That Reminds Me....

Reminder…he’s writing to the churches…to believers

Reiteration

Peter had top-loaded this letter

Things granted

all things pertaining to life and godliness

Things encouraged

the sequential list of virtues in vv. 5-7

Things admonished

failing to practice the virtues

nearsightedness leading to blindness

The result of doing it right—fruitfulness and a rich entrance to the eternal kingdom

already/not yet nature of that kingdom

citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom, not yet on Kingdom ground

If we’re citizen of the Heavenly Kingdom, we should live like it

reminder of Manton quote from last week

Intent

To remind them of the things he’d taught beforehand, arguably summarized in the list of virtues

We could review 1st Peter; but we won’t

Just hit the highlights on practical issues...

We have a living hope

We are called to be holy

We must submit to authority

Godliness in marriage

Suffering for righteousness sake

Being stewards of God’s grace

Suffering as a believer

Instructions for elders

Serious Business!

...I always intend to remind you...

…to stir you up by way of reminder...

…you may be able to recall...

…and he returns to the theme in chap. 3

Implication

here are 2

People forget

…even important things

>>>my forgetting the title of this message! I had prayer meeting on my mind

Emphasis is to keep it foremost on their minds

Most important things often the most perishable skills

Deuteronomy 6:5–8 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Drill the Word in ; don’t let it out of your sight

The most elaborate statement is Ps. 119; designed to reinforce the importance of the Word in our lives

Psalm 119:15–16 ESV

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

Forgetting brings falling

3 men cited in last week’s message; well know spokesmen for Gospel; all fallen

His Final Message?

Implied by the text

Some argue that the Lord had revealed his rapidly approaching death

“soon” could also be translated as “sudden”

Some suggest that he’s pointing toward Mark writing Peter’s words in his Gospel

He wanted to be sure that he got his point across in a memorable fashion

Thus the redundant repetition

Impact

They could stand against false teaching

For the initial readers

He would warn them of specific types of teachers and the dangers of their words/actions

He would remind them that the day of judgment would soon come

For us today

That is the application

We are warned about those who desire to have their ears tickled

2 Timothy 4:3 ESV

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,

We have “the Church of What’s Happening Now”

This from the governing documents of a major denomination

First, their doctrine on baptism is fully bogus…and it gets worse from there

The unity of believers in Christ is reflected in the rich diversity of the Church’s membership. In Christ, by the power of the Spirit, God unites persons through baptism regardless of race, ethnicity, age, sex, disability, geography, or theological conviction.

There is therefore no place in the life of the Church for discrimination against any person. [church] shall guarantee full participation and representation in its worship, governance, and emerging life to all persons or groups within its member- ship. No member shall be denied participation or representation for any reason other than those stated in this Constitution.

Therefore a Muslim, Hindu, or anyone else could be an elder…with the right to preach and teach in that church

We have the Church of What’s Happening Tomorrow

False prophets—generally intertwining the Bible with politics

Application

We practice our faith by with virtue..living out the Word

We must know the Word…practice the Word

illuminate life with Scripture

illustrate Scripture with life

That incident reminds me…of what the Bible says

That verse reminds me…of what happened yesterday

Practice self-control…by knowing what Scripture teaches

We are steadfast…set a course, hold the course, know how to make corrections when we get blown off

…it will happen; small, frequent corrections are far easier than major ones

>>>keeps you closer the safe course

Godliness—never forget who you are…and whose you are

Practice brotherly affection…and self-sacrificing love

God has given us all that we need to do this, so that may have that rich entry into the physical Kingdom of Heaven...Meanwhile, we must live like we are citizens of it, while we live in a badly corrupted world

Don’t be deceived by the false teachers—in whatever their cloaking may be

We stay above that by strengthening our faith—we do that by keeping the Word of God in front of us