SUSTAINING CHRISTIAN MINISTRY-III—2Peter 1:12-15
Attention:
Lighthouses:
Thru the centuries, lighthouses have used varying methods of lighting.
“At the beginning of American light keeping, our 12 Colonial lights established before the American Revolution, almost without exception, used candles in chandeliers.
Their best candles were made of whale oil, which burned more brightly than other oils, as well as producing less smoke. And each candle was mounted in front of a mirrored reflector.
By the 1840’s, almost every light-giving apparatus, not just lighthouses, used whale oil.” “Whale oil’s peak, worldwide was the late 1840’s & 1850’s.”
“Over a relatively short span of time, in 1859, ‘mineral oils’ from wells located in Titusville, Pennsylvania were discovered. Those oils proved more versatile & plentiful than both vegetable & whale oil.” And so then, “kerosene” became the primary “lighting fuel for all mid-to-late 19th century lighthouses.”
A lighthouse would use just slightly more than “3.5 gallons of kerosene for the longest night of the year.” Centered inside the Fresnel lens assembly, was a brass kerosene lamp, with multiple wicks, placed within a long glass chimney. It directed the light waves through the prisms of the lens, & enabled the light to be seen for more or less 20 miles out at sea.
By the late 18th century, & on into the early 20th century, with the advent of electricity, lighthouses had shifted to electric lighting inside their lenses.—excerpted from: https://www.ponceinlet.org/lighthouse-oil-myths-folklore/
Governments worldwide have seen the need to SUSTAIN the guiding light of lighthouses, by various means, as a safety measure for sea traveling merchants.
LIKEWISE, the guiding light of the Good News of Jesus Christ, absolutely MUST be faithfully sustained for the ‘safety’ of all mankind, as they navigate the pitfalls of this life!
Need:
Some people, who are numbered among the saved, never grasp & are never empowered by the life-changing fullness that comes with their being born-again.
They wander thru life without God’s direction.
They never discover God’s desire for themselves.
These easily fall victim to the devil’s lies: — ‘I’m not good enough’, ‘I’m not smart enough’, ‘I’m not young enough’, ‘I’m not old enough’, or ‘I’m not blessed enough’, or ‘God can’t use me!’
Don’t let the devil & the world talk you into becoming a victim!
*IF ALL of God’s people caved in to seeing themselves as ‘victims’ instead of victors, THEN God’s Good News would never be shared! And it’s life-transforming message would die with the ‘victimized’ generation!
God does not want His people to ignore the fact, that He ably equips, & wants to equip, EVERY SINGLE ONE of His children, in order to further His Kingdom work on earth & on into eternity.
But God’s equipping must be individually & personally, invited, accepted, & applied!
The apostle Peter was concerned with sustaining Christian ministry.
So:
Christian ministry must be sustained indefinitely.
But:
?What sustains Christian ministry?
Or:
?How is Christian ministry sustained?
We’re attempting to answer those questions by looking at:
4 concerns, by which Christian ministry is sustained.
So far we have found that:
Christian ministry is sustained thru...
1. PERSONAL CONCERNs(:12-15)
•We looked at the personal “I”s of our verses(:12-15).
•And the TIME constraints Peter faced(:13-15).
2. NEGLIGENCE CONCERNs(:12a)
Today we’ll find that:
3—Christian ministry is ALSO sustained thru...
ESTABLISHED CONCERNs(:12b-13)
Explanation:(:12b-13)
:12b—“For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know & are established in the present truth.”
:13—“Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,”
:12b—“though you know & are established in the present truth.”
Peter carries a burden to “remind” his audience, even though he is well aware that they “are” already “knowledgeable” & “established”, in that Christian “truth” that is “present” in them(:12).
It is of concern to Peter, as well as to others among God’s people, that all of God’s people should be “reminded” of that “truth.”
•And God’s “truth”, is in reality, the ONLY actual “truth”! It is the “truth” that believers have already received by faith in Christ Jesus.
•And it is that very “truth” which they have accepted, that they “know”, “and” that they “are established in.”
?Are YOU established in God’s truth?
—WORDS—
“Established”—sthrizw—Perfect Passive Participle - Accusative Plural Masc.—1) To make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix; 2) To strengthen, make firm; 3) To render constant, confirm, one's mind. Strong—To set fast, i.e. literally--To turn resolutely in a certain direction, or figuratively--To confirm. Used 13X.?From a presumed derivative of—isthmi—To stand, set, establish, in an upright & active position.
:13—“Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you,”
Peter “thinks it is right,” “to stir you up by reminding you.” His “thinking” or consideration, involves careful deliberation. •It involves dealing with the facts of human nature, & our relationship with God thru Christ.
•Peter determines by the Holy Spirit, that it is “right” for him to “stir-up” his audience wherever(in place), however(by various means), & whenever(in time) they may need it.
—WORDS—
“Think/Consider/Esteem”—hgeomai—Present Deponent(middle/passive) Indicative 1st Sing.—1) To lead—1a) To go before, 1b) To be a leader—1b1) To rule, command, 1b2) To have authority over, 1b3) A prince, of regal power, governor, viceroy, chief, leading as respects influence, controlling in counsel, overseers or leaders of the churches, 1b4) used Of any kind of leader, chief, commander, 1b5) The leader in speech, chief, spokesman; 2) To consider, deem, account, think. Hgeomai & nomizw denote a belief resting not on one's inner feeling or sentiment, but on the due consideration of external grounds, & the weighing & comparing of facts. Hgeomai denotes a more deliberate & careful judgment than nomizw. Strong—To lead, i.e. Command(with official authority); figuratively--To deem, i.e. Consider; middle voice of a (presumed)strengthened form of agw. Used 28X.?English -=-‘Hegemony’(leadership or dominance over).
“Right/Meet”—dikaiov—Adj. Accusative Sing. Neuter—1) Righteous, observing divine laws—1a) in a wide sense--Upright, righteous, virtuous, keeping the commands of God—1a1) Of those who seem to themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves to be righteous, who pride themselves in their virtues, whether real or imagined, 1a2) Innocent, faultless, guiltless, 1a3) Used of him whose way of thinking, feeling, & acting is wholly conformed to the will of God, & who therefore needs no rectification in the heart or life—1a3a) Only Christ truly, 1a4) Approved of or acceptable of God, 1b) in a narrower sense--Rendering to each his due & that in a judicial sense, passing just judgment on others, whether expressed in words or shown by the manner of dealing with them. Strong—Equitable(in character or act); by implication--Innocent, holy(absolutely or relatively).
Peter’s method of “stirring-up” his audience “by reminding” them, is mainly by informing them thru this very letter in our Bibles. He leaves his audience a lasting written record that IS the “truth”, & is ABOUT the “truth.”
•And that “truth” is already “present” with & in them(:12). Their Jewish Christian counterparts being familiar with the Old Testament, & building upon it thru direct contact with the apostles.
•And the word Peter wrote, remains before us today, as a recognized & integral part of the completed Christian Scriptural canon/rule/measure!
It is a wonderful privilege when God’s people have the written revelation of God before them. If a person does not have the written word available to them, in a language they can understand, they also potentially have living witnesses to God’s truth(the Church, & her missionaries). And those living witnesses comprise/make up the Church, locally & globally.
There are people who have NEITHER God’s written word, NOR a living child of God as a witness!
•If a person has not heard God’s Word directly, NEVERTHELESS they are still answerable to God, because creation itself speaks not only to God’s existence, but to God’s nature—His power & Godhead(Rom. 1:19-20; Ps. 19:1-4). The testimony of creation, presents enough evidence to convict you, Yet not enough to SAVE you! So that YOUR CHOICE of either eternity in heaven or eternity in hell is a deeply personal choice that every individual makes!?
Rom. 1:19-20—“because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power & Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”?Ps. 19:1-4—<<To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.>> “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language Where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, And their words to the end of the world.....”
*God’s people must always be mindful of the fullness & intent of God’s revelations as they apply to them.
Argumentation:
*Jude 1:3-5—“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness & deny the only Lord God & our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”
Jude 1:17-21—“But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
*1Jn. 2:18-21—“Little children, it is the last hour; & as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, & you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, & that no lie is of the truth.”
*Col. 2:1-8—“For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you & those in Laodicea, & for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, & attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father & of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge. Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order & the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As you have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted & built up in Him & established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy & empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, & not according to Christ.”
Col. 1:19-23—“For it pleased the Father that in Him[Jesus] all the fullness should dwell, & by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, & blameless, & above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast, & are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.”
*We are never to add to, nor take away from, God’s perfect word!...From God’s “truth” in which we have become “established.”
IF we ‘add to’ or ‘take away from’ God’s “truth”, we remove the perfection of it, & impose our fleshly desire on it. THEN we force it to say only what we want it to say, in & of ourselves, without God’s power!
Deut. 4:2—“You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.”
Deut. 12:32-13:5—centuries prior to the Cross of Christ, Israel was instructed,—“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, & he gives you a sign or a wonder, & the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’--which you have not known--‘& let us serve them,’ “you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart & with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God & fear Him, & keep His commandments & obey His voice, & you shall serve Him & hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt & redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.”
Joshua 1:7—“Only be strong & very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
Mat. 28:19-20—“Go therefore & make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; & lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”
Rev. 22:18, 19—“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; & if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, & from the things which are written in this book.”
Mat. 23:23-28—““Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint & anise & cummin, & have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice & mercy & faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Blind guides, who strain out a gnat & swallow a camel! Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup & dish, but inside they are full of extortion & self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup & dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe to you, scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones & all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy & lawlessness.”
(CONT...)3—Christian ministry is sustained thru...
Illustration:
Our Bennettsville Post Office Box is where we receive most of our SNAIL-MAIL.
We receive mail that relates to matters that we might need to take action on.
We receive mail that we are expecting & eagerly anticipate.
We receive ads mailed by local businesses.
We receive mail from local, national, & international businesses.
We receive mail from people & groups whom we don’t know & don’t care to know.
We receive mail that causes us to question whether it is of ‘official’ importance.
We receive letters asking us to give to ‘this-that-or-the-other’ cause.
Our EMAIL:
We sometimes receive spam or deceptive mail, intended to prompt a response, that effectively hands our personal information to thieving people.
*The way we respond—positively or negatively—to each of these mailings, depends entirely on the standards/parameters that we have already set or established.
ESTABLISHED CONCERNs
Application:
?Is Christian ministry sustained thru YOUR ESTABLISHED CONCERNs?
?Are YOU sustaining legitimate Christian ministry in the world?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Remember that there have been various means of sustaining the guiding light of lighthouses, as a safety measure for sea traveling merchants....
Likewise, the guiding light of the Good News of Jesus Christ, absolutely MUST be faithfully sustained for the eternal ‘safety’ of all mankind!
Action:
Christian ministry is sustained thru...
3. ESTABLISHED CONCERNs(:12b-13)
1. PERSONAL CONCERNs(:12-15)
2. NEGLIGENCE CONCERNs(:12a)
Pt#s 3 only! presented 01/19/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Rd.
Bennettsville, SC 29512
