2 Peter 1b - 4/29/12
Turn with me this morning in the end of your bibles to the book of 2 Peter. We are looking together at the book of 2 Peter. Last week we asked two questions:
• How’s your eyesight? and
• How’s your memory? And we talked about taking our spiritual “one a days”
Today, we want to continue on in the second half of 2 Peter 1.
To set the stage, let me give you what has become an all-too-common scenario. You go in to the doctor because you have noticed some pain, a lump, bleeding - something just doesn’t seem right. The doctor takes a biopsy or blood test and finds that there is a cancer in the body. He schedules an exploratory surgery to remove the cancer, but what was scheduled for a 3-4 hour surgery ends in 20 minutes. The doctor shares the devastating news with the family. The cancer has completely spread throughout your body - he just closed up the opening so you could enjoy your last days with family. You probably have 4-6 weeks to live.
How do you respond? Many people focus on a “bucket list” - all the things they would like to do before they die. But Peter has a very different approach to how to live out the end of your life. That’s what we want to look at today. And as we come to God’s word, let’s pause to pray and ask God to open our eyes to see what He wants us to see. Let’s pray.
PRAY - Read 1:12-21
As we look at the book of 2 Peter, there are three main ideas: Look at yourself, look around you, & look ahead.
Last week we looked at the beginning of chapter 1 and saw the idea of looking at yourself. We saw Peter telling us to “Grow up” spiritually. He spurs us on to take our spiritual one-a-days: 7 qualities that we need to add to our lives. Having “faith” and being a Christian isn’t enough: we need to make spiritual progress by growing in 7 qualities: let’s review them:
goodness - is being the best “me” that I can be - fulfilling the purpose God has for us
knowledge - is experiential relationship - not learning more about God, but getting to know God better
self-control - is the idea of having balance in life, not letting circumstances determine how we feel
perseverance - remaining steadfast, not giving up, consistency in living for God
godliness - the idea of being a good worshiper, even in the tough times, even when it seems God has forsaken us
brotherly kindness - loving others like they were a part of our family, a committed relationship
love - choosing to love like God loves, not just to those who reciprocate, but even loving those who hate us and mistreat us.
Now Peter goes on in verse 14 to share some very intimate details. Peter is going to die soon! Not from cancer, but from crucifixion. He writes in verse 14 - I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. Peter says, God has told me I will be dying soon! Tradition tells us that Peter died in Rome, crucified upside down, because he felt unworthy to die the same way his master did. Peter knows his life is about to end. Does he think of all that he wants to see and do and experience? No! He thinks of others - he thinks of the church - he thinks about how he can use the time remaining to be used for God’s glory.
In our men’s group Thursday night we talked about the idea of “halftime” - “mid-life” - it’s a great time to sit back and evaluate your life. Have you ever taken the time to sit back and ask, “What do I want out of life? What do I want to see God do through me?” Often when we ask that question, we realize that the most important things are not amassing more money or getting a bigger car or house. Instead, we want to focus on the two things that last forever: people and God’s word. Jesus said in Matthew 6:20 - But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
When you are driving down the road using a GPS, you can punch in an address and it will tell you the route - when and where to turn. But if you don’t follow the directions it gives you, it will “recalculate” the route. In our lives, if we see that we aren’t where we want to be, we can make “course corrections”.
What is Peter’s focus? He knows he is soon dying - he only has a little time left. Look at verse 12 - So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body. Peter knew that the best thing he could do with his remaining time was to remind the church what they should be knowing and doing. That is our problem in life - not that we need to get more “knowledge” but that we need to “act on the knowledge we already have.” Yes, we want to keep learning and growing, but our biggest issue in life is to put our faith into practice. James writes about that (1:22) and says, Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
So, what does Peter want them to remember? To take their spiritual one-a-days - to keep growing spiritually - to keep becoming the men and women that God wants them to be. Peter wants the church to keep doing this even long after he is dead.
Then Peter shares the reason WHY we do this: because the message of Scripture IS trustworthy! It is completely reliable. We know it is true. This is the word of God, not some man-made fable. Peter writes in verse 16 - We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. Think about the context this is written in: Peter is writing to a people in the middle of the Greek and Roman world. They had all kinds of stories about their gods and goddesses to explain things in nature. I remember in junior high school taking Latin and reading all the stories about Hercules and Apollo and Mars and Jupiter.
Many people in the first century tried to say that Christianity was just another bunch of made up fables. In fact, over in chapter 3, Peter talks about the accusations made: First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”
And we’ll talk more about that coming in two weeks, but look here in 1:16 - We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. Peter says, the return of Jesus Christ is not just a myth - that’s the word translated “stories” here - this isn’t just a made up myth - but it’s REALLY going to happen! Do you believe that to be true? (Pause for response) Do you believe that Jesus Christ is coming again? Jesus told his disciples in John 14 - I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I WILL come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
Peter says this is not a fable - Jesus Christ IS coming again, just like He said. Sadly, many times as Christians, we live like spiritual atheists - in our heads, we give mental assent - Yes, I know it’s true, because the bible says so - but we really aren’t expecting it to happen. Instead, our attitude should be one of watchfulness - Maybe today! Or as John writes in Revelation 22 - vs 7 - Behold, I am coming soon! - vs 12 - Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. - vs 20 - He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
The return of Christ IS going to happen - and it might happen today. Peter says, it’s NOT a myth!
And Peter goes on to say - I was an eyewitness to the truth!
Peter shares his firsthand account of the transfiguration - let me refresh your memory from Matthew 17 - Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no-one except Jesus.
Here in 2 Peter, we see Peter still remembers this event: 16 - we were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
Peter is telling the church - I know you know the truth, I know you’ve heard the story before, but let me tell you one more time before I die - I was there - I heard God’s voice from heaven - I saw the glory of Jesus - this is not a fable - this is as real as I am - Jesus IS the son of God and He IS coming again!
Because of that truth - because this is not a fable, but Peter speaks as an eyewitness, Peter says
I am even more certain than ever that the OT prophets are true! Peter goes on to say that the message of the OT is reliable and certain. Vs 19 - And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it! Peter says in vs 20 - Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Peter is saying, the OT prophets did not make things up - they didn’t just write what they thought would happen - instead they wrote the very words that the Holy Spirit gave them to write. In fact, in 1 Peter 1 Peter shares that many times they did not even understand what they were writing: Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Peter says they didn’t always understand what they were writing about - they tried to figure it out - but they understood that they were writing for our sake. And Peter says even ANGELS don’t understand it all. The wording Peter uses is the idea of peering down into the bottom of a deep well - even angels look down from heaven and try to understand salvation.
So, Peter says the prophecy of the Lord’s return did not come from men, but from God. So it is reliable. Therefore, pay attention to it! We need to look for the coming of the Lord! Next week, we’ll go on to chapter 2 and see that we do need to look around and watch for false prophets who ARE teaching myths and fables - but the encouragement today is to Look for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Over in 2 Peter 3, which we’ll look at more in depth in a couple weeks, Peter gives his conclusion: But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.
Jesus IS returning - and we need to be ready. We want to look forward to His return, and if we do, we will change the way we live. Today, you may not have 30 days to live - you may only have a couple hours - or even minutes. You could die of a heart attack before you leave the sanctuary. Or better yet, Jesus could return for us before the closing song. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians - For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
If you really believed these words to be true, and not just a made up story - how would it change the way you live? Let’s take some time today to do some mid-course corrections - let’s evaluate our lives and see what changes we need to make to make the most out of the rest our our lives. Let’s pray.
