Why? There are several reasons.
(1) Often when preachers select one verse it is easy to take it out of context.
Did you know you can twist the scriptures to make it sound like anything you want it to sound?
Let me give you an example…
You can quote from scripture the Bible says, THERE IS NO GOD!
Yes, you can actually find these words in the Bible.
But those four words are taken out of context. The whole verse of scripture says, in Psalms 53:1 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God….”
In order to properly interpret scriptures we need to know:
• What comes before the verse
• What comes after the verse
• Why it was written
• To whom it was written
• What purpose was it written
These are only a few things we have to consider, so we may interpret scripture correctly.
(2) Another reason most Bible preachers do not like to select just one verse for a text is because they like to load God’s people spiritual “plates” down with as much spiritual food as they can get on them.
However, some verses in the Word of God are so rich that it takes a whole sermon to deal with one verse of scripture.
Such is the case in 2 Peter 2:9, our text for this message.
We read, “THE LORD KNOWETH HOW to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”
Look at the words, “The Lord KNOWETH HOW...”
Illus: The song writer had it right years ago when he said, “My God can do anything, anything, anything...”
The Lord KNOWS HOW TO DO ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!
Illus: All you have to do is look at this beautiful planet we live on each day, and any intelligent person can only conclude THAT GOD CAN DO ANYTHING!
Scientists have been debating for centuries about how this all came into existence.
Listen, if they really wanted to know, all they would have to do is turn their Bibles to Genesis 1:1, which tells us, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”
Psalm 19:1 state, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.”
This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature itself is meant to show the greatness of God.
These words are in the present tense.
That is…
• The heavens “are declaring,”
• The sky “is proclaiming” the creative work of God.
It’s a continual display of His existence.
A person needs only to look honestly at the world around him in order to realize that God exists.
Look at Isaiah 40:12. We read, “Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?”
Notice that the word “hand” is singular, it did not take two of God’s hands, only one of his hands, to measure the mountains, oceans, lakes, ponds, and all the creeks to place them exactly where they should be placed.
God knew how to take the water and mountains, weigh them in His hands, and place them exactly where they should be so that the earth is precisely balanced as it rotates on its axis.
The Word of God is absolutely correct, GOD KNOWETH HOW TO DO ANYTHING.
This verse teaches us TWO things He knows how to do.
I. GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER HIS SAINTS
Look at 2 Peter 2:9 again. We read, “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations...”
This verse of scripture is written in the Bible especially for Christians, so that we might know that when we face severe temptations - “HE KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER THE GODLY OUT OF TEMPTATIONS...”
Look at several things in this clause.
Look at the word “deliver. “It is just another word among thousands of words in our vocabulary.
But, when we find ourselves entrapped by something, it becomes the most important word in our vocabulary.
For example,
• When the soldier falls into the hands of an enemy and becomes a prisoner of war, the word “DELIVER” becomes the most important word in his vocabulary.
• When a man suffers financial loss and begins to lose everything he has ever worked for, the word “DELIVERANCE” becomes the most important word in his vocabulary.
• When we lose our health, the word DELIVER us from the disease that has attacked our bodies becomes the most important word in our vocabulary.
Also, to Christians, the word “DELIVERANCE” is one of the most important words in our vocabulary when we fall into severe temptations.
Why?
(1) We are TRAPPED IN A FLESHLY BODY that desires to sin.
We need a God who can DELIVER us from the temptation of sin.
But another reason we need someone to deliver us is:
(2) We are TRAPPED IN A WORLD that is full of all kinds of “temptations”, and we need deliverance.
He not only delivers us from sin at salvation; He also is able to deliver us from the many sins that try to entice us each day.
Some have the mistaken idea that the Lord delivers us from sin at salvation and then leaves us on our own to overcome sin after salvation.
But there is not one ounce of truth to that…
The same devil we had to contend with before salvation with sin, when we could not save ourselves, is the same devil we have to contend with after salvation with sin.
GOD IS THE DELIVERER!
Peter said He, “...knoweth how to DELIVER THE GODLY OUT OF TEMPTATIONS...”
• But notice something else -- “THE LORD DELIVERS THE GODLY!”
• Perhaps someone is asking, “WHY DOESN’T HE DELIVER THE UNGODLY?”
He could, but they simply do not want to be delivered. They love sin.
• They cannot get enough of sin in their life.
• They want to spend as much time as they can in sin.
• They look for sin,
• They crave sin,
• They live for sin.
THEY LOVE SIN - the last thing they want is to be DELIVERED FROM SIN!
This is why when we give the invitation for them to be saved from sin, they will ignore the invitation. SIN HAS ENTRAPPED THEM!!!
• As Christians, we are trapped in a fleshly body with fleshly desires to sin.
• As Christians we are trapped in a world that is constantly trying to lure us into sin.
What is the answer?
The Bible tells us that the Lord, “...knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations...”
Look how God delivered Lot out of the evil environment he got himself into.
We read in 2 Peter 2:7-8, “And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)”
The word translated “vexed,” is from the Greek, “kate-po-neo,” which means: “To afflict, to oppress with evil, to torment.”
Many people give the wrong impression about Lot. True, he was wrong to choose to go to that wicked place of Sodom, but once he got there, he came to realize what a mess he had made of his life. HE WAS MISERABLE!
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
• Because the Bible tells us that Lot was, “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked...”
• Also, the evil people around him “...vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds”
He had gotten himself and his family in a mess.
HOW COULD HE GET HIMSELF OUT?
Look at verse 7. We read, “And (God) delivered just Lot...”
God can do ANYTHING, but He especially wants you and I to know that He can deliver us from the temptations of this world.
• Some have to work WITH WICKED PEOPLE on their JOBS. God can deliver them from that wicked environment!
• Some have to go to school with WICKED STUDENTS, and every day you are surrounded by sin, but God wants you young people to know He can deliver the godly.
• Some live in homes with WICKED FAMILY MEMBERS.
The world in which we live each day is filled with hate, fights, cursing, lying, and cheating, but God wants you to know He can deliver you from the temptation to be like them.
The Word of God says that THE LORD, “...KNOWETH HOW TO DELIVER THE GODLY OUT OF TEMPTATIONS...”
Also, this small verse of scripture tells us something else that is important to know.
II. GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER THE SINNERS
Yes, He knows how to deliver them from sin, but some will not come to Him, so we see in verse 9, “The Lord knoweth how...to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”
Look at the word “reserve.”
Illus: Most lost people rebel against what the Bible teaches. They think they are getting away with it. That is, many have done some pretty rotten things, and years have gone by and ...
• The police have not arrested them
• Their dearest friend does not know what they have done
• Their family has no idea what they have done
It looks like they have COMMITTED the perfect sin and gotten away with it.
BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU ON THE BASIS OF GOD’S WORD, THEY HAVE NOT “GOTTEN AWAY” WITH ANYTHING!
Look at verse 9 again, “The Lord knoweth how...to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished.”
Look at the word, “reserve.”
WHAT DOES THE WORD RESERVE MEAN HERE?
Illus: Often we go to funerals, or weddings, and we see signs on certain pews that say, “Reserved.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
That simply means that section of seats is set aside for a designated group of people.
But notice the way the word is used in this text. God has SET ASIDE a time to deal with these evil people.
The Word of God says He has RESERVED “...the unjust unto the day of judgment….”
Illus: Several years ago, Pastor Odell Belger received a telephone call to come to the home of one of his perishers’. When he arrived, there was cars everywhere!
When he entered the home, his wife met him with tears.
He asked her what had happened, and she was too upset to even talk about it.
He found out later that he had worked for the state of South Carolina and him, and this other fellow had stolen a large sum of equipment, and they caught him.
None of his friends or family knew he was doing such things.
They told him Monday he had to face what he had done. He could not stand the thought of facing the charges and he went out behind his house and shot himself with a gun his wife had bought him for his birthday.
God has RESERVED a time for every lost person to stand before Him to give account of their sins. AND THERE IS NOT ANYTHING THAT CAN DELIVER THEM FROM THIS RESERVED TIME OF JUDGMENT
Look at that word, “delivered,” in verse 4.
God’s Word gives us some examples of those who were RESERVED FOR JUDGMENT.
(1) The fallen angels could not get away with sin.
In verses that precede this verse we see that God did not spare even the angels that sinned, “...but cast them down to hell, and DELIVERED them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment
The Bible says they were DELIVERED INTO “CHAINS OF DARKNESS to be reserved unto judgment.”
(2) Noah’s generation could not get away with sin.
Also, look at 2 Peter 2:5. We read, “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly.”
Noah’s generation could not get away with it! Why do we think our generation will get away with it?
(3) The sinful people of Sodam could not get away with sin.
Look at 2 Peter 2:6. We read, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”
Why does God’s Word give us these examples who sin but did not get away with sin?
God’s Word tells us why… making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly.”
The lost world is riding high today. They think they are on a roll, and no one can stop them. But listen, on the judgement day they are in for the shock of their life to find out they have to stand before God their Creator and give account of every wicked thing they have ever SAID or DONE!
BUT NOTICE ONE MORE WORD.
What have the UNGODLY been RESERVED for?
They have an appointment with God, and they are going to be JUDGED and PUNISHED, if they do not repent of their sins and turn to the Lord Jesus for salvation!
But let me address every lost person here today, YOU CAN CALL UPON GOD TODAY FOR SALVATION AND HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM YOUR SINS!!!!
You have the choice to be DELIVERED or RESERVED.
Conclusion:
Illus: We all remember the O.J. Simpson trial. He was accused of brutally killing two people. He had become wealthy playing professional football and was loved by millions as a sports announcer.
But once he was accused of these two murders, this whole nation sat almost daily in front of television sets, and by their radios, as piece after piece of evidence stacked up against him.
Approximately 90% of the American people saw the evidence, and their feelings began to change toward Mr. Simpson.
With his millions, he hired what the journalists called the “Dream team.”
When the day came for his verdict to be announced, they announced that he was not guilty!
WAS HE GUILTY?
One thing is sure. Most of us know that if that same damaging evidence were found against any man in this congregation, he would be on death row today, waiting to be executed.
If he was not guilty, a terrible injustice has been dealt to him.
If he is guilty, he has not gotten away with anything. He had to live with that sin eating away at him each day.
Not only has he lost his millions, BUT HE ALSO STILL HAS TO STAND BEFORE GOD!
God has “reserved,” a time for the wicked to be JUDGED and PUNISHED.
THAT APPLIES TO EVERY LOST MAN IN THIS CONGREGATION!
God loves you. He gave his Son to die in your place. And He will save you today if you will come to Him for salvation.
I. GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER THE SAINTS
II. GOD KNOWS HOW TO DELIVER THE SINNERS
