We're continuing our series in the book of 2 Peter, and you'll remember that 2 Peter is a letter.
It's a letter written by a man named Peter, and he writes it to a church somewhere in the Roman Empire in the 60s AD.
Peter writes this letter with one desire.
He wants these people to grow.
We know that because he tells us at the very beginning and at the very end of the letter.
At the very beginning in chapter 1, verse 2, he tells them that he wants grace to be multiplied to them through knowledge.
Multiply, a way of talking about growing.
He ends the letter in the very last verse in chapter 3, verse 18, by commanding them,
grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
And so we see that his desire for growth has two components.
He wants them to grow in knowledge, and he wants them to grow in grace.
We have ended chapter 2, which was all about the false teachers.
And the false teachers helped us understand why it was that Peter cares so much about this.
The false teachers threaten the knowledge that they have because they're teaching things that are not true.
And they threaten the grace that they have because this false knowledge is leading to poor and sinful behavior.
We're now continuing on this morning.
We're going to begin chapter 3.
We are not completely done with the false teachers yet.
And we're going to come up this morning with one of their objections, one of the ways in which the false teachers threaten knowledge.
In fact, we're going to be addressing this question for the next two weeks.
The false teachers raise an issue in verses 3 and 4 of this chapter.
They ask a question, why has Jesus not come back yet?
And if Jesus has not come back yet, isn't that clearly proof that we don't need to worry?
Remember, one of the doctrines that's under attack is the idea that Jesus is coming back to judge the world.
That's part of how the false teachers are able to justify the sinful behavior that they promote.
It doesn't matter what you do because Jesus isn't coming back.
And so now we have this very specific objection.
Again, this is in verses 3 and 4.
They're going to say, verse 4,
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.
In other words, nothing's changed.
Century after century rolls by.
Jesus still has not appeared.
Of course, then, your hope is false.
And so it's going to be this morning that we respond to that objection.
The first response next week will be the second response.
And we're going to see some of the same themes that we've seen before.
We are going to see the idea of Scripture as being important,
which we also saw in chapter 1, verses 19 through 21.
And the same thing we saw in chapter 1, verse 13,
the importance of being stirred up by way of a reminder.
And so our question is the same question as that of these false teachers.
Why should we believe that Jesus is coming back?
Why do we believe Jesus is coming back?
And there's a question underneath the question,
which is why in the world would we trust and believe the Bible?
Why in the world would we trust and believe the Bible?
We looked at a couple answers to that question in chapter 1.
We're going to look at another answer here in chapter 3.
And so it's with that that I invite you to turn with me to 2 Peter 3.
We'll be looking at verses 1 through 7.
You can turn in your phone, you can turn in your Bible,
or you can turn near the end of the worship guide.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word.
And God tells us in Proverbs chapter 30, verse 5,
that every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
And so that's why we read now, starting at verse 1.
This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved.
In both of them, I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder
that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets
and the commandment 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.
Verse 4.
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.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's Word.
Our Father in Heaven,
we thank You that You don't leave us alone in this world to flail about,
trying to discover what's true and what's false.
But instead, You speak to us clearly in Your Word,
and You tell us everything that we need to know.
You tell us what we need to know about our state,
that we are sinners in need of Your mercy.
And You also tell us what we need to know about Your grace,
that Jesus takes the punishment for the sins of those who have faith in Him.
We ask that You would do that this morning,
that You would open our eyes,
You'd unstop our ears,
that You would clear our minds,
and that You'd soften our hearts,
that we would be able to see and hear and understand and believe
everything that is written about You in Your Word.
We thank You that we don't have to earn these things,
but instead we simply ask them in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
If you were here with us in December,
when we were going through the book of Zechariah,
you'll remember at the very end,
in chapters 12 and 13,
I told you a little bit from the book,
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
written by C.S. Lewis in the series,
The Chronicles of Narnia.
And you'll remember in that story,
King Caspian was on this search for the seven lost kings of Narnia.
And as he was on this search,
there was a boy named Eustace who joined him,
and I told you the story about how they landed on an island.
Eustace was turned into a dragon.
Aslan had to come and peel the dragon skin off of him.
Okay, so this is review.
Now, next book, chronologically in the series,
we have The Silver Chair.
In The Silver Chair, we meet Eustace again,
this boy who's reformed.
He's no longer the punk that he was in Voyage of the Dawn Treader,
but we also meet a new character named Jill.
And Jill and Eustace are given a new mission.
It's been years since the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
King Caspian is now old.
We find out that King Caspian had a son, Prince Rillian,
who has disappeared and been gone for 10 years.
And so Jill and Eustace have one mission.
Their job is to go back and find Prince Rillian.
They have to recover him.
How are they going to find the lost prince
since no one knows where he is?
Well, Aslan, the great lion, is the one who sends them.
And when Aslan sends them, he gives Jill instructions.
He gives her four signs that she has to remember,
four signs that will help her to find Prince Rillian.
These are the only things she has to operate by.
And so after Aslan has given her the signs,
he also gives her this exhortation, this warning.
He says this,
but first, remember, remember, remember the signs.
Say them to yourself when you wake in the morning
and when you lie down at night.
And when you wake in the middle of the night.
And whatever strange things may happen to you,
let nothing turn your mind from following the signs.
And secondly, I give you a warning.
Here on the mountain, I have spoken to you clearly.
I will not often do so down in Narnia.
Here on the mountain, the air is clear
and your mind is clear.
As you drop down into Narnia, the air will thicken.
Take great care that it does not confuse your mind.
And the signs which you have learned here
will not look at all as you expect them to look
when you meet them there.
That is why it is so important to know them by heart
and pay no attention to appearances.
Remember the signs and believe the signs.
Nothing else matters.
Remember the signs and believe the signs.
Nothing else matters.
That is similar to what Peter is telling these people
in this church here.
We have already seen this theme in 2 Peter 1, verse 13,
where he tells them,
I think it is right as long as I am in this body
to stir you up by way of reminder.
Now, chapter 3, two chapters later,
we see almost identical language in verse 1.
I am writing to you, beloved, in both of them.
I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder.
Why is reminder so important?
Why do they have to remember these things?
Well, we know in the silver chair
why the remembering is so important.
It's the only way they're going to find Prince Rilian.
If they don't remember, they will be lost.
Here, in 2 Peter 3, it's something similar.
Memory is so important
because it is their protection against the false teachers.
Remember I told you at the very beginning,
the false teachers are raising this objection to Christianity.
They're raising this objection to Jesus' return,
which is that he hasn't come back yet,
therefore he won't.
They are telling them something false.
We see this again.
This is verses 3 and 4,
that they give this false teaching.
They ask this question, especially in verse 4.
They will say, where is the promise of his coming?
In other words, why hasn't Jesus returned?
For all things are continuing as they were
from the beginning of creation.
Nothing's changed.
The earth continues to move around the sun.
Rulers continue to come and go.
Companies continue to rise and fall.
Families continue to give birth and to die.
Nothing is changing.
Of course Jesus isn't coming back.
And we're told what their problem is in verse 5.
For they deliberately overlook this fact.
Why is it so important to remember?
Because that's the opposite of what the false teachers are doing here.
They are deliberately overlooking the things that they know.
And so their protection here,
the protection of these people receiving this letter,
is that they would remember.
That they would be the opposite of the false teachers.
They would hold fast to what is true.
We've talked about this fact before,
that when we look at this letter,
our situation is not the same as their situation.
They were dealing with false teachers in their midst
who were refuting Jesus' second coming.
Our situation is not the same
because I am not aware of anyone in this church
who is actively functioning as a false teacher
and telling people at Cheyenne Mountain
that Jesus is not coming back.
And so what do we do when we find ourselves
in a different situation than those of the original audience?
When they are given a negative,
that doesn't apply to us.
Remember the principle,
the application principle that we got before.
We look for the positive and we embrace it.
False teachers are forgetting.
We remember.
And so we hold fast to these things
that the false teachers are deliberately overlooking.
We are going to have,
remember I told you that Aslan gives Jill four signs.
It just so happens we are going to have in this passage
four signs as well.
Four things that these people need to remember
to protect themselves
from what the false teachers are telling them.
To know that although he has not yet,
Jesus will indeed come back.
So our first sign here is actually going to be
the foundation of all the other signs.
It encompasses all the others.
And we find it here in verse two.
At the very end of verse one,
we're told he's stirring up your sincere mind
by way of reminder, verse two,
that you should remember.
So we're told the first thing he wants to stir up in them,
they should remember the predictions
of the holy prophets
and the commandment of the Lord and Savior
through your apostles.
Now, this is a way of talking about
what we would now refer to as the Bible.
In verse two here,
the predictions of the holy prophets,
that's a reference to what we would call
the Old Testament.
So that we remember God's teachings
in the Old Testament.
Remember the New Testament
has not been fully formed at this point.
But we understand what he means here
by the commandment of the Lord and Savior
through your apostles.
That is, there are apostles
who are communicating what Jesus taught.
So that would be what we now refer to
as the New Testament.
You are to remember the Old Testament
and the New Testament.
That is your first sign.
That is the first thing that you have to hold onto.
This is the keystone to everything
that's going to come after in the letter,
the next three signs.
And so the question that rises at this point is,
do we trust the Bible or not?
Whatever happens, whatever comes,
do we believe that it's the word of God?
The second question would be this,
not just do we trust it,
do we know it?
Do we know it or not?
And that raises another question
that I want to discuss for a little bit,
which is this,
why do we trust the Bible?
Why is it?
It's that it's something
that we have confidence in,
that we believe in.
We saw a couple reasons
when we were in chapter one.
And one of the reasons,
the first reason I told you
we trust the Bible
is because of eyewitnesses.
Peter talked about,
remember this is,
I believe verses 19 through 21
of chapter one,
these are the things we saw.
He saw them.
He witnessed them.
Remember I told you
that the book of Luke,
the gospel of Luke,
begins by talking about eyewitnesses.
The second reason,
if you can go back
all the way to chapter one,
was not just eyewitnesses,
but fulfilled prophecy.
We have seen
that what the Bible says
would happen has come true.
And ultimately,
we've seen that in Jesus Christ.
And so those are two reasons
we trust the Bible.
I'm going to give you now
a problem with those reasons.
Those are good reasons.
They're just not the ultimate reason
we trust the Bible.
And I want you to think about that
with me for a second.
If we have to appeal
to another authority
to say that the Bible is true,
we're actually saying
that that authority
is the ultimate authority.
If eyewitnesses
are what make the Bible true,
ultimately,
then really we trust eyewitnesses.
We don't trust the Bible.
So eyewitnesses are good.
They're just not
our ultimate authority.
In fact, as Christians,
we believe that the Bible
is our ultimate authority,
which means that we can't
subordinate it to anything else.
We don't subordinate it
to eyewitnesses.
We don't subordinate it
to fulfilled prophecy.
Those things are good.
They are means that God uses
to give us confidence.
They are not
our ultimate authority.
The Bible actually
establishes itself
as our ultimate authority.
That, however,
raises some other questions,
some other problems.
Is not this
circular reasoning?
In other words,
isn't this a logical fallacy
to say the Bible
is our ultimate authority
because the Bible
is our ultimate authority?
Well, if we leave it at that,
we might fall into that.
However,
we have to consider
a few other things.
First of all,
we have to have
some sort of ultimate authority.
Everyone has
an ultimate authority.
By its very logic,
by its very definition,
there's nothing higher
that you can appeal to
than an ultimate authority.
We cannot escape,
in other words,
the fact that there's
going to be some type
of circularity there.
And so everyone in the world
has to choose
their ultimate authority.
Right now in our culture,
we're being told
that our ultimate authority
are our feelings
and our emotions.
There's nothing
that we can do
to disprove that.
There's nothing higher
to appeal to, right?
I can just state
this is the way I feel,
therefore,
it's true.
Everyone,
in other words,
rests in some way
on absolute faith.
You can't escape faith.
Everyone has it.
Even logic and reason
have to rest on things
you can't prove.
And so that's part
of our answer
to the objection
of circular reasoning here.
We have the Bible
as an ultimate,
absolute authority.
Everyone has an ultimate
and absolute authority.
And so at some level,
every absolute authority
has to authenticate itself.
And it has to be
self-authenticating.
It can't rely
on other things
to verify it.
This is the way
people talk in our culture,
by the way.
They don't think
that they need to say
anything else
other than I feel this way,
right?
That authenticates itself.
The discussion
is over at this point.
We talked about that
a couple weeks ago.
And so really,
the question is this.
If we all have
ultimate and absolute
authorities,
that there is
no higher appeal
than which absolute
authority do we trust?
And why is the Bible
the one that we choose?
Because think about it.
There's all kinds of claims
to be absolute authority.
There are other religions
that claim to have
absolute authority.
There are other religious books
that claim to have
absolute authority.
Is it not then,
the objection will be
somehow arbitrary
that we've happened
to choose the Bible
over these others?
Did we just throw a dart
against the wall
and it happened
to hit the Bible?
The answer is no.
And we could go
for several hours
on epistemology
and philosophy,
but I'll explain it
to you simply like this.
I want you to imagine
that you have
a variety of boxes
of match boxes.
Each box says
that it contains
matches in it.
Okay?
So that's a claim.
Let's say that's similar
to the claim
of absolute authority.
Now it's helpful
that the box says
it has matches in it.
That gives us
some guidance.
That's worth something.
It's not worth everything.
Can the match box
authenticate itself?
In other words,
if I strike it,
will it light?
The Quran claims
to be a word
from God.
It's like a box
on the outside
that says it has matches.
Can it deliver
on that claim?
The Book of Mormon
claims to be a word
from God.
Can it deliver
on that claim?
How do I know?
I have to strike
the match.
So when we come
against the claim
that something is true,
it's not just the claim
that matters.
It matters whether
it can back it up.
So if I'm striking
and nothing lights,
it doesn't matter
what it says
on the outside.
If, however,
I strike it
and it does light,
that match
has authenticated
itself.
It needs
no other source.
It has shown
by its very action,
its character
and its quality
that it is a match
with power.
Brothers and sisters,
we believe
in the Bible
as our absolute
authority
because when we
strike it,
it lights.
And when we
strike other claims
to have authority,
we find
that they fail.
And so it is not
that we are people
who have blind faith.
And it is not
simply that God's
word claims
to be from him,
although it does
and that matters.
but because it also
delivers on that claim.
It authenticates
itself.
The match
shows itself
to be a true match.
It needs
nothing else.
God's word
shows itself
to be
from him.
It needs
nothing else.
God's word
is enough.
It is an absolute
authority
and so it appeals
to nothing else.
It shows
itself
to be true.
Many books
claim to speak
for God.
Only the Bible
goes into flame
when we strike it.
If you are not
a Christian,
you doubt
whether the Bible
is true or not.
Strike the match.
Test it.
Francis Schaeffer
said,
as I've quoted
many times,
that the Bible
fits the hand
of reality
like a glove.
And so
what is
the flame
that the Bible
gives us?
Well,
it says
what it does,
what it says
it will do.
The match
box says there
matches,
the matches
light up.
It delivers
on its promises
and so its promises
are things like these.
Hebrews chapter 4
verse 12,
the word of God
is living and active,
sharper than any
two-edged sword,
piercing to the division
of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of
marrow,
and discerning
the thoughts
and intentions
of the heart.
The Bible pierces
to the deepest level
of people's hearts.
If you're a Christian,
you've experienced
that and you know
that.
You have seen
the match light.
We're told
in Psalm 119
that the Bible
is a lamp
to our feet
and a light
to our path.
It has delivered
on that promise.
If you're a Christian,
you know
that it has protected
your path
and it has shown
you the way to go.
I said at the very
beginning of this sermon
that Proverbs
chapter 30
verse 5
tells us
that every word
of God
proves true.
He is a shield
to those who
take refuge in him.
If you're a Christian,
you know
that is true.
We're told in Psalm 19
that the Bible
is more precious
than gold,
even fine gold.
And it is sweeter
than honey,
even the honey
that comes
straight from
the honeycomb.
the Bible
does what it says
it will do.
It is not just
a matchbook
because there are
many boxes
of matches
in this world,
but the matches
actually light.
Why do Jill
and Eustace
trust the signs?
Why do they believe them?
They believe them
because they trust
Aslan.
Aslan has done
what he said
he would do.
Remember,
he is the one
who freed Eustace
from the dragon skin.
He is the one
who has demonstrated
his power.
And so,
of course,
he is to be trusted.
Brothers and sisters,
the same is true
for us.
We have seen
God's power
through his word
authenticating it
as our ultimate
and absolute authority.
And so,
we also trust
what he tells us.
Other religious texts
claim to be from God.
The Bible
actually delivers.
And so,
there is no
higher authority
to which
to appeal.
Our first sign
then is this.
What are we to remember?
Verse 2.
The predictions
of the holy prophets
and the commandment
of the Lord
and Savior
through your apostles.
That is the foundation
that every other sign
rests on.
Nothing else
that I'm going to say
or Peter is going to say
here in this section
really matters
until we've decided
whether we believe
the Bible or not.
If we do,
then we have
three other signs
that help us
understand
why it is
that Jesus
is indeed
coming back
even though
he has not yet.
so our first sign
was this.
Our first sign
is to remember
the scriptures.
We have our second sign,
however,
in verse 5.
What is it
the false teachers
deliberately overlook?
They overlook
that the heavens
existed long ago
and the earth
was formed
out of water
and through water
by the word of God.
They overlook
that God
was so powerful
that he created
the heavens
and the earth
out of nothing.
That's how
powerful
God is.
He made the world.
Why do we believe
that Jesus
is coming back?
Well,
in part
because God
has that kind
of power.
And so that is
that simple
explains itself.
Of course
he's able to do that.
He made the world.
What can he not do?
How do we know
he made the world
through his word?
Because his ultimate
authority,
the Bible,
tells us.
That's sign 2.
Sign 3,
verse 6.
God didn't just
create the world
and by means
of these,
the world
that then existed
was deluged
with water
and perished.
Okay,
God created the world.
Guess what he also did?
Genesis chapter 6
through 9.
God destroyed the world
in a flood.
And he destroyed
the world
in a flood
as part of his
judgment on man
because of his
sinfulness.
So,
why do we believe
that Jesus
is coming back
again
to bring judgment
to the world
and salvation
to the righteous?
Well,
first of all,
he's that kind of God.
He's powerful enough,
right?
He created the world.
Second of all,
guess what?
He's done it before.
It's not just
that he's powerful
enough to create the world,
he's powerful enough
to judge the world.
He's demonstrated that.
He's also demonstrated
that he's willing
to do it.
God's not afraid
of judgment.
He doesn't shy
away from it.
In fact,
he brought it.
He's already done it.
He has demonstrated
his ability
and his willingness
to judge.
God created the world.
He's that powerful.
God judged the world.
He's also that powerful.
So,
that's sign 1,
sign 2,
and sign 3.
Sign 4,
verse 7.
Right now,
we're focusing
on things
that have happened
in the past.
Sign 4,
and verse 7,
tells us what's going
to happen in the future.
God judged the world
then by water,
verse 7,
but by the same word.
By the way,
notice the emphasis
on word here
throughout.
We're told in verse 5,
everything was formed
by the word of God.
In verse 6,
by means of these,
the world was alluished.
And then 7,
by the same word,
the same power,
in other words.
God's proved
his power in the past
by his word.
What's he going to do
with his word
in the future?
Well,
that heavens and the earth
that now exist
are stored up
for fire,
being kept
until the day
of judgment
and destruction
of the ungodly.
How do we know
that Jesus
is coming back
even though
he has not yet?
Because he's told us.
He's told us
and we trust him.
We trust him
because his word
is our ultimate authority
and we trust him
because he's demonstrated
his power
in the past
and so we should
have no doubt
that he will demonstrate
it in the future.
In fact,
John tells us about this
in John chapter 5.
He gives us a picture
of what this is going
to look like.
Jesus is going
to come back.
He's going to judge
the world.
We're told at the very end,
John chapter 5,
verses 28 and 29.
He's going to be
the righteous
who are going
to go to be with Jesus.
He's going to be
the unrighteous
who are raised
to judgment.
There's going to be
two places
where people go
at the end of the world.
Salvation,
judgment.
It's the same thing
that we're told here.
God judged the world
in the past
through water.
He is going to judge it
in the future
by fire.
And when
that judgment happens,
there will be,
end of verse 7,
the destruction
of the ungodly.
And so,
the question
that this passage
leaves us with
is this,
will you be destroyed
or saved?
There are
only two options.
This is similar
to what we looked at,
identical to what we looked at
in our confession
of faith this morning.
Will you be destroyed
or will you be saved?
Those who are saved
are those who have
repented of their sins
and they have faith
in Jesus Christ.
They recognize
that they have no hope
outside of God's mercy
that he's expressed
through Christ.
That when Christ came
and lived as a man
in this world,
he lived the perfect life
that we should have lived
and he credits that
to our account.
He died the death
that we should have died
and he took the punishment
that we deserve.
Those that have faith
and follow after Jesus
in that
will be saved.
Those that do not
will face,
verse 7,
the day of judgment
and the destruction
of the ungodly.
In other words,
as I said earlier this morning,
hell is a real place
people are going there.
Heaven is a real place
people are going there.
The question is this,
which one will you be?
The application of this passage
for Christians
is this,
remember.
Take hope
in the authority
of the Bible.
Take hope
in what God
has done
in the past.
The application
for non-Christians
is this,
not remember
but repent.
Tremble
because of the authority
of the Bible.
it is a more
solid
and firm
ultimate authority
than anything else
to which you can turn
and you cannot
escape faith.
Everyone has faith
in something.
The question is
whether the object
of your faith
will deliver
or not.
So we know
that Jesus
is coming back
even though
he has
not yet.
How is it
that we remember?
Jesus tells us
in John chapter 10
he says,
my sheep
hear my voice
and I know them
and they follow me.
I give them
eternal life
and they will
never perish
and no one
will snatch them
out of my hand.
Jesus tells us
that his sheep
will hear his voice.
How is it
that we know
ultimately
and recognize
that the Bible
is our ultimate authority?
It's because
Jesus' sheep
know what he sounds like.
And John
goes on to tell us
after that passage
in John chapter 10
tells us in John
chapter 14
that Jesus
is going to send
the Holy Spirit
and then in John 16
he makes this radical statement
Jesus does.
He says it's better
that Jesus would leave
so that we could have
the Holy Spirit.
Why?
There's a lot of reasons.
One of them is
it's the Holy Spirit
that allows us
to hear
the shepherd's voice.
1 Corinthians chapter 2
says it's the Holy Spirit
that allows Christians
to understand the Bible.
He uses this phrase
helping those who are spiritual
understand spiritual things.
In other words
those who have the Holy Spirit
can understand
what God's saying.
For those without it
it is nonsense to them.
That's essentially
what Paul says
1 Corinthians 2
is about
verses 10 through 16.
And so it is not
that we are great people
who know how to listen
but it is that
we have a great God
who knows how to speak.
and he knows
how to speak
to his sheep.
He sends his spirit
that they would know
and recognize his voice.
In other words
it is by God's spirit
that we're able
to see
the match
light.
If you're familiar
with the story
of the silver chair
you know
that Jill
does a great job
at the very beginning
of the book
remembering
the signs.
And then she begins
to forget.
She forgets
to review them
and repeat them
to herself.
And so she gets
confused at times.
She believes
that she misses
some signs.
She doesn't heed
Aslan's warning
to constantly
be repeating it
to herself.
But as you look
back over the book
you see
that despite
Jill's
imperfections
and mistakes
Aslan is still
guiding them.
They still end up
where they need
to be
and it is
the fourth sign
that she does
not miss.
The fourth sign
is that they will
know they have
found the prince
that they're looking
for,
the lost prince
because he is
the first one
who will ask
them to do
something
in Aslan's
name.
When it matters
most,
they trust
the word
of Aslan
despite
all appearances.
Brothers and
sisters,
God has
commanded us
to remember
what he has
told us
in his word.
We will
not do it
perfectly.
But our
faith and
hope and
trust is
not in us
as the sheep
but in
Jesus as
our shepherd
who speaks
to us
and gives
us his
spirit so
that we
hear and
know and
understand.
What is
important,
what matters
is that we
recognize and
know and
follow the
name of
our Lord
and Savior
Jesus Christ.
Why should
we believe
and trust
that Jesus
is coming
back again
to judge
the earth?
We trust
it because
of this.
my sheep
hear my
voice and
I know
them and
they follow
me.
I give
them eternal
life and
they will
never perish
and no one
will snatch
them out of
my hand.
Let's pray.
Our Father in
heaven, we
thank you that
you are our
good shepherd
and our hope
is in you
and your
voice,
not in our
abilities as
sheep.
we ask that
you would
use your
word to
give us
tremendous
faith and
hope and
trust and
confidence in
you that we
would believe
what you have
told us and
we would
remember it
no matter
what.
We praise
you that we
don't have to
stir this up
in ourselves.
We don't have
to work these
things in our
hearts because
we know that
you are the
gardener who's
at work.
We ask that
you would do
it, that you
would do that
work in us
and that you
would conform us
more and more
into the image
of your son.
We once
again praise
you that we
don't have to
earn these
things but
instead we
ask them in
the mighty
name of
Jesus Christ.
Amen.