Sermon: Our Sovereign God 2 Peter 3:15-18

Albert Barns 5 points

(1) That Peter knew Paul’s writings

(2) Peter’s audience knew Paul’s writings

(3) Peter regarded Paul as a “beloved brother,”

(4) Peter regarded Paul as having authority

(5) That Peter regarded Paul as inspired by God

• • Paul’s wisdom is a gift from God
  • Look at the preparation of Paul

1.1. Paul was highly educated

• • • • • • But he counts it as nothing apart from knowing Christ

1.1. He was a devout Jew, observing everything

1.2. Persecutor of the church

• • • • All of this shaped his Christian life
        • • Why?  Humbleness  Zeal   Suffering

• • Difficulty Peter might have had
    • • Paul – Not one of the original
      • Didn’t share the closeness
      • Persecutor of the church
        • • In some ways, persecution brought unity (Today)
      • Different cultures
        • • Peter living among Jews vs. Paul in a mixed crowd

• • Paul was trying to save “some.”
  • We can hope to save “some”
    • • We hope to save more than Noah and Lot

• • God gives us good things
    • • He EVEN gives us the desires for them
      • Ask, He gives generously
  • Problem – We expect immediate results
    • • • • Ah-HA MOMENTS!
          • Bible stories played out over years

• • • • Galatians
        • • Paul received the Gospel from Christ directly
            • • Thus he was inspired – not the case with us

• • • • • • He went to Arabia for 3 years, why? (learning?)
          • Literally, an eye-opening experience
            • • All that Jewish knowledge fit together

• • Sovereignty of God

• • God would teach Moses

• • Notice Aaron is already on his way
    • • And he will be glad in his heart.
  • How about other wisdom?  Where is it from?

• • If we have any wisdom, it did not come from us
    • • Saying, “Give credit where credit is due.”

• • What matters?

1. 1. 1. 1. The coming of Christ
         2. False prophets

• • Then he says

• • What is hard to understand?
  • The coming of Christ and false prophets are hard to understand?
  • I don’t believe so, No.

• • In his letters
  • Back to false prophets
  • Ignorant – how to describe???
    • • You can be pretty smart and ignorant
      • Saul was smart an ignorant
      • Paul describing false prophets says

• • Twist, distort or wrest (KJV)
    • • Wrest – No definition in the modern dictionary to match the meaning
      • 1828 Webster
      • 3. To distort; to turn from truth or twist from its natural meaning by violence; to pervert.

• • Did you ever wonder how letters became scripture?
    • • Peter lumps the letters with scripture
      • Letters are equal to the Old Testament scriptures
      • Divinely inspired through the Holy Spirit
      • Direct revelation from Jesus Christ himself
  • Does direct revelation continue today?
    • • Catholic Church
        • • Infallibility, Not always – just certain times
            • • Reformation – Started with indulgences
              • Ultimately – Over the doctrine of salvation
              • Martin Luther, pressed:
                • • Are you saying the church (pope) is in the wrong?
                  • Pressed… Yes, I am a Hussite
              • Danger, once the church rules, it cannot error
              • Infallibility defended during the council of Trent 1545
              • Dogmatically defined in 1870
              • Increasing pressure from the liberal culture
              • Past rulings that contradict current culture
                • • Never wrong, just evolving
      • Modern day charismatic false prophets
      • Muhammad – Muslimism
      • Joseph Smith – Mormonism
  • Sola scripture – very important
    • • Scripture is the unmovable standard

• • Scripture twisters???
  • What does Peter mean?
    • • Any clues???
      • See chapter 2 and chapter 3
  • ESV reads lawless
  • NASB “unprincipled”
  • KJV and NKJV – “wicked”
  • Youngs “impious”

• • Peter’s final warning
  • He says, now you know
    • • Things will come against the church
      • There will be false teachings
      • Corrupt pastors and leaders
      • The greatest threat comes from within
  • So, we are to guard against doctrinal errors
    • • It’s not what the text means to you, it’s what the text means, period.
      • Doctrine “is” important
      • Truth is VERY important
  • If you are on the ROCK you have stability

1. 1. Grow in grace
   2. Grow in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
   3. Glory to Christ

• • Grace is given, unmerited favor with God
  • Synonym for our religion
    • • Grace should be cultivated
        • • Like a mustard seed, realization starts out small
      • We “see” more and more, grace in our life
        • • The Lord working and moving for His pleasure
          • Trials and tribulations around but yet we get through them
          • We are strengthened daily
      • “Common” means of grace
        • • Preaching of the Word
          • Singing songs and hymns
          • Prayer
          • Scripture reading
          • Christian fellowship
          • Studying

• • Knowledge of Jesus Christ
  • Truth
  • The true Jesus Christ

• • False prophets seek to glorify themselves