Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Christ

June 16, 2019 · 2 Peter

Series · 2 Peter · Week 16 of 17

Scripture referenced 10 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

2 Peter 3:14-18 the main passage for the sermon, read and expounded throughout

14 Therefore, beloved, seeing that you look for these things, be diligent to be found in peace, without defect and blameless in his sight.
15 Regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote to you;
16 as also in all of his letters, speaking in them of these things. In those, there are some things that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unsettled twist, as they also do to the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 You therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware, lest being carried away with the error of the wicked, you fall from your own steadfastness.
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

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2 Peter 1

cited as the positive opening chapter calling believers to add goodness, self-control, godliness, and perseverance to their faith

1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

2 Grace to you and peace be multiplied in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

3 seeing that his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and virtue;

4 by which he has granted to us his precious and exceedingly great promises; that through these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world by lust.

5 Yes, and for this very cause adding on your part all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence; and in moral excellence, knowledge;

6 and in knowledge, self-control; and in self-control perseverance; and in perseverance godliness;

7 and in godliness brotherly affection; and in brotherly affection, love.

8 For if these things are yours and abound, they make you to be not idle or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.

10 Therefore, brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never stumble.

11 For thus you will be richly supplied with the entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

12 Therefore I will not be negligent to remind you of these things, though you know them, and are established in the present truth.

13 I think it right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you;

14 knowing that the putting off of my tent comes swiftly, even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

15 Yes, I will make every effort that you may always be able to remember these things even after my departure.

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

18 We heard this voice come out of heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.

19 We have the more sure word of prophecy; and you do well that you heed it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the morning star arises in your hearts:

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of private interpretation.

21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke, being moved by the Holy Spirit.

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2 Peter 2

cited as the chapter warning that false teachers will arise and face judgment

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.

2 Many will follow their immoral ways, and as a result, the way of the truth will be maligned.

3 In covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words: whose sentence now from of old doesn’t linger, and their destruction will not slumber.

4 For if God didn’t spare angels when they sinned, but cast them down to Tartarus, and committed them to pits of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

5 and didn’t spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of righteousness, when he brought a flood on the world of the ungodly;

6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, having made them an example to those who would live in an ungodly way;

7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was very distressed by the lustful life of the wicked

8 (for that righteous man dwelling among them, was tormented in his righteous soul from day to day with seeing and hearing lawless deeds):

9 the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment;

10 but chiefly those who walk after the flesh in the lust of defilement, and despise authority. Daring, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries;

11 whereas angels, though greater in might and power, don’t bring a railing judgment against them before the Lord.

12 But these, as unreasoning creatures, born natural animals to be taken and destroyed, speaking evil in matters about which they are ignorant, will in their destroying surely be destroyed,

13 receiving the wages of unrighteousness; people who count it pleasure to revel in the daytime, spots and defects, reveling in their deceit while they feast with you;

14 having eyes full of adultery, and who can’t cease from sin; enticing unsettled souls; having a heart trained in greed; children of cursing;

15 forsaking the right way, they went astray, having followed the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of wrongdoing;

16 but he was rebuked for his own disobedience. A mute donkey spoke with a man’s voice and stopped the madness of the prophet.

17 These are wells without water, clouds driven by a storm; for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.

18 For, uttering great swelling words of emptiness, they entice in the lusts of the flesh, by licentiousness, those who are indeed escaping from those who live in error;

19 promising them liberty, while they themselves are bondservants of corruption; for a man is brought into bondage by whoever overcomes him.

20 For if, after they have escaped the defilement of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in it and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.

21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.

22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “The dog turns to his own vomit again,” and “the sow that has washed to wallowing in the mire.”

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2 Peter 3:1-2

quoted to show Peter wrote both letters as reminders to stimulate wholesome thinking

1 This is now, beloved, the second letter that I have written to you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by reminding you;

2 that you should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior:

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2 Peter 3:9

quoted that the Lord is not slow but patient, not wanting anyone to perish but all to come to repentance

9 The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

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1 Peter 5:7

referenced as Peter urging believers to cast all anxiety on God because He cares for us

7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

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Galatians 2

cited as Paul confronting Peter to his face for separating from Gentiles

1 Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

2 I went up by revelation, and I laid before them the Good News which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately before those who were respected, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain.

3 But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

4 This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage;

5 to whom we gave no place in the way of subjection, not for an hour, that the truth of the Good News might continue with you.

6 But from those who were reputed to be important (whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God doesn’t show partiality to man)—they, I say, who were respected imparted nothing to me,

7 but to the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the uncircumcised, even as Peter with the Good News for the circumcised

8 (for he who worked through Peter in the apostleship with the circumcised also worked through me with the Gentiles);

9 and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, they who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

10 They only asked us to remember the poor—which very thing I was also zealous to do.

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned.

12 For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision.

13 And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

14 But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?

15 “We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,

16 yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the law, because no flesh will be justified by the works of the law.

17 But if, while we sought to be justified in Christ, we ourselves also were found sinners, is Christ a servant of sin? Certainly not!

18 For if I build up again those things which I destroyed, I prove myself a law-breaker.

19 For I, through the law, died to the law, that I might live to God.

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ lives in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

21 I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!”

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1 Corinthians 1:18

paraphrased that the message of the cross is foolishness to those perishing but the power of God to those being saved

18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are dying, but to us who are saved it is the power of God.

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Jeremiah 29

referenced as the passage presented the first Sunday Pastor Ray preached as lead pastor, about putting down roots and praying for the peace of the land

1 Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,

2 (after Jeconiah the king, the queen mother, the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, the craftsmen, and the smiths, had departed from Jerusalem),

3 by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan, and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, (whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon). It said:

4 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives whom I have caused to be carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon:

5 “Build houses and dwell in them. Plant gardens and eat their fruit.

6 Take wives and father sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there, and don’t be diminished.

7 Seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to Yahweh for it; for in its peace you will have peace.”

8 For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed.

9 For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says Yahweh.

10 For Yahweh says, “After seventy years are accomplished for Babylon, I will visit you and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place.

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says Yahweh, “thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you hope and a future.

12 You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

13 You shall seek me, and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.

14 I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you, says Yahweh. I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.”

15 Because you have said, “Yahweh has raised us up prophets in Babylon;”

16 Yahweh says concerning the king who sits on David’s throne, and concerning all the people who dwell in this city, your brothers who haven’t gone with you into captivity;

17 Yahweh of Armies says: “Behold, I will send on them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like rotten figs that can’t be eaten, they are so bad.

18 I will pursue after them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth, to be an object of horror, an astonishment, a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations where I have driven them,

19 because they have not listened to my words,” says Yahweh, “with which I sent to them my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but you would not hear,” says Yahweh.

20 Hear therefore Yahweh’s word, all you captives, whom I have sent away from Jerusalem to Babylon.

21 Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in my name: “Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he will kill them before your eyes.

22 A curse will be taken up about them by all the captives of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, ‘Yahweh make you like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;’

23 because they have done foolish things in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and have spoken words in my name falsely, which I didn’t command them. I am he who knows, and am witness,” says Yahweh.

24 Concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite you shall speak, saying,

25 “Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says, ‘Because you have sent letters in your own name to all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah, the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

26 “Yahweh has made you priest in the place of Jehoiada the priest, that there may be officers in Yahweh’s house, for every man who is crazy, and makes himself a prophet, that you should put him in the stocks and in shackles.

27 Now therefore, why have you not rebuked Jeremiah of Anathoth, who makes himself a prophet to you,

28 because he has sent to us in Babylon, saying, The captivity is long. Build houses, and dwell in them. Plant gardens, and eat their fruit?”’”

29 Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the hearing of Jeremiah the prophet.

30 Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,

31 “Send to all of the captives, saying, ‘Yahweh says concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: “Because Shemaiah has prophesied to you, and I didn’t send him, and he has caused you to trust in a lie;”

32 therefore Yahweh says, “Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his offspring. He will not have a man to dwell among this people. He won’t see the good that I will do to my people,” says Yahweh, “because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh.”’”

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Psalm 119:1-2

quoted at the close: blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord and seek Him with their whole heart

1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to Yahweh’s law.

2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes, who seek him with their whole heart.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Ray closed out the series on 2 Peter with the final five verses of the letter. He traced Peter's last exhortations toward holiness, patience, and growth in grace, and grounded them in the reality of a coming day of judgment that should shape how Christians live right now.

What was said

Peter addresses his readers one more time as "agape toy," beloved ones, and calls them to make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with God. Pastor Ray pointed out that Peter had used that same phrase about himself earlier in the letter, committing to keep reminding them of sound teaching. The call to holiness here is not anxious striving but a response to what God has already done.

Every day that the Lord has not yet returned is a demonstration of His patience, and that patience means salvation. Peter had already said the Lord is not slow but is holding off so that everyone might have the opportunity to repent. Pastor Ray put it plainly: the only two options Scripture presents are perish or repent, and God is actively giving people time to choose.

Salvation, Pastor Ray argued, is bigger than a single moment of decision. Using the image of restoring a wrecked car, he described it as God taking something bound for the junkyard and working through the whole salvage process. Being saved means being taken in and then being taken through, with God doing the restoration as a person submits their will to Him.

Peter calls Paul "our dear brother" and points to his letters as carrying the wisdom God gave him, writing about "these same matters" of grace and judgment. Pastor Ray noted that Peter's inclusion of Paul's writings alongside "the other scriptures" is significant: he is treating them as authoritative, the same way New Testament Christians do today. This also carries a quiet lesson about receiving correction from a brother, since Paul had rebuked Peter publicly and Peter bore it well.

The hard things in Paul's letters get distorted, Peter says, by ignorant and unstable people on both sides. Pastor Ray described a legalistic camp that turns grace into grace-plus-works, and a licentious camp that treats grace as a license to do whatever they want. Both miss the point, and Peter warns that those who deliberately twist Scripture to justify destructive teaching face judgment.

The letter closes with a warning and a doxology together. The warning is to stay on guard and not be carried away from a secure position, and Pastor Ray used the image of brake lines that looked fine until they failed under pressure. He noted this verse gives genuine pause without settling every debate about eternal security, and said it calls for real attention to how one is being "salvaged." The doxology, "to him be glory both now and forever," he translated as pointing toward the day of eternity, which will arrive either like a thief in the night or like a long-anticipated wedding day.

The single verse Pastor Ray said covers all of 2 Peter is the final exhortation: "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." He reflected that when he came to faith at eleven he had no idea how much grace he actually needed, and that the longer a person dwells on it the more God reveals how deep that grace runs.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

Pastor Ray described salvation not just as a one-time decision but as an ongoing salvage process, comparing it to restoring an old car. How does thinking of your faith that way change how you approach your daily walk with God?
Peter wrote that the Lord's patience means salvation, because God is not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. How does understanding God's patience as an act of mercy toward people who haven't yet believed shape the way you think about the people around you who don't know Christ?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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0:01 Would y'all stand up and we'll sing em in because they're probably still some people downstairs. Scott, would you come up and help out? And we're going to start off with hymn number eight zero nine, God of our fathers, God of our fathers. Happy Father's Day. Yeah.

0:17 Amen. Amen.

0:43 Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies grateful songs before thy throne I like that. Praise be Amen.

3:03 Nice. Nice. Or about I'd rather have Jesus. Hymn number five zero six. Y'all can have a seat.

6:15 A few announcements this morning. Nick, you wanna come on up and do yours? Of course. Way down. Yeah.

6:21 Hit the button there. Hey.

6:24 Good morning, everybody. My name is Nick Stear, and I'm the assistant secretary here. And one of my jobs is to get the directory updated each year. So we're gonna be passing one down this side and one down this side. Just keep sending them back.

6:37 And what we'd like is just to get all your contact information. If you're a regular attender and willing to contact with us, even if you're just here for a season, that way we can get you plugged in as best as possible. If you have information here that needs to be updated, just scratch out anything that's wrong and write next to it what needs to be updated. And if you're new, just throw it in there any blank space, anything you'd be willing to share with us. And then also, just after all the announcements, I'll be kinda running around during the greeting time taking pictures of people who need a photo.

7:09 So if you'd like to have your photo taken, that's great. And if you don't wanna be a part of this, that's fine too. Yep. Don't feel compelled to, but I'll just run around, during the handshake time. So if you have any questions, just let me know.

7:20 Thanks.

7:21 Alright. Introverts are all going, oh, there's a handshake in time. This is one of those churches. Yeah. Monday nights, Monday nights at first B is happening tomorrow night.

7:31 That's good because it's Monday. So, Monday nights at first B is meal, music, and a message every Monday night. Vacation Bible School is happening June 24 through the twenty eighth. So, that's coming up quick. If you have kids or grandkids that you would like to get involved, there's a registration stand back there at the back which you can also do it online.

7:52 Also, if you feel like you'd like to volunteer, please let us know because we still use some volunteers for Jesus saves the world, Miraculous Mission Vacation Bible School, June twenty fourth to twenty eighth. That's from nine till twelve. Nine in the morning till noon. Vacation Bible School decorating day, they're going to have volunteers come together on June 22 at 9AM and get ready for that. So it'll be a Saturday, and we will have Sunday with it all decorated and then go forward twenty fourth through the twenty eighth for VBS.

8:24 Immigrant hope is still collecting those shoes. That's 25,000 pairs is a lot of pairs of shoes, but we have seen I don't know how many of them come through this office. So if you have shoes that you'd like to donate, gently used or new, then bring them in and we will get those where they need to be. Laurie McCune comes by and picks those up regularly. There is a stateside mission trip coming up.

8:47 Volunteers are needed on this. I am planning on going. Gary Geek is planning on leading. We've got a few other guys that are going but if you have any construction talents or if you just like to hang out, it's a long ride to Gillette. We'll have plenty of time to talk and chat and we're taking the church van and anything else we need to to get us all there but Scott Eichen, do all remember him?

9:09 He was associate pastor here several years back now but he has been involved in a couple of different church plants and reboots in Colorado and they have moved their whole family, Scott, Pam, and all the kids have moved up to Gillette and they are working on rebuilding the person side of this church but they do have a building. The the church is the people, right? He's been working on that but they need a little bit of help working on the building. So, we're going to go help where we can. Gary made the announcement this morning.

9:39 If you can't go but you'd still like to support it, you can do that too just by donating towards that cost that trip and that would be helpful too. Directory and updates, you got that. If you miss a message, you can go back. Most all of our messages are on Facebook without any kind of technical difficulty. They're almost always up there.

9:58 I've had a couple of them that I'd like for not to be up there, but that's just the way it is. So they're there. They're for posterity. There they are. Connect hour happens between services every Sunday.

10:09 That happens about ten ish up until about eleven ish. And happy Father's Day. Glad y'all are here this morning. I was introduced one time at the Turning Point Gala. The fellow who was introducing was a Catholic guy, he said, Well, Father Ray is going to come up and give our invocation.

10:26 I went, but I I I got up and said, well, I am a father. My daughter Pascal is right here, but anyway, we're happy Father's Day to all of y'all. We appreciate you being here and looking to God to be your provider and your strength so that you may be provider and strength. Look in him for answers so that you have them to share with your families. Amen.

10:49 Happy Father's Day. And I say that because I do not have a Father's Day message. We're finishing the book of two Peter, alright? It is still just as sincere. If there are any other things that I've forgotten.

10:58 Let's see, is Brianna Suter in the room? I don't think she is. So Brianna Suter is going with Youth With a Mission, YWAM. This is a very interesting story because her family now has been coming. Mom, dad, and there are 11 kids and she's been coming and she is just overcome with God's goodness and she's growing like crazy but youth with a mission, she is going into a time of discipleship training series with them and then going on a mission with them overseas.

11:30 And she's coming up. This this morning was a good time of prayer for her, for a lot of people, and support. I think that she hit her goal this morning. So that was really good, but I wanted you to know, Brianna Suter, she's in your bulletin. That's what reminded me of it.

11:45 And Erin Anderson, is she in the room? So if there are any of you who would like to offer your services to the Old Faithful Christian Ranch through this summer season, they have four different weeks of camp, and they have preparation before and cleanup probably and changes afterwards, Old Faithful Christian Ranch could really use your help. So it's up in Island Park, Idaho just a couple hours from here. The first summer that I was here as an intern, can y'all believe it was nine years ago? Nine years ago, I came in.

12:16 I preached eight messages over the course of the summer, and I was kind of scared to death, but I had a week in between each one, you know, just an intern that found himself being the pastor. And then at the end, it was a Thursday, and their first camp at Old Faithful Christian Ranch was starting on Monday. So on Thursday, get the call and said, hey, somebody mentioned to us your name, the pastor who was supposed to be preaching for all of the services for this middle school camp next week, had to bail. There's nothing he can do about it. It was something that could not have been foreseen, and he's just not an option.

12:48 Will you do it? And I said yes before I thought about it. No joke. And then I had to preach eight messages in between Monday at noon and Friday at noon, and I cried in between each one. But I promise they won't put that kind of pressure on you.

13:02 Okay? But it was amazing. The opportunity was amazing, and then coming here, it's today is the seventh. This is seven years exactly since the first Sunday that I preached here as the lead pastor. So, yeah, that's fun.

13:21 The first Sunday I actually sat here as lead pastor, there were missionaries here that week and they presented on Jeremiah 29 but not 2nine 11. I know the plans I have for you. Everybody knows that verse. You see it on bumper stickers and mugs, but before that, it says, live here. Put down roots here, basically.

13:42 I'm paraphrasing. Pray for the peace of the land in which you have been exiled in which I, the Lord, have exiled you, he said, to the folks from Jerusalem been exiled in Babylon. He said, pray for the peace of the land in which I have exiled you and placed you because in the prosperity of the land that you live, you'll find your own peace and prosperity. It was really nice for the first Sunday to be put down roots, be here, and seven years it's been. So praise God.

14:08 Amen. I think that's it. That's the longest announcements I've done in a while. Would you all stand and greet one another? And we will bring it back together with a fatherly song.

14:59 Faith of our I don't think that's right.

15:12 I think that's the optional extended or coral ending according

15:15 to the book.

15:16 Yeah. That's we steered off. So, that if you have your hymnals, we could sing that but since we're singing off the wall, let's just skip the second verse. Alright?

15:25 Were we in one of the ditches on either side?

15:27 No, no, no, We're just steady course corrections are always to be expected. Okay. Good. Admonishment. You bet.

15:35 Yeah. Faith of our we will

15:41 strive Amen. Y'all just roll with it. That's good. That's right. His eyes on the sparrow.

16:54 Hymn number six twenty four.

17:09 Why should I feel discouraged why should the shadows come why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven when Jesus is my portion my constant friend sparrow and I know he watches me eyes and I know he watches

19:02 me. Why do you sing? I sing because I'm happy I sing because I'm free

19:12 for his eye is on the whenever clouds arise when song gives place to sighing when hope within me dies I draw the closer to him from care he sets me free his eyes on the sparrow and I know he watches me and I know he watches me I sing because

20:12 I'm happy I sing because I'm free

20:19 for his eyes on the sparrow and I know he watches me

20:31 Y'all can have a seat. I am going to invite the frontline team to come forward Would y'all pray with me? God, we thank you for fathers in general lord but we thank you lord that you are our heavenly father and God almighty You love us. You care for God, we thank you that you are concerned for us. Peter in his first book said for us to cast all of our anxiety or having cast all of our anxiety on you because you care for us.

21:09 Lord, I thank you that you do care for us as a good, good father. So, this morning, lord, as we awaken to such a beautiful day, Lord, I pray that we recognize that you are the giver of every good and perfect gift and you are the one who has blessed us so that we may be a blessing to others. Lord, those of us who know you, to those who who don't. May we demonstrate your love as the song just said, virtuous life and kindly words. Lord, would you bring us into greater and greater peace and holiness.

21:45 In Jesus name, we ask you to accept lord this offering this morning that you'd use it to further your kingdom, that you would bring many to know you. Jesus died as a ransom for many. We pray lord for for all lord that they would get a chance to hear the gospel in a way that they can understand. Give em a format lord in which they may respond. In Jesus name, lord, would you take these gifts, bless them, and multiply them, and use them to do your kingdom's work here on earth as it is in heaven.

22:23 In Jesus name, amen. So, we're at second Peter three fourteen to 18. This was the internet of the of the old world. Peter might not have ever met these people that he wrote. When he sent out his word to them, you know, God's word to them, God's word to us.

25:41 When he sent it out, they were Christians. He knew that. They were at least had begun their walk because he mentions that they were Christians in the letter and most of this letter is about not following after false teaching and so I would imagine that that's a big part of what y'all do, not just connecting people but there is plenty of misinformation out there that you're trying to keep it in the center of the good old spel way. So, second Peter three fourteen to 18. If you've been reading ahead in the text, this is it.

26:10 This is the end of second Peter and we've been studying it for several weeks now. We're gonna go forward and this is the last time he's gonna this is next to the last time he's gonna say it. So then, dear friends, agape toy. Agape toy is beloved ones. So then, dear friends, he'd said it at the beginning of this chapter too.

26:32 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you and I've written both of them. How, why? Did he write them? As reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. It's a call to holiness is what it is.

26:45 This book of second Peter, he is calling people who have received the gospel freely to remain in that freedom of the gospel, not to go into a legalistic or a licentious ditch but to remain in the center. I've written both as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. I want you to recall the words that were spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our lord and savior through your apostles. These apostles have been given to you. They're the ones who were directly in contact with Jesus, knew him, were saved, salvaged, saved by him, and sent out one who is sent out apostle.

27:27 So, he's saying we're building on the foundation of the prophets and apostles and we are still on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus being the chief cornerstone. So then, or therefore, dear friends, Agape Toy, beloved ones, since you are looking forward to this. Now, the last few weeks, we've been really heavy on the end of judgment because all of second Peter two is about judgment. There's a very positive message to Christians in the first chapter. The first chapter says, add to your faith, goodness, and add to your faith, self control, add to your faith, godliness, and perseverance.

28:07 Add those things to your faith and that's really good and then, he transitions in the chapter two and says, there will be among you false teachers. There will be. It's it's going to happen. It's happening now when he wrote the letter. Just as there were false prophets in the days of old, there are going to be false teachers and so, he goes into in the second chapter, the judgment that is looming over those who are leading people astray.

28:37 They've introduced destructive heresies into their teaching and into people's minds and it's not a good thing. Their judgment is won't delay. He starts off right here and says, so then, dear friends, beloved ones, since you're looking forward to this, what's he talking about? You're looking forward to the great mighty day of the Lord, that day of reckoning where everything will come to life and be laid bare, he said last week. Everything will come to light and you will either be in the kingdom of marvelous light or you will be found wanting in the kingdom of darkness and there are only two ways.

29:18 It is not possible to remain neutral. If you choose not to decide, you've still made a choice. And so you will either be in the kingdom of darkness or the kingdom of light. That's just the way that it is. That's way it's presented.

29:32 Jesus being the only way to transfer from darkness into light. He also though talks about our walk. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this. Now, make every effort. He's saying, strive for, make haste, or make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him, with God.

29:55 Make every effort to be found spotless. Now, he said that about them two or three times before and he said it about himself once. He said, I will make every effort to make sure you remember this good word that will stimulate you to wholesome thinking that you'll be able to remain in that. So then, dear friends, since you're looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless and blameless and at peace with him. Lord, may it be that we would be found spotless, blameless, and at peace.

30:22 Bear in mind, he says, that our Lord's patience, our Lord's patience. So, every day that he delays that great and mighty day of the Lord, it will happen when it's going to happen. He knows when it is. We don't know when it is. Every day though that he delays is is a demonstration of the patience of God.

30:42 Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation. Now, he has just said this. Last week, we covered it and the week before we touched on it. He just said that the Lord is not slow just because it hasn't happened yet and when he wrote it was probably thirty to thirty three years, thirty four years after the cross and he and he they were expecting the imminent return of Christ at that time and he said, the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise. What he has said will come to pass will come to pass.

31:12 Though it tarry, wait for it, right? The Lord is not slow in keeping his promises. Some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient and he's patient with you. He's not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

31:27 So, the options there are either perish or repent. This is the Bible speaking right here. This is what it says. There are but two paths. One is the road that leads to destruction and then the other is the narrow gate.

31:43 He wants for everyone to come to repentance. Scripture say, not everyone will accept his word. But bear in mind our Lord's patience means salvation. Salvation is a concept we hit church all the time. We hit it in the Bible all the time.

31:59 Salvation does mean miraculously removed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. It is either you are lost or you are found. Those are the only two options and that's the way church people tend to think about it and so, if I preach a message that's about salvation, you think, well, I already did that. I already made a decision for Christ long time ago. I walked the aisle at a camp when I was 11.

32:20 I'm saved. I'm good. Actually, I walked an aisle at a camp when I was 11 and I believe at that point that God saved me but he wanted to salvage a life that was bound for the heap, for the junkyard, for the crusher, okay? He wanted to salvage that life. It's not just about, okay, you're saved.

32:40 That's it. He wants to salvage everything that had ever been a part of my life, everything I had ever been through for my good and his glory. If I submit my will, he will be sanctifying me and setting me apart. So, think about salvation. If you are a believer rather than it just being about saved, that's it.

33:01 Think of it being that God has taken it under you he's taken you in but he's also taking you through the process of restoration at the Virginia. This is my favorite time of year obviously, right? Obviously around here this is my favorite time of year. Snow's melted off. It's beautiful.

33:20 I'm not a big skier so this is beautiful, great place to be. And the Virginian has car shows and I love them. And there's something about rescuing an old heap from a junkyard. My first car, I got it when I was 14. It was a '69 Nova, good Chevy, right?

33:37 But it was in terrible shape. It had been driven by all my uncles and my aunt and it had been rusting out in back of my dad's shop but I got it and I started working on it when I was 14 so that when I was 16, I had a car because I knew sixteen's coming, and that was the only way. But restoring that thing and bringing it back little by little. Now, it was mine from the day that I claimed it, but it was barely running. It was barely getting by.

34:05 Brakes were not great. Steering was not power steering. You had one too, didn't you? That was one of yours. Out here, that's ridiculous.

34:14 Overpowered in rear wheel drive. Whoo. Think about it as salvaging a life, taking something that was bound for the junkyard and beginning the process of of making it run like it was intended to run direct relationship with its creator. Anyway, bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, salvage. To those who are perishing, it's just foolishness.

34:38 Why would you spend so much on that? Because it's worth it, right? To those who are perishing, it's foolishness but to those who are in the process of being saved, those who are undergoing the salvage process. God has taken them out of this place and bringing them into a place. Of usefulness.

35:00 Goodness. To those for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but us who are being saved. It's the very power of God. Just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. Now, this is interesting for some people because they see that and they go, didn't Peter and Paul have a little row at some point?

35:22 Well, they seems like they did. Galatians, Paul says, I had to confront Peter to his face. I had to do that because he was acting different from the way Christ acted. He was just hanging out with the Jewish guys from Jerusalem because he grew up a good Jewish boy and he was going for his affinity group, right? And he was doing that and Paul was like, you can't do that.

35:42 That's not the way we act in the body of Christ. We are all equal at the foot of the cross. You can't do that, Peter and I take this verse and go, Peter took that rebuke obviously all through first Peter, all through second Peter, all of his ministry. He took the rebuke of a brother and he was like, wow, you're right. This is the way.

36:04 Wow. Just as our dear brother Paul, not only is he saying my dear brother Paul but he said, he's your brother too because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you. So, he knows that Paul had been writing letters. We've been doing a chronological study this whole time.

36:22 So, we have covered all of Paul's letters that we know were Paul's letters for certain. We've covered all of those up to this point. We still have Hebrews looming and Paul may have written Hebrews too. He does not say so explicitly but just as our dear brother Paul has also written to you with the wisdom that God gave him. With the wisdom that God gave him, I think it's interesting that Paul in almost all of his letters, he says, through the grace that God has given me, I'm writing to you.

36:52 I've been sent out by him to the Gentiles. I've been sent out through the synagogue and into all the Gentile lands too. By the grace of God, he said, a servant by the grace of God. But Peter recognizes the wisdom that God gave Paul and he says, with the wisdom that God gave him, by his grace, he's written to you too and he writes the same thing. He writes the same way in all of his letters and he's speaking in them of these very matters.

37:22 The the matters of the grace of God being available to all who will accept it by the blood of Jesus. God's grace is available. The good old gospel way. He also writes of judgement. There's bad news, implicit in the good news and he writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters, his letters contain some things that are hard to understand.

37:46 I thank God that Peter wrote that Paul letters can say some things that are hard to understand because I think that's true. I don't think that he's talking about that it's impossible to understand them. He's just saying it's hard to understand. This word actually is disnoeta. Now, meta noeo is to repent.

38:09 That is to have a change of mind. It is to turn around, have a change of mind. And disnoeto is something that is hard to understand or difficult to grasp. It's hard to mentally process. That which is intellectually difficult to capture the true sense of.

38:27 That's the lexicon. It's only used here in the whole New Testament. It's only used here in two Peter three sixteen. And that, if you're a word nerd, is a hot pox legomena. Okay?

38:39 It's the only time it's used in the New Testament. Difficult to grasp, hard to mentally process. Tell me this, is grace easy to understand? No, it's really not. That's what's so amazing about it, right?

38:53 Because as human beings, we know what? You get what you pay for. We know that want, well, most people, I would say, want to pay their way. If somebody comes in from outside of this church, I think that Christians should be learning and he'll say to grow in this grace of God but I think that we have learned something about grace and we recognize that. I I had somebody come to me for counseling a while back and after it was over, she took our checkbook and started writing a check and I was what's going on here?

39:26 And she was writing me a check because I had helped her and I thought, what the? No, this is free. This church pays me but she really, she said, I will not hear of it. I ain't paying for this and it was an insistence that we have to pay for what we get and I think that the grace of God doesn't, if it doesn't make sense and you want to have to pay for it, that's works. That is works And so there are some hard things to understand.

39:56 Now he says that they're hard to understand. And because they're hard to understand, ignorant and unstable people distort them. Whether those ignorant and unstable people are from the legalistic camp that say, oh no, no, no, no, no. It's not grace. It's grace plus works.

40:11 It's grace plus this. They're in the legalistic camp that says this is this is the only way. This is this crazy to think that grace would be. That doesn't make any sense. Don't even go for that at all.

40:22 Don't believe that nonsense. And then there's the licentious crowd over here that are saying, they're saying, yeah, man, I love grace. I don't have to

40:31 do

40:31 anything. There's nothing required of me. Well, they're missing the point on both sides of that. There's nothing required of you to be saved but if you're going to be salvaged, make every effort. Strive for this.

40:47 God will do the cleaning up. He'll do the restoration. You just need to be willing to submit your will to him in order to be sanctified as Peter has pointed out. It is possible to be unfruitful and ineffective for the kingdom. You can be saved but unfruitful and ineffective and nobody wants that.

41:05 Ignorant and unstable people distorted in either side of this and he says, just as they do the other scriptures. They use the whole of scripture to justify their own destructive heresies and you can pick and choose versus cherry pick things to that look like they prove your point. He's saying they on purpose distort the scriptures and to their own destruction. Judgement comes out again. There is judgement and it is looming over all who would mislead.

41:40 We have a duty to the truth to present it exactly as it is without touching it. There's a, I don't know why I thought of this but the Buck, Buck Ice and Coal Company in Columbus, Georgia used to have a little logo and it was a it was a guy in a parka, a little Eskimo man in a parka and it said, buck, ice and cold, never touched by human hands. We should do our best to deliver the word just as God presented it. So that it may be understood because that leads people away from destruction. So, there are two one explicit point and one implicit point I want to make in this.

42:20 Paul's letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort. In this book, mostly what he's talking about is the licentious crowd. It's not the legalistic crowd for the most part. It's the licentious crowd over here They feel like they have license to do anything and so a gospel of grace would lead to an antinomian or anti law stance. If it were not bound to the gospel of Christ.

42:46 So, Paul's letters contain some things which are hard to understand which ignorant and unstable people distort. He's saying they do it on purpose and then the implicit point is by as they do the other scriptures. So, the explicit point is people are distorting what Paul has written to justify their heresies. Did did they still do that? They do.

43:07 They do. Some things Paul said, don't do this and they do it and then they say, Paul said it was okay. No, he didn't. He said, put some fences around that. My goodness, put on a seat belt.

43:17 Crazy. Paul are just people are distorting what Paul has written to justify their heresies and then the implicit point is this, he includes Paul's writings with the other scriptures and he is looking to Paul as an authoritative voice, one who has heard from Jesus has been carried along by the Holy Spirit and exactly what Peter was thinking in his mind as to whether his own writing was going to be part of holy writ and scripture. I I don't claim to know but he did see Paul's writing as authoritative and we should too as New Testament Christians. So, therefore, dear friends, here it is again, agape toy. Beloved ones, therefore, beloved friends, since you have been forewarned and you have been, even if you just were forewarned today, you've been forewarned.

44:07 Since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you yourself may not be carried away by the error of lawless people and fall from your secure position. So, typically, in church, we've got folks who would say, I'm from a more reformed stance. I'm a Calvinist or I'm from an Armenian stance. I believe that you can forfeit your salvation and that starts a big ruckus and a fight among Christians and when you hit a verse like this and it says, see, you see it says, you can fall from your secure position. Well, the ones who are once saved always saved and I am I believe that once you have been saved, you are saved and you're not ever gonna be plucked out of the hand of God.

44:48 But this right here should give us enough pause. It's a very real warning. He's saying, make every effort to know that you're found in him. Make every effort to know that you're in a secure position with him but here is a warning that says, don't be led astray. The salvage process.

45:05 So, if you've been plucked out of the kingdom of darkness and placed in the kingdom of light, I believe that is forever but it is pretty easy during the salvaging of an old vehicle that you hit a a place where a little bit of bad advice or a little bit too much trust in a weak area. I remember in that Nova slamming on the brakes one time and I popped a hole in one of my lines, my brake lines. And so went into, you know, just trying to get that thing to stop. I had other brakes that were helping out but that one was not helping it out. There are places where your secure position, I was very secure with those brakes until when I hit them, nothing happened.

45:48 And then I started doing this. He's saying, in the process that God is working you through, don't just trust yourself. Trust his word. Trust the foundation of apostles and prophets and trust him through his spirit. Don't be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position.

46:12 Actually, when I started on that car, I cared about what it looked like and I worked on what it looked like more than I cared about how it stopped. I like for him to run fast. I was kind of old studs. I like for him to run. I built it to run.

46:27 I didn't build it to stop. You hit the brakes and they don't stop. You better go back to the shop. If you can get back to the shop. Grow in the grace and knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ.

46:40 If I had to say one verse to cover all of second Peter, it would be that one. The final exhortation here. It is an encouragement towards the good. It says, you all grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. He's given us his word, old and new testaments and he has given us the content.

47:02 He's handing it off by his spirit. He's illuminating it. As we humble our self and submit our will to his, we can grow in the knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Growing in grace.

47:15 When I accepted Christ at 11 years old, I had no idea how sinful I was. I was a little church boy, had never done anything really bad, right? That's what I thought when I went forward but then, all of a sudden, I was flooded with, this is for me. This is not just the truth. This is the truth for me.

47:32 Jesus is not just the way. He's my way and I was overwhelmed by it and the more I considered it and the more I dwelt on it, the more I was grateful for it, the more God showed me his grace that even beyond that which I knew he'd already started work. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of our lord and savior Jesus Christ and again, he says, our, our, this is Peter, the great apostle, right? And he is just a humble elder among them. He's sharing what he knows so that they won't be led astray and he says, you grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ and then ends with this final doxology, closing doxology.

48:14 To him be glory both now and forever. Amen. And I want to share this too because he's talked about that great mighty day of the Lord that's coming. He's mentioned it in first Peter the incorruptible hope that we look forward to and he's talked about the day so often in this text that I think that both now and forever needs to be translated. It is both now and unto the day of eternity.

48:45 When eternity dawns, that day of eternity is approaching and God is not slow. It'll get here. Yeah. A day is like a thousand years and thousand years is like a day. Though it tarry, wait for it but it's coming and either it's going to arrive for you like a thief in the night, unexpected and bad or it's going to arise for you like a wedding day that has been much anticipated and Christ will take his bride, the church, and will be one with him for all eternity.

49:18 So, period and amen. He ends with a so be it. In sign language, this this, Thumbs up to the palm. Amen. Now, we're going to go straight into a time of communion right here, right now.

49:35 So, if I could get the a frontline team to come forward and distribute, I'm just going to pray right now. God, would you please bless? We thank you lord that there is equal footing at the at the cross that Jesus emptied himself of his divine rights and he came to Earth and he was found in appearance as a man and he was found in human flesh lord and he walked about this Earth around thirty years or so and he did not sin. He had a perfect record which he could, lord, sacrificially give to whomever would receive it. So, in Jesus name, lord, we ask that you would bless this little cracker representation of the body of Christ, the life that he lived in this flesh.

50:23 He was tempted in every way just as we are tempted but yet he was without sin. Thank you for that perfect record. Thank you Jesus for emptying yourself. Coming and walking according to the spirit. Lord, I pray that you would bless each person who partakes of this little cracker because they believe in Christ and they want his righteousness to to be what?

50:48 You see when you see them and lord, if there's someone here who does not believe in Jesus and they have to let this pass because this same symbol is meaningless doesn't mean any for them because that's not where they place their trust. I pray lord that the kindly words and the life of virtue that you've given by your grace would through the other people in this room reach them lord. I pray that you do it. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.

52:00 Were you there when they crucified my lord were you there when they crucified my lord some Sometimes it causes me to tremble, Tremble, tremble. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

53:58 On the same night that Jesus was betrayed, he, after supper, he took bread and he gave thanks and blessed and he told his disciples that were there and they've been transmitting the word by his good gospel since. This is my body which is given for you. Take this and eat and do it as often as you will in remembrance of me. Lord Jesus, that perfect life that was so well lived an example for sure but lord, we have all like sheep gone astray. We never did.

54:40 You were obedient unto death even the death of a cross and on that cross, you shed your innocent blood for the salvation, for the saving of and the salvage of those who would believe. In Jesus name, lord, I ask a blessing on this little representation of that blood, this grape juice in a plastic cup. Lord, would you bless each one who partakes? Let them feel oneness and unity with Christ and their brothers and sisters in Christ. Would you bind us together lord in unity just like you.

55:21 Father, son, Holy Spirit, our one. Ask your blessing, lord. Amen.

55:39 Were you there when they laid Sometimes it causes me to tremble. Tremble. Tremble. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

58:02 Woah.

58:07 Sometimes I feel like shouting glory. Glory. Glory. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?

58:40 In the same way that he had taken the bread, he took the cup after supper and he explained to his disciples there that this is the new covenant. He said, this is the new covenant in my blood. Thank you Jesus for the new covenant. We have all failed at the old covenant. He said, this is the new covenant in my blood.

58:59 Take this and drink and do it as often as you will and remembers Paul says that we proclaim Christ's death until he comes again which is that great and mighty day of the Lord. Would you stand with me? Peter ended with the doxology. I think we're going to end with the doxology. Is that okay?

59:20 Would you all stand with me and sing? Praise God from whom all

59:27 blessings flow praise him all creatures here below praise him above you heavenly host praise father, son, and holy ghost

59:56 Amen and blessed are those. Psalm one nineteen. Blessed are those who walk whose ways are blameless. How can that be? Through the blood of Christ which we've just celebrated.

1:00:07 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord. Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with their whole heart and the Bible says that if you seek after him with your whole heart, he will be found of you. In Jesus name, lord, we pray that we'd be a light not just to our neighbors but to the nations. In Jesus name, amen.

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