 |
|
|
DEPARTURE |
|
Please turn
with me to 2 Peter 1 - starting at verse 12. Today is our third look at Peter’s
second letter. As you’re
turning there take a look at this clip. (Video) Do you ever
feel like sometimes things just don’t work out they way you planned? We never know when life is going
to take us in a completely different direction. True?
In Peter’s second letter Peter is sharing about heaven and the hope we have in
Jesus. What happens after our
time here on earth is done.
Peter also shares about living life right here in the present. As we
go hurtling down the trajectory of our lives - with everything that can grab
us and take us where we don’t want to go - what can we stay focused on
that will keep us on track with God’s purposes for us - what will give real
purpose and meaning to our lives? Look with me
at verse 12. Therefore
- which is
everything we’ve looked at the last two Sundays. Peter writing about God’s promises
to us and our need for diligence in our relationship with God.
Therefore,
I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you
already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present
with you. Let’s
pause there.
Notice Peter’s purpose is to remind his readers of what they
already know. Say this with me,
“They
know this.” The wheels
are turning in his readers’ minds, “Peter’s
repeating himself. He must be
having a senior moment. We’ve
heard this before. Just humor
him.” The Revised
Standard translation puts Peter’s words this way: “Therefore I intend always to
remind you of these things…” There’s
purpose here. Not
senility. “These
things” have to do with the life we have in Jesus. The almighty God of creation
desires to have an intimate personal relationship with each one of us - in
which He - God - supplies all that we need to live in that relationship -
the very ability and divine power necessary to live life as God has
designed life to be lived - including the very basis of that life - the
salvation offered to us in Jesus Christ. Because of
all that God has given to us we need to be diligent to put effort into
that relationship.
Practically - to work at - to passionately pursue - moral
excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly
kindness, and love. Remember
those 7 qualities? Peter is up
front with his readers.
“You
know these things. And, I
know you know these things.
But, I’m going to remind you anyway. Because you need to be
reminded.” If we been
around church for any number of years we ought have pretty much set in our
minds the basics. We’re all
sinners. Jesus - God - coming
as a baby - living in Palestine - doing miracles - dying on a cross - the
resurrection - we need to trust Him as our Savior - and read our Bible and
pray a lot. Oh - and go to
church and Sunday School.
There’s just basic stuff we know. Sometimes
things get added to that depending on what franchise of the church we go
to. Are we together? In some congregations its okay to
raise our hands and say amen.
In some congregations it isn’t. We don’t smoke or drink or play
cards or use those kinds of words or listen to that kind of music. We learn how to talk
Christian-eze. We wear ties
and ankle length dresses.
Well, the men wear the ties and the women wear the ankle length
dresses. Well, you knew
that. So, people
become kind of like connoisseurs of the church experience. Once we get the basics down and
the Christian culture that we’re suppose to be a part of - so that we know
how to be good Christians - then we start evaluating things on what
pleases us. How good was the
worship team? Did the pastor
keep me awake? Is there stuff
going on for the kids? People
start plugging in to different congregations based on what works for them.
Its so easy
to kind of drift through the Christian life - existing as a Christian -
knowing all the right stuff - doing all the right things - focused on what
makes us feel comfortable about our “Christian experience journey of
faith.” But, just
knowing stuff isn’t what’s important. All the stuff we add isn’t what’s
important. Here’s a
shocker. In the Christian
life - we’re not the most important thing. God is. Really knowing Jesus at the gut
level is what’s important.
Being totally sold out to Him deep down inside is what’s
important. Trusting Him with
our lives. Trusting Him as
our Savior. All the stuff
that Peter’s been writing about here in chapter 1. Repetition is
the key to what?
learning. That’s why
we need the reminder. Because
we get off track. We forget
the essential truth of what we know.
We need to keep relearning the truth - coming back to it. To get refocused not just on what
we know - but what it means for us to “know” Jesus and to pursue life in
Him. So
Peter writes, “I
know you know this. But, I’m
going to remind you anyway because you need to stay on track with
God.” Going
on - verse 13: I
consider it right - it’s the
right thing to do - as
long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of
reminder… The verb “to
stir up” is the Greek verb “diegeiro.” Which has the idea of taking
someone who’s asleep and dumping a whole bucket of ice cold water on
them. Rousing them. Stirring them. Waking them up. “WAKE UP!” Turn to the person next to you and
tell them that: “Wake
up!” If they’re asleep give them an
extra nudge. Living life
with the living God isn’t about us.
Its about being passionately sold out to God. I
consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you
up by way of reminder, knowing that the laying aside of my earthly
dwelling is imminent, as also our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to
me. Pause
there.
Notice that Peter’s time is short. Say that with me, “Peter’s
time is short.”
In John 21:18,19, we read that Jesus told Peter
the circumstances of Peter’s death.
Jesus told Peter that after a season of ministry and maturing -
when Peter was older - he would be led against his wishes to his death - a
death that would be
the result of following in obedience
to Jesus. “Follow
Me and this is how you’re going to die.” So Peter
followed Jesus. Imagine
that. The Christian life
isn’t about us.
In 64 A.D. Peter - along with the Apostle Paul -
Peter
was in Rome. 31 years have gone by since Jesus
told Peter the circumstances of Peter’s death. Peter is now in his 60’s. He’s had a long ministry. He’s matured. He and Paul are there in obedience to Jesus -
sharing the Gospel with others. 64 A.D. is also important because that was the
year the emperor Nero set Rome on fire and then blamed the Christians -
ordering hundreds of Christians to be killed in various cruel ways. Nero hates Christians - and he
also hates Peter and Paul.
Through their ministry some of Nero’s own household had come to
trust Jesus as their Savior. According to
tradition - around this time - there
was magician in Rome - named Simon Magus - who pretended he could fly
through the air and do all kinds of things that no one else could do. One day Simon Magus was performing
in front of a large crowd - and Peter and Paul were in that
crowd. (not the same Simon of Acts
8:9-24) Apparently Peter and Paul prayed that God would
confuse the magician and end his abilities. When they finished praying Simon Magus - with
whatever he was doing to convince people he was flying - Simon
Magus fell and broke both his
legs. Nero liked Simon Magus so he had Peter and Paul
thrown into prison for nine months. - during which time -
while they were in prison Peter and
Paul kept on track -
obeying Jesus - sharing the Gospel -
and two Captains of the Guard and 47 others came to trust in Jesus as
their Savior. Nero had Peter brought out for execution -
scourged him - which was absolutely cruel torture - and then had him
crucified. At Peter’s request - he was crucified up-side-down.
(1) All this came about in exactly
the way and timing that Jesus had
shared with Peter some 31 years earlier. As Peter is writing this letter -
2 Peter - probably around 65 or 66 A.D. - writing from a Roman jail cell
not too many days removed from his crucifixion. He can see it coming. Have you ever wondered what you’d do different - or if you would do some things
different - if you knew when and where you would die? One
person said, “If I knew when and where I
would die I would never go there.” If you knew that next Tuesday at 4:36 p.m. you
were going to die - would you do anything different between now and
then? Buy a life insurance
policy? Go blow your life’s
savings on something absolutely worthless? The word
Peter uses for “earthly dwelling” is “skenoma” which literally is a
tent. Think nomadic peoples
wandering in the wilderness.
We pitch our “skenoma” - tent - dwell there for a while - and then
move on. Very temporary. The importance of a tent is not
the tent - its what it shelters in side - Peter. Peter’s
temporary shelter is going to be laid aside and he’s going to move
on. That time for moving on
is coming quickly. But its
not a time to be feared - to be anticipated with dread - terror of the
unknown. A trying to reclaim
a lost life. So many people
fear death. The whole moving
on thing is happening exactly the way Jesus said it
would. Do you see
the confidence that Peter had?
“Jesus
said it would be this way.
I’m moving on and moving in with Jesus.” There’s an
urgency in Peter’s tone. A
passionate focus.
Peter, knowing when and how he
would die - the time
being short - just kept right on
doing what Jesus had called him to do. Preach the Gospel. Bring people people to Jesus and help them grow in that
relationship. Keep reminding them of what’s
essential. Keep them focused
on what it means to live this life of faith. Going
on - verse 15: And
I will also be diligent that at any time after my departure you will be
able to call these things to mind.
Notice Peter’s diligence. Say that with me, “Peter’s
diligence.” Watch this
and think about diligence.
(Video). How long do
you think these guys are going to stay in business?
Diligence is not giving whatever it takes just to get by. Diligence is the Greek verb
“spoudo” which has the idea of a driving desire - a passionate urge -
eating - sleeping - breathing - sacrificing everything - doing whatever it
takes to make this happen. The purpose
of Peter’s diligence is so that we get “these things.” What things? The gut level reality of what it
means to live life sold out to the living God. To get these things cemented in
our minds - hearts - souls - at the core of who we are. So that - even after Peter is
living with Jesus - when life jerks us around - our knee jerk reaction -
coming out of the core of who we are is to stay on track with God - to
keep on keeping on with God - choosing to pursue Him - living by faith in
Him. In
Peter’s life - and death - there’s an example here for us - as we’re
hurtling down the trajectory of our lives - there’s an example here of
what gives real purpose and meaning to our lives. There are two
certainties in life - death and what? taxes. Someone said, “Maybe
death and taxes are inevitable, but death doesn’t get worse every time
Congress meets.” (2) Unless Jesus comes back pretty soon -
we’re all going
to die. Time - for each of us
- time is passing. We may not
know when we’re going to die.
But, our departure time is closer now than it was this morning when
we got up this morning. In the
diligence that Peter has for reminding - in the passion of how Peter faces
death - in what Peter lived for - even facing death - in all that there’s
an example for us of what gives purpose and meaning to life. In reality - in all that
there’s a challenge for us.
Do you hear it?
Here it is:
“
What are we living for?” Say that with me, “What
are we living for?”
(Video) In the
last 20 years or so I’ve done over 70 funerals. I’ve been with a lot of families -
including my own - a lot of families going through very difficult
times. Its possible to get a
pretty good idea - by the way
people
face death - its possible
to get a pretty good idea of how
they’ve lived their lives. People
who’ve lived in futility face death with fear. They’re
either trying to hang on to life by any means or they’ve grudgingly
resigned themselves to the inevitable - they’re angry and bitter - constantly
complaining about all their aches and pains and having to live in “this
place” - how life has jerked them around. Death is ultimate pull in a
direction they don’t want to go. 10 years ago
- this month - I did the funeral service for a lady who’s approach to
death has stood out in my mind with the same kind of challenge that
Peter’s words have. When I saw Emelia for the last time - it was
shortly after I saw her that she slipped into a coma and died. She knew her time was short. When I visited with Emelia - it was like talking
with someone about to go on a long journey - she was going away and we
wouldn’t see each other for a long time. She asked about my family - our
kids. She talked about my
great-grandmother whom she knew in Egypt. She was at peace. Like a great matriarch she was
pronouncing blessings and attending to last minute details with her
family. She was
concerned about their relationship with Jesus. There was no fear or uncertainty. She said that she was ready to go
and was tired of waiting.
This is the way she faced life and this is the way she faced
death. There was purpose and certainty - she knew her
Lord - she knew where she was going - and the God that she had trusted and
obeyed all of her life - who had given significance and purpose to her
life - is the same God that she has gone to be with in
death. Time is
short. What are we living
for? Are we diligent? Passionate to make certain that
those around us know Jesus - really know Him. So that when we're gone - they’ll
remain solid in their faith - diligent to remind others of what it means
to live life with the living God. _______________ 1. Foxe’s Christian
Martyrs of the World, pgs. 32,33
|