“A Sign of The Times ”
Week 2
2 Peter 1:12-21
Verse of the Week
We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
2 Peter 1:19
Main Idea:
We should remind ourselves to practice the basics of the faith and know that Scripture is trustworthy and true.
VS 12-15
“We forget what we ought to remember, and remember what we ought to forget!” -Warren Wiersbe. There is so much truth in this quote. Peter is reminding us that even if we are mature in our faith, we still need to be reminded of truths from the Word. One way we can do this is by reminding ourselves of the Gospel every single day. Why? Because we forget it every single day. Peter reminds us that even though we are saved by grace through faith, we are still in this fleshly body. The word that Peter used for the flesh was “tent”. This is a good illustration, due to the fact that tents are temporary and fragile. Our flesh still wants what it wants. This is why it is important that we feed our spirit every day. The fight between the flesh and spirit is an everyday battle for every believer. Peter uses the words “make every effort” many times in his letter. This effort that Peter is talking about is also known as spiritual disciplines which are things like reading the word, praying, being in Christian community and obeying the Word.
Discussion Questions:
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What are some Biblical truths that you cling to in hard times or when the enemy reminds you of your past?
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Why do we need to have our memory refreshed about Biblical truths? Why do we forget these truths?
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How do you “make every effort” when it comes to spiritual disciplines?
VS 16-18
Peter is reminding us that Jesus is who He says He is. How does Peter know? He didn’t hear about Jesus from other sources. He says he actually saw the majesty of Jesus with his own eyes and heard it with his own ears. Peter is referring to his, James and John’s experience on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-13). On the mountain, Jesus was transfigured to a bright light and covered by a bright cloud. From the cloud came a voice that said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” Peter, James and John had a personal experience with Jesus that they would always remember and they wanted to tell others about it. That personal experience changed all 3 guys. They were also transfigured (or transformed). Their lives were changed.
Discussion Questions:
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What are some “cleverly devised myths” in the world about Jesus?
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What gave Peter and the other disciples strong credibility?
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How has Jesus changed your life? What evidence is there?
VS 10-11
Not only did Peter have an eye witness encounter of the majesty of Jesus, he had old testament prophecies as well. He tells us that these prophecies are reliable and therefore we should pay close attention to them. There are at least 332 Old Testament predictions regarding a future Messiah that Jesus fulfilled perfectly. It has been calculated that the probability of any one man fulfilling eight of these prophecies is one in 100,000,000,000,000,000 (10 to the 17th power). Again, Jesus fulfilled every single one of them perfectly. The Bible is 66 books written by 40 men but every word in every book is from God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. The Bible is for us, its just not about us. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible is about God's love for us and how He comes to rescue us. It is about the one who is at the center of God’s great rescue story and the center of our rescue story too. The Bible is about Jesus- the Way, the Truth and the Life. It should be used as a mirror and a road map. It shows us our need for Jesus and it shows us how to walk with Him. The Bible is the ultimate authority over the life of a follower of Jesus. It is how we grow in spiritual maturity. We do this by reading it, meditating on it and memorizing it. Not only do we read what it says but we also obey what it says. We can be assured that God’s word is true and can be trusted with every area of our life.
Discussion Questions:
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Have you ever doubted if the Bible is true?
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Is reading the Bible a daily spiritual discipline in your life?