Tough & Tender - Week 3 - St. Peter - Pastor Jim Fleming
Tough and Tender
Week 3 - St. Peter
Pastor Jim Fleming
Good morning to you once again and welcome to our third message in our series “Tough and Tender” and welcome as well to those of you who are online.
The year was 1998. It was October and I received a phone call. Will you come and serve as missionary to the Navajo in Farmington, New Mexico and I accepted that call? Did I know what I was getting into somewhat? I had served for two years on the rosebud reservation of South Dakota. So I had some idea of what nativeness me was like, and yet at the same time, I discovered something about the four corners area that I really had not experienced before in my life. It was just a mixture, a cesspool of different kinds of religious teachings. And what there was traditional, Navajo religion, 90% of the Navajo people, not Christian. Along with that many ceremonies, the medicine man was very popular, so I learned about that. And then there was what was called, the NAC Native American Church, kind of a combination of Christianity and traditional religion. And in that religion, they made use of peyote. That's a little mushroom that you can eat and causes you to be hallucinated. So, I learned about the NAC, there was the occult that was active to their Satan worship. Every once in a while, I would run into a Wiccan or a good witch. And then there were other religions. There were LDS Mormons, there were JW's many Christian denominations are about 20, different Baptist churches in town, and none of them agreed with each other. that was an interesting one, and other there were Pentecostals and charismatics. And I'm like, wow. And if you would have asked any person who was involved with their religion, is this the truth? Is this religion your beliefs going to to lead you to heaven? Many of them would have said, yes.
Isn't out. Here is Pastor Jim two and a half years out of school young guy. I have the Bible, I have God's word, I have the truth. And now, how do I go and share it with people. And how do I distinguish myself in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as being different? From all of these other teachings in the community and area.
Patience. And listening. Patience. Learning about culture. Patience and finding out where their pressure points are. Patience and talking about church and God, and the Bible and patience, and letting the Holy Spirit do his work. And you know, what comes next? Patience. I served for seven years there that community. And I did not have one adult confirmation. Children. I had teens but no adults and I went to my mission. Why? I said we're wasting our time, we're wasting our money. We're not reaching anyone and the pastor. I was working with said no, Jim don't give up. Okay. But after that, God heard my prayer. I think he kind of opened the floodgates and person after person came to me. And by the time I left in 2015, we could have anywhere from thirty. forty, fifty native people worshipping on a Sunday morning in church and many people came to know the truth. Some of those people I will talk about later. Now, why do I share all this with you? Because what we believe is critical right? I mean it's the difference between heaven and hell. It's the difference between where we spend our eternity. When it comes to our belief. We want to believe the truth of God's word. And that was, For a man named Peter. That's why he wrote his second letter. We're going to look at those words here in a little bit. But what do you think about the Bible? When you think about scripture and what Peter refers to it? So it's really all about false teachers and false teachings from the beginning of the Bible to the other side of it. Genesis chapter 3 already. Satan comes to Adam and Eve to God. Really say why right? False Adam and Eve they bit right into that, right? No pun intended. On the other end of the Bible Book of Revelation chapter 22 in summary. God says, don't add to my word. Don't take away from it. There's that morning there and in between chapter after chapter, there's false teachers, false teaching idolatry again, and again, and again, and we would boil down God's word to really to thoughts that would be 1. This is what I have done for you and Christ. This is what I've done for you in Christ made message with the second one would be. This is how you live and watch out for those teachers in our work. So it is there that Peter takes us this morning. I love Peter myself. I love the guy because there are times when Peter is spot-on, go Peter other times it's like oh my goodness. Jesus asked the disciples, who do people say I am Peter says you are the Christ, the son of the Living? God yes. Another time. Jesus says, I'm going to Jerusalem to suffer, I'm going to die. No, Lord, this will never happen to you and Jesus compares Peter to Satan. Another time Peter is with Jesus on the Mount of transfiguration. Lord, it's good for us to be here, but it's a shelter. Yes, Peter, Jesus is at his trial.. This, Peter, who's writing this second letter to Christians abroad? Because Peter had experienced the grace, and mercy of God, because Peter himself realized that he had bought into false teachings, false thinking at times and yet, Jesus loved him and cared for him. Deeply Peter wants to convey that truth to his readers and to us today, as well as take a peek at these words. Now this is verse 1 and 2 of chapter 2. Peter says, but there will be false prophet among the people just as there will be false teachers among you, they will secretly introduce destructive heresies even denying The Sovereign Lord who bought them. Many will follow his shameful ways and we'll bring the way of Truth into distribution. Maybe, you know, someone in your life who struggles with an autoimmune disease of some type, maybe has Crohn's disease.
It's arthritis. We have this thing in our body called the auto immune system and it's a good thing for the most part, right? I mean we could have a cold and if it bites it off it was dealing with the flu or something else and the autoimmune Rises up to attack that virus or germ or whatever we can better, right? Thank God that we have an auto immune system. But sometimes it auto immune system goes awry. It starts off good, it makes a mistake, it starts attacking organs joints, there's inflammation and we suffer. Have come up with some drugs to kind of make it feel better and do better but you haven't quite cute. Is that your tooth out? There's a similar picture here with what Peter talks about. There were people that were leaders who were good solid Christian leaders at one time and they were there to help God's people and to leave God's people but somewhere in the mix, they picked up false teaching and not just for themselves, but they conveyed that to others. They want to step further to use and abuse the very people that God had called them to serve. And people suffered because of and Peter does not lack, any words here and how he looks at them. He says they will bring the way of Truth into disrepute are greedy. They are bold and arrogant, they are brute beasts. Their eyes full of adultery and then he compares them to dog and a pig.
Now, this was 2000 years ago. But has anything, really changed to Christianity, anything really changed? We look at Christianity, Christianity at large and can we see these things? A church leader has with their a church leader is embezzling money. Out of the church, a church leader is living a lavish style at a church leader is pushing doctrines and teachings that lead people away from Christ and are causing harm to God's people. We see it. And so, when we look at Peter's words, it's a warning. It's a warning for pastors and people, it's a warning for me. Paul's letter to young Pastor Timothy to correctly handle the word of Truth, handle it correctly, don't add to it, don't subtract from it, preach law and gospel. Preach the geez to grow and give and excite irre, preach that correctly. But don't add or subtract to it and that holds for people as well. And so, where does God take us here? Our first take away today is this, this is what I had asked of you to pray, Pray for your pastors and church leaders. Pray for us because we are attacked by Satan as well. And I will pray for you. Can I talk about this group? This Gathering of people here for a moment? 2015. I get a call, we come serve at St. Peter. Here I am right now, but in that process of talking to church leaders and talking to people just conversation after conversation. After not one person had one bad thing to say about anybody else or another church leader. Not one. And one day, I came home from a conversation. I said to my wife, Rebecca, I said there is no sin at Saint Peter. There's no sin because no one says anything bad about anyone here.
God has gathered a great group of people here. Yes, and we give thanks for that. And we as pastors don't take that for granted but you're very trusting and you look to us, right? But there is also I would ask you to stay vigilant when we as pastors talk to listen to Law and Gospel Pastor Jim, I heard you say this. But did I hear you say this as well or Pastor Jim, you worded it like this, you said it in this way. This is how I understood. But, I think you were trying to say this instead, maybe you could say that in a better way. Or pastors, you know, my, I just don't think that work. And I'm not sure what you said, really agrees with them, but I've had conversations where people have said that to me, and I'm thankful for that. And so, our second takeaway is simply this may God grant you vigilance to, to listen and to look, and to watch, and to see what is said in heard by your church leaders, not only here, but abroad
Her second, takeaway to remain vigilant. So the opposite is also true. The opposite of vigilance is apathy
Some years back, way back. When I was on the rosebud reservation, there was a woman who had a severe stroke, very bad. She could not move either side of her body. She could see, she could talk a little bit and she was coherent with you about what was going on?
It was kind of marginal in their Church worship, no Bible study. See about that and it kind of drifted from the church. And so, I went to go serve the family to pray with them. And one of the family members said, well, I guess it's time to pull the plug on Aunt Sally. And I was like, woah wait, hold on here. We got the fifth commandment God says to protect life and if you choose to do that, you will be breaking that commandment. Maybe we just wait and see where God leaves pad leads in this situation. And so, the family decided to do that, they waited two days later, God called on Sally to glory, and now she's with Jesus. But I share this story because when we're not looking to God's word with when worship or Bible study or daily devotions or prayer time would become less and less, we become exposed to the teachings of the world false teachings in our community and they can have an influence on influences on how we think it, what we do.
As Christians. That was true for Peter and his life. There were things that he said there were things that he did. For example, oftentimes, the disciples would say, Jesus what are you going to restore? Your kingdom, an Earthly Kingdom, and Jesus you have to say no Peter, no disciples. My kingdom is not of this world. Or Peter trying to keep Jesus for going to the Cross or Peter trying to false teachings, even Peter recognize that in his life. And so our next takeaway is simply this Lord keep us from the sin of apathy or keep us from the sin of apathy. And Peter goes on to say this in verse 13 of 21. Talks about those who fall to his false teachers, what happens to false teachers says, they will be
Back for the harm they have done, it would have been better for them, not to have known the way of righteousness.
I'm sure in Peters own life, he reflected on these words. That Jesus restored me that Jesus cares that Jesus used me in the church. You think about Peter, Pentecost, 3,000 people come to Faith, Peter becomes a leader in Jerusalem and later on in the city of Rome by God's grace Peter of all people pens. Not just one, but two letters that have been preserved for us in the words of scripture. Books of the Bible to Peter, to the guy who said, I don't know this. Jesus guy, look at the grace and the mercy that he had experienced, and Peter points out, even the church leaders, even to people who have erred and follow that, they can be bought back. He says, first one, the Sovereign Lord, who bought them, who bought them? Are you a person who likes to shop to buy things? I can't say my wife is radical about it but she does like to go buy stuff from time to time and she will do like rummage sales. One time she was out shopping and she bought something. I'm going to show to you .
So she bought this little Clay Pot here. And it was $8 at this rummage sale, but she knew what it was. This is all done by hand, fired by hand. This is called a horsehair, Navajo Clay Pot in Southwest, you know what I'm talking about. So, whole eight dollars, my wife and I could never buy something like this in the southwest, because this little Pottery would probably sell for two to three hundred dollars.
The very least we're something like this. This is very precious to us my wife doesn't know. I took it from our home and brought it here this morning to show you. So, pray for me. But I am heading toward appointment this that, that that's important to us and we bought it. And some of you here are going on, it's just a clay pot. Who would want that, but it's important to us and we have a special place for it. Our home with our other Native American art, and we appreciate it. And we like it and we do not plan to get rid of it. And one day, when both my wife and I are gone, my children can fight over it or maybe it will end up in a rummage sale once again, right?
But that was special. And something we enjoy right now. It's important and this conversation is what's behind that word being blocked. God comes along and he sees you.
That's important. I want to have you. What's the price? We know the price more than any amount of money in this world. Jesus is perfection at his life that his victory over the grave. God, the father says, I will buy it, I will do it and I will give here it is. And now you belong to him, you have faith because you are so impressed. So precious to God. But God says, you are special to me. I'm not getting rid of you, I love to have you buy me? And I want to look at you and be with you, not just for this life before you turn it. This isn't TV for gifts just like Peter as so many others in the Bible, felled Apostle Paul's teachings and false teachers. You have been bought brothers and sisters can I close by telling you a story about another woman who was bought
I'm just going to call her by the first letter of her. Name going to call her D, but D at one time was very much into traditional Navajo religion. Really into it. And she said Pastor Jim. I just felt like I was getting flushed down the toilet because there's always another ceremony. I lived in fear. There's What's called the protection ceremony. Sometimes a young man or woman will go off into the military and they'll go to the medicine man and have a ceremony for that person to give them protection from Evil. If they go into battle there's what's called a gibbet, a dance Yeti are not with you tease. And a person will sit on a sand painting to get hewing for their body to restore them, or maybe they're struggling in their life behaviourally. There's what's called Pasha. The way of happiness and Harmony horseshoe.
What are the medicine man for that? Or maybe they're afraid of the skinwalkers? Demonic animal-like creatures that shakes and torment me or torment people. You can Google all this. It's out there, but she was into all of these ceremonies and she said, Pastor Jim there's just always another ceremony, always another semi and I lived in fear and one day a friend introduced her to Jesus. To say Jesus is your protection. And Jesus gives you health and harmony with god with his forgiveness and Grace, and Jesus is more powerful than the skinwalkers, demonic. He will protect you.
He came to know that and she was very active where we serve at Christ the Rock because she had that Bond. She had been bought too. And so our final takeaway this morning is simply that people can be bought from false teachers so brothers and sisters. I pray that this time as we have looked at at second Peter it's a mouthful, tough words, mostly tough words but yet some Words that we have been bonded, may God bless you and strengthen you on your walk of faith.
