All right, 2 Peter chapter number one, we'll pick up with verse number 12 tonight, and we're gonna look at 12 through 15. No guarantee we'll get much further than that. Gonna be spending a long time in chapter one, but if I get into where I wanna get in, I had the honey cake kicked over a little bit. There's some interesting stuff that kind of expounded. Don't forget verse 11 where he said, for so an entrance, shall be ministered unto you abundantly. Talking about when he left this world, he'd be entering into the next one. And think about the nature of who Peter was and how the Lord in his apostleship, Peter's apostleship restored him after he walked away from everything. And these epistles that he wrote, the only two that he has written, he got it together, he got it figured out. He was converted and some great truth in here. So we'll look at, as we continue this thought, goes way back, if you ever took any notes, you probably gave up on that a long time ago, but the prescription of God for victory, we did all those things you add to your faith, but we're gonna look at this one thought here as we get started about responsibilities that Peter, he felt he had to oversee before he died, before he left. So in verse 12, he said, wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet as long as I'm in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance, knowing that shortly I must put off this, my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ have showed me. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we pray that you help us, Lord, to be able to preach and to teach, help us, God, to feed our people. Lord, we know that we are small in number, Lord, but these that are here are hungry and they wanna be fed from your word, and God, we need you to help us to do that. And I pray, God, that you'd help us, Lord, as we equip ourselves in these scriptures that we might grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. So in this thought here, One thing he talks about is a negligence on his part if he doesn't remind them of some things. And notice the thought there was given that they knew them. but it needs to be reminded. It's easy for us to forget a lot of things that we count as bedrock, fundamental truths, essentials to our faith. We lose the awesomeness of it many times and we forget some things or we begin to get cold and we need, I don't know now, this is not, I'm sure Peter wasn't thinking this, when he wrote this, but I'm sure the Holy Ghost knew about pinto beans in a pot, because he's eternal with the Godhead and he knows. And those pinto beans, when they get settled down, they get still, they get a film on top of them. Depends on how much other stuff's in there besides beans, how thick that film gets. And if you want to refresh that pot of beans, you've got to stir it up. Amen. So I don't know if you thought you was going to hear about that tonight, but that always is where my mind goes. Because I remember stirring that pot myself. go stir that pot many times, and he felt it was negligent that he did not try to stir them up by way of remembrance of things he already knew. Hence, that's what explains why we just keep coming back again and again, even with a still pot. Not S-T-E-E-L, but S-T-I-L-L. We come back for more, and the preacher keeps stirring the pot, amen, and the Holy Ghost keeps doing the work that he does because he felt it was negligence on his part not to do that. He also thought that there was a need. The need was great as long as he was alive to do this. As long as we are able to stir, Within the ministry of the word, no matter whether we're a preacher or not, we ought to be trying to do that, to stir iron, sharpening iron, and stirring people into things of faith. Obviously, to be a lot and spread the gospel, but there are many people that are going through burdens and discouragement and depression, and we need to exhort and encourage others. And we also look at a thought here about the realization, his own realization was overwhelming him a little bit. He says here, I will not be negligent, verse 12, to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet as long as I am in this tabernacle, long as he was in this body of his, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this, my tabernacle. The phrase of tabernacle means his body. He's talking about his body. That temple or tabernacle doctrine is where the Holy Spirit lives in a born again believer. But that physical man that we are, the being, that tabernacle, that body, it's decaying and it will die. It will. And that became a realization to him. I think he thought that was important. You know, I'm not going to be here forever. The time he wrote this, he was getting into the last months to years or whatever of his life. Tradition says he was crucified. and said he was crucified upside down at his own request. Now we don't know that for certain, but we do know that Jesus warned him about some of these things, and now as he's writing this epistle, I believe it's become real to him. This is not a letter to a church, but it's to the churches, it's to all believers. He says in John 21, verse 18 and 19, this is Jesus speaking to Peter. in what I would call a time where he called him back and moved him back to his apostleship. And he challenged him on some things. He gives him this thought here, verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girdest thyself. You put on your clothes. You got up when you wanted to get up. You went where you wanted to go. And we know Peter's character and nature. And many times he was headstrong. Many times, you know, John outran him to the tomb. But John stopped at a little bit of a fear, and Peter went straight in. and Peter stuck his foot in his mouth a lot. So Peter went and girded himself a lot in a lot of fashion. He said, walkest whither thou wouldest, but when thou shalt be old. So he knew by Jesus' promise that he would make it into an older age as a man. Now their age of dying is much shorter than ours in our modern day, but he knew he wasn't gonna die as a younger person or die in middle age because Jesus told him he's when you're old. That might have brought comfort to him to a while until he got old. If God told you you were gonna die when you got old, you might be happy as you can be when you're 40, but when you start hitting 50, 60, 70, you might want, Lord, exactly what is old? Thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee. That's why they believe that he was crucified. and they'll carry thee whether thou wouldest not. So he is not in control and he will be submitted or nailed. This he spake signifying by what death he should glorify God. and whether we live or whether we die, if we glorify God in our life after we get saved to the day we die, and even in our death, is that not the most important thing of all to how we could glorify God? And when he had spoken this, he said to them, follow me. So Peter was motivated by the message from the Lord. It motivated him to a certain time frame, I'm sure, till he got older, then he started really being moved and realizing, my time is short, and I need to do some things that are important. He felt like, I need to stir you up by putting you in remembrance of the things we preached about, the seven things you add to your faith, and then other things the Holy Spirit moved him to write here, and there's some really great nuggets of truth that are placed in this epistle. He was moved to give message to them. So many preachers want to be remembered for other things in their lives. And I think it's an important reason to be remembered, but not for how eloquent a preacher you were. I'd like to be remembered for stirring up some people's hearts and their souls too. I believe Peter was moved and wanted that, that stirring ability of reminding us we can have victory, we can regain victory. We can get back up from a fallen condition, amen, when we stumble. God's grace is greater than all our sin and he can restore us. Peter was a poster child. He would vehemently, he said, I will go with you into death and was the first to deny him. He denied him verbally and in action. And yet, that same man, God, allowed him to have the gospel keys of the kingdom and used him greatly in the work of the Lord. And he sees, his thought here also helps us to think about it should be our desire in our lives to stir others. And we must follow God's word to have that kind of victory in our life. Now I wanna look at it a little bit, just this word, Here in verse 15, he said, moreover, I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance. He's gonna put an effort into it and an energy into it. He's gonna put an endeavor, it's gonna be a task, something that's on his mind that he might make them able after he's gone. to have these things always in their remembrance. So that's part of what the word of God is. And God gave him these scriptures and they're written and they're recorded and this is almost 2,000 years later and I have the ability to go back to this word and be stirred in my remembrance. Thank God for the word of God. Thank God for that. Now, I also want you to think about this. Hoping I can get here, because this is part of a puzzle piece. It might not mean much to you as much right now. This word, deceased, means exodus. That's what it means. It's not just the word used for death. It means there's a, he's, and listen to verse 15. I want you, endeavor that you may be able after my decease, after my exodus, Now if you look at it in that light, that you're just exiting out of here. I'm not so sleeping, I'm not gonna die and go to hell, hallelujah. I'm not just gonna be laying there, an inanimate object. I am exiting this world, and in verse 11, he had on his mind soul and entrance. And I thought, what a blessing that was. Help us to give our life and meditate upon that, that our life could glorify God in that way. His very life. could have discouraged many. It could have been an example of everything you're not supposed to do. And he was in some ways, but I'm glad that's not the only thing. And some of these words, when you get into this epistle especially, I think you have a little bit better appreciation of Peter of where God brought him to. And I'm glad God's not finished working on us till we exit, till we leave out of here, amen? But just put a pin in that word just for a little bit, okay? Now in verse 16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables. When we made unknown unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. That's a beautiful phrase. Peter says, I was an eyewitness of his majesty. Also, a side note, a lot of that time, he had his eyes closed. He slept through a lot of those things and when he woke up, he still saw the majesty of God. Lord, help us to learn something from Peter. Keep our eyes on him and keep our eyes open. He lost a lot of opportunity, a lot of time to see more majesty than he did. Well, we'll finish reading this through verse 19. For he received from God the Father honor and glory, verse 17, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory. This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. That's part of the majesty that Peter eyewitnessed. He not only eyewitnessed it, but he earwitnessed it. Amen? And that comes in handy when your eyes are closing because you're sleeping. Peter slept, I'm gonna get ahead of myself here. Verse 18, and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him in the holy mount. This is the mount of transfiguration. We have also a more sure word of prophecy, wherein do you do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn and the day star arise in your hearts. Knowing this first, I'm gonna stop, let me just go back, I'm gonna back up, bite off too much at a time. I wanna look at this revelation observed in Peter's life, the majesty. Now he used this opening word here in verse 16. We have not followed cunningly devised fables. I'm glad when you look at fables versus facts, when you got somebody that was there, and they know what happened. Even if they slept through some of it, I still want to know what they saw. I want to know what they heard. And I'm glad he mentioned that, that he was an eyewitness of his majesty. Because that helps in my faith to know that what I have believed Whom I have believed is real and it's not fictional. And I know in whom I have believed and I am persuaded, amen, that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day. I've committed my whole eternal soul's destiny in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ. and it is not fiction, it is not fables. Even though there's a lot of cunningly devised fables out there, I know I have not fallen for those. I have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ and he has proven himself of who he is. It's not idle tales. He was seen of over 500 different people at one time in his resurrection. And in fact, his own body getting up out of the grave caused others to get up out of their graves. Hard to ignore that. Grandpa's wandering around. You don't know why grandpa's wandering around and grandpa don't know exactly what's going on. And it's all because God shook death and hell to its core. So this revelation observed the majesty, I wanted to take a minute to get into the transfiguration. I'd like you to turn to Matthew 17 1. There'll also be references to Luke as well, but I'll try to hurry. Matthew 17, one, if you'll turn, this is the Mount of Transfiguration. This is that holy mount that he was talking about. And only Peter, James, and John, that inner circle of disciples, were there to see it. But many times they fell asleep during some of the actions that were going on. And we can learn from that. But before we get very critical, he saw more sleeping, on and off dozing, than I have my whole life. So I'm not criticizing him. I just want to, I'm just using that as critique to some degree. I want to learn from this. After six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, and was transfigured before them. God zipped off the outer flesh and allowed the glory of God, the majesty of God to peek out. And Peter, James, and John got to see that. All right, the Bible says, verse 17, and his face did shine as the sun. I believe that's a little understanding of the reference of the day star Peter's talking about. A sun, a light that's in the being and the entity, the deity of who Jesus Christ is, that he is a day star that shines brighter in the middle of the day than any other star that's in this world. Jesus is brighter than the SUN to me, amen. The day star. Then he says in his reign it was white as the light, And verse 17, Matthew 17, three, and behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias, Elias is Elijah, and Elias is the Greek form of that. So Moses and Elias, Elijah in the resurrected, glorified state. on the Mount of Transfiguration. One preacher says it's the first Bible conference ever. No, I don't know if that's true. I got a feeling there's a few other ones that went on somewhere along the way. That's a pretty good, hallelujah, amen. There's a pretty good little thing going on between the angels and the shepherds there on the announcement of Jesus' birth. That's a pretty good Bible conference too, amen. Then answered Peter, verse four, said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. Now, in Luke 9 31, it tells us that he fell asleep. They fell asleep. But if you didn't read all the gospel accounts, you'd miss that. And it sounds like Peter, he's just watching everything. He's pretty slick. Sometimes Peter didn't know what to say. And if you don't know what to say, don't say nothing. Lord, I'll give you something to say if it's time. But Peter had to, it was so much majesty, so much glory, so much going on, and also those who said that you were not gonna know each other in heaven or whatever. How did Peter know who Moses and Elijah was? because they were in a glorified state, and when you're in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, and his glory is unveiled, I promise you, all cross of generations will come together, and him is the fullness of God, the Godhead bodily. We are complete in him, and I believe that's the church is complete in him as well. So Peter just had to say something. It is good for us to be here, verse four. If thou will, let us make here three tabernacles to build some permanent structures in honor to you and Moses and Elijah. So while he's thinking about, we'll make a memorial, which we all know that you go back all the way to the back of the days of Moses and Elijah, when you start thinking about and elevating these men, people begin to worship things like the serpent in the wilderness. They begin to worship a man like Elijah, and they worship a mantle that he might have had, and things like that. So he's got all this on his mind, and I know he meant well, but while he yet spake verse five, behold a bright cloud overshadowed him. It's already light, it's already bright, but now it gets brighter. And behold a voice out of the cloud. which said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, said, arise, be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no man. Moses and Elias were gone. You see when they go to paradise, apparently that's where they were unless they were, I know that certain ones caught up in the chariot of fire and Enoch walked with God and was not, but Moses' body was buried and only God knew where it was. But I know the Bible says that they were on that mountain of transfiguration. Now whether they went back to paradise, to Christ, descended in the heart of the earth and took them back, that's a theological question for another day. I kind of think they might have went back because it'd be real exciting for Abraham to open the door and then he just empties the whole place out, amen? But anyhow, they're gone and they saw no man save Jesus only. Man, if we could understand that that is what it's really all about, that we could get everybody else off the radar and get everybody else off our minds and see nobody else but Jesus only. And anytime a preacher preaches or somebody sings or teaches or witnesses or try to walk for God in this world, if we would just desire in our heart that the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ is what is seen and nobody else, that would give glory to God. Now, let me read this to you. Let me go real quickly. I thought I had it marked. And I probably did. Luke 9, as this story goes, the transfiguration, Luke 9, 27. He said, but I tell you the truth, there shall be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the kingdom of God. And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, he took Peter, James, and John and went up into a mountain to pray. Same story, Luke 9, 29. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered. His raiment was white and glistering. Beautiful word. And behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias. who appeared in glory and spake of his decease. Same word, exodus, which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. he would accomplish an exit, an exodus of this world in great fashion. We know because he was put in a tomb after being nailed to a cross. And we know there was even soldiers there, a watch, to try to keep him in. And yet they go down on the ground, cannot move, and an angel come, rolls the stone away, sits on the stone, and behold, the tomb is empty. Now you think about, he accomplished that And that story, it reveals that that's one of the things they were talking about on the mountain. It won't be long that I'm going to accomplish something of my deceased. I'm getting out of here. I'm going to die, but I'm coming back from the grave. I don't know what Moses and Elijah thought about that. It might have been why they had to leave. They just couldn't handle it no more. But it was not a defeat being discussed, but an accomplishment, a victory. You and I can understand a little bit here that his decease is an exodus, Peter's decease is an exodus, and if we would view it the same way as a child of God, that our decease is really nothing but an exodus. It takes the sting of death out. Not worried about it as much. I mean, he knew he was gonna die, knew he would die a horrific way, but he was discussing the accomplishment of it all, the victory involved, how that he's not just dead and deceased as we like to linger on that word, but this word is more than just a death, it is an exiting, an exodus of this life. He defeated death, hell, and the grave. Grave could no longer hold him. on that third day. What a beautiful thought. Just wanted to share that with you. He also, in his majesty, saw the resurrection. As we know the story, the empty tomb, the resurrected savior, the personal remembrance of Jesus. In Mark 16, seven, he said, go your way, tell his disciples and Peter. Wow. I believe that was on purpose. And when they relayed the message, Jesus delivered a message to you. He wanted to make sure that you knew he hadn't forgotten about you. Praise God. Praise God. Even after denying that he knew who he was, even after he rejected God, the Lord Jesus Christ remembered him. John 20 verse one, the first day of the week, cometh Mary Magdalene early, and it is yet dark. And we'll skip on down. The Bible says that she runs to Simon Peter, tell the other disciple whom Jesus loves that they have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple came to the sepulcher. So they ran both together. The other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulcher. and he's stooping down, looking in, saw the living clothes lying, yet went, he not in, then cometh Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulcher. I ain't never went in a grave like that and have no desire, no plans to do so. but something's turning and burning and working in Peter's soul. And when he ran to find out what was going on, John stoops down and is looking in there and seeing linen clothes and the Bible says that there, well, I'm getting ahead of myself again. Verse number seven, the napkin was about his head. That napkin that was on the head of Jesus was not lined with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by himself. Now they say in this term, I've heard different versions, you might have heard it before, but they say when you're eating a meal or you're getting ready to leave that table, you fold that napkin a certain way that you are not coming back. Now I think that means context-wise, that makes a lot more sense in the storyline because he's not coming back the way of death ever again. So he folded his napkin and laid it down in a place by itself was to signify to those who observe him, he's not coming back this way anymore. And he's gone out of that. What does that mean? Well, where is he? He exited, amen. He's gone, he left the tomb. And the Bible tells us that Jesus appeared to Simon And I think about these things of majesty that he saw him pray in the garden of Gethsemane, went to sleep. He saw the Mount Transfiguration, fell asleep there. But when it comes to the resurrection, he went right, jumped right in the dune. No sleepin' around here no more, amen? I'm not sleepin', but we know that he goes away to go fishin', Jesus gets the fire and the coals and he has fire and fish and honeycomb, and he calls out to him, he says, come and dine, amen? He invites him to come and dine. And then later, He speaks to him in that same passage of scripture. He says, I want you to feed my sheep, feed my lambs. I want you to do these things. And he prays for him, and God does a great work in the life of Simon Peter. I don't know what all happened, but there was a personal revelation to Jesus to him. And that personal revelation makes all the difference in the life of a believer. If you're not saved, or you haven't been walking for the Lord like you should, you need God to stir you up by way of remembrance. And you need God to stir some things within your soul concerning the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. Because those things, as you were an eyewitness of, when God saved you and changed your life, how he put your family back together, and how God saved your children, and maybe how God healed you two ladies of cancer, you've seen some pretty majestic things along the way that this world cannot steal and rob from you. It's part of that entrance and exodus that you're going to have one day when we leave this world, physically and spiritually. We sleep sometimes, but I'm glad the Lord touches us. Amen. And he speaks peace to us, tells us not to be afraid. I wanna learn from those who have seen his majesty, like people like Peter and others that God had put into my life. I wanna learn from the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, but I'm gonna tell you, there's a whole lot more glory and majesty that Peter had seen than I've ever seen in my life, so I'm not gonna criticize it. I wanna hang around some of those people. In fact, sometimes some of the lowest of lows and some of the most, the sorriest times in my life and how I have walked away and I have denied I've even knew who he was, that just shows that much more glory and grace, how he'll just reach out to me again, calls me by name again, brings me back into his work again and uses us. And he goes on to say in verse number 20 and 21, knowing this, that no prophecies or scriptures have any private interpretation. I'm gonna close out there and pick that back up next Wednesday night for sake of time I don't want to Go too fast and now I got a couple of things I want to take care of but I want to give you this to you Luke 24 34 the Lord is risen indeed has appeared to Simon 1st Corinthians 15 5 and and he was seen of Cephas then of the 12 now I don't know when all that happened There's not a lot. There's not a lot of understanding of when he did it, but somewhere along the way Jesus personally appeared to Peter I don't know what that was like, but I believe if you'll sit down with him when you exit it out of here I believe he'll say it was majestic and I believe he would call it another episode of majesty. When that one he denied and cursed and berated, his speech berated, he even knew him, said I remember you and he sought him out and they were able to talk about the glory and forgiveness and the grace of God. Maybe now we have a little bit more understanding. When he knew that day he would have his hands held out and he would be nailed to that cross Tradition says he requested, I'm not worthy to be crucified the way my Savior was. Would you turn me upside down? Which they probably tried to do that with the beams, or either they rearranged it. I don't know. That's just tradition. But a lot of people believe that it was a real thing that Peter requested. It, to me, sounds like the spirit of Peter. He was headstrong and headlong in many ways, but when it come to that point, I believe he said, I don't feel like I should die the same way he died, because that death is a special death. His exit was a special exit, amen. And he's the one who ablaze the trail of glory, knocked both ends out of the grave, and he felt like he would depart here in a different way. And I want you to think about, The voice of God as it cried out, my majesty there, the glory of God, and live in our lives for Him. as he gives these scriptures there, how it moves us and motivates us, and there's so many things that could discourage us, so many things that could make us wanna quit, and Peter says, I just wanna stir you up. I believe as he preached it and taught it and wrote it, it stirred his own heart within, as he was reminded of the majesty that he witnessed, and what would come even after he saw the Lord Jesus Christ resurrected, and the disciples saw him ascending up into heaven. Man, so many things that Peter saw. It's an amazing life. And you and I get to go up in the clouds and glory to meet the Lord in the air. I've got some majestic things in my life. One of them is my salvation. There's a few other things along the way. But one of these days, we're gonna all meet him in the clouds together to ever be with the Lord. And that's gonna be quite an eyewitness day of majesty when we all exit, exodus, I mean our deceased may not all always be thought in the terms of death only It's always gonna be thought of in the place of exiting this world This world's not my home the grave not hold this body down This old tabernacle the Bible says to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord So those are some encouraging things within the scriptures. And I'll close out that chapter and jump into chapter two, Lord willing, next time. Father, thank you for your word. Thank you, God, for what you've allowed us to see and know. God, so many times it settles down to still in our hearts and we need to be stirred by way of remembrance. Thank you, Lord, for the most majestic things you've done in our lives. Thank you for these things that are recorded that we know are real, the things that Peter saw. May they stir our own individual hearts concerning of who you are, that you are the Son of God, the only begotten Son. Lord, that you are. We were buried and rose from the grave, God, and you ascended and you are to return and come back after your church. God, let these things stir our hearts by way of remembrance, Lord, that we might keep on loving you, keep on serving you, keep on being on fire for you. Let that day star, Lord, arise in our hearts and stir our souls. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. Well, the fence is only two feet from the place. We're going to do that. My name is Jeff. I live in the U.S. of Cuba.