of the prophetic 291 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:35,160 word regarding these yet future events. 292 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:43,140 We have the prophetic word made more sure in what we experienced on that Mount. 293 00:24:43,140 --> 00:24:48,880 Not only do we have the word of the prophets, but we have heard the word from God Himself 294 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:58,120 in heaven regarding the testimony of His Son and the power and the glory that is coming. 295 00:24:58,120 --> 00:25:03,240 Whichever position you may take on it, or you may take another position altogether, 296 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:08,320 the point is this that we need to pay attention to the prophecies of Scripture, which he says 297 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,520 here provide for us a certain hope for the future. 298 00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:21,680 The promises of Scripture are like a lamp in a dusky, dingy, darksome world. 299 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:28,640 You and I live in a world that is like the world at twilight, at dusk, when you can't 300 00:25:28,640 --> 00:25:37,360 really see very clearly and you strain to understand and to grasp what is happening. 301 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:43,560 But he says that you and I have a lamp, and it's the prophetic word, and we do well to 302 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,600 pay attention to the light that comes from that lamp. 303 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:52,560 And then he talks about the day that's going to dawn. 304 00:25:52,560 --> 00:25:58,840 And he speaks about the morning star arising in your hearts. 305 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:00,640 Hard to figure out what he means by that. 306 00:26:00,640 --> 00:26:05,600 I've had three different opinions this week as I've looked at it, and I'm not ready tonight 307 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:08,600 to say that I understand exactly what Peter is saying. 308 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:13,920 The morning star is the word phosphorus, which I thought was interesting. 309 00:26:13,920 --> 00:26:16,800 Not important, but interesting. 310 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,360 But the morning star refers to Venus. 311 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:22,200 What does the morning star do? 312 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:30,280 Well, it appears in the eastern sky just prior to the dawn of the day, and so it ties in 313 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:36,000 with the day dawning that he speaks about. 314 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,320 And he says it's in your hearts. 315 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:42,640 What he may be talking about here is what that day of Christ's return will bring to 316 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:43,640 us. 317 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:48,960 The illumination, the understanding, everything will then fall into place that we have so 318 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:52,920 wondered about in this life. 319 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:58,700 Well now let's get on to verses 20 and 21, where he tells us one more thing that we need 320 00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:01,680 to remember. 321 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:09,160 We have a common battle, it is with being consistent, and one of the problems with consistency 322 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,480 is the tendency to forget. 323 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:18,800 So Peter says, remember, remember, remember, finally remember the Scriptures which you 324 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,040 believe. 325 00:27:22,040 --> 00:27:28,360 What we have in our laps or in our hands tonight is truly a unique book. 326 00:27:28,360 --> 00:27:35,040 He says know this, first of all, of first importance that no prophecy of Scripture is 327 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:40,920 a matter of one's own interpretation. 328 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:46,000 Well now we come to another one of these phrases that people understand differently. 329 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:50,000 There are some who understand this in the sense of hermeneutics. 330 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,160 You say hermeneutics who? 331 00:27:54,160 --> 00:27:58,840 Hermeneutics is the science and the art of biblical interpretation. 332 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:04,720 And there are some who believe that this means that no passage of Scripture is to be interpreted 333 00:28:04,720 --> 00:28:10,200 by itself and that it must be taken in context. 334 00:28:10,200 --> 00:28:13,340 Does anybody disagree with that? 335 00:28:13,340 --> 00:28:14,840 No heretics here tonight. 336 00:28:14,840 --> 00:28:17,440 Of course that's true. 337 00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:20,880 We are to understand Scripture in its context. 338 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:28,040 We are not to take a passage and try to interpret it apart from other texts. 339 00:28:28,040 --> 00:28:32,360 And then there are those who say that none of us should seek to interpret the Bible apart 340 00:28:32,360 --> 00:28:39,240 from the wisdom of others in the body of Christ that we need collectively to bring the illumination 341 00:28:39,240 --> 00:28:40,680 of the Spirit of God to it. 342 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:45,480 Does anybody disagree with that, that we ought to listen to other believers and what they 343 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:46,480 understand? 344 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:48,880 No, there are no heretics here tonight on that basis. 345 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:49,880 That's true too. 346 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:55,680 I don't think that's what Peter is talking about. 347 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:56,760 What does he mean then? 348 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:03,920 No prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. 349 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:10,480 He seems to be, in the context here, pointing to the source of Scripture. 350 00:29:10,480 --> 00:29:17,460 Not to our attempts to understand it, but rather to where Scripture comes from. 351 00:29:17,460 --> 00:29:19,560 He seems to be saying something like this. 352 00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:27,240 No prophecy of Scripture came about by any prophet of old seeking to understand the circumstances 353 00:29:27,240 --> 00:29:31,320 and experiences of his life on his own. 354 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:36,520 You understand what I'm saying? 355 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:42,560 In other words, he's saying now Jeremiah, when he wrote, was not seeking to interpret 356 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:47,800 his day or to understand what was happening in his day merely on his own. 357 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:54,520 And he goes on to say, no prophecy ever came by the act of human will, but by the Holy 358 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:55,520 Spirit. 359 00:29:55,520 --> 00:30:00,800 So, it seems to me that the source of Scripture is in view here. 360 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:07,280 He's talking about the fact that Scripture was never brought to pass by the initiative 361 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:10,340 of man. 362 00:30:10,340 --> 00:30:16,640 The writings of the Bible, whether it's Peter's writings or Paul's or any of the prophets, 363 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:23,520 none of these writings came to pass because of man's attempt to interpret God, whatever 364 00:30:23,520 --> 00:30:26,520 that means, in his day. 365 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:31,800 And therefore, God kind of evolved in human understanding, which is a typical liberal 366 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:33,760 lie. 367 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:35,360 No. 368 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:44,120 But rather, he says, men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 369 00:30:44,120 --> 00:30:51,420 So the source and the origin of Scripture is God Himself, revealing Himself to us. 370 00:30:51,420 --> 00:30:52,680 But how did God do that? 371 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:58,720 Well, he tells us in just a very curious phrase. 372 00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:04,600 He says men were moved by the Holy Spirit. 373 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:12,800 That word move is drawn upon a boating analogy, where great ships of that day would put up 374 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,320 their sail. 375 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:21,800 And as their sail went up, the wind caught it, and they were borne along the surface 376 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:25,400 of the water by the power of the wind. 377 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:32,040 And he is saying that in the writing of Scripture, in the transmission of the Word of God, what 378 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:44,040 happened was that these authors wrote out of their own personalities. 379 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:51,120 They were talking about their day and their experience, but the Holy Spirit was like the 380 00:31:51,120 --> 00:32:01,600 wind in their sails moving them to write so that what they wrote was God speaking. 381 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:06,880 Wind spoke and God spoke simultaneously. 382 00:32:06,880 --> 00:32:15,080 It's not that God dictated the Scriptures, which is the position of a few people, that 383 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:22,440 Jeremiah had his quill and his parchment, and he waited for God to speak and then he 384 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:23,440 wrote it. 385 00:32:23,440 --> 00:32:27,280 It's not that. 386 00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:32,600 But it is that they wrote out of their own thoughts and yet those thoughts and the words 387 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:42,320 they used selected from their own vocabulary or words that God wanted them to use. 388 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:47,040 And so God gave to us this book. 389 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:54,600 Imperfect men were enabled to communicate inerrant truth. 390 00:32:54,600 --> 00:33:01,280 So Peter is saying here, recalling the wonder of this revelation and the miracle of what 391 00:33:01,280 --> 00:33:08,720 we call inspiration and reminding ourselves of the certain fulfillment of these things 392 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:11,760 that God has said. 393 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:18,800 Let's use it to the word that is to be diligent to grow in Christ. 394 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:23,600 Why is it that we tend to remember the things we ought to forget and to forget the things 395 00:33:23,600 --> 00:33:27,400 we ought to remember? 396 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:34,880 We can remember many of us jokes that we wish we had forgotten. 397 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:44,600 We remember offenses against us even years after they've passed. 398 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:48,440 We remember our failures. 399 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:52,800 We tend to remember negative things that happen to us. 400 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:57,720 We remember rumors. 401 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:03,960 Why do we then forget the things that will change our lives? 402 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:13,560 Folks, let's determine by God's grace this week to be a people who remember, who remember 403 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:21,520 what we already know, who remember the destiny that we face. 404 00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:25,760 The limitation that life isn't forever. 405 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:31,120 Let's remember though the future that we await, the coming of Christ, and the book that God 406 00:34:31,120 --> 00:34:33,340 has given to us. 407 00:34:33,340 --> 00:34:41,240 And remembering these things, let's give ourselves to be serious Christians. 408 00:34:41,240 --> 00:34:51,120 Heavenly Father, apply this truth to our lives and may there be within our hearts a spirit-born 409 00:34:51,120 --> 00:35:00,880 desire to grow and to keep on growing and to be consistent so that on that day when 410 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:11,100 that glorious future unfolds, we may be found in peace, spotless and blameless, growing 411 00:35:11,100 --> 00:35:16,680 in the grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 412 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:18,680 In His name we pray. 413 00:35:18,680 --> 00:35:21,440 Amen.