We'll begin our worship now, and we're singing first today in Psalm 9. Psalm 9a, you'll find that on page 9.
And we'll sing in verses 7 to 12.
And on to verse 12 in Psalm 9.
And the Lord forever reigns on high.
He'll judge the world in righteousness, with justice through the light.
The Lord will be a hiding place for those who are poor.
And He will be that strong defense for those who are dispensed.
All those who know your name, O Lord, in you their trust will place.
For you do not abandon those who seek your gracious face.
Sing praises to the Lord who sits inside on His throne.
Among the nations of the world proclaim what He has done.
For Him, the avenger of the man's blood,
Redeemer's evermore.
The king of the afflicted one, He never will ignore.
Lord, our God, we give thanks once again that we gather together around Your Word in this place of worship.
And we give thanks that Your Word guides us as we come to worship Your holy name.
We thank You that You have given us words to sing as well as a record in other ways of Your redemption.
And we thank You today that we can have so many young folks as part of our congregations.
And we bless You, O Lord, for them today.
And pray Your blessing to be with them.
And bless the efforts that are made to teach them in the ways of God at home or here in church services and Sunday school.
Lord, we thank You for all the activities they are engaged in as well.
And pray that they may become more and more established in Your ways.
Established especially in a way that would follow You and love You and serve You even while they are young.
And grant that, Lord, You would protect and care them as they go about from day to day in their various ways in the world.
At home or in school or college or university.
We ask Your blessing, O Lord, to be with them at all times.
Now bless us as we come together.
And bless us as we seek our thoughts to be led into the avenues of Your truth.
Hear us, we pray, and cleanse us from sin for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Okay, children, a word to yourselves at this time.
Are there any paramedics in today?
No paramedics in today?
No?
Okay, well, everybody knows what paramedics do, I'm sure.
Paramedics are usually found in ambulance.
It's not always on an ambulance.
But paramedics are trained health workers called,
medics called to minister to those who have special needs,
especially in accidents or in illness or whatever different kinds of ailments people may have.
Paramedics are those who are trained to actually come alongside and help out.
And they have a lot of things to do.
They have to be well trained and go through a certain course or courses to become paramedics.
They have to assess people if they're injured in an accident or have fallen ill,
try and establish what's wrong with them,
and then administer some medication usually,
get them stabilized sometimes in order to go from there to hospital.
So they have a lot of skills and a lot of things to learn and a lot to contribute to us as a community.
So we give thanks to God for our paramedics and all the other medical staff along with them.
But paramedics, the little part of the word para,
comes from a Greek word which means to come alongside or be alongside.
And you'll find it actually used in the Bible.
The New Testament was written in Greek, first of all,
and then all the translations that we have came from that,
including our English translation.
And that word para is used in the New Testament Greek,
and it means, as we said, to be alongside or come alongside someone.
And it's used of the likes of the Holy Spirit.
The word in Greek is parakletos, which means someone called to help.
Someone called alongside someone else to help.
That's why it's translated in the ESV, it's translated helper.
In the authorized version, it's translated comforter.
And both things come together because the Holy Spirit comes alongside of us
in order to help us by his power, in order to comfort us as well.
But Jesus is also someone who is called our advocate or somebody alongside us
who's come into the world to help us.
Now, just like a paramedic comes alongside somebody who has been in an accident
or fallen ill and is able, hopefully, to treat them properly,
God remembered us in our sinfulness and in our lostness.
And he sent his son Jesus into the world, not from a distance,
not to minister to us from a distance.
Jesus has come right alongside us, so much so that he's become one of us.
The Son of God took human nature.
He became a man.
He became human.
And that means that he came alongside of us in our need as sinners
more than anyone else could.
So much so that he now understands us as human beings as well as God.
So Jesus is the greatest paramedic, the greatest healer,
the greatest comforter, the greatest helper.
And for you children, Jesus as a paramedic, as a parahelper,
is someone who is so important to get to know.
I'm going to be thinking today about something to do with growing in grace and in knowledge of Jesus as our Lord.
There was an intimation there about a defibrillator and asking that people would volunteer,
if they're not already trained, to work defibrillators to actually come to be able to help in that way.
Well, anybody using a defibrillator, a machine to restart the heart or help somebody who's had a heart attack,
that's obviously somebody coming alongside that person,
usually kneeling down to them if necessary and applying the defibrillator.
And Jesus has come alongside us.
There's no more wonderful truth than that today,
that the Son of God has become our great paramedic
and has come into the world and has come into our human nature
and all because he loved human beings like you and I,
loved them so much as to give his own life to save us from our sins.
Well, may God bless these thoughts.
We're going to say the Lord's Prayer now at this point.
Amen.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
We'll sing once again to God's praise now in Psalm 43, page 264, Psalm 43.
And we're singing verses 3 to 5.
This is a song the psalmist has given us, a psalm in which he cries out to God.
And he's crying out from some difficulties,
asking God to send out his light and his truth to be his guides.
And so that his soul, which is cast down when he wrote these words,
that will be lifted up and that will come once again to rejoice in his relationship with God.
Oh, send thy light forth and thy truth.
Let them be guides to me and bring me to thine holy hill,
even where thy dwellings be.
Psalm 43, verses 3 to 5.
Amen.
O send thy light forth and thy truth.
Let them be guides to me and bring me to thine holy hill,
in where thy dwelling see.
Then will I to all souls are home,
to all my deepest joy.
Take all my goals,
my name to face,
my heart I will employ.
Why art thou then cast down my soul?
What should discourage thee?
And why with vexing thoughts are come,
disquieted in thee?
Still trust in God for him to face,
good cause I yet shall have.
He of my land and Israel,
my God that doth be saved.
Now let's turn to read God's word in 2 Peter,
the second letter of Peter,
and chapter 3.
So that's 2 Peter and chapter 3.
We'll read from the beginning through to the end.
This is now the second letter that I'm writing to you, beloved.
In both of them,
I'm stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder
that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets
and the commandments of the Lord and Savior through your apostles.
Knowing this, first of all,
that scoffers will come in the last days
with scoffing following their own sinful desires.
They will say,
where is the promise of his coming?
For ever since the fathers fell asleep,
all things are continuing as they were
from the beginning of creation.
For they deliberately overlook this fact
that the heavens existed long ago
and the earth was formed out of water
and through water by the word of God,
and that by means of these,
the world that then existed
was deluged with water and perished.
But by the same word,
the heavens and earth that now exist
are stored up for fire,
being kept until the day of judgment
and destruction of the ungodly.
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved,
that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years
and a thousand years as one day.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise
as some count slowness,
but is patient towards you,
not wishing that any should perish,
but that all should reach repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,
and then the heavens will pass away with a roar,
and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved,
and the earth and the works that are done on it
will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved,
what sort of people ought you to be
in lives of holiness and godliness,
waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God,
because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved,
and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn.
But according to his promise,
we are waiting for new heavens
and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these,
be diligent to be found by him
without spot or blemish and at peace,
and count the patience of our Lord as salvation,
just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you,
according to the wisdom given him,
as he does in all his letters
when he speaks in them of these matters.
There are some things in them that are hard to understand,
which the ignorant and unstable twist
to their own destruction,
as they do the other scriptures.
You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand,
take care that you are not carried away
with the error of lawless people,
and lose your own stability,
but grow in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
To him be the glory both now
and to the day of eternity.
Amen.
And may the Lord follow with his blessing
our reading of that portion of his word.
Let's engage again in prayer
and call upon his name.
Amen.
Our gracious and eternal God,
we thank you that your word guides our thoughts
as we come to worship you.
It brings us to things that have been,
things that are, and things that will be.
You have described for us
your great works of redemption
in the ages past.
And you have especially brought us to know
that your word has been fulfilled
in the predictions of the prophets of old
in regard to the coming of the Saviour.
Lord, we thank you that we can look back
with gratitude
at that word which is now complete
in its written form,
and that we can see in it
that which will guide our minds
for all our lives
and give us a true picture
of the reality of spiritual matters
and a true picture of ourselves,
of the world in which we live,
of the creation that we are part of,
and of the future destiny of human beings.
We thank you today, O Lord,
that you have reminded us,
even as we hear in Peter's epistle
that he was reminding us readers
of certain truths.
You are reminding us also through them, Lord,
of these great truths
that we need to come and receive
and appreciate and believe
and receive into our hearts.
We bless you, Lord,
for the description you have given us
of the coming days
in the end of the world
when you will bring about
that final order
of the new heavens and the new earth
in which righteousness dwells.
We give thanks, Lord,
that as your people anticipate this,
so they realize that you
will bring it about
by your own power
and in your time,
for you are not subject
to our ways of thinking.
And we thank you
that you deliver us, O Lord,
from falling into the error
of those who would dismiss
those things all too readily
and even ridicule them
as being of no substance.
We give thanks, O Lord,
today that your word guides us
into holiness of life
and gives us to realize
that we need to live that life
that is pleasing to you.
You have given us
such a sure foundation
on which we can build.
And we thank you, O Lord,
that having come to know
of our acceptance with you
through the Lord Jesus Christ,
so you give your people
your Holy Spirit,
that they be directed
and helped and empowered
in the ways of holiness of life
and in the way of dealing
with the sin
that they know is part of them still.
And we thank you
that you have overcome
sin and death
through all that you have done already
through the cross
and through your resurrection.
And we give thanks
that in your ascension
to glory
so you established, O Lord,
that certain and sure
and total victory
over the powers of darkness.
And we give thanks
that your promise is
that your people
will also prevail
and overcome
and that you will set them
with you
in your presence
on the throne on high,
that they will be
before your throne
and they will forever
magnify your holy name
as they praise you
for all eternity.
Lord, our God,
we ask that you would today
make it of great concern
to be one of those
and to be assured
that as we belong
to your people,
so we are kept
in the wonderful custody
and security
of Christ himself
and the perfection
of all that he has done
and all that you continue
to do in and for your people.
We pray your blessing today
upon all the gatherings
of your church
throughout the world.
We thank you
for the privilege
of belonging to your church
in this world.
And Lord,
we ask that you would
bless our privileges to us
and make us thankful
that you have placed us
so favorably
under the gospel
and surrounded
by fellow believers
so that we may come
to help one another
in the things of God
and the things
of holiness of life.
And we pray,
gracious Lord,
as we today gather
in your presence
and gather to worship you,
that your Holy Spirit
will direct our thoughts
and our minds.
Open up our minds again,
we pray,
and help us to be willing
to receive what you set
before us in your word
and help us to be thankful
for the proclamation
of your word
in the preaching
of the gospel.
We pray today
that wherever that takes place,
that many will come
to benefit from it,
that those who are unsaved
will come to be born again
and come to know you
as their Savior,
their Lord,
their Redeemer.
We pray your blessing
to the encouragement
and the confidence
of your people.
Help us, Lord,
to be confident
day by day
in your own word
of truth.
Enable us,
whatever we face
in terms of opposition
and in terms of suggestions
that your word
is no longer relevant,
Lord,
movements that seek
to undermine
and overthrow your word,
Lord,
we pray for that confidence
that we find the likes
of the apostles themselves
exclaiming and teaching
those they wrote to.
And we pray,
O Lord,
that we too
might have that same confidence
in the gospel
as the apostle Paul
when he said
that he was not ashamed
of the gospel of Christ,
knowing that it is
the power of God
unto salvation
to everyone who believes.
And so we pray
for that belief,
for that faith
to be strengthened
in us today.
We pray that it would help us
to face the world
and all its opposition
and face the uncertainties
of the future
as we see forward,
although we thank you
that it is all known to you.
And we pray today, Lord,
for those who have
various adversities in life.
We think again
of those who are ill,
those who have been laid aside
in hospital,
in care homes,
or in hospices.
We pray for all belonging
to ourselves, Lord,
that you would bless them
and bless all others too.
We pray for your blessing
upon all those who today mourn
and miss loved ones.
We know that every week
that goes by, Lord,
we hear in our community
of those who have lost loved ones.
And many of us here
can reflect upon loved ones
now gone from the scene of time.
Grant us your comfort,
we pray the consolation
of your spirit,
the guidance of your truth
in these times of adversity.
Bless the world
in which we live
so full of terror
and war
and disease
and poverty.
Lord, we ask
that in your mercy
you would send forth
the power of your truth
in your kingdom
that it may advance
in the world,
that your kingdom may come,
that your will be done
on earth
as it is in heaven.
Lord, where there is war
today we pray
that you would
bring about peace,
a lasting peace,
a peace
that will indeed
not be merely man-made
but a peace made
through the direction
of God himself.
We pray your blessing
upon the nations
of the earth.
We pray especially
for those today
beset with poverty
who cannot look
to the provisions
that other nations have
and to look
from week to week
and month to month
and year to year
to others
to help them
during their distress.
Bless them, we pray,
in all who seek
to help them.
Bless all those
in our own nation
who face poverty
and deprivation
for whatever reason,
O Lord,
we know
that they are always
with us
and we ask
that every effort
made to alleviate
their distress
might be blessed
by yourself.
And bless, we pray,
to our own nation
and its leadership.
We commend to you,
Lord,
the cabinet
of prime minister
and all who are
with him in cabinet
and all those
who rule in Edinburgh
as well.
Bless them, we pray.
Bless them with wisdom.
Hear the prayers
of your people
for them.
For you have called us
to pray for those
in authority.
We do pray for them
that they be guided
by your truth,
that they be delivered
from mere human wisdom
and be turned
into the wisdom
of God.
We ask your blessing
for the United States
as they come once again
to have a president
set over them.
We pray for Donald Trump
as he once again
takes up the reins
of office.
And Lord, we ask
that he may know
your guidance,
that you would be
with that great nation
in these uncertain times,
that your Holy Spirit,
Lord, would direct
the government there
and all those
who seek to do good.
And we ask that
that may be of benefit
to the whole world.
We pray again
for those who are
caught up in conflict
in the Middle East
and in Ukraine
and ask that you
would bring about
a true and lasting peace
and that you would
come, Lord,
to deal with the aggressor
wherever that is
that seeks to destroy
the peace
that others enjoy.
Receive our thanks,
Lord, we pray now.
Go before us
and pardon us
our many sins
for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
We'll sing once again
before we turn
to the Word of God
this time,
Psalm 31.
Psalm number 31.
That's in the
Scottish Psalter,
page 243.
And sing from verse 19
through to the end
of the psalm.
How great's the goodness
thou for them
that fear thee
keepst in store
and wroughtst for them
that trust in thee
the sons of men before.
In secret of thy presence
thou shalt hide them
from man's pride,
from strife of tongues.
Thou closely shalt,
as in a tent
them hide.
19 to 24.
To God's praise.
verse 19.
How great's the goodness
that for them
that nearly keeps it store
and brought for them
that trust in thee
the sons of men before.
in secret of thy presence
shall hide them from man's pride,
from strife of tongues.
shall hide them from man's pride,
from strife of tongues.
How grossly shall
as in a tent
them hide.
O praise and dance
speak to the Lord,
for he hath magnified
his wondrous love
to be within
a city fortified.
for from thine eyes
God of all I am
I am my
my name
my voice
yet hurts
thou went
to thee
with Christ
my womb
I live.
O love
the Lord
all ye
his saints
because
the Lord
doth guard
the faithful
and
he
quenched us
lead
thy
doers
the reward
be
of
good
God
and
his
strength
unto
your heart
shall
send
all
ye
whose
hope
and
confidence
that
of
the
Lord
he
ends
well if you would
please turn with me now to
passage read in 2nd Peter chapter 3
today we're going to look at verses 17 to the end of the chapter especially
you
you therefore beloved knowing this beforehand take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity amen
while scoffing at or ridiculing the truth as we know of Christ's return Christ coming back to the world Christ coming to sit on the throne of judgment all the various ways in which the Bible describes it scoffing at that ridiculing that passing that off as of no importance is not new it was something the apostles had to face in their day and all the way to the
way through the old testament some of the old testament some of the
the prophets were met with ridicule and scoffing on the part of those who heard them and essentially that's what Peter is doing in this epistle you can see how he writes these words there at the beginning of this chapter where he's stirring up the mind of those he's writing to by way of a reminder and reminders are always important to ourselves they had no embarrassment of bringing out reminders to the people
that were reading their letters that were reading their letters or hearing them preaching that things that they had already heard but now come to be reminded of but this is what he's saying talking about how the end of the world will come and the whole epistle indeed you might say is a response to the scoffing and the ridiculing of the idea of Christ's coming and of that day actually coming about you can see in verse 1 and chapter 1 verse
16 he's dealing there we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty in other words he's responding to the idea that this is just of no effect this is really not worth thinking about that the Lord's going to come back that Jesus is going to come back as the judge of the world he's how does he counter that well he counters it for one thing by going
to the facts the facts the facts the facts that he sets out the facts he sets out facts for them he knew Jesus he met with Jesus he heard Jesus they saw him and they saw him some of his majesty and his glory they saw the miracles that he did they saw him and witnessed his death and his resurrection and his his risen person as he met with him after his resurrection and that's why he's reminding him and reminding him especially as you find in chapter 1 again in verse 20
and among themselves and among themselves as well and now he's dealing in chapter 3 especially with the second in the second part of the chapter with knowing these things how we ought to behave how we ought to anticipate how we ought to live in anticipating the coming of Jesus how we ought to actually be in the presence of God and the presence of our fellow human beings anticipating that day
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saying, you actually guard yourselves against spiritual relapse, against backsliding, against
going back in your commitment to Jesus. You guard yourself against that by growing in the grace and
knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Today, you don't want to go back and relapse here together
as a congregation. You don't want to lapse as a Christian yourself in your Christian profession,
in your Christian walk, in your Christian witness. Well, how do you set about ensuring you don't do
that? Well, Peter is saying, if you actually grow in the grace and the knowledge, and if you keep on
growing in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, that itself gives you a guard
against relapsing. That's how he ties those things together, and we'll see that these two things are
so important to us as we hold them together. And today, look at what he's saying with regard, first
of all, in guarding against relapse. You, therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that
you're not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. Now, he talks,
first of all, there about them having a significant advantage. And that significant advantage is yours
also and mine today. What is that advantage? You know these things beforehand. The Bible has taught you.
The Bible is teaching you about what is going to be at the end of the world. The Bible is teaching you
that Christ is coming back to this world. The Bible is teaching you that it's a day of judgment. The
Bible is teaching you that there will be, indeed, that particular crisis moment in the history of
the creation where God brings about the judgment that he has always purposed, and where Jesus will be
set on his throne of judgment to bring all who have ever lived before him. You know that beforehand.
Christ is telling you. The Bible is telling you. The word of truth is telling you. And as Peter said to
these people, so he's also, this passage is also saying to us, therefore, beloved, seeing you know
this beforehand. What a great advantage you have today in belonging to the church and belonging to
our church that values the gospel, that preaches the gospel, that teaches the Bible. What a great
privilege is yours. What an advantage you have in that. Knowing this beforehand, before it happens,
you already know about it. And because you already know about it, you're able to do something about
preparing for it. That's what Peter is saying. That's what all of us today are involved with,
preparing for the coming judgment. And of course, the coming judgment is not all about doom and gloom and
negativity. There is that side to it, judgment of the wicked, judgment of the lost. But there's another
side to it as well. Indeed, the Bible gives even more emphasis to that, the judgment of God's people
to declare them righteous, to set them out forevermore in the glory of likeness to Christ.
That's a reality. That's what you have to set your mind on and prepare in the way the Bible counsels you to do that.
So, knowing these things, beloved, knowing this beforehand, saying you know all about this already,
take care, guard yourselves, he's saying, from falling away or from straying. Now, he's saying here,
be on your guard, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error
of lawless people and lose your own stability. There are three things there. Three things there in this
guarding against relapse. First of all, there is what he says here, take care, be on your guard.
He's serious about this. It's not something you treat casually. It's not something you can give half
your mind to. It's not something you switch on on Sunday and then off for the rest of the week.
It's something that's there constantly as a necessity on your part and mine.
Take care, he's saying, and be serious about this. Be deliberate. Be concentrate. Be concentrate.
Be actively engaged in thinking about these things, in dealing with these things,
in applying these things to your own lives, to your own walk in life. Knowing these things beforehand,
be on your guard. Take care. And then he says, take care in case you be carried away
with the error of lawless people, heretics, false teachers. That's what chapter two is actually
dealing with. And you go through that really solemn chapter, and you see how these false teachers were
not some people who lived at a distance from the church of Peter's day. They had actually infiltrated
the church. They were amongst those who were professing to be Christians. And yet here is God saying,
Peter saying, that these people are actually just making others unsteady. You can see how he puts it there.
that they have eyes, in verse 14, eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice
unsteady souls. And you see he's calling here in chapter 3 here for steadfastness. Don't lose your
own stability. Don't give in to false teaching, to heresy, to species of doctrines that aren't true
in accordance with the will of God. You see, heresy is attractive. It's attractive to the sinful side of us.
Lawlessness is attractive to sinful hearts. Unrighteousness is attractive if you allow
yourself to be beguiled by it. There's an attraction in sin. There's an attraction in sinning.
And all of these things are set out in the Bible very clearly.
That doesn't mean because you've become a Christian, you're no longer going to be tempted towards
that side of life, towards those things that God says are unclean,
towards that side of living that actually is involving yourself and myself in sin of whatever
kind, even privately or publicly, it doesn't matter. There is an attractiveness in that which
the devil will use to the advantage, to his advantage, to the advantage of falsehood.
You remember how Paul wrote to the Galatians? Galatians had given in to the heresy that said,
you need more than Jesus. You need works. You need some of your own effort to go along with what
Jesus has done in order to have righteousness, in order to be accepted with God. What did he say?
How did he put it in Galatians 3? Oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?
You see, Peter was well aware, as Paul was well aware, that there's a bewitching element to falsehood,
to heresy, to false teaching. It has the ability to bring about such a bewitching of people even who
have professed Christ, that they fall from their steadfastness or from their own stability,
as Peter here puts it. You remember Simon Magus in Acts chapter 8, went about doing some wonderful
magical arts. He was involved in the magical arts when he came into confrontation with the gospel,
but people were following that and saying, this is indeed, this is one who is from the God who is
called great. There are people in the world today, friends, who are bewitched and following false doctrine,
false teaching. And you know, I think we're being very negative when we call that out for what it is.
People who actually deliberately set about trying to advance themselves and the cause they represent
at the expense of the gospel and the true gospel of Christ. Well, the Bible calls it out. Peter is
calling it out here. And he's saying to us today who are under the gospel, you knowing this beforehand,
take care that you're not carried away, that you're not bewitched, that you're not beguiled,
that you're not hoodwinked by the ability of the devil to beguile you. Take care that you're not
carried away and lose your own stability. Stability, steadfastness in the truth of God,
to a lot of people that sounds very boring. But it's absolutely essential for your life as a human
being, and especially your life as a Christian. And it's not just important to yourself as an
individual and to myself as an individual, it's actually important to the church at large, because
the more people individually lose their spiritual stability, the more the church is going to suffer
in result. As we said in chapter 2 there, you can see how verse 14, as we've read it already,
verse 14 is saying, they have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls.
You see, the more your soul becomes unsteady, the more it wobbles in relation to the truth of God
and what you should and ought to believe, the more liable you and I are then to just falling away
in the error of the wicked and to becoming unstable and even to reject that truth altogether.
He's saying, you know this beforehand. Take care. Guard yourself.
Always remember that there is a dark power going up and down the earth seeking whom he may devour.
That's what Peter said in his first epistle. The devil is a roaring lion. He's intent today on getting you
to fail, on getting you to fall, to lapse, to turn away from the truth, to become unsteady,
to leave the rock on which you're placed as the Word of God. And he says, take care that you don't lose
your own stability. Remember how Paul, Apostle Paul, wrote to the Ephesians in chapter 4, a great chapter
to do with the unity of the church and how essential unity is. And for yourselves as well as a congregation,
unity has been and is essential and precious. It was one of, when I was here for the eight years I was
here, one of the things I valued as much as anything else was the obvious unity in the congregation.
And I know that unity is now important during a vacancy as much as any other time.
Well, here is what Paul said in Ephesians 4, verses 11 to 14. He's talking there about
growing, of course, until we attain to the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God
to mature manhood. He's talking here about the whole believing, the whole church, the whole body
of believers, if you like. So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and
carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
Very similar to Peter. He knew about these schemes of the devil. He knew the danger of false teaching.
He knew that if we lose our own stability, then that's the way we will go. And instead, he says,
rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head,
into Christ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped.
When each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.
In other words, you and I have to say to ourselves today, I, as much as anyone else, have to say to
yourself today, am I in any way contributing to others losing their focus on the things of God?
Have I lost something of my own stability to the extent that others seeing that will be encouraged to do the same?
Well, he says, together in love, build one another up in love. A love for God, a love for his truth, a love for one another.
Well, that's what Peter is actually saying here as well. Guarding against relapse.
Now, positively, and the other side, growing in grace and knowledge. As we said at the beginning,
you guard against falling away, you guard against losing your stability, pretty much by growing in the
grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the alternative. It's not just an
alternative, it is a counter to the falling away. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ. Now, what does he mean by that? The grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Well, the grace of Jesus Christ, the grace of God, really sometimes means the whole business of
the salvation into which you've been brought. For example, in Romans chapter 5, you find him there
dealing with being justified by faith in Christ. But he goes on to say, since we have been justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him, we have also obtained access
by faith into this grace in which we stand. This grace there meaning our relationship with God and Christ.
He has brought us and introduced us into this relationship with God as our Savior, as our Redeemer,
as our Keeper. And now Peter is saying, grow in the grace of Jesus Christ. Grow within that environment
that he's brought you into, into this new relationship with him through Christ. It's like taking a plant
out of a certain area where there was not much growth, where it was suffering, and giving it the best
possible conditions in which to grow. That's what you are and I am as Christians in this world. God has
taken us out of the coldness of the world. He has taken us out of that negativity and non-productiveness
spiritually and righteously of the world and of living as part of the world. He's put you into the
environment of grace. He's put you into this relationship with himself where you have all the advantages.
You see what Peter is saying as well as we see here in chapter 1, where you find chapter 1 and verse 3,
his divine power. He's saying, may grace and peace be multiplied to you. Then verse 3, his divine power
has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called
us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us precious and very great promises, so that
through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
from sinful desire. For this reason, make every effort to supplement your faith, to build on what you already
have. See, there's the great advantage that we have under the gospel, that we have especially in a saving
relationship with Jesus. God has brought us into this environment where we can grow in the grace of
Christ, where the provision he's given us is a provision that is especially itself marked by
suitability for us in which to grow. So in other words, he's given his people the Holy Spirit.
He's given them the grace of prayer. He's given them this written word, this revelation of his will.
He's given them fellowship with one another. We grow in the grace of Jesus by making use to our
advantage of all of these things. Don't let any moment pass where you can actually make use of the
advantages he's given you in order to grow in his grace. Because there's a sense in which others are
depending on you and I growing in grace, so that will be an encouragement to them as well.
Grow in the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but also in the knowledge. Grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Well, you could say at the end of the day, it's really
all about communion with Christ. Not just communion with Christ on your own, that's great. Communion with
him, reading your Bible, learning from works that teach you what the Bible means. Not just communion
praying on your own to the Lord, essential as that undoubtedly is. I don't do enough of it. I'm sure
you say the same. But growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ means growing along with other people
in this knowledge. Here we are today as a congregation of people. Congregation united together under the
gospel. United together by the truth of God. United together by the teaching of the gospel.
And by the injunction of the scripture here that says, grow in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. That's
what you're here for today. You haven't come here today to listen to a human voice. You've come here
today through the preaching of the gospel to grow in the knowledge of God. That's why it's absolutely
essential that the church continues to preach the gospel and to preach a teaching gospel, a teaching
ministry. We need that. All of us need that. To be taught by the Holy Spirit through the preaching of
the word of God. To grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Every occasion that you meet together,
every time there's something or other to do with meeting together in the Lord's name, it's so that you will grow
in the knowledge of Christ. It's so that you will give more attention than ever before to the importance of
his truth as the foundation of your knowledge. Grow in knowing him personally, not just knowing him off the
written page. Heretics can do that. But you need to know him personally as your savior, as your friend,
as your companion, as your redeemer. And that will mean we grow not just outwards to bear certain fruit,
but also downwards. Downwards for our own stability. Not losing our stability, but instead countering the
loss of stability by growing downwards, by being more and more rooted in the truth of God. More and more
rooted in Christ himself. Through fellowship with him privately and together. Our roots go downwards.
We become more stable in the truth of God. And we need that. We live in a world where we're open to all
kinds of, as Paul himself put it to the Ephesians, as we read, all kinds of winds of doctrines and heresies.
We're open to them. We meet them every day we live. We find them even in aspects of the wider church.
Grow in the knowledge of Jesus. Grow in the knowledge of Jesus. Grow in the knowledge of him as your savior and your Lord.
In other words, listen to Jesus. Look out for the voice of God. Isn't that why you came to church today?
Not just to express your thanks to him with your voice, but to listen to his voice, speaking to you through the scriptures,
through the preaching of the word. You've come here surely because you value the voice of God, the voice of Christ.
You want to hear that voice again today for your guidance, for your benefit, for your strengthening, for your growth.
Isn't that why you're here? Isn't that what church means to you? Isn't that really important?
Important above most other things.
Well, this is Peter's exhortation. And it's very likely his last exhortation. This is his second letter.
And he is well aware that his own demise is nearby. He's talking about putting off his present state in this world.
And he's paying attention to the fact that he himself too will need to leave this world.
He knew he was near the end of his life.
So who was better qualified than Peter to give out this exhortation?
Because after all, he's writing as somebody who had himself failed badly.
He had gone astray.
He had denied his Lord three times just prior to the Lord's crucifixion.
Why was that the case?
What was it that led to that lapse on Peter's part?
He had failed to take account of his Lord's teaching.
He had heard the words of Jesus, but he hadn't reckoned with them.
He had heard them speaking to him about what would happen,
about the need to continue to pray,
and he didn't do it.
And he lapsed three times into a denial of Christ.
Yes, he was restored by Jesus.
That was due to the Lord's kindness,
not to Peter's deserving.
And as he did lapse,
he undoubtedly heard the words of Jesus again,
who said,
Satan has desired to have you, Peter,
that he may sift you all as wheat.
But I have prayed for you,
that your faith will not fail,
that it will not completely fail.
And when you are recovered,
strengthen your brothers.
That's what this epistle is about.
That's what the previous letter is about.
Strengthening his fellow Christians
by learning from his own laps
and now saying to them,
be careful,
be on your guard,
that you do not get carried away
with the error of lawless people
and lose your own stability,
but grow in grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
Well, no one else was better qualified
to write these words
or the words of 1 Peter 5,
verses 6 to 11.
And I'll close
by just reading these words.
1 Peter 5,
verses 6 to 11.
Humble yourselves, therefore,
under the mighty hand of God,
so that at the proper time
he may exalt you,
casting all your anxieties on him
because he cares for you.
Be sober-minded,
be watchful.
Your adversary the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.
Resist him,
firm in your faith,
knowing that the same kinds of suffering
are being experienced
by your brotherhood
throughout the world.
And after you have suffered
for a little while,
the God of all grace
who has called you
to his eternal glory in Christ
will himself
restore,
confirm,
strengthen,
and establish you.
to him be the dominion
forever and ever.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Lord, our God,
we pray that you would increase
our thankfulness for your word,
for its teaching,
and our dependence upon its reliability.
Help us especially, Lord,
to deepen our relationship with yourself.
Grant us today,
whatever that relationship may be,
that we may be found,
Lord, in Christ.
if we have not yet come
to accept you,
grant us the grace to do so.
If we have in any way
been conscious, Lord,
of some lapses or failures
in our lives,
grant us the grace of recovery.
And if we go on,
O Lord,
as we have begun
to walk in your ways
and to seek to make you known
to the world around us,
grant us the grace
of your protection.
We pray these things, Lord,
asking that you would
bless this congregation
now in the days to come.
Guide them and steer them
as they look for a pastor
to lead them in the things of God.
And Lord, we pray for Calamuro.
We ask for him
as assistant at this time
and as he has made his mind known
that this is his preferred choice.
We pray for him.
We pray for Johan and their family.
We pray for him
in his relationship
with the congregation.
We pray for all in the congregation,
for every family,
for every office bearer,
for every home.
We ask that you would
provide for them, Lord,
richly and give them together
that they may know
the grace of patience too
as the weight upon yourself.
Receive our thanks now,
we pray in Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going to conclude
our worship today now,
Psalm 119.
Psalm 119 and sing Psalms,
that's page 167
and section 21,
verse 161 of Psalm 119.
Though rulers hound me
without cause,
my heart fears nothing
but your word,
for in your promise
I rejoice,
like one who finds
great spoil, O Lord.
all falsehood I abhor and hate,
with all my heart
I love your law,
I praise you seven times a day,
for your commands
I hold in awe.
Psalm 119,
verse 161,
to God's praise.
O rulers hound me with her claws,
my heart fears nothing,
not your word,
for in your promise I rejoice,
like one who fights,
grace,
father, O Lord.
all falsehood I am born and hate,
with all my heart,
I love your law,
I praise you seven times a day,
for your commands I hold in awe.
Great peace are those who love your law,
they will not sound the wind,
the way,
I wait for your salvation,
Lord,
and your commands I will obey.
I will observe your statutes,
Lord,
my love for them is great and true,
your laws and peace set high,
O faith,
for all my ways are known to you.
Now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with you now and evermore.
Amen.