2 Peter 1:12-15, To Have These Things Always

Introduction..

At the wesley house there are times when we just sit around and reminesce and nikki and I tell the girls stories from yesterday...

we talk about family members that are resting peacefully with God and we talk about events, good and bad, that we have experienced...

the girls may not have met their great great grandmother but i guarantee you they have heard about Ora B. McPherson, aka Mother Bea.

they may not remember papa Andy but they have heard about him.

these are the people I will tell my grandkids about. and the more you bring it up the more they are likely to remember it and have these memories always...

it’s no different then the history classes we took in school, american and world history.

they drilled that info into us so we could remember facts of history.

good and bad history, whether useful or not, you remember it

1492…columbus sailed the ocean blue...

pilgrims landed in 1620

things that happened, as we say before I was even thought of...

but the point is…it is information that is always with us....

it has taught us something but its not until salvation

but family there’s another history, that is not taught in public school

you can get in sunday school, btu, bible study and on sunday mornings at bible based churches

the true history of man…the history of how we have earned a right to salvation….to a better life here on earth and a life eternal in the heaven.

Information that answers the questions, who, what, when, where and why...

who…the believers of Christ

what.....the gospel of Christ

when.... in the beginning

where....on a hill called calvary

why… so we can make heaven our home.... (repeat)...

TALK, PREACH......

History...

there is plenty evidence in the bible that instructs us to pass on the wisdom and knowledge that God has entrusted to us...

one such scripture is Psalm 78:4 “We will not hide them from their children, Telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.”

God has instructed us to tell the story and Peter is reminding us to enthusiatic and sincere about it and also to make it a PRIORITY....(repeat last part)..

that is the part that we fail at....Priority…TALK,PREACH.....

however, Peter is writing this 2nd letter to the believers to continue to grow, to take advantage of His delay in His return and to remember and stay true to the doctrine and teaching of Jesus.

why because the teachings learned from God thru Christ will help add some substance to our lives that will help us make a difference in our journey thru life and will help us make heaven our home…(repeat)..

what are these things we should have always and teach the next generation to have always...

look at verses 5-10… 2 Peter 1:5–10 “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble;”

TALK, PREACH.....

and now Peter wants to make sure that we keep the things with us always.

even after he death, he wanted this good news to continue to spread and stay with the believers

do we still have that feeling today as believers?

let’s see what Peter says..

let’s go deeper...

Body/Points..

Peter shows us 3 things in this text

1, the need to be reminded

2, shows us a urgency

3, the gospel in the future

let’s walk...

2 Peter 1:12 “For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.” that’s NKJV

The NIV translation says..So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

Peter is saying believers, even though you know, i will still remind you...

sometimes we get besides ourselves and need to be reminded...

all Peter is doing is what Jesus commanded him to do over in Luke...

in Luke 22:32, when Jesus told Peter “when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” Here, Peter fulfilled that command of Jesus. He would establish and strengthen us by reminding us of the basics of the Christian life.

the things we should have always...

there are 2 things i want us to get from this scripture....I will not negilect and being established...

2 problems that the church faces today...

peter realized that Even though his readers did know the truth, in light of what was at stake — their eternal destiny — it was worth it to go over these ideas again and again. TALK, PREACH.....

even though you are established you need some reminding..

I & II Peter, I, II & III John, Jude C. Reminders and Reassurances (vv. 12–21)

Those who are mature in their faith need to be warned against complacency. They can benefit from a reminder to grow in grace and apply further the spiritual lessons they have already learned

look at this illustration, A sports team going for the championship will practice the same fundamentals over and over again. They do this, even though they know the techniques, because they want the victory.

For this reason, Christians should never get tired hearing the basics of the Christian life. We should rejoice every time Jesus Christ and His gospel and plan for our lives is preached....TALK, PREACH......

2 Peter 1:13–14 “Yes, I think it is right, as long as I am in this tent, to stir you up by reminding you, knowing that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me.”

shows us a urgency..

Peter knew he didn’t have much time left and wanted the gospel taught and spread...

Peter is saying,I therefore need to make the most of my short time for the good of Christ’s Church.

church we don’t the day or the time but we know that our day is coming...

can you say, let the works i’ve done speak for me...

how urgent is your families salvation to you??

we need to put in some work while we can....scripture says for when the night comes, no man can work....TALK, PREACH......

Warren Wiersbe stated, Men die, but the Word lives forever. TALK, PREACH.....

Exalting Jesus in 2 Peter, Jude Remembering Stimulates Our Passion (1:13–14)

God wants us to treasure the gospel and rehearse it in our hearts and minds on a regular basis.

2 Peter 1:15 “Moreover I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease.”

the gospel in the future...

even after I am gone, you need to have these things always...

the truth needs to be around alway...

This, the written teaching of the apostles and their associates, is the foundation of the church (Ephesians 2:20) preserved by God for all generations…TALK, PREACH...

the word that big mama shouted on is the same word that we have today…the only difference no one shouts anymore..

the same gospel that the preacher preached about is the same gospel, i attempt to preach about with the help of the Spirit...

if it was good for big mama, it is good for me and i know it is good for my children and grandchildren...

it saved me and i know it can do the same for the alcoholic and drug addict and prostitue...

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Wake up and Remember! (2 Peter 1:12–21)

We can be saved through this living Word (1 Peter 1:23–25), nurtured by it (1 Peter 2:2), and guided and protected as we trust and obey.

Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament Peter’s Approaching Death (1:12–15)

Peter is determined that his readers will remember the teaching of 1:11 after his death.

I feel you Peter, he called me and I will continue to remind his people, and i will do it with a sense of urgency, because time is winding up and i know that the written word will be around until the living word returns...

Let’s close this thing...

Conclusion...

Because of what is at stake, Peter knew it was right to remind people constantly, especially because he knew that the days of his earthly life were soon coming to an end.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Wake up and Remember! (2 Peter 1:12–21)

The readers of this letter knew the truth and were even “established” in it

but needed to be reminded...

why? because True godliness will only be sustained when we remember gospel truth, or else it will falter and fade under the assault of false teaching.

the truth is what we need with us always...

the truth is what the future needs always...

i said this earlier but if i can repeat one more time,

Christians should never get tired hearing the basics of the Christian life. We should rejoice every time Jesus Christ and His gospel and plan for our lives is preached....

what are these basics...

TALK, PREACH, CLOSE...