2 Peter 1:12-21

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 34:1-7
• Hymn — Hallelujah, Thine the Glory (#179)
• Shorter Catechism — Question 3
• Hymn — (#501)
• Pastoral Prayer
• Scripture Reading — 2 Peter 1:12-21
• Prayer for Illumination
• Sermon
• Hymn — How Firm a Foundation (#94)
• Benediction — Philippians 4:7-9

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Sermon Title: The Sure Word of Life and Godliness

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:12-21

I. The Sure Word Is a Word to Be Remembered

A. Peter's burden in 2 Peter 1:12-15 is to remind his people of the gospel

1. He speaks of remembrance three times: he intends always to remind them, to stir them up by way of reminder, and to make provision so they can recall these things after his departure
2. Peter writes as an apostle and ambassador of the true gospel — his burning passion is that his flock remember and recall the truth

B. Peter is writing to people who already know these things and are established in them, yet still need to be reminded

1. False gospels and empty messages assail us constantly — pleasures, self-saving works, doubts
2. The remedy: remember the word read, remember the word preached; preach the true gospel to yourself every day

C. Peter's written record provides lasting nourishment even after his death

1. Peter is transient, but the word he leaves is lasting
2. The promise of life and the call to godliness is a word worthy to be remembered again and again

II. The Sure Word Is Built on Apostolic Witness

A. Peter shifts to the first-person plural in 2 Peter 1:16-18, speaking as one of the apostles who were eyewitnesses of Christ

1. He recounts the Transfiguration — Peter, James, and John witnessed the unveiled glory of Christ on the holy mountain
2. They heard the voice of the Father declare, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased"

B. Eyewitness testimony grounds the reliability of the apostolic message

1. Peter contrasts the apostolic witness with "cleverly devised myths" — the kind the false teachers promote
2. The church is built on the foundation of the apostles who proclaim Christ's life, death, and resurrection (cf. Paul's defense of his apostleship)

C. The apostolic message is entirely about Christ

1. Christ — the eternal Son of God made incarnate — is the one to whom all power, majesty, honor, and glory belong
2. The coming of Christ referenced here points to the promised Second Coming, which the false teachers deny
3. In light of Christ's return, Peter calls believers to godliness — to be found without spot or blemish, diligent in sanctification

III. The Sure Word Is Built on Inspired Revelation

A. In 2 Peter 1:19-21, Peter points to the prophetic word as a second ground for the sure word

1. The Greek of verse 19 speaks of the "reliable" or "abiding" prophetic word — the Old Testament is not lacking but is itself firm and confirmed
2. Peter's argument: the apostolic witness to Jesus stands on ground already prepared by the Old Testament prophets — from Moses to Malachi, the Scriptures spoke of Christ

B. Old and New Testaments together form one complete inspired revelation

1. The Old Testament promises and prophesies the coming Messiah; the New Testament bears apostolic witness to the historical incarnation of that Messiah
2. Christ himself on the road to Emmaus: all the Law and the Prophets were pointing to him (cf. Luke 24:27)

C. The nature of inspiration: 2 Peter 1:20-21

1. No prophecy comes from someone's own interpretation or the will of man
2. The Holy Spirit did not replace the human authors' minds — he bore them along in all their human fullness, making use of their histories, faculties, and experience, inspiring them to write exactly what God decreed

D. The sure word is a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Peter 1:19)

1. All other lights — political figures, celebrities, entertainment — offer only dim imitations that cannot pierce the darkness
2. The Morning Star is Christ himself (cf. Revelation 22:16) — all Scripture points either ahead to or back upon him
3. Christ alone can satisfy the weary soul; false teachers offer only sand and pebbles — Christ is the Rock