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[0:00] your Bibles with me to second Peter is. I hope to continue verse by verse.

[0:15] We've been working our way through this wonderful letter together for many months now. We've come to what we call the final chapter. The aged apostle is at the door of death.

[0:31] He knows that he's about to be martyred for his faith. He is filled with concern for his wonderful and precious brothers and sisters in Christ that he writes to in this letter.

[0:45] His concern has nothing to do with a lack of faith or trust in the sovereignty of God to protect us, to protect his people. It has everything to do with the fact that he dearly loves them.

[0:58] And he doesn't want to see anything strain their faith or move in to draw their attention and their love and their devotion away from the Lord Jesus Christ.

[1:11] But he knows. He knows that there are men already planted within the churches that he writes to who are seeking to do just that in the lives of God's people, draw them away from a simple and pure devotion to Jesus.

[1:27] And so Peter writes with a joyful heart, but with a deeply concerned heart as well. We pick it up then in chapter three, verse one, where Peter writes, this is now beloved.

[1:42] The second letter I'm writing to you in which I'm stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder. that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

[2:01] Know this then, first of all, that in the last days, mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, saying, where is the promise of his coming?

[2:17] For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation. For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God, the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water.

[2:46] But by his word, the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

[3:00] As Peter expresses his concern to these people and begins to come to the place where he's closing out his letter, he wants to follow on everything that he said in chapter two and help these precious souls understand where their hope should be anchored.

[3:24] And so we come to the first point that I want to draw from the first two verses of the beginning of chapter three, and it's this. Let me get the title up.

[3:34] Sorry, guys. They're well trained. I've told them, don't put the title up till I give it. And I forgot to give it. Remember, Jesus is coming again is the title of my message.

[3:46] Remember, Jesus is coming again. The first thing that Peter wants to do is encourage these precious souls and anchoring their hearts in God's truth.

[3:59] Remember, Jesus is coming again. So anchor your heart in God's truth. Why? Because there are going to be plenty of reasons, ways and people who are going to try and dissuade you from or deceive you from that hope.

[4:14] So anchor your heart in what is true. There'll be plenty of lies to deal with across the course of your life. Again, let me draw your attention to verses one and two.

[4:27] This is now, beloved, the second letter I'm writing to you in which I'm stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder.

[4:38] This is what faithful pastors and preachers do Sunday to Sunday to Sunday, Lord's Day to Lord's Day. They stand in the pulpit and proclaim, Thus saith the Lord in the way of a holy reminder to your heart to stay faithful to the truth.

[4:57] That's what we do. My congregation has heard me say on a few occasions that I once, sitting under Dr. MacArthur's ministry, heard him say from the pulpit, that I'm the jerk that jerks you back into truth week to week to week.

[5:13] That's what I do. And that's what I do. That's what Greg does. And this is the reminder that Peter wants to leave with these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ, that they should, verse two, remember the word spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.

[5:40] After Peter's scathing, scathing denouncement of the false teachers in chapter two, in that entire chapter is Peter really going after these deceivers, these mockers.

[5:54] After all of that, and we took several weeks to work through that letter together, and boy, it was hard preaching, hard reading, to know that these kind of men who want to deceive us away from hope in Jesus coming again are within our own church.

[6:12] They come from within. That was tough to get our minds around. After doing all of that from chapter two, Peter's heart and language softened now.

[6:26] As his focus turns back to those he loves and wants to protect, his friends and his flock are the beloved.

[6:37] That's a beautiful and endearing term, friends. I don't want us to skip over it. These are the beloved of God. That is God's deeply loved and cherished ones.

[6:52] And that's what you are. You are God's deeply loved and cherished ones. And so whatever price shepherds are called to pay, to safeguard you as God's dearly beloved people, we need to be willing to pay it.

[7:14] Or we don't get into the ministry. I ran from the Lord as a coward when I felt God's calling on my life and became convinced that the Lord wanted me in full-time Christian ministry because I was scared to death of this very commitment.

[7:30] It terrified me to think about God using me to minister to and safeguard the most precious thing that he has on planet Earth.

[7:41] And I'm looking into the eyes of those precious things. That's you. God loves you. Enough to give his son for you.

[7:55] And no power in heaven or earth can ever break the love that God has for you as his people. You are the beloved of God.

[8:09] Deeply cherished in the heart of the Father. That's where you live and breathe. In the heat of spiritual battle.

[8:25] In the daily grind of fighting your own flesh. And in the hard moments of being sinned against by other people. Remember.

[8:36] You are the beloved of Almighty God. Deeply cherished. By the Father. This is Peter's second letter.

[8:48] Intended to stir up. As he says. Our sincere minds. To stir up is simply to arouse. To wake up.

[8:58] To stimulate. To action. His flock is under personal attack. They're being assaulted by false teachers. Who are mocking them.

[9:10] Mocking God. And mocking God's truth. And so what we have here is nothing short. Of Peter. In his. First call to action.

[9:23] Being a call to arms. Mentally. A call to arms. Mentally. He appeals to what he says. Is their sincere minds.

[9:34] That is. Their minds made wholesome. And pure. And good. By the gospel. At one time. Their minds were not like that. The scripture tells us.

[9:45] That all unbelievers. Have minds that are. Hostile. To the things of God. The earthly mind. The mind set on the flesh. Is hostile to God. We learned on Wednesday night.

[9:56] In our Bible study. Not only that. Earthly minds. Unbelieving minds. Ungodly minds. Are helpless. To understand. And appreciate. And value.

[10:08] The things of God. Our minds don't think. God's thoughts. And so here we are. In our unbelieving state. Not appreciating.

[10:19] The great sacrifice. That God has made. In giving us. Jesus Christ. On the cross. We think it's foolish. We scoff at it. As an unbeliever. We think it's stupid.

[10:32] That's what God says we are. As we think like that. We're moronic. That Greek word. Actually means. And translates over. As stupid.

[10:43] We are senseless. In the eyes of the Lord. And so what does Peter do? He says. You have been given. Insincere. Pure. Holy minds. By your faith.

[10:54] In the Lord. Jesus Christ. And so what I want to do. Is I want to move in. And call those minds. Those holy minds. To holy action. To a holy alertness.

[11:06] That's how real. And damaging. The threat is. In biblical thinking. This is what one of.

[11:17] The commentators said. In biblical thinking. Reminders. Grip. The whole person. So that we are. Possessed again. I love that.

[11:27] Possessed again. By the gospel. And it's truth. So that we are. Energized. To live. For the glory of God. That's good. Possessed again. Think about that with me.

[11:39] We need to be. Possessed again. Each and every. Lord's day. That we gather together. As his people. To be possessed again. In remembering. That we would be.

[11:52] Energized. To live for the glory. Of God. In our lives. Whatever the cost. Comes for you. Daily. Through the week. This is the time. On the Lord's day.

[12:03] That we're remembering. And being called. To action. Holy action. On behalf of Jesus. Are you willing. To lay your life down.

[12:13] As we leave. This place. Hour by hour. Through this coming week. Until by God's grace. You're given. Breath for life. To join together. With your brothers.

[12:23] And sisters again. Next Lord's day. To be reminded. To go out. And do that again. Are you willing. To deny yourself. Take up your cross. And follow Christ.

[12:34] Whatever the cost. Are you looking. For Jesus. To come again. And does that make any difference. In the way that you think. About the priorities. Of your life. Or how you live.

[12:45] Day to day. Does Jesus coming again. Have any bearing. On the way you think. About what life is. And how to live it. This is Peter.

[12:57] Why would Peter be. It's such a heavy. Heavy. Sobering. Message. He's about to die. That's why. He's taking stock.

[13:09] He's looking back. And he's calling people. To understand. This day will come. For you as well. You don't want to have to. Look back and regret. You want to be able.

[13:20] To look back and realize. That you gave everything. That you had. To live for what God says. Is most holy. And most high. About life. And that's serving Christ.

[13:32] There's no way. To get around it. We can deny it. This is what the mockers do. We can try. To replace it. This is what the mockers.

[13:43] The deceivers do. But Peter says. Remember. Remember what you've been taught. Remember what you've been. Grounded in. And come back to it.

[13:56] Peter. Peter's reminders. About Jesus's second coming. Then are intended. To energize. Energize you and I. To live. For the glory of God. While persevering.

[14:08] Against. The world. The flesh. And the devil. This is faithful living. In real life. Of course. People who don't believe. In the Lord. People who have no faith.

[14:19] People have never had. Their hearts enlightened. By the grace of God. They think this kind of stuff. Is just nonsense. It's foolishness. Why would anybody. Believe this kind of thing. I want to remind you.

[14:31] What God says. About that mentality. He says. It's foolishness. It's foolishness. For you to think. That the cross. Is foolishness. What anchors.

[14:47] Your life. Friends. Don't let this message. Go any further. That you don't. Take stock. Now. What anchors. Your life. Really.

[15:00] What are you trusting in. Each day. What gets you through. The difficulties. You encounter. What helps you deal. With the melancholy.

[15:11] Melancholy. And monotony. Of living. In this sin. Cursed world. What helps you have. True joy. Or do you even know. What that is.

[15:24] What helps you. Get through. The difficulties. Of life. Some people. Will say. Well. The way that I get. Through life. Is I just try. Not to think about it.

[15:35] I put my head down. I just keep going. I just try. To push it back here. Somewhere. And just keep going. I try to think. Happy thoughts. All right.

[15:46] That's. That's certainly. One way to do it. I try to fill. My life. With activities. That distract. Me away. From things. Like that. I don't want to think.

[15:58] About life. Like that. I don't want to think. About a coming judgment. What a bummer. Who wants to live. Life like that. This is exactly. What Peter.

[16:09] Is asking us. To remember. To focus on. To think about. Because it's real. And it's coming. And it will mean.

[16:19] Life. Death. For an eternity. This is what Peter. Wants us to think about. Anchoring your heart. And your mind. In God's truth.

[16:30] Requires. Mental alertness. And focus. Mental alertness. And focus. Now you say. Well focus on what though. What would Peter.

[16:41] Have us. Focus on. And be mentally. Alert about. Well. What scripture. Would have you. Focus your mind on. That's what he wants you. To zero in on. Again.

[16:51] Verse two. That you should remember. The words. Spoken. Beforehand. By the holy prophets. And the commandment. Of the Lord. And Savior. That would be Jesus.

[17:03] Spoken then. By your apostles. So we have prophets. We have Jesus. And we have the apostles. In this verse. The words. Spoken. By the holy prophets.

[17:14] This would refer. To holy predictions. Or the foretelling. Of judgment. Particularly the theme. Of judgment. Against those. Who do sinful deeds.

[17:25] Without repentance. Toward God. Repentance. Has the idea. Of your living. One way. For self. Without faith in God. Without any. Margin of.

[17:36] Concern. About God. Or who he is. And you turn. From that kind of. Belief in life. To move. Toward faith in God. And living for God. And honoring God.

[17:47] That's a repentant life. For all of those people. Who do not turn. From death. In self. To life. In Christ. There will be judgment. Judgment.

[17:59] There's no way. To get around it. It's throughout the Bible. Cover to cover. It's sobering. And it's real. And we've come to a place. In the scripture. Where Peter is speaking.

[18:10] Directly about that reality. Friends. Hear me carefully. Please. Jesus. Is coming. Again. Jesus.

[18:21] Is coming. Again. For some of us. We rejoice. It makes us want to jump out of our seat. And say yes. Lord Jesus. Come quickly. Rescue us from this.

[18:34] Take us into an eternity. Where I don't hurt people anymore. By the things that I say and do. I don't have these attitudes in my heart. That I know. Grieve you deeply.

[18:46] I long to throw off. This sin. And this despair. And know only the joy. Of being with Jesus Christ.

[18:57] That is the cry of a soul. That loves Jesus. And understands the priority. Of heavenly mindedness. In an earthly place.

[19:09] Jesus is coming again. And Peter is telling us. He is bringing judgment. And destruction. To those who live their lives. In flippant. Casual disregard.

[19:21] For God. And his ways. Now I know. That as preachers stand before people. And preach messages like this. Sometimes people will say. And I have heard them say this to me.

[19:32] That's why I don't go to church. You guys are always standing up there. Talking about this kind of stuff. And talking about hell. And sin. And blood. Who wants to. Look this is my weekend man.

[19:43] I got two days off. Why do I want to go sit under that? No you want to come sit under that. Because it's truth. It's truth for your soul. It's truth for your souls.

[19:56] And that's why you want to come. You've got to get. To the bad news. And move through the bad news. So that the good news. Can be all the more glorious to you.

[20:06] When you hear it. The bad news. Just simply sets the table. For the feast of the gospel. The good news. That Jesus is coming again. And he saves.

[20:18] He doesn't just judge. He saves. Which camp do you want to be in? The camp of the saved. Or the camp of the destroyed.

[20:30] It is your choice. It really is. As you look to the Lord. Let me take you to a place. That Peter would be referring to. In his own mind I think. There are so many different places.

[20:42] As he talks about. What the prophets beforehand. Have told you. Remember. What we have taught you. About what the prophets beforehand. Have said to you. If you turn to Isaiah.

[20:53] The book of Isaiah. Chapter 24. Now this is hard.

[21:10] But this is what. Isaiah preached. This is coming. Let it sober your mind. Behold.

[21:21] The Lord. The Lord. Lays the earth. Waste. Devastates it. Distorts. Its surface. And scatters. Its inhabitants.

[21:33] And the people. Will be like. The priest. The servant. Like his master. The maid. Like her mistress. The buyer.

[21:44] Like the seller. The lender. Like the borrower. The creditor. Like the debtor. What he's saying is. What God is about to bring. No one will escape.

[21:54] It doesn't matter. Where you are in life. Where you live in life. What your social status is in life. How much money you have. How much. It doesn't matter. All are going to be alike.

[22:07] In the judgment. In that. They won't be able to escape it. Verse 3. The earth will be completely laid waste.

[22:18] And completely despoiled. For the Lord has spoken his word. Please underline that in your Bible. If that's the kind of thing you do. The Lord has spoken his word.

[22:32] This will stand. Because God has spoken it into existence. The earth mourns and withers. The world fades and withers.

[22:42] The exalted of the people of the earth. Fade away. The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants. For they transgressed laws.

[22:53] Violated statutes. Broke the everlasting covenant. Therefore. A curse devours the earth. And those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore.

[23:04] Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned. And few men are left. Wow. Now that's important. That Peter's calling us to remember that kind of thing.

[23:17] In light of what's about to happen. In the next verses that he talks about. And we'll get there in just a second. This is Isaiah 24. 1 through 6.

[23:28] He next says. You should remember the commandment of the Lord and Savior. Spoken by your apostles. So this would include Jesus' commands for.

[23:40] Yes. Godly living. And it would include the apostles. Public preaching and teaching ministries. All the things that Jesus taught us.

[23:50] As he walked the earth. All the things that then. Your apostles. Passed on to you. From Jesus teaching them. And discipling them.

[24:02] You need to remember. And heed these things. That Jesus spoke about. That we told you. About the coming judgment. That Jesus is coming again. There will be salvation for some.

[24:15] And judgment for others. But he is coming. Again. So the question is this. Is your soul. Is your heart.

[24:25] Is your mind. Anchored. In these commands. From Jesus. Let me give you a couple of examples. Is your heart. Anchored in a command like this. Matthew 22.

[24:36] Would you look there with me. Let's just go back and remember. What did Jesus say. What kinds of things. Did he command. And teach. For us to live by.

[24:49] This is just one example. But it's a very very important one. Matthew 22. Verse 37. And Jesus said to him.

[25:00] You shall love the Lord your God. With all your heart. With all your soul. And with all your mind. This is the great.

[25:11] And foremost commandment. The second is like it. You shall love your neighbor. As yourself. On these two commandments. Depend the whole law.

[25:22] And the prophets. And then. What about this particular warning. Which probably is even closer to the context. Of what Peter is talking about here. Because he's talking about Jesus coming again.

[25:35] In the theme of judgment. Matthew 25. Chapter 25. If you'll look with me at verse 31. What about this.

[25:46] Is your heart and soul. Anchored in these truths. But when the son of man. Comes in his glory. And all the angels with him.

[25:58] Then he will sit. On his glorious throne. All the nations. Will be gathered before him. Alright. Why will he gather the nations.

[26:08] Before him in this time. Well. He will separate them. From one another. As the shepherd separates. The sheep. From the goats.

[26:19] And he will put the sheep. On his right. And the goats. On the left. Now you understand. The sheep are those. Who are his beloved.

[26:29] His people. His flock. Those who have put their faith. In Jesus Christ. For the forgiveness. Of their sins. On the other side. On the left side. Are the goats. Those who are not God's people.

[26:41] Who have rejected the Lord. And not look to Jesus. For salvation. And hope. These are people. Who do not believe. That Jesus will come. In judgment. They mock Jesus.

[26:52] In that way. And do what they want to do. That's what's happening here. Sheep. And goats. Then the king.

[27:02] Will say. In verse 34. To those on his right. Let come. You who are blessed. Of my father. Inherit the kingdom. Prepared for you.

[27:13] From the foundation. Of the world. Now drop down. If you would. And look at verse 41. Then he will also say.

[27:23] To those on his left. Depart from me. Accursed ones. Into the eternal fire. Which has been prepared. For the devil. And his angels.

[27:34] Verse 46. These will go away. Into eternal punishment. But the righteous. Into eternal life.

[27:46] Is your mind. Your heart. Your soul. Anchored in Jesus's teaching. Given through his apostles. And written down in scripture.

[27:57] For your instruction. Is your heart anchored. In what Jesus himself. Has spoken. Is this where you're putting. Your trust. Christ. You think of yourself.

[28:08] In the. Rather. Labored analogy. If you will. Of you being. A ship. On the sea.

[28:19] And you know what ships do. In order to be able. To steady themselves. In storms. So that they're not. Tossed all over. By the waves. They have to.

[28:30] They have to anchor. They have to. More themselves. To something. That is more steady. Don't they. They have to drop. Anchor. And hope that that anchor. Will hold that ship.

[28:41] In the storm. What are you. Anchoring your soul. In your heart. In the midst. Of living in this. Tumultuous place. That we call. Earth. Where trials.

[28:52] And challenges. Where heartache. And hurt. And we're pain. Is just something. That's real for us. Every day. Well what about.

[29:03] The apostles teaching. Well I'm not going to go. Any further. Than Peter himself. If you'll turn back. With me. To second Peter. And look at chapter one. Some territory.

[29:13] We've already gone. Over together. Again. This is what Peter. Is saying. Remember. What the holy prophets. Have taught you. Remember what Jesus. Has taught you. About this. And anchor yourself.

[29:25] In what the apostles. Have also taught you. For example. As an apostle. Peter said this. Chapter one. Beginning in verse four. For by these.

[29:37] He. Has granted to us. His precious. And magnificent. Promises. So that by them. You may become partakers. Of the divine nature.

[29:49] Having escaped. The corruption. That is in the world. By lust. Or evil desires. Others. Now for this very reason. Also. Applying all diligence.

[30:01] In your faith. Supply moral excellence. In your moral excellence. Knowledge. In your knowledge. Self-control. And in your self-control.

[30:11] Perseverance. And in your perseverance. Godliness. In your godliness. Brotherly kindness. And in your brotherly kindness. Love. These qualities.

[30:22] If they are yours. And are increasing. Render you neither useless. Nor unfruitful. In the true knowledge. Of our lord Jesus Christ.

[30:33] For he who lacks. These qualities. Now here it comes. He who lacks. These qualities. Is blind. Or short-sighted. You're about to see. An example of that.

[30:44] In verse 4. Of chapter 3. He who lacks. These qualities. Is blind. Or short-sighted. Having forgotten. His purification.

[30:57] From his former sins. Therefore brothers. Look now. Be all the more. Diligent. To make certain. About his calling.

[31:07] And choosing you. For salvation. That is. For as long. As you practice. These things. That he just listed. As long. As these are your lifestyle.

[31:18] You will never stumble. For in this way. The entrance. Into the eternal kingdom. Of our lord and savior. Jesus Christ. Will be abundantly.

[31:28] Supplied to you. Therefore. Now notice what he's done. This is all the way. Back in chapter 1. Therefore. I will always be ready. To remind you. Of these things.

[31:39] Even though. Even though. You already know them. And have been established. In the truth. Which is present with you. Nevertheless. I consider it right. As long as I am.

[31:51] In this earthly dwelling. Peter's saying. As long as I'm alive. And breathing. To stir you up. By way of reminder. Knowing that the laying aside.

[32:02] Of my earthly dwelling. Is imminent. Here's where he tells us. I know I'm about to be martyred. I'm about to die. As the Lord Jesus. Has made clear to me. And I will also then. Be diligent.

[32:13] That at any time. After my departure. You will be able. To call these things. To mind. You see. This is where he wants. To ground us.

[32:23] As the beloved of God. Remembering. Remembering the truth. And striving. In this holiness. That God has purchased for us. In Jesus Christ.

[32:35] Beloved. Jesus is coming. Again. You will give an account to him. For your daily deeds. So. Anchor your heart.

[32:46] In his truth. And live. For him. That's where Peter starts. And. Notice verse three. Know this first of all.

[32:58] That in the last days. Mockers will come with their mocking. Following after their own lusts. And here's what they're going to be saying. Where is the promise.

[33:10] Of his coming. Forever. Since the fathers fell asleep. All continues. Just as it was. From the beginning. Of creation. Here's the second point.

[33:21] I want to make. For you. Anticipate. Mockers. To scorn. God's truth. Anchor your heart. In the Lord. As we remember. The truth. That Jesus is coming. And because Jesus is coming.

[33:33] Again. Anticipate. That mockers. Are going to try. To deceive you. And draw you away. From that reality. They're going to try. To discourage you. From looking. In hope. To Jesus. Coming again.

[33:45] They're going to pass. All of this off. That we're thinking. Believing. And doing. As foolishness. They're going to mock us. About it. Your faith.

[33:55] In Jesus. And in his. Explanations. About life. Are foolish. Your faith. In Jesus. Is unsophisticated. And stupid.

[34:05] They simply. Are expressions. Of your ignorance. In fact. They are nothing more. Than the creative. Imaginations. Of your own. Mind.

[34:16] That's what we are. As Christians. We're just a bunch. Of foolish people. Running around. Out here. With things. That we've made up. In our own minds. And that we love. To tell each other. Because life's hard.

[34:27] And we just can't. Deal with it. So we're just. Putting our spin on it. We're just trying. To psych ourselves out. That's.

[34:39] That's these men. That's what they're saying. It's just. What the mockers. In fact. Have been saying. To discredit. Peter. If you look back.

[34:50] At chapter one. In second. Peter. And look with me. At verse 16. Peter is saying. For we did not follow.

[35:02] Cleverly devised tales. When we made known to you. The power and coming. Of our Lord Jesus Christ. We were eyewitnesses. Of his majesty. For when. When he. Jesus.

[35:12] Received honor and glory. From God the Father. There was such an utterance. As this. That was made. To him. By the majestic glory. By God. And he said. We heard it.

[35:23] We heard this from heaven. God said this. In our presence. About Jesus. This is my beloved. Son. With whom. I am well pleased. And we ourselves. Heard this utterance. Made from heaven.

[35:33] When we were with him. On the holy mountain. Why. Why is he saying this? Why is he having. Oh. Peter said. I know. I know. They mock. My own. Eyewitness testimony.

[35:44] Of Jesus's. Transfiguration. On the mountain. That day. I know. They think we're crazy. They think we made it up. They think it's just a big. Imagination. Imagination. Thing that we're using.

[35:55] To try to keep you guys. Under our power. I know what they say. But I didn't invent this. It's not a figment. Of my imagination. It's not something.

[36:06] I'm using. To try and manipulate you. Or control you. Peter's saying this. Look at verses 19 through 21. Of chapter one. So we have the prophetic word.

[36:17] Made more sure. To which you do well. To pay attention. Is to a lamp. Shining in a dark place. Until the day dawns. And the morning star. Rises in your own hearts.

[36:28] But know this. First of all. See he's fond of that statement. That's what we have in chapter three. But know this. First of all. No prophecy. Of scripture. Is a matter. Of one's own interpretation.

[36:39] Nope. For no prophecy. Was ever made. By an act. Of human will. But men. Moved by the Holy Spirit. Spoke. From God.

[36:51] That's the authority. What's Peter telling us in this? The truth of God. That I've given. That I've given you. Doesn't rest on my interpretation. Or even yours.

[37:02] It rests on the fact. That God spoke it. Through his human servants. Done. God said it. God declared it. And it stands.

[37:13] If you're going to trust in anything. Anchor your trust there. God said it. And it's done. Fine. You don't want to believe me. You don't want to trust.

[37:24] What I've given you. As an eyewitness testimony. Look back into the truth of the Lord. And trust the testimony. That God has given. Through his human servants. And written it down.

[37:34] For your benefit. And your blessing. Anchor your hearts there. Now folks. That's a true shepherd. That's a man. Who isn't saying.

[37:45] Follow me. Because I want. Desire. And crave. Your applause. Follow me. Because I want. And crave. A following. I want you to think.

[37:57] I'm all that. I get off. On the fact. Of you thinking. I'm all that. No. Follow me. As I follow Jesus. And point you to be loyal to him.

[38:09] To bow to him. Not me. To think he's all that. Not me. To look to his word. Not mine. I'm just like you. I'm biased. I'm opinionated.

[38:19] I'm proud. I'm selfish. I can even be deceived. Let me take you somewhere else. That you can stand. And anchor your soul. And trust. And know that it's 100% pure.

[38:32] God's living word. Go there. Camp out there. And to the degree. That you have men standing before you. And pointing you in that direction.

[38:42] Follow them as they follow Christ. Trust. Love the Lord Jesus. Adore the Lord Jesus. Give your heart to the Lord Jesus. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ.

[38:55] And live for him. And for him alone. Jesus is coming again. And you will give an account. For all the deeds.

[39:06] And all the words of your life. Down to the letter. God will hold us accountable. For those of us. Who are trusting in Christ.

[39:16] For the forgiveness of our sins. No condemnation. No punishment. No judgment. Jesus took all of that for us. So we get life.

[39:27] Joy. In his name. For all who have not trusted. In what he's done for them. And look to him. For the forgiveness of their sins. Eternal judgment. It terrifies me.

[39:40] To even think about that. For anybody. Opposition to God's truth. About life. Is real. We encounter it.

[39:52] Just about every day of our lives. At some level or another. You have family. You have friends. You have co-workers. You have people out in the community. As you try to just simply.

[40:03] Live for the Lord Jesus. To put Jesus forward in your life. That's enough. To make many people hostile. Toward you. And I understand that.

[40:15] So what does Peter tell us to do? Look. Prepare. Your mind. For spiritual battle. As people within the church. Give in.

[40:26] To false notions. About the priorities of heaven. For your life on earth. You understand that? We need to be very very careful. That we do not give in.

[40:38] To those even within the church. Who might become deceived. And move away from the priorities of heaven. And more and more toward earthly priorities. He says.

[40:49] Be very very careful. Specifically. Here's how he says it. In these last days. Mockers will come with their mocking. The last days.

[40:59] Refer to the days. After the cross. And before Jesus coming again. We're living in those days. This is our time. We're in the last days. We don't know if Jesus will come tomorrow.

[41:11] Or five years from now. Or five thousand years from now. But until Jesus comes again. From the time of the cross till then. We are living in the last days. That's God's measurement.

[41:22] Of how we're living. Mockers and mocking. Refer to the deceivers. Back in chapter two. Here again. Peter's trying to warn the beloved.

[41:33] Away from what the false teachers. Will try to say. And try to do. In pulling them away. From devotion to Christ. They're going to try.

[41:44] And lure God's beloved. Away from what God's prophets. And apostles. Had taught them about God. And his ways. It's not if. It's when.

[41:56] And they're here. They will disguise. Their false wisdom. In the form of mocking. Criticisms of God's word. Have you ever been in a situation.

[42:08] Where you are trying. In some manner. To stand. To stand. For what you know. To be the truth of Jesus. You were trying to be gracious. You weren't even really.

[42:18] Saying much. But there were. Enough people around. Even if there were just. Two or three. And they're ranking on something. And they're. They're going to town. And.

[42:28] And being cynical. And critical. About. Some aspect of life. And your mind is clicking off. The truth of the Lord. And you're thinking. Man. That's. That's not the way.

[42:40] That the Lord would have us. Think about this. That's. That is not a good take. On this situation. That's. That's dragging them. And. You want so bad. To speak.

[42:51] You. But do you. You felt the pressure. Of sounding. So. Ridiculous. You know why. You know why. Because. All you have.

[43:03] In those moments. Is this. Well. Jesus said. How stupid.

[43:16] How unsophisticated. Of course. You're a Christian. You're going to go to Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Everything's Jesus. Do you ever listen to yourself. Let me record you.

[43:27] And you say that again. And you listen to how ridiculous. You sound. When you talk about Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Can you not. Can we not have some kind of.

[43:38] An academic discussion here. Can you not draw. From philosophy. Or psychology. Or something that sounds. Intelligent.

[43:49] You retreat. And. You see what I'm saying. This is exactly. How the world. Views. Us. But folks. How does God view us.

[43:59] When we're speaking. The name of Jesus. With much grace. And patience. And kindness. And standing firm. In the truth. Of who he is.

[44:10] We understand. That we're looking. Into the faces of people. In those moments. Who like. I was. I was. Blind. To the truth.

[44:21] They need. The grace of God. To open their eyes. To see their need. For Jesus Christ. Christ. There was a time. In my life. When I thought. Christians. Were the biggest.

[44:32] Morons. In the world. Why. Why. I tell you. I'm in high school. I'm living the life. I'm doing my thing. We got a boat. We're out on the lake. We're doing our stuff. It's. Man. And these people.

[44:44] Are going to. Church. On Sunday. And they're like. Giving up their Sunday. When they could be out. On the lake. What is wrong. With you people. I didn't.

[44:54] I didn't. Understand. But I'll tell you. When Jesus. Opened the eyes. Of my heart. To show me. My need. For his forgiveness. My entire life.

[45:05] Dramatically. Changed. A transformation. Came over me. In an instant. God began. To open. My eyes. To the truth. Of my pride.

[45:15] And my selfishness. And now. I can walk around. In my backyard. When I pray for you. And pray for the truth. And pray for Sunday. And I can think. In terms like this. And I can say.

[45:26] Things like this. God. Thank you. For not letting me. Live for myself. And bring myself. To ruin. Thinking like that.

[45:38] Mocking you. Mocking your people. Mocking your truth. Thank you. For saving me. Not from you. From me. Thank you.

[45:49] For saving me. For saving me. Or maybe. I'd be 61 years old. If I'd have ever. Survived. What I was living like. I doubt it. I'd be 61 years old.

[45:59] Right now. Without a clue. Looking back. On a life. Of what? If my life. Had continued. The way that it was. Oh boy.

[46:11] I would have left. A trail. Of devastation. Behind me. And I didn't murder anybody. I didn't steal from anybody. I just lived for Jeff. That was enough. Peter is calling us.

[46:27] To prepare ourselves. Against these people. Who disguise their wisdom. In the form of these. Mocking criticisms. Against God. At the end of verse 3.

[46:40] Peter reveals. The content. Of their hearts. This is very interesting. The content. Of their hearts. Know this. First of all. That in the last days.

[46:50] Mockers will come. With their mocking. Look. Following after. Their own lusts. Following after. Their own lusts. They are full. Of themselves.

[47:02] That's the definition. That Peter gives. About the content. Of the core. Of who these men are. They are simply men. Who are chasing after.

[47:12] The desires. Of their own heart. The desires. Of their own lusts. Now we've already learned. That sensuality. And greed.

[47:23] Drive these men. That was all. Of chapter 2. They are driven. By sensual desire. And greed. For money. For power. For possessions. We need to remember.

[47:34] That mockers. Crave the approval. Of men. Men. So. In addition. To this sensual. Drive. That they have. About life. I understand that.

[47:45] In addition. To this. Terrible greed. That serves. To define. The way they pursue. Life. I understand that. These men. Also have. A tremendous.

[47:58] Insatiable. Desire. For the applause. And the approval. Of men. They bask in it. They love. To be the person. That is. In the group. Where everybody.

[48:09] Circled around. And all attention. Is on. Them. That person. The false teacher. Or whatever. They really crave. That kind of thing. And it has nothing.

[48:20] To do with the glory. Of God. Hear this. These men. Have no compunction. About compromising. God's truth. Or putting on. A show.

[48:31] Of themselves. To achieve. Their end. They want. Control. And they want. Personal recognition. Now follow. The argument. These men.

[48:42] According. To verse. Four. They are saying. Then. Given. Their desire. Given. The content. Of their hearts. For. Sensuality.

[48:53] And greed. And the approval. Of men. These men. Then. Of course. They are saying. Where is the promise. Of Jesus is coming. Where is that? Where is that? Is he coming? Is he coming? I don't see him coming.

[49:04] You see him coming? Here is the proof. Ever since the fathers. Fell asleep. Ever since our fathers. Who taught us all this. Back in the old testament. Have fallen asleep. That has died. That is a euphemism.

[49:15] For death. All in the world. Continues. Just like it was. From the beginning. Of creation. It is very interesting. These men believe. In creation. They believe. In a God. Who created. Everything.

[49:26] But look. What they are doing. With it. Look what is happening. In their minds. While verse 3. Gave us. The content of our hearts. Look at this.

[49:38] Verse 4. Gives us the heart. Of their content. The heart of their teaching. They are so consumed with. And driven by their own lust.

[49:49] That even. Even in these cases. Now. They will go so far. As to mock. Jesus's second coming. The one thing. That.

[49:59] Above anything else. Beyond the cross. Of Jesus. Defines who we are. As Christians. Our hope. In his second coming. To satisfy their greed. Their teaching. Encourages people.

[50:10] To put their minds. And to pursue. Earthly priorities. They distract. God's people. From putting their minds.

[50:21] On eternal priorities. And then living their lives. Out of those priorities. So that we reflect. The priorities of heaven. As heavenly people.

[50:32] We reflect. The life of the beloved. Because we follow. The beloved. Him. Christ. Christ. And so our lives. Look like that.

[50:43] They want to distract us. Away from that. Don't put any stock. In what others. Tell you about. Jesus. Coming to judge. Everyone. Don't waste your life.

[50:55] Living like Jesus. Thinking that one day. He's going to bring you. To account. For everything you do. What a waste. That's nonsense.

[51:05] Sense. You want proof. That Peter. And the others. Are just trying. To control you. Just consider. Patriarchs. Like Abraham.

[51:16] Isaac. Joseph. Jacob. Even Moses. Has anything. Really changed. According to what. They said. And did. Has anything. Changed.

[51:27] Just think about it. Has any of that. Had any. Direct impact. On your life. Hmm.

[51:39] Well. I mean. They spoke the truth. Right. Did they? Did they? Is that what that's about? You see what they're doing?

[51:51] They just. Huh. Huh. And consider this. There is no. Solid evidence. Giving us.

[52:01] Reason to think. That God has done. Anything. To interrupt. The rhythm. Of the world. Since the beginning. Of creation. Now.

[52:13] I hope you're sitting there. As a Christian. Going. What? Are you kidding me? I can think of a few things. That have happened. In the world. And to the world.

[52:24] That show something. Very different. Than nothing's changed. Are you kidding me? I hope that's how you're thinking. Right now. That that's what they're saying.

[52:35] Can you recall. As a Christian. Can you recall. Any biblical accounts. That prove. God's intense actions. In his world. Can you think of anything.

[52:45] Which might prove. That our world. Has undergone. Dramatic change. Since the beginning. Of creation. Well Peter shows us the way. He answers.

[52:56] By the word. Of God's truth. Look at this. Remember. Jesus is coming again. And answer. By the word. Of God's truth. You're going to encounter. So anticipate it.

[53:08] You're going to encounter. Mockers. They're coming. They're here. They're with us. They're everywhere. Answer. By the word. Of God's. Truth. Peter mentions.

[53:20] God's power. In the verses to come. I'll read them for you. In just a second. Peter mentions. God's power. To create his world. Control his world. And conserve his world.

[53:32] For when they maintain this. Verse five. It escapes their notice. That by the word of God. The heavens existed long ago. And the earth was formed.

[53:42] Out of water. And by water. Through which the world. At that time. Was destroyed. Being flooded. With water. But by his word.

[53:55] The present heavens. And earth. Are being reserved. For fire. Kept for the day of judgment. And destruction. Of ungodly men. The very fact.

[54:08] Then friends. Taking that first one. The very fact. That God created the world. Points to his intervention. In it. Doesn't it? Now think about it. What does Genesis tell us?

[54:19] From an unformed. Watery chaos. By the word of God. The heavens existed long ago. And the earth was formed. Out of water.

[54:30] And by water. How was all of this done? By the word of God. Did you see that in the text? Please don't miss that. By God speaking it.

[54:43] God simply spoke it. Into existence. And there it was. So he took that watery chaos. That we read about. In Genesis. And he formed.

[54:54] And he fashioned. And he designed. Creation. Was a tremendous. Intervention. Of almighty God.

[55:05] In his world. Come on. Peter cites. The second. Cataclysmic event. Quote. Through which.

[55:15] The world. At that time. Was destroyed. Being flooded. With. Water. Verse six. Look at this. This was interesting to me.

[55:26] Flooded. Flooded is the Greek word. Katakloutso. Katakloutso. It's where we get our word. Cataclysm. The same water.

[55:37] That God used. To form. His design. For the earth. God also controlled. To flood. The entire planet. God's cataclysmic. Intervention.

[55:47] Annihilated. Every person. And air breathing. Creature. On earth. At that time. And you and I know. If not for God's.

[55:58] Personal act. Of saving. Intervention. None. Would have been spared. Right. But God's. Intervention. Saved. Noah.

[56:09] Saved. Noah's. Family. And saved. All the creatures. Air breathing. Creatures. On the ark. Now friends. I don't know about. You. But. Just a casual.

[56:20] Reading. Of. Scripture. Which Peter. Is calling. Us. Back to. Reveals. To us. These realities. You don't even. Have to be a Christian. You just.

[56:31] Read these. Accounts. And you see. Very clearly. In scripture. God created. The world. And God brought. This great. Cataclysm. Called the flood. Over the entire planet. And he saved.

[56:42] Noah. And his family. And those creatures. That were in the ark. You see that. Very clearly. It's just. Hard to overlook. Notice this. Then. God also.

[56:52] Demonstrates. His conserving. Power. His conserving. Power. That by his word. The present heavens. And earth. Are being reserved.

[57:04] There it is. For. Fire. Kept. For the day of judgment. And destruction. Of ungodly men. Verse 7. Now friends.

[57:17] God. Is preserving. His earth. Please. Hear this carefully. God. Is preserving. His earth. God's planet.

[57:28] Will not. Become. Uninhabitable. It's not. Going. To happen. The billions. Of dollars.

[57:38] Being spent. To go. To Mars. Because. We need. To be. A quote. Unquote. Space. Faring. People. Given. The reality. That one day.

[57:49] This planet. Is going. To become. Uninhabitable. We're going. To need. A new place. To live. Who am I. Quoting. I am. Absolutely. I watched. Every documentary.

[58:00] I could. Find. And watched. It carefully. I've watched. Several of them. Several times. Listening. To this man. And the money. That they're spending. To get us. To Mars.

[58:11] Because one day. This planet. Is going to be. Where we cannot. Live here. So we need. An alternate. Place. To live. The problem. With that.

[58:21] Is that's not. What God's word. Says. Hear it carefully. God's planet. Will not become. Uninhabitable. And. It will not.

[58:32] Be destroyed. By natural. Processes. Or even. By the abuses. Of mankind. Mankind. Will not. And cannot. Destroy. The earth.

[58:43] All the atomic. Bombs. And all the things. That you've heard. That's not how. It's going to happen. We may go to war. There may be atomic war. I don't know. The Lord knows.

[58:54] I'm just telling you this. We have a promise from God. That God. Is. Conserving. His planet. For his own. Designs. For its. End.

[59:11] It is being. Kept. By God. For his. Design. To destroy it. God's power. To create.

[59:21] His power. To control. And his power. To conserve. His planet. Is clear testimony. Of his authority. As the sovereign. Lord. Over heaven. And earth.

[59:33] One of the reasons. That men want to. Postulate. Things like that. Ideas like that. And move it forward. Is because they are.

[59:44] Suppressing the truth. And unrighteousness. Romans one. The authority. That is displayed.

[59:55] In God's power. To create. Control. And conserve. Is what men want to. Throw off. And deny. They don't want to. Bow.

[60:06] To this great. God of the universe. Whose planet. It is. What is. Psalm 24. One. That we read earlier. Tell us. The earth. Is the Lord's.

[60:17] And all. It contains. The world. And those. Who dwell. In it. For he. Has founded it. Upon the seas. And established it. Upon the rivers.

[60:27] That's exactly. What Peter. Is saying. In our text. For when they maintain. This. It escapes their notice. That by the word. Of God. The heavens. Existed long ago. And the earth. Was formed.

[60:38] Out of water. And by water. Through which. The world. At that time. Was destroyed. Being flooded. With water. By his word. The present heavens.

[60:48] And earth. Are being reserved. For fire. Kept for the day. Of judgment. And destruction. Of ungodly men. There is a sinister.

[60:59] Spiritual force. At work. In the minds. Of all false teachers. And their followers. It's a dire warning. To us. About sin's power.

[61:09] To influence. The thinking. Of human beings. Here's the question. How can such. Clear teachings. As God's. Interventions. In creation.

[61:20] And in the flood. Along with all. The evidence. For these events. Seen. In the planet. Itself. How can all. Of that. Be used. To support.

[61:31] The outright. Denial. That Jesus. Is not. Coming. Again. So relax. There's no judgment. How.

[61:44] Well the beginning. Of verse five. Tells us how. When they maintain this. It escapes. Their notice. Just a simple clause. The sense here.

[61:55] Is that they pridefully. Maintained. A willful. Ignorance. Of the truths. Of scripture. John MacArthur. And his comment. Commentary. Called this. Self.

[62:06] Imposed. Blindness. They chose. To forget. The facts. Of creation. And the flood. And the clear.

[62:17] Implications. Of God's acts. In these events. Now friends. This is evidence. Of the noetic. Effects of sin. On unbelieving. Cynical minds. For those of you. Who are in our.

[62:27] Wednesday night study. This past Wednesday. The entire time. That we were here. We studied. Looked into scripture. And defined. The noetic. Effects. Of sin. On the mind.

[62:38] That was all. Wednesday night. I'm just mentioning it here. For those of you. Who were here. This is a wonderful. Biblical example. Of this doctrine. This is evidence.

[62:49] Of the noetic. Effects of sin. On cynical. Unbelieving. Minds. Just like we discussed. Wednesday evening. Here it comes. Noetic.

[62:59] Comes. From a Greek word. Noose. It means. Mind. Mind. So the doctrine. Of the noetic. Effects. Of sin. Coming from the Greek.

[63:09] Word news. Means. And refers to. How sin. Influences. An unbeliever's. Mind. This will help us.

[63:20] Get our minds around. How can these people. See these things. In the scripture. And discount them. And walk away. And it have no impact.

[63:30] On them. Whatsoever. Even to the point. Where they. They actually. Deny. That this stuff. Ever happened. And go so far. As to say. There is no evidence.

[63:42] In the world. Or in any literature. Or anything. To suggest to us. That things aren't going to. Just keep on going. Just the way they've been. Since creation.

[63:53] And you think. How in the world. Look. The principal point. The principal point. About the noetic effects. Of sin. Is this.

[64:04] As the issues of life. Force unbelievers. Closer. To answers. And realities. Revealing. These two truths. God is. That's his authority. And God is good.

[64:16] That's his kindness. Or benevolence. Toward everyone. Sin's influence. On the mind. Intensifies. So the noetic effects. Of sin. Isn't limited.

[64:26] In definition. To just the fact. That unbelievers. Have minds. That are hostile. Toward the things of God. That's true. Unbelievers. Have minds. That are helpless. To help themselves.

[64:36] Apart from the intervention. Of God. In a saving way. That's true. The noetic effects. Of sin. Tell us. That as. People. Get closer. And closer.

[64:47] To answering. The issues. Of life. With answers. That reveal. God is. And God is good. Their mind. Rebels. And intensifies.

[64:58] That effect. Of suppressing. Those truths. That's the noetic effects. Of sin. That's what happens. To my family members. Who are not.

[65:09] Born again. In Jesus. That's what happens. To my friends. To people. That I love. And care about. And pray for. As I've shared the gospel. With them. As I've tried.

[65:20] To bring the hope. Of Jesus. To them. And some of them. Have laughed in my face. Some of them. Have written me off. Out of their lives. And won't even have anything. To do. These are. These are my kin.

[65:33] And some of them. Just say. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And they walk away. The noetic effects. Of sin. Are powerful. Folks. And apart. From the intervention. Of the saving grace.

[65:44] Of God. And Jesus Christ. They'll go on. Thinking like that. Just like I did. So what is that. What does that. Compel us to. Prayer. Pray for your family members.

[65:55] And friends. And co-workers. Who are lost. In their sin. Pray for them. Why? Because they need. A divine intervention. In their heart. Don't they? They need a God.

[66:06] Who's powerful enough. To bring a flood. To destroy. The entire face. Of the planet. And resurface it. In ways. That we can't even imagine. They need that God. To invade their hearts.

[66:17] And destroy their sin. And give them hope. In Christ. That's the God. That we serve. That's the hope. That we hold out. In Jesus Christ. I'm almost done.

[66:30] As the false teachers. And their followers. Deal then. With spiritual truths. I'm just recapturing this. That bring them closer. To the truth. That God.

[66:41] Is coming again. In Jesus Christ. Sends influence. On their minds. Increases. So that they deny. And throw off. That truth. They deny Jesus.

[66:52] As Savior. And Lord. Let me give you. One other illustration. Before I move. To a close. We have a gentleman. In our. In our church. And he flies. Helicopters. That's what he does.

[67:02] In the army. And you guys know Matt. Matt's very intelligent. It takes a lot of skill. To do that kind of thing. You think about people.

[67:12] Who fly airplanes. People who have. High technical skill. In areas. If they sat me down. In that helicopter. And showed me. All those fancy buttons. I'd just start pushing stuff. Right.

[67:23] I don't. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. I wouldn't know what to do. I have no clue. You think about somebody. In a situation. Who's an unbeliever. Not like Matt.

[67:34] Who's a believer. Who's an unbeliever. When they're sitting there. Learning. About how to fly. A helicopter. The noetic effects. Of sin. Are minuscule.

[67:46] The effects. Of sin. On their mind. Are minuscule. They're learning. A technical. Thing. They're learning. About how to fly. A helicopter. Right brother. But if you take.

[67:58] That same person. Out of that helicopter. And sit down. With them over lunch. And start witnessing. To them. And sharing. The gospel. With them. Now the noetic. Effects of sin. Are going to begin.

[68:09] To increase. Because now. They're being brought. In their mind. And in their heart. Closer and closer. To the God. Who is. That same God. Is the God. Who's giving them. The ability. To learn how to fly.

[68:20] That helicopter. Without Jesus Christ. Intervening in his world. Their minds. Would not work. The way that they're supposed to. And they could never learn. Stuff like that. You wouldn't be able. To do your jobs.

[68:31] That is. John. One. Verse nine. That Jesus. Enlightens all men. Jesus Christ. Intervention. And sustaining grace. In this world.

[68:41] His common grace. Makes it possible. For people to learn. Skills like that. But as people move away. From those kinds of things. More and more. Toward the things. That bring them. In touch with.

[68:52] God is the authority. And creator of the universe. And God is good. And that he gives you life. The noetic effects of sin. Begin to ramp up. And so they began. To push it down.

[69:04] That's our heart. That's the rebellious nature. Of our heart. And that's why. We must pray. That God would intervene. And use us. As his instruments.

[69:14] In that intervention. These people. Because of this influence. Deny Jesus. As savior and Lord.

[69:24] And throw off. The truth. The evidence. Of God's activity. In the past. Are suppressed. In sinful denial. In any promise.

[69:35] Of God's future activity. In the lives of. Mankind. Are denied. And suppressed. As well. Couple quotes. For you real quick here.

[69:47] The mounting evidence. For the scoffers. Rejection of Christ. Conveys one overriding truth. False preachers. And people alike. Reject the doctrine. Of the second coming.

[69:57] Because. They desire. To live in a universe. Without moral accountability. That's why. That's why they mock. That's why they choose.

[70:09] To forget. They mock God's kindness. They mock God's goodness. They mock God's patience. End quote.

[70:20] Not wishing. Not wishing. For any to perish. But for all. To come to repentance. That's verse nine. And that's for next Sunday. God willing. They twist. And they slander the truth.

[70:31] By denying God's activities. Clearly testified to. In scripture. However. However. A redeemed mind.

[70:42] Possesses the mind of Christ. Christ. We're told. We're told. That we have. The mind of Jesus. In first Corinthians 2 16. As saved. Or redeemed. People. And a spiritually.

[70:53] Renewed mind. Romans 12 2. A mind. That is being. Taught. To think. God's truth. About the issues. Of life. So we don't look down.

[71:03] On people. Who are unbelieving. In pride. And we don't turn. To be cynical. Toward them. And mock them. The way they mock us. We would never do that. Don't do that.

[71:15] We pray for them. We pray for them. And we stay faithful. In gentleness. In the hope. That one day. They will see in us. That patient love.

[71:26] Of Jesus. That will draw them. To listen to the message. And hope of the gospel. Be saved. Flee from the wrath. To come. And run to Jesus.

[71:40] Jesus. Jesus is coming again. Redeemed minds. Lead us to rejoice. In that truth. And redeemed minds. Lead us to live.

[71:51] By that truth. Amen. Let's pray together. Father God. We thank you. For your grace. The grace.

[72:02] The undeserved favor. That you shower. On us. In salvation. So that we come. To know our need. For the forgiveness. And we thank you.

[72:13] For the undeserved favor. That you shower. On every unbelieving. Man, woman, boy and girl. On this earth. They're breathing. Your air. Their minds. Function.

[72:24] They have dreams. Aspirations. And hopes. They want to do. Certain things. With their life. You will allow them. To have families. And jobs.

[72:35] And material possessions. And in all these ways. You show yourself. To them. As God. And as a good God. We pray for those.

[72:45] Who deny you. Rebel against you. Scoff at you. Mock you. And put you down. Who turn away from you. In a casual.

[72:55] And flippant way. God. We pray. That you will have. Mercy on their souls. We ask. Dear father. That by your.

[73:05] Wonderful love. And mercy. You would capture. Their heart. Away from Satan. And take them. Out of the prison. Of hell. And deliver them. And transfer them.

[73:16] Into the kingdom. Of your holy son. Who is beloved. Thank you God. For your goodness. And your grace. And for these souls. Who have come today. To sit under your word.

[73:27] And sing your praises. May you bless them. May you lead them. In a righteous life. And may you give them hope. That Jesus. Is coming. Again. In his name.

[73:38]  We pray. And for his glory. Amen.