OPEN: I have a quiz for you this morning. I’m going to give you 10 different quotes and then ask you if the phrase if from the Bible or not
1. "To the victor go the spoils." (False—This was written by William Learned Marcy in his Life of Jackson.)
2. "Can a leopard change his spots?" (True—See Jeremiah 13:23.)
3. "A heart of gold." (False—However, the concept is there in verses such as Proverbs 17:3 that speak of gold refining as a symbol of heart purity.)
4. "The blind leading the blind." (True—See Luke 6:39.)
5. "Money is the root of all evil." False—But this is another trick question. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil."
6. "The serpent tempted Adam and Eve to eat the apple." (False—Genesis 3 only says that they ate from the fruit of the tree of knowledge.)
7. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." (True—While many people attribute this to Abraham Lincoln, who did say it in a speech about the Civil War, Jesus said this first in Mark 3:25.)
8. "Robbing Peter to pay Paul." (False—In spite of the biblical names, this isn’t in Scripture. But you may recognize a name associated with an early reference of this phrase. It appeared in Wycliffe’s Select English Works in 1380, just a few years before he published the first English Bible.)
9. "No man is an island." (False—John Donne wrote this in the 15th century.)
10. "Flies in the ointment." (True—See Ecclesiastes 10:1, KJV.)
Most people may not know that many of the phrases they use in everyday conversation come from the Bible:
"In the twinkling of an eye" (I Cor. 15:52)
"Den of thieves" (Matthew 21:13)
"Keep the faith" (2 Tim. 4:7)
"A stone’s throw" (Luke 22:41)
"Old wives’ tale" (1 Tim. 4:7)
"Drop in the bucket" (Isa. 40:15)
"Apple of his eye" (Deut. 32:10)
"No rest for the wicked (Isa. 48:22)
APPLY: you might think: that’s all very interesting, but what difference does it make? It might help in Trivial Pursuit, but other than that, why should I care? Well, it points to the fact that the Bible effects our lives - even our everyday conversations - and that’s just when we’re NOT AWARE of it’s influence.
I. Here in 2nd Peter, we’re told how influential God’s word can be
(REREAD II Peter 1:16-19) Why would Peter tell his readers: “We did not follow cleverly invented stories” (vs. 16) and “you will do well to pay attention” (vs. 19)
I get the impression that at one time, Peter didn’t think the Scriptures had much of an effect on his life. All the stories out of the Old Testament were interesting, but how would he know if they were true or not? Before Peter met Jesus, he’d have been a religious enough man, but …crossing the Red Sea, Jericho falling before Joshua, and other stories may have sounded like fairy tales to him. He was a roughhewn fisherman with little need for pleasant distractions.
BUT THEN, Peter met Jesus - and all that changed. This Jesus taught like no had before, He fed thousands with just a little food, He healed the sick and He raised the dead… It was enough to make even/ most hardened fisherman turn about & take notice.
But one event really got Peter attention and appears to have been a pivotal influence on his life. Jesus took James, John… and Peter up on the mountain to pray. AND, while they were there…
“As (Jesus) was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, ‘Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ (He did not know what he was saying.)
While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. A voice came from the cloud, saying, ‘This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.’
When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves, and told no one at that time what they had seen.” (Luke 9:29-36)
As Peter is writing this letter (called 2nd Peter) he tells his readers – THIS was a major event in his life. He implies that before this, Scripture may have had little impact on his life, but now Peter was convinced that the Old Testament was not a bunch of stories for children…
“…we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (II Peter 1:19)
II. (softly) Pay attention. Pay attention. Why?… Why should we pay attention to Scripture?
Peter says it is because the Bible is like “a light shining in a dark place.” What does Peter mean by that? He means that we live in a dark world.
Paul writes:
“… I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. THEY ARE DARKENED in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus.” (Ephesians 4:17-21)
We’re surrounded by that type of people every day. All you have to do is watch the commercials for lottery tickets on TV. Or look at the trash that passes for reading material down at the supermarket. Or turn on most of the reality shows & talk shows on TV.
ILLUS: I recently read about a company called “Clean Flicks” which – for a fee - will take any movie you have purchased and edit out the foul language and nudity. Hollywood is suing this company. Why? Because, they say, they don’t like being censored and they are offended at this affront to their artistic liberties. In reality, they are so darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God, that they’ve become hardened and proud.
These are the people who supply entertainment to your friends, your children, and yourselves.
For a few dollars, they’ll sell you any kind of impurity and immorality… and in time they can even influence how you and I think.
ILLUS: I had the misfortune of being the Dean of teen camp one year. I say misfortune, because I made the mistake of allowing another preacher to introduce “movie criticism” on one of the nights. He had rented “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” (not an “R” rated movie, but one which preached an immoral and disrespectful message) and wanted to have the teens critique it from a Biblical perspective. Unfortunately, I had to be gone that night and I came back to a group of counselors who were ready to go to war. The kids had no intention of “critiquing” the movie. Instead they enjoyed it thoroughly and my friend lost total control of the situation.
I did my best to correct the situation, but most of the damage had been done. When one of the preachers who helped that week came to me and shared his disdain for the movie revue, I was ready to make my apologies and slip away quietly. But then he said something that shocked me. He said “what happened this week was inexcusable. But what upset me more was that just last month, my wife and I had rented that movie and watched it with our kids… and we hadn’t thought anything about it.”
My point: It happens EVEN to preachers and their families.
How can we avoid being influenced by a world that is so corrupted?
Peter tells us: “…we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” (II Peter 1:19)
In other words: The Bible is “…a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Ps. 119:105
It is my moral compass, my instruction manual, my map to find my way around in a lost and confusing world.
III. Peter says: Pay attention to it
Now, You might ask… How can I do that? (Here I paused till someone actually asked the question…) I’m glad you asked me that question.
Jesus knew you’d ask that question, so He gave us an example of what He thinks:
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.
But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)
What was Jesus saying? He was saying: there are many distractions in this world, but the one thing that will make the most difference is to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him. He’s saying, take every opportunity to hear from His Word – the Bible
Now, obviously, you have a desire to do just that! You’re here. You’re listening to a sermon from the Word of God. You chose to do this. You weren’t forced to. No twisted your arm, or put a gun to your head. You love Jesus – and that’s why you’re here!
BUT, if this is all you do, it’s not likely to be enough. This is a half hour sermon. Most of you watch more TV than that in a single evening. If this is all you do, it’s not likely to be enough.
And I’m pretty sure, most of you don’t get much more than that. How do I know? Consider these attendance figures (I showed an overhead with the Worship attendance over the previous 4 weeks – and I commended them on their faithfulness and growth we’d experienced)
Now look at our Sunday school attendance for those same 4 weeks (I had those figures displayed underneath the worship figures - the difference was that only 1/3 of those in worship had been in Sunday School).
You know what that is telling me? It’s telling me that between 70 to 80 of you have made up you mind that ½ hour is enough Bible for your week. Now, some of you have good excuses. One person works all night, goes home and showers and just manages to get here in time for worship.
BUT, what about the rest of you? (pause…)
ILLUS: When I was in Bible College, they used to have Chapel every Tuesday and Thursday morning. Now, I hate to tell you this, but I was a fairly proud young man. Attendance wasn’t mandatory, and nobody took attendance… so I didn’t go. Well, I shouldn’t say I didn’t go – I just rarely went. I figured I got enough Bible all through the week, why should I go back for one more bite of the apple. I literally took pride in the fact that I really didn’t need all that.
Looking back, I realize that was a mistake. Not only did I miss out on meeting some of the great leaders of our day who preached there, I missed out on learning from their experiences and their insights into Scripture. And most importantly, I missed out on being involved in a deeper worship than I got during an hour on Sunday morning at neighboring churches.
I’m not saying that you HAVE to go to Sunday School. If you attend Sunday Evening Worship, or are part of a mid-week Bible study, or you even read at least a chapter or 2 of your Bible every day …you’re seriously “paying attention” to the Word of God. But, if you’re not in Sunday School, I’m suspecting you don’t do any of those other things either.
ILLUS: I had a show of hands of those in Sunday School involved in Sunday nite worship. Then a show of hands of Sunday School participants that had taken part in a mid-week Bible Study. And lastly I had those same people raise their hands if they were involved in daily Bible reading.
A majority of that group raised their hands for each issue.
CLOSE: If you settle for only a portion of what you could get from God’s word, then you may miss an learning something about Jesus that you seriously need to know.
A teacher told of the Sunday school class she taught. She’d given them homework the week before: they were to read Isaiah 9. The teacher asked the class how many had remembered to read the chapter. Every hand went up. ’Wonderful!’ she thought, ’we can have a great discussion!’
"Do you remember the first verse?" Silence, while a few of the youngsters paged furiously through their Bibles trying to find Isaiah.
"I’ll give you a bit of help. ’The people who walked in darkness...’"
Still no answer. "I have a candy bar for the first one who can complete the verse."
Instantly she was besieged by answers!
"Use less electricity!"
"Stub their toes a lot!"
"Spend most of the time sleeping"
"Are usually burglars"
"Could really use a flashlight!"
And about that time someone finally found Isaiah 9 and just read it.
Isaiah 9:2 The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.
And it goes on to say:
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:6-7)
The Bible is God’s light to lead us to Jesus and to equip us to live as closely to Him as possible
I implore you to grab every opportunity…
