WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.780 Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church, 00:00:07.780 --> 00:00:13.720 and it's my joy to bring God's Word to you today. A special welcome if you are new or visiting with us. 00:00:13.820 --> 00:00:18.559 We are glad that you're here, and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, 00:00:19.080 --> 00:00:21.960 but because we're following Jesus together as one community. 00:00:22.660 --> 00:00:26.740 And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good, 00:00:26.739 --> 00:00:31.399 they don't need God's grace, and no one so bad that they can't have it. 00:00:31.459 --> 00:00:35.799 And so that's why we come back week after week to look at God's Word together. 00:00:36.820 --> 00:00:40.200 I missed you all last week. I was sorry I couldn't be here. 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:48.200 I joined you on the live stream. We're just at a season right now where we have to be extremely cautious and protect one another. 00:00:48.759 --> 00:00:51.519 And so I didn't want to do anything to put any of you all at harm. 00:00:51.719 --> 00:00:56.299 And of course, I ask you to do the same if you're feeling sick or unwell to stay home. 00:00:56.740 --> 00:00:59.340 And to watch via our live stream, which you can find on our website. 00:00:59.480 --> 00:01:01.079 I did get a COVID test, no COVID. 00:01:01.740 --> 00:01:05.460 My doctor says I'm not contagious, so I'm just glad to be back with you all. 00:01:05.519 --> 00:01:06.500 I thank you for your prayers. 00:01:07.799 --> 00:01:10.560 And we continue our study in the book of 2 Peter. 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:13.359 As I've been telling you, 2 Peter is a letter, 00:01:13.359 --> 00:01:21.060 and it's a letter written by a man named Peter to a church in the 60s A.D. somewhere in the Roman Empire. 00:01:21.740 --> 00:01:25.079 And Peter writes this letter with one desire. 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:27.939 He wants these people to grow. 00:01:27.939 --> 00:01:35.079 And we know that because he tells us at the very beginning of the letter that he wants grace and peace to be multiplied to them through knowledge. 00:01:35.219 --> 00:01:39.799 And then in the very last verse, chapter 3, verse 18, he gives them a command. 00:01:39.939 --> 00:01:44.039 He says, grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:46.459 And so we see that this growth comes in two ways. 00:01:46.859 --> 00:01:49.200 It comes both in grace and in knowledge. 00:01:49.280 --> 00:01:55.180 And at the very beginning, we spent a lot of time talking about the dangers of knowledge and the necessity for growth in grace. 00:01:55.180 --> 00:01:59.260 The last time we were in this book, we turned from grace to knowledge. 00:01:59.460 --> 00:02:02.660 We've been looking at this question of why do we trust the Bible? 00:02:04.780 --> 00:02:06.400 We're coming to God's word. 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:07.440 Why do we believe it? 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:08.840 Why do we think it's reliable? 00:02:09.099 --> 00:02:12.180 And of course, as we talked about last time, this is incredibly important, right? 00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:22.460 We are making choices about our time and our money and our relationships and our commitments and our sexuality and our ethics and our religion based on what we find in this book. 00:02:22.460 --> 00:02:25.560 And so it better be true. 00:02:27.820 --> 00:02:32.680 In fact, as I mentioned last time, Paul, in his letter to the 1 Corinthians, brings this up. 00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:34.460 He says in 1 Corinthians 15, 00:02:34.740 --> 00:02:40.540 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 00:02:41.840 --> 00:02:43.640 In other words, our faith better be true. 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:49.059 And also, as I mentioned last time, we see here how God handles our doubts. 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:55.019 He doesn't say to us, just have more faith, just believe. 00:02:55.939 --> 00:02:57.699 But instead, he gives us reasons, right? 00:02:57.779 --> 00:02:58.979 God gave us minds. 00:03:00.219 --> 00:03:07.799 And so he uses real arguments, real reasons, logic to help us understand why we should believe and trust. 00:03:07.800 --> 00:03:15.240 And so it's with that continued question from last time, why is it that we believe and trust in the Bible that we're going to come now to God's word? 00:03:15.280 --> 00:03:16.400 I invite you to turn with me. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:19.460 We're in 2 Peter 1, starting at verse 19. 00:03:19.580 --> 00:03:24.400 And you can find it printed near the end of your worship guide, in your Bible, or in your phone. 00:03:24.480 --> 00:03:27.840 Regardless of where you turn, the important thing is that this is God's word. 00:03:27.840 --> 00:03:38.580 And God tells us in Isaiah chapter 40 that the grass withers and the flowers fade, but his word remains forever. 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:43.099 And so that's why we read it now, starting at verse 19. 00:03:44.319 --> 00:03:50.439 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention, 00:03:51.039 --> 00:03:53.580 as to a lamp shining in a dark place, 00:03:53.580 --> 00:03:57.940 until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 00:03:58.580 --> 00:04:00.040 knowing this, first of all, 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:05.280 that no prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 00:04:06.060 --> 00:04:08.820 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:14.120 but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 00:04:15.580 --> 00:04:18.720 I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:25.680 Our Father in heaven, we praise you and thank you again for giving us your word. 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:32.960 And we confess that we are people with short attention spans and hard hearts. 00:04:33.760 --> 00:04:36.800 And so we ask that you would send your spirit to help us. 00:04:37.140 --> 00:04:41.280 You'd help us to hear and pay attention to what you have in your word. 00:04:41.960 --> 00:04:44.100 That you'd work in our hearts to soften them. 00:04:44.100 --> 00:04:49.879 That we would respond eagerly, wanting to know and trust and obey you, 00:04:49.939 --> 00:04:53.500 because of how beautiful and gracious Jesus is. 00:04:53.780 --> 00:04:57.740 And so we ask that you would shine a light on him for us this morning. 00:04:57.800 --> 00:05:02.400 And we ask these things with joy, because we know that we haven't earned them, 00:05:02.840 --> 00:05:04.460 but we can ask them in Jesus' name. 00:05:05.340 --> 00:05:05.640 Amen. 00:05:05.640 --> 00:05:05.800 Amen. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:13.500 A few weeks ago, when we were talking about fruit, I told you the story. 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:21.820 Of how I was so excited to send in my one penny to the seed company so I could get my mystery pack of seeds. 00:05:22.200 --> 00:05:26.040 And of course, I left this dangling part of the story that many of you called me out on, 00:05:26.160 --> 00:05:29.260 which is that I never told you what the seeds actually were. 00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:35.560 And I explained the next week, the reason I didn't tell you what the seeds were is because I didn't remember. 00:05:35.660 --> 00:05:36.920 That's not what I was excited about. 00:05:37.900 --> 00:05:42.439 What I was excited about was that there was something coming for me in the mail. 00:05:42.439 --> 00:05:48.959 And so my four or five-year-old self was just eager with anticipation that there was going to be something in the mailbox. 00:05:49.439 --> 00:05:55.259 And I'm here to confess for you this morning that many years later, nothing has changed. 00:05:57.339 --> 00:06:01.120 I am still very excited about things that come to me in the mailbox. 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:06.040 However, I have way more strategies and resources at my disposal now, 00:06:06.040 --> 00:06:09.480 because now I receive these things called tracking numbers. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.680 And so when I order something online, I get an email saying, 00:06:13.840 --> 00:06:14.780 your order has shipped. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:16.080 Here's your tracking number. 00:06:16.100 --> 00:06:17.120 And of course, I click on it. 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:19.780 The first thing I see is that it has actually not shipped. 00:06:20.000 --> 00:06:22.540 It's just that they printed out a mailing label, which is really disappointing. 00:06:22.540 --> 00:06:25.660 So I have to wait and watch. 00:06:26.780 --> 00:06:28.220 And I have a strategy for this. 00:06:28.280 --> 00:06:36.600 So I keep these tracking label browser windows open on my computer so I can refresh them from time to time and see where's the package. 00:06:37.320 --> 00:06:38.280 Is it in Ohio? 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:40.600 Maybe it started in California. 00:06:41.259 --> 00:06:45.300 When it gets to Denver, the processing center, then I know that the time is approaching. 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:48.360 And things are going to be good soon. 00:06:49.460 --> 00:06:50.800 Now, it's been harder with COVID. 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:51.939 Some things have been delayed. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.759 And sometimes, recently, they've just skipped scanning it. 00:06:56.819 --> 00:06:59.720 So I'll see that something was shipped, and then suddenly it'll show up in Denver. 00:06:59.800 --> 00:07:00.780 And I know that's not where it started. 00:07:02.660 --> 00:07:06.420 And then, hopefully, right, at some point, the package arrives. 00:07:08.259 --> 00:07:12.259 And at that point, right, there is something sure. 00:07:12.379 --> 00:07:13.939 I have a sure package. 00:07:14.040 --> 00:07:16.199 There are things that could have gone wrong along the way, right? 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.740 The shipping company could have made a mistake and delivered it to the wrong house. 00:07:19.740 --> 00:07:21.199 That's happened to me before. 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:22.800 Many tears. 00:07:24.259 --> 00:07:26.860 Or they could have shipped the wrong item. 00:07:27.500 --> 00:07:28.220 So I receive it. 00:07:28.280 --> 00:07:29.019 It's not what I ordered. 00:07:29.220 --> 00:07:31.980 There's all kinds of things that I'm hoping are true. 00:07:32.160 --> 00:07:37.600 When I see the tracking number, I don't know they're true until I actually receive the package and open it up. 00:07:37.600 --> 00:07:39.680 It's not that it is a different package. 00:07:40.640 --> 00:07:43.939 It's that it's a more sure package once I've received it. 00:07:44.100 --> 00:07:46.379 I know 100%. 00:07:46.379 --> 00:07:49.660 This is what I've ordered, and it has finally arrived. 00:07:50.200 --> 00:07:53.120 That is what we see here in this passage. 00:07:53.260 --> 00:07:56.800 We are starting out with this confusing phrase telling us, verse 19, 00:07:57.379 --> 00:08:01.080 we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed. 00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:01.980 What does that mean? 00:08:01.980 --> 00:08:05.960 Well, when he's talking about the prophetic word, he's referring to Old Testament prophecy. 00:08:06.660 --> 00:08:09.319 How can a prophecy be more fully confirmed? 00:08:10.360 --> 00:08:14.540 And why is it that the people here in this city in the 60s A.D. 00:08:14.600 --> 00:08:16.860 have it confirmed when other people don't? 00:08:18.660 --> 00:08:21.240 Well, if we're talking about Old Testament prophecy, 00:08:21.759 --> 00:08:26.920 what we understand is that the prophecies for these people have finally been fulfilled. 00:08:26.920 --> 00:08:33.539 Those Israelites who lived in the Old Testament only had the tracking number. 00:08:35.080 --> 00:08:36.620 They didn't have the package. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:41.560 They knew, they were told that something was on the way. 00:08:42.060 --> 00:08:45.180 They had to trust and believe that that was true. 00:08:45.440 --> 00:08:47.379 They did not have proof yet. 00:08:48.220 --> 00:08:52.600 But for these people in this letter, they know for sure 00:08:52.600 --> 00:08:59.060 because what was a tracking number in the past is now a sure and confident package now. 00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:01.659 And it is what it was supposed to be. 00:09:01.740 --> 00:09:06.879 In other words, Jesus, who was foretold throughout the Old Testament 00:09:06.879 --> 00:09:09.940 in many ways and at many times has finally arrived. 00:09:11.800 --> 00:09:15.259 And in fact, that's what we look at often during the season of Advent. 00:09:15.379 --> 00:09:17.820 If you were here with us in 2017, 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:21.920 you know that we looked at prophecies from the book of Isaiah about Christ, 00:09:22.020 --> 00:09:24.140 things that were told in the tracking number. 00:09:24.260 --> 00:09:26.020 We were told in Isaiah chapter 53 00:09:26.020 --> 00:09:28.620 that he was going to be crushed for our iniquities. 00:09:29.780 --> 00:09:33.240 We were told that the Lord was going to lay our sins on him. 00:09:34.379 --> 00:09:35.340 Well, what happened? 00:09:35.780 --> 00:09:37.060 People in the New Testament saw. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:38.800 Wow, that actually happened. 00:09:39.660 --> 00:09:41.400 That prophecy came true. 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:43.080 Jesus actually arrived. 00:09:43.420 --> 00:09:45.020 Jesus was crushed for us. 00:09:45.019 --> 00:09:50.139 Last Advent, 2019, we looked at the book of Micah, right? 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:52.059 We saw in Micah chapter 5 00:09:52.059 --> 00:09:55.419 that this king who was coming was going to be born in Bethlehem. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:57.240 Guess what? 00:09:57.600 --> 00:09:58.679 Tracking number arrived. 00:09:58.939 --> 00:10:00.679 He was actually born in Bethlehem. 00:10:01.579 --> 00:10:03.799 This Advent, we're going to look at Zechariah, 00:10:03.860 --> 00:10:05.879 which gives us prophecies about the coming king. 00:10:06.079 --> 00:10:08.819 We're going to see, for example, in Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9, 00:10:08.879 --> 00:10:10.600 that he's going to come on a donkey. 00:10:10.759 --> 00:10:11.240 Guess what? 00:10:12.639 --> 00:10:14.579 He shows up on a donkey in the New Testament. 00:10:16.019 --> 00:10:19.399 They have a prophetic word that is more sure 00:10:19.399 --> 00:10:23.059 because they can see that God has kept his promises. 00:10:25.019 --> 00:10:28.460 And so we're looking at the same question from last time, this time, 00:10:28.519 --> 00:10:29.480 but with a different answer. 00:10:29.799 --> 00:10:31.720 Remember, when we looked at the earlier verses, 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:35.600 the answer was that we trust the Bible because of eyewitness testimony. 00:10:36.460 --> 00:10:38.860 We saw that there was eyewitnesses throughout. 00:10:39.179 --> 00:10:41.500 Peter himself has put his skin in the game. 00:10:41.500 --> 00:10:45.539 He has done what he would only do if he actually saw the things that he writes about. 00:10:46.080 --> 00:10:49.139 Here, however, the answer is not that we see eyewitness testimony. 00:10:49.340 --> 00:10:52.940 The answer is that we see the track record of prophecy. 00:10:52.940 --> 00:11:06.100 The answer is not that there are people who have seen what happened, 00:11:06.100 --> 00:11:09.680 but that we now know how much God can be trusted. 00:11:09.679 --> 00:11:13.899 Why do we need both answers? 00:11:17.519 --> 00:11:22.000 Remember last week, we talked about the fact that what Peter witnessed was the transfiguration. 00:11:22.359 --> 00:11:26.459 The reason that event was important was because it pointed forward to Jesus' second coming, 00:11:26.539 --> 00:11:30.439 when Jesus is going to return to the earth again, which has not happened yet. 00:11:30.440 --> 00:11:36.440 We need both these answers because eyewitnesses talk about what has happened in the past, 00:11:36.840 --> 00:11:40.520 but we're talking about what's going to happen in the future. 00:11:42.280 --> 00:11:46.620 And so there are no eyewitnesses yet of Jesus' second coming. 00:11:46.820 --> 00:11:50.240 How can we be sure then that it's going to happen? 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.960 Because we trust based on the record. 00:11:56.840 --> 00:11:57.080 Right? 00:11:57.160 --> 00:11:58.120 I receive a package. 00:11:58.280 --> 00:11:59.420 It is what I ordered. 00:11:59.419 --> 00:12:01.120 It arrives to the right house. 00:12:01.319 --> 00:12:02.339 I can say, good. 00:12:02.500 --> 00:12:03.779 I trust UPS. 00:12:03.879 --> 00:12:04.519 They know what they're doing. 00:12:05.379 --> 00:12:05.819 Good. 00:12:05.899 --> 00:12:07.439 I trust this merchant. 00:12:07.779 --> 00:12:09.519 They know what they're doing. 00:12:10.379 --> 00:12:13.620 Prophecy was correct about Jesus' first coming. 00:12:14.319 --> 00:12:16.839 It will be correct about his second coming. 00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:21.120 Prophecy was correct about Jesus' first coming. 00:12:21.519 --> 00:12:24.939 It will be correct about his second coming. 00:12:26.539 --> 00:12:27.919 And remember, we have false teachers. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:29.019 We're going to meet them next week. 00:12:29.019 --> 00:12:32.539 One of the things the false teachers are saying is that Jesus isn't coming back. 00:12:32.539 --> 00:12:39.159 And so Peter here is reminding them why they have confidence in Jesus' return. 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:43.740 He then goes on to explain to us why this prophecy happened. 00:12:43.819 --> 00:12:46.559 We talked about this earlier in our confession of faith. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:51.319 Because God is in control of the world, of course he's able to tell us what's going to come. 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:54.179 And we find a little bit about how that happens in verse 20. 00:12:54.179 --> 00:13:00.139 We should know, first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 00:13:01.359 --> 00:13:04.719 Now, I was intending to preach this right before the election. 00:13:05.219 --> 00:13:07.239 However, it's still true the Sunday after. 00:13:07.739 --> 00:13:11.019 There are many people, some of them are called pollsters, 00:13:11.019 --> 00:13:15.539 who provided their own interpretation of what was going to happen on Tuesday. 00:13:15.539 --> 00:13:21.840 There are many people with opinions about who is going to win what state. 00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:26.879 And they were speaking out of their own intelligence, their own minds. 00:13:26.940 --> 00:13:30.320 It was their own interpretation of what was supposed to happen. 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:34.920 And in many ways, many of those things didn't happen, right? 00:13:37.040 --> 00:13:38.500 Those are just men speaking. 00:13:38.500 --> 00:13:44.440 What Peter is telling us here is that when these prophets prophesied, 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.639 they were not providing their personal opinions. 00:13:49.659 --> 00:13:52.000 That's what he means by their own interpretation here. 00:13:52.679 --> 00:13:57.159 They are not giving their hot takes on what they think might happen in the future. 00:13:57.860 --> 00:14:01.500 They are not speaking out of something they studied and tried to figure out. 00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:07.299 They are not looking at mathematical tables trying to understand who is going to go which way. 00:14:07.299 --> 00:14:11.479 Instead, they have a very different source for their information. 00:14:11.699 --> 00:14:15.539 And so that's why they were able to accurately predict what was to come. 00:14:16.740 --> 00:14:20.279 Verse 20, okay, it doesn't come from someone's own interpretation. 00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:23.399 Where does it come from then? 00:14:23.979 --> 00:14:25.479 Well, we're told in verse 21, 00:14:26.459 --> 00:14:28.039 it's not produced by the will of man. 00:14:28.139 --> 00:14:29.779 Again, not someone's own interpretation. 00:14:30.459 --> 00:14:34.519 But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 00:14:34.620 --> 00:14:35.879 Now, this is a confusing phrase. 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:41.960 But what he is telling us is that these men are speaking authoritatively about what is to come, 00:14:42.100 --> 00:14:46.259 not based on what they know, but what God's Holy Spirit has revealed to them. 00:14:47.019 --> 00:14:52.460 His Spirit was at work in them in such a way that they were able to know what the future held. 00:14:54.039 --> 00:14:57.259 Now, this raises all sorts of questions about how this is called, 00:14:57.480 --> 00:14:59.840 by the way, in Christian theology, we talk about inspiration, 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:05.300 which is the discussion of how the Holy Spirit works in men to allow them to write what's true, 00:15:05.620 --> 00:15:07.840 what's going to come in the future. 00:15:08.560 --> 00:15:12.620 We cannot say more than the Bible tells us, and we're actually told a lot here. 00:15:13.060 --> 00:15:15.460 We're told they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 00:15:16.620 --> 00:15:21.519 Now, many people have pointed out this carried along word is also used in other parts of the Bible 00:15:21.519 --> 00:15:24.539 to talk about a ship being carried along by a wind. 00:15:26.439 --> 00:15:32.659 And so there's this sense in which God's Spirit used these people and was at work in them 00:15:32.659 --> 00:15:34.639 so that what they wrote was true. 00:15:36.840 --> 00:15:39.600 Now, this leads into all sorts of discussions about how this works. 00:15:39.699 --> 00:15:41.559 Did God dictate it to them? 00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:44.240 Did he tell them the exact words? 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:50.060 And, of course, we know as we look at the Bible that there's all sorts of differences between different letters, right? 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:52.560 There's different personalities that come through. 00:15:52.919 --> 00:15:55.279 There's different backgrounds, different levels of education. 00:15:55.500 --> 00:15:56.940 Luke writes in a different way. 00:15:57.019 --> 00:16:02.700 He writes more like a historian because he's much more educated than other people who write other portions of the Scriptures. 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:07.320 The book of Hebrews, whoever wrote that, really liked to write difficult Greek. 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:08.659 Don't ask me why. 00:16:10.500 --> 00:16:12.299 And I want you to think about it like this. 00:16:12.299 --> 00:16:15.459 Last Sunday, I did not preach, right? 00:16:15.719 --> 00:16:16.859 Davis Morgan preached. 00:16:17.979 --> 00:16:19.759 I preach in very different ways. 00:16:21.259 --> 00:16:22.639 We have different personalities. 00:16:23.639 --> 00:16:25.919 He started out by telling a story about his father. 00:16:26.019 --> 00:16:28.620 I'm never going to tell that story because his father is not my father. 00:16:30.679 --> 00:16:32.500 Davis Morgan has spent a lot of time in Texas. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:34.159 I've spent a little bit of time in Texas. 00:16:35.439 --> 00:16:38.079 We're going to outline and organize things differently. 00:16:38.080 --> 00:16:44.480 And Davis Morgan and I are going to preach and do preach the same gospel. 00:16:46.220 --> 00:16:47.840 We're part of the same denomination. 00:16:48.040 --> 00:16:51.320 We believe the same things, but we have different personalities. 00:16:51.320 --> 00:16:57.400 And we teach the same things because we base it on the same Bible and we base it on the same confession of faith. 00:16:58.020 --> 00:17:00.500 The same is true for the authors of Scripture. 00:17:00.680 --> 00:17:01.740 They have different personalities. 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:03.540 They have different backgrounds. 00:17:03.920 --> 00:17:10.740 They preach the same truth, not based on what Davis Morgan and I do, but based on something even more sure. 00:17:10.840 --> 00:17:13.299 They're basing it on the Holy Spirit inspiring them. 00:17:13.299 --> 00:17:21.220 And so while Davis Morgan and I can both make mistakes and err in our interpretation of Scripture, these writers do not. 00:17:22.980 --> 00:17:30.339 And so it's one spirit working through multiple men, carrying them, you can think of it like a wind, to say what is true. 00:17:31.259 --> 00:17:33.059 And so that's what he's telling us here. 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:35.879 In essence, these are not men speaking their opinions. 00:17:36.399 --> 00:17:37.899 These are men speaking from God. 00:17:37.899 --> 00:17:42.539 And so this is an explanation here of why these people are able to tell what's true. 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:46.700 Now that's not the ultimate point of this passage, right? 00:17:46.700 --> 00:17:48.740 We're going to miss the point if that's what we focus on. 00:17:48.799 --> 00:17:52.759 The point is that God can be trusted when he speaks about the future. 00:17:55.200 --> 00:18:00.919 Even though there are false teachers here that are telling them that God is not returning. 00:18:01.019 --> 00:18:04.119 They're telling them things that are not true about what is to come. 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:11.079 And so we actually get to the main point here when we come to verse 19. 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:15.279 Okay, we've talked about this word more fully confirmed. 00:18:15.679 --> 00:18:18.179 We have all this information about why we should trust it. 00:18:18.259 --> 00:18:19.980 But here's the application, the takeaway. 00:18:19.980 --> 00:18:36.539 And what Peter is doing here is he's comparing the present and the future. 00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:48.420 In the present right now, November 8, 2020, and in the 60s AD in the Roman Empire, we live in a dark world. 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:56.560 In that dark world, we have a lamp providing us with a little bit of light. 00:18:57.940 --> 00:18:59.700 That lamp is the scriptures. 00:19:00.380 --> 00:19:03.360 That lamp is the Bible, God's word, right? 00:19:03.400 --> 00:19:07.840 There's a reason that I hold this with me when I preach because this is our hope, not me. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:16.599 But there will come a time in the future where we will not need a lamp anymore. 00:19:18.019 --> 00:19:23.480 Instead, there's going to be a dawning of the day and a morning star rising. 00:19:23.619 --> 00:19:31.480 And what we have to understand here is that when the Bible uses the word day like this, the day, it is talking about Jesus' return. 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:39.360 In the Old Testament, it was referred to as the day of the Lord, which people would understand was when God would come and make all things right, when he'd bring judgment. 00:19:40.059 --> 00:19:43.019 In the New Testament, we understand that it's the day of Jesus Christ. 00:19:44.160 --> 00:19:50.079 And so we're looking forward to this day when we don't just have the lamp of scripture, but we have Jesus himself. 00:19:51.559 --> 00:19:58.839 Not only are we going to have the dawning of the day, we're also going to have the morning star rise in our hearts. 00:19:58.839 --> 00:20:03.939 We understand from other portions of scripture that this star is also a reference to Jesus. 00:20:04.179 --> 00:20:10.319 In the book of Numbers, chapter 24, there's a prophecy about a star that's to come. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:15.439 And then even more explicitly, in the last book of the Bible, in the book of Revelation, 00:20:16.220 --> 00:20:21.220 Jesus speaks in the first person, in chapter 22, verse 16, and he says, 00:20:22.579 --> 00:20:24.599 I am the bright morning star. 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:30.819 In other words, we don't have Jesus now, but we have his word. 00:20:32.139 --> 00:20:34.899 One day, we will have the full son. 00:20:35.099 --> 00:20:38.419 We will have Jesus himself with us. 00:20:41.240 --> 00:20:43.379 One commentator explains it this way. 00:20:43.480 --> 00:20:48.119 We need to think about what Peter is saying as if we are someone separate. 00:20:48.119 --> 00:20:51.599 Yeah? Oh, hey. 00:20:54.179 --> 00:20:55.019 That's a lot easier. 00:20:56.979 --> 00:20:58.000 Hold on, right? 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:01.739 Hold on to the letters so you remember what's true. 00:21:01.899 --> 00:21:06.000 Hold on to the letters so that you remain faithful to the one who's not there. 00:21:06.419 --> 00:21:12.219 Hold on to the letters when other people are trying to tempt you to give up and seek after other lovers. 00:21:12.220 --> 00:21:13.220 Hold on to the letters. 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:14.220 Hold on to the letters. 00:21:14.220 --> 00:21:16.759 And one day, you won't need the letters anymore. 00:21:18.759 --> 00:21:22.819 One day, we will actually have Jesus with us. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:26.940 We won't need the letters he's written us anymore. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.019 And until then, verse 19, pay attention. 00:21:34.019 --> 00:21:38.420 Pay attention to what we have. 00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:40.460 Pay attention to the light, right? 00:21:40.519 --> 00:21:48.960 You will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place until Jesus returns. 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:55.539 And so that is the application for us as well. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:57.500 We have these love letters, right? 00:21:57.700 --> 00:21:59.000 We're remembering what's true. 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:00.980 We're remembering that Jesus is coming back. 00:22:00.980 --> 00:22:04.259 There is growth in knowledge and growth in grace as we've talked about. 00:22:04.360 --> 00:22:08.779 This growth in knowledge sticking close to the letters allows us to grow in our grace as well 00:22:08.779 --> 00:22:13.160 because these false teachers are telling them that the second coming is not going to happen. 00:22:14.279 --> 00:22:16.579 And so we pay attention in two ways. 00:22:16.680 --> 00:22:22.140 We pay attention as a source of hope and we pay attention as a point of warning. 00:22:22.259 --> 00:22:24.960 First, as a point of hope, we know that Jesus is coming back. 00:22:27.319 --> 00:22:29.960 And we remind ourselves over and over again, 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:34.340 it may not change our circumstances now, but it does change our perspective. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:38.819 Our hope about the future affects how we live now. 00:22:39.160 --> 00:22:45.200 Remember earlier in the letter, we looked in verses 5 through 7 about the fruit that God wants his people to bear in their lives. 00:22:46.120 --> 00:22:47.940 The holiness that they're meant to pursue. 00:22:48.259 --> 00:22:51.180 We pursue that holiness because Jesus is coming back. 00:22:51.940 --> 00:22:54.860 And that's the hope that we're hauled out in verse 11, right? 00:22:54.859 --> 00:22:55.259 He says, 00:22:55.259 --> 00:23:02.919 In this way, there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 00:23:03.959 --> 00:23:06.119 Jesus has kept his promise, right? 00:23:06.159 --> 00:23:07.599 The package has been delivered. 00:23:08.019 --> 00:23:09.039 He can be trusted. 00:23:09.399 --> 00:23:12.740 The reason he can be trusted is because he has already visited the earth. 00:23:12.839 --> 00:23:16.819 He has already done the hard part of dying for our sins. 00:23:16.819 --> 00:23:23.099 He has already proved that he will do what he says. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:27.200 And so we hold out hope. 00:23:28.480 --> 00:23:32.720 We don't listen when others tell us that he's not coming back. 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:36.019 The package has arrived. 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.000 The merchant is trustworthy. 00:23:42.440 --> 00:23:45.079 Jesus shows that God keeps his promise. 00:23:45.240 --> 00:23:46.240 He is coming again. 00:23:46.900 --> 00:23:47.519 Live accordingly. 00:23:48.900 --> 00:23:49.920 Live with hope. 00:23:51.019 --> 00:23:52.240 And live with holiness. 00:23:55.200 --> 00:23:57.380 It's not just here, though, as an encouragement. 00:23:57.579 --> 00:24:00.259 It's also here as a warning. 00:24:00.259 --> 00:24:04.579 Remember, the false teachers are attacking the idea that Jesus is coming again. 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:10.220 And part of the reason they're attacking this knowledge is because they're also attacking their growth in grace. 00:24:10.319 --> 00:24:14.720 They're teaching them to do all sorts of sinful things, saying it doesn't matter. 00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:17.819 Jesus isn't coming back. 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:21.180 You're not going to have to answer for any of this. 00:24:22.299 --> 00:24:24.559 If he was coming back, why haven't we seen him yet? 00:24:24.559 --> 00:24:29.220 We're going to talk about that more in chapter 3. 00:24:30.919 --> 00:24:32.579 And so this is here as a point of warning. 00:24:34.319 --> 00:24:37.399 Jesus may not have come back yet, but he will. 00:24:39.779 --> 00:24:43.579 And so don't be lulled into a false sense of security. 00:24:43.579 --> 00:24:49.319 Jesus provides hope and encouragement when he returns for those who have faith in him. 00:24:50.259 --> 00:24:54.839 And he provides judgment and destruction for those who do not. 00:24:56.279 --> 00:25:03.559 The day of the Lord in the Old Testament and in the New Testament is known as the day when Jesus will make all things right. 00:25:03.639 --> 00:25:09.639 Which means that for those who have faith in him, those who he has died for, who have repented of their sins, 00:25:09.640 --> 00:25:12.880 and followed after him, he will rescue them and forgive them. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:18.340 For those who have not, he will bring full and final judgment. 00:25:18.500 --> 00:25:22.420 They will answer for everything they have done and every word they have spoken. 00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:30.680 And so there's a warning to those people, to you, if you have not trusted Jesus Christ to forgive your sins, 00:25:30.680 --> 00:25:35.540 if you have not repented and turned to a new life, do not be deceived. 00:25:35.720 --> 00:25:37.860 Jesus came once, he will come again. 00:25:39.640 --> 00:25:47.820 And so while there's hope for the believer, there is a call to repentance and faith for those who do not believe in Jesus. 00:25:48.680 --> 00:25:51.200 Because he is coming to judge. 00:25:53.680 --> 00:25:58.759 But he also provides hope because his first coming was a coming to die. 00:25:58.759 --> 00:26:07.599 In his first coming, even though he lived a perfect life, the life that we should have lived, 00:26:08.599 --> 00:26:12.460 he died a horrible death, the death that we should have died. 00:26:14.140 --> 00:26:23.700 And he offers to give the merits of that perfect life and the payment of that destruction to anyone who repents of their sins and turns in faith to him, 00:26:23.700 --> 00:26:26.480 believing that what Jesus tells us is true. 00:26:29.039 --> 00:26:31.660 And so there's a challenge here for us to repent. 00:26:31.759 --> 00:26:35.279 If that's true of you, that call is now. 00:26:35.279 --> 00:26:44.700 You're welcome to talk to me or many of those around you in this church about what it looks like to have hope in Jesus' second coming. 00:26:45.319 --> 00:26:48.240 The time when he will come and make everything right. 00:26:48.339 --> 00:26:51.879 He will do what we want politicians to do, but they can't. 00:26:52.539 --> 00:26:53.700 To fix this world. 00:26:53.700 --> 00:27:02.840 And so that is what Peter is holding out to these people here. 00:27:03.180 --> 00:27:06.200 Jesus is coming back in judgment and restoration. 00:27:07.660 --> 00:27:09.500 Which side will you fall on? 00:27:11.100 --> 00:27:12.700 Will you be restored by him? 00:27:13.900 --> 00:27:15.400 Or will you be judged by him? 00:27:15.400 --> 00:27:28.800 I mentioned earlier during our confession of faith the idea of the sun and why we have faith that it rises every day. 00:27:30.840 --> 00:27:35.240 It's a certain leap of faith to assume that the world is orderly, right? 00:27:35.300 --> 00:27:38.280 The scientific method relies on faith. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:42.300 It relies on belief that the world is going to continue as it has in the past. 00:27:43.380 --> 00:27:44.640 Now, you can't prove that, right? 00:27:45.400 --> 00:27:48.280 You can't use the scientific method to prove itself. 00:27:49.620 --> 00:27:52.160 And so that actually rests on something deeper. 00:27:52.360 --> 00:27:57.960 It rests on a trust and confidence that God is faithful and he's in control. 00:27:59.100 --> 00:28:03.340 That God is orderly and he's going to do what he said he would do. 00:28:04.700 --> 00:28:11.040 And so just as we wait for the sun to rise knowing that God was faithful in doing it the day before, 00:28:11.039 --> 00:28:17.299 the same is true when it comes to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:22.399 Why is it that we trust the Bible? 00:28:22.519 --> 00:28:24.419 Why is it that we believe he will come again? 00:28:26.139 --> 00:28:28.799 Because he said he would and he did it the first time. 00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:33.000 He says he will and he will do it the second. 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:37.900 And so we hope and trust and believe in him. 00:28:38.579 --> 00:28:39.579 Please pray with me. 00:28:42.380 --> 00:28:47.500 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you are trustworthy and you keep your word. 00:28:47.500 --> 00:28:54.980 We thank you that you have done that for us in Christ and you will do it in the future when he comes again. 00:28:55.059 --> 00:29:02.420 We ask that we would pay attention, that we would not take our eyes off of him because we know that your eyes are on us. 00:29:02.420 --> 00:29:07.440 We ask that you would do this by your spirit at work in our lives, 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:13.880 that we would grow in faith and trust and confidence in you and your word, holding on until the end. 00:29:14.539 --> 00:29:17.140 We ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. 00:29:17.600 --> 00:29:17.900 Amen.