1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,920 All right, well, good evening and welcome back to Renewed Mind 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:06,120 Bible Studies. I'm Pastor Blake, and normally 3 00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:07,800 I'm here in person. If you're watching on the 4 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:10,360 website or the Liberty live stream, you don't notice any 5 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,000 difference, but this one is recorded because I am currently 6 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:16,800 in Albania. But this is session 10. 7 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:19,600 We've only got a couple left to go as we've been going through 8 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,400 both first and second. Peter, to be honest with you, 9 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:24,040 next week, I'm super excited about it. 10 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,360 We'll tackle the idea of false teachers and all of that, but 11 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,080 this is very, very important that we cover tonight. 12 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:31,680 This is called Exiles who remember. 13 00:00:32,119 --> 00:00:34,480 And so I just want to talk about the power of remembering for a 14 00:00:34,480 --> 00:00:37,200 moment and then we'll dive into the scripture itself. 15 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:39,400 I want to start by just asking you a question. 16 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:42,240 What do you tend to forget most often? 17 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:45,440 For some, it's birthdays. For others, it might be their 18 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,840 keys or whether they turn the oven off or forgetfulness is 19 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:51,960 just one of these things that is human. 20 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,480 And sometimes it's funny when people forget things and 21 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,160 sometimes it's frustrating, but sometimes forgetting things can 22 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:01,640 also be costly. When you miss deadlines or you 23 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,239 lose opportunities or you end up in a fractured relationship. 24 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,160 It can all happen because you failed to remember something 25 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,160 that's important. Well, why do I bring that up? 26 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:14,320 Because that's the heartbeat of what Peter is talking about in 27 00:01:14,320 --> 00:01:18,240 this second part of, of the 1st chapter inside of second Peter. 28 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,560 He knows his time is short. He's nearing the end of his 29 00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:22,160 race. And so just like a spiritual 30 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:24,480 father, he's not trying to say something brand new. 31 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:26,880 He's just trying to make sure you remember all of the things 32 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:28,720 that you should know before he's gone. 33 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:31,040 If you think about it, that's why we'll talk about in a 34 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,160 moment. But he says, I will always 35 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,320 remind you of these things even though you already know them. 36 00:01:36,320 --> 00:01:37,640 Does that not sound like a parent? 37 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,240 Because he knows the greatest threat is not always ignorance. 38 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:44,880 Sometimes it's forgetfulness. And there's a big difference 39 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,680 between knowing truth and living in it. 40 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:49,800 We can hear a sermon and we can agree with it, or we can even 41 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:53,680 memorize a verse, or we can drift back into old patterns the 42 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,120 next week simply because we didn't keep it in front of us. 43 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,040 And that's why Peter is urging believers to always remember, 44 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,320 not as like an emotional exercise, but as sort of a 45 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,240 safeguard. So remembering God's promises 46 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:08,240 always strengthens us when doubts creep in. 47 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,560 And remembering God's Word will always help us stay steady 48 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,760 whenever false teachers speak. Remembering the hope of Christ 49 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,200 always keeps us from being swallowed up by despair. 50 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,760 And trust me, this life wants you to be swallowed up by 51 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:23,720 despair. Think about it like a Marine 52 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:27,440 check in his gear before battle. He might know how to fight, but 53 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:31,000 unless he keeps his equipment in front of him and ready, he is 54 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,280 vulnerable. Or like an athlete rehearsing 55 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:36,520 the basics. Because the pros still practice 56 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:39,480 fundamentals every single day. Not because they've forgotten 57 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:43,080 how to do it, but because they need them in order to be fresh 58 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:44,440 enough to perform under pressure. 59 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,880 That's why Peter is so urgent in the way that he writes this. 60 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:51,480 He does not want the believers then or the believers now us to 61 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:52,960 drift. He doesn't want us to be 62 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:55,960 distracted or end up deceived. And so since he wants us to 63 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:59,280 stand firm, he needs to make sure that the truth is so alive 64 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,000 in us that even in his absence that we can remember who we are. 65 00:03:03,640 --> 00:03:07,360 So this chapter is for anyone who has known the truth, but 66 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,240 it's fallen out of their focus. This chapter is for anyone who 67 00:03:11,240 --> 00:03:13,120 feels the pull of distraction in their life. 68 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:15,360 It's for anyone who has struggled with doubt or 69 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,520 deception first hand. The call here is simple. 70 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:22,800 Just remember, because when we remember God's Word, we will 71 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,160 always remember to remain in His will as well. 72 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:29,400 We'll be covering verses 12 through 21 tonight, and the 73 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,840 first section is verses 12 through 15. 74 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,480 So second Peter chapter 1, verses 12 through 15, I'm 75 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,360 calling it stirred up by reminders. 76 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,040 And he says this in verse 12. He says, therefore, I will 77 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,120 always remind you about these things even though you already 78 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,400 know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been 79 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,800 taught. And it is only right that I 80 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,280 should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 81 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,480 For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave 82 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,720 this earthly life. So I will work hard to make sure 83 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,520 that you always remember these things after I'm gone. 84 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,800 OK, Peter's not scolding these believers for ignorance. 85 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:10,640 I think that's pretty obvious. He says they're currently 86 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:12,960 standing firm. He he actually says you already 87 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:14,520 know when you're already standing firm. 88 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:16,800 But he does know something about human nature. 89 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,880 Knowing is not the same thing as remembering, and I think we can 90 00:04:20,880 --> 00:04:23,640 all agree with that. And remembering is not the same 91 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:25,240 thing as living it out. By the way. 92 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:27,840 That's why he says I will always remind you. 93 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,320 And the Greek word that he uses here is huponasis. 94 00:04:31,320 --> 00:04:34,560 It means a reminder or a calling back to your mind. 95 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,600 It is not new information. If it's huponasis, it is putting 96 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,480 the same truth back in front of you so that you don't drift from 97 00:04:41,480 --> 00:04:43,680 it. Peter knows that spiritual drift 98 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,440 does not usually happen because we have rejected the truth. 99 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:49,720 It normally happens because we have forgotten the truth, 100 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,760 unfortunately. Can you notice how urgent Peter 101 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:54,720 is in this, in this tone, in this part of the letter? 102 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,440 Because he says that Christ has shown him that he will soon 103 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:00,280 leave his earthly life. It doesn't get really more 104 00:05:00,280 --> 00:05:03,720 urgent than that. Most scholars, by the way, do 105 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,480 think that Peter is alluding to what Jesus told him all the way 106 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:10,200 back in John chapter 21, when the Lord told Peter that one day 107 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:11,920 he would be LED where he did not want to go. 108 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:14,600 It's an actual prophecy there to his martyrdom. 109 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,080 But Peter is writing like a man who knows that his time is 110 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:19,560 short. And so these are his final 111 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:22,000 words. And he says I will work hard. 112 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,480 That is literally the word spudazzo. 113 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:27,680 It means to be eager or diligent or intentional. 114 00:05:28,000 --> 00:05:30,640 And then he says to make sure you always remember these things 115 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:33,760 after I am gone. In other words, we can be pretty 116 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,920 clear there's not a lot that's more important to Peter than 117 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,320 what he's trying to get the believers to remember here. 118 00:05:39,760 --> 00:05:42,520 Think about that. What would you want to leave 119 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:44,680 behind if you knew your time was short? 120 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:49,040 For Peter, he wasn't interested in leaving behind money or 121 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,640 strategy or different church programs for them to embrace. 122 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,520 It was reminders. He wanted them to carry the 123 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:00,760 truth so clearly that even after he was gone, they could hold 124 00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:04,720 fast and pass it on. That's how God works with us 125 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,800 too. He doesn't just teach us once, 126 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:09,640 He reminds us again and again and again. 127 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:11,640 How does He remind us? He reminds us through the 128 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,720 scripture. He reminds us through prayer, 129 00:06:13,920 --> 00:06:15,320 and he reminds us through worship. 130 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:17,760 And don't forget, He also reminds us through brothers and 131 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:21,200 sisters in Christ, because He knows how quickly our hearts 132 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:23,800 forget. And so for us today, this means 133 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,480 that we need to embrace reminders as a gift, not as a 134 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,440 nuisance. The reminders for me sometimes 135 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,200 make me upset, just to be honest with you. 136 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,160 But it's not highlighting a place where we failed. 137 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:36,600 It's reinforcing our strengths. Maybe you're like me. 138 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:38,800 And when somebody's like, hey, don't forget to pick up the milk 139 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:40,760 or whatever, you're like, I got it. 140 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:42,720 I know how to get the milk. You don't have to remind me 141 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,400 again. But as a believer, when we hear 142 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,040 spiritual reminders, we should never approach it from the 143 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:52,800 perspective of I already know that we have to make sure that 144 00:06:52,800 --> 00:06:54,680 we allow ourselves to be reminded. 145 00:06:55,280 --> 00:06:57,480 And yes, if you've read this book, then you understand that 146 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,200 the Bible, it repeats itself a lot, but it's not because God 147 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:03,560 stutters. It's because we forget. 148 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:07,240 Church rhythms, communion, prayer, even accountability, 149 00:07:07,240 --> 00:07:09,760 conversations with a friend, these are all reminders that are 150 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:14,080 designed to help us stay strong. And so the application for these 151 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:16,800 couple verses is pretty simple, but it is very powerful. 152 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:20,840 Do not despise reminders. If anything, you should lean 153 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:22,960 into them. Build your life around 154 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:24,720 reminders. Write verses down. 155 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,760 Rehearse God's promises out loud. 156 00:07:26,760 --> 00:07:29,440 When He gives you a word, repeat it until you'll remember it. 157 00:07:29,760 --> 00:07:32,640 Share your testimony. Listen to testimonies. 158 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,280 Keep telling the story of Jesus to yourself, to your kids, to 159 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:37,800 your friends, to anybody who will listen. 160 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,200 Because the more we rehearse the truth, the more we become 161 00:07:41,320 --> 00:07:43,760 grounded in it, and the less we will forget it. 162 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,720 Couple personal insights just for you to ask yourself here. 163 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,000 Where in my life am I quick to quote? 164 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,520 Already know, but slow to remember and actually live it 165 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:55,920 out. And secondly, what spiritual 166 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,840 reminders like scriptures or habits or community, What 167 00:07:59,840 --> 00:08:02,280 spiritual reminders do I need to put back in front of me this 168 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:04,480 week? All right, the next couple 169 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,880 verses, 16 through 18, I'm calling this eyewitness to His 170 00:08:07,880 --> 00:08:10,360 Majesty. Peter says this. 171 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,360 He says, for we were not making up clever stories when we told 172 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,000 you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 173 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,360 We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes when he 174 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:22,320 received honor and glory from God the Father. 175 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,280 The voice from the majestic glory of God called to him or 176 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:28,880 said to him, This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great 177 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,159 joy. We ourselves heard that voice 178 00:08:32,159 --> 00:08:34,880 from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 179 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,039 So Peter shifts here from reminders to a reassurance. 180 00:08:41,320 --> 00:08:43,600 He wants his readers to know that the gospel that they've 181 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:46,080 attached their life to is not a myth or a fable. 182 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,320 He says we were not making up clever stories. 183 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:51,520 Now, this is interesting because the Greek word here for cleverly 184 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:55,120 devised there is sofizo. It means to artfully spin a tale 185 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,760 or Polish your story or your rhetoric or craft a myth that 186 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,280 people will believe. And that's exactly what a lot of 187 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,240 false teachers were doing in Peter's day. 188 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:06,480 And, and pretty well here too, because they would actually 189 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:10,120 traffic in persuasive speeches, then they would invent stories 190 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:14,040 that were designed to distract people or designed to fleece 191 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,000 them for their money. And so Peter's just saying, flat 192 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:18,360 out, that's not what we gave you. 193 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,000 Instead, he says, we saw. Now here's why this is so 194 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,000 important. We saw comes from the word 195 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,040 epoptase. It means an eyewitness. 196 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,480 It's someone with a direct personal vision of an event. 197 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,120 In other words, we're back to a courtroom legal term and he's 198 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:35,960 talking about the transfiguration. 199 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:39,600 So when he says we saw his glory with our own eyes, he says that 200 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,920 he heard the voice from heaven say this is our my beloved son. 201 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:44,880 He's talking about the transfiguration. 202 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:47,480 And in case you just like to jot it down, you can find that in 203 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:51,720 three chapters, Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9. 204 00:09:52,320 --> 00:09:56,560 Again, that's Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. 205 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:01,400 So that's when Peter, James, and John saw Jesus radiating glory 206 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:03,720 on the mountain and they heard the Father's voice. 207 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:06,640 So he's making sure they know this is not a second hand rumor 208 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,280 or this is just what Christians believe. 209 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:10,200 Peter is giving a sworn testimony. 210 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:12,880 He's saying I saw him, I heard the voice, I was there. 211 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,480 You notice those details because he talks about Jesus receiving 212 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:19,200 honor and glory from God the Father, which by the way, is 213 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,960 divine validation. That voice that declared this is 214 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:24,760 my dearly loved son. He's saying it because those 215 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,120 words echo back to Jesus's baptism, and they also point 216 00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,600 forward to his resurrection. They anchor everything that 217 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:35,720 Peter believed. Jesus is not just a teacher. 218 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,800 Jesus is not just a prophet. He is God's beloved Son and he 219 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,560 is full of glory. So why does Peter bring that up 220 00:10:42,560 --> 00:10:44,720 here after telling us to remember things? 221 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:48,160 Well, because his readers were surrounded by skeptics who 222 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,480 dismissed Christianity as just another religious fad. 223 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:56,120 Rome was full of myths about God showing up in disguise or tales 224 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,080 of heroes that had turned divine demigods and things like that. 225 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:01,840 And Peter saying this is not like that. 226 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:04,120 This is not just one amongst many of them. 227 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:07,800 This is not a myth. He's saying it's the majesty of 228 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:10,840 the one true king, and he knows it because he saw it himself. 229 00:11:11,200 --> 00:11:13,600 And he's saying we didn't imagine it, we encountered it. 230 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,440 So the take away for us here is that our faith is not built on 231 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,920 abstract ideas or fun ideas that just are designed to make us 232 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:23,680 feel inspired. It's grounded in something that 233 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:26,360 is historical. It has eyewitness accounts of 234 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:30,360 real people who saw Jesus alive. They saw him glorified, they saw 235 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:32,840 him crucified, and they also saw him resurrected. 236 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:36,400 So we don't believe blindly. We believe based on testimony 237 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:38,120 that stood the test of centuries. 238 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:42,160 And today, yes, there are still sceptics that say Christianity 239 00:11:42,160 --> 00:11:45,520 is just another myth among many, but Peter would still remind us 240 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:49,560 it's actually rooted in history and the glory of Jesus is not 241 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:51,400 something that it would just be nice if it's true. 242 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:53,880 It's the reality that one day everybody will see an 243 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,440 experience. And just as Peter saw the 244 00:11:56,440 --> 00:11:59,200 preview of Christ's majesty on the mountain, we live in the 245 00:11:59,200 --> 00:12:01,000 hope of seeing it ourselves when he comes again. 246 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:03,120 A couple of insights for you there. 247 00:12:03,680 --> 00:12:05,880 First of all, where do I need to remember that my faith is 248 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:08,600 grounded in reality and not just a clever story? 249 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:12,720 And secondly, how can I confidently share my faith as an 250 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:15,720 eyewitness testimony passed down and not just a personal opinion? 251 00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,320 And let me just double down on that because sometimes we'll 252 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,200 hear a preacher or somebody online or something say 253 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,320 something that we feel like is so good, and we try to share 254 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:25,480 that with people. That's good. 255 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:27,800 There's nothing inherently wrong about it, but there's nothing 256 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:30,000 better than when you get a personal revelation from the 257 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,000 Lord and you get to share what He's leading you in in your 258 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:36,960 life. All right #3 we're going to talk 259 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:40,600 about second Peter, just the 19th verse of of chapter 1. 260 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,040 This is called the prophetic word made sure. 261 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,520 Let's talk about prophecy. He says because of that 262 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:49,080 experience, we have even greater confidence in the message 263 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,880 proclaimed by the prophets. You must play, you must pay 264 00:12:52,880 --> 00:12:56,320 close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like 265 00:12:56,320 --> 00:13:01,160 a lamp shining in a dark place until the day dawns and Christ, 266 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:02,760 the morning star shines in your hearts. 267 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:07,400 Now Peter is moving on from the eyewitness to testimony to 268 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:10,240 scriptural testimony. And he's saying because of that 269 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,640 experience, it means the transfiguration, right? 270 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,720 He says because of the transfiguration, we have even 271 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:17,400 greater confidence in the prophetic word. 272 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,000 Now, this is going to mean a lot to you, but first I'm going to 273 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:21,320 trip through this word. You ready? 274 00:13:21,560 --> 00:13:28,560 So the Greek phrase baye biota, Ron propheticon, Logan told you 275 00:13:28,560 --> 00:13:31,080 I was going to trip through it. That's a phrase that means the 276 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,520 prophetic word made more sure, steadfast or reliable. 277 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,280 So he's not diminishing what he saw with his own eyes. 278 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:39,960 He's actually saying that what he saw confirmed the reliability 279 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,800 of what the prophets before him had already said. 280 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:45,320 Now, this is important because the mountain experience didn't 281 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,280 replace scripture for him. It only reinforced it. 282 00:13:48,560 --> 00:13:52,040 So for many of us, we learn the Word, we read the Word, and then 283 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:55,160 we get our own experience, and then we shirk our duty to stay 284 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,160 in the Word. But he's just saying this. 285 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,320 No, I saw this. I have a great faith, and I have 286 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,360 even more faith because it's backed up by Scripture. 287 00:14:01,960 --> 00:14:05,160 Think about this. Even after Peter saw Jesus 288 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,800 shining with glory and heard the Father's voice from heaven, he 289 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:10,920 still thought it was important enough to point people back to 290 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:12,640 the Word of God as their foundation. 291 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:16,320 Why is that? Because experiences fade. 292 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,440 You were really excited at your 5th birthday party, but you 293 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,640 probably don't remember it quite so well now. 294 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,280 But God's Word will always stand forever. 295 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:26,360 And so the prophets had been pointing to the Messiah for 296 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,880 centuries, and the Transfiguration proved that 297 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:32,600 their message was on track. So Peter says we have to pay 298 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,000 close attention to it. And that verb there is Prosecco 299 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,560 for some of you, just so you know, that's not the wine, all 300 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,720 right? But it instead means to hold 301 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,480 firmly. It means to be devoted or fasten 302 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,000 yourself to something. And he's comparing the word to a 303 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,680 lamp in a dark place. And that word for dark, this is 304 00:14:50,680 --> 00:14:52,560 really cool. That word for dark is pronounced 305 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,240 alchemeros, and it means murky or squalid or filthy. 306 00:14:58,000 --> 00:14:59,960 So he's saying that's where you'll find yourself. 307 00:14:59,960 --> 00:15:02,720 And God's word is going to be what pulls you out from it. 308 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,280 So Peter is saying life without the word is like stumbling 309 00:15:06,280 --> 00:15:08,080 through a filthy cave without a light. 310 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:12,880 But Scripture is a lamp. It's not the full sunrise yet, 311 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:16,160 but it's enough to guide your steps until the dawn comes. 312 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:19,600 It's beautiful poetry here. And then he's talking about 313 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:20,960 this. The dawn is coming, he says, 314 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,840 until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your 315 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:26,720 hearts. The the day is shorthand for the 316 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,160 return of Christ. That's how they referred to the 317 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:31,000 return of Christ back in Peter's day. 318 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,760 So they would call it the day. The day is coming, and so that's 319 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,120 when the light of his glory will make lamps unnecessary. 320 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:40,040 And this is interesting too, because it's in the Bible in a 321 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:42,360 couple places. But the morning star there, the 322 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,280 Greek for that is phosphorus. It literally means light 323 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:48,480 bringer. It was also a title for Venus, 324 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:50,720 the brightest star that signals the morning is near. 325 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:54,040 And Peter is saying Jesus himself is that light bringer. 326 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,600 And one day his presence will fill us so that darkness will be 327 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,760 gone forever. Now, here's the context for 328 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:03,600 Peter's readers again, they were surrounded by lies and false 329 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:05,600 teachers. This was something that they 330 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,360 could really hold onto and hook into. 331 00:16:07,680 --> 00:16:11,440 He was saying, don't chase secret revelations or clever 332 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:13,760 myths. Stick to the word because it is 333 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:16,240 steady and it's clear. And most importantly, it's 334 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,960 enough. So for us today, it really is 335 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,000 just as important. We live in a world that is 336 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:24,880 filled with dark places. I mean, most of us can think of 337 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,280 a murky place in the world. A lot of times there's confusion 338 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:32,120 about truth, there's cynicism about faith, and there's despair 339 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:36,040 about the future. Every single headline feels like 340 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,440 another reason to panic. But God's word is the lamp that 341 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,000 we need. It's not a floodlight that we 342 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:45,680 might want, it doesn't show every detail of the path, but it 343 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:48,640 is bright enough that we can always see our next step as long 344 00:16:48,640 --> 00:16:50,840 as we're reliant on it. And that's really the whole 345 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:52,040 point. We don't live by seeing 346 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:53,920 everything. We live by trusting His light 347 00:16:53,920 --> 00:16:56,160 and trusting that we'll have more light when we move ahead. 348 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:00,560 Additionally, and I I would be remiss if I didn't address this 349 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,520 today, we still hear people claim the role of prophet. 350 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:07,880 And while God can speak through his people and does, and we 351 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,240 believe in the office of prophet in this church, Peter's words 352 00:17:11,319 --> 00:17:13,560 remind us to test everything against Scripture. 353 00:17:14,079 --> 00:17:16,119 Anytime somebody comes to you and says, I feel like I have a 354 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:18,720 word from the Lord for you, don't push them away. 355 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,160 Listen to them. And then take it to your prayer 356 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,240 closet. Take it to trusted believers, 357 00:17:23,319 --> 00:17:25,359 soak it in some prayer, and ask the Lord. 358 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,640 Modern prophets are not adding new revelation that is equal to 359 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,960 the Bible. Modern prophets have a role that 360 00:17:31,960 --> 00:17:35,000 is just to point us back to what God has already said, much of 361 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:38,040 which is in the Bible, and then apply it with clarity for our 362 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,320 lives. So anytime somebody gives you a 363 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,080 prophetic word that contradicts the gospel, anytime somebody 364 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:46,360 gives you a prophetic word that promotes themselves more than 365 00:17:46,360 --> 00:17:49,320 Christ, or anytime somebody gives you a prophetic word that 366 00:17:49,320 --> 00:17:52,960 stirs up more fear than hope, it's a red flag. 367 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,280 True prophecy will always align with Scripture. 368 00:17:56,280 --> 00:17:58,920 It will always exalt Jesus, and it will always build up parts of 369 00:17:58,920 --> 00:18:01,960 the the the church with both grace and truth. 370 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,720 So personal insights on this, where am I tempted to chase 371 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,920 after new experiences or voices or ideas instead of holding 372 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,880 myself anchored in God's Word? And secondly, how can I treat 373 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:17,400 Scripture more like a lamp this week, Something that I rely on 374 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:21,160 day by day to guide my steps? All right, we've arrived at the 375 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:25,000 end of this chapter and pretty excited for this one because 376 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:29,680 this is one of the more famous parts of second Peter verses 20 377 00:18:29,680 --> 00:18:32,320 and 21. He says, above all, you must 378 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,600 realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the 379 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:39,320 prophets own understanding or from human initiative. 380 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,880 No, these prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and they spoke 381 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:45,560 from God. Now, this is important because a 382 00:18:45,560 --> 00:18:47,720 lot of people today will tell you that they have exceptional 383 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:50,320 wisdom, or just that they're clever, or they're able to 384 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:52,160 figure out more than the average person. 385 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,320 But Peter wants his readers to know that the Scripture itself 386 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:57,320 is not just another collection of human wisdom. 387 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:00,800 He is saying plainly that none of these prophecies or these 388 00:19:00,800 --> 00:19:03,360 words ever came by a private interpretation or by personal 389 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:05,680 willpower. The Greek word for own 390 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:09,480 interpretation is a DSS peluge seios. 391 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,760 It means one's own unloosing, a private explanation. 392 00:19:14,640 --> 00:19:19,160 In other words, he's saying that these prophets didn't come from 393 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,960 human initiative. He's saying that it wasn't 394 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:23,720 something that came out of their own heads. 395 00:19:24,360 --> 00:19:26,760 It's something that the Lord had actually planted in them. 396 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:30,160 And so that phrase, human initiative is the same phrase, 397 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:33,880 thalemeon throppu. It means human will, intention 398 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:35,960 or desire. The prophets didn't dream this 399 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:36,880 up. And if you don't believe me, 400 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:38,480 read through some of what the prophet said. 401 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,800 Spend a day in Jeremiah and tell me that everything that the 402 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:44,240 prophets wrote were things that the prophets wanted to say. 403 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,200 I guarantee you, you'll find yourself on the opposite side 404 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:49,440 there. So instead of that, Peter says 405 00:19:49,440 --> 00:19:51,120 they were all moved by the Holy Spirit. 406 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,560 The Greek word is the word for Romanoi. 407 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,120 It means carried along. It's the same word that was used 408 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,960 about a ship being carried to the wind in Acts 2715, in the 409 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:05,440 same way that the wind was moving that ship forward. 410 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,000 Peter is now using the same language to say that the Holy 411 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:10,840 Spirit is getting God's word into the prophets that way. 412 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:14,240 That's the picture. Human authors were the vessel, 413 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,360 but the Spirit was the wind filling the sails and guiding 414 00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:20,800 the course. And so they wrote in their own 415 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,880 voices and their own styles and out of their own context. 416 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,760 But the direction and message and authority came from God 417 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,240 Himself. That's part of what makes the 418 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:30,680 Bible so unique, in addition to being true, At least for me 419 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,400 personally, I love knowing that it comes from different voices 420 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,440 in different cultures with different contexts and 421 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:37,920 perspectives. I can't expect them to all be 422 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:39,600 the same. I can't even expect everybody of 423 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,160 this Bible study to think the same. 424 00:20:41,720 --> 00:20:44,880 So for Peter's audience, which again, we're surrounded by a lot 425 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:48,320 of false teachers spinning really clever, clever myths, 426 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:52,080 this was absolutely essential. Scripture is not just one 427 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,840 opinion among many. It's the very breath of God 428 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,560 through human authors. It's always consistent and 429 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:00,280 trustworthy, no matter where the prophecy comes. 430 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,600 And for us, that's what we mean when we call the Bible inspired, 431 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:05,720 when we tell you that this word is inspired. 432 00:21:05,720 --> 00:21:08,200 I know that sometimes it'll talk about the same battle in two 433 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:11,120 places, and it might have a different number of troops in 434 00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,040 those two different recollections, but God's desire 435 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:16,520 wasn't to get the number of troops through to you. 436 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:19,320 The Bible's true on everything in which it speaks because its 437 00:21:19,320 --> 00:21:23,440 source is divine. And so that truth is both the 438 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:25,360 comfort and it's also a caution for us. 439 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,040 The comfort is that you can trust Scripture fully. 440 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,760 And I want you to know that tonight you can trust Scripture 441 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,040 fully. It's not just shifting sand to 442 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:37,160 use biblical imagery. It is a solid rock. 443 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:41,040 So what's the caution? Well, the caution is that we 444 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:42,840 don't get to twist it to fit our agendas. 445 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,120 Our role isn't to master the Word. 446 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:48,800 Our goal is to have the Word master us, so you can't just 447 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:51,600 take a scripture and throw it at somebody and hope to change them 448 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:54,480 or even at yourself and try to force it. 449 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,600 You have to allow the Word to soak into you and then genuinely 450 00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:59,240 be open to what the Holy Spirit has. 451 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:03,760 So that being said, while we do hold the Bible as Spirit 452 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:06,920 breathed Word of God, I want to also be very clear when I say 453 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,040 this, even though sometimes it's controversial to people, we need 454 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,400 to be careful not to treat this book itself as an idol. 455 00:22:14,400 --> 00:22:17,200 The goal is not to worship the text in here, but to know the 456 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:19,880 God that wrote all the text in here, to know the God that this 457 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,920 text reveals. So the Holy Spirit still speaks 458 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:24,840 today. He speaks through prayer and 459 00:22:24,840 --> 00:22:27,440 conviction. He speaks through wise counsel 460 00:22:27,440 --> 00:22:29,800 and through the prophets. But his voice will never 461 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:32,440 contradict what we already know has been spoken in Scripture and 462 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:35,080 the and know to be true. So the written word is our 463 00:22:35,080 --> 00:22:38,080 safeguard. The Living Word is our guide and 464 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:39,680 together they help us grow in discernment. 465 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,560 Healthy disciples don't just read the Bible for information, 466 00:22:43,920 --> 00:22:46,320 they let it tune their ears so that they can recognize the 467 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:48,120 Shepherd's voice in every part of their life. 468 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,840 So essentially, Peter's closing this section just by schooling 469 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:56,600 us in what lasts, which is not his memories, which is not human 470 00:22:56,600 --> 00:23:00,240 eloquence. He is closing this chapter by 471 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,000 schooling us in the Spirit inspired Word of God that will 472 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:08,120 endure until Christ our morning star rises again. 2 personal 473 00:23:08,120 --> 00:23:09,640 insights. First of all, do I treat 474 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:13,280 scripture as optional advice or as the spirit breathed word of 475 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,560 God? And secondly, where am I tempted 476 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,360 to bend God's word to fit my will instead of letting it shape 477 00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,440 me? This is your first time with a 478 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,280 renewed mind Bible study. I'll just tell you here in 479 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:25,920 person. We don't live stream the the 480 00:23:25,920 --> 00:23:28,680 discussions and so that'll that'll be happening at 481 00:23:28,680 --> 00:23:32,080 different tables with individuals, but the the sheet 482 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,000 is attached there. We've got some group discussion 483 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:36,120 questions that are attached along with a prayer challenge 484 00:23:36,120 --> 00:23:37,440 for the group that you're studying with. 485 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,640 I hope it's been enjoyable for you and we will see you here at 486 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:42,440 Liberty Church 9:30 on Sunday morning.