Rooted 4 -The Taproot

The Bible is chiefly a book of prophecy. It is not just prophecy; it also contains those prophetic words confirmed by eyewitness testimony. Open with us today to 2 Peter chapter 1 as we learn about this prophetic word confirmed.

Hey, would you stand with me, please, and open your Bibles to the book of 2 Peter? If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of the ushers will bring you one. Also, as you're doing that, if you have an open seat next to you, would you mind scooting in towards the center? We have some people standing in the back, and we need some more seats for others to come in. Praise the Lord.

2 Peter is near the end of your Bible. If you open to the very last book, you will be in the book of Revelation. Turn just a few books to the left, and you will pass Jude, and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John, and then you will find 2 Peter. We are in 2 Peter chapter 1, and we will pick it up at verse 12 and read through the end of the passage.

2 Peter chapter 1, verse 12, states, "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth. 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 this tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease. For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to 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 such a voice came to Him from the excellent glory, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.' And we heard the voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain."

And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Father, as we open the Scriptures, Lord, I believe that we open Your word, which is living.

And powerful and given by inspiration from You, it is therefore useful in our lives for doctrine and reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness. We, Your people who follow You by faith, would be ready on Monday, Tuesday, and throughout the week to do the good works that You have called us to, that You have prepared for us beforehand that we should walk in. Wherever we are—whether on a school campus in a classroom, at a construction site, in an office building, or just in our neighborhood—may we be ready.

So God, may this not just be an intellectual endeavor here on a Sunday morning, but the work that You are preparing us to do would be practically worked out in us this week. Lord, help us to work out our own salvation with energy and effort, knowing that it is You who is working in us to will and to do Your good pleasure. We give You this time and ask for You to teach us by Your Spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name. And all those that agree said, Amen. You can be seated.

If you ever happen to pick up a Christian theology book as more than just a prop or a doorstop, you will find that virtually every Christian theology book always begins at the same place. They always open in chapter one in the area referred to by theologians and seminary professors as Bibliology, which we might call in layman's terms the doctrine of the Bible, the doctrine of Scripture. Every Christian theology book that I have ever looked at or studied always begins in that place because the whole of the Christian faith—everything we believe and practice—is based upon and founded upon the Bible, the Scripture.

You do not begin theology with the study of God the Father, the study of Christ, or the study of the Holy Spirit, because we learn about God, Christ, and the Spirit in the Scriptures. Therefore, you need to establish or authenticate the veracity, the truth, of the Scriptures at the start. Theology books always begin with Bibliology, the doctrine of the Bible.

If you happen to open to a chapter on Bibliology and begin to read, you will find within the first pages, even within the first paragraphs of such a text, they almost always cite or reference this passage that we're looking at here in 2 Peter chapter one, specifically verses 16 through 21, and very much so verses 20 and 21. In this passage, we find, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

This is an essential text in establishing the doctrine of the Bible. However, we are not actually going to get to verses 20 and 21 for a little while, so I might be getting a little ahead of myself. We start really in verse 15. In 2 Peter chapter one, verse 15, Peter says, "Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my decease."

What is one simple but important reminder that the Apostle Peter wanted people to know in his day, those whom he was leading and teaching? What is one important truth that I, as a pastor, want to make sure is firmly cemented in your hearts and in your minds?

Point number one on your outline, your sermon guide, is there in your bulletin: The Bible is the taproot of the Christian faith. The Bible is the taproot of the Christian faith; in other words, it is essential. It's not just important or valuable. The Bible is essential to the Christian faith. There is no Christian faith without the Bible, which is why theology books always begin there.

This is also why the Bible is so important and essential. It is one of the reasons, or is the reason, why so many people throughout the last 2,000 years have given their lives for the Bible, for the Scriptures, to ensure that they have been translated into other languages so that people can get to know God through the Bible. People have given their lives for this.

If you are going to be a deeply rooted and fruitful follower of Jesus, then you need to be deeply rooted in the Bible. This means you have to have more than just a little bit of a sprinkling of the Bible on a Sunday morning when we gather together for 75 minutes here at Cross Connection Church. You will never grow to your full potential in Christ or become fully fruitful as a follower.

Of Jesus by simply coming to church on a Sunday morning. The Bible needs to become more of your life than just this period of time that we gather together. This is true for every Christian, including pastors. It's easy for us sometimes to lose sight of this. It's easy for us to forget these important things because many of us in this room right now have several copies of the Bible. We have different sizes, colors, and translations of Bibles. In our day, you can get virtually every translation in the English language on a smartphone for free. We have so much access that we take for granted the importance of the Scriptures.

The amazing thing is that in our day, we probably have more access to the Bible than at any other time in history, especially here in the United States of America. However, research has shown, especially in the last 15 to 20 years, that Bible literacy in the nation with the most access to the Scriptures has decreased substantially. You see, you don't become deeply rooted in the things of Scripture and become a fruitful follower of Jesus by simply having a Bible. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen by osmosis that the Word of God gets into our lives. Simply having a Bible, even on your nightstand next to you while you sleep, is not going to help.

It has to be something that we are abiding in—Jesus's words abiding in us and His Word abiding in us as well. That means spending time in His Word and allowing His Word to be in us. I was talking with a brother here at the church before the first service this morning, and he shared how every single week, for many years now, he has taken a passage of Scripture and memorized it. Sometimes he goes back to passages that he studied and memorized in the past. Occasionally, some coworkers, who do not work with many followers of Jesus or churchgoers, see this and ask, "Hey, what is that? What are you looking at?"

He responds, "I'm memorizing Scripture from the Bible." They are surprised and ask, "Really? You do that?" He explains, "Yes, because God's Word needs to abide in me, and I need to spend time in it so that it can transform the way that I think and the way that I live. If I'm going to be fruitful as a Christian, I need to be deeply rooted in the Bible, and so do you." Simply spending time in the Scriptures is essential.

We have so much access to the Bible, and we need to make sure that having access doesn't mean that we simply have it, but that we actually consume it. We need to spend time in this book, which is actually a collection of books—66 books written by 40 different authors over a period of 1,500 years in three different languages on three different continents. Yet, it all has a cohesive message of redemption, a consistent redemptive message.

This last week, my kids started school. As they were preparing to go, my wife got a couple of Bibles for our two oldest kids because their school has Bible class and chapel. She brought me the two Bibles the other day and asked if I would write on the inside cover of them. I took the two Bibles for our oldest, Ethan, and our next oldest, Addison, and I wrote down, "A great man once said, this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."

I then copied from the Gideon Bible because, at the introduction to the Gideon Bible—those Bibles you sometimes see in the drawer next to you at a hotel—there are words written on the inside cover. The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.

Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's charter. Here, heaven is opened, and the gates of hell are disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good is its design, and the glory of God is its end.

It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given to you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

I love those words. I wrote them in the cover of both of those Bibles this last week, and I believe those things to be true—everything that is said about the Scriptures in that Gideon introduction. But again, simply having phenomenal access, like we do, does not guarantee that we will engage with it.

The Word of God will be those things to us, and the Scriptures will be those things to us if we do not take time to abide in the Scriptures. This is good and important, but it is more important— not just equally important, but more important— that I, you, and we who believe these things are spending time in the Scriptures.

Let me tell you, as a pastor, this is increasingly difficult because it is my vocation to study and teach these things. I teach them here, at the Bible college, and at conferences. The temptation for me is simply to read and study these things so that I can teach a message. I have to constantly remind myself, even with a little reminder on my phone every single morning, to read the Bible, just to read the Scriptures, to go through it not to teach a Bible study, but to spend more time with God through His Word. This is the way He has revealed Himself to us.

Now, as I was teaching on the Scriptures just a few weeks ago, after the service, I got a text message from a family member. They asked if I would mind if they gave my phone number to someone they brought to church because that person had some questions for me. I said, "Yeah, that's fine."

So, on Sunday afternoon, a few weeks ago, I received a text message from someone who was brought to church by one of my family members. They said, "I've never heard these things that you were saying this week, and it's really amazing, but how do I know that the Bible is right? How do I know that it is true? How do I know that there is authenticity here, that the veracity of the text is there?"

Peter, I think, presupposes that question because he addresses it here in this passage. He says in verse 12, as we've already considered, "For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know them and are established in the present truth." If you've been a follower of Jesus for a period of time and have sat in a church like this for a while, you know a lot of the things that I'm talking about. You've heard it before, and you are probably nodding your head when I say the Bible is the foundation of our faith and is necessary, important, and essential for our lives. You're saying, "Yes, I know that," but it's good to be reminded of these things because I don't know about you, but I forget really easily.

Moreover, I will be careful to ensure that you always have a reminder of these things after my death. Peter says, "Why?" Well, look at verse 16, 2 Peter chapter 1, verse 16. For— circle the word "for" in your neighbor's Bible, just reach over and circle it. Why am I saying this? Because we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power...

And coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, we were eyewitnesses of His majesty. Here's a good reminder: point number two on your outline. The New Testament was written by eyewitnesses of majesty.

You may ask, what about the Old Testament? The Old Testament was written by holy men of God, as we will see, who were moved by the Holy Spirit and who prophesied of the majesty that was to come. However, the New Testament was written by the very ones who saw the fulfillment of those prophecies. They were eyewitnesses of majesty, as Peter says in this passage.

What we study week in and week out when we open this book together, and as we study verse by verse through the Scriptures at Cross Connection, is not the creative writings of a group of Middle Eastern storytellers from the first century A.D. It is not a group of men who got together, brainstormed, and wrote out, "Hey, what do you think? How should we picture this whole Christ figure? What should we say about Him? How should we present Him to people?" They weren't sitting around coming up with some sort of brainstorming session. They did not have a board on which to chisel off lines or anything like that.

Holy men of God, consecrated men to God, were moved by the Spirit of God. The Scriptures that we follow are not cunningly devised fables. The word for fables here, written in the Greek language, is the Greek word "muthos," meaning myths. These are not myths, Peter says.

In fact, throughout history, some great minds have endeavored to battle the Bible and to show through their efforts that these are merely myths. Many great minds throughout the centuries who have tried to do so have become followers of Jesus as they examined the evidence of the text. In modern times, this has happened several times, and there are some great books that you can read if you're interested in the topic.

Josh McDowell wrote a book about thirty years ago called "Evidence Which Demands a Verdict," where he discusses the evidence from a legal perspective regarding the Scriptures. Then, about twenty years ago, the legal writer for the Chicago Tribune, a man named Lee Strobel, who was not a Christian, decided to take the claims of the Scriptures and put them through the legal process.

And he ultimately became a Christian. He has written many books, but his first and biggest book was The Case for Faith. What was he doing? He was saying, "Let's look at the evidence. Let's see if there is evidence here, or do we need to declare a mistrial, or say it doesn't fit? You have to throw it out."

And what did he find? Well, he came to faith in Jesus because the evidence is there. The apostles and the writers of the New Testament have been checked out for centuries and have been found truthful. These are not cunningly devised fables. Peter and the apostles, the New Testament writers, were eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus. Here, Peter says, "We are making known to you; we're proclaiming to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Now, there are at least two ways to understand the words "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The first way is to think of His coming in the context of the first coming of Jesus, which happened 2,000 years ago, of which Peter, Paul, and others were eyewitnesses. Another way to read "the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" is in reference to that which is prophetically spoken of that has not happened yet, which will one day occur when Jesus comes again. This is what Christians believe as the second coming of Jesus, foretold in the Scriptures.

So, either Peter is speaking about the first coming of Jesus, of which he was an eyewitness, or he is speaking of the second coming of Jesus, of which he himself foretold and others during his time. Whatever way you look at it, we need to understand that the Scriptures reveal the coming of God incarnate to earth. That's what the Scriptures proclaim: that God became a man. That's a pretty heavy statement. It's a statement that needs to be substantiated, verified, and corroborated.

Peter here says, "Listen, we did not follow cunningly devised fables, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty." When did Peter see this? How did he see the majesty of Jesus? Well, look at what he says. Listen to 2 Peter 1:17: "For He, Jesus, received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the excellent glory, God the Father."

This voice said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." We heard this voice, which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Peter says, "Listen, I was an eyewitness of the majesty of Jesus." I heard the voice of God in heaven, the excellent glory of God speaking, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." I heard this when I saw it with others on the holy mountain.

What in the world is he talking about? Well, he's talking about something that is written in the Gospels—three of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. You can note it down in your notes and read all the accounts if you'd like to later. Matthew chapter 17, Mark chapter 9, and also in Luke chapter 9. There we read what is called the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus, or the Mount of Transfiguration. In fact, you can turn to Matthew chapter 17. We'll be there and look at it together in just a moment.

As you're turning there, the story in that passage, which we will see, is one in which Peter, the author of this book, and James and his brother John, the author of several other books of the Bible, saw with their own eyes Jesus manifested in His glory before them. They heard with their own ears God the Father say, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

John, speaking of that, says this: as you're turning to Matthew chapter 17, let me read to you from 1 John chapter 1, verse 1. John says, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled concerning the Word of life. That life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness and declare to you that eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard, we declare to you so that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full."

Could it be any more explicit? John says, "We saw it, we heard it, we handled it, and we declare it." John, Peter, and others were not preaching or proclaiming some story that they collectively came up with. They were proclaiming what they had seen. They were proclaiming what they had heard.

Well, what did they see? What did they hear? Again, Matthew chapter 17, look at verse 1.

Now, after six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before them; there was a metamorphosis that took place. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared there, talking with him.

Then Peter answered. If you've ever gotten to know Peter in the Bible, you know that he would be the one to speak up. Peter said, "Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, let us make three tabernacles: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud saying, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear him."

Peter, in mid-sentence, was cut off by God, who essentially said, "Peter, shut it. Hear him, Jesus. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Arise and do not be afraid." When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

As they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell no one the vision until the Son of Man is risen from the dead. Don't tell anyone until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."

Point number three on your outline: Our faith is in a living and glorious Lord. Why does Peter, some 35 to 40 years after the event of seeing Jesus transfigured on that mountaintop, go back to this awesome event? He does so to remind us and those he was writing to that our faith is in a living and glorious Lord.

The Christian does not follow myths fabricated by storytellers; we put our trust, our faith, in the Son of the living God, whose glory was witnessed by eyewitnesses who wrote these accounts of his life and ministry down. These accounts are found in the Scriptures. Not only did Peter see the glory of Jesus transfigured before him, but he also heard the Father, the one who is called the excellent glory.

Here in this passage, He heard the Father say, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him." So what difference does that make?

In Second Peter, chapter one, verse 19, look at what Peter says. Because we saw with our eyes Jesus transfigured and heard God the Father say, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," we have the prophetic word confirmed. You do well to heed it as a light that shines in a dark place until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Peter states that we have the prophetic word confirmed by the transfiguration of Jesus and this manifestation of the Word of God saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." This is the confirmation of the prophetic word.

The Bible is said to be living, powerful, and alive. It is living and powerful in that it is authenticated and validated in what it says, coming to pass and becoming true. You see, not only did Peter, James, and John have this experience with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew chapter 17, but just prior to that, in Matthew chapter 16, Jesus was with Peter, James, John, and the rest of the disciples. He asks them a very important question: "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" The disciples speak up, saying, "Well, some say that You're a prophet. Some say that You're Elijah. Some say that You're this or that."

Then Jesus, turning to His disciples again, asks, "Who do you say that I am?" Who do you suppose would speak up? Peter. In Matthew chapter 16, it is recorded that he says, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replies, "Peter, you're right, but flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven." Peter was inspired by the Spirit of God to say, "You're the Christ, the Son of the living God." It is a prophetic word, not something he came up with by his own personal interpretation of things. God the Father prophetically revealed to Peter that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Then, just six days later, in Matthew chapter 17, verse one, on the Mount of Transfiguration, what do we have?

The prophetic word is confirmed: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Peter says we have the prophetic word confirmed. This prophetic word, given in Matthew chapter 16, verse 16, is confirmed in Matthew chapter 17, verse 5, by God Himself. Such confirmations of the prophetic word of God are found throughout Scripture. In fact, if we were to endeavor here at Cross Connection to look at every prophetic utterance in the Bible, especially in the Old Testament, and correspond it to its New Testament fulfillment, it would take us literally months, and probably years, because I am terribly slow.

Just discussing the first coming of Jesus alone fulfills more than 300 specific and detailed prophecies from the Old Testament. I came across a document that cited line for line 355 specific Old Testament prophecies that are fulfilled in the first coming of Jesus. This means it would take us nearly a year to go through one of those prophecies each day. That's just the prophecies about Jesus's first coming. The Bible is filled with prophetic words that are confirmed; that is, they come to pass. The Bible says this is what is going to happen, and it comes to pass.

Of course, someone might object and say, "What about those passages that the Bible speaks of that haven't come to pass?" We'll get there—almost there. Peter, James, John, Bartholomew, Thomas, Thaddeus, Paul, Mary, and many others were eyewitnesses of His majesty. They saw the fulfillment of these prophetic words. So much so that Paul would write in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 1: "Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast to the word which I preached to you, unless you have believed in vain."

For I declared to you, I preached, I declared, I proclaimed, Paul says, "first of all, that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," according to the prophetic word of the Old Testament. I am declaring to you the fulfillment of the prophetic word.

He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve, and he was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, many of whom remain to this present time, but some have died. He was seen by James and then by all the apostles. Last of all, he was seen by me also, as one born out of due time.

Point number four on your outline: The Christian believes and proclaims corroborated facts. We believe and proclaim verified facts, not assumed stories or presumed mythologies. Paul says, "I declared to you, I proclaimed to you, I preached to you," and you believe because we were eyewitnesses of his glory. He died on the cross, was buried in a tomb, and rose again from the dead on the third day, according to the prophecies of Scripture. The Bible proclaimed that it would happen, and we saw it come to pass. Thus, we have the prophetic word confirmed. The Scriptures are the prophetic words confirmed by eyewitness testimony.

Therefore, Peter says in 2 Peter chapter one, "And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed." Come on, parents, have you ever almost said something synonymous to that to your kids? "I've told you what to do, and you would do well to listen." No, none of you have ever done that, except maybe thirty times this last week.

Peter says, "Here is the prophetic word confirmed." God spoke it through holy men who were dedicated to Him. He prophetically revealed it to them, they wrote it down, and we have seen it come to pass. The prophetic word is confirmed; therefore, you would do well to heed it. Another translation says you should pay close attention to it. The word of God, the Scriptures, hold prophecies that have been confirmed and authenticated by eyewitnesses who have seen these things, many of whom suffered horrendous, torturous martyrdom. As they stood before their accusers and executioners, all they were simply told to do was recant, to simply say that the things they had been saying happened did not happen.

And you can go free. They stood there with confidence and said, "We have seen the risen Christ." As a result, they were burned at the stake, disemboweled, beheaded, and thrown to wild beasts. They were given to the gladiators to be destroyed, yet they stood confidently with their declaration: "We have seen and heard the glory of God."

The Christian proclaims and believes authenticated, verified facts. Therefore, we would do well to heed the Scriptures. The New Living Translation says we would do well to hold close attention to these things, for their words—the prophetic words—are like a lamp shining in a dark place. The words of the prophets are confirmed by eyewitness testimonies. So, pay attention to this light that's shining in a dark, dark world. May it be that this light shining in a dark place ignites a light in my heart and in your hearts as we walk through this darkness, guiding us until the day dawns and Christ returns.

Remember these prophetic utterances; they proclaim the first coming, but they also proclaim the second coming. When Peter here says, "until the day dawns," he is referencing the day when the Lord comes again.

Now, at that point, someone might say, "Okay, but it's been 2000 years. Do you really still believe this whole thing? It's all well and good that you believe there was a man 2000 years ago named Jesus who died on a cross. I'll even concede that maybe his followers said he rose from the dead. That's fine. But do you really believe that he's going to come again? Come on. It's been 2000 years."

If you turn just two chapters over to Second Peter, chapter three, look at verse one. Second Peter three says, "Beloved, I now write to you this second letter, in both of which I stir you up, stir up your pure minds by way of reminder, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us, the apostles of our Lord and Savior." Knowing this first, that scoffers will come in the last days...

Days come walking according to their own lusts, saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation." In Second Peter, it says, "Listen, church, be aware. In the last days, there are going to come mockers and scoffers who will say, 'Come on, do you really believe these things? Where is the sign of His coming?'"

Did he not nail that? Are we not living in such a time? Throughout the last 2,000 years, people have mockingly asked, "Where is the sign of His coming?" Many people in our own nation and in our own spheres of influence are ashamed to say that they follow and believe in Jesus because someone might mock them, make them feel bad, embarrass them, and say, "Come on, do you really believe those things? What insanity to believe such craziness! This is so old, 2,000 years. Come on, we're so progressive. It's the 21st century. We have instant communication, instant links with everything in the world. We have so much scientific understanding, and you actually believe this sort of stuff? What kind of simpleton are you? Is the earth still flat?"

So many people are backed into a corner to be quiet. In the last days, they will say, "Where is the sign of His coming?"

Skip on down to verse eight of Second Peter, chapter three. "But beloved, do not forget this one thing: that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day." It actually hasn't been all that long a time to the eternal God. The Lord is not slack concerning His promises, as some count slackness, but is long-suffering, patient towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Lesson number five: the Christian awaits the power and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If you're a follower of Jesus today, we are awaiting the power and second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. How can we be so sure?

How can we be certain? Well, Peter, going on in verse 20 of Second Peter, chapter one, states, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation. For prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

If you're a follower of Jesus today, hold this strong in your minds and hearts: no prophetic word came by the will of man. The writers did not just sit down and postulate how these things could come to pass, taking educated guesses in hopes that a few would be correct and that people might believe them a little more. It was not by the will of man, because no prophecy of Scripture comes by private interpretation or mere imagination. Those who were consecrated to God were moved by the Spirit of God to write these things, which have been confirmed as prophetic words written hundreds of years before their fulfillment.

We believe and proclaim truths that have been verified. Those who take the time to investigate the claims of Christ and the claims of Scripture, based on the evidence, come to see time after time that this is not a blind faith or wishful thinking, but rather a trust in things that can be corroborated.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy in Second Timothy, chapter three, verse 16, stating, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is God-breathed." Since it is God-breathed, it is therefore useful. Paul outlines four things that the Scriptures are useful for in Second Timothy, chapter three, verse 16: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that you and I would be thoroughly equipped for every single good work.

The Scriptures are given for doctrine. What is that? The Scriptures are given to tell us what is true, what is right, and what accords with the reality as God has set in place. The Bible declares what is doctrinally correct.

When you see the line of what is doctrinally correct, the very next thing happens. The Scriptures are given for doctrine, but they are also given for reproof. It's kind of like a GPS. Anyone have a GPS in their car? You put in the place where you're going, the coordinates, and there pops up the little line that shows you the right path to your destination. Then you know what it does? It has that little wonderful voice, almost always in a nice British accent, to make us feel like, "Oh, she's really smart." She simply says, "Recalculating." What she's really saying, if we were to put it in layman's terms in America, is, "You're on the wrong path, idiot." That's what she'd say. Actually, I want that GPS. If someone makes that one, I'll take it.

That's what the Scripture does. It sets the line: this is doctrinally correct. Then it shows you where you and I are out of the way. It reproves our wrongness and shows us where we are out of line. But not only does it reprove us; all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. It is useful for doctrine, for reproof, and for correction. It shows us how to get back to the line. Finally, it provides instruction in righteousness, teaching us how to stay on the path until the day dawns when we stand before Him in the presence of God.

Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me." If someone objects and says, "But I'm on this other way," that's great, but it's not the way to the Father. It's a way somewhere, but not the way to the Father. The Scripture shows us the line, reproves our inconsistencies, corrects our wrong ways, and keeps us on the path. God's Word is good. Amen.

Would you pray with me? Stand, and we'll close in prayer. Father, I do thank You for Your Word. May it become alive and powerful to us. May it be more necessary than our daily food. As we hide Your Word in our hearts, would You cause it to direct our steps so that we would walk in ways that are pleasing to You?

Would you direct our steps by the light of your word, bringing us ever closer to your presence? Lord, as we live in a time and in a culture that is becoming more and more like the culture in which the early apostles lived, we find ourselves in a culture that is against you and your word. It is a culture that scoffs at the reality of resurrecting power.

I pray, God, that we would not be ashamed of the gospel, for it is your power unto salvation to everyone who believes. Lord, help us not to shy away from the truth of the gospel, but to declare boldly and plainly, by the power of your Spirit, that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. We praise you, Jesus.

As we're standing here this morning in a moment of prayer, if you have never put your trust in Jesus for salvation, I want you to know that Christ came 2,000 years ago to die for our sins. According to the prophetic scriptures, he died on the cross, was buried in the tomb, and three days later he rose again. He was seen by witnesses, declaring that his word is true.

If you'd like to receive his grace and forgiveness today, it's a free gift that he offers as you put your trust in him. If that's you, would you just lift up your hand so I can see it? I want to lead you in a prayer this morning. God bless you, I see you there in the middle. Anyone else? Do you want to receive the forgiving grace of God today?

If that's you, would you just, as we're standing here in prayer, pray with me out loud? Dear Jesus, I recognize that I have failed and that I'm on the wrong path. I pray that you would come into my life, that you would forgive me of my sin, that you would direct me in my steps, and help me to follow you by faith. In Jesus' name, amen.