(Through The Bible) 1 & 2 Peter by Zac Poonen

[Music] let's turn this evening to the first letter of Peter Peter writes to all those who live as foreigners in this world and that's our colony and the theme of this letter he himself tells us what it is at the end of this letter in chapter 5 and verse 12 he says through Silvanus our faithful brothers were so I regard him I have written to you briefly exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God stand firm in it so he is writing about the true grace of God we saw in James in the previous book that he spoke about the true faith because there was a counterfeit faith which did not produce works and Peter speaks about the true grace because there was a counterfeit grace in his time that was leading people astray and so if we keep that in mind that what Paul or what Peter had in mind was to explain to God's people what the true grace of God was we will see the many different facets and sides of that grace of God the grace of God is multifaceted many different shades many different aspects it begins with chapter 1 verse 1 and to God choosing us according to his foreknowledge that's one clear verse that tells us that God chose us not arbitrarily he didn't pick names out of a box or out of a tin or something like that he chose us because he knows the end from the beginning he knew the end he looks right into the future he knows those who would respond to the message of the gospel and he chooses them chosen according to the foreknowledge of God it's important for us to remember that it's very difficult for us as human beings to understand this that God knows everything but he does not influence anything and the best way to describe it would be like if you were to see a movie on a screen you're watching it but you're not influencing anybody in that movie you're somebody may do something bad you didn't make him do anything bad somebody may do something good you didn't make him do anything good you watch it but we can only watch a movie of something that has already happened but God can watch a movie of the future and picture God seeing the future in a movie he doesn't influence anything people do good and bad a thousand years from now six thousand years from Adam he sees what people are doing and he chooses according to his foreknowledge he doesn't influence anything just like you don't influence the actors on a movie screen so God watches but he doesn't influence but he chooses according to his foreknowledge and the whole Trinity is there in verse two the Holy Spirit sankt God the Father chose us the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and the whole purpose of it all is that we may obey the Son of God Jesus Christ he goes on to speak about the great inheritance that we have reserved for us in heaven whereas for and that's the thing that should inspire us during our battle on earth and so he speaks about this trial he speaks about various trials that we can go through during the short period that we are on this earth he says for a short while for a little while this is a great phrase of the Apostles it's only for a little while this whole lifetime on earth they had this viewpoint of eternity and when you look at things from eternal an eternal standpoint everything looks very small it's a short period of time it's when we lose that concept of eternity and stop looking at things on earth from the eternal standpoint everything looks as though it's for a very very long period but the Apostles always spoke about a very short period a little while James says your life is like a wafer so for a little while verse six you have been distressed by various trials so remember the subject is the true grace of God and one who comes under the true grace of God will be distressed by various types of trials that's perfectly normal and the purpose of these trials is to prove your faith so that like James also says the same thing in trials your faith is proven and Peter uses another illustration here it says it's like gold being tested in the fire you know when people dig gold out of the depths of the earth it's not pure it's quite impure and the only way you can purify gold is by putting it in the fire you can't purify gold by scrubbing it with soap and water they do that in the beginning to remove all the dirt but there's a lot of other dirt in there which is melted and together with the gold you can't remove it except by putting it in the fire and when you put it in the fire the gold doesn't melt it's all the other things melt and go away and the gold comes out pure and Peter uses this illustration to say that the trials you go through can be firing it hurts fire hurts and you feel as if you're in the fire but the only purpose is to get rid of the things in your life that are impure for example when persecution came and people's property was taken away or that things were stolen and they were left with very few things what was the result of it they became better pilgrims they became less attached to that property now because they had no property when there is no persecution like in our situation today without knowing it even the best of believers can be very attached to property cars clothing houses so many things and we think we are all detached but we are quite attached and God may allow a time to come when we are put in the fire and these things go away from us and when communism was ruling in Russia I've heard Christians could not find proper jobs they were not allowed college education today we think of college education as a very good thing it's a right for us but God may allow persecution where there are no seminaries there are no Bible colleges there are there's no even a secular College a Christian can't go through and the only job they could get in those situations was like a sweeper on the streets then you really become detached from all these honorable titles and positions and degrees because you don't have any and also these big jobs which give us a certain sense of importance it all disappears you see the scum disappears from the gold and you become really pure and that's why in places where there's been persecution you've got some of the finest Christians in the world and that's why personally I never pray that that should never be persecution in India I don't think it's a good prayer to pray I personally never prayed it to tell you honestly because I will be praying against the purification of the church I say Lord as long as you feel that things should be peaceful and comfortable that's up to you but maybe a time should come when you should put the church into the fire and get rid of all the scum and get rid of all the worldliness and the love of worldly things and worldly honor and when it comes praise the Lord you're going to that's the true grace of God that's not something to be afraid of no and so when that happens he says finally it will result in praise and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ and in the midst of this trial even though you don't see Jesus though you have not seen him you love him and though you do not see him now you believe in him and you have tremendous joy Peter saw Jesus personally but Jesus said blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed I don't know how many of you believe that words Jesus told that to Thomas blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed do you believe that you're more blessed than Peter because you never saw Jesus Peter saw him but it says we are more blessed if we haven't seen and still believed that's what it says here in verse 8 you haven't seen him you don't see him now but you rejoice with inexpressible joy and as a result of this you obtain is the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls the Apostle Peter and all the other apostles spoke more than just salvation from hell they spoke about the salvation of our soul my soul and your soul is has got a corruption from Adam it's got the shape of Adam selfish proud defiled and I need to be saved from that I need to be saved from everything I've inherited from Adam and one way in which I'm saved for example my attachment to material things has come from Adam my love for honor position and comfort has all come from Adam I need to be saved from that and fiery trials and persecution have a tremendous value in being able to deliver me from such things we become more detached I've often thought for example you know some people think it's a great misfortune when a family has got a child I think in the family that has one child you know a or something that cannot go to school and got no you mentally physically I think in that family they'll come a great tenderness in the people a great sense of sacrifice and service which is not found in families which have all got smart children you know unconsciously a certain pride comes into the hearts of parents where all the children are very smart and capable and pride is not doesn't belong to heaven right belongs to hell that can be found in them even in the even in the families of believers God allows certain trials he knows in his great wisdom where to send it and when to send it but I I believe that when we stand before the Lord we'll discover he never made a single mistake every single thing he allowed in your life was to purify the gold and when you look at it like that you praise the Lord you have any expressible joy in the midst of trial that results in the salvation of your soul this is a salvation that the prophets in the past sought to understand but they couldn't understand people in the Old Testament couldn't understand but now this gospel even the angels it says long verse 12 last part to look into this they can't experience it but now the Holy Spirit sent from heaven has anointed people who preach this gospel so in view of the fact that we've got such a wonderful gospel and the fact that we are going through this holy for a short period he says don't get taken off with this the trials and difficulties in the poverty and the struggle and the pain and different different things but gird up your minds for action and look forward to the coming of Jesus Christ verse 13 and he goes on to speak about our calling you see this is the whole purpose of the purification of the gold because the Lord has said that we are to be like him verse 15 the one who called us is holy and we are to be holy you know like the little kittens that a mother cat has they are to be clean like the mother cat the little piglets are to be filthy like the mother pig and the little cats are to be clean like the mother cat in the same way once upon a time our Father was the devil that's true children of the devil means father was the devil and so we were like our father we told lies we fought we accused we gossiped we were interested in filthy simple things like unclean spirits are and then one day God became our Father it's like the difference between the piglet and the kitten and now he says God is your father then like the Holy One is who called you be holy in everything because he says you shall be holy because I am holy and if you call this person as your father verse 17 who is totally impartial in judging everybody's work then you must conduct yourself in fear throughout your earthly lifetime and recognized he says that you were purchased not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ which is more valuable than silver and gold and as we obey the truth that God reveals to us day by day it says in verse 22 our souls are purified God reveals his truth to us from his word and as we obey it our souls are purified in the midst of the fires as we obey God's Word the mutt goes away from our souls and gradually we become christ-like if you see a man of God if you see a man a believer who's never been through trial you'll find there's a hardness in him I feel sorry for such people I've seen such believers they've never been through sorrow in their life they've never been through pain they've never been through difficulty the children are all smart and clever they've never had financial difficulty they live comfortably in their homes and they travel about and comfort they believe the gospel maybe they are even in so called separated churches but there is no gentleness about them because they have never been through sorrow but you see another brother or sister who's been through deep sorrow and trials there is not an arrogance about them they believe the same doctrines but there's a difference this something in the gold has been purified you know if you give in pure gold and pure gold for people like us it may look the same but to a goldsmith he can immediately make out this is impure this is pure and that's how it is when God has taken you through trials and you obey the truth your soul is purified and you have no problem loving other people a person who's been through trials finds it very easy to love his fellow believers he doesn't find it difficult the people who find it difficult to love their fellow believers are the people who've never been through trials never been through any sorrows whenever somebody has a trial they judge him like job's friends judge job but if you are one of those who's been through deep trials in your life I believe you're a blessed person so that's what it says here this is the true grace of God and in chapter 2 Peter speaks about the necessity of you know growing spiritually it's not only through trials that we grow he said we must have a longing for the milk of the word of God just like a newborn baby you know when a baby is born the first thing it does and that's what the doctors look for is it must cry if it doesn't cry something is wrong all newborn babies cry and pretty soon they cry for milk nobody teaches that baby that it needs milk it's automatic and to me that's one of the tests of being born again if you were really born again like it says in chapter 1 verse 23 born again not with perishable but with imperishable seed see we were born with a perishable seed from our fathers but when we are born again it's with an imperishable seed and if you are really born again we are like babe we will cry for the milk of the world one of the tests of whether we are born again is do we cry for milk if a baby doesn't cry for milk it's probably dead normal babies everywhere even little kittens cry for milk little piglets cry from them little human babies cry for milk it's normal but when people say they are born again and they don't have a cry for the milk of the world I question what type of born again that is see I grew up in a church which didn't place much emphasis on God's Word but when I was born again I found such a a cry in my heart for God's Word nobody had to tell me I believe that's the experience of anyone who's really born again like newborn babes long-wear chapter 2 verse 2 for the pure milk of the word because that's how you'll grow in respect to this salvation of your soul and as we grow the Lord brings us along in fellowship with other people and we are built together with them it says in chapter 5 and 2 verse 5 into a spiritual house this is another thing we see all through the episodes the true grace of God will not allow you to live individual an individual Christian life he you are compelled to be built along with others like stones put together next to each other the true grace of God brings people into fellowship to be built together as God's house and he goes on to say as you're not only a house you're also verse 9 a choice in race a holy nation a people for God's own possession and the purpose is that in this evil world verse 9 you may show forth the excellencies of God who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light and then he goes on to say in a number of verses following that how we are to show forth this light he says in verse 12 keep your behavior excellent among the heathen and then there's a long passage on submission a man who's experienced the true grace of God will always submit to Authority I believe a man who has experienced God's grace will look for Authority wherever he goes he will have no problem with submission the great controversy that began way back before Adam was created was the controversy of rebellion Satan rebelled against God's authority Jesus overcame Satan by doing the opposite he came down and submitted he humbled himself he submitted first of all to Joseph and Mary and he submitted to his father in every area and even to the human authorities the father had placed over him which was Joseph and Mary for 30 years and one was experienced the true grace of God would have his he would have experienced a salvation in a spa soul from the spirit of rebellion and he has no problems submitting if you have a problem submitting to Authority you need to be saved in your soul so he says in verse 13 first of all submit to human authorities to the king to governors verse 14 that's the calling of a Christian and remember at this particular time the king in Rome was Nero one of the wickedest kings that Rome ever had Peter says submit God is appointed a wicked King okay submitter that will be for your sanctification and then he says don't use your freedom to do evil honor all men verse 17 in the Old Testament the law was honor older people when an older man comes you must stand up that's the way you show respect for older people but in the new testament it says don't just honor older people honor all people just like in the Old Testament you have to give 1/10 in the New Testament you give everything the Old Testament you kept one day faith for God in the New Testament you give seven days for God and the Old Testament you honored older people in the New Testament you honor everybody and a man who's experienced the grace of God has no problem honoring other people that's a mark of his submission God has made him a servant and he is very happy to honor everybody honor all men unbelievers everybody love the Brotherhood fear God honor the king and then he speaks specifically to servants and he says servants you've got to be submissive to this is the whole theme is submission now submit to human authorities submit to your masters you notice how all the Apostles speak about this business of submitting to your masters a Christian who's got a spirit of rebellion Nouri against authority in an office or a factory is a very poor witness for Christ a Christian who's got a spirit of rebellion against his teachers in a school is a very poor witness for Christ he has not understood the true grace of God he has not understood God's wings he hasn't understood that Jesus came and submitted he never rebelled against anyone now this is a lesson I believe that we all need to learn sermons be submissive to your masters with all respect if you work in an office you work in a factory you're working at any place a school or a hospital or anything you must show respect to those who are above you in that place if you're in a school we must teach our children to respect their teachers not to gang up with the other children to make fun of the teachers to show respect not only to those masters and teachers who are good and gentle but also to those masters who are unreasonable it's easy to submit to a good master but a Christian verse 18 who has experienced the true grace of God will submit to unreasonable masters to submit to a good master proves nothing about your character but when you can submit to an unreasonable master there you can show that you're a Christian that's where the light shines you know you take a if a light is burning outside in the daytime you don't even know whether that bulb is on or not but at night you really see it burning and so a Christians light is seen most in the midst of darkness when you have unreasonable masters and this man believes God is allowed me to be here so I submitted no problem and he says if you suffer because of as a result of that because you did what was right God will bless you for it there's no value in submitting patiently just when because you did something wrong and you're punished for it verse 20 but when you do what is right and then you suffer this is one of the great themes of Peter suffering when you've done what is right and you endure and he said this is exactly how it was with Jesus he suffered unjustly verse 21 and he has left as an example to follow in his steps he never sinned he never did any deceit he never there was no deceit in his mouth he never reviled when he was threatened he did not utter threats back and saying wait till one day God smites you know he just kept entrusting his case to God in the father who judges righteously this is what a man who has understood the true grace of God does when he suffers unrighteous ly he doesn't threaten saying God will judge you for the way you're treating me know Jesus didn't do that he kept entrusting his souls his father you know the truth all these false witnesses telling all types of things against me I'm not going to respond to them you know the truth and the father vindicated Jesus now here it says that Jesus has left us an example to follow in his steps now that's a very common expression that's found of many Christians to follow in Jesus steps but the context here if you read it is talking about when you are suffering unjustly that is the time to follow in Jesus tense when you're suffering and you don't deserve that suffering you're misunderstood you're punished for something you never did and you suffer patiently you're following in Jesus death who was punished for something he never did and he never threatened people I wonder how many Christians have really experienced the true grace of God the true grace of God is not just forgiveness of sins it's all this and the main theme of Peter write-through is suffering unjustly servants in chapter 3 verse 1 wives what about wives who suffer unjustly he started with servants he pointed out the example of Christ who suffered unjustly and then he says Wives chapter 3 verse 1 do you have a husband who is unreasonable do you have a husband who does not obey God's Word submit to that husband just like Jesus because it says in the same way what does it mean when it says in chapter 3 verse 1 in the same way that means the previous verses chapter 2 verse 21 in the same way as Jesus submitted wives who've got unreasonable husbands I've got a tremendous opportunity to follow Jesus to follow in his steps in the same way as Jesus submitted in justice you submit to that husband and when Jesus suffered unjustly on the cross what was the result there was a Roman centurion there who said I have never seen anything like this I've crucified so many people but I've never seen a man like this this must be the son of God he got converted there was a thief hanging there next to him he said I've never seen anything like this this must be the son of God Lord remember me he got converted and when your husband sees you like that he will get converted that's what it says you'll be able to win him without preaching one word to him many wives try to convert their husbands by preaching and preaching and preaching and the more they preach the more the husbands run away from the Lord no it's not it's not like that it's by submission then we're going to win our husbands wives as they observe your pure behavior and it says to the wives you want to adorn yourself you want to really make yourself beautiful don't you think women should be beautiful I believe that I believe with all my heart Christian women should be beautiful but what type of beauty not the beauty of verse 3 hairstyles and gold jewelry and fancy dresses no but the beauty verse 4 of a gentle quiet spirit and that beauty it says will never fade away never perish there is this godly sister 25 years old gentle quiet spirit 50 years later 75 years old much more beautiful than when she was 25 a gentle quiet spirit it says that is the beauty the hidden beauty which God looks for and it says it is very precious in the sight of God men may not admire that that's because men are foolish but God is not foolish and if you're a wise man you know when young men come to me and say whatever sister should I marry I said do you want to marry a sister who's precious in God's eyes they say yeah yeah I want to marry a sister is precious in God's eyes then I point them to this verse I say that sister must have the imperishable quad beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit don't marry your sister who's always talking talking talking talking doll you don't hold the time you want you won't get a chance to open your mouth in your home no I'm gonna gentle quiet spirit I'm not saying they shouldn't talk what I was saying is there's a way of conversation okay and he says this is how the old godly sisters were like Sarah who obeyed Abraham called him Lord what is the subject the true grace of God how do you know whether his sister has received the true grace of God she has got a gentle quiet spirit wonderful I believe in our churches we need more sisters like that and husbands hang on now it's for you it's not only for sisters how do you know whether a husband has experienced the true grace of God he will know how to live in an understanding way with his wife he will respect his wife as a weaker vessel he will never put burdens on his wife which he should carry himself for example if you and your wife are traveling and there's a big suitcase and a small suitcase which one will you give your wife [Music] that depends on whether you've experienced the true grace of God or not you will if you recognize her as a weaker vessel you give her the small thing okay when it comes to suitcases we know what about other burdens in the home there are a lot of burdens women carry in a home which are much heavier than suitcases and husbands don't even lift a finger to help them they sit in the morning having their quiet time with their Bible and the wife is struggling trying to make breakfast and the children are screaming and they've got to get them ready to school and the maharajah is sitting reading the Bible he's a holy man he's a holy man and he's saying Oh God speak to me and God says close your Bible and go and help your wife do you hear God speaking or are you studying sanctification and justification here a wife is a weaker vessel don't just carry the heavy suitcase when you travel there are burdens in the home that is a husband who has recognized the true grace of God yeah that's right and then it says here if you do if you live like that both of you will be kings and queens together joint heirs of the grace of life think if you have a Christian home like that what a fantastic testimony in the world and then he says to sum up verse 9 let everything be harmonious sympathetic brotherly kind-hearted never return evil for evil verse 9 never return insult for insult keep your lips verse 10 from speaking guile the true grace of God means a control over our tongue James said that Peter says that in verse 10 verse 13 is a wonderful verse if you live like this zealous for what is good who can harm you this is like Romans 8:28 1 Peter 3:13 so another wonderful words like Romans 8:28 you must remember who can harm you if you are zealous to do what is good nobody can harm you you can have a testimony all through my light nobody can harm me ok and it says in verse 15 if anyone asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you reply to them with gentleness now even brothers need this gentleness and respect don't ever speak rudely to somebody who asks why do you believe in Jesus even if they ask rudely you reply with gentleness and respect gentleness in men and women Jesus had learned from me I'm gentle and humble in art is the mark of people who have understood the true grace of God when a person is harsh you're all harsh when we begin we haven't understood the true grace of God and he goes on to speak about suffering in verse 17 it's better if that is God's will that you suffer for doing what is right rather than doing what is wrong okay then we go to chapter 4 and he says Jesus also suffered during the days of his flesh when he was here in the flesh he suffered he never asks us to go through a suffering he did not go through himself he humbled himself under Mary can you imagine sometimes when Jesus was busy doing something of playing as a little boy and Mary said Jesus come here go and get some water from the well he would have done it in the denied himself he learned submission he learned obedience through suffering Jesus suffered in the days of his flesh he denied his own will now you if you're a disciple of Jesus you must arm yourself with the same mind that means you determine Lord I don't care what it costs I'm not gonna send I'm gonna suffer rather than sin and if you have that attitude it says in verse 1 you will cease from sinning many people wonder how can I stop sinning here's the answer you decide with all of your heart arm your mind with this attitude I am determined to suffer like Jesus my Savior suffered and I'm not gonna live the rest of my life anymore for the lusts of men verse 2 but for the will of God this is the true grace of God he says you have lived enough for the world now you live for the will of God the time is short verse 7 the end of all things is at hand so be of sound judgment and then he gives us some practical illustrate yeah I mean advice be hospitable to one another one who has experienced the grace of God will be large hearted his home is open to God's people his hands are open to help the needy he is hospitable stingy people miserly people who were always calculating don't know the grace of God be hospitable I've seen in India is the poor people who are really hospitable the richer you get in the scale the stingy err they become be hospitable and in the church if you received a gift exercised that gift in humility that's part of the grace of God if you speak speak as the mouthpiece of God verse 11 if you serve serve with the strength God supplies and so on again he speaks about suffering in verse 12 don't be surprised when you go through a fiery ordeal because it's come for your testing as though some strange thing has happened you shouldn't be surprised when suffering comes to you in this world because we are like fish out of water when you experience the true grace of God you're not surprised when suffering comes if you are reviled verse 14 for the name of Christ you're blessed if people make fun of you but don't suffer as a murderer verse 15 or a thief or a busybody in other people's matters a lot of Christians they don't suffer as murderers or thieves or evildoers but the fourth category mentioned there in verse 15 they suffer as busybodies in other these matters that's a bad testimony and it says instead of judging other people were 17 let us judge ourselves first you see in the world they put themselves first in everything except judging and judging they put others first a Christian puts others first in everything except judging where he put judges himself first he's the opposite of the world and you know that Eve experienced the true grace of God when you don't judge others but you judge ourselves first it says in verse 17 the household of God we judge ourselves first and leave the other people judgment to God again he speaks about suffering in verse 19 and then he speaks to the elders the Church of God which experiences God's grace needs Shepherds and here's a challenge to those who are elders in verse 1 if elders have experienced the grace of God verse 2 they will look after their flock voluntarily cheerfully without seeking for money verse 2 but gladly if they get money for their needs praise the Lord if they don't get it it doesn't matter they will still look after that sheep and elder who's looking for money has not experienced the true grace of God and such an elder will not be boss over people verse 3 but he will be an example and one day when the chief Shepherd comes he will receive a crown of glory from him younger people young people you can experience the true grace of God and when you experience it you will submit yourself to your elders verse 5 because God is opposed to the proud but he gives grace to the humble therefore humble yourself under the mighty hand of God what is the mighty hand of God the mighty hand of God verse 6 5 6 is all the circumstances that God sends into your life that difficult boss that troublesome neighbor the difficult circumstances the financial difficulties the sickness the trial all these things God allows in our life is the mighty hand of God what should you do with it when you come to face these circumstances humble yourself God knows how to lift that mighty hand and exalt you that same mighty hand will exalt you one day like Joe one day the mighty hand that crushed him exalted him Jesus submitted to the mighty hand of God it pleased the Lord to crush him one day God raised him up you can do the same for you and when you humble yourself like this you can resist the devil verse 8 and 9 firm in your faith he comes like a roaring lion but he can't touch you if you humble yourself under God's hand otherwise he can have power over you and finally worse then after you have suffered again that expression for a little while for a little while means seventy years after you've suffered for seventy years what will happen God will call you the God who called you to his eternal glory will perfect you confirm you strengthen you establish if you're interested in that listen to this message Peter says in verse 12 this is the true grace of God we move on to chapter 2 which is a very sorry second Peter which is a brief episode and the theme of this episode is some of the promises and dangers for Christians particularly partaking of God's nature that's what Peters great thought is in the first chapter partaking of God's own nature the Christian life is not a bunch of rules and regulations Peter says God has given us verse four fantastic promises in the New Covenant much better than the Old Covenant what have you got in the Old Covenant healing plenty of children plenty of money plenty of sheep cattle oxen I say I don't want plenty of sheep and oxen and gavel and plenty of physical children and plenty of money here is something far better in second Peter 1:4 I can partake of his nature praise God that's the greatest promise God can ever give to anybody 2nd Peter 1:4 the partake of God's own nature there's absolutely nothing superior to that and here's another promise in verse 3 God has given us everything necessary for life and godliness there are many things in the world I don't know the answer to but everything necessary for a godly life God is revealed in the scriptures and he's given me the power in you through the Holy Spirit everything necessary for life and godliness and so since God has given us these promises what should we do first of all we must be diligent verse 5 we must be hard-working we must keep on adding virtues in our Christian life to faith when we have faith modernly our life will become more excellent as you as you walk like that in faith with and your moral excellence increases you come to increase in your knowledge of God verse 5 and as you increase in your knowledge of God you'll have more and more self-control in your life over your tongue and other aspects of your life and as you have more and more self-control you'll find yourself becoming more and more patient and the more and more patient you become the more and more godly you'll become and the more and more godly you become the more and more you'll be able to love your fellow believers and the more and more you love your fellow believers finally you'll be able to love all people that's the progression in verse five to seven and he says if these qualities are yours and they keep on increasing as you're progressing you'll never be unfruitful your life will be fantastically fruitful for the Lord but if you lack these qualities verse nine you're short-sighted and another mark of a short-sighted believer verse nine is that he forgets what type of sinner he was remember what it says in verse 9 don't ever forget what a filthy sinner you were what a pity Jesus dug you are from pulled you out from then you won't despise other people all this pride and despising others comes because we forgot what type of pit God pulled us out from so brethren be diligent to make certain about is calling you if you continue this way you will get in verse 11 an abundant entrance into God's kingdom I don't want an ordinary entrance sort of creeping in and say Lord if you can somehow give me a last seat in heaven I'll be happy that some people look for a last seat in heaven I'm not looking for a last seat in heaven I want to please God with all my heart in this earthly light because Jesus suffered so much for me and he says if you go this way you will have an abundant entrance and Peter says you know I'm gonna go to be with the Lord pretty soon the Lord has shown me that but as long as he says that in verse 14 but as long as I'm alive verse 13 and verse 12 I'm going to remind you of these things even though you already know them even though I wrote them to you before you see these apostles were like the prophets they kept on preaching the same thing and they were not afraid to preach the same thing again and again they said we're not ashamed to tell you the same thing you need to hear it again and I'm going to tell you again about partaking of divine nature I'm going to tell you again about the true grace of God I'm going to tell you again that God has provided everything necessary for godliness and I'll remind you as long as I'm alive and I'm gonna write letters to you so that after I die where's 15 you'll still remember I said what a burden he had he says because and he says how he saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration verse 17 and he says we're not telling you stories and he refers to the Old Testament as a word which is like a light shining in the dark place then he warns us there are these prophesies that true prophets have spoken verse 19 20 and 21 inspired by God they wrote Scripture and they didn't just write whatever came to their heads they wrote as God inspired them take those scriptures seriously you know in those days when Peter wrote this the New Testament was not freely available but even in days like this when you Testament is available we need that exhortation because he says false prophets arose among the people in those days and there will be false teachers among you and he speaks a whole lot about false teachers in the whole of chapter 2 I just wanted to mention two things which are the marks of false teachers how do you know whether a person is a false teacher is it by checking up his doctrine primarily maybe his doctrine may be wrong but there are a lot of people whose doctrines are writers who are false teachers and they are the more dangerous false teachers if somebody comes here holding the Gita or the Quran you won't be deceived by that if somebody comes up here and says Jesus Christ is not God you won't be deceived by that if somebody comes up and says there were no miracles there was no resurrection Jesus was not a born of a virgin you won't be deceived by that but if somebody comes and says I believe in the Bible and preaches all the right things that's the fellow who can deceive you and how do you know he's a false teacher it says here number one is their sensuality verse two and number three number two the first thing is their sensuality verse doing the second thing is their greed two things they are impure in their life verse 14 their eyes are full of adultery a preacher however right his doctrine may be if his eyes are full of adultery how do you make out whether a person's eyes are full of adultery you know there is a lack of purity there and I want to say to your sisters be careful of any man young or old who looks at you in a lustful way he doesn't matter what his doctrine is steer clear of such people if you value your life they are the false prophets and secondly they are greedy for money verse 3 these are the two characteristics of false prophets and if you watch those two God can save you from false prophets these false prophets are like people maybe once upon a time chapter 2 verse 21 they knew the way of righteousness but it turned away from that and now they've become like the pig verse 22 that's gone back to wallowing in its mire like the dog that returns to its own vomit I believe that there are many false teachers and false prophets like that in India and around the world today who started out as very sincere people who were pigs washed in the mire but they never partook of God's nature they remained as pigs they remained as clean pigs instead of partaking of God's nature and being transformed they remained as dogs instead of partaking of God's nature in other words that cleanliness was only on the outside and after a while they went back into the muck they went back to eat up what they vomited these are the false prophets so don't think false prophets are only those who preach wrong doctrine and God he says these false prophets will be punished one day just like Sodom and Gomorrah was punished for their immorality and just like God's punished the people in Noah's time for their immorality and their worldliness and just like Balaam verse 15 verse 5 he speaks about Noah's time where 6 about Sodom and Gomorrah verse 15 about Balaam who was punished by similar immorality whose donkey knew more about God than him and he's saying a donkey can know more about God than these false teachers chapter 3 he says there'll be a lot as he come towards the end of time there'll be a lot of markers who say verse 4 where is the promise of his coming look system you all fellas are saying that christ is coming christ is coming where is he coming people say that but he will come that's what they said to Noah know why you say rains gonna come rain is gonna come rain it's gonna come where's the rain one day it came and so will it be in the coming of Christ and he says if you believe that all this is going to be burnt up what sort of person should you be verse 11 and 12 you should be living godly lives verse 11 because you know that everything you see around you is going to be burnt out don't think that the Lord is slack or slow verse 9 in fulfilling his promise if he's waiting he's waiting only because he wants all people to come to repentance it's a lovely verse verse 9 as Jesus looks out at 1 billion people in India what is his desire for 1 billion people in India that all should come to repentance and that's why he waits some more people whose names are in the book of life have not yet been converted that's why the Lord is waiting see in the book of life is the name of all the believers and there are some people in India whose names are in that book we have not yet been converted and God is waiting for somebody to go and bring them to the Lord and when everybody's name who's name is in the book of lies converted the Lord will come for a chance therefore beloved verse 14 be diligent to be found without spot in him blameless and spotless finally worse 18 growing grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ this also is the true grace of God we thank God for Peters letters and we pray that we will have grace to walk in the light of that let's pray

Channel: SermonIndex.net

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Zac Poonen

Id: Wf1JIB8I-oc

Length: 55min 43sec (3343 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 08 2017