Morning Sermon

March 8, 2009

Eyewitnesses

Text

2 Tim. 4:1 "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

Surely, that day has come--that day to which Paul referred when he challenged his disciple Timothy to preach faithfully. Men do not put up with sound doctrine today. Actually, they don't put with doctrine at all. They don't want to hear any doctrine at all. Instead, to suit their own desires, they gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. There are plenty of teachers around today ready to oblige, wanting a ever-increasing crowd of people to be gathered around them. Radio and television are willing and able helpers.

Paul's warning is chilling in its accuracy today. "The people will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to myths."

What protects us from that danger? Only one thing, the solid foundation of apostolic teaching.

Peter, an apostle, knew that it was his responsibility to lay such a firm foundation, and so it's not hard to see from his words,

I. THE IMPORTANCE OF APOSTOLIC TEACHING. v.12

He even gets a bit more specific in chapter three, writing this, 2Pet. 3:1 "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder), 2 that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior."

Peter had a very appropriate sense of his own importance, as did Paul and the other apostolic writers. They were laying a permanent and lasting foundation. That body of apostolic teaching would be collected and recorded in the Scriptures, and as such it would be the very foundation upon which the church is built.

It is the foundation upon which this church is built. It is the foundation upon which our denomination rests. So Peter doesn't hesitate to offer reminders, to repeat the things that he has taught. He doesn't apologize for repeating himself. He realizes that,

A. Apostolic reminders are necessary for our spiritual stability. Simply put, we need reminders. Frequent reminders. Of that which is true and necessary.

Peter is very diplomatic and pastoral. He is very encouraging and supportive, but he is direct. And repetitive! v.12 "For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things."

His tactfulness is evident by the encouraging words he writes, "though you know and are established in the present truth."

Peter doesn't insult his listeners. He doesn't belittle them or patronize them. He gives them credit for the stability of faith which they possess, for their knowledge of the truth. He praises them for being firmly established, for not wavering, and he encourages them by recognizing that stability.

These are seasoned Christians to whom he writes, not new believers tossed about by every wind of doctrine. They are fully indoctrinated in the truths of the gospel. And he commends their faith so that they will remain more firmly fixed in it.

But he still reminds them. He reminds them so that they will remain faithful. He takes every opportunity to refresh their memories, a word which actually means to wake up or arouse. Peter realizes the human tendency to rest upon the laurels of past achievements and fail to be alert. We are lulled asleep, as if we are living in peace while spiritual warfare against Satan and his cohorts is raging all around us.

And without apology, he says that he will keep reminding them as long as the Lord lets him live. v.13

Calvin comments so appropriately that it is necessary to "encourage the faithful who are otherwise overcome by the laziness of the flesh. He says that, although they had no lack of teaching, yet the stimulus of these exhortations is useful so that carelessness and self-indulgence do not overthrow and finally obliterate what they have properly learned, as is so often the case.

Carelessness and self-indulgence. Laziness of the flesh. Those are the typical besetting sins of those fully indoctrinated in the faith. Aren't they?

Those would be the typical dangers in a church such as ours, where we emphasize and proclaim the fullness of the apostolic teaching. We have the doctrinal stability. We are firmly established in the truth. And we need this apostolic reminder. Our memories need to be refreshed and stirred by the basic truths of the gospel, truths which are allowed to transform our entire lives and move us to seek an ever-increasing measure of godliness in the way that we live.

Apostolic teaching is absolutely essential. And we must never begrudge the repetition of these reminders. We must never think that apostolic teaching is boring or of little practical value. Our spiritual stability depends upon it.

Note the urgency of Peter. v.13-14

Peter realizes that he is about to die. In the appropriate symbolism of his words, he is about to put aside the tent in which he is living, the tent which is his physical body. That tent, in contrast to a permanent home, is by definition temporary.

B. Apostolic reminders are necessary because of the apostles' own mortality. Paul uses the same illustration of the body in,

2Cor. 5:1 "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, 3 if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. 4 For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life."

Peter is mortal. And in addition to the mortality he shares with all men, he knows by divine revelation that the days of his life are short. And in fact, the age of the apostles would end. The age of apostolic teaching would come to a close. Peter, along with all the other apostles would die, and their office would come to a close, for it was a requirement by definition that an apostle be one who had been an eyewitness to Jesus Christ. By definition, an apostle was one who had seen Jesus in the flesh. And who received the calling to that office by Jesus' own divine presence.

Therefore, in time, the apostles would all die. They were all mortal. So while they were alive, as long as they were alive, they would lay the foundation for the church by repeated reminders of the body of truth they taught.

And since they would die, it is obvious that,

C. Apostolic reminders are necessary to create a permanent record. It wasn't enough for the apostles to see that the people then were firmly established in the truth. They saw to it that future generations would be firmly established, generations that would live long after the apostles all died. Generations such as ours.

For that to happen, there had to be a permanent record. Peter was committed to building that record. v.15

He writes of Paul, too, contributing to that permanent record. Regarding the Lord's patience bringing salvation, Peter says that,

2 Peter 3:15 "...as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures."

Notice the word Scriptures! That word means a written record. A permanent written record. That which is written down, and is therefore forever authoritative. The written documents are God's infallible word, written, as we'll see next week, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

2 Peter 1:20 "...knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

The permanent record which the apostles created was the scriptures. The Bible. And the usefulness of the Bible is obvious. Long after all the apostles have departed, we still have their written record. We still have the Scriptures. And the Scriptures are still "useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

So the importance of apostolic teaching continues. The apostles did not look to their own age alone, but intended us also to have the benefit. Therefore, although they are dead, their teaching still lives on and flourishes.

And so we rightly emphasize the importance of that teaching today. And that teaching stands in contrast to all the man-made teachings of our day, for Peter says of himself along with the other apostles, v.16-18

There we have,

II. THE TRUTHFULNESS OF APOSTOLIC TEACHING. That teaching is contrasted with what the NKJV translates "cleverly devised tales."

The word for "cleverly devised" is a form of the word for wisdom, though with a very negative connotation. The idea is not so much acting with great wisdom, but that of concocted something subtly. It has the idea of scheming, and is well translated "cleverly invented."

And the stories which were cleverly invented amount to myths, which is the actual Greek word used.

What is a myth? A myth is a story which man has formulated to express his own desires without any reference to reality. A made-up story invented in the imagination of a man. No connection with reality. And no power, no redemptive power. That is, the message of a myth cannot save a man from his sins, nor can it provide the power to change or transform his life.

How different are the apostolic writings of Scripture!

Hebr. 4:12 "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

A. Apostolic teaching was entirely different than man-made myths. "We did not follow cleverly devised tales."

The warning against foolish myths is familiar. 1Tim. 1:3 "As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith."

1Tim. 4:6 "If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives' fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness."

2Tim.4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables."

There are plenty of man-made myths abounding in the church of our day. Myths that are nothing more than man-made ideas foisted upon naive and gullible believers. And those myths will inevitably arise when we fail to radically believe the words Peter wrote earlier in this chapter.

2Pet. 1:3 "...as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue."

Modern, secular science has produced many such myths, including many fool-hardy explanations for the creation of this world, most notably evolution in all its forms. Modern secular psychology has produced many such myths, including many foolhardy explanations and rationalizations for thoughts and behavior that the Bible specifically calls sin. Most especially the cult of self-worship. Self-esteem, self-fulfillment, self-absorption, self-love. Modern secular commercialism has produced many such myths, convincing the church that we should market ourselves to as broad a base of consumers as we possibly can, in order to bring about church growth. The modern church growth movement is filled with such myths. Modern theology has produced many such myths, transforming the absolute truth of God into a relative, non-authoritative historical tradition that can be cast aside at will. So much so that the Bible itself has become a myth to the average, liberal, modern church-goer.

Myths are everywhere. And we constantly need to separate apostolic teaching from man-made myths. They are entirely different things.

There is one key test of apostolic teaching. One clear distinction from all man-made myths.

B. Apostolic teaching is focused entirely upon Jesus Christ. What was it that Peter would remind the people of?

v.16 "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

The subject of apostolic teaching is Jesus Christ. From beginning to end. His power. And his coming.

There are many preachers who spent a great deal of time telling stories. Some of them very good stories and some very entertaining. But stories themselves have no power! Entertainment has no power to transform your life. Even captivating speeches have no power, not if the subject is anything other than the power of God shown in the person of Jesus Christ. And the only purpose of any human stories in preaching is to illustrate that power. The power of God.

And that power of Jesus Christ is connected with his coming, a technical Greek word related to the second coming of Jesus in all power and authority. It is the Greek word "parousia." That parousia, that second coming, will indeed be the greatest of all demonstrations of Christ's power, for his second coming will be a day of eternal judgment. And it will be a day of eternal salvation. It is a day which Peter will more fully describe in,

2Pet. 3:7 "But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men...10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up."

That's power!

1Ths. 4:15 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

That's power.

2 Thes.2:8 "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming."

That's power.

The apostolic teaching which will edify your souls and strengthen your faith is focused entirely upon Jesus Christ! And so must our preaching. If preaching is not centered in Christ and in his redemptive power, it is useless.

Moralistic or legalistic preaching is useless, of no power. The basic message is simply "do good."

Psychological preaching is useless, of no power. The basic message is self-centered and focused on human emotions and self-help.

Philosophical preaching is useless, of no power. The basic message is some sort of advanced knowledge, philosophically and intellectually advanced. Like a university lecture.

For the message to have power, the focus must be on Christ! For it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that is the power of God. So Paul would write,

Rom. 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."

Or as Paul says to Timothy, 2Tim. 3:1 "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!"

There is a lot of religion today, but sadly, much of it has only a form of godliness, denying its power. The power to change a man's heart. The power to transform a man's life. The power to alter the course of a nation. And so, if our teaching could be called apostolic, it must be focused upon Jesus Christ, his power and his coming. And notice the climax of this passage, that which sets the apostles apart from us.

v.16b "...[we] were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

Peter and the other apostles didn't follow cleverly invented stories. Instead, they were eyewitnesses of the majesty of Jesus Christ.

C. Apostolic teaching is verified by eyewitness account. Notice the specific event which Peter refers to as an eyewitness. v.17-18

That's the so-called transfiguration, found in, Matt. 17:1 "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only."

Peter, along with James and John, were eyewitnesses of his majesty. This event was not a figment of their imaginations. It was not a dream. It was not something that they created in their own minds. They saw the majesty of Christ, appearing with Moses and Elijah. And Peter uses that event as a prefiguring of the glory of Jesus' second coming.

Indeed, the majesty which the apostles witnesses was announced by God himself, in a most unmistakable way. v.17

They witnessed this occasion when Jesus received honor and glory from his father in heaven, which Peter calls "the Majestic Glory." "The excellent glory."

God the Father is revealing the power and the glory of his only Son. And I can't fully explain that to you. In fact, I would be foolish to try. Instead I simply want to proclaim to you the power and glory of Jesus Christ, the majestic glory of God himself.

I have not been an eyewitness to such a revelation, but the apostles' were, and that's what gives them the authority that I do not have. For they are able to say, v.18

And because of that I can say to you, "Listen to them." Listen to the apostles, and to their teaching. For the truthfulness of their teaching is verified by their being eyewitness of the majesty of Christ.

People of God, I am convinced that we spend far too much time thinking far to small thoughts. We spend far too much time thinking about the eternally insignificant events of our daily lives. We spend far too much time thinking about our own problems, and about our own successes and accomplishments. We spend far too much time thinking about the ordinary, routine affairs of life. We spend far too much time hopelessly absorbed with ourselves!

And I call you to something greater this morning. I call you to consider the power and the majesty of Jesus Christ. I call you to consider the awesome display of glory shown in Jesus Christ at that transfiguration. And that is the greatest thought that you could ever have. Far from boring and impractical theology, this is the greatest and most glorious activity that we could ever possibly be engaged in. Thinking about God. Considering the glory of Jesus Christ.

Think about what the apostles' actually saw. Think about what God the Father actually spoke. Think about Jesus, the one who received such honor and glory at that time.

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

And so, with the Apostle Paul,

1Cor. 2:2 "For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power."

Today, in the midst of your life, whatever is going on in your life, think deeply about the Jesus, the son whom the father loved, the son with whom the father was well pleased. Think deeply about the father who bestowed such honor and glory upon Jesus his son.

Hebr. 12:2 "…[look] unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Fully Searchable
Bible