Okay, let's begin with a word of prayer. Father, we again thank you for the privilege of being here. We thank you for all the provision and work of the Holy Spirit and your sovereign plan over our lives that brings us to this day. And Father, we ask that as we come to partake of your word once again, that your Holy Spirit would speak to us and that we would have listening hearts and obedient hearts, Father, which we all so desperately need. So Father, we commit this time to what you desire to work in us. In Jesus' name, amen. First Peter, chapter two. We are just about finished that first verse of chapter two, let me read it. Therefore, the therefore referring back to our great salvation covered so wonderfully in the first chapter. that we're born again by not of perishable seed, but imperishable, which is the abiding, living, abiding word of God. But we come to this list of things that are not to be part of our lives. Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy, And the last one we didn't do, so we'll pick up on that. And all slander. Couple definitions here. Backbiting or speaking evil of others. I thought this was telling. The attempt to put others down to make oneself look better than ourselves. I love, Weiss says this, he puts that so concisely, speaking down a person. I love that, just talking them down. Webster, he starts off with these words, a false tale, I take issue with that, or report maliciously uttered and intending to injure the reputation of another, by lessening him in the esteem of his fellow citizens, by exposing him to impeachment and punishment, or by impairing his means of living, defamation, slander, that worst of poisons ever finds an easy entrance to ignoble souls. Quite a statement. I said in the beginning, it's not only a false report. Okay, we're not cleared, you know, just because we can say something that's true about somebody, it can still be slander in that it talks them down. You know, in other words, it makes them look, so that's been, I realized as I was looking at this, I've told things about other people that didn't help them. It wasn't a kind thing to do. What a thing to be aware of in the local church, 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 20. Second Corinthians 12, 20. Paul says, for I'm afraid that perhaps when I come, when it comes to Corinth, I may find you to be not what I wish. and may be found by you to be not what you wish. In other words, if they're not walking with the Lord the way they should, they're not gonna like the way Paul's gonna have to handle that. And then he says this, that perhaps there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, Now remember this, this is addressed to a church, okay? These are things that just tear churches apart. And these are why so many people have bad taste in their mouth when it comes to church, because something was said, something was done, you know, in their past, and there's a lot of people that just write it off, you know. So he says that there may be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, there's our word, gossip, arrogance, disturbances, I'm afraid that when I come again, my God may humiliate me before you and I may mourn over many of those who have sinned in the past and not repented of the impurity and morality and sensuality which they have practiced. Another thing just to add on here, This is used over and over again against believers, okay? You know, it's that concept, if they can't say anything good about you, then they're gonna have to, if they're your enemy and they have no standards, they're going to use slander and other things. First Peter chapter three. 1 Peter 3, and we're going to start in verse 15. But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you. Oh, how we desire that. Those times when a person says, what is it about you? Tell me something about this. I think it was my son-in-law, Jason Block. He was a personal trainer, and he had an older gentleman that he was getting in shape. Got him in shape, and this guy says to him, gotta be more than this. He says, what is it about you? And so Jason started sharing the gospel with him. And he came to faith in Christ. He's an older guy. Jason got him in good enough shape physically to go all the way across the Grand Canyon, you know, where you go down and walk across the bottom and, you know, quite a thing. But I think about always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope. that is in you, we're going to be looking at this later, yet with gentleness and reverence, and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better if God should will it that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. So we shouldn't be surprised when people say things about us that would slander us very definitely as part of living for the Lord. And I'm reminded of now coming back where your eye might be tempted to slander. The words of David, we don't have to go there, but Psalm 141, verse three, set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. You know, the scripture presents the mouth, the tongue, as a tremendously evil weapon. It can be, you know. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth. Keep watch. over the door of my lips. As I was studying, I came across these three questions to ask. I thought, boy, these are pretty telling questions about what you're about to say. So often, you know, the horses are out of the corral before you even think about it. But notice, Three things, what good does it do to my brother? Good? Would he agree it was good? What good does it do to my brother? Second one, what good does it do for me in my walk with the Lord? That's really one. And then thirdly, is it to the glory of God? If the Lord were standing there, what'd he say? That's a good thing. Okay, so now we come, 1 Peter chapter two. 1 Peter two and verse two. What a great thing. Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. I like newborn babes. Long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation. Now, first thing I want to say, Peter's not saying that the people that he's addressing are babes, he's using Babes, and we've all seen this, a little baby gets hungry, and without feeding them, you're not gonna make much progress with settling this little baby down. They just get frantic about getting fed. And so that's the picture here. And I ask myself, is your pursuit of God's word anywhere in line with that, do you know what I mean? Do you find yourself saying, oh, I didn't read my Bible yet, I gotta check it off on the list, because I do read my Bible every day, so I've gotta do that, or is there any of that frantic, intense, seeking of God's word like a newborn babe has for its mother's milk. Okay, I wanna look at some verses that speak of eating God's word and a little bit of each lesson that we can learn. Maybe the first one that might come to mind is Jeremiah chapter 15, verse 16. where it says this, thy words were found, and I ate them, took them in. Well, what was the result of that? And thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I've been called by thy name. Now you think about this, how often when you're in the word, And something there just. is such a grand revelation. You may have seen it a hundred times before, but it just, you know, God loves me. God has a plan for my life. God wants to use me. I'm saved forever by his grace. All those things become a what? A joy. So oftentimes the word brings to us rejoicing. Scripture says rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say, rejoice, the Apostle Paul says. Then Ezekiel. And in Ezekiel, we're gonna go to chapter three. And let me just say this, I'm always fascinated by Ezekiel. how God set up the physical world to teach us about the spiritual world. You realize he could have just made it so we never had to eat a thing. He has the power to do anything. So why did he do this? Why do we have all these things of eating and taste and hunger and thirst and what is that? And what is the whole digestive system where it goes in and it builds us up if we use it and if we exercise, it builds muscle. All of these, there's so many lessons that are there, you know? And I just think, once again, he made the physical to represent the spiritual, which is more important, okay? All right, so, Ezekiel chapter three, and we're gonna start in verse one. Then he said to me, Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll. And then he says, and go speak to the house of Israel. So there's another aspect of the word of God that Oftentimes, it's telling us what to do. It's not only a joy to our hearts, but we understand that it's going to set the stage for what we have to share with somebody else. So Ezekiel says, so I opened my mouth, and he fed me this scroll. And he said to me, son of man, feed your stomach. Take it all in, okay? Let it come all the way into your system and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you. And so then Ezekiel says, then I ate it. And he says, it was sweet as honey. in my mouth. Then he said to me, son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. Okay? Then I'd like to drop down to verse, this is a great chapter, but verse 10. Where's the word supposed to go? Well, he talked about back on the physical side of looking at this, the lesson is there. It goes into your stomach, but then he says this in verse 10. Moreover, he said to me, son of man, take it into your heart. Change you, the way, you know, scripture's constantly talking about being renewed, changed in the way we think. Son of man, take it into your heart, all my words which I shall speak to you, and listen closely, and go to the exiles, to the sons of your people, and speak to them, and tell them, Whether they listen or not, that's our job. We can't make them listen, okay? All right, whether they listen or not, thus says the Lord God, okay? Then, let's go back to a comment that, a statement from Job in Job 23. Job 23. And verse 12. So here we have the two concepts coming together. You know, the physical eating and the spiritual of the word of God. And really Job is talking about what Peter's talking about, desire the word of God. And so verse 12, he says, I have not departed from the command of his lips. I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. You know, there's a, in our affluent society, there's a tremendous emphasis on food. Do you know what I mean? And taste, and oftentimes I see the idea, it's gotta be just about perfect. You know, and it's gotta fit what I want, okay? And taste the way I want it to taste, and it's kind of an interesting thing, because then I see this kind of a, when I'm hungry, this kind of a thought, get out of my way, I gotta eat, you know? And where is that in my spiritual life with God's word? You know? Because here Job is saying, my spiritual food is more important to me, the word of God is more important to me than my physical food, which is quite a statement. Okay. All right. Now we come to another thing. Let's go to Revelation chapter 10. Okay, I'll start this by asking this question. You ever have a great meal and then have heartburn? You ever have a great meal and then have a stomachache? Well, I believe that God built those things in also, because the word of God can give you a stomachache, and the word of God can give you heartburn. All right, so I saw another John talking here, and I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven clothed with a cloud, and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. Lots of question, you know, is this Jesus Christ? And many think it is, especially, you know, It's just a debatable thing, but when you realize that the word angel means messenger, it could be the Lord Jesus Christ, and certainly it's an angel that is speaking with the authority given to him by the Lord Jesus Christ. But the description of him is so much like, in other places, the description of the Lord Jesus Christ. But anyway, and he had in his hand a little book which was open, And he placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land and he cried out with a loud voice as when the lion roars. And when he cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. You know, we go through all the judgments that are prophesied there in the book of Revelation. And now we come to the seven peals of thunder. And if I ask you, and if I ask me, what are they? We don't know. I think it's interesting. We study, you know, in eschatology, from a dispensational standpoint, that these things are still coming, and we have no clue what seven of these judgments are. God just said, nope, not gonna let you write that, John. So it goes on. And when the seven peels of thunder, verse four, had spoken, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, seal up the things which the seven peels of thunder have spoken, and do not write them. Again and again, write, write, God telling John, write it, write it, write it. Okay, but here he says, do not write them. And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it and earth and the things in it and the sea and the things in it, that there shall be delay no longer. But in the days of the voice of the seven angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished as he preached to his servants, the prophets. And the voice which I heard from heaven I heard again speaking to me and saying, go take the book which is in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land And I went to the angel telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, take it and eat it. And it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey. And I think about, you know, what do we do with that? Let me just develop it as we look at some more passages. And they said to me, you must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings. This is when John's an old man that he gets this, but it sounds like he's gonna be brought back to be part of the fulfillment of this. But at any rate, let's go to John 21 first. John 21 and verse 18. This is the Lord speaking to Peter. After the three times, do you love me, Peter? Different words for love, but he says this to him. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished. I'd say, that's me. You know, you think about what was your thought when you were younger? What probably may it still be today, you know? What am I going to do today? When you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished. But when you grow old, this is God's word to Peter, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands. My wife will say when I'm putting on a jacket, you need help with that? And it's gotten to the point where, yeah, sometimes I do. I think of that, stretch out your hands. A lot of people, when they're really old, or somebody else is dressing them. And I believe that's what the Lord's saying to Peter. You know, you used to do it. You was a young man, powerful and so forth. But my word to you, Peter, is when you get old, but it's more serious than that, but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will guard you. And then it says this, and bring you where you do not wish to go. There's so many things in life that are, you know, like this. I mean, we're gonna bring you to the hospital. We're gonna bring you to the rest home. We're gonna bring you, you know, the physical side of things. But notice this. Now this he said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, Follow me. Wow. Now we know that Peter was crucified upside down. He wanted to be upside down position in the crucifixion and feel worthy to be crucified the way the Lord was. But you know, I love that the Holy Spirit saw fit to show us the rest of this conversation. But Peter turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved, of course that's John, following them, the one who would lean back on his breast at the supper and said, Lord, who is the one who betrays you? Peter, therefore, seeing him, said to Jesus, Lord, and what about this man? You know what I love about this? Well, let's see what the Lord says. Jesus said to him, if I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You know, it's so easy to get into, well, look what happened to so-and-so. How come I can't have that blessing? And the thing I love is that God's plan is so beautiful that it's absolutely personal. It's absolutely personal. It's made to fit you and what you need, and it doesn't have anything to do with anybody else. Do you know what I mean? All right, now. We know the Lord Jesus Christ. I'll give you the passage, John 4, 31 through 34, but here's what happened. The disciples were really busy and they wanted the Lord to eat, so they said, Lord, basically I'm paraphrasing, but you need to eat. And he said to them, my food is to do the will of him who sent me. That's... My priority. All right, from there, let's go to John chapter 12. Remember, chapter 12 precedes 13. 13 is in the upper room discourse, okay? So this is the end of his public ministry right here. And as he's approaching that, I was just overwhelmed as I was studying this. How could anybody bear even the anticipation of what was coming upon him. And scripture says, knowing all things that were coming upon him, he knew what was coming. And so he says this, now my soul has become troubled. And what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. But for this purpose, I came to this. This is why I was born. You know, we hear so much today about, well, just, Jesus is, he's a good one to follow. and that sounds really good, but you have to go through the cross. You have to go, he says, what did I come for? If he was just gonna be a good example, he's already been the good example at this point in his life. Do you know what I mean? He's led them, he's been a wonderful teacher and healer and all these things, but as he's facing the cross, he says, that's why I came. So that means, that's like the rest of the epistles, like the word of God says, that's the central issue, is what do you do with the gospel? That Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again the third day, that's the starting point. You must be born again, said to Nicodemus. Okay. Then let's go to Luke 22. And Luke 22, verse 39, you know this well. So after the upper room discourse, and it says verse 39, and he came out and proceeded, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed him. And when he arrived at the place, he said to them, pray that you may not enter into temptation. And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and began to pray, saying, Father, If thou art willing, remove this cup from me. Yet, not my will, but thine be done. Now an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. What do you think that was about? I think about, you know, at the end of, in Luke chapter four, Luke tells us that when Satan tempted him, when the temptation was over, it says, he departed from him until an opportune time. I can't think of any more opportune time that Satan came to tempt than this time, when the full weight of that he was going to suffer physically, body broken for us, but that he was gonna suffer the wrath of God on our behalf. We can't begin to wrap our minds around the weight of that. And as I was thinking, there's things that I know have been in my life that I know are coming down the road, and they're not that big a thing, but it's totally, worried me and got my attention and kept me awake and, you know, stuff that's not that big a deal. And then you think about how can you bear the sins of the world on the cross, suffering the wrath of God for those sins, and look at it from the standpoint of, yes, he's the God-man, absolutely, but looking at it from the standpoint of his humanity, I don't know how he survived the garden. You know what I mean? It's just overwhelming. And being in agony, he was praying very fervently. How do we know what that agony was? He was praying very fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood. Another thing, wow, it's just so overwhelming, falling down upon the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to his disciples, found them sleeping from sorrow. Now I want you to go to John chapter 18. So we're just following in the sequence of events here. And John chapter 18, verse three. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort, Roman battalion, and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees came there with lanterns and torches and weapons, get this, verse four, Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth. He didn't, turn around and disappear into the garden, he went forth and said to them, whom do you seek? Knowing they were seeking him, and knowing that this immediate arrest was gonna lead to the cross, was gonna lead to the wrath of God poured out on him for our sins, they answered him, Jesus of Nazarene, he said to them, I think of these maybe as the bravest words ever spoken. I'm he. I realize that's ego of me and Jehovah and all of that connection, but he says, you're looking for me and I'm the one you're looking for. Knowing all things that were coming upon him, it's just staggering. And you say, well, why do you have all that in here? Well, because we see a pattern here that as our loving Lord leads us, and that should be our great desire, that sometimes we're gonna, that word that he gives us, as far as his will is concerned, as he leads us, is gonna give us a sour stomach. You know what I mean? It's going to put us in situations where we would not choose to be, you know? Okay. Father, how we thank you for your word. And Father, we thank you for leading us. We thank you for doing exactly what is the perfect plan for each one of us individually as you lead us. Father, may we have such confidence in your love and your power and your perfect plan for us that we can relax when we're led in a place that we wouldn't choose to go. Father, make these things real to us, we ask in Jesus' name, amen.