SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING- 2 Peter 2: 1-22

FOCAL PASSAGE— 2 Peter 2: 1-3 – But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and the way of truth will be blasphemed because of them. 3 They will exploit you in their greed with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. 
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In Chapter 1 Peter stressed the importance of building ourselves up spiritually. In chapter 2, he tells us why this is so important. He begins by describing the characteristics of false teachers, comparing them to the false prophets of the Old Testament. In Peter’s audience Jewish rabbis and other teachers who professed to communicate God’s truth posed the greatest threat to the Christians. By comparing false teachers in the church with false prophets in Israel Peter was saying that just as there were those who misrepresented God in Israel so there would be those who misrepresent Him in the church.

I wonder if you think this is as important to us today as it was to the original readers of Peter’s letter. I believe it is actually more important! The Greek word for “false teachers” used in verse 1 is not used anywhere else in the Bible. It can refer to those who claim to be teachers of God’s truth, but actually teach falsehood. Never has that been more prevalent than today. We live in a world where anything goes – you can say, think, believe whatever you like. Have you ever heard someone say, “All roads lead to Heaven?” There are even churches today that teach that concept. Our society has become so fearful of not being “tolerant”, that it is willing to accept any religion. Thus, the only wrong belief is that there’s such a thing as wrong beliefs. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!

In John 14: 6, Jesus says “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He can’t make it any plainer than that.

The words “secretly bring in”, in our focal passage, literally mean to bring in along side. The heretics would seek to add some other teaching to the orthodox faith or some other teaching as a substitute for the truth. The implication is that they would try to do this in some underhanded way. This is the same way Satan works today. There are many churches today that teach something disguised as Christianity, but is actually something else entirely. Beware of anyone that tells you salvation is by Christ “plus” anything, Like the song says, salvation is in “Christ Alone”.

“If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. Romans 10: 9

It’s really quite simple and we have the Standard to go by. Test every teaching you hear against God’s Word. Test every thing I say here against God’s Word. Test everything Bernard says here against God’s Word. Even test your pastor. It’s important to have the Scriptures open in front of you when listening to any preacher – to make sure that what he is saying is what the Bible says, and not just unhelpful speculation.

If as we study the balance of this chapter, we see there are strong consequences of following false teachings. Just as God had dealt with people in the days of Noah, or Lot, He will deal with such people today. Peter himself had denied Jesus three times…he did not want others to follow his example.

The Scriptures over flow with hope for those that honor His word. We live in a world of misleading beliefs and false teachings. I know of no other way to overcome them than to begin each day in Bible study, even if it’s only for a few minutes. The Psalmist put it best, and I love the poetic beauty in the King James Version:

“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”. Psalm 119:105

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING- 1 Peter 1: 1-25

FOCAL PASSAGE——–1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To the temporary residents dispersed in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, though now for a short time you have had to struggle in various trials 7 so that the genuineness of your faith—more valuable than gold, which perishes though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.

23 since you have been born again—not of perishable seed but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God. First Peter1:1, 3-7, 13-16, 23
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It’s interesting to read different Bible translations and observe the words used to describe the recipients of Peter’s letter. The King James Bible calls them “strangers”, and the New American Standard Version refers to them as “aliens”. I like the term the Holman Christian Standard Version uses…”temporary residents”, but they all mean the same thing. Those of us who have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior are living in a place that is not really our home, at least not our eternal one. As the old Hymn says, “This world is not my home, I’m just a passin’ through”.

Have you ever traveled to another country? It’s a strange feeling as you walk among the residents. If we travel to England, they might not notice us by our appearance, but as soon as we open our mouth, they know we don’t belong there; we sound different…foreign. If we travel to Jamaica, or China, it becomes evident even sooner…our skin color is different, our height might be different, our hair color, etc. The early Christians had been scattered or exiled into foreign lands. So they were literally strangers, but they were also of a different nature.

Verse 2 says we have been “set apart”, but I’d like to skip ahead and come back to that in a few minutes, if you don’t mind.

As Believers, just like the early Christians, we have a new nature. Verse 3 tells us, “He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. The word “hope” to the world, means the anticipation of possible good things to come…there’s a big “maybe” right in the middle of it., But the hope that Peter speaks of here is a “living hope”, a certainty. We might substitute the word “confidence” in its place. Have you thought about what a promise this is? Let’s review verse 4; that hope, or confidence, is in “AN INHERITANCE THAT IS IMPERISHABLE, UNCORRUPTED, AND UNFADING, KEPT IN HEAVEN FOR YOU.” Wow! Not kept by us; nothing we could ever do would assure it would still be there…but kept by God. It is this “hope”, confidence, promise if you will, that can keep us going in times of difficulty and stress. As we struggle with the “various trials” Peter speaks of…when we face financial difficulties, illnesses or the loss of loved ones, we have this promise… this hope, to bring us through it. And as living testaments, we will bring glory and honor to our Savior.

So we have this great gift, this promise…now what? Let me ask you a question. How might our lives change if we won the lottery…I mean a big one…millions. Do you think you might get a new car or a new house? Sure…chances are, more than one. Our clothes would change, our appearance might even change. It would reflect the lifestyle of which we were now a part. I won the lottery, “therefore”, my life is going to be different…and it will be evident to others.

Well, there is a “therefore” in verse 13 as well. We have been given this great gift, this inheritance, so… “13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance.”

We are to live differently than before Jesus came into our life. If our lives do not reflect something different than the rest of the world, why would anyone want to be like us? Why would anyone want to become a Christian if they cannot see the hope that is within us?

Now let’s back track to the part I skipped. Set apart…now what does that mean? I could set myself apart…let’s see…I won’t drink, I won’t smoke, I won’t curse. That will make me different. I could visit the sick, give to the poor, always be on time at work, be polite to everyone That will make me different. It may sound kind of silly, but that’s what the world thinks about Christians. That we have a list of things we can’t do and things we have to do. Nothing could be farther from the truth…we can not set ourselves apart.

We have been set apart by God “for obedience”. To be set apart means we are to love Jesus more than we love the world and verse 23 reveals the secret. It was “through the living and enduring Word of God” that we were set apart.

And it is through the Word of God that we can live for him. A conversation is a two way street. We can pray and talk to God, but He speaks to us through His word. If we only do one of those, it’s a monologue, not a dialog. By His word, we learn to love Him more than the world, live for Him, and give the glory back to Him.
There is an old Hymn we sang in church when I was a child, but we almost never sang the third refrain…it goes like this:

Then live for Christ both day and night,
Be faithful, be brave and true,
and lead the lost to life and Christ.
Let others see Jesus in you.

 

SUGGESTED SCRIPTURE READING- Mark 15: 1-20

FOCAL PASSAGE——–
Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, made their plans. So they bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate. 2 “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate.” You have said so,” Jesus replied. 3 The chief priests accused him of many things. 4 So again Pilate asked him, “Aren’t you going to answer? See how many things they are accusing you of.” 5 But Jesus still made no reply, and Pilate was amazed. Mark 15: 1-5.

Pilate belonged to a special group of imperial administrators under Tiberius Caesar; he was a prefect, or governor of Judaea. Of the four Gospel writers, Mark has the distinction of offering the shortest account of Jesus’ trial before him.

John describes the longest and most detailed of our Lord’s hearing before Pilate; different in some details, yet, in perfect harmony. In John, we see an increasing sense of awe and dread on the part of Pilate. You can see some of that in the focal passage at the top of this page, but not to the extent that John describes.

John records a sort of conversation between Jesus and Pilate. In the other Gospels, Jesus says almost nothing, either to the Jews, to Pilate or to Herod. In John’s account, Jesus and Pilate do have a conversation of sorts. There is no contradiction here, however. When Jesus refuses to speak, it is (1) because the law does not require Him to testify against Himself, and (2) because He refuses to defend Himself. When Jesus refused to speak, it was when He was in the presence of the Jews. When Jesus did speak with Pilate, it was inside his residence, where the Jews would not enter. The conversation was not of His guilt or innocence, but about His identity and His mission. It almost seems evangelistic.

Jesus had been brought to Pilate and falsely accused of treason against Rome and against Caesar, for claiming to be a king. Thus Pilate’s question…he’s looking for something with which to hang Him. In today’s language, the conversation might have gone something like this:

“Are you really the King of the Jews? “ Jesus answered, ”Are you asking me this on your own, or because of something someone told you?” Pilate quickly replies, “I’m not a Jew am I? Your own people and priests have brought you in here”. Jesus answered, “Pilate, I’m no threat to you. My kingdom is not an earthly one, this is not my home.” To which Pilate replied, “But you are a king, right?” Again, Jesus told him, “You say I’m a king, and that’s true. I was born for this…I came to testify to the truth. Everyone who knows me knows the truth”. Pilate’s answer is very telling…THEN and NOW, “What is truth?”

Notice that Pilate didn’t say “What is THE truth?”, but cynically, “what is truth?” Kind of what you expect from a crooked politician. The truth had been bent so many times in his life, it was probably hard to recognize.

Here is this week’s FIRST question: Can we recognize the truth when we see it?
Pilate had the truth right in front of him and could not. Many people today have the same problem. They hear the gospel presented, yet look the other way. Perhaps they think, “That was another day, another time. Yes, Jesus died, but what does that have to do with me? I’ve lived a pretty good life. I didn’t crucify Him, those people did.” Nothing could be farther from the TRUTH…My sins crucified Him…as did yours.

Pilate went so far as to wash his hands. Maybe it was a symbolic gesture, but the fact is he wanted nothing to do with Jesus.

Here are a couple of hard questions: Do you know anyone who has washed their hands of Jesus? Have you told them the TRUTH?

 

During a business trip a while back, I stopped for lunch at a greasy spoon. I’ve been in worse places I suppose… but not for a while. Reading the newspaper, I couldn’t help but look up when I heard the man working behind the counter. “My God is real,” he said, to no one in particular. I smiled and continued reading. A few minutes later, “My God is real,” he declared with a huge grin as he went about his duties.

Now please don’t misunderstand when I say this; flipping burgers at a restaurant is a good honest job, but it probably isn’t the vocation most of us had in mind when we began pursuing a career. Yet, here was this guy, not only happy in his job, but using it to share his faith with those around him.

The truth is that happened over twenty years ago. But it made such an impression on me that I think of this gentleman from time to time when I get frustrated in my work. It reminds me to be thankful. He was living out two truths that Paul shared with us in God’s Word.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4

and…

… I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. Philippians 4:11

Paul was in prison when he wrote this letter to the church in Philippi. It seems strange to speak of rejoicing while in jail. Most of us will never have to face that kind of circumstance, but no matter what our problems are, our inner attitudes do not have to reflect them. Paul knew that no matter where he was, Jesus Christ was with him.

My friend at the diner knew that as well. May we all live joyfully in that simple truth.

My God is real!

Dr. R. Paul Caudill was pastor of First Baptist Church in Memphis Tennessee for nearly 40 years. He is known worldwide for his many accomplishments for the Lord. But he once told me that as a young man, when God first called him to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he fled to Texas to hide, only to discover God was already there.

Jonah took a similar path when God sent him to proclaim His Word and spent three days in the belly of a great fish as a result of disobeying. He found God was there also. The Bible teaches us He is everywhere…omnipresent.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?  Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. Psalm 139:7-8

Many of us spend much of our lives running from God, while others search for fulfillment in life, but can find none, apart from Him. If you are one who yearns for that fulfillment, here are some places I’ve found God to always be present:

In your home; at the office; on the road; outdoors; indoors; in your darkest moments; in times of triumph; in times of sorrow; in times of great joy.

If you’ve been to those places, and haven’t found Him, perhaps you are looking with your eyes, and not your heart.

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

There is yet another place to search for God, and quite often, it is the best place;

On our knees.

The tones sound as he punches in the alarm sequence. “Last one to leave the building again”, he thinks as he gives the key a turn to the left. “And now it’s starting to rain, great, I’ll be drenched. Why did I have to park so far away? Lord knows I was here before almost everyone.” Cold and wet, he eases the car out of the lot and into the line of traffic. “The heater in this old wreck takes so long to get going, wish I could afford a newer one. I’ll be home before it warms up.”

But he’s wrong. There must be a wreck up ahead. The usual thirty minute commute from downtown Nashville to Franklin turns into forty-five, and then an hour. Thoughts turn to the day’s events as he contemplates the project he has worked on so diligently, and the criticism he received after presenting it. “I worked my head off to get that thing finished under budget and ahead of schedule.” He remembers the late nights of the past month. And even then, it wasn’t good enough to please the boss. “Typical micro manager,” he thinks. “Nothing is ever good enough for him.”

As he finally steps into the house, he sees the stack of unpaid bills lying on the table. Beside them is a note. “At the PTA meeting until late, make sure the kids finish their homework, sorry about dinner, you’ll have to fend for yourself.” He can hear the TV blaring down the hall, and the arguing voices of teenagers overpowering it. Obviously no homework is being done yet. He sighs and eases into his chair for a few moments of peace; aware of the ever-present ache that inhabits the small of his back lately. “I’m sinking fast. There has to be a better way than this.”

He glances at the coffee table and notices the unopened Bible he laid there three days ago after church. He looks down at his knees and realizes how long it has been since he has been on them. Bits and pieces of the pastor’s sermon start to come back to him. The story of Peter having the faith to step out of the boat and walk on water toward Jesus…and how Peter’s faith weakens…the part of the Master taking his hand as Peter begins to sink. And he realizes…there is a better way.

“Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30