Famous Last Words
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Famous last words are often not the last words spoken…but the ones remembered as the last “pithy” statements of a person
I SHALL RETURN, General MacArthur leaving the Philippines
“last words of David” 2 Sam 23…He that ruleth over man must be just, ruling in the fear of God; the last oracle; memorialized in song
John Lennon’s last words??? I’m shot
…we have here Peter’s last written (as far as we know) words
He wanted these things remembered (1:12-15)
I intend always to remind you....
…to stir you up by way of reminder...
…you may be able at any time to recall...
He now wraps the reminder in this conclusion…in a manner they’d remember
What Are We Waiting For?
What Are We Waiting For?
Remember 1st that “we” is true believers…not the nominal, in name only, Chrstians
May identify as Christians but
Don’t believe Jesus was the true Son of God, not divine
Not who He said He was
May not believe in the crucifixion or resurrection
Don’t believe that His Word is valid yet today
It wasn’t just a problem in Peter’s time
Not believing in the true Jesus, not truly Christians
Text opens with “Therefore”
Text opens with “Therefore” .14…we are waiting for?
English Standard Version Chapter 3
new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells
This is the final state of being for the redeemed of God
…when we have been saved from the presence of sin...
We know that absent with the body is present with the Lord
We know that at the Rapture we recieve a new body
With that body we will inhabit a new earth
…way too much to explore here
We will NOT be disembodied spirits floating around on clouds playing harps
We will not be angels—they are a different class of creation completely
…we will be like them in some ways…but all that is not fully clear
Paul gives much information on the Day of the Lord in 1 and 2 Thessalonians
How Should We Be Waiting?
How Should We Be Waiting?
Diligent to be found without spot or blemish
Let’s pick apart the word “diligent” for a minute
Other translations like “make every effort...” The Message is “do your very best”
Old hymn, Give of your best to the master...
It should be our priority
Same word is translated “make every effort” in 1:15
Key to being found without spot and blemish is all found in chapter 1
V.1
English Standard Version Chapter 1
by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
Only Jesus was truly without spot or blemish
Our spots and blemishes are washed away by His blood
We are not capable of coming close to this in our own strength and power only through the Holy Spirit
and remember v. 3
English Standard Version Chapter 1
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence
All this allows us to....
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Looking to Paul’s words in
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might
A continual process of confession and repentance allows us to be...
At peace —God’s peace
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Our own measure of peace fall so far short of that… God’s peace does not
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Patient—understanding that God is patient to bring more to salvation
Think of His patience as He has endured the unfaithfulness of his nation Israel—idolatry. spiritual harlotry
…just as He was patient, waiting for you to come
…as He is patient for us when we fall into sin and do not immediately repent
We’ve been referencing Paul’s writings. Peter warns about misunderstanding as they are difficult
We are waiting for the full number to be brought in…Romans (7-11)
Our lives should be hastening that process
How Do We Take this Warning?
How Do We Take this Warning?
Blatant YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
“Do you want to delete this file?
“Are you sure?”
“You can’t get it back, y’know”
Peter acknowledges the difficulty of understanding the depth of some things Paul wrote
Doesn’t mean we ignore his writings; we need to deal with it accurately
Single greatest caution when reading the Scripture is to keep the word in context
historical, linguistic, passage, book, author...
Horrible doctrine can result from contextual errors
…taking narratives a prescriptive, when they are descriptive
Paul’s writings are twisted by those who are ignorant, unstable and lawless
…all Scripture is twisted by these people for their own goals
This epistle has been one great big warning
There are false teachers out there—and in here, within the Church (universal)
We stay away to keep ourselves from getting embroiled in their error
We—true believers—can’t lose our salvation…but we can lose our stability
Non-believers can be driven further from the truth
Peter understood stability
He failed Jesus 3 times on the night of betrayal;
Yet, Jesus restored him and he would be a pillar of the early church
…the prominent spokesman for the Gospel
How Do We Grow…?
How Do We Grow…?
We’ll use some more of those writings of Paul to drive home the answers
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Using that Power of Christ at work in us....all that we have been given...
Following examples we’ve seen (can we be as bold as Paul was here?)
so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Commercial for Wednesday nights study in Hebrews
Challenge
Challenge
This is part of those last lines
Grow…(be continually growing)
…in grace and knowledge of…
The more knowledgeable we we are of Christ, the more grace He cane impart
…our Lord and Savior...
It is so easy to focus on the savior part and forget the LORD part
It means master
Notice it comes first
Jesus Christ
Find someone to imitate
Imitate Paul as he imitated Jesus
…in order to do that, he had to really know Jesus
Be people worthy of imitation
Be remembered for something…not that you want to be famous; but you want Christ to be seen in you
Mentor/mentee relationship
To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
That should be our prayer
That should be our plan
That should be our process throughout our lives
The substance of our “famous last words” should reflect that statement