BOOK OF PETER

PRECIOUS THINGS 2–2 PETER 1:1, 4

Art Davison BOOK OF PETER 0 Comment
PRECIOUS THINGS 2
2 PETER 1:1, 4
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 4 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.”
Introduction:
In this message on the PRECIOUS THINGS we will see HOW DIFFERENT the attitude of a true Christian to that of an unbeliever; how the true believer COPES with the difficulties of life, and what God’s attitude is toward those who have received His Son as their Saviour.

I. HE IS PRECIOUS UNTO YOU WHO BELIEVE

1 Peter 2:7, “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner.”
A. To the believer He is precious even though he hasn’t seen Jesus, 1 Peter 1:8, “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:”
1. Though we have not seen Him face to face, yet we are blessed, John 20:29, “Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”
2. “Believing, ye rejoice,” Habakkuk 3:17-18, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
3. There is JOY and PEACE in believing, Romans15:13, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
B. To the Unbelieving…
1. JEW He is a stumblingblock, 1 Corinthians 1:23, “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;”
2. GENTILE it is foolishness and unbelievable, 1 Corinthians 2:14, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

II. THE TRIAL OF YOUR FAITH IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD

1 Peter 1:7, “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”
A. Rejoice in the trials of your faith, 1 Peter 4:12-23, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”
B. These trails work patience in the believer, James 1:2-3, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.”
C. These trials bring good results, Job 23:10, “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

III. THE CHOSEN OF GOD ARE PRECIOUS TO HIM AS CHRIST IS PRECIOUS
A. The Believer is NOT CONFUSED, but INFORMED in the truth, 1 Peter 2:4, 6, “To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall NOT BE CONFOUNDED.”
B. The Believer is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 3:16, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?”
C. That temple is built on a FIRM foundation,
1. This spiritual house is WELL BUILT, Ephesians 2:20-21, “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:”
2. It is FIT for the habitation of God, Ephesians 2:22, “In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
CONCLUSION

There are many precious things that God has blessed us with in this life. The most precious of all is our Saviour, Jesus Christ who continues His work in the presence of the Father on our behalf.
Now I may ask if He is precious to you. He gave His life to save you from hell and ask that you only believe. Trust Him today and He will become precious to you also.

THE REWARD OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS–2 PETER 2:12-22–PART 2

Art Davison BOOK OF PETER 0 Comment
THE REWARD OF UNRIGHTEOUSNESS
Part 2
2 PETER 2:12-22

Introduction:

This is the second message on this theme. We have dealt with this subject regarding the world of both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Now we consider OUR WORLD TODAY. Our world is beset by the same problem that Peter dealt with in his day – that is: FALSE TEACHERS. These false teachers or prophets are abundant in our day and will be until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

IV. OUR WORLD TODAY

A. The natural BRUTE BEAST of our day, FALSE TEACHERS, vv. 1, 12; Jude 10, “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.”

1. They speak evil of that which they do not understand, 1 Timothy 1:7, “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”

2. They are SPOTS and BLEMISHES on society, the OPPOSITE of Jesus, 1 Peter 1:19, “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

3. They are deceivers, withered fruit, Jude 12, “These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;”

a. These deceivers destroy the fellowship of the Lord’s churches, 2 Corinthians 6:14, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

b. Converting fellowship into scenes of revelry, 1 Corinthians 11:19-21, “For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. 20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord’s supper. 21 For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.”

B. The CHARACTER of these false teachers is compared to that of Jezebel, Revelation 2:28, “Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.”

1. The church at Thyatira had TOLARATED this WOMAN who was HIGHLY GIFTED, PERSUASIVE, and ARTFUL to bring in heresy, 1 Kings 16:31, “And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him.”

2. This woman who was GUILTY of idolatry and witchcraft, is a SYMBOL of the APOSTATE CHURCH, 2 Kings 9:22, “And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?”

C. These who are UNBELIEVERS are those who CANNOT CEASE from sin, v.14; 1 John 3:9-10, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.”

1. They are cursed children, v. 14; note the comparison; 1 Peter 1:14, “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”

2. Having a heart exercised with covetous practices, 2 Peter 2:3, “And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.”

D. These have FORSAKEN THE RIGHT WAY, v. 15; 1 Samuel 12:23, “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:”

1. These went astray, Mark 12:24, “And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?”

2. They had followed cunning devises contrary to the truth, 2 Peter 1:16, “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.”