Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Introduction

Peter has been encouraging a life of commitment to the Lord while challenging us to beware of false teachers.

He has made clear that we can trust God’s promise that Jesus Christ will return and that there will be a final judgment of the earth and all the wicked as well as a new creation of the heavens and the earth.

Illustration: Lisa was off this week and had the opportunity to visit her mom in IL.

So she flew out on Wednesday.

Wednesday night, as Zoey talked to her, Zoey kept asking, “When are you coming home?”

Lisa told her, “Sunday night.”

So Zoey is anticipating Lisa’s return.

Her anticipation is just in seeing her mom.

For the boys the anticipation of mom’s return brings about responsibilities...

Verse 14 begins with “therefore”, because the judgment of God is coming and because we are looking forward to the “day of God” we have responsibilities.

Peter continues, “beloved”, his love for these people, his relationship with these people drives him to share these truths and challenge them in their walk and obedience to Christ.

Our love will drive us to do the same for others as well.

“Looking forward to these things” This is anticipation.

We should be looking forward to Christ’s return and the blessing that follows.

This anticipation should produce a diligence in us.

“Diligence” is a eager, or zealous desire, “to be especially conscientious in discharging an obligation, be zealous/eager, take pains, make every effort, be conscientious”.

(William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 939.)

Since Peter has made clear that Jesus Christ will return.

He goes the next step in today’s passage and tells us how the anticipation of Christ’s return will affect us.

We have responsibilities Anticipation of Christ return should result in a walk of peace, purity, proclamation, perspective, and progress.

II.

Anticipation of Christ’s return should result in a persistent walk of Peace.

(with God, with man, in ourselves)

Our awareness and anticipation of Jesus return challenges us to be found by Him in peace.” vs. 14

A. One aspect of peace is “peace with God”.

Rom.

5:1 “1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” This peace is only available through faith in Jesus Christ and what was accomplished in His death and resurrection.

Peter has addressed these individuals as “beloved” so most of them are believers.

B. A second aspect of peace is “peace with others”.

Rom.

12:18 “18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

Indeed, we would not want to be found in the midst of a quarrel or a church split when Christ returns.

C.

But the primary focus here in “being found by Him in peace” is likely more centered on a “peaceful life”.

My trust in God in the midst of the trials of the opposition gives peace.

My trust in God when others are attacking His word realizes that He is trustworthy.

He is truth.

He is all-powerful to fulfill His promises.

I don’t have to allow the chaos around me to rob me of my peace.

As a believer, I am confident of my future because of my position in Christ.

III.

Anticipation of Christ’s return should result in a persistent walk of Purity.

(of our life) vs. 14

A. My excitement , anticipating Christ return drives me in my diligence to be pure in my life.

Living a life that is set apart to God in each area.

I desire to be found by Him “spotless and blameless”.

B. “Without spot” or “spotless” when applied to the OT sacrifice was without any physical defect.

The lamb could have nothing wrong, no scars, no broken leg, no limp, no torn ear… “Without spot” in this context is the idea of moral purity or moral defects.

This is a life “being of untainted character, pure, without fault of inward condition, as of character” (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 144.)

Remember the false teachers were referred to as spots and blemishes.

II Peter 2:13 “13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime.

They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,”

We don’t want the false teachers or the false philosophy of this world to cause us to be spots or blemishes.

We are anticipating the coming of Jesus Christ for his bride.

Our study on Wednesday hit this concept as well.

Rev. 19:7-8 “7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.”

We certainly are imputed with the righteousness of Christ at salvation, but we are also expected to live lives that represent Christ as we strive diligently to be spotless.

C. “Blameless” deals being morally blameless.

It is best represented in our “reputation”.

How do people see me.

What “baggage” have a produced in my life that goes before me.

Our reputation can greatly hurt our witness for Christ and our ministry.

In a previous ministry a man came and started attending our church.

He was extremely knowledgeable of the Scriptures, he had quite a bit of previous experience, but when it was discussed with the elders whether he should have the opportunity to teach or not they explained that he just a couple years before had made a public spectacle of himself on a float in a parade before the whole county.

This choice, had given him a reputation that would take much time to live down until he could gain the respect of others to publicly teach...

Please make note.

One can be “spotless” and because of opposition be accused of things and on earth may not be “blameless”.

Though before God they are.

One can be “spotted” but because they are good at hiding their sin they are thought to be “blameless”.

Thankfully Christ is all knowing.

We will not have any false attacks on our character or reputation that he won’t see through.

But our prayer should be as David’s as we walk through this life diligently desiring to please God.

Psalm 19:13-14 “13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me.

Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.”

and Psalm 139:23-24 “23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

IV.

Anticipation of Christ’s return should result in a persistent walk of Proclamation.

(of the gospel) vs. 15

This anticipation of Christ’s return when met with having to wait is a reminder of God’s longsuffering.

His patience in bringing judgment so that people may repent of their sin.

It should be a reminder to us of our need to be sharing the gospel, proclaiming the truth not only of God’s judgment but the love of God in sending Jesus Christ that we might have eternal life.

Romans 2:4 “4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”

We have the privilege of letting others know of God’s kindness, longsuffering, mercy, and grace.

V. Anticipation of Christ’s return should result in a persistent walk of Perspective.

(regarding the truth) vs. 15-17

A. Peter here shares that Paul’s writings affirm the same principles regarding the salvation of God through faith in Jesus Christ, the coming judgment, and false teachers that Peter has taught them.

He is calling Paul beloved.

But remember Peter had been rebuked by Paul, yet there is still a loving relationship!

This is important in living a life “being without spot and blameless.”

Peter is also once again prioritizing the role of Scripture.

While prioritizing the role of scripture he is letting people know that Paul’s writing are inspired as well and are on par with, equal with the OT scripture.

The statement “wisdom given to him” reveals that these were not “cleverly devised fables” but rather of divine origin.

He acknowledges that some of the things that Paul writes are difficult to understand.

Then Peter reminds us that there are people who are untaught and unstable that twist the scriptures to their own destruction.

Not only do they bring judgment on themselves but they pull the deceived along with them.

One writer put it this way, “Those complexities opened the door for the untaught and unstable—namely, the false teachers—to distort what Paul taught about the future.

Untaught denotes a lack of information, and unstable a vacillating spiritual character.