TEXT: 2 Peter 3:14-18
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: August 2, 2009

Persevere because God is not finished saving you (2 Pt. 3:14–15)

• Jesus “Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot” (1 Pt. 1:19)
• Beloved “without spot or blemish, and at peace”

Order of Salvation (ordo salutis)

1. Election (God’s sovereign choice in eternity past; Eph. 1:4)

• 1 Peter 1:1-2 “elect…according to the foreknowledge of God the Father”
• 1 Peter 2:9 “a chosen race”
• 2 Peter 1:10 “make your…election sure”

2. Gospel Call (hearing of Jesus’ person and work)

• 1 Peter 1:12 “preached good news”
• 1 Peter 1:25 “the good news that was preached to you”
• 2 Peter 1:10 “make your calling…sure”

3. Regeneration (born again by the Holy Spirit, new heart)

• 1 Peter 1:3 “born again”
• 1 Peter 2:2 “like newborn infants”
• 2 Peter 2:4 “partakers of the divine nature”

4. Conversion (Holy Spirit-enabled faith [trust in Jesus] and repentance [hatred of sin] from the new heart)

• 7 times 1 & 2 Peter speaks of a believer’s “faith”
• 1 Peter 4:6 “live in the spirit the way God does”
• 1 Peter 4:14 “the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you”
• 2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord…is patient…, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”

5. Justification (legal standing before God)

• Jesus takes away our sin and gives us his righteousness, not because of our works, but because of his grace
• 1 Peter 1:1 “the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ”

6. Adoption (membership in God’s family, the church)

• Through sin we are estranged from God; through Jesus, our brother, we are adopted
  (6 times in 1 & 2 Peter Christians called “beloved”)
• 1 Peter 2:9 “a people for his own possession”
• 1 Peter 3:8 “brotherly love”
• 2 Peter 1:7 “brotherly affection”

7. Sanctification (ongoing growth in holiness to be increasingly like Jesus)

• 1 Peter 1:2 “the sanctification of the Spirit”
• 1 Peter 2:2 “grow up into salvation”
• 2 Peter 3:18 “grow in the grace”

8. Perseverance (ongoing loving relationship with Jesus as a Christian)

• All of 1 & 2 Peter is in the face of suffering, injustice, false teaching etc.
• 2 Peter 3 is all about perseverance until the Second Coming of Jesus

9. Death (soul goes to be with Jesus while body goes into the grave)

• 1 Peter 4:7 “The end of all things”

10. Glorification (resurrection body like Jesus’ reunited with the soul)

• 1 Peter 1:3-4 “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”
• 1 Peter 2:12 “day of visitation”
• 2 Peter 3:7 “the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly”

God is using everything to save you. Live your life in light of this fact until you see him face to face.

Persevere because God is not finished teaching you (2 Pt. 3:15–17)

• Peter: trained by Jesus for 3 years, leader of leaders, wrote books of the Bible
• Did not always get along with Paul, but was humble and repentant when rebuked by him (Gal. 2:11)
• Said that Paul is hard to understand:
  • Predestination, tongues, male elders, husbands as head

  • Shouldn’t be discouraged if you don’t understand something
  • Keep at it – further study or maturity could help

Two options when reading Scripture

1. Ignorant & unstable – twist to destruction

• Premarital sex/homosexuality are OK
• No distinction between men/women
• Living by rules/religion

Not liking/understanding something could mean you are hard hearted.

2. Humbly submit, learn, repent

• Scripture (“graphe”) appears 50 times in New Testament, always translated as “the Bible” (e.g. James 4:5).

Persevere because God is not finished welcoming you (2 Pt. 3:18)

• God welcomes you to enjoy life with him
• God welcomes you to be a lifelong learner
• God welcomes you to be a grace seeker

1 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
2 Peter 1:2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

• Grace is not only forgiveness for sin, but also changing us so we can stop sinning
• Grace is to ill-deserving sinners (not just undeserving)
• Grace appears over 400 times in the OT; nearly 200 times in the NT

1. Common grace — God is good to everyone everywhere

• Sun rises on God’s children and enemies
• Common grace is only good on this earth; not through eternity

2. Saving grace — Common-plus; this life and eternity

• Sin goes to Jesus, he dies in our place, gives us new heart/life

3. Persevering grace — Peter wants us to be grace seekers in everything

• A grace seeker believes by faith that God is good—and is constantly looking to see evidence of this.
• A grace seeker rejoices in what they have rather than coveting what others have.
• A grace seeker celebrates grace wherever they find it (including in enemies).
• A grace seeker worships God in response to his grace RIGHT NOW and forever!

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TEXT: 2 Peter 3:11–13
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: July 26, 2009

Lifestyle (how you live) is dictated by worldview (how you see history and your place in it).
 
Options for seeing history and living your life:
 
Evolution (upward) – believe in inevitable progress by science and education

• Leads to pride, then confusion – e.g., Scientific Revolution ended with World War II and the holocaust

Cyclical (circular) – ancient Greeks and reincarnation religions; history repeats itself

• Yantra circle used for Hindu worship, the mandala circle of dharma and Dharmacakra used for Buddhist and Taoist worship, the sun cross used by Wiccans (who also gather in a circle), Native American medicine wheels, dream catchers, and drum circles. In popular culture, a well-known expression of one-ism is found in the popular song from The Lion King that speaks of “the circle of life.”
• Leads to fatalism (live your life as if nothing you do matters)

Chaos – patternless and purposeless

• Leads to despair – no sense of eternal judgment or place in the story of God

Scripture – Jesus in the center

• Creator — Creation — Fall — Incarnation — Salvation — Damnation — New Creation w/Creator
• Leads to perseverance – God is with us through history, so we persevere with God through history

Persevere through worship to worship (2 Peter 3:11–13)

WORSHIP

Holiness – who Jesus is; for us, living like him through the Holy Spirit

• Big difference between religious holiness and Jesus’ holiness; just being moral does not save you.

• God does want holiness in conduct, but out of love and not duty
• To learn about holiness, read about Jesus in the Bible

Godliness – to worship well

• Godliness is the cause, holiness is the effect
• Holiness is impossible without godliness

WHO WORSHIPS

Everyone everywhere always worships something (Imago Dei – we were created to worship)

WHY DO WE WORSHIP?

• Identity, security, joy, purpose, value
• Through idolatry, we get our identity in something else
• Elevating a good thing into a god thing (e.g., kids, spouse, church)
• Our identity should be in the fact that God can’t love us anymore and won’t love us any less.
• Commenting on Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard’s 1849 book The Sickness Unto Death, Dr. Tim Keller says in The Reason for God (emphasis added):
  

  Sin is the despairing refusal to find your deepest identity in your relationship and service to God. Sin is seeking to become oneself, to get an identity apart from him. . . . Most people think of sin primarily as “breaking divine rules,” but Kierkegaard knows that the very first of the Ten Commandments is to “have no other gods before me.” So, according to the Bible, the primary way to define sin is not just the doing of bad things, but the making of good things into ultimate things. It is seeking to establish a sense of self by making something else more central to your significance, purpose, and happiness than your relationship to God.

HOW WE WORSHIP

• With time, talent, treasure
• Work our lives around our idols; life adjustments are acts of worship

WHAT WE WORSHIP

Romans 1:25 — Creator or creation

IDOLS WILL BURN

• Idols will turn into kindling
• If Jesus was with you and burned all of your things, what would be your reaction?
• If sad about any of it burning, that thing is an idol
• Jesus should be enough for us

HAPPINESS AND JOY

• God is the happiest person there is; He is working on all happiness and joy forever
• We should be pursuing happiness and joy by repenting of sin and pursuing godliness
• This causes perseverance when rich/poor, sick/healthy, etc.; God perseveres with you
• Not something we have to do; something we get to do
• Idolatry robs joy (e.g., glutton does not enjoy food, alcoholic does not enjoy drink)

Religion Saves

Pastor Mark’s latest book tackles popular questions on predestination, humor, birth control, and more. Watch the series.

TEXT: 2 Peter 3:8–10
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: July 19, 2009

Introduction

Perseverance is living in light of the last day of this life and the eternal life that is to come (2 Pet. 1:16–21; 2:1–10; 3:4–7).

Persevere because God is eternal (2 Peter 3:8)

• Christians are beloved by God. His love is not contingent on our performance but rather his affection. The pressure of performance off.
• God is without beginning or end—and not bound by time (Psalm 90:4).
• Like children who don’t fully understand the concept of time, we cannot understand the eternality of God.

Persevere because God is patient (2 Peter 3:9)

• God endures many Judases: people whom God loves, pursues, and serves but ultimately forsake Jesus.
• God’s patience does not equal permission to sin; it is an opportunity for repentance.
• God’s desire vs. God’s decree: God desires everyone to repent, but not everyone does.
• As long as God’s patience endures, our work hasn’t ended.

Repentance

Repentance begins with a change of mind (to agree with Scripture) that leads to a change of life (Rom. 12:2). Repentance is receiving the truth and living in light of the truth. It is a three-fold process:

1. Conviction of sin: Conviction by your conscience and/or the Holy Spirit. Conviction is a gift (John 16:8). Don’t blame others for your sin or hide from it—change.
2. Confession of sin: Talk about your sin with God (prayer) and with others in community (1 John 1:9).
3. Repentance (change): Put sin to death and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and begin to live like Jesus (may include restitution and reconciliation).

Counterfeit Repentance

• Confession – admission of wrongdoing but no change
• Selfish repentance – confession to get what you want (trying to manipulate God and others)
• Religious repentance – focus on the sin of others, never personal sin (Luke 18:9–14)
• Worldly sorrow – feeling bad or guilty, but not changing your mind or receiving the truth of the Gospel (2 Cor. 7:9–10)

The reward of repentance is a clear conscience in the sight of God. Every day our patient God offers repentance as a gift, that we might enjoy reconciliation with him through the atoning death of Jesus.

Persevere because God is sovereign (2 Peter 3:10)

Sovereignty does not mean that everything that happens is exactly what God wants. Rather, sovereignty describes God’s chief lordship over everything. Nothing and no one can ultimately thwart the will of God.

The Day of the Lord

• Jesus will return, the dead will rise, and we will stand before Jesus and give an account for our life.
• The world and our works will be judged; some will go to hell and punishment, and some will go to heaven and joy.
• A new heaven, a new earth, and a purging of sin and the curse. Jesus’ kingdom will be without sin, death, war, abuse, slavery, tears.
• Nobody knows when the Day of the Lord will happen (”gooftastic” wingnuts think they do)
• Jesus will return “like a thief” (Amos 5:18–20; Matt. 24:42–44; 1 Thess. 5:2, )

We’re not to worry about when Jesus is going to return, we’re to prepare to meet him whenever he comes—by repenting and sharing the gift of repentance with others.

Community Group Questions

• What do you need to repent of today?
• How is your perseverance? Where are you quitting?

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TEXT: 2 Peter 3:1–7
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: July 12, 2009

Perseverance is finishing well. The last day is the most important day.

Persevere in Scripture (2 Peter 3:1–2)

There is no perseverance in life without perseverance in Scripture. How is your time in Scripture?

• Christians are beloved. We persevere because God already loves us, not because we’re trying to earn his love. God loves us despite the fact we’re ill-deserving.
• Christians are forgetful. We tend to know certain things but forget to live in light of these truths.
• “The Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to the person whose life is not.” –C.H. Spurgeon

Persevere through Scoffing (2 Peter 3:3–4)

If you love Jesus, read the Bible, and try and live a life that is obedient to Scripture out of love for Jesus, you will get made fun of. Which scoffers are getting to you?

• You will either fear the Lord or fear man.
• Scoffers tend to argue chronologically, not theologically.
• The Bible promises fiery judgment (Mal. 4:1; John 5:25–29). The Last Day, the day when sin is no more, when death is no more, when Jesus is all. As Christians, we evaluate every day along the way in light of that day.
• Christianity is not opposed to science; it is opposed to naturalism, which denies that there is a Creator and Sustainer of the world (”the Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be” –Carl Sagan).
• Big Bang/Big God; Second Law of Thermodynamics/Second Coming of Christ. Both science and Christianity recognize a beginning and an end.

Persevere Until Judgment (2 Peter 3:5–7)

Christianity is this: Jesus lived, Jesus died, Jesus rose, Jesus is coming again. Those are the facts. Everything we believe hinges on facts (not speculation, not philosophy, not theory).

• Certain people deliberately overlook the facts (Rom. 1:18).
• Christianity and the Bible are not dismissed on intellectual grounds; they are rejected based on the moral implications of the facts.
• The Bible says that we are without excuse (Rom. 1:20). It’s not that your mind is unable to understand, it’s that your heart is unwilling to repent.
• Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg:
  

  “I personally feel that the teaching of modern science is corrosive of religious belief, and I’m all for that!…From my own point of view, I can hope that this long sad story will come to an end at some time in the future and that this progression of priests and ministers and rabbis and ulamas and imams and bonzes and bodhisattvas will come to an end, that we’ll see no more of them. I hope that this is something to which science can contribute and if it is, then I think it may be the most important contribution that we can make.”

  In other words: I don’t want there to be a God, and so I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that nobody else believes there is a God (deliberately overlooking the facts).

• It’s okay to have questions, but follow the truth wherever it leads. Don’t deliberately overlook the facts.

God is Creator

• Creation comes from the Word of God (Gen. 1; Heb. 11:3)
• God made everything from nothing (ex nihilo); God existed before creation.
• The Bible is the Word of God: living and active (Is. 55:11; Heb. 4:12).

God is Sustainer

• God not only made the world, he also remains involved in the world.
• God is keeping creation together, though it is marred by sin and its affects.
• God came into the world as the man Jesus Christ, and he continues with us by his presence with the Holy Spirit.
• We do not persevere by ourselves (Heb. 13:5).

God is Judge

• Nobody is getting away with anything (encouragement for victims).
• Your sins were either judged on the day of Jesus’ death, or they will be judged on the day of your death (John 3:16, 36).
• Thirteen perecent of Jesus words are on hell. The wrath of God is spoken of more than 600 times in the Bible.
• In the past, God judged the whole earth with water. In the future, God will judge the whole earth with fire (2 Pet. 3:6–7). If you don’t believe in the Day of Judgment, remember the Day of the Flood.
• Jesus compares hell to Gehenna: an area outside Jerusalem, previously the site of child sacrifices, later a dump where fire burned refuse continuously.

The fear of hell does not compel Christians to persevere as much as the hope of God’s Kingdom. We look forward to going home, seeing Jesus.

Religion Saves

Pastor Mark’s latest book tackles popular questions on predestination, humor, birth control, and more. Watch the series.

TEXT: 2 Peter 2:10b–22
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: June 28, 2009

False teachers invariably follow three steps that lead to heresy…

Step #1: Pride (2 Pet. 2:10b–13)

False teachers are:

• Bold and willful, their confidence is compelling.
• Arrogant, believing they have greater spiritual authority than the angels.
• Shameless, sinning in broad daylight.
• Blasphemers, renouncing and denouncing the truth.

Combat pride with humility (1 Pet. 5:5). Five common areas of pride:

• Intellectual pride: Do you think you’re smarter than (nearly) everyone–nobody can teach you anything?
• Moral pride: Do you think you’re a better person than most people?
• Spiritual pride: Do you think you’re closer to God than others (e.g. because you speak in tongues or adhere to a specific kind of theology)?
• Creative pride: Do you value innovation over biblical faithfulness? It’s okay to be creative with methodology, but not theology.

Step #2: Idolatry (2 Pet. 2:14–20)

• False teachers love things (often money and sex) more than God (Num. 22–25).
• False teachers bring false promises and false hopes, like wells without water, rain clouds without rain, enlightenment without light.
• We either worship the Creator God or created things (Rom. 1:25). Idols are often good things turned into god things.
• If you idolize someone or something, you have to demonize everything else.
• Idols lie: they promise freedom but deliver slavery.

Step #3: Apostasy (2 Pet. 2:21–22)

• Those who entertain false teaching are vomit-eaters (Prov. 26:11).
• Apostasy is practiced by those who know the truth but abandon it, deny it, and walk away from it. (Judas, for example, knew the truth but loved money more than Jesus).
• Apostates do not lose their salvation, they were never saved, never regenerated, never born again to begin with. Their nature is the same, even if their behavior may get cleaned up.

Closing Exhortations

For parents in general, and fathers in particular:

• Lead your family spiritually. Read your Bible in front of your kids, read your Bible with your kids, pray with them and for them. Recommended reading: The Jesus Storybook Bible and Pastor Dad.
• Carefully, prayerfully choose a church and Christian friends with whom your family can live in community.
• Pursue humility and address pride in your children (intellectual, moral, spiritual, creative). Repent of sin to your kids.
• Be on watch for idolatry. Does your family value TV, sports, or appearance more than Jesus?
• When people you love go astray do not follow them.
• Submit to spiritual authority. Don’t always trust yourself; let other people speak into your life.

Mars Hill Media:

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TEXT: 2 Peter 2:1–10a
TEACHER: Mark Driscoll
RELEASE DATE: June 21, 2009

Introduction

At the end of 1 Peter, we learned that the church is led by the Chief Shepherd (Jesus Christ) and includes shepherds (pastors), who feed and protect the sheep (God’s people). 2 Peter 2 introduces the wolves (false teachers).

“With the wolves you cannot be too severe; with the weak sheep you cannot be too gentle.” –Martin Luther

New Testament descriptions of false teachers: Phil. 3:2; Col. 2:8, 18; 1 Tim. 1:3–7, 19; 4:1–2, 7; 6:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:14–18, 23; Titus 1:10–14; 2 Pet. 2:1–3; 3:16; 1 John 2:18

False Teachers (2 Peter 2:1–3a)

Six indicators of a false teacher (only one characteristic is needed to qualify as a wolf):

• Heresy – False belief regarding a primary Christian doctrine (for example, monotheism, the Bible is God’s Word, the Trinity, human sin, Jesus–pre-existence, fully God and fully man, born of a virgin, sinless life, bodily resurrection–salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone)
• Sensuality – Loose living, condoning and encouraging sin
• Blasphemy – No fear of God, which leads to slander of God (for example judging God by criticizing the Bible)
• Greed – Profiting from the popularity of false teaching
• Lust – Practicing sexual sin and/or encouraging others to do so as well
• Despise Authority – Living as your own ruler, rejecting discipline

God’s Response to False Teachers (2 Peter 2:3–6)

• Destruction
• Condemnation (like the demons, the flood, Sodom & Gomorrah)

God’s Response to the Righteous (2 Peter 2:5-9)

• Preserved like Noah
• Rescued like Lot

A heretic claims to be a Christian but holds a false belief on a primary Christian doctrine.

A heretic is not…

• Someone who professes to be a non-Christian.
• A new Christian humbly sorting their theology out.
• Someone who disagrees over a secondary doctrinal issue (e.g. Bible translation, mode of baptism and communion, preaching format, church governance, women in ministry, spiritual gifts).
• Someone who made a mistake that was inconsistent with their belief.
• Someone who repented of false doctrine.

These people should be kept in the church and disciplined and/or instructed.

A heretic is…

• Someone who claims to be a Christian.
• Someone who holds a false position on a primary doctrinal issue.
• Someone who knowingly holds a false doctrine.
• Someone who habitually continues in false doctrine.
• Someone who will not repent or recant.

These people need to be rebuked and removed from the church before their following grows.

Two Errors Regarding Heretics

#1. Virtually no one is a heretic.
Mistaken thinking that leads some to believe that virtually no on is a heretic:

• “They can’t be a heretic because they are successful so God must be blessing them.”
• “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion” (pluralism).
• “We are supposed to love everyone” (tolerance).
• “We are not supposed to fight.”
• “They can’t be a heretic because they’re a very nice person.”
• “They’re not a heretic––they’re a hero for standing up against authority.”

#2. Virtually everyone is a heretic.
Common characteristics of people who think virtually everyone is a heretic:

• Unholy and unhelpful apologetics and discernment ministries
• Ruled by fear
• Rigid eschatology (”end times” theology)
• Guilty of globalizing (blowing things out of proportion)
• Make accusations based on “guilt by association”
• Shoddy research, quote out of contexts, believe lies
• They fight over styles and secondary issues
• They hide behind the Internet and media

Everyone is a theologian. We are either believing and behaving that which is true, or believing and behaving that which is false.

Community Group Discussion Questions

1. What experiences have you personally had with false teachers?
2. Are you guilty of believing false teaching about any doctrines?
3. Are there any false teachers with whom you need to stop interacting?
4. Is there anyone you need to apologize to for wrongly judging?
5. Are you more likely to consider virtually no one or virtually everyone a heretic?
6. What can you do to grow in the truth and discernment?

Introduction: Six Unique Claims of Jesus Christ

1. No one says they came down from heaven but Jesus (John 6:38, 41–42, 60, 66)
2. No one says they are God but Jesus (John 10:30–33)
3. No one says they are sinless but Jesus (John 8:46)
4. No one says they can forgive sins but Jesus (Mark 2:5)
5. No one says they are the way to heaven but Jesus (John 14:6)
6. No one promised to rise from death but Jesus (Mark 10:33–34)

Where can the truth be found about Jesus Christ?

Option #1 – Ridiculous nonsense from people educated beyond their intelligence who make stuff up about Jesus and should be ashamed of themselves and repent before they see Jesus and it goes über bad for them forever (2 Peter 1:16a).

Popular Myths (Lies) about Jesus

• Liberal “Christians” – Jesus was a good man, a prophet, and an example–not fully God.
• Mormonism – Jesus is one of many gods and the polygamist half brother of Lucifer.
• Jehovah’s Witness – Jesus is the archangel Michael, a created being who became a man.
• New Age – Jesus was an Eastern holy man with an elevated state of consciousness.
• Scientology – Jesus was an implant forced upon a Thetan roughly 1 million years ago.
• Levi Dowling – Jesus underwent 7 degrees of occultic initiation making him the Christ.
• Edgar Cayce – Jesus became the Christ after shedding his karma through 13 incarnations.
• Bahai – Jesus was a manifestation of God–a prophet, but inferior to Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh.
• Buddhism – Jesus was not God but rather an enlightened man like the Buddha.
• Hinduism – Jesus was a wise man like Krishna
• Islam – Jesus was merely a man. He was a prophet inferior to Muhammad.
• The Dalai Lama said, “He [Jesus] was either a fully enlightened being, or a bodhisvatta [a being who aids others to enlightenment] of a very high spiritual realization.”
• Indian Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi said, “I cannot ascribe exclusive divinity to Jesus. He is as divine as Krishna or Rama or Muhammad or Zoroaster.”
• Dan Brown – Jesus married and had kids.

Option #2 – Believe the Bible.

Written by Eyewitnesses (2 Peter 1:16b-18)

• The gospel writer Matthew was one of the disciples.
• John wrote five books of the New Testament. He was one of the disciples, included in Jesus’ inner circle with Peter and James (John 19:35; 1 John 1:1–3).
• Paul wrote the majority of the books in the New Testament. He lived at the time of Jesus’ ministry. He initially hated Christianity, but was converted after an eyewitness encounter with Jesus (1 Cor. 15:6–8). He also worked with many of Jesus’ disciples.
• James and Jude were Jesus’ brothers and worked closely with the apostles (Mt. 13:55; Gal. 1:19 cf. Jude 1:1).
• Luke wrote a gospel account and the book of Acts. He was probably not an eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry, but emphasizes his exhaustive research, including interactions with eyewitnesses (Luke 1:1–4).
• Mark wrote a gospel account, and probably witnessed some of Jesus’ ministry. Though he was not an apostle, Mark worked closely with both Paul (2 Tim. 4:11) and Peter (1 Peter 5:13). Some early church fathers say that Mark’s gospel is a report of Peter’s own story.
• Peter was present with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36) and an eyewitness to Jesus’ three years of ministry (2 Peter 1:16).

F.F. Bruce writes in The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?:

One thing must be emphatically stated. The New Testament books did not become authoritative for the Church because they were formally included in a canonical list; on the contrary, the Church included them in her canon because she already regarded them as divinely inspired, recognizing their innate worth and generally apostolic authority, direct or indirect. The first ecclesiastical councils to classify the canonical books were both held in North Africa—at Hippo Regius in 393 and at Carthage in 397—but what these councils did was not to impose something new upon the Christian communities but to codify what was already the general practice of these communities (27).

Written by Divine Inspiration (2 Peter 1:19–21)

The Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) is:

• Prophecy
• God’s light in darkness
• Scripture (truthful, revalatory, without peer)
• Revelation (God’s self disclosure–as opposed to speculation)
• Divinely inspired

Key Doctrinal Concepts

Verbal Plenary Inspiration

• Verbal – The very words of Scripture… (Matt. 5:18)
• Plenary – …in all of Scripture… (2 Tim. 3:16)
• Inspiration – …are from God.

John Elder writes in Prophets, Idols and Diggers:

It is not too much to say that it was the rise of the science of archaeology that broke the deadlock between historians and the orthodox Christian. Little by little, one city after another, one civilization after another, one culture after another, whose memories were enshrined only in the Bible, were restored to their proper places in ancient history by the studies of archaeologists. . .Contemporary records of biblical events have been unearthed and the uniqueness of biblical revelation has been emphasized by contrast and comparison to newly discovered religions of ancient peoples. Nowhere has archaeological discovery refuted the Bible as history (16).

Inerrancy

The Bible is without error (Psalm 19:7; Proverbs. 30:5–6; John 17:17).

Sufficiency

The Bible tells us everything we need to know about God.

Sola Scriptura

Scripture alone is in highest authority, under which there are courts of lesser authority; there is truth to be found outside of Scripture (thanks to God’s common grace and general revelation), but all things are to be tested by the Scriptures.

Further Reading

Visit the Resurgence for recommended books about the authority and reliability of the Bible.

This section of Scripture builds on Peter’s opening remarks (justification and regeneration). In response to God’s grace, Christians work together with God–not for our salvation but rather so that we will experience and enjoy the fullness of the salvation that has already been given to us.

Take Your Supplements (2 Peter 1:5–7)

Like taking vitamins to keep our bodies healthy, Peter lists the following spiritual supplements meant to keep us spiritually healthy:

• Faith: Trust in God’s revealed promises and character–even when things don’t work out as expected.
• Virtue: Ethical living, character, and conduct. Submitting your whole life to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Knowledge: Christians should be life-long learners–studying, reading, working through new issues, memorizing Scripture, etc.
• Self-control: Christians are not to live as people controlled externally (through law enforcement, threats, prison, addiction); we should be controlled internally by the Holy Spirit and love for Jesus.
• Steadfastness: “Sanctified stubbornness.” Don’t quit; finish well. Be stubborn enough to hang in there (with your spouse, with Jesus). “Long obedience in the same direction” (Eugene Peterson).
• Godliness: “Coram Deo” (John Calvin)–live “in the face of God” without any secrets or compartments. We will have to give an account for our lives and actions.
• Brotherly affection: The church is, to some degree, a family. We love with one another, fight with one another, work it out with one another, and serve one another as family, persevering together even when people disappoint.
• Love: Love is not something that emanates from us, but rather from God (1 John 4:16).

Exercise Your Faith (2 Peter 1:8–11)

It is possible to be spiritually alive but unhealthy (as it is possible to be physically alive but unhealthy). In addition to supplements, exercise helps.

Peter describes four tools to help us avoid the traps of laziness (not doing enough) and busyness (doing too much), and to wholeheartedly pursue fruitfulness lives:

• Vision: Some are blind to their past (forgetting what Christ did for us on the Cross); some are blind to their future (living for the minute). “Define life forward; live it backward” (Soren Kierkegaard). A vision is a map: live in light of where you’re going–prepare to meet Jesus and leave a legacy behind.
• Assurance: If you’re a Christian, enjoy the assurance of your salvation (v. 10). Keep walking with Jesus and taking supplements.
• Progress: A boring testimony is a good thing. You don’t have to have a dramatic outward transformation in order to grow in spiritual maturity.
• Reward: Christians will not be judged for salvation, but for rewards. Take your supplements and exercise your faith in order to–by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit–store up treasure in heaven (Matt. 6:20; 25:21).

How to be Fruitful

• Plate: How much can you realistically fit on your plate? Understand your capacity and be honest about it (Rom. 12:3).
• Priorities: Know your priorities and fill your plate in the appropriate order (e.g., 1-God, 2-wife, 3-kids, 4-job).
• Prune: Eliminate what is disorganized, inefficient, not a priority, or just not necessary.

Die Well (2 Peter 1:12–15)

• Act on the knowledge that you already have.
• Information + Obedience = Transformation (James 1:22; 4:17)

Questions

• Are you taking your supplements?
• How can you be more fruitful?
• How can you die well?

TEXT: 2 Peter 1:1–4
RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2009
PREACHER: Mark Driscoll

Introduction to 2 Peter

The author: “Simeon Peter” (2 Peter 1:1a)

• Simeon = his old name before he met Jesus; represents Peter’s old way of life
• Peter = who Jesus renamed him to be. Right from the start, Peter is showing us that Jesus changes people and makes a difference.

The recipients: “those who have obtained a faith” (2 Peter 1:1b)

• Obtained implies that faith is a gift, something we receive.

The purpose (2 Peter 1:2): knowledge–of God in general and Jesus in particular.



Peter introduces two ideas main at the beginning of his second letter:

• Justification: What Jesus did for us to make us righteous before God.
• Regeneration: The work of the Holy Spirit to give us new birth, so that we can be “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4).

Justification: Jesus’ Work for Us (2 Peter 1:1–2)

How can God declare us righteous and receive us as justified and still be a good God? Any judge who takes those who are guilty and then declares them to be innocent is no longer a just judge. There are various ways people attempt to answer this question:

• The Hard-Hearted: “I don’t know if there’s a God or a judgment; if there is, I don’t care.”
• The Proud: “God grades on a curve; I’m good.” (God’s standard is perfection; Rom. 3:23)
• The Spiritual: “All that is spiritual is good…I better myself and try to live in cosmic rhythm.” (not all spirituality is good; 1 John 4:1)
• The Secular Moralist: “Save this animal! Save this tree! I’m better than you are because I have a cause and my cause is better than your cause.”
• The Religious: “Work really hard; do something to make yourself righteous.” (Every religion is about how to make yourself righteous in the sight of God. This includes false Christianity: Jesus plus something else, such as knowledge, ministry, morality)
• The GOSPEL: “Those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:1, emphasis added). Christians have “equal standing” with Peter (Jesus’ lead disciple!) because we have the same righteousness as he does: the righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:21).

When you stand before Jesus, there’s only one correct answer as to your righteousness: You don’t have any. BUT, you’ve been given Christ’s prefect righteousness, and the work is finished (John 19:30).

If all of our sins are forgiven, why live a holy life? Why not sin like crazy? Regeneration.

Regeneration: The Holy Spirit’s Work in Us (2 Peter 1:3–4)

We are all sinners by nature (Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:3), dead and blind to the Spirit and knowledge of God. God changes (regenerates) our hearts–our very nature.

Four things that accompany regeneration:

• New power: To flee sin and pursue righteousness (2 Peter 1:3).
• New understanding: To see what Jesus has done and who he is (2 Peter 1:3).
• New nature: As a Christian, you are not perfect or sinless, but something in you has changed (2 Peter 1:4).
• New desires: Namely, God himself–rather than settling for sin–and God’s desires (2 Peter 1:4). Passion to live a life for Christ.

Recommended Reading

Finally Alive by John Piper

]]> http://blog.marshillchurch.org/2009/06/02/sermon-notes-faith-in-your-new-birth/feed/ 0 http://blog.marshillchurch.org/2009/05/18/sermon-notes-humble-christians/ http://blog.marshillchurch.org/2009/05/18/sermon-notes-humble-christians/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 21:10:19 +0000 Mars Hill Church http://blog.marshillchurch.org/?p=2875

TEXT: 1 Peter 5:5–14
PREACHER: Pastor Mark Driscoll
DATE: May 10, 2009

Introduction

The letter of 1 Peter culminates with the theme of humility. Earlier in the book, Peter described Christians as “elect exiles” of God’s kingdom. As we journey toward our King and his kingdom, we identify ourselves as belonging to God by striving to live by the humble standards set by Christ rather than the standards of pride set by the world.

As John Calvin said, “If you ask me concerning the precepts of the Christian religion, first, second, and third, and always I would answer, ‘Humility.’”

True humility is…
1) The fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:7; 3:34).
2) Christlike. Following in the ethic of Jesus based on the grace he provides.
3) Accepting your place (Rom. 12:3).

Humble Christians Respect their Elders (1 Peter 5:5)

• Elders (pastors) are qualified and appointed male leaders within the church.
• Humble Christians should heed the elders’ counsel.
• In case of disagreement, one should respectfully follow the “chain of command” approach.

Questions to Develop Humility

• Are you teachable?
• How do you respond to correction and rebuke?
• Do you repent quickly and thoroughly?
• How considerate are you of others?
• Do you give and receive service well?
• Are you constantly aware of God’s grace?
• Do you disagree agreeably?
• How much do you need attention and affirmation?

Humble Christians Make Good Leaders (1 Peter 5:6)

• Good leaders serve out of love, not selfish ambition.
• Aspiring leaders mustn’t think of themselves as more highly than they ought.
• Young (spiritually), aspiring leaders often let zeal get ahead of maturity.
• It is important to humbly distinguish between God’s calling and God’s timing.

Humble Christians Understand their Life (1 Peter 5:7–11)

• Internally – Humbly acknowledging God’s ultimate sovereignty takes away anxiety.
• Externally – Those who are humble acknowledge their need for God’s help to recognize and resist Satan’s temptations.
• Eternally – God eventually restores and exalts humble Christians with him for eternity, making the suffering of this life seem relatively short.

Humble Christians Bless their Church (1 Peter 5:12–14)

• The church needs humble servants like Silvanus and Mark.
• Humility fosters a joy, a sweetness, and a kindness among a people; the humble make great friends, spouses, parents, and leaders.
• The one thing that can destroy Mars Hill Church is pride.
• Pursue and develop humility by the grace of God.
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