Tough & Tender - Week 2 - The CORE - Pastor Michael Ewart
Tough & Tender
Week 2 - The Core
Pastor Michael Ewart
Again, welcome to our sermon series the third week called 'Tough and Tender", and we are currently walking through the book of 2nd Peter. Taking a look at every single verse, learning what God wants us. The encouragement God wants us to have from this amazing book of the Bible. So if this is your first week of the series, you missed last week, good news is you can go to YouTube and you can catch up on it because it's a little bit like walking 15 minutes into the movie, while after it started and then trying to get up to speed on what's been happening. And that's a little bit of the situation. If it's your first time, we're glad you're here.
But you did miss a little bit. So if you have the chance to go back to and watch that first message, if you could, but just to bring you up to speed really quickly, we're going through this book of second Peter written by, of course, Peter, the Apostle of Jesus, one of those three closest to Jesus, who saw some things that even the other disciples didn't see. So, Peter wrote this letter to Christians who are now over three decades separated from the resurrection of Jesus, meaning, you're getting into the second generation of Christians now, and they were going through some really tough times. There was persecution of the church. They were struggling. They were starting to have some doubts. They were starting to forget some of the things that the apostles had taught them and shared with them. And so, their faith is struggling. Meanwhile, Peter is in the closing season of his life.
He knows that his life is short and that he will not be on this Earth, much longer. So he has some critically important words to share with these people who are struggling in their faith. He has words for you and me who sometimes struggle in our faith. So last week, we heard about to fold encouragement from Peter. First of all. He said that God has given you everything you need for life and for godliness. And that God gave you this connection to him, that you are literally connected to God. You participate in the divine nature is the way Peter put it. And this is already yours and then he encouraged us now, make every effort to grow in your faith. Don't be content with a little faith, but make every effort to continue to grow in that faith and to make it stronger and to increase in your own certainty. As you see your own faith growing. So, with that, we continue on with this message where their Peter wants to encourage us to be well, first of all, to remember and to be certain,
So does that describe you? That you would need an encouragement like that?
Let me ask you this, how many of you are busy, but raise your hand? Are you busy? Are you sometimes busy? Okay, busy people tend to forget things, at least I do. Has it ever happened? That a few hours went by a day, went by several days went by were you barely gave a thought to God for his truth. For his promises.
We sometimes forget. Do you ever have doubts that, I don't know all you well, but I'm guessing that if you're like most Christians, there are times when you have doubts about your Christian faith. Now if I'm wrong about that and you have 100% recollection of God's truth and Promises all the time. And if your faith is so Rock Solid, you never have a doubt. You get a pass on today's message. You really have to listen, you can go ahead and tune out, but for the rest of us, we really need. Here, what Peter is going to tell us today so that we can remember and so that we can have certainty. So let's jump right In. We're picking up the second half. Now of the first chapter of second Peter, starting at verse 12, that says this. So he says, I will always remind you of these things. Even though, you know, them and are firmly established in the truth, you now have, since it's not like, you don't know this yet, I know you do. But I am going to remind you Anyway, because Peter knows what you and I know and that is we sometimes forget. He said I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body because I know that I will soon put it aside as our Lord. Jesus Christ has made clear to me. I know my time on this Earth is greatly limited. He was writing this from prison probably in Rome and it was under the persecution of Nero and God apparently let him know Peter, you're not long for this world. And so Peter said, I don't know how long I've got, but with every breath that's left in me. I am going to keep on reminding you of these amazing truths. I'm going to keep reminding you about what I saw when I was with Jesus, he says and I will make every effort to see that after my departure, you will always be able to remember these things. Peter wants you to remember, he wants to erase your doubts. And the reason he wants to do that is our first fill in the blank. Our first takeaway for today and that is this forgetfulness and doubt are dangerous.
Peter knows that for your faith. Forgetfulness and doubt are dangerous. Even in areas outside of Faith, you know that sometimes forgetfulness can be a dangerous thing. If you have a medication, that's very important and that is keeping you healthy, you're going to make you healthy and you forget to take your medication, That's not good for you. Is it if you are a hunter and you turn the safety off on your rifle and you forget That's really dangerous. You could hurt, or kill somebody. If you are a doctor and you forget some of your medical training, you might get a diagnosis wrong. You might miss a diagnosis and you might put a patient at risk. It's important not to forget, right? And Peter knows, when it comes to our spiritual life, forgetting is deadly.
We are connected to God, through the Lord Jesus Christ. If we forget about the Lord Jesus Christ, if that is not an active part of our daily thoughts and heart and living,
Our faith could fail. We could lose our faith. Peter says, I don't want that to happen. So with every breath that's left in me. I'm going to keep reminding you about the Lord Jesus Christ. And what about doubts, if you ever doubt your faith, also do you sometimes, feel doubts in your heart and in your life. How many of you have gone to college? Even for a semester are in college or are thinking about going to college, raise your hand someday, maybe you were going to college most of you, your college is somewhere in your, in your life, past present or future, right. Did you know, there's a survey taken 15 years ago? I couldn't find anything more current than that, but 15 years ago a survey was done and they found out that in among the professor's they surveyed 25% of them were atheists or agnostics.
Compare that to in the general population, where agnostics and atheists are about five to seven percent, that's what's in the college's. In that same survey, I'm only six percent of college, professors said, the Bible is the actual word of God. 6%. Fifty-one percent agreed with this statement. The Bible is an ancient book of fables, legends, history, and moral precepts 51% that was their view of the Bible. Where do you think these numbers have gone in the last 15 years? Not sure, but I have a guess.
Could a professor like that could students challenging your faith? Could that introduce some doubts. And that it could. Have you had any discussions on social media that have put some seeds of doubt in your heart about your faith? Have you read some articles on the internet that made you think twice about what you've been taught and what you believe about the Christian faith? Doubts can come from other places as well. If you have done something that you're deeply feeling guilty about, you might have some doubts about God's forgiveness and if it's really for you, if you have been told some things by somebody or they've done some horrible things to you, you might feel worthless, you might feel dirty, it might be hard for you to believe. You might have some doubts about God about his love for you about your worth about things that
God says, in his word, there might be some doubts there. If you are going through a time of suffering, right now, if you are experiencing pain, if there is something that is a struggle in a relationship that you have right now, whatever the suffering that you're dealing with right now that is a time where sometimes doubts creep in. If God really loves me, why is this happening and why doesn't he do something about this? Do you have some doubts about your faith?
So, two people like you and me who sometimes forget into people like you and me who sometimes have doubts. Peter has some very, very important words that I want you to read and maybe come back to throughout the week and reread a few more times. Let's look at what he says. Starting at verse 16. For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord, Jesus Christ in power, let me just pause there for a second. We did not follow cleverly devised stories. We didn't make this stuff up when we told you about Jesus and his power is what he's saying and this is the view of so many people today. You believe the Bible. Do you realize it's just a bunch of cleverly made up stories. Did you realize it's just a bunch of myths that people made up that's the world view of the Bible and Peter addresses that directly saying no it isn't
It's not made up. So the world seems to think that the Bible Elite especially the Miracles came about in this way, there is the apostles sitting behind a locked door somewhere. Saying all right, we need a good Miracle story to support this Jesus because I mean he didn't do any. So we got to have to make some up. Anybody got any ideas Peterson? Yeah. What? If Jesus walked on water? Oh, that's a great idea. Says John, let's go with that one. Jesus walked on water. Anybody else and James says, what if it was during a Warm add that detail. Yeah, yeah storm, sure, sure. Anybody else and Andrew says, or Peter says, you know what? I've always wanted to walk on water. What if Jesus invites me out on the water? And I walk on it too, and they roll their eyes a little bit. All right, we'll include that detail. Then Andrew says, “Yeah, and then Jesus and you sink and he has to rescue you and he's like no. Hey, come on. Why am I was looking like the bad guy in these stories? Guys, I vote against that detail or as take a vote everybody and everybody in favor of including that raise your hand, everybody raises their hand except Peter. Including that detail to sorry Peter you're outvoted. And there we have the story of Jesus walking on water. That's how some people think these things came about. And Peter said yeah. No. That's not where this came from. He goes on. And he says this.
We were eyewitnesses of his majesty. We're just writing down what we saw guys. And yeah, it makes us look bad. A lot of the time and I wish it wasn't there. I wish I hadn't done that but its history so we had to record it. Yeah, it did. Jesus did walk on water and Peter says and I did step out and I was walking on water then and then I did that. I looked at those waves and I took my eyes off Jesus and I sank and Jesus had to come over and he grabbed me up out of the water. And boy, did I learn a valuable?
Less and don't take your eyes off. Jesus. And this is exactly what happened. I'm just telling you, what, what I experienced, I was an eyewitness to his majesty. Peter says, And then he tells this account, he said, here's the magic. Just tell you one of those witnessing opportunities. When I saw his majesty, he said, “Jesus received, honor, and Glory from God, the Father, when the voice came to him from The Majestic Glory saying, this is my son, whom I love with him. I am. Well, pleased, we ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him, on the sacred mountain. So Peter is recounting the story of the Transfiguration. If you ever heard that term before big, big word that's really quite simple. Transfiguration is figure transformed. Jesus always look like a regular human being except when he went up on this mountain with Peter James, and John just the three of them, they they all of a sudden look up. And Jesus is shining with the glory of God shining like the sun and they hear this voice from Heaven. The father saying, this is my son, whom I love with him.
I am. Well pleased, he is perfect in every way he needs. All my requirements. This is my son, everybody. You should listen to him. And then Elijah comes down and Moses comes down to prophets who are long dead, but they came and they're standing there next to Jesus. Peter saw that too. All of this. He was an eyewitness to the Majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what I saw. He says it's one of those don't miss moments of Jesus life. We had a series on that just a little bit ago. If you go look at our YouTube page. Look for a busy. The first or second message of that series about the Transfiguration of Jesus that's worth a review Pete, Earth of all the stories that Peter could have told at this point. That's the one that came to mind. That's the one he wanted to share.
Why that one? What says it all? Who is Jesus, really? He is the Son of God in human flesh. We have the visible evidence that they saw of him shining with the glory of God. We have the father's testimony. That this is his son and he's pleased with him. We have the testimony of the prophets Moses and Elijah who appeared next to him. This was a real event, this really happened. And this was proof that Jesus was who he said he was. Jesus came with a father's mission to accomplish our Salvation Jesus. When he went to the Cross, really did take your guilt, your sin, your shame.
On Palestine, there's a grave where he was buried but he came back alive, broke out of that grave and Jesus lives. And these are the historical facts to which Peter testifies as well as all the other apostles. This is the truth of the Christian faith so that you are remember and so that you will be certain you can have certainty.
And have certainty because Jesus really happened. That's what Peter wants you to know. These are made up stories Jesus really happening. And that's an important point. If you are kind of new to Christianity or you're struggling with doubts, right now rather than starting with the Bible 66 books, is this true or not? I better wrestle with that first before I look at anything else. Could I suggest a different starting point?
Wrestling with the Bible First. Would you wrestle with Jesus first? Who is Jesus really? Would you explore that and answer that question before any other. Well how can I do that? Would you just look at some historical accounts? I want you to read some history. Okay, well where do I find history books about Jesus Matthew wrote one. He was one of Jesus' disciples. Matthew Mark, Mark wrote one, he was one of the early Christians and a co-worker with Peter. Some people would say Marcus the gospel of Mark is actually Peters. Historical accounts are read. I went to Luke, he was a doctor who did some first-hand research, he was historian. He went and talked to people and other eyewitnesses and he wrote a very orderly account about all of this so that you could know who Jesus is. And then John he's one of those disciples to one of those inner three who was there with Jesus for everything, he wrote a an historical account as well so if you'll read his gospel as well, that will give you some insight into who this Jesus really is. So read those four separate. Biological account by biographical. Sorry, biographical accounts about Jesus and see what conclusions you reach. That's my challenge to you. Where are you going to land? Does this sound authentic? Are they including weird details? That only somebody that was there would include? Or are they keeping things? General, just to make a point just to tell a story just to convince you of something. You made your own decision there. Tell me what you conclude as you read the four gospels. Okay, so start there. That's where Peter starts. I saw these things. I'm a witness. I want you to have certainty. I want you to remember these things. Now, you can do the same by studying those four gospels. The second assignment is related to what we're about to read, and it's in second Peter, chapter 1, starting at verse 19, where we hear this, We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place until the light Dawns and The Morning Star rises in your hearts. Above all he says, You must understand that no prophecy of scripture came about by the prophets own interpretation of things. Mother is he saying, you know, there's Old Testament prophecies. Just like, I just told you that I didn't make this stuff up and I was an eyewitness. Now, I want you to know that the prophecies the words, the writings of the Old Testament that's not made up either. They didn't come about by the prophets, own interpretation of things. They didn't invent this stuff. They didn't say, hmm. I'm going.
This stuff up about what the coming Messiah will be like. Well, where did it come from them? For prophecy? Never had its origin in the human will but profits do human spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit.
Not only can you become convinced of the certainty of scripture by reading the gospels and figuring out who Jesus is? But the next phase of your study, might be to go back to the Old Testament and look at all the passages that for told who this Christ, this Messiah, this one sent from God, who he would be, what he would do, what he would be. Like all of these prophecies, check those out and see what your conclusions are after you read those. Because you can have certainty. Because Jesus really happened and then our second point just as the prophets foretold This all happened, just as it was foretold hundreds of years before it happened. And don't underestimate how important the Fulfillment of these prophecies really is. There were hundreds of prophecies about the coming of Christ. It depends on how you count them. One verse can have like four prophecies packed into it. Is that one or is that for? So that's where there's a little bit of discrepancy as to exactly how many prophecies there were. But most estimate between 200 and 400 you often hear the number 300, all these prophecies about Jesus before he ever came along.
On all of them, 100% fulfilled. Jesus. So what I'd like to do is share a few of them with you right now. Just so you get a level of the detail of the Prophecies of the Old Testament and I wish this is actually a 30 part sermon series. I'm about to start the middle of the sermon since we can't do that. I'm going to read them really fast. You're not gonna be able to write this down, you're not going to be able to digest it all, but it's going to make a bigger point that I want you to get and if you are interested in me, so I'm just going to share twenty two of them. If you would like to have these in written form, send me an e-mail, I'll be happy to send them or just Google it, and you'll find a much longer list than just the 22 I'm going to share but here are a few of those prophecies the Christ. This coming Messiah would be an offspring of a woman but not of a human father that was said about 6,000 years ago to Adam and Eve when they first fell into sin that there would be an offspring of the woman who had crushed the Serpent's head and whose he'll would be struck and offspring of the woman. And I almost have initially envisioned Adam saying what about me? Me, see my descendant to not so much because there's no human father for Jesus. The Holy Spirit conceived Jesus in the womb of Mary foretold already six thousand years ago to Abraham 2,000 years more than two thousand years before. Jesus came along, 8 God promised Abraham that all nations on Earth would be blessed through him. Sure enough. Jesus is a descendant of Abraham through whom all nations are blessed. The Isaiah said that a virgin will conceive and she did 700 years later. It was Mary. I'm going through the life of Jesus, by the way, not chronologically with the order of the prophecies, the prophet Micah said that he would be born in Bethlehem. There are thousands of little Villages and towns and cities where Jesus could have been born in Israel. But Micah said, nope, it's gonna be Bethlehem.
And because of a census, Jesus was born. Bethlehem one in a thousand chance, but it happened, that Jesus would be sinless. Isaiah told us and he was that he would be called out of Egypt. After Jesus was born, Herod was going to kill all the boys. Mary. And Joseph took Jesus and they flee down to Egypt and out of Egypt. God called his son back, which is exactly what is written in Hosea, 11 verse 1. Hundreds of years before Jesus was ever born. The scriptures fortell that Jesus would have a Forerunner one, that would prepare the way for him. Who came and whose name was John, the Baptist that's an Isaiah 40. The miracles of Jesus were foretold and Isaiah 35. It says the eyes of the blind will be opened. The ears of the deaf unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer and you unmute tongues and they will shout for Joy. Jesus did every one of those Miracles. So is that one, or is that for, I'd say for prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. Exactly. As it was written that Jesus when he entered Jerusalem triumphant on Palm Sunday that he would do that on a donkey Zechariah. Knew it. He talked about it in Zechariah 9 verse 9 that he was betrayed by one of his very own friends, the prophets new thousand years before it happened because it was foretold there that Jesus would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver. Not 29, not 31, not 30 pieces of gold, but 30 pieces of silver that exact detail Zechariah tells us hundreds of years before Jesus. Game that Jesus would be beaten and abused. Isaiah told us Jesus clothing would be gambled for by the soldiers foretold in a Psalm. A thousand years. Before Jesus was born is when this gambling for his clothes was foretold.
That Jesus would be hated and rejected. Isaiah tells us that he would be silent before his accusers. He's innocent he's accused and he doesn't defend himself, who does that? Isaiah knew he wouldn't do that because he told seven said it's 700 years before Jesus ever came Jesus hands and feet would be pierced. They pierced my hands and my feet. It was written a thousand years before Jesus came and a couple hundred years before crucifixion was ever invented. The prophet said his hands and feet
Would be pierced that he would die with criminals. One was on his right. One was on his left and that he would be buried in the grave of a rich man, that seems contradictory but both prophecies are in the Old Testament and both came true in Jesus. That none of his bones would be broken despite his torture, despite the abuse that he would receive no bones broken foretold and that's exactly what happened. None of his bones were broken, that his death would be for Sinners. Isaiah told us that he would rise from the dead is in both Isaiah and in one of the Psalms it was foretold it happened. Jesus rose from the dead, there's 22 each one unlikely, but all 22 together. You know how mathematically impossible. It is for any one person to accidentally fulfill those 22.
Lester 300. This is what Peter is telling us. Do you have any doubts about who Jesus is Listen to the prophets. There is no way. They could have known all these things unless God himself revealed it the prophets foretold it. Eyewitnesses saw it. They reported it and recorded it on paper so that you could know so that you could be certain so that you would never forget who Jesus is and what he did. Which is why Peter says, Prophet spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit, the prophets, how do they know this? Because they spoke from God as they were carried Along by the Holy Spirit. I kind of Imagine a sailboat in a lake with no wind in the Sails are up but they're just hanging flat and all of a sudden the wind picks up and the gust comes and the sales open up and all of a sudden the boat lurches forward I've ever been in a sailboat. They are, they're pretty fun and all of a sudden you just pulled forward. That's how I envision the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Daniel Peter Peter sits down, he's ready to write this letter and then all of a sudden, whoa, he gets a pole.
All the long and he starts writing not in a trance, he knows exactly what words he's putting down, he's using his language. He's using his experiences, his memory, but the holy spirit is filling him. Drawing him, driving him to write down exactly what God wanted him to do, and that's what he did for the prophets that's what he did for the apostles. And that is why the word of God, the Bible is true. So write this down the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, so it is completely reliable. The Holy Spirit inspired the Bible so it is completely reliable. God. I don't know, I can't fully explain how this miracle works. God uses ordinary people and ordinary writing instruments. But in some Supernatural way, he fills them with his word to see things. They couldn't have possibly known to convey things. Exactly as God gave it to them. So that we would know the truth. So that we could be confident in God's love.
Because the Bible is inspired by God. He breathed into the writers. Exactly what he wanted them to know.
It is powerful and it will change your life. Open it. Read it and discover for yourself. The Holy Spirit is behind this, so, your friends, here's what Peter wants you to remember. He said this in the reading, we, we just heard the message is something completely reliable, which means he says, you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, which is the next takeaway here. Our last takeaway. Always remember Jesus is your light in the darkness? A certain light and unforgettable light. Is this world that dark place? I've got my opinion. It's a mass, isn't it? This world stinks. There's so much ugly stuff happening. Just watch the news. No, don't, it's too depressing.
You have to watch the news though you know, it from your own life, don't you? People who have hurt you people? You've heard you're broken too. Sometimes we're part of the darkness aren't we? You look at things that are happening around us, things that are happening to us. This struggles that we have, we know, we're not in heaven, we're not going to make that mistake. It's clear, right? This world is a dark place. But Jesus is the light of the world and as long as you follow him,
We need to remember, we need to continue. That's what you do with light. You don't shut it off, right? If you ever go camping and you're not sure of the path and it's totally dark outside. You turn on a flashlight, you take a look. All right. Well got that used to light. I've seen the light and then you toss it into the woods. No more flashlights. No you keep the light on because it is showing you the way and you
This one before. Well let's keep the light on. Let's keep shining. It's showing you a path. Are you still moving? Are you still breathing or are you still walking? Well yeah. Well then you still need to light. Stay in the Word, study the word, get into the word. It is reliable. It is certain
Points you all of it points. You to Jesus, the Lamb of God who came in our place to take away our sin to give us His grace. Follow Jesus. He is the light of the world. You will never walk in darkness. And Peter will tell you this is certain.
Lets pray.
Dear Heavenly Father. We live in such an uncertain world. So many things, we don't know, we don't know what's coming next. We don't know what that diagnosis is going to be. We don't know what the finance, our finances are going to be like. We don't know if inflation is going to go up. We don't know what's going to happen to our 401K. We don't know what's going to happen with relationships. We don't know if we're going to get it in a car accident on our way home today. So many things are uncertain and unknown and that is why we are so grateful. So thankful that your word is certain that what you reveal about Jesus about you, about us, about your love for us, about the Forgiveness of our sins, about the Eternal perfect, beautiful life. That is to come. We are so thankful that all of this is true that all of this is certain. And although we might not know the immediate details in our life and there's some uncertainty there, there is no uncertainty about the big picture. You are, God, you created us, you love us, you redeemed us through the blood of your Son, Jesus, Jesus happened in. That means we're forgiven. We're your children and Heaven is our Eternal destination. Lord help us never to forget life gets busy but let us never be so busy that we forget about you that we disconnect from you. But help us always to stay in your word to stay focused on your word of truth because it is certain it is real, it is true and the prophecies prove it. So thank you for this message today. Lord, and renew us in our faith and in our walk with Jesus, who is the light of the world? It's in His name, we pray.
All God's people said, Amen.
