To God Be The Glory

[00:00:00] It's good to be here. I was quite sick Friday night. Well, my wife was sick earlier, I guess, and I got it from her. She was sick Thursday and into Friday, and I was sick Friday night and all day yesterday. So, I am glad to be feeling well again this morning. [00:00:35] I would like to turn to 2 Peter chapter 1. I think I'm planning on going through the book of 2 Peter. Not all today. There's fellowship dinner. I've been reminded a couple times already. So, I would like to read the first chapter of 2 Peter. And I'd like to focus on the first three verses. Let's go ahead and read 2 Peter 1. [00:01:08] Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained light, precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust [00:01:40] and besides this giving all diligence add to your faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness And to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness, charity For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that you shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure [00:02:14] For if you do these things, you shall never fall For so an entrance shall be administered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this, my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able, after my decease, to have these things always in remembrance [00:02:48] For we have not followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ But were eyewitnesses of his majesty For he received from God the Father honor and glory When there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount We have also a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. [00:03:21] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. I just want to read that first chapter. I suppose that's what we'll do each time. I would encourage you to be reading the book of 2 Peter and studying it. I heard a story this past week, I'm not sure I didn't, that my cousin was telling me. [00:03:53] He said he couldn't remember who it was and not even for sure where he'd heard it. But a guy was talking on a subject, on a book, and it seemed anything that was asked about this book, he knew so much about this book. He had done so much studying and they said, what's your secret? How are you so in-depth with this book? I thought you were going to say, well, I'm the author, but that wasn't the case. He said, before I study a book, I read it through 50 times. So that's a pretty in-depth analysis of a book, I would say. [00:04:26] But I do believe the more we read, the more we just simply repetition, not only verse by verse, but just simply reading through an entire book And doing it several times is a very good way of getting a concept of the context, what the writer is talking about when you read a certain verse. If you have read the whole book, it's easier to get an idea of what he's meaning by that certain verse. I've entitled my message this morning, To God Be the Glory. [00:04:59] The thought being not what I have done, but what God has done. We need to give God the glory. Verse 1 starts out by saying to who this letter is addressed. It is addressed to them that have obtained precious, like precious faith with us. It is addressed to those who have trusted in God, who have accepted God, accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, placed their trust in God through Jesus Christ. Notice we have obtained this faith through the righteousness of God. [00:05:34] God, that is something that really stuck out to me, not because of anything we have done or can do, it says that we have obtained light precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Savior Jesus Christ. Imagine that. We are counted righteous because of someone else's goodness. We are not righteous on our own. We are filthy rags. Our works are filthy rags. We are vile people. [00:06:06] In our Sunday school lesson this morning, Jacob's name was changed from Jacob, which is deceiver, He wrestled with God and his experience with God changed him from a vile deceiver to a prince. It was really interesting. I've never seen it before. When Nathanael came to Christ in John 1, 47, the last four or five verses there, 47 through 51 I think it is. [00:06:41] When Nathanael came to God, to Jesus, Jesus said, Behold an Israelite in whom is no guile. And that was saying, this is a true Israelite, a true prince. And then later he says, you believe me because I saw you under the fig tree when I wasn't around. I knew where you were. You'll see greater things than this. You will see heaven opened and the angels of God descending and ascending upon the Son of Man. Saying he was the latter that Jacob had seen, the original Israel had seen when the angels were ascending and descending. [00:07:21] I just thought that was really interesting. That was something I had never caught before or realized before, but it's there in John 1. Last week I talked a little bit about the sacrificial lamb. The lamb is the one that had to be perfect, not the offender. The Lamb needed to be perfect. And here we see it again. We have obtained faith through the righteousness of God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not have any righteousness in and of ourselves. [00:07:55] God commands us not to sin. We are given the commandment not to sin. But also remembers that we are made of dust. Let's go to Psalms 103, 1-18. It's interesting to contrast this passage, which makes it sound like there's no payment for sin, that sin doesn't matter, you can take it that way. It's interesting to contrast that with Galatians, where he says, [00:08:29] Be not deceived, God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. David, when he wrote this psalm, he had experienced forgiveness. He knew what forgiveness was and he was rejoicing in that. But if you look at his life, his sin with Bathsheba bore consequences. He was truly and completely forgiven for his sin, but his son still died. The son that was conceived in adultery died. Even though David repented, he fasted, he prayed, he had deep remorse for that sin. [00:09:05] There were still consequences that had to be paid. Let's read Psalms 103, 1-18. And just focus on or think about our righteousness, our forgiveness being because of God's goodness. It's not because we have earned it, it's because God gives it to us. Verse 1, Psalms 103. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. [00:09:37] Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. [00:10:11] He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy towards them that fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust. As for man, his days are as grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. [00:10:44] For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments, to do them. It's interesting in verse 9 and 10, he talks about he will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. If he actually did, we would have no chance. [00:11:17] We would instantly be wiped off. Look at 16 and 17, for the wind passeth over it and is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children. The wind passeth over it, and it is gone. I heard an interesting quote, a man doesn't live long after he's dead, does he? We think we're really something, but look how soon we are forgotten once we're gone. [00:11:52] We really, another illustration is somebody thought he was really, I don't remember anymore if it was a minister or somebody thought he had a real important place in the church. He said, you know, they're just really, the church couldn't go on without me. And that guy said, will you take a bucket of water and put your hand in that bucket of water? And he said, that's you taking up a place in the church. He said, pull your hand out. How big a hole did it leave? There's always going to be some way to take your place. [00:12:23] There's always, once you're gone, you will be forgotten soon. I mean, in the perspective of eternity, over the years, only a very few are actually remembered for a long time. Our life is like a vapor. Isaiah 57, 13-21 talks a little bit more about that. about how soon we are gone. [00:12:56] When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee, but the wind shall carry them all away. Vanity shall take them, but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain. And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumbling block out of the way of my people. For thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy, I dwell in the high and holy place, with Him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite one. [00:13:28] For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth, for the Spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him. I hid me and was wroth, and he went on forwardly in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways and will heal him. I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the list. Peace, peace to him that is far off and to him that is near, saith the Lord, and I will heal him. [00:13:59] But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters are cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. What we see there is the brevity of life, how helpless we are without God there to support us. And in verse 18 he says, I will lead... Verse 16, for I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth, [00:14:30] for the Spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made. I think what he's saying is, if I would keep my anger and actually deal with these people the way I ought to or I could in actual justice instead of mercy, well these people that I've created would soon be gone. I have to deal with them in mercy because very soon the spirit, the life in a person would be wiped out and the souls that I have made would be gone. I must deal gently with them is another way we could say that. [00:15:00] Let's go to verse 2 there in 2 Peter. Let's go back, go on down to verse 2 now. Grace and peace be multiplied through the knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you. We all would say we want grace and peace in our lives. We want that to be multiplied. We would ask God's blessing on our lives, but he says, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. [00:15:35] And I realize you can take that two ways. You can take that that you'll be blessed because of God's knowledge, or you could be blessed because of your knowledge of God. Am I actively seeking to increase my knowledge? Am I content, well, I don't know much about the Bible, and I never will. I'll never understand it. I can't understand it, so I'm not going to worry about it. Psalms 119, 104, Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. [00:16:06] Because I understand the truth, I hate the false ways. Proverbs 4, 5, Get wisdom, get understanding, forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. Proverbs 4.7 Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom, and with all thy getting, get understanding. Proverbs 16.16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold, and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver? Wisdom and understanding are better than gold and silver, and we pour our lives into getting gold and silver. [00:16:43] It takes work to make money, but we're willing to apply ourselves and put in the work and do what it takes to work. But we do not want to put in the effort and the work that it takes to get what God tells us is better than silver and gold. How hard are we trying to increase our understanding and our knowledge of God? Through the knowledge of God, we obtain the grace and peace. [00:17:14] The things that we really want from God, we obtain by knowing God. Verse 3 says, He hath given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. Here again, we are told all things that pertain unto life and godliness through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Here again, He has given us what we need. What we need for victory, what we need to overcome in life, we have been given through the knowledge of Him. [00:17:49] Do I believe that I have been given the ability to overcome? Do we all have the same ability, or is it easier for some than others? I believe that's one thing Satan likes to tell us that you are being tempted worse than most people it's harder for me to live in victory this guy over here I think he's doing pretty good but I don't think he has many temptations I have a lot harder time telling sin no than you do or you do [00:18:21] I think that is something that Satan would like for us to believe and would like for us to think that our situation is unique And the things we face is different and harder than the things that others will face. Okay, I would like to read 1 Corinthians 10, 1-14. I want to talk to the children a little bit. In your notes, we have a few blanks there all in a row. And those will all be answered in this passage. So as we read, you can be thinking about that. If you don't keep up, 1 Corinthians 10, 1-14 is where all those answers are going to be found. [00:18:59] Just so you are ready for that. 1 Corinthians 10, 1-14 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. I want you to notice the alls. They were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eat the same spiritual meat and did all drink the same spiritual drink [00:19:30] for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them and that rock was Christ but with many, now here we turn to not all but with many of them God was not well pleased for they were overthrown in the wilderness and then we'll notice in the next few verses We see a lot of sums instead of all at some. Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters as were some of them. [00:20:01] As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted and were destroyed as serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happen unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed, lest he fall. [00:20:33] There is no temptation taken you, but such is his common demand. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted about that ye are able, but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. They were all under the cloud. They all passed through the sea. They were all baptized to Moses. They did all eat the same spiritual meat and they all had the same spiritual drink. What was the difference? [00:21:04] But with many of them, they made choices. Verses 7, 8, 9, and 10 all say, Some. They all had the same experience. Some chose to rebel. We have been given the ability, God has given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. We have been given the ability to overcome. By reading that some chose to rebel, we can also assume that means some chose not to. [00:21:40] We know Joshua and Caleb in one instance where they all went against the crowd. They all said we can't go in. Joshua and Caleb said we can go in. God will be with us. There's one instance where we know two men stood alone. Now, verse 6 and 11 says that these things were written for our admonition, for our benefit, so that we would know they were given to us as examples. So that we would know we are supposed to learn from these things. Let's, let's learn. We can be different. We can stand above, live above sin in a way that sin does not have constant victory over us. [00:22:23] Verse 12 says, Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. I think all of us, I know all of us have the ability to fall. We are all susceptible to failure and sin. We cannot think that our position or past experience will keep us from falling. We cannot say I've been a Christian for so many years that I pretty well know that I'm going to not have trouble from here on out. [00:22:55] We are always susceptible. We are always set up for failure. Satan is always after us to get us to fall. So now what? Do we keep trying? If we're always going to be set up for failure, always have that temptation that we're facing, Does that mean that we are doomed? Verse 13, we read again, There is no temptation taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful. There is our key to the whole Christian life. [00:23:26] But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted, above that you are able. He will always make a way to escape. When we are trying to live a righteous life on our own strength, instead of through the righteousness of God, We are going to fail, but we also need to realize that because of that, we can bear the temptation. When we are tempted, we never have the excuse that I couldn't help it, that he's maybe not tempted as much as me. [00:24:01] If he was facing my temptation, he would do it too. We never have that because we always know God knows each of our situations. God knows where we're at. We will never be tempted above what we are able. That sounds like there's probably temptations we couldn't say no to. God guards us from those temptations. We never have the right to say, I couldn't help it. God will always give us a way of escape. Here again, we have that escape because of the knowledge of God. [00:24:34] God, we have in Psalms 119, 11, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. When that temptation comes, if we can right away combat that temptation with scripture, with a verse that alludes to that issue, that deals with that subject, whatever that temptation might be, we're going to be so much more likely to sin. I think we need to make, I really encourage you to build up your knowledge of what the Bible says, what God teaches us, and what's there to be learned. [00:25:21] Then he says, we need to be aware and take heed. We need to flee idolatry. Now why out of all those sins that he mentioned there that some did this and some did this and this is what happened. In verse 14 now he says, wherefore my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. He singles that one out. Why doesn't he say flee from sin? Flee from wickedness. Isn't idolatry wanting anything else instead of or more than God? [00:25:57] And I think anytime you look at a sin, it's a sin that you chose to do this rather than God's will. Whatever that sin might be, whatever it is that you struggle with or that I struggle with, it's idolatry because we are choosing sin over God. It's what I want to do rather than what God wants to do. It's what looks good to me rather than what God tells me is good to me, good for me. Am I content with God? Or do I want God and a lot of other things thrown in to make it worth it? [00:26:32] Oh, probably a year or more. Well, I guess it was when our twins died. I've preached about being a jewel. When they died, I was thinking of God gathering jewels. Sorry. God gathering jewels for his crown and the thought came to me what if that were my eternal destination the only thing I'm going to be in heaven [00:27:03] is a jewel in God's crown the only thing I will do I'll be an adornment a decorative piece in his crown and all I'll be there for is to bring him glory people see that and it makes God look better if you could say that Would I be content with that? Am I serving God only because of what I'm going to get out of it? Or am I content to be just a jewel? God is all I need and if I'm pleasing God, that's good enough for me. Just a thought that I, do I want God? [00:27:39] Am I content with God and He is all I care about? Or do I want God and a lot of other things to make it worth it? Some of the best advice or warning or whatever you would call it that I ever received probably was when I was dating. A guy told me, he said, if you think that having a wife will make you happy, that's what you need to be content, [00:28:13] you're going to be very disappointed. He said, you need to be content with God and then you will be happy with marriage but if you are getting married so that that will bring contentment we need to get to a point where God and nothing else is what makes me content and then we can enjoy other things in the way we should if we are trying to use other things to bring satisfaction to us I don't believe that we are going to ever experience contentment [00:28:44] until we get to where God is all we need We are willing to flee idolatry. Nothing can tempt us to where we can't stand it because anything that tempts us is telling us to do something that God would ask us not to. I want God. I believe God. I take what God says, what God offers. I believe that that is better than anything the world can give me or anything that can tempt me, the satisfaction that will come from giving in to sin. I would like to challenge you. [00:29:18] We are responsible. We can never look and say, well, God didn't give me enough strength for that. But we also can say, God does give me enough. It's not just a negative thing. I'm responsible. If I mess up, it's my fault. We can also say, God has given us all things that pertain unto godliness. We are just simply responsible to take hold of that and use it. We're responsible. God gets the glory. Let's stand for prayer. Lord, I thank you for this day. [00:29:52] I thank you, Lord, for another day of rest. Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful sunshine. Thank you for all you do for us. I thank you, Lord, that you have given us all things that pertain unto life and godliness. I just pray, Lord, you'd make us aware of that. Help us to realize that we can walk in victory and that we can have victory over Satan, over his attacks, his strategies. If there's sin that we continue to struggle with, Lord, that there is victory for that. [00:30:26] I just pray, Lord, that you would give us the wisdom that we need. Help us, Lord, to increase our knowledge. I pray Lord that you would give us the strength we need to reach out if we need help to just be overcomers I thank you Lord that you've given us the ability to do that I thank you for your righteousness Lord that you have given to us that you see us not as we are but as you make us we just praise you for that Lord I thank you Lord for the meal that's been prepared I just pray Lord that you would bless it to our bodies [00:30:57] I pray Lord that you would help us as we eat Thank you Lord for all you do. Thank you once again for your many blessings. We thank you Lord. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.